Angel: I have some announcements for everyone. First and most importantly, I am working for the rest of the entire week in the morning, so I may fall behind on some of my writing (not too worried about this story, since I'm writing You're Kidding Me at this point). That's reality for you, I guess XD And when I get home from work, I have to put time into my homework afterwards or else I'll fall behind. I think I'll be done with the second season by the end of the month, hopefully...but I have to resort to an online website for season 3 since it's not on Disney+, which is what I've been using to write this story...that's gonna be a little more difficult because it's a bit slower than the streaming service. But at least they put the final season's soundtrack on Spotify!
Also, I have written a response about MLP fanfiction on my profile underneath Future Stories, so if you were wondering about that, go check that out.
And lastly...something tells me I shouldn't say this XD If you've read my Sophia X story, you know that I hated doing it. But...I've decided to let that go and be more open to doing more Sonic tv shows and/or the film from this year. So let me know if you wanna see the movie or one of the shows first or to do a poll for that, but please don't ask for Sonic Underground or the OVA, because I just don't like them.
Enjoy the new chapter!
"I can't express just how much this time in Vardaros has meant to us," Rapunzel states, the others except Vex smiling behind her. She's wearing her old dress. "We may have come here as strangers, but I like to think we're leaving as friends. So, in the spirit of that friendship, we would like to share a Corona tradition with all of you. I am proud to announce the First Annual Vardaros Goodwill Festival!" She pulls down a banner that looms over their heads.
However...very few people are around to hear it.
"Boo!" A shopkeeper shouts at them.
"Yeah, I got booed at last year's festival, too," Rapunzel whispers to an annoyed Vex. "Don't worry. This is gonna be fantastic!"
Vex ducks her head, a tomato flying past and hitting the wall behind her.
"It's great that you wanna do this, Raps," Cass says while looking at a goodwill festival poster. "But this town isn't like Corona," Owl hands her a poster. "They don't feel the need to celebrate something every six seconds."
"Vardaros isn't as...traditional," Harmony points to Cass. "Because I know for a fact she didn't just insult my home."
"W-What? No..." Cass waves it off nervously.
"You should really listen to them," Vex replies in a snarky tone, leaning against a barrel. "Vardarans aren't really the "goodwill" kind of crowd."
"Yeah, they seem to be the solitude type," Varian holds up a finger.
"I hate goodwill, ya clod!" A woman shouts as she walks past the alley. Rapunzel places her hands on her hips, slightly glaring at her.
"I know people here are a little rougher around the edges, but they deserve to have a good time," She smiles, walking up to Cass, who is still looking skeptical.
"Are you sure everyone shares your idea of what makes a good time? Look!" She gestures to the Gopher Grab stand, where no one is in line to sign up. "Not one person has signed up for the Gopher Grab. Which might not be a bad thing, since we don't have a gopher."
She frowns a little at Cass being cynical about the matter. "Hey, hey, don't worry about that," Eugene places a hand on her shoulder. "I've got my two best gopher hunters on the job."
"Ow! Oh! Aah!" Lance shouts as Hook Foot is pulling a rope around Lance's head with his hook. Both of them had gotten stuck in a trap in the woods. "You're pulling! You're pulling! You know how much I—aah! Aah! You're pulling!"
"I'm sure they're out there snaggin' a gopher as we speak," Eugene says confidently. "Probably. You know, we may actually wanna cancel the Gopher Grab?"
"It'll be tough finding a gopher out here," Vex speaks up. "This is sneezeweasel country."
"She's right. A normal animal like a gopher is almost non-existent in this area," Varian replies, looking over Harmony's shoulder. She's trying to construct the Gopher Grab to the best of her ability, per Rapunzel's instructions.
"I'm so sorry. What's a sneezeweasel?" Cass asks in confusion.
"It's a mammalian omnivore, indigenous to this region, whose primary diet is gophers, foxes..." Shorty blenches out paper. "And voles."
They turn to Harmony in shock, who has her fist to her cheek. "Shorty's right. Yeah, this conversation is really helping my concentration..." Her eyes widen as she realizes what she just said. "Did I really just say that Shorty was right about something?"
"Um, Shorty, how do you know so much about sneezeweasels?" Eugene couldn't help but ask.
Shorty just chuckles. "I used to be one."
"Oh...that's better," Eugene smiles awkwardly.
"Anyway, with all the sneezeweasels dominating this town, the chances of finding a gopher are slim to none. Now can I focus, please? I'm trying to find the best area to build the festival," Harmony calls out, looking back to the map of Vardaros.
Rapunzel suddenly gasps, hugging Eugene's arm. "Look! Someone's signing up for the Gopher Grab!"
A man grabs a feather. "And you thought the good cheer wouldn't catch on," She points to Cass.
"Actually, he's stealing your quill," Vex corrects her. They turn to see him running away and Cass growls.
"Hey!" she chases after the man, Owl flying after her. The man turns around, only to be tackled by the woman. He whimpers in pain as the woman is holding his arm. "You want the pen so bad..." Owl flies up to the two with the sign-up sheet. "Then sign up."
"Okay, okay!" He grabs the pen. "I'll sign up!" He places an x, a crowd gathering at Cass holding him down. Vex pushes past Rapunzel, who looks on in slight disapproval.
"Uh, Cass, we're celebrating goodwill? Remember?"
The man runs away sobbing once Cass lets him go.
"Anyone else wanna wrestle me for the pen?" Cass holds it up. "You lose, you sign up!"
"Me!" The crowd starts shouting to volunteer.
"Let's do this!"
"Okay then. Who's next?" She grins widely, ready for the challenge. They shout angrily, running up to her and she punches someone in the face.
Quaid puts up a festival poster, tacking it to his wall. Vex, Cass, Harmony, Varian, and Rapunzel walk into his office.
"Captain, I know why you wanna see us, and I'm sure it wasn't Cass' intention to injure 16 people," Rapunzel gives her a look.
"Uh, it was 23," Cass adds in.
"Basically half the town," Varian deadpans at her.
"It's just that-"
"Rapunzel," Quaid interrupts her, "I haven't seen folks that excited in years! Nice job," He smiles at the woman, who blinks in shock. That was definitely not something she expected. "When you told me about this goodwill nonsense, I thought there's no way that this feel-good garbage is gonna fly here. But...that's before I saw what Cass had up her sleeve."
Rapunzel chuckles nervously at her friend. "To be clear, that wasn't an official festival event."
"Well, it should've been!"
"You should have Cass plan all of your events," Vex suggests to her. "Harmony can still build them."
"Huh. Actually, that's not such a bad idea," Rapunzel rubs her chin. "I mean, I know this party stuff isn't your strong suit, but it would be fun to work together. What do you say? You wanna be my co-planner?"
Harmony and Varian glance to each other. Cass really isn't a party person. She'll attend one if it involves her duty as trying to be a guard, but planning it...
"Ha! Me? Co-planning a festival?" She laughs at the thought. "Hmm, why not?"
"Great!" Rapunzel smiles at her.
"Can I help?" Vex stands up with a smile.
"Of course you can." The girl walks right past her in annoyance.
"I was actually asking Cass."
She wraps an arm around Vex, leading her away. Rapunzel just shrugs, walking after them.
"This is gonna end..."
"Badly?" Harmony finishes for Varian.
"Definitely. Well, I guess we should continue building...just not for a goodwill festival..." He murmurs as they walk out the door.
"Here, gophy-gophy! Here, gophy!" Lance calls out. The two walk down the path, Lance looking underneath a rock. "Gophy...!"
"Aah! This is pointless!" Hook Foot exclaims in frustration, kicking away the rock.
"Listen," Lance stands up. "We promised to find a gopher, and I don't like breaking promises."
"Oh, come on, you break promises all the time!" Hook Foot declares, as he broke a promise to stop talking about Harmony's love life, and yet didn't.
"I do it, I just don't like it," He corrects himself, and pauses when they hear leaves rustling nearby. He looks at a flower bush.
"What is it...?" Hook Foot steps up in fear, hugging Lance's arm. "I'm not scared."
Lance digs his hand into the bush, and holds up what looks to be a gopher. "Hey, yo, Foot, is this a gopher?"
"I don't know," He stares at it. With him spending most of his time at the pub before they left Corona, he's not really in the woods much to tell the difference. "Check the picture."
Lance holds up the drawing he did, looking between the two. "...Nope, too cute." He places it back down on the grass gently, chuckling. "I can't believe I thought that was a gopher. Much too fancy. Such a knucklehead."
The gopher squeaks as it watches them walk away.
"Okay, partner, here is the list of events," Rapunzel is holding a piece of paper, looking up at all the work that Harmony and Varian have done so far. "It's a fifth draft, so it should be pretty close to final."
"Hmm, okay, let's see," Cass starts to read it. "Bobbing for apples...ring toss...juggling? Raps, are you sure people here are into...pony rides?" She asks skeptically, wondering just how she pulled that off.
"Who doesn't love pony rides?" Rapunzel smiles up at her.
"I hate pony rides!" The same woman who called Rapunzel a clod walks past them. "Ya clod!"
Rapunzel silently huffs to herself, annoyed. "Like I said...not final," She takes the paper away, taking a slight breath. She brushes a bang behind her ear. "Okay. Um, did you have any ideas for events?"
Cass tosses her a ball of paper, which she catches and opens. "Hmm," She looks at the human pinata, sitting out seeds at targets, and more. "Human Pinata? Spit Target Practice? Okay, I-I don't even know what this is!"
"That would be Piranha Dunk Tank, Rapunzel," Cass explains to her. Harmony slides down from a pulley above their heads to look at Cass.
"And just where would you get the piranhas, Cass?" She raises a brow, but her question goes unanswered as Rapunzel speaks up.
"Um, I'm not quite sure these scream goodwill."
Cass gasps sharply as she gets an idea. "Goodwill Scream Contest? Great idea! We can see who can scream the loudest!"
"OUTTA MY WAY!" The shopkeeper screams as he walks past. Harmony covers an ear and pulls herself back up.
"And there's the guy to beat!" Cass points at him.
"Take a break, Vari! Something tells me that we're not gonna get much building done..." Harmony shakes her head.
"What makes you say that?" He looks over his shoulder as he's standing on a rooftop to hang banners.
"In 3, 2, 1," Harmony circles a finger with each countdown, pointing to the two women. Rapunzel lets out a nervous chuckle as she watches Cass hold her sword.
"Cass, uh, don't get me wrong. I love your ideas, but event planning takes a certain...skill set."
"Skill set?" Cass raises a brow. She's trying to figure just what 'skill set' goes into event planning. "Are you suggesting I don't know how to help people have fun?"
"No!" Rapunzel replies immediately. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No! …Maybe?"
Pascal stares up at her, baffled at how she admitted it. "Well, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Rapunzel, but maybe the reason Vex suggested I be co-planner is because you lack a certain skill set."
The blonde just laughs, Cass crossing her arms with a smug look. "Well, then, Cassandra, if that's the case, maybe you should host your own events for the Goodwill Festival."
"Maybe I should!" Cass shouts back at her. "Thank you!" Then she starts to leave.
"After all, twice as many events means twice as much festival!" Rapunzel holds up two fingers.
"I agree! That way, everybody wins!" The lady-in-waiting backs away, glaring at her.
"Well, then it's settled. I'm glad we could work this disagreement out without ARGUING!" Rapunzel grits her teeth, clenching her fists.
"It's what friends DO!" Cass screams and they storm off in opposite directions.
"Man," Harmony sighs at this. "It's just like at the Challenge of the Brave..."
"So what do we do?" Varian asks and she looks up at him.
"This time, we get outside help. We can't have them arguing the whole time we're trying to follow the black rocks. Come on," She starts to climb back down.
"Hey Blondie. Everything alright?" Eugene greets as he and Max approach the crown princess.
"YES! My friend and I were just making polite CONVERSATION!" Rapunzel screams, walking off. Max turns to Eugene, who shrugs. He turns around to the two teenagers that approach him.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?"
"She and Cassandra are fighting," Varian sighs slowly. "Because of the Goodwill Festival..."
"I've honestly never seen my sister that mad before," Harmony stares after the blonde.
"We were looking for you, actually-"
"You finally want advice on good looks!" Eugene interrupts eagerly, the two glancing at each other briefly.
"Nooo...we need your help getting them to make up," Harmony stares at him. "I know you don't like Cass, but Rapunzel helped you out when you and Cass wouldn't stop arguing. You owe me at least that much, Eugene."
"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" He deadpans at the two.
Rapunzel walks up to the Goodwill Festival banner that the teens put up. Cass was already there, the tension high.
"Here we go. Festival time."
"Yep! Let's cram some goodwill down this town's throat!" She slams her sword into the ground.
"Uh, sure...Now, remember, Cass, if people don't like your events, don't get upset." Rapunzel holds out her hand.
"I'm not worried about it," Cass accepts the handshake, but only to be civil.
"Good! And I really hope your events go well. After all, if this Goodwill Festival is a success, we all win," Rapunzel replies politely.
"Totally," Cass narrows her eyes as they're still shaking hands. "And besides, it's not like it's a competition or anything."
"Right. Right, of course. It's about showing the Vardarans as much fun as possible!" Rapunzel snatches her hand back and they slowly move away from each other.
Rapunzel looks inside the barrel full of apples, taking a bite. Three bushels of apples with a bite in them are behind her, Harmony and Varian looking on with slight concern. No one's even approached her booth, or really paid any attention to it.
"Whew! That's 65 apples for me." She tosses one into the pile. "Whoo!"
A man runs up to her, taking a bitten apple and running off. They stare in confusion to see him throw it. Cass slices the apple in half with her sword, some of it landing on his shirt and face.
"Yes! Yes!" He laughs happily, Rapunzel giving a swayed look.
"I-I'm sure someone will come to one of her events..." Varian stammers, though he really didn't think so.
Pascal and Daisy are trying to get people's attention to a guessing game. The chameleon manages to get someone, gesturing to the sign. He reads it: 'Guess how many.' Pascal raises his hands, Daisy flapping over him.
He holds up three fingers, the two pets gesturing for him to guess more.
The man from before is holding a crossbow in his hands, Cass watching nearby. He attempts to fire it, but the end in front of him activates, and he's left slightly floating in the air.
"Well, at least you got your looks. Oops! No, you don't!" Cass retorts, people around her laughing. Then the crossbow fires, sending him flying off.
The man in front of the two pets guesses two, and they pinch the space between their eyes. Pascal gestures for him to go higher, but he guesses two again. He takes the whole jar, dumping it all over their heads. Daisy looks up at him in slight anger, and he slams down the jar. The man with the crossbow lands in the har, and he holds up a finger.
Since he's technically right, Pascal flings his tongue, capturing a penguin plush. He hands it over.
"Boo!" The man in the jar hollers, the sign falling onto the floor.
Varian and Harmony approach the table, seeing the man stuck there.
"Boo!"
"Not again, Cass," Varian mutters, looking over his shoulder. It's the third time it's happened today, unfortunately...
"Honey Wall! Honey Wall!" Vardarans chant as Vex is standing near a wall covered top to bottom in honey. "Honey Wall!"
Harmony, Rapunzel, and Varian appear in the crowd, watching. "Alright, whoever makes Shorty stick to Captain Quaid's Honey Wall the longest is our winner!" Cass is holding the tiny man, looking over her shoulder at the wall.
She steps up to a woman, who cracks her knuckles. She hands over Shorty. "Ready?!"
The woman prepares to throw Shorty, who just giggles without a care. She spins around and tosses him into the air. The people watch in awe as he goes flying.
"It's been a long time since I've been thrown into a good wall of honey," He sticks onto it upside down, his beard hanging.
"Honey Wall! Honey Wall! Honey Wall!" The people push slightly past Rapunzel, who looks on with a sad frown on her face.
"Guys, you're okay with this?" Rapunzel turns to the two.
"Well, no...but honestly, this event isn't hurting him," Varian gestures to Shorty.
"You kidding? It's Shorty. He couldn't care less. Besides, Rapunzel, not every single town is the same, and Vardaros is just one of those towns."
Later on, the blonde paints the Honey Wall event, sitting in front of the caravan. Rapunzel is looking on with disapproval in the painting, while Vex and Cass are smiling.
"Okay, so her events are getting a lot more attention. But that doesn't mean mine are bad, right?" Rapunzel asks the four. Pascal gives an unsure wave, looking to Daisy, Varian, and Harmony. They take one look at each other and whistle, looking away. They really didn't want to answer that.
"Eugene, are Cassandra's events more fun than mine?" She calls out to her boyfriend nearby. He's cleaning dishes from their lunch earlier.
"Are Cassandra's events more fun than yours? Ooh," He clicks his teeth, wincing. "Uh, uh. Are Cassandra's events more fun...than...yours?" He wipes his hand on the cloth being held by Max. He looks to the two, who gesture for him to say something.
He notices Rapunzel's glare. "You know what? The important thing here is, uh, is that—that people are having fun, yeah, you know, and isn't that the whole point of a Goodwill Festival?"
"That is right!" Varian grins nervously. "I mean, Mona and I had fun at our first one together."
"Course, we had barely known each other then, and you were dead set on Monty being your friend," Harmony holds up a hand. "Which, despite all that you did, didn't work and my leg broke, and we-"
Varian winces and she looks up to see Rapunzel looking at them with the glare now. Harmony clamps her mouth shut, hiding behind the boy.
"You know what, not a good example."
"And that Gopher Grab tomorrow is gonna make everything even better," Eugene adds in. "So, maybe the two of you should just get together and work it out, huh?" He lightly touches her hair, causing her to smile.
"Yeah...you're right."
She pecks his lips, walking off. Max stares after her in surprise. "Well, Max, I hoped you learned something there."
He glares a little, blowing the cloth over Eugene's face. Both Varian and Harmony laugh at him.
An owl hoots as it gets dark, Lance sighing as they're still in the forest. "Well, uh, it might be time to admit defeat."
A growl is heard nearby. "Shh! Wait!" Hook Foot exclaims in alarm. Lance puts a hand to his ear, and when he hears it, he shrieks in fear. They walk into the bushes, and see a bunch of footprints, along with some bones and black rocks. A large shadow is seen from the mountains overlooking the forest, which has big teeth and giant claws. Lance looks at his drawing and then at the shadow.
"Foot, old buddy. I think we've got our gopher," Lance says in a quiet voice.
"Hey, Cass?" Rapunzel announces as she's walking over to a tent, holding up a lantern and wearing a cloak. Harmony and Varian step behind her, Daisy and Pascal on foot. "I just wanted to say..." She doesn't see her friend anywhere inside. "Cass?"
"She's not in the caravan, so she has to be here..." Harmony murmurs as Varian is holding up his staff with chemicals tied to it.
"Cass?" She calls out again, seeing a table covered. She removes the cloth to see a bunch of weapons on the table. "Yeesh! What is Cass planning to do with that?"
"Whatever Cass does," Varian shrugs towards her. Rapunzel holds up a nunchuck and pulls it to extend the chain.
"Wow. Nothing says goodwill like nunchucks, I guess." She takes back the lantern and walks straight into a totem with a scary mask on it. They all scream at the sight, recoiling back.
"I don't even wanna know where she got that. Ew, ew, ew," Harmony takes the cloth and covers up the mask with it.
"Whew! Okay, looks like she's got the, uh, creepy clown events covered too, huh?" Rapunzel says after catching her breath.
"I am officially creeped out..." Varian murmurs and they turn around to see a frowning Cass. They scream again, falling backwards into the table. The crown princess drops her lantern.
"Oh. Cass, hi. You're here," She picks up the lantern.
"Of course I'm here," Cass crosses her arms. "This is my tent. What are you-" She gasps suddenly. "Wait a minute. I know what this is about. You're here to steal my event ideas, and you're using Harmi and Varian to do it!"
"What? No!" Harmony shakes her head rapidly.
"No, we're not," Rapunzel denies as they back away from her accusing fingers. "Why would we do that?"
"I just figured, since yours were so...disastrous," Cass replies smugly.
"I wouldn't steal again after what happened back in Corona," Varian defends himself.
"And, well, they weren't disastrous, Cass," Rapunzel places the lantern in front of Daisy and Pascal. "And I don't need to steal your bad ideas, thank you very much. I have plenty of my own."
The two teens look between the two of them, backing away so that they don't get in the middle of it. Cass chuckles at her.
"Okay, you have plenty of bad ideas?"
Pascal and Daisy frown up in worry at Rapunzel. "What? No," She growls in frustration. "You know what I mean!"
"Look, Raps, I'm sorry if people like my events better than yours," Cass takes a seat, smiling in amusement.
"What are you talking about? People love my events!" Rapunzel smiles, but the Vardaran woman walks past.
"I hate your events! Ya clod!"
"Is she just following me around?" Rapunzel asks herself.
"And aren't people supposed to be asleep at this hour?" Harmony raises a brow in confusion.
"I tried telling you, these people are edgy. And sadly, you have no edge," Cass tells it to Rapunzel straight.
"No edge? No edge? Oh, ho ho. I have got edge, sister. I've got so much edge that, well, you would fall off of me, if you're not careful. Varian, tell her I have edge," She looks towards the boy, who sweats nervously.
"Uh, I'm...I'm not sure I should, on account of the fact that you and Cass are friends, Rapunzel. Why does it matter whose events are better?" Varian rubs the back of his neck.
Cass raises a brow towards the both of them, Pascal waving a hand. "Because I'm edgy, you'd fall—trust me, it adds up. You'll get it." Harmony shakes her head slowly. "Look, can we just keep this argument focused, please?"
Cass laughs, getting onto her feet. "What argument? My events are just plain awesome, and yours are just...plain."
"Cass!" Harmony warns her, and she walks off with a pleased smile on her face.
"Really? Really? Well, you know what? Let me handle the Gopher Grab tomorrow, because I am gonna hold the craziest, edgiest grab ever!" Rapunzel calls out confidently, hands on her hips. "...I really hope Lance and Hook Foot found a gopher."
The two frown towards each other before looking towards the pets. Hopefully with their plan, they can get the girls to become friends again...
The next day, it's the Gopher Grab event as a man stands near the flag. "Boo!"
Rapunzel puts water in a bucket, Cass doing the same from the other side. They don't even look at each other as they pour the water, Cass spraying it a little on the blonde on purpose. She glares as she walks off, Lance and Hook Foot pushing a wooden box onto the sand.
"Whew! Boy, is it ever frosty between those two," Eugene looks over to Rapunzel as he, Max, Varian, Daisy, and Harmony walk over to the duo. Max neighs in agreement, Daisy chirping and nodding. "Well, you're right, I should help Brownie and Goggles with it. The problem is, when people don't get along, Blondie's the one who normally fixes it, and she usually does it in some unique and artful way..."
"Well, now we just have to do it in our own way," Harmony smirks a little.
"That's it! Max! Guys! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He smiles at the four.
"No," Harmony and Varian say in unison, shaking their heads. Max also shakes his head no, nickering.
"Ha ha! Perfect! Oh, Eugene, you unique and artful devil, you!"
The horse turns to the two in confusion. Hook Foot just shrugs and Varian looks up at the box. "So...this giant crate is holding a gopher? How'd you even find one?"
"Oh, it's a gopher, alright!" Lance nudges Hook Foot. "It just took hard work!"
The Gopher Grab involves swinging hammers, a large ramp, and a big metal razor...
Rapunzel glances over the fence, Cass joining her. Harmony and Varian look over the fence as well.
"I'm just gonna say...wow," Harmony blinks at it. She never thought Rapunzel could go this far.
"What? Not edgy enough?"
Eugene peeks his head over the crate that Cass and Rapunzel are standing on. He laughs quietly at what he has planned.
"I just wanted to say...I'm impressed," Cass comments to her. Harmony pumps a fist, Varian smiling in slight relief. They didn't need Eugene's help after all, it seems. Rapunzel smiles at the woman. "But..." A clank is suddenly heard, and they look to see that their legs are handcuffed.
"Well, well, well, looks like you two are partners!" Eugene declares, revealing himself. "Now you have to work things out!" He chuckles at them. "You're welcome."
"Eugene, we can't do this!" Rapunzel states, both of them falling down in front of the former thief.
"They were just starting to work things out!" Harmony narrows her eyes, elbowing Eugene in the arm.
"Ow. What?"
"Are you damaged, Fitzherbert?" Cass glares up at him.
"Well, if by that, you mean, this is a brilliant way to force you two to work it out, then, yes, color me damaged. If not, this was clearly their idea," Eugene points at the duo, who gasp sharply. They look around to yell at him, but he's already gone. Cass turns her glare to the duo.
"You set this up?"
"We didn't tell him to handcuff you!" Harmony defends, gesturing to where Eugene left.
"Just to help us help you become friends again!" Varian rubs the back of his neck nervously. "We just wanted you to realize that whether or not your events sway the Vardarans...that you two are best friends."
"Why would you do that?" Rapunzel stares at him. "Don't you still hate me?"
"I mean...my father is still stuck in the amber, but being angry towards you won't change what happened. And...the only reason why he's still in there is because of me. I was the one who created it, and then he saved me from suffering the fate he's going through now..."
"Vari..." Harmony places a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.
Quaid approaches Hook Foot and Lance. "What do you boys got in there?"
"A gopher, obviously!" Hook Foot rolls his eyes.
"I've named him Snoozy, because he's been sleepin' ever since we caught him. Isn't that right?"
Quaid, however, is skeptical as he peeks inside a crack in the wood. A growl is heard and his eyes widen in realization. "You better get it outta here before you wake it up!"
"Why? What is it?" Lance looks to the crate, and the fence opens to reveal the people, who are ready to catch the 'gopher.' Vex holds up a bell, Quaid looking on in horror.
"Grab that gopher." She rings it and the clang wakes up whatever is inside the crate. It busts out of the box, Lance screaming as he and Hook Foot run away. Vex opens her mouth in horror, the other citizens running away screaming.
"What-what is it?" Rapunzel asks as she, Cass, Varian, and Harmony arrive.
"It's a gopher!" Hook Foot runs past them.
"Uhh...that is not a gopher," Harmony says nervously, backing up a bit.
"They grabbed a sneezeweasel," Varian cringes at the sight.
"Mm, this is bad," Vex replies as the sneezeweasel roars. It's at least 10 times larger than an actual gopher, with sharp teeth, claws, a tail with a spike at the end, and a big nose. "We should probably run." She runs past the four, bell clanging. Rapunzel and Cass look at their handcuffed ankles.
"Uh oh..."
"A big uh-oh," Varian and Harmony say in unison.
The citizens are running around in a panic, the sneezeweasel running off. "So, that's a sneezeweasel," Rapunzel cringes a little.
"Well, it ain't a gopher."
The citizens trigger the traps, the big creature just running into them. He chases after two people, the woman falling onto the ground. The four chase after the creature.
"We gotta do something!"
"Quick, what do you two know about sneezeweasels?" Cass asks the teens.
"Well-"
The sneezeweasel crashes through a fence, the group glancing back in shock. "For one, it can break literally anything, and it's super strong," Harmony bites her lip. It snorts, sending some smoke into its nose. It then sneezes the smoke out, sending them onto the ground.
"And it has a very powerful sneeze," Varian says weakly, holding up a finger.
"Oh! Now I get why they're called sneezeweasels, huh?" Cass looks up at the creature runs towards them. The two women attempt to run away, but the cuffs limit this. Varian guides Harmony back a bit as the two fall in front of them.
"You guys can't even run like this," Harmony gestures to the cuffs. The sneezeweasel drags his hands into the sand.
"And that sneezeweasel looks pretty tough," Varian winces, Rapunzel looking around.
"Oh! Quick! That wall!" Rapunzel grabs Cass' arm, and they run off. They hide behind the wall just as it lets out another sneeze. Harmony sighs in relief, the sneezeweasel walking up to them. Lance and Hook Foot laugh.
"You guys really undersold this Gopher Grab thing," Hook Foot tells Eugene.
"No! We didn't! Because that is not a gopher!" He informs the two, pointing towards the creature.
"You really can't tell the difference between a gopher and a sneezeweasel?!" Varian calls out in frustration. Both of them are confused by this information.
"Huh?"
"Say what?"
"We gave you a picture! What'd you do with it?" Harmony shouts at them.
"Oh, that? I drew a better one," Lance holds up the picture. An arrow is fired at the paper, and it lands at the fence.
"You brought us the wrong animal! Come on!" Eugene runs towards the creature. The two just shrug, shouting as they follow Eugene. He grips its fur, the tail hitting him in the back. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Pointy! Pointy! All the points!" He lands in front of the four.
"Sneezeweasels have pointy tails to defend themselves," Varian tells him. The sneezeweasel raises a hand above a dismayed Lance.
"Snoozy!"
He hits Lance and he goes flying. "WHY?!"
The sneezeweasel walks up to the man, roaring. A bunch of bees surround him. "Get 'em, girls!" Quaid and Vex run up to it, holding lassoes. He growls at the dup.
"Alright, ugly! Prepare to eat rope!"
They toss their ropes, but end up missing. The sneezeweasel knocks Quaid towards the edge of a hole.
"Quaid!" Vex shouts in alarm as he slides off, but a rope captures him before he could fall towards the unforgiving pavement. The girl tries to hold him as best as she can, sliding towards the edge. The sneezeweasel runs through another fence.
"We have to stop the sneezeweasel!"
"We've gotta save Captain Quaid!"
The two women had said these at the same time, but when they try to separate, they end up falling on each other.
"Alright, this is ridiculous. We have to work together," She looks up at Rapunzel, who turns to her boyfriend.
"Eugene, you and Varian get Quaid, the three of us will get the sneezeweasel," She holds out her arm, Cass locking arms with her. Together, they run to where the creature disappeared, Harmony following after them.
"Come on, the sheriff needs us!" Eugene runs past the two men, the boy chasing after him. They suddenly trip on a wire, the two holding the rope. "Don't worry, kid! We got this!"
Lance and Hook Foot fly over the edge, hanging onto Quaid. Because of the extra weight, the three fall onto the ground.
"Really?!" Varian exclaims at them.
"Okay, we may not...actually have this."
A woman and a little boy run past the first part of the obstacle course, the sneezeweasel roaring. The hammer doesn't even affect him.
The trio attempt to pull them up. "You thought that was a gopher?"
"Me-Me? You drew him as big as a tree!" Lance holds up the paper.
"I thought you said you drew it," Varian looks at him, Eugene glaring at his friend.
"Oh, it's called perspective. Those trees are in the background! And you took credit for my work? How dare you!"
"Uh...Eugene! Varian!" Vex exclaims in worry, and they look over their shoulders to see the sneezeweasel heading right towards them.
"Oh, boy."
"No, no, no, no, no!" Varian shouts with wide eyes. It slides over and Eugene protects the two as they brace themselves. It looms over them, sneezing up dust.
"Hey! Pricklepuss!"
The sneezeweasel roars towards the girls.
"His name's Snoozy!" Lance calls out.
"Not the time!" Harmony shouts back.
"You ready to run?" The blonde asks the two. The sneezeweasel runs straight towards them.
"Now!"
They run up to the creature and slide underneath it with ease. They arrive at the hot bed of rocks. "Okay, I'm sort of regretting my whole edgy thing right about now," Rapunzel rubs her neck in embarrassment.
"I know how we can get across," Cass smirks at a barrel.
"Cass, no," Rapunzel denies to her, but they end up doing it anyway. Harmony jumps, and a large black rock forms underneath her. She lands on it and the rock slides down like a sled. "Cass, this might not be the best time, but...I'm sorry. I was acting like a-"
"Sore loser? Crybaby? Jerk?" Cass asks, looking a bit satisfied.
"Wow! Okay. You had those at the ready, didn't you?"
"Both of you were acting ridiculous," Harmony gives them a look. "Don't you think you should own up to it? Because we are over a bed of hot rocks!"
"You're right, you're right," Cass winces at her. The barrel then catches fire. "Jump!" They jump over the gap, watching as the flaming barrel rolls past them.
"But you're right! This is all my fault!" Rapunzel frowns in dismay, thinking about the sneezeweasel. "Okay, well, Lance and Hook Foot had a part in it, too."
"In fairness, you let Eugene assign them the task of getting the gopher," Cass looks away a bit.
"Should've just done it with Varian," Harmony shakes her head, the creature sliding in front of them.
"But, hey, I could have done things differently, too. I'm sorry I got so competitive," The lady-in-waiting looks over to her friends. "And mean. You and Varian were just trying to keep the peace between us, weren't you?"
"That's exactly right, Cass," Harmony looks up at her. "We should've asked someone else to help us. If we had done it ourselves, it would've ended up a disaster like when you and Eugene were arguing. Course, this isn't any better."
The sneezeweasel roars, charging towards them.
"Come on!" Cass runs off, dragging Rapunzel with her. Harmony runs after them. The creature faces them again, creating dust for another sneeze attack.
"The only way to stop a sneezeweasel is to trap it somehow. But you'll need something sticky; something so strong that it won't escape or break out of."
Rapunzel looks over her shoulder at the razor, which glints. "How do you stop its sneeze?"
"Reflect it back somehow," Harmony turns to her. "Why?"
"Guys, look," She undoes her hair, lifting it over the razor and capturing the clamp. Cass slowly pulls out her sword as Harmony's left hand glows. She stares the sneezeweasel down, wiggling her fingers a little. It runs up to them, and Cass slices off the rope. The razor goes down and when it sneezes, the razor reflects it back, the girls lifted up into the air. This sends the sneezeweasel flying, and he lands in the Honey Wall. Harmony flings her hands to create a cage for it. The three land behind the fence, smiling at each other.
Finally, with everyone's help, they manage to save Quaid, Lance, and Hook Foot. "Next time, the princesses draw the picture," Hook Foot warns, out of breath.
"Don't worry, big fella," Rapunzel states as they look at the sneezeweasel still trapped. "I'll make sure you get back into the woods."
Harmony waves a hand, wheels forming onto the cage so that it's movable.
"Nice plan, Raps," Cass nudges her shoulder.
"You came up with the Shorty Toss," Rapuznel smirks at her. "I just stole your bad idea."
Cass smiles softly. "Cass, I couldn't have asked for a better person to be chained to. Or a better little sister!" She hugs Harmony from behind. "All your information on sneezeweasels really helped us!"
"Aw, thanks," Harmony chuckles, hugging her arm.
"Me neither. For the chains and for the smartest princess we need," Cass ruffles Harmony's hair. The two stumble around a bit as they're still in chains.
"Eugene, where's the key?"
"Whoa!" They trip and fall onto the floor. "Unchain us now, Fitzherbert!"
The sneezeweasel falls from the Honey Wall, landing on the floor of the cage.
The group prepare to leave as they're packing everything up. The princesses face Vex and Quaid. "So, you're really leaving us, huh?" Vex asks bluntly.
"Yeah! I'm sure people around here are gonna be sad to see me go," Rapunzel rubs her arm.
"Oh, I don't know, I think they were startin' to take a shine to you, Rapunzel," Quaid winks at her.
"Really?" Rapunzel smiles, but Harmony shakes her head.
"No. They still don't like you," Vex tells her. Rapunzel frowns, sagging her shoulders.
"But that doesn't matter. Vardaros is a better town because you came through it," Quaid explains, nudging Vex.
"Thank you, Princess and Harmony," She smiles, and for once, she means it. Rapunzel smiles at Vex's expression.
"I wanna hug you, but-"
"Eww!" Vex recoils back. "No, no, no. We're not hugging."
"Well, Rapunzel, Harmony, I don't know what you're going to find at the end of this path you've both set out on, but whatever it is, I hope it's what you're lookin' for."
"Same here," Harmony smiles at him.
"Thanks, Cap," Rapunzel replies gratefully. "And who knows? Maybe I'll come back and visit someday."
"I hate you, and everything you stand for!" The Vardaran woman walks by again.
"Ya clod!" Rapunzel shouts at her. She winks towards Vex, who beams.
"Harmony, wait," She calls out to the girl as her sister leaves her side. "...Thank you for being there for me when Morgan wasn't."
"Oh?" Harmony places her hands on her hips in amusement. "I thought I could never replace her."
"You don't!" Vex looks away with a look of denial. "But...you're pretty cool for a princess who spent 14 years in a castle."
"Yeah well, it wasn't as luxurious as everyone thinks," Harmony holds up her left hand. "This symbol...it represents my path. I just hope I'm ready for whatever I find on the other side."
"Eh. Whatever it is, you can handle it," Vex gives her a thumbs up. "I'll...miss you."
"I'll miss you too, Vex," Harmony hugs her and Vex returns it. Quaid smiles at the two.
"Tell your sister this never happened," Vex warns the girl.
"Agreed. I'll write you letters!" Harmony waves to her as she runs to the caravan. Eugene and Varian, who had seen the exchange, grin towards each other. Maybe Vex could be soft in a rare occasion. They help the princesses into the caravan, and they take off.
Vex steps up a bit and waves, smiling. The two sisters smile, waving back as Pascal and Daisy wave back. The girl rolls up a flag.
'Welcome to Vardaros.'
Slowly, they could make the town flourish again...
"I'm glad that we got Cass and Rapunzel to make up," Harmony sighs in relief as she sits at the back of the caravan, next to Varian.
"Me too...Mona?"
"Yes?" She looks to him.
"Do you think we'll really find the answer to freeing my dad?" He murmurs, looking at his staff. "What if by the time I go back to Corona...we don't have the solution?"
"It's out there, Vari!" She clenches her fists close to her chest. "I know it is. Even if it isn't, I won't stop until we free him. I can feel it...I don't know what it is exactly, but I have a feeling we'll find it. Don't lose hope. I know we have a job to do, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun while doing it."
"Yeah..." He smiles at her encouragement. "Thanks." He leans in and kisses her cheek, causing her to chuckle.