*record scratch*
Whoa, hold UP! There is a Tangled the Series COMIC BOOK?! Aaaaaaaah, I need to buy that!
I'm writing Rapunzel's Return-Well, in this case, Princess' Return at this point. I'm already halfway through it because I had most of the special written already. With two more specials to write for the show, I have to be prepared XD
Also...there's a very pushy user who keeps asking me to rewrite the WHOLE current season that I just finished because of a certain lady-in-waiting and princess both associated with the moonstone. Let me say this, I am not rewriting any episodes from season 2. That is a tedious amount of work that I should not be asked to pull off. I can't just rewrite a whole season I just finished, even if I have the time. Which I don't XD I don't have 24/7 time dedicated to writing, I do have priorities. Online courses may seem easier, but with the type of schoolwork I have, I need time dedicated to do that during the day. Trust me, I have a lot of important assignments that I do between my writing every day.
When I said to give ideas, I did not mean that would guarantee a rewrite on anything I have released so far in this story ^^' I just-I don't have the time for that, and I would fall behind on not just schoolwork, but with my writing.
Bluebirds are chirping as they fly through the clouds. The petals of dandelions fly away, right past Rapunzel. She takes a deep breath.
"Do you hear that...?" She opens her eyes, Pascal looking towards the others besides Cass. They're in a circle around the two as they all take a deep breath. The princesses are wearing their old dresses, with Harmony keeping her hairstyle from her newer outfit. "That is the sound of peaceful tranquility-"
"Rapunzel!" Cass suddenly interrupts, causing her to cringe. "This was supposed to be a quick bathroom break." Owl lands on her shoulder. "Not a meditation."
"I was multi-tasking," Shorty states to the disgust of everyone around him. The five quickly move away.
"Sorry, Cass, but look at this view!" Rapunzel gestures to the lake, trees, and mountains in front of them. "I mean, doesn't that just inspire you?"
"I kinda wanna paint it," Harmony smiles at the sight. She takes out her journal from her bag and also a paintbrush, opening up the book to a blank page.
"You know what I find inspiring? Progress," Cass narrows her eyes. "Getting from point A to B without stopping to marvel at every meadow, valley, pond, and knoll along the way," She walks back towards the caravan.
"Oh come on, Cass. We didn't come here just to follow the black rocks. Let's not forget, Rapunzel and I both spent over 10 years confined away from everyone else," Harmony deadpans at her while holding her journal and painting in it.
"Look, Cass, I know we have to get to—wherever Harmi's rocks are leading us, but...aren't you afraid that if you focus too much on the road ahead, you might miss the fun at your feet?" Rapunzel asks slowly. Cass is probably the only one against exploring, and she wants her friend to have that experience that she and her sister are having right now.
Cass chuckles as she turns to both of them. "Don't worry about me, girls. If I want fun, I know where to find it."
"Oh, yeah? And where would that be? Funeral home?" Lance asks, laughing at Cass' annoyed face. She walks up to him and hands him a tiny little bean. "Hey? What's this for?"
"Oh, you should probably drop that-"
Cass covers Harmony and Varian's mouths, whistling. Owl screeches as he starts to fly around Lance, who lets out a scream. Cass lets go of the teens, walking back up to Rapunzel.
"See? Fun."
"I get it, Cass, but live a little," Harmony smiles slightly. "We can't just let exploration go to waste. I mean, these are beautiful woods."
"Well, she's right about that," Varian grins, poking her shoulder. She turns around to see him holding a rose.
She blushes, brushing a bang behind her ear. "We talked about not letting our relationship being prioritized over our journey, Vari..."
"I know, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass," He chuckles, putting the flower into her hands. She smiles as she squeezes his hands slightly.
"Well, thank you...it's beautiful."
The three horses pull the caravan, Eugene and Lance up in front. "You know, that meditation was actually quite relaxing," Eugene comments, a hand behind his head.
"Yeah, I feel relaxed," Lance smiles a little. "Nothin' can rattle me." A wheel suddenly falls off from the caravan, causing him to scream as the horses skid to a stop. Rapunzel gasps as she, Cass, Harmony, and Varian peek their heads out from the door.
"Is everybody okay? I thought I heard a child scream."
Eugene peeks around the corner to look at them. "It was just Lance. The wheel's broken. Don't worry, I can fix it."
He rolls the wheel over, sweeping his hands. He attempts to lift up the caravan, but fails to do so, Lance laughing at him.
"Here, here. Let me," He pushes Eugene out of the way. "After all...I am the strong one."
Eugene laughs at him. "Wait a minute. Now don't let this sleek, sinewy, insanely attractive frame fool you. I am the strong one."
Hook Foot pushes the door open between them, jerking a thumb to himself. "I'm stronger than both of you clowns."
Lance snickers a little before it turns into laughter from both him and Eugene. "This guy!" He points to Hook Foot.
"Ha, ha, ha," He replies sarcastically, crossing his arms. The princesses, Cass, and Varian walk past them.
"Sounds like we got ourselves a good old-fashioned muscle challenge!"
The four glance at each other, rolling their eyes in unison. "You know, guys, I do have a jack for this kind of situation," Harmony calls out, holding it up with a hand on her hip.
"No gadgets!" Eugene points at her stubbornly. "Accepting help from a lady means we're not strong enough to do it ourselves!"
She raises a brow at them slowly, her expression saying 'really?'
"Pa-pow! Pa-pow!" Lance flexes his muscles, the others trying to beat him.
"I'm not even flexing, really, just standing in weird ways. Ahhhhhhhh!"
"Oooooooh!"
"Oh, brother," Cass deadpans towards them, facepalming. "This could be a while."
"It's like they have stupidity marked on their foreheads," Harmony rolls her eyes.
"I'd rather do anything else than to watch this," Varian sighs at them.
"That's great!" Rapunzel exclaims at the trio. "It means we have time for a little adventure. And, seeing as this is the most beautiful forest I have ever seen, I say we take a hike."
"Take a hike?!" Shorty shouts nearby, who was chasing after a frog. "Fine! I know when I'm not wanted!" He slowly backs away into the bushes, slightly creeping them out.
"Ugh-Pascal, Daisy, Ruddiger, keep an eye on him," Rapunzel tells the three animals.
"Something tells me that Lance, Eugene, and Hook Foot aren't going to do anything else for the next hour or so," Harmony glances at them. They hop off from their owners' shoulders, disappearing into the bushes.
"I guess it's just you and me, Caspal, Donald, and Meeko."
"Where does he get those names from?" Varian murmurs to himself.
"Come on, guys!" Rapunzel grips Cass' arms, and she stares at the princess wide-eyed. "Who knows what we might find with a little exploring?"
"I don't know," She replies hesitantly, moving her arms away.
"Or, we could just hang out here," She gestures to the three men, who are still trying to show each other up.
"Look at my triceps. Anybody wanna play horseshoes? Come on!"
"Explore it is..." Cass states reluctantly, dragging a hand down her face.
"Yes! Ha!"
"I'm just gonna leave this here in case," Harmony places the jack near the wheel.
"You really think they're gonna choose to use it?" Varian asks her and she stares at the three still flexing.
"Nope."
Rapunzel grabs everyone and they run down a small hill. "Let's go!" She jumps into the lake, Harmony smiling at her sister. "Come on, Harmi!" She grabs her sister's hand, pulling her into the water.
"Whoa!"
She lands in it and sits up, laughing as her hair is now wet. Varian looks on with a smile as he watches the girl attempting to put all her hair away from her face. He's just glad that she's happy to be out of Corona for a change.
Cass kicks a tree in front of the lake to walk through. The princesses walk back onto the grass, where Rapunzel swings her sister and Varian around the trees.
"This is actually kind of fun, Cassie," Varian calls out. "You sure you don't wanna give it a shot?"
"No thanks, I'm fine walking."
"I feel like I'm walking on air!" Harmony cheers near Varian.
The four approach a tree where inside a hole is a bunch of mushrooms. She takes some paint into her hands and puts them over her eyes. She paints the other's face to make Cass look like a cat, Harmony a dog, and Varian a raccoon. She giggles at the three of them, Harmony looking over to the alchemist.
"You look like Ruddiger," She points at his face.
"And you look like a beagle," He pokes her nose to give her a dog nose, causing her to laugh. The four walk away back out into the open.
"Well, I've seen a lot of trees in my life, but these...are...some of them," Cass looks around in awe, Rapunzel giving her a flower crown. Harmony and Varian are wearing some too as she guides them to a waterfall, gasping.
"Guys, look!"
"A deer!" Harmony points across from them.
"And the Cliffs of Koto," Varian points up ahead. Harmony looks up and gasps at the sight in front of them.
"Oh! I have always wanted to go there! I saw a picture of them in Harmi's travel books!" Rapunzel looks at them fondly as Cass plucks off the flower crown.
"Nope! No can do," Cass denies immediately. "We don't have that kind of time."
"Says who?" Rapunzel grabs her arm, pulling her forward.
"With the guys in their strength contest, we have probably the whole day," Harmony snorts as the two run after them.
"They would let it get their heads that long," Varian rolls his eyes.
A teapot whistles as a hand picks up the object. "Soon, Father," She pours a cup of tea for four people, which have empty seats. The teapot looks like a bird...
The four walk through a foggy forest, Cass a little skeptical. "Uh, guys? Something's telling me we should turn back," Harmony jerks a thumb behind her. "I don't like it..."
"Oh, sis, relax!" Rapunzel calls out, hollering as she slides down a branch. "Everything's fine."
A rabbit looks over a rock, hopping away. "Ugh, do you even know where you're going?" Cass calls out as she stands on the cliff. Rapunzel had jumped down to a pile of leaves between some branches.
"Yeah, it seems like we're getting further away from the caravan," Varian tells her, a hand to the side of his mouth.
"No, but that's what makes exploring—whoa-ooooh!" They fall through the pile of leaves, sliding down a log. They roll onto the ground in a heap. "Fun!"
"Yeah! Real fun," Cass rolls her eyes, groaning slightly.
"It was something. I'm just not sure fun is the right word to describe it," Harmony stands up, dusting herself off. The others get onto their feet, rubbing their heads. Varian looks around the area.
"...Uh, does anyone know where we are?"
"What a positively..." A female voice speaks up, alarming Cass.
"Guys! Get down!"
"Brilliant afternoon it is!"
They lay down in front of a log to see two people in front of a cottage. A basket of blue eggs is behind the woman as a large toadstool acts as their table. And just like before, there are four seats with four teacups in front of them.
"Wouldn't you say, Father?"
"Your assertion, Mother, is undeniable," Father agrees with her, holding a plate full of fruit.
"Ohh-kay, we should probably..." Cass watches Rapunzel stand up. "Visit with the weird people drinking tea on toadstools in the middle of nowhere."
"We'll just ask for directions and take a way back to the caravan," Varian shrugs lightly at her, following after the woman.
"It'll only take a minute," Harmony sighs lightly, walking after Varian. "But I'm telling you, something's not right about those two."
"Hi there!" Rapunzel greets the two, getting their attention. "My name is Rapunzel. This is my little sister Harmony, and our friends Varian and Cassandra."
Varian smiles up at her for referring to him as such. "And what has brought Ladies Rapunzel, Harmony, and Cassandra and Sir Varian to our most humblest of abodes?" Mother clasps her hands together.
"She dragged us," Cass jerks a thumb to the blonde.
"We weren't dragged, we went willingly," Harmony points out.
"Uh, we took a little detour out in this beautiful countryside to see what kind of adventure we might find," Rapunzel explains to the two.
"Oh! Well...how positively serendipitous!"
"Please! Sit!" Father offers them, gesturing to the seats. Harmony shakes her head, waving a hand.
"Oh, no, we're not staying, we just came here to ask you-"
"Harmi, we can't just say no to their hospitality," Rapunzel whispers to her.
"They might be kind, but this is weird! What kind of people live out here drinking tea and on toadstools?!" Harmony whispers back, glancing to them.
"It might be a little...out there, but they seem to be nice people. And don't forget, I am in charge of you, so ha," Rapunzel smirks, crossing her arms. Harmony grunts in defeat, sitting next to her sister. Varian sits to her right, while Cass sits at Rapunzel's right. "What do you mean, serendipitous?"
"Well, you seek adventure, and you might say Mother and I are somewhat aficionados of fanciful merriment," He holds up the teapot, pouring them all some tea.
"I love fanciful merriment!" Rapunzel exclaims in excitement, noticing the teapot. "Wow, what a beautiful teapot."
"It's definitely unique," Varian eyes it.
"Yes, it is quite beautiful. And yet, its beauty is a minor benefit next to its magical properties," Mother tells them.
"Magical?" Cass asks, eyeing them.
"Okay, wait," Varian holds up a hand. "You're telling us that this teapot...is magical?"
"Indeed, all of what you see here—the cottage, the toadstools, and even the birds all exist because of this teapot," Father explains to the four, pointing to the birds behind them.
"Uh, I-I don't understand," Rapunzel stares at them in confusion.
"That's not possible," Varian shakes his head. "There has to be a better explanation for all this. Magic can't create all of this."
"And I really think it's time to leave," Harmony whispers to all of them after taking a sip of the tea. "Before something happens."
"How would you like to enjoy our very modest forest as...a bird?" Mother asks, flapping her hands. Rapunzel just laughs, the others staring at them baffled.
"Hmm...Oh-Oh wait-oh, you're serious."
"How can anyone say that with a straight face?" Varian murmurs as he sips some tea, Cass doing the same.
"Okay, now we're outta here," Cass stands up, starting to lead the others away.
"Thank you!" Harmony exclaims, but a bird flies around them, stopping the four in their tracks. Rapunzel gasps sharply as they turn around in shock to see Father as a cockatoo.
"Please, don't be alarmed!"
"It-it—it—it can't be," Rapunzel stammers in disbelief.
"Oh, but it is. And it is most wondrously sublime!" He flies over their heads, spinning around.
"Tell me that he didn't just turn into a bird," Varian whispers to them.
"Ahh, I wish I could..." Harmony stares at him wide-eyed.
"For, lest you forget, birds are the very embodiment of the term freedom," He flies between Cass and Rapunzel. "You owe it to yourselves to enjoy this. Isn't that right, Mother?"
"Unequivocally," She holds up a finger. "Seize this opportunity."
"You...you want us to be birds?" Varian blinks at her, unsure of what to begin with. That she's crazy, or that they should leave.
"Uh, look, um, I—I'm—I'm usually up for anything, but this is, um-"
"Insane?" Cass asks her.
"This is why I said we should've turned back around," Harmony gestures to the duo. "We can't consider this!"
"I mean, even if we wanted to, how—how would we even do that?" Rapunzel questions, truly baffled.
"Why would we even do that?" Varian turns to the three. Suddenly, the blonde's reflection starts to shrink.
"Well, that's the beauty, dear, you already have done it," Mother smiles, looking over the table. "You've drunk the tea."
Rapunzel looks at her wings. Her long hair is out of the braid as she's a yellow bird with purple wings. "Oh! Uh, uh—I d—I don't believe this!"
"Are you kidding me?!" Cass exclaims as she's a brown robin, it looks to be like. (A/N: I don't know at first glance what type of birds Cass and Rapunzel are, so if you know, please correct me XD)
"W-What?!" Harmony looks at her blue wings and teal bird body as she's a hummingbird. Her hair is out like Rapunzel's, but she doesn't have her moonstone symbol anywhere on her. Varian is a brown robin with matching colored wings.
"We're...we're birds?!"
"Yup, we're birds!" Rapunzel confirms, looking at herself. "What do we do?"
Cass stumbles onto the toadstool. "What-" She jumps off, about to land on the grass, but she manages to fly a bit. "Ooh-What did you do to us?" She lightly hits Father, demanding an answer.
"Change us back!" Varian points at them. He looks to Harmony and his beak drops open at her appearance.
"Oh, no, please." He takes a hold of Cass. "Please, my crumpets. There's no need for distress, I assure you."
Mother laughs, turning to the covered basket of eggs. "Forgive our chicanerous ruse, dears, it's often the only way to demonstrate that this gift is harmless and most temporary," She plucks an egg and opens it in front of Father. With a flash, he's turned back to normal.
"Oh...so you tricked us!" Harmony points up at him, turning to her sister. "Let's turn around, I said. I had a bad feeling, I said. But noooo. You get us turned into birds!"
"I-I didn't know!" She stammers nervously.
"Our only caveat...you must return within one hour, so as to avoid the affliction we call 'avarian totails'," Father waves his hands.
"What does that mean?" Rapunzel tilts her head in confusion.
"We'll basically become actual birds if we don't come back to reverse this," Harmony turns to her.
"Correct. You'd not only look like a bird," He pats Cass on the head. "You'd think like a bird. Your desire to be the person you once were would dissolve, and you'd remain a bird...forever."
"Oh! Oh, wow, since you put it that way...give us those eggs now!" Cass growls up at them. Mother holds out the eggs, placing one each in front of the birds. Rapunzel suddenly takes flight.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, guys, guys!" Rapunzel gasps sharply. "Did you see that? I-I just flew! Ohh!" She takes flight again, flying around. "I'm flying!"
"Indeed, we only meant to share our wonderful elixir with you," Father calls out to her.
"Harmi, you've got to try this with me!"
She flies in front of her sister, who glances back at the two skeptically. They may say that, but something still felt off about those two. "I dunno..."
"You have to!" Rapunzel chirps a little, grabbing her sister and flying above into the sky.
"Eep!" Harmony flaps her wings on instinct, gasping at the toadstools down below. "Oh wow...this is actually kind of cool!"
"Come, now...let us return you to your original, beautiful state," Mother holds up two eggs. The two fly back down onto the table.
"Uh, just a second. Guys? Can we talk?" She moves them away into a huddle. "I know this is weird."
"No no no no. Having 70 feet of magical hair is weird."
"Having the moonstone powers is also weird," Varian continues for her.
"This? This is full-blown wacko!"
"Okay, yes! It's wacko. But when are we gonna get this chance again?"
"Rapunzel, what about my dad? Your sister's rocks?" Varian gestures to Harmony. "W-We can't really do this, can we?" He looks to the princess for help, who darts her eyes around.
"Um..."
"Oh no, don't tell me," He facepalms at her.
"Didn't you hear them?" Harmony gestures to the two.
"They can turn us back whenever we want. And Cass...Varian...we can fly!" She flaps her wings, flying above the two and landing across from them again.
"I know you wanna find the answer to helping your dad, but have some fun too while doing it. Yeah, I know, we're birds. Doesn't describe the normal definition of fun. But can you just at least try?" Harmony looks at her boyfriend pleading.
"You're the one who wanted to leave," He eyes her skeptically.
"I did...but now I wanna fly," She rubs the back of her neck. "I know they tricked us, but come on! I have to admit, I have always wanted to know what it's like from Daisy's side of things..."
Cass sighs reluctantly, Varian sighing as well. "We are so going to regret this..."
"YES!" The two cheer, flapping their wings together. "Thank you! Okay, we will all be back in one hour." She flies away quickly, Harmony following after her. Varian and Cass stumble a bit, but manage to get the basics of it.
"Mm-hm...we're counting on it," Mother smiles evilly as they watch the four fly away.
"Woo-hoo!" Rapunzel cheers as they fly past the trees.
(Harmony and Varian are in bold, Cass and Rapunzel are in italic)
Life's been so unsatisfying
Rapunzel looks up to the clouds, Harmony beaming.
Look, suddenly now we're flying
They end up in the clouds, Harmony spinning around and opening up her wings. She lets herself fall head-first.
Freewheeling from cloud to cloud to cloud
The two sisters fall through the clouds together. This leaves them with faces full of cloud.
Wings spread, and the sky below us
There's no one to stop or slow us
The two dive towards the fields, Harmony chirping a little at the flowers. Maybe because of the fact that she's a hummingbird.
Pure freedom and everything's allowed
Dandelion petals fly once they pass over them.
Down there, I know there's tons of burdens we must bear...
Harmony frowns a little as they fly past her black rocks, but Rapunzel flies around her, and she smiles.
Somewhere
But from up here
Side-by-side together, they soar back up towards the skies.
The world looks so small
They end up at a lake with some black rocks in it, seeing the sun up ahead.
And suddenly life seems so clear
The two bird sisters fly past the sunlight and the red leaves from a tree.
And from up here, you coast past it all
Harmony chirps in greeting as they fly over the same deer that they saw earlier.
The obstacles just disappear
They spin around as they fly with butterflies.
You never feel heavy or earthbound
After getting out of a monument, they fly over some rocks.
No worries or doubts interfere
The two birds twirl around.
There's nothing but you
Looking down at the view from up here
They arrive at a tree, flying around Cass and Varian. Both of them are hesitant on flying. "You've got to try this!"
"What's the point of being a bird if you don't fly?" Harmony asks him, cringing a little. "Oof. Now I know how Daisy felt not being able to do it before."
"I don't know," Cass looks away.
"This...this is a whole different thing," Varian looks over the edge.
"Oh come on, guys! Just watch, it's easy! Harmi, grab Varian, I'll take Cass!"
They wrap their wings around the two, flying off the tree.
Stretch out with the wind behind you
Here we go
The two birds fly the hesitant two over some rocks.
Float up
Let the current find you
Then they go higher up into the skies.
V: Look out below
Keep climbing
And sail from breeze to breeze
They position the two to stay still and watch them.
Stay close, don't leave us, please!
They flap their wings as hard as they can to stay afloat.
Head up to the stratospheres
With only the stars to steer us
While trying to balance themselves, Varian and Cass look up at the princesses, who peek their heads out from the clouds.
Just think of the possibilities
I think we've got it!
The two suddenly find themselves actually flying instead of flapping around wildly.
Below
Rapunzel and Harmony pretend to be swimming in the cloud.
We spend our whole life trudging to and fro
They pop in and out of the clouds.
Now-
Whoa!
They watch the two sisters soar into the sky above.
And from up here, the world is all yours
The two swoop down, Cass and Varian flying after them.
Each mountain and meadow and mere
They flap their wings past some horses eating.
And from up here, life's duties and chores
The horses start trotting next to the birds.
Are barely worth shedding a tear
Rapunzel touches her wing against the water, Harmony creating a small wave with her feathers.
And all of the sky lies before us
Rapunzel does a little spin as Varian and Cass spin around some branches.
Straight up to the far stratosphere
The four soar back up to the skies, now all together.
So head for the blue
Cass and Varian then take the lead as they fly past some mountains.
And let's take in the view from up here
Varian smiles towards the monuments nearby.
It's just me and you
The four fly around in a circle.
Looking down at the view from up here
"This is amazing!" Harmony hollers as they fly into the purple skies.
"Okay, I was wrong. This experience is—is spellbinding!" Varian exclaims at the hummingbird. Even as a hummingbird, she's still very beautiful. Looking at her suddenly makes him spellbound as he listens to her chirp. Now that he thinks about it...
It is that time for birds.
"Even as a bird, he can't help himself," Cass jerks a wing to Varian, Rapunzel giggling.
He takes off after the hummingbird in a fast speed. The two fly after them to see what would happen. Harmony flies through past a cloud with a smile. When she prepared for their journey, she didn't think of doing anything like this. She stops chirping as she sees Varian flying after her. Harmony giggles and lands on a high branch of a tree. Varian lands on the one below her and starts chirping a mating song.
The hummingbird chuckles, moving over to hide behind a bushel of leaves nearby from a branch. She peeks over it to look at Varian, teasing him.
"Aww, cute," Rapunzel smiles at them.
"Lovebirds. I get it now," Cass smirks in amusement.
Harmony jumps up and flies over to Varian. She starts chirping along to his song and they join together in harmony (A/N: See what I did there? XD Haha!). Once they finish singing, she snuggles her head into his neck. He smiles warmly, nuzzling back. Rapunzel squeals at the two.
"I ship it," Cass looks up towards them.
Eugene does push-ups near the wheel one-handed. "Hey, Blondie. Look at this! One-armed push-ups! Varian should learn some too!" He stops and suddenly looks around, seeing the other four nowhere in sight. "Blondie? Brownie? Cass? Varian? Wait a minute, guys. Where are Harmony, Cass, Varian, and Rapunzel?" He gets onto his feet, slightly worried and wondering how long they had been gone.
"Let me look for them. Could they be under this big, heavy tree truck?" Lance lifts up a large log, holding it over his head. Hook Foot suddenly lands on it. "No!"
"Maybe they're not under a tree, maybe they're up one!" He uses the height Lance 'gave' him to climb the tree. He starts doing pull-ups. "I didn't see 'em, but I'll check again! Nope, not up there! No!"
Lance drops the log, the horses shaking their heads. "Guys! Can we stop showing off just for a minute, and focus on finding our friends?" Eugene stops the competition, starting to walk past the tree. Hook Foot lands on the grass.
They eventually end up at the same spot where the four fell through the log, which has been brought back to normal.
"Come on, guys!"
They fall through, shouting as Eugene slides to a stop, Lance and Hook Foot landing on top of him.
"Oh! How lovely. Look, Father! Unforeseen guests," Mother notices the trio, Father already pouring some tea.
"What a delightful transpiration! Join us...for a spot of tea?"
The four birds have taken a break to stop and look at the view. Cass sighs a little. "Okay, Raps, are we done yet?"
"Just a little longer," She pleads with her friend. "This is the most amazing-" She lets out a small chirp, alarming the three. "Wait! Did I just-" She chirps again, gasping.
"Yeah," Cass lets out a squawk. "You did!" She gasps at what she just did.
"So did-" Rapunzel lets out another chirp. "You!"
"Wait, so why were we able to chirp earlier?" Varian looks to Harmony.
"Hummingbirds and some types of robins chirp regularly, so it's natural for them. But for Cass and Rapunzel...not really," She stares at them in concern.
"Oh no!" Another squawk escapes from Cass, Rapunzel frowning. "We're getting birdbrained! We need to-" Another squawk, "Head back!" And then another one. "NOW!"
Cass takes flight, the three following after them. "Oh, I hope it's not too late-" Harmony lets out a chirp...and it didn't feel natural. "Oh no."
They land in front of Mother and Father. "That was amazing! Thank you so much!" Rapunzel smiles up at them. "But now-" She chirps uncontrollably. "We'd like to be changed back," She chirps again.
"Please!" Varian lets out an unnatural chirp.
"I'm sure you would, dear..." Mother says slowly, Father trapping them in a cage. "But it pains me to say, we have different designs." She puts the four eggs back in the basket, covering it with the glass.
"We-" Cass squawks in anger. "Need those to change back!"
"I'm afraid we shan't oblige, my little chickadees. For you see...we don't want you to change back."
"What?!" Harmony chirps angrily at them.
"No, no. You said you would!" Varian points up at them, Harmony gripping the bars with her wings. She tries to use her moonlight powers, or her black rocks, but nothing happens.
"Oh no," She looks at her left wing where her moonstone symbol would normally be on that hand. "I can't use the powers of the moonstone!"
"It's because you have wings and no symbol..." Rapunzel looks at her sister's wings.
"That symbol must be the only way you can use your powers..." Varian gasps at Harmony, who nods sadly.
"We want you to become the newest addition to our aviary menagerie," Father reveals, gesturing behind them. They look at all the birds in horror. "Think of all this as an avian art collection, to which we're always adding...new pieces."
Rapunzel gasps in fear, seeing the ties to the bird's legs. "Wait! Those are all...people!"
"That's sick!" Harmony recoils back in shock. "I knew I felt off about you two! You liars!"
"All of those people...as birds," Varian frowns towards them, glaring up at the two for what they've done.
"Indeed, for people make the most beautiful, one-of-a-kind birds," He opens up the top of the cage. He then traps them in a sack. "Come now, darlings. Off to your new home."
They struggle to get out, to no avail.
Rapunzel sighs, sagging as she notices the glare on Cass' face. "Cass, I should have listened to you. I just wanted to show you-"
"Show me how to seize the moment?" She interrupts angrily, "Here's what the moment got us!"
"Cass," Varian murmurs softly at her.
"We didn't mean for it to get this far..." Harmony glances at her sister.
"I know you two take a lot of pride in your irrepressible, carefree spirits. It's what makes you, you. And why you two get along so well. But did you ever stop to think that maybe those attitudes can be a bit selfish sometimes?"
Harmony's eyes widen slowly, closing them. Varian snuggles into her and she returns it.
"I'm sorry..." Rapunzel whispers quietly.
"This trail of black rocks is your destinies, but I dropped everything to make sure you get to the end of it. I'm taking this seriously. Why aren't you?!"
Harmony flinches at the tone. "...Because I'm scared," Rapunzel admits to everyone. "You're right, Cass. These rocks are our destinies, and that's terrifying. What if they lead to...somewhere I'm never supposed to come back from?"
"And what if it costs me something that...that I can't imagine losing?" Harmony asks slowly. "Like my sister, or all my friends, or...my humanity? I don't know where these rocks want us to go, but...it's really scary thinking about what I'll find or what it'll mean for me. I mean...these are black rocks that have destroyed homes, almost got people hurt..."
She blinks back tears, surprising everyone. "I-I can't..." She starts sobbing, Cass staring at her with sad eyes. Sometimes it's hard to remember that the embodiment of the Moonstone...
Is just a teenage girl...
"Harmi, I..."
"We're home!"
They look up at Father, who snatches them up and puts them in a golden cage. "Our friends are gonna come looking for us, and when they do, you-" Rapunzel lets out a chirp as they try to break free. "Are in trouble!"
He plants them inside and locks them in. "I don't think your friends are gonna be much help, Blondie," Eugene states behind them, as the three are birds as well. Rapunzel gasps at the sight of them.
"You're all birds?"
"Well, I'm the strongest bird-" Lance brags, doing a flex.
"Not the time, Lance," Eugene warns him.
"How did you even get here?!" Harmony screeches in disbelief.
"Well, we went looking for you, and then we stumbled onto those two freaks," Hook Foot glares to outside the cage. "And then they turned into birds with that tea and put us in here!"
"We're doomed..." Varian sighs at this.
"You know, I like to think that I'm the prepared kind of guy. Type of guy who's ready for anything this crazy world throws my way," Eugene grips the bars. "But this bird thing, I can't say I saw it comin'," He hops towards a bowl of bird seed.
"No one did," Harmony shakes her head.
"Ugh, this is-" Rapunzel chirps again, "All my fault."
"Her squawks are getting more frequent," Eugene whispers to the others.
"Probably because she drank the tea first…" Harmony looks at her sister in worry.
"If we don't break one of those eggs over her soon, she's gonna go full bird. We all are," Cass looks to everyone.
"I got a plan!" Lance declares, looking outside. "We should go over there, get the eggs and turn us back into people."
"Good thinking. And how are we gonna get over there?" Eugene asks him.
Rapunzel looks to the eggs and then to the key above the cage. "That's...where the plan falls apart."
"I guess if we can't bring the-" Rapunzel chirps, turning to them, "Eggs to the cage, we have to bring the cage to the eggs!"
Harmony glances between the two objects, gasping at her sister at her plan. They both fly into the air, slamming into the side of the cage.
"Do it with us!"
"Alright! Let's go!" Eugene calls out and they all ram the side together. "Flap like you've never flapped before!"
"I have never flapped before," Hook Foot points out.
"Just do it!" Harmony tells him and they tilt the stand that holds up the cage.
"Okay, now...!" The cage flies off the stand and hits the eggs, breaking through it and sending them onto the ground. "We did it!"
This also broke the cage slightly, Rapunzel rubbing her head. "Maybe we can get out!" Eugene tries to pull the cage apart, Lance and Hook Foot grabbing hold.
"Yes! We can totally do this!"
"Um, guys?"
They turn to the hummingbird, who hops up to the bars. "There's a reason why I built this," She digs into her feathers and holds up a miniature version of the jack she had built.
"Ohh, so that's why it was sitting near the wheel!" Eugene exclaims as she plants it between the bars. She turns the crank and with some help from the other three birds, they manage to pull it apart. Eugene lets out a laugh as they smile. "Oh, you see that? Together, we're unstoppable!"
"That's right!" Lance exclaims with a boastful smile.
"You know it!" Hook Foot agrees with him.
"And it doesn't matter who's strongest."
"It totally matters!" Hook Foot looks to Lance.
"Oh, it most definitely does."
"Yeah, you're right, come on, who are we kidding?"
"Mmm," Harmony glares at them and they recoil back in fear.
"It doesn't matter!"
"Totally doesn't!"
"Yup, thank you, blueberry for showing us the error of our ways!"
"If anything, you should be thanking me and my invention," She points to the jack, taking it with her wings. Father sees the mess, growling.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Don't worry, Father. Allow me," Mother takes the teapot and drinks the whole thing. She wipes it off her mouth, the birds from the collection squawking in alarm. Her hand turns white and feathery and she leans over the table, knocking down a teapot. She then takes flight as she's a large hawk, squawking towards the cage. Father is holding the eggs as she dives for them, standing on the cage. "Anyone planning on a premature egress will be most disappointed!"
"I'll draw the hawk away, you guys get those eggs!" Cass whispers to everyone.
"Be careful, Cass," Harmony warns softly as she flies towards the end of the cage. Mother appears in front of her, causing her to fly back into the others. Mother squawks and Rapunzel looks around, seeing her feathers above her head.
"Come on, guys," She whispers to Varian and Harmony. The three fly up and rip some feathers off, and she squawks in slight pain.
"Ha! I've been wanting to do that all day!" Harmony smirks at her. "Well, maybe not plucking the feathers, but it felt good!"
Cass flies away past Father. "Oh, my dear girl, you haven't a chance," Mother flies after Cass and they take to the skies.
They're about to leave the cage as an egg rolls past them, Father taking it and putting it into the basket. "That's quite far enough, you—you guttersnipes! And you..." He points to Harmony. "You're the worst of them all! And you sing terribly!"
Harmony frowns, sinking a little.
"Guttersnipe? You just crossed a line, Dad," Hook Foot points up at him, Varian glaring furiously.
"Ha ha ha, come on, guys! Let's get him!"
"No," Varian holds a wing in front of them. "I got this."
With a yell, he soars towards Father, pecking away at him. Harmony gasps at him, watching as the basket falls out of his hands.
"The horror! Aah! Aaah!" He runs away screaming.
"You better run!" Varian shouts after him. "No one insults Mona and gets away with it!"
Harmony smiles softly towards the robin, touched. "Harmi and I will go get those eggs! You guys free the other birds!" Rapunzel tells the three, and they dive for the eggs, putting them into the basket as quickly as they can.
"Here you go, Eugene!" Lance cracks an egg above Eugene, turning him back to normal. "Eugene?" He flies in front of his friend, who grabs an egg. "Thank you!" Once he's human again, he laughs, hugging his friend. Hook Foot clears his throat, tapping a foot. Eugene frees him and Lance helps him up. Hook foot cracks an egg over Varian, who pats himself in relief.
"Good to be back."
They start untying the other birds. Cass and Mother fly past, the hawk squawking at her. Cass flies away from the eggs and birds.
Hook Foot places a bird down, ducking his head as the two birds fly past. Rapunzel cracks an egg over the bird to reveal him as a little boy.
"You're-" She chirps at him, "Free!"
He tips his hat to the two, running off. The other birds stand in line to be free again. Harmi and Rapunzel each take an egg, freeing two birds at the same time.
Cass swoops past mushrooms, avoiding Mother's sharp beaks. She soars over the grass, flying up to the branches in a tree, where Mother gets stuck in one of them.
"This bird stuff isn't half bad!" Cass smirks in amusement, flying to the skies. Mother somehow gets free, flipping into the air and diving head-first into Cass. She sends her into the toadstool table, claw to Cass' neck. She raises the other one.
"Cass!" Harmony exclaims at her, flying towards the two. "No, get away from her!" She flaps her wings into Mother's face, giving Cass enough time to grab a green bean and throw it. Mother slaps Harmony away, taking the bean.
"Ahh, is that all you've got?"
Cass lets out a whistle and Owl comes flying in, grabbing the bean from Mother. She squawks at his beak, Cass flying over to Harmony.
"I'm okay," She holds up a wing, both of them taking flight. Together with Owl, they fly into Mother, knocking her into the grass. "That'll teach you to turn people into birds!" She points her wing at the hawk.
"Ha ha, we did it!" Cass flies up to Owl on a branch. "We beat her! Woo-hoo-hoo!" She high-wings Owl, flying away. Harmony stares at Cass' enthusiasm all of a sudden, grinning towards Owl.
"I gotta go help my sister!" She flies back towards Rapunzel.
"Lance, would you hurry it up?" Eugene calls out as they're holding Mother, who struggles.
"I'm trying!"
Hook Foot and Varian tie up Father, Rapunzel gasping. Harmony glares towards Mother and Father, glad that they got out of this unscathed. "There's only two eggs left..."
She looks back to Cass, who looks like she's actually having fun. This was all her fault...she convinced them to be birds, she got them captured...and all because she was scared. Then she remembers Harmony crying and realized...
That they deserve to have the last two eggs.
"Raps, I take it all back. That was-"
Rapunzel cracks the two eggs, turning the two into humans again. "Oh-okay—okay, okay, that was abrupt. But let's turn you back now. Alright, where's an egg?"
"...No..." Harmony shakes her head slowly at the empty basket.
"Heh-There's another egg, right?" Cass asks Rapunzel, who shakes her head no sadly. "You used the last eggs on us?"
She nods in confirmation.
"Punzie...?" Harmony's eyes widen slowly, trying not to cry.
"No, but that means you can't-No." Cass frantically starts searching for an egg, but they're all broken.
"No...NOOOOOOO!" Harmony screeches in sadness, her heart breaking. She rushes up towards Father, wanting to punch him, but Varian and Eugene hold her back. "No, no, no! You did this! You give us an egg, you sick freak!"
He just stares at her as she starts to cry, turning around to the two, hugging them close. "Waaah..."
Cass throws the basket in frustration, the two hugging her back. She holds out her hands to Rapunzel, who lands on them. "Oh, Raps? You're my best friend..." Her lip quivers, "Oh-Please, don't leave me..." She nuzzles Rapunzel, who returns the gesture. She watches as Rapunzel blinks, her eyes turning black.
She's now fully a bird...
Cass shuts her eyes, shedding a few tears. She then looks furious as she wipes herself off. With each step, she was angrier than she's ever been. Harmony sniffles and Cass places a hand on her shoulder.
"Harmi? Take care of your sister for me."
She looks up at Cass behind a messy bang, taking the bird into her hands. "But why? What are you doing?"
"Don't ask, I'll handle this."
"Rapunzel..." The boys look at her sadly as Harmony kneels, shedding fresh tears. Lance and Hook Foot tie up Mother with all their might, the woman pointing her sword at Father.
"Where are the other eggs?! GIVE ME ANOTHER EGG!" She holds the sword over him, threatening to hurt him if he didn't comply.
"But there are no more! Please! Have mercy!"
She swings her sword, but instead of touching him, she broke the teapot. "No! I'll never be able to make my tea again!"
"Good!" Varian glares at him, the man suddenly disappearing.
"That's what I was counting on..." Cass hisses, Mother disappearing as well. Cass walks away as the whole house disappears behind him, the toadstool gone too. Cass sits in front of the teenage girl, opening up her hands.
Harmony slowly gives Rapunzel to her, the three watching as Rapunzel just looks around, clueless to everything.
"Why so glum, chum?" Shorty suddenly asks, a peacock. He opens up his feathers, laying a blue egg.
"Shorty?"
"You laid a blue egg!" Varian gasps at it. "...Wish you showed up earlier."
Cass holds it over Rapunzel, Harmony looking at the bird in anticipation. "Oh, please, please work." She cracks it and this turns the bird back into the blonde princess. Rapunzel gets onto her feet, a feather in her hair. The three gasp, Cass running up to Rapunzel and spinning her around. "Raps!"
"Big sister...?" Harmony runs up to Rapunzel, who opens up her arms and hugs the girl tightly. Her sister returns it, crying into the dress happily.
"Oh come on, no tears," Rapunzel cups her cheeks, wiping them away with her thumbs. "I can't have that from my little sister."
Harmony giggles slightly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Both Cass and Varian smile at the family moment. "Oh! Ugh! Am I the only one craving worms?"
"I know I am," The four look to Shorty, who lays another egg.
"I am so done with birds today," Harmony murmurs, Daisy chirping up at her in protest. "Well, most of them." Shorty walks around aimlessly, Pascal holding up the egg. Rapunzel takes it and turns Shorty back to himself.
"That's weird, I'm a person," Yet he still walks around like a bird anyway. The three pets walk up to their owners, who smile and walk up to the others.
"Well, I guess if we learned anything, it's that we are stronger together, huh?" Eugene asks proudly, as the three men stare at the place where the wheel was.
"You know it."
"Agreed."
Cass walks up to a tree with Varian, where the two sisters sit on a branch above. Harmony jumps down first, followed by her sister. She hands a few pieces to the two to help her carry her hair back, Cass letting out a sigh.
"Listen, girls? What you two said before about being afraid? It's okay. I'd be afraid, too. But I want you to remember that no matter what you two have to face at the end of this road, you're not going to face it alone. And Harmi...I'm really sorry that I made you upset."
"It's okay," She shrugs with a small smile. "It still takes getting some used to..."
"Thanks, Cass. Hmm, really," Rapunzel places a hand on Cass' shoulder.
"And besides...I know that I'll always have someone by my side," Harmony smiles towards Varian. "Thank you for defending me back there, Vari."
"Oh, uh, I-it was nothing, Mona."
"That was pretty brave what you did," She leans forward and kisses his cheek softly. Varian freezes up, letting out a goofy laugh. She giggles, walking back to the caravan.
"Alright, let's lift this thing. And I should probably-" The caravan is lifted for them by Rapunzel's hair.
"Guys, sorry, but, we really gotta get going," She states, the other three rolling the wheel back into place.
"Oh, yeah, I mean—you know, of course," Eugene stammers as they walk around.
"Uh-huh, yeah. I—I—I think we should probably hit the road," Lance agrees as they step into the caravan.
"No offense to the scenery, but I wanna get out of this forest as soon as possible," Harmony comments as she gets inside.
"Yeah, I'm ready to put the whole being a bird thing behind us," Varian agrees with her, watching as she takes Daisy into her hands.
"Oh! I can't wait to tell you all about it, Daisy! But I dunno, it was kind of...different," She looks towards Varian, both of them smiling bashfully. If there was one thing they wouldn't regret as being birds, it was singing together.
They don't even move 5 feet as the wheel breaks off again, Lance letting out a scream. "Alright! I'll get it!"
"No, Eugene, we got it!" Rapunzel tells him before they could get into another strength competition.
"And I have something that'll keep it in place. I am NOT dealing with another competition again," Harmony runs over to the other caravan to go get the solution, the same blue birds flying over them...