Angel: I was only gonna upload one part today, but then I thought what was the point since I'm finishing up the series XD So I'm still gonna upload special parts all in the same day whenever it's time for them to be uploaded, and that includes the series finale as well. Thanks to all of those who've reviewed with your support for the story, I really appreciate it ^^ After we've been going through, I'd rather all of us stay positive...
Especially since I finished the series finale last night...
Cass: Previously on Tangled...
"It's my first trip outside of Corona." Rapuznel and Eugene rolled down a hill, landing in mud. "It's like a whole new chapter of our lives has just begun. Aren't you excited to see where these rocks are taking us?"
"My name is Adira, and I am here to make sure you get to the end of this journey you're embarking on. The Dark Kingdom."
"This stone has destroyed too many lives," King Edmund paced around. "It stops today!"
"Your Majesty, please. You know the stone cannot be destroyed," Quirin tried to pull him away, but the moonstone knocked them back. "Our only hope is to keep its power from the world. Anyone who seeks out this opal, must be stopped."
King Edmund looked at the announcement of the newborn princess in Corona and looked towards the moonstone. He ripped the compartment out from the mantle and planted it in a box.
"Harmony!" Frederic snatched away the moonstone, the symbol glowing on her left hand.
"Eons ago, an evil warlock, Zhan Tiri, had a deep hatred for Corona," Xavier explained during the storm.
"We want answers more than anyone." Rapunzel and the group reached the Keeper's Spire with Calliope. "I feel like whatever is waiting for us at the end of this road, is only part of why we're out here."
The Moonstone Opal glowed from its cage.
"The stone and its destructive power must be kept secret from the world."
25 years ago...
King Edmund was lying in bed, tended by a handmaiden. "It is the Brotherhood's duty to keep that secret, it is King Edmund's dying wish," Quirin stated this to Adira outside the King's room.
"There is another way!" She insisted to him. "If we could go out and find the sundrop-"
"Enough!"
They turned to the shadows at the new voice. "The sundrop is a myth, sister." A growl was heard from the same spot, two pairs of glowing red eyes appearing. They slowly stepped out to reveal themselves as big badgers. Adira slightly moved the door further so that Edmund wouldn't hear.
"It's real, Hector, and its power could neutralize the moonstone!"
"Go, go, chase empty legends like a fool," Hector stepped out of the shadows, "But just know, if you come back, you ain't my fellow brethren. You're a traitor," He cupped her chin so that she could look at him in the eyes. "Sundrop or not, I'll end you."
Present Day
Out in the forest, Harmony is riding Silver down a path. She's firing random targets set up by Varian earlier, getting a bullseye on each and every single one.
"Come on, Silver!" She encourages him, looking over her shoulder. Rapunzel is nearby, also wearing a quiver with bows inside while riding Max.
"Okay, bank left! Duck!"
Max does so and she fires an arrow. Then she loses sight of her sister. "Yeah! We lost them!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Cass calls out. "Watch your flank!" Fidella jumps over Max with Cass, the woman laughing. She pulls out her bow and arrow, firing quickly. Harmony suddenly appears in front of them.
"Nice moves!" Rapunzel smiles a bit.
"Thanks! It's just like old times," Cass smirks a little. Silver jumps over a log, Harmony firing in mid-air at a target hanging by a branch.
"Well, not quite like old times. We've never had an archery contest before!" Rapunzel grins, a squirrel dropping its acorns in alarm. The three jump over the log, all of them firing arrows in the process. They all hit the target, the squirrel chittering angrily at the trio. Fidella slips on the nuts, but continues forward.
"Archery while riding heightens your senses," Harmony calls out from in front. "I do this at least once a week!"
"I've gotten pretty good at horseback riding since Corona," Rapunzel says smugly to Cass.
"Great. Don't get cocky. I still got a trick or two up my sleeve," Cass brags, Fidella winking at Max. He whinnies happily, getting a little distracted as he kicks his legs up in the air. "Told you we had this." Fidella looks ahead in alarm to see a bunch of black rocks between the gap. "Oh, whoa!"
Fidella skids to a stop as Cass looks around for Harmony. "Phew. Thanks, girl. Harmi? Where are you?"
"Make way!" Rapunzel calls out as she approaches. "Don't worry, boy. You got this," She whispers as he continues running.
"Raps! Wait! It's too wide! You could..."
Max jumps over the edge, landing on the other side. Pascal gives her a raspberry. "Go splat," Cass smiles proudly.
"Ha! Best archery race ever!" Rapunzel exclaims happily.
"But I beat ya."
"Huh?" Rapunzel looks to her left to see Silver and Harmony approach, smirking.
"Black rocks," She gestures to the gap. "Pretty amazing, huh? I have so much control over them now!"
"Ah; once again the little sister beat us to the punch," Cass snaps her fingers. Daisy flies up to them, having kept score. She points to Harmony as the winner of the archery contest. The girl smiles, hands on her hips.
"You're speaking to probably the best archer in Corona."
"Guess no one has you beat, huh?" Rapunzel smiles a little, ruffling her sister's hair. "When did you start doing it, anyway?"
"When Aunt Willow visited. I think I was 7. After that, it was just natural to me," Harmony states as she adjusts her quiver.
"Hm," Rapunzel grins, digging something out of her pocket. "Well, with this, now everyone can know!" She plants a badge at the front of Harmony's belt. The girl looks at it to see the crest of Corona on it, along with a bow and arrow sign on it.
"Rapunzel!" She gasps slightly at it. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Harmi. I figured you'd love it. I'm so proud of you: you've proved that you're more than the Moonstone's power!"
The girl smiles softly, glad to hear that.
"After being cramped in that caravan for the last few months, it's so great to be out here in the open, just the three of us," Rapunzel states while leaning on her back on Max's saddle. They're all heading somewhere after having gathered up all of the arrows and targets.
"Yeah, it's great. But for the record, this was a scouting trip. No one officially said anything about it being a race," Cass points out.
"And that archery contest meant nothing?" Harmony snorts while leaning on Silver's neck with her back. They're up in front as she's leading them somewhere.
"Cass," Rapunzel sits up to lean on Max's head, to his slight annoyance. "Don't be a sore loser."
Cass chuckles at this. "Hey, I am not a sore loser. To be a sore loser, I'd have to have lost something."
Rapunzel gasps sharply as she looks up ahead, standing up. "There it is."
Harmony raises a brow and turns around, blinking. In front of them is a large greyish tree in front of a small lake. "The Great Tree."
"Oh...wow," Cass stares in shock at it.
"You know, Adira said the inside is hollowed out, and it's the fastest way through those mountains." She looks to her left.
"Ugh. Adira," Cass rolls her eyes at the mention of her.
"Just so you know...there's a reason why I was able to lead us here," Harmony speaks up, staring at the tree. "It means that something evil is down in that tree...but it is very faint and secured, so I think we'll be safe as long as we don't mess with it."
"Is it alive?" Cass wonders and Harmony shakes her head.
"It's not active, but it is dangerous to unlock."
"Okay, it'll be dark soon. We should head back to camp and set out here in the morning," Rapunzel looks over her shoulder.
"You're right. Race ya! And it's official this time!" Cass hollers as she takes off.
"Oh, it is so on," Rapunzel states as the two horses take off in the opposite direction. Two certain badgers watch them from nearby, growling at each other. Harmony stops in place, but the animals are not why she stops.
Face your destiny...
"What?!" Harmony whips around, bow and arrow ready, but she doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. She looks around in confusion at what just happened. Did she just hear a voice in her head? And it's awfully familiar...
She snaps out of it and snaps the reins. Silver turns around and chases after the other two horses.
The three girls have returned to the caravans. "Okay. The Great Tree is just over that ridge," Rapunzel smiles a bit. "But if we get lost, we have our trusty guide," She elbows Harmony, who giggles. Varian peeks out from the door of his caravan.
"She beat you, didn't she?"
"Yup," Cass smiles in amusement as Harmony approaches the door. Varian notices the girl's silence.
"Mona, is everything okay?"
"Hm?" She looks up at him. "Oh, uhh…yeah, I'm okay."
He raises a brow, getting the feeling that she has something on her mind that she's not ready to talk about.
"You know, I gotta say, when we aren't fighting bad guys, running from fish people or being turned into birds, life on the road can be pretty peaceful," Eugene's about to kiss Rapunzel's hand.
"Scissors beats paper!" Hook Foot shouts from inside the boys' side of the caravan. Harmony looks to her right from the noise.
"Of course, scissors beats paper. But this isn't paper," Lance holds up his right hand. "This is a karate chop. Used properly by an experienced practitioner, it can be the sharpest, most precise cutting weapon in the world," He slices the air, knocking Hook Foot into a pail. "Hence, karate chop beats...scissors."
"Guys! Guys! Guys! What is going on?" Eugene demands as he opens the door.
"We wanna see who's gonna clean our room by playing rock, paper, scissors, but he keeps tryin' to cheat!" Hook Foot looks up at Lance accusingly.
Lance gasps innocently. "Cheat? How dare you, sir! He's lying, Eugene!"
"Really?!" Hook Foot tries to stand up, the pail stuck. "Scissors always beats paper!" The pail finally drops onto the ground.
"And karate chop always beats scissors!" Lance replies smugly. Hook Foot throws a telescope, which he ducks from. "Hey!"
Cass catches it before it could hit either Rapunzel or Harmony. The two both sigh in relief. "I'm suddenly missing last night, when it was just you two and me," Cass replies as she hands the telescope to Rapunzel. Pascal, Daisy, and Ruddiger cover their ears in annoyance over all the arguing. "Speaking of last night, girls. That jump you both took-"
"Oh, you mean the jump that got us in second place?" Rapunzel smiles as she walks past her friend and sister.
"It wasn't a race," Cass smiles smugly. "But yeah, that one. It was kinda reckless."
"Reckless? Me?" Harmony chuckles in disbelief, gesturing to herself. "I grew up with lessons, studying books, and learning how to take care of myself all while being a princess, and I'm reckless?"
"Cass, you of all people should know we can handle ourselves pretty well out here. Don't you remember when we went to Calliope and Harmi had that portable tent? Which, by the way, was a brilliant invention."
"Aw," The girl smiles bashfully.
"We don't need someone to keep us safe," Rapunzel smiles, lightly touching Fidella's mane. Cass' eyes widen at the declaration, both of them walking away. She looks towards the ground. That...hurt a bit...she promised their father to take care of them, and all of that just seemed to crumble away...
Rumbling is suddenly heard as the horses nicker. The rocks start to jump a bit.
"Hm?!" Harmony looks up in alert, pulling out her bow and arrow. "Guys, we have a problem. Someone's following us."
And true to her word, Hector himself approaches, riding a rhino. All three of them cringe and Eugene steps out of the first caravan.
"Have no fear, the peacekeeper worked his magic-" He screams once he turns around and sees the intruder. Varian looks out the door, wincing.
"Umm...do we know him?"
The rhino roars as it lifts itself up. "Why are we just standing here?" Eugene screeches in fear.
"Grab the Moonstone!" Hector points to Harmony.
"What?!" Everyone shouts in surprise and he charges towards them. They all get in.
"Run!"
The horses take off as Harmony closes the door behind her.
A bluebird chirps, hooves thundering nearby. It flies away as the trees shake. The rhino breaks through a tree as it chases after the two vehicles.
"So I'm guessing you two haven't met," Eugene says to the megaphone to his left. It acts as a communication device between them and the second caravan.
"Uh, I think I'd remember a guy with a rhino and angry badgers that's out to get me!" Harmony exclaims into the megaphone in her hand.
"What does he want with you?" Varian screeches in shock as he looks out the window.
Max, Silver, and Fidella run as fast as they can. "Anyone else wanna take a guess as to who rhino man is?" Eugene calls out, Shorty peeking out a window.
"I am happy to hazard a guess."
"Anyone other than Shorty," Eugene deadpans to the girls.
"Wow," Rapunzel peeks over the roof. "A rhinoceros. Oh! I never thought I'd actually see one. I gotta say, if it weren't chasing us and our lives weren't on the line-"
"Blondie, it is and they are!" Eugene interrupts her.
"Uh, right!"
They sit back down as the rhino reaches the second caravan. Hector jumps and lands on top of the second caravan. He slices open the roof, Varian hugging Harmony on instinct. Their hair flies past as they look up at him in fear. He points his sword at the boy.
"Hand over your little girlfriend and I might let you live."
"Never!" Varian hugs her protectively, glaring up at the man, and he shrugs.
"Okay."
He jumps to the chain connecting to the other caravan, the two looking out the bars. "Oh no, he's gonna cut us off!"
Hector cuts off the chain, and the caravan goes out of control. The two scream as they wobble around.
"Harmi and Varian need our help, come on!" Rapunzel exclaims, the rhino ramming into the side of the caravan. Hook Foot almost falls out as the door bursts open, Lance pulling him back inside.
"We can't outrun it!"
Cass looks over her shoulder, seeing the teens' caravan swerving out of control. "Oh no!" Harmony shouts as they're jostled around inside. Hector crawls onto the roof of the caravan.
"Keep an eye on the road, I'll help Harmony and Varian."
She jumps onto the roof of the purple caravan, running over to the back and landing there. She's too far away to reach them without injuring herself. She looks at the distance between them and sees only one solution.
"You guys have to jump!"
"What?!" They both exclaim in unison. "Are you crazy?"
"It's the only way! Trust me!"
They look to each other skeptically, glancing up ahead nervously. She was right...there was no other choice. Hector lands behind them and Varian shields Harmony from him, the girl gasping.
"Hand me the moonstone!"
The boy turns around, Harmony hugging his waist. Ruddiger crawls onto the boy's shoulder. "Hold on!"
Varian jumps forward while holding onto the girl, grabbing Cass' hand. She pulls them up onto their feet.
"Oh…" He sighs in relief. "I was not expecting to do that today…"
They look back to see the second caravan tilt to the edge and fall off.
She opens the door, pushing both of them inside. "You two stay in here." Cass joins the two back up front. Up ahead is two paths.
"Maybe we don't have to outrun the rhino," Rapunzel smirks a bit. "I hope this works. Ready?"
"One..."
"Two..." Rapunzel pulls a lever. "Three!"
The caravan splits in half, Max sharing with Silver. Each half takes a path. "Come on, Max!" Eugene encourages him as he runs up the hill. Cass jumps onto the roof.
"Uh, Princess? Watch your flank," Cass warns her, the two badgers running after Eugene, who looks over the edge. The rhino can literally sense Harmony inside, who's hiding underneath her bed with Varian.
"I don't understand, why is he after me?" Harmony murmurs quietly, Varian hugging her in comfort.
"I don't know, but I promise, I won't let him take you, Mona."
She smiles at the comfort, hugging him back.
"He's still after them. We gotta get down there!" A badger jumps towards Eugene, tackling him. "Max, Silver, you keep up with the others. I'll take care of these...ooh, I wanna call them wolf-monkeys, right?" He kicks the animal off him and it rolls off the roof. The other shakes Shorty like a chew toy, throwing him also off the caravan. "Shorty!"
"Giddy-up!" He's fine as he's riding the other badger.
Hector pulls out a mace and throws it at the wheel. He pulls on it so that it stays in place. He starts walking on it to reach the caravan, Cass standing at the back. She throws a chest, but he takes out a sword and slices it in half.
"None shall enter the Dark Kingdom! The Moonstone must be killed!"
"This brings back memories!" Shorty states while the badgers chomp off a piece of wood, planting it at the wheel. Eugene pulls Shorty to the front.
"Gotcha!" Max slides to a stop, the half flying over the edge and spinning around. Eugene screams as the half lands upside down, with Max and Silver on top of Fidella.
"Hello, Blondie," Eugene smiles at his girlfriend.
"Hi."
Max looks at Fidella in embarrassment. Eugene looks through the window and Lance opens it. "Little help out here?" Hook Foot and Lance nod to each other, Hook Foot helping Eugene push the half back into place.
"Are you guys okay?" Lance checks up on Harmony and Varian.
"Besides being chased by a crazy rhino guy trying to kill my girlfriend?" Varian chuckles nervously. "...Honestly, not great."
Someone jumps off above them, slicing off the chain. Hector jumps and slides to a stop on the roof. Cass looks to her right, glaring.
"Adira."
"I see you've gotten yourself into another situation from which I must rescue you," She replies back.
"It's not our fault he's after Harmi!" Cass points to the back of the caravan. "He's trying to kill her!"
Adira narrows her eyes and lands in front of Hector. She clashes swords with him, doing a split between both halves. She lands at the door and slides into the girls' part of the caravan. They take the fight to the roof again.
"Adira? Yo. How's my hair?" Lance slicks the top of his head.
"You don't have any hair," Harmony retorts to him. Ruddiger holds his stomach as he chitters in laughter, earning a glare from the bald man.
Adira kicks Hector away and he lands on his rhino. "You can't protect them, Adira! The Moonstone is out to destroy us all! She cannot remain alive!"
"You know this guy?!" Cass exclaims, looking up at Adira.
"Why is he after Harmi? What does he have to gain from destroying her?" Rapunzel frowns in worry. The rhino rides up to her side, pushing the caravan closer to the edge.
"Guys, don't mean to be a backseat driver, but we're gonna run off the cliff!" Lance shouts, pointing to the unforgiving ground below.
"If we're gonna go, we're gonna go big," Rapunzel undoes her hair and snatches Adira's sword. "I need you to dig deep and put some distance between us and them," Rapunzel orders the three horses. "You can do it!"
They pick up speed as they get closer to the end of the cliff. Rapunzel looks on in determination and slices off the ropes that attach to the horses. They fall off the cliff, along with the caravan as her hair flies into the wind.
Hector and the rhino slide to a stop as the man jumps off. He walks over to the edge and looks over, seeing nothing. He grits his teeth at this.
Underneath a small ledge is everyone hanging onto Rapunzel's hair. Varian hugs Harmony while holding onto the hair, the girl having her eyes closed. Unfortunately, she couldn't save the caravan...
"Seriously, there had to be an easier way for us to hang out together. Am I right?" Lance speaks up.
Once they're away from the cliff, they reach the Great Tree.
"I'm...really sorry about this, guys," Harmony opens her eyes. "If I didn't have these stupid powers, that guy wouldn't have chased us..."
"That's not your fault, Brownie," Eugene bends down and hugs her, Rapunzel doing the same.
"We're just all glad that you or Varian aren't hurt," She runs a hand through her brown hair. The girl smiles, hugging them both.
"Two years ago, I'd call fighting jackal monsters on the back of a speeding carriage whilst a rhinoceros chases the woman I love absolutely bonkers," Eugene comments to Rapunzel as they're holding hands.
"Or that a crazy rhino man is trying to kill the girl I love," Varian looks to Harmony. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine," She grins slightly for his concern.
"But now we call those Tuesday," Eugene shrugs with a small smile. Pascal nods in agreement.
"Time to get some answers," Cass declares towards Adira, who's sharpening her sword.
"You, uh, probably didn't hear me, but I'm the one who told the princesses to run the caravan off the cliff. So really, I saved us," Lance boasts to her. "Don't feel like you have to thank me. But you can if you want."
Harmony and Varian roll their eyes in unison. Adira simply stands up and walks away, Lance laughing.
"I get it, I get it. You got stuff to do. You're welcome!"
"Adira, wait," Rapunzel runs up to her, holding Harmony's hand. "Who was that man that attacked us? Why is he after my sister?"
"And don't give us any of your cryptic runaround talk," Cass threatens her.
"Cass," Harmony warns the woman to be nicer. Adira was someone she looked up to and admired well for her skills and her instincts to help others.
"His name is Hector," Adira looks away with closed eyes before turning back to Cass. "And I don't think I appreciate your tone."
Cass gasps, hands on her cheeks. "Oh! I'm sorry I gave you the impression I care about the things you appreciate."
"Alright, alright," Rapunzel places her hands on Cass' shoulders.
"That's enough. Let's at least hear her out," Harmony crosses her arms.
"Who is Hector?" Rapunzel asks next.
"He's a member of the Brotherhood, a group of warriors sworn to keep any and all away from the Dark Kingdom."
"Dark Kingdom...?" Rapunzel goes through her bag to pull out the second scroll piece. "That's where we're headed."
"How many are in this Brotherhood?" Cass questions Adira.
"Not many. But you've encountered one before today. Quirin, your father," She turns to a shocked Varian.
"W-Wait. My dad was a member of the Brotherhood?" Varian stammers a bit, gasping lightly. "That's what he wanted to tell me. That's why he said I wasn't ready, I wasn't ready to learn the truth! A-And that's how you know him…"
He steps away a bit, holding his head. Harmony stares at him in concern. They can still remember him in the amber...
"Varian...?" Rapunzel holds out a hand.
"I need a minute," He whispers and Harmony frowns deeply. It's obvious that Quirin hid that part of his life away for a long time...even before Varian came into the picture. Adira gives him a sympathetic look. Ruddiger frowns at him in worry.
"But none of the brothers is as dangerous or sadistic as Hector."
Hearing that fact does ease Varian just a little...but he was still kept away from this part of his father's life. If he had known about this sooner, then maybe Quirin would've been saved… but even he know that's not true.
"And this is his domain...the Great Tree. He's sworn to stay here to ensure no one crosses these mountains."
"And how do you know so much about all of this?" Cass steps up to her.
"Let's just say some of us in the Brotherhood disagree on a couple of things," Adira grits her teeth, holding up the hand with the Brotherhood symbol.
"Alright, so we have to go through crazy rhino guy's house to get to this Dark Kingdom?" Eugene asks slowly. He steps up to Varian, placing a gentle hand on his back. Varian takes a deep breath, standing up. "It's gonna be okay, kid. That part of his life is done, you know that. He just wanted to protect you. He gave all of that up to have you."
Varian nods slowly with his eyes closed. "So...if he wants to keep people away from the Dark Kingdom...then that means-"
"He wants to destroy the moonstone...to ensure that no one ever goes there for the opal. He truly believes that killing her will stop the plague that the opal brought onto our king."
Harmony frowns up at her sister and Eugene. "Guys, we barely got away from this Hector with our lives, and now we're going to trust her and go through his home turf?" Cass replies thinly, stepping up to Adira with hands on her hips. "I don't like it."
"Well, like it or not, it's our only choice," Adira states to her, the woman glancing at everyone else. Pascal and Daisy are a little bit afraid of the tension between the two. Rapunzel looks to her sister, who places her hands on top of hers gently. Both of them know the answer here...
"Your call, girls," Eugene tells them.
"...We're going with Adira on this," Rapunzel says after a few seconds. Cass' eyes widen at their choice, glaring a bit. "Guys...let's go through that tree. But Harmi, you have to swear to me that you'll stay close. Varian too."
"We promise," They say in unison.
"Don't worry, Rapunzel," Varian takes a hold of her hand. "I'll watch over her."
Rapunzel and Adira smile at his declaration.
They walk past the angered Cass, rolling her eyes. "Fine." She doesn't like it, but they didn't have much of a choice. This tree was the only way to continue on...
They all walk inside, Rapunzel glancing around at the vines. Adira takes the lead. "The Great Tree," Rapunzel says quietly as they look around in awe. "It's...beautiful."
"Yeah, it's great. But we need to keep moving if we wanna stay ahead of Hector," Cass walks past the two sisters, who don't seem to notice her mood. Varian stares at her, wondering if she was okay.
Embrace your path...
Harmony shakes her head rapidly to get the voice out of her head. "Harmi, something wrong?"
"...This is gonna sound crazy," She whispers, looking over to Adira. "But there's a voice in my head. And it has to do with the Great Tree."
Rapunzel glances to Eugene, Cass, and Varian. "What does it say to you?"
"Facing my destiny, embracing my path...I wish I knew what it meant," She frowns a little. "And I feel like I know the voice too..."
"You think it has to do with the moonstone?" Eugene questions curiously.
"Maybe. Or maybe it's nothing important and it'll be gone when we get out of here..." She murmurs, getting a look from Cass.
"Voices in your head? You're kidding, right?"
"We've been through weirder stuff than that," Rapunzel waves it off. "Hopefully it'll come to you, Harmi."
"Oh it will," Harmony narrows her eyes in determination.
"Um, do you think Cassie is alright?" Varian asks her as she looks to the lady-in-waiting walking away.
"She's just really cautious and sour over the whole Adira and the Brotherhood thing...speaking about that, I'm sorry you had to find the truth about your father like that. But you heard her, he was only following the king, and not as sadistic as Hector. If he really wanted to hurt me, he had a bunch of opportunities to do it, like Adira herself. He never was a dangerous person, Varian...he was just trying to be a good father."
"But why didn't he just tell me, even if that was the case?" He murmurs quietly, looking away.
"He most likely didn't want you to get hurt. I mean, you saw Hector. That rhino is huge! Bigger than the caravans!" She holds out her arms to emphasize just how big he was.
The boy chuckles at her imitations, feeling much better now. He smiles softly at her, kissing her cheek. "Thank you, princess."
Pascal jumps off Rapunzel's shoulder, runs past Cass' feet, and stops her from moving further. "Whoa..." She notices that she was close to stepping into a bottomless pit. "Thanks, buddy."
Daisy flies up to the pit, looking down a bit nervously. Rapunzel sighs in relief. "That was close."
Cass says nothing as she looks away. "Guys, look!" Rapunzel points up to the large path in front of them.
"Uh, it looks like the only way across is to go all the way up one road..."
"And down the other," Rapunzel finishes for Eugene.
"Then I guess that's what we gotta do. Come on. This place gives me the creeps," Cass takes the lead this time.
"Ugh. Me too," Hook Foot adds in.
"That's probably because this tree was once known as the Tree of Zhan Tiri," Adira pulls out her sword and cuts away the branches behind her...to reveal the picture of the sorcerer on the wall.
"Wait, wait, wait," Rapunzel speaks up in alarm. "The ancient sorcerer whose magic caused a deadly snowstorm that nearly destroyed Corona?"
"And let's not forget his little art teacher buddy who turned you into a zombie," Eugene glances at his girlfriend.
"Wait, so maybe that's why you're hearing that voice," Varian turns to Harmony. "It's because this place...was the home of Zhan Tiri."
"You might have mentioned Zhan Tiri before you dragged us in here," Cass gestures behind her.
"It's perfectly harmless now," Adira puts her sword back, pulling out a dandelion. "Millennia ago, this tree was once a sentient being, a force for good. But it was corrupted by the evil sorcerer to destroy any who approached. It was Zhan Tiri's stronghold. Inside it, he was invincible. But Lord Demantius put a stop to the tree's magic using an enchanted spear. So you see, you have nothing to fear. The evil magic is long gone. But more importantly, you're with me."
"Whoa..." Rapunzel murmurs in awe at her sister. "So you were right! That evil magic must have been what you sensed from the tree!"
"You can sense it?" Adira asks the girl.
"It's because of the moonstone. Works great most of the time," Harmony crosses her arms in thought. "But sometimes other factors can make it difficult to sense clearly."
"Impressive, Turquoise," The woman murmurs at the young princess, who smiles bashfully.
"I was the one who taught her that," Lance calls out, getting a 'really' look from the young girl.
"Well, it is a long way up. We'd better get a move on," Rapunzel starts walking with Eugene. The others walk past the now livid Cass, who steps in front of Adira.
"Look, Adira, you may have sold my friends on you being the wise, but kooky, old mentor, but I'm not buying it. I'm watching you."
"Well, if that's what you want, be my guest," She walks away, the woman gritting her teeth. "But as a servant of the princesses, isn't it your job to watch them?"
"I'm not a servant," Cass retorts back.
"Oh, I thought that's what a lady-in-waiting was."
Cass gives her an annoyed look, arms crossed. She knew in her heart that she wasn't a servant...
Hector slides down to the water, noticing both caravans sitting on the lake. The second one had managed to float down to the first after falling off the cliff. He snaps his fingers as the badgers inspect both caravans. They tear it apart while looking and Hector opens up the door. He sees no one inside, and just destroyed items.
"Looks like our job isn't done yet..." He kicks the caravan out of frustration and watches them sail down the river. He looks up at the Great Tree...
Everyone continues walking up the path with Adira up front. Eugene and Lance lag behind as the man is picking flowers, sniffing them.
"You think Adira would like these?"
"Um...Lance, buddy," Eugene rubs the back of his neck. "About this whole Adira thing..." Lance shoves the flowers into his hands. "Let me see. How do I put this?" More flowers are put into his hands as Lance tries to get as many as possible. "But have you considered the possibility that maybe, big maybe, Adira might not be into..." He clears his throat, trying to put this delicately. "Interested in you at all?"
"Not interested?" Lance smiles over his shoulder. "Of course she is. Look at me," He flexes a muscle. "What's not to love?"
"Well, for one, you might wanna think about being a bit more...uh, how do I say? Honest."
Lance gasps a bit from hearing this. "Me? Not honest? Name one thing I've done that hasn't been on the up and up."
"Well," Eugene shoves the flowers into his face. "You took the last apple at breakfast and blamed Max, then you cheated playing rock, paper, scissors, also you took credit for saving the group from all of the things we've already done right now because you're a big galoot. Not to mention you claimed that you taught Brownie how to sense evil stuff when she learned that all on her own."
"Of course I'm not gonna seem honest if you point out all the times I lie!" Lance calls out, walking after his friend.
"Wait," Eugene looks around at the two paths in front of them. "Where are the others?"
The group are walking down the dark hallway. "Where is the war?" Cass asks towards all the armor from the walls. Max looks behind him to see that two people are missing. He looks up at Pascal, looking towards the group and then going back. Hopefully they'll assume that he went to go find them.
Cass, Rapunzel, and Harmony stare at the path in front of Adira. "It looks like there's something up there..."
"Hm...I can feel that something important is in that room," Harmony looks up ahead.
"What is it? Zhan Tiri? Hector?" Cass asks rapidly, glaring towards Adira.
"No, nothing like that. The only way to find out is to go in."
Adira cuts the vines in front of the door, and they all step inside to see a small lake and trees, along with writing above the entrance.
"What is this place?" Rapunzel wonders as they take in their surroundings.
"It looks like a storage room..." Varian murmurs and then they notice the writing on the walls.
"Eugene, look at—Wait. Where are Eugene and Lance?" Rapunzel looks behind Fidella and Silver.
"Where's Max?" Hook Foot notices he's not there as well.
"where's Pascal?"
"Where's Shorty?" Shorty calls out in alarm, not knowing who was where anymore.
"Okay, uh...we should circle back and-" Rapunzel stops short as Varian gasps at the writing.
"Rapunzel...Mona...those pictures..."
She digs into her bag, pulling out the first scroll piece: it matches exactly a part on the wall. "What does it mean?" Hook Foot looks over his shoulder to the three.
"No one knows for sure. But many have perished trying to unravel its mystery," Adira picks up a scroll.
"Well, someone translated some of it," Cass hands Rapunzel a scroll, pointing to the first few words.
"Wait, that's the healing incantation!" Varian exclaims at it.
"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine...he's right, that's the healing incantation for the sundrop. This must be where it came from."
"Wow..." Harmony murmurs in awe as they look up at the writing again.
"Blondie?" Eugene calls out as they're lost. "Cass? Brownie? Well, they must have taken the other path," He pushes past a flower wall, Lance walking behind him. They haven't been in this room before...something grows behind Lance.
"Hey, you think Adira would like this?" The flower opens up and sprays pollen onto his face. He coughs a bit...and then starts laughing for no reason.
"Lance, would you just-" Eugene turns around to scold him, only to be sprayed as well. Both of them laugh out of control, a few vines appearing. The two men run around like kids, Eugene catching his friend. "Gotcha! I am really sorry that I called you dishonest."
"Ah, forget it," Lance waves it off with a big smile.
"I really am."
"You were right," Lance grins up at him.
"I think you're just perfect," Eugene smiles at his buddy.
"Thanks buddy. You're my best buddy, buddy," Lance suddenly grows rabbit eats and a nose.
"No, you're my best buddy, buddy!" Eugene's eyes turn into eye butterflies.
If you're feeling jumpy, lost or low
They dance around a little.
I hope you know I'm here
The eye butterflies join together to turn back into a pair.
L: Life's a little bumpy, call me bro
Lance kicks around the eye butterflies. He takes them and puts them back onto Eugene's face.
I'll always lend an ear
He takes off his buddy ears, giving them to Eugene. "Oh, you mean literally!"
B: Buddy
You're my best buddy
They both appear in holes, with Lance having squirrel ears.
E: When things get nutty
Suddenly the holes move around so that Eugene is looking at him and Lance is hanging on, having a squirrel tail. "Nutty?"
You're always there, mon frere
Eugene grabs him and pulls him into the hole.
L: Touche
B: And buddy
Suddenly they're on a stage with canes and hats.
Who cares if people think it's strange
The top of the hats grow in length, and they put them on.
You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change
They do a little dance, spinning around their canes as flowers are thrown at them. "I'm sorry I called you dishonest, Lance," Eugene holds out the flowers to him.
"Well, I can play a little fast and loose with the truth!" He admits while holding the bouquet. "But you wanna know one thing I never lie about? You! You're my closest pal!"
L: When I need a wingman by my side
He suddenly turns into a bird, like when they were dealing with Mother and Father. Eugene also turns into the same bird he was back then. They share a winged high-five.
I hitch a ride with you
They take to the skies, turning back to normal to lay down on the clouds.
E: Ask for anything, man, I'll provide
Eugene snaps his fingers, a crown appearing on Lance's head.
It's no big whoop-dee-doo!
A castle and fireworks appear nearby.
B: Buddy
You're my best buddy
They start ice-skating together, despite the fact that Eugene hates snow.
L: When I feel cruddy
He skates around Eugene, who jumps into the air...and lands in the ice. He ends up a frozen block.
You set me straight, old mate
Lance sets him free with a hammer and nail.
B: So, buddy
They slide in front of stars, sending one around them.
No matter what the fates arrange
They move the stars to be in their likeness from each other.
You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change
They slide back away from their constellations.
"Check out these moves, man!" They don't seem to realize what danger they're in as the vines are moving towards them. Eugene just laughs as he spins Lance around, who does a split.
"Oh, Lance! Shall we?"
"Of course, take the lead!"
"We shall!"
They slide down large purple ones, a small black one moving towards them.
"Here we go!" Lance exclaims as they start doing the waltz.
Buddy
You're my best buddy
They jump in puddles of water as it rains above them. They leap towards each other and share a high-five.
L: Though life gets muddy
They slide forward, getting mud everywhere, but they wipe it off.
E: This friendship's clean, old bean
The two share a fist-bump.
B: So, buddy
The vines capture their feet.
Whatever comes, however strange
The vines lift them up in the air upside down.
L: You'll always be my best buddy
Lance hugs his friend tightly.
E: More fun than the silliest putty
L: You're never, ever a bit fuddy-duddy
A large flower opens up as they're heading right towards it!
E: You're something else that rhymes with nutty
B: You're my best buddy, bud—don't ever change!
The two still don't realize what's going on due to the poison.
Back with the others, Rapunzel gasps at something. "I don't believe it."
"What? What is it?" Hook Foot looks over her shoulder.
"It's another incantation."
"What?!" Both Harmony and Varian exclaim, looking at the scroll she's holding.
"This is amazing—a second incantation," Varian holds his head. "How many are there?"
"Is it another sundrop incantation?" Cass asks curiously.
"No...not the sundrop. The moonstone."
Everyone suddenly tenses up. "The sundrop's power was to heal. What's this incantation do...?"
They look up at the moon symbol, with the crescent moon from it the same shape as... They all look to Harmony, who has her eyes closed. Her moon symbol matches the crescent moon from the wall...
"Harmony…use it."
"…No…" She slowly shakes her head. "I don't feel good about this, Rapunzel."
"Have you seen this before?" Rapunzel holds up the scroll for her to see.
"No. I've never seen it before. When I was in Corona for 14 years, I chose not to do anything involved with the moonstone. Or at least...I tried to at that age. Sometimes I...just couldn't control it. What if that happens here?"
"We have to know what we're dealing with," Cass narrows her eyes. "And you're the only person we know associated with the moonstone." She pushes the scroll into Harmony's hands. "Use it, Harmony."
"I know you're scared," Varian wraps his arms around her. "But it's important that we know."
She sighs sadly, taking the scroll. Whether she liked it or not...
They were right.
The girl slowly steps forward, frowning towards the scroll in front of her. "...Wither and decay, end this destiny. Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free," She recites slowly, but nothing seems to happen. She opens her eyes, looking towards everyone else. She then looks at her hand and her hair, taking a deep breath.
"Wither and decay, end this destiny." A flower starts to completely die. "Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free."
The grass turns black, engulfing all of it. "Uhh, Harmi?" Cass calls out.
"Wither and decay, end this destiny."
They look at all the flowers dying in shock. "Harmi, now would be a good time to stop!" Rapunzel shouts nervously.
"Break these earthly chains, and set the spirit free."
Her eyes turn completely black as everyone starts to feel the effects. "Princess..." Hook Foot calls out weakly.
Cass kneels, her body getting weaker. "Okay, Harmi. You can stop now," She lets out a few coughs. "Harmony?" She lets out a weak breath as the girl lifts up her head from the scroll. Daisy and Ruddiger fall onto the ground, their energy getting lower.
Wither and decay
She drops the scroll and her hair turns entirely black.
End this destiny
Her hair comes out of her two braids and ponytail, flying in all directions.
Break these earthly chains
And set the spirit free
She looks up at the moon symbol on the wall.
The spirit free
The moon symbol then starts glowing as she enters her mind...She suddenly finds herself laying down on a black floor. Harmony opens her eyes as she sits herself up, looking around.
"What's going on...?"
Embrace your power, Princess...
She gasps sharply at the voice again, blue light forming in front of her. The girl slowly stands up, backing away as a little ghost girl forms in front of her.
"You!"
Harmony giggled as she jumped up and down on her bed as a 5-year-old. The ghost girl stared at her. It had been one year that they met, and the girl still hadn't done any progress on what she wanted her to do...she already knew of the moonstone opal, and now it was time for her to strengthen that power.
"Come play with me!"
"I will as soon as you realize what you must do."
The little girl blinked at the seriousness of her words, landing on her bottom on her sheets. "As the moonstone, you must wither all around you and destroy. If you cannot do that, then you won't be able to have a destiny."
The young princess tilted her head at her imaginary 'friend.' She knew that what she had wasn't like the sundrop, but...she just wanted to focus on playing. She never had a friend before now, she had been sheltered in the castle for 5 years now. Why should she focus on that when she had someone to play with for the first time?
"...But I just wanna play!" She exclaimed happily. The ghost girl blinked in shock as she watched the girl scramble onto her feet, running over to her toy chest. She pulled out a Rubik's cube, turning around to her friend.
"Can we? I really like puzzles..."
"..." While she would react with impatience...she could use this to her advantage in the future. It was better to have an ally for now rather than an enemy. "Alright then...you said you like puzzles? Why don't you show me what you can do with that brain of yours?"
"Okay!" Harmony beamed, running away to get science kits. The ghost girl grinned evilly.
"Where did you come from?"
The ghost girl blinked at the question as the now 8-year-old girl was drawing pictures of the lost princess. Daisy was sitting on her shoulder. She couldn't really answer that without diverting the princess' loyalty significantly.
"Never mind that. What are you drawing?"
"My lost sister..." The girl gave a sad look. "She was born with magical hair from the sundrop flower, and because of that, a mean and selfish woman took her away...it was before I was born. They say that she's still out there somewhere...I want to see her again someday...whenever that is."
This was the first time she ever even talked about Rapunzel to anyone. She kept her drawings away from everyone in a secret compartment she built that attacked anyone who even touched it. During this time, the ghost girl still tried to get her to understand...but her attention was being taken away by hobbies such as inventing, archery, and baking.
"You miss her dearly, don't you, dear?"
"Yeah..." Harmony looked away, smiling weakly. "But like Papa, I have hope that she'll come back someday and then we can be a complete family again. Sometimes it feels like...like my parents don't like having me around because of Rapunzel. And that I shouldn't have been born. Maybe things will get better when my big sister returns and then I can finally be out of the castle..."
The ghost girl blinked as the girl colored rapidly after admitting this. She never thought she'd hear an 8-year-old say that. Harmony was very intelligent, though...
"If you accept your destiny to wield the moonstone, then all of that can be yours..." The ghost girl floated in front of her. She looked up at her friend. "No more hiding. No more pain. No more sorrow..."
Harmony looked away again, the ghost girl grinning evilly. This was it, this was her chance.
"...No thanks."
The ghost girl blinked as the girl got onto her feet. "I just wanna play...!" She feared that if she took the moonstone, then she'd lose a friend.
"...Fine," The ghost girl gritted her teeth in defeat and Harmony beamed, running over to her bow and arrow that her aunt gave her.
"Harmony, it is time to stop playing games."
The ghost girl listened in to her father having a talk with the 10-year-old girl. "You're growing up, sweetheart. This...fantasy world with your friend, it must cease. You're growing older. Someday, you will be queen after your sister, and..." He looked up at the portrait of the baby daughter that he lost. "I don't want to lose you like I did with your older sister."
"But Papa-"
"Please understand," He bent down to her, holding her cheeks and caressing one. "It is your responsibility now to learn how to be a princess...for her."
She hesitated, looking over her shoulder. She knew that someday...she'd have to say goodbye and grow up...she was 10-years-old. She couldn't have her friend forever...as much as she didn't like it...maybe it was finally time to let go...
"...Where do I start?"
The ghost girl looked on, gritting her teeth. Because her powers were weak, she couldn't do much...but she would be back for Harmony.
Whether she liked it or not.
"...Where did you go?" Harmony tears up a bit upon looking at her. However...while she may be in her own mind, she can still sense something was very wrong, and that something bad is gonna happen soon.
"I had to go away. You were still too young. But now you can embrace that power, Princess...destroy all of those who have wronged you this past year."
"No way," Harmony denies immediately at this. "They're people I love, why would I turn against them?"
"Let me ask you something," The ghost girl floats around, the girl watching her every move. "Were you aware that your sister abandoned you by ordering an evacuation during the storm?"
"Yes and I understand why she did it," The princess narrows her eyes. Rapunzel told her about that a long time ago. Like she said to her sister before, she gets why she had to make those difficult choices. And besides, if anything, she was helping Corona evacuate than to spend time and possibly die looking for her. Which was something that she wouldn't want her sister to do regardless of whether or not Varian had found her in time. It didn't hurt her that her sister chose to stay behind at all. Harmony loved Corona and all who lived there, including Rapunzel.
"Oh really? But she's the reason why Varian turned out the way he did." Harmony squeezes her eyes shut at the memory. She can still see the guards taking him away, pleading for help. "She turned both of you away. Everyone had. And Varian...well, he hurt you as well, didn't he? And all of your friends in some way or another..."
Suddenly, that evil magic she sensed...she can feel it trying to take over her mind. Harmony holds her head at the awful memories she experienced flashing by. She opens her eyes as they're pure black again. All of those suppressed anger she had to everyone grows back to a level that she doesn't even want.
"But with me, you can be heard..." The ghost girl leans in towards her ear. "Now keep singing."
Wither and decay
End this destiny
"S-Something's wrong, she's not stopping," Varian stammers weakly behind the girl, crawling up towards her. Everyone else can barely move as the effects are too strong to battle for them. But Varian...inside he feels the strength and perseverance to do anything to help the girl.
"Mona? Mona, can you hear me?"
She makes no indication she heard him, but then she turns around with a glare directed towards everyone.
Break these earthly chains
And set the spirit free
The spirit free
Harmony floats up into the air, her hair growing to the length of Rapunzel's to extend her power.
"Mona!" Varian calls out, coughing. "Mona, listen to me! Why won't you stop singing? Wha..." He lets out another cough and it seems that there's no stopping her...