Birds are chirping in Corona as the shades are opened. "Morning, Raps."
Rapunzel sits up with a yawn, her blanket covering her hair. "Good morning..." She notices Cass is wearing her lady-in-waiting outfit. "What's with your outfit?"
"I know! It's cute, right?" Cass smiles widely.
"Cass? Uh..." She looks around to find herself in her room back at the castle, getting onto her feet. "We're in Corona?"
"Well, where else would we be, silly?" Cass asks, throwing the blanket off her. She walks right past the mirror, looking back to find herself with...
She gasps sharply, holding her short brown hair into her hands. "My hair! What...what happened to my hair?!"
"Eh, looks like just a mild case of bed-head," Eugene speaks up behind her, chuckling. "You've had worse, I'm sure. And good morning, Cassandra!"
"Good morning, Eugene," She smiles, pointing at him. Her eyes widen at how polite they are to each other, turning to the two in confusion. "Looks like someone's got some pre-coronation jitters."
"Coronation?!" The event had already happened, why are they acting like it's occurring right now? "What are you talking about?"
"Very fun—oh, you're serious," Eugene notices the deep frown on her face. "Gotcha. Yeah, no, Sunshine, it's your coronation weekend. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just that..." Rapunzel sighs a little, standing in front of her bed. "This isn't how things are. The coronation already happened. My blonde hair is back. We left Corona almost a year ago to travel to the Dark Kingdom."
"Sounds like you had some dream last night. The coronation that hasn't happened yet...happened and also...Dark Kingdom stuff? Sounds like someone was stuck in a tower a little too long," Eugene murmurs to Cass.
"This one has such a vivid imagination," Cass pats him on the shoulder, smiling in a teasing way. Rapunzel hugs herself as she approaches Pascal.
"It felt so real...but..." Pascal crawls onto her shoulder. "Then again, everything seems so perfect here, I...must be coming off of a crazy dream."
"Well, Raps, you know I love goofing around with you two, but it's a big day and we do have a schedule to keep. Not to mention we do have a little sister to wake up. So, whattaya say we get this day started, huh?" She smiles as she offers her hand. Eugene does the same and she looks to Pascal.
"...Okay," She smiles back, hugging the both of them. "That sounds perfect."
"Rapunzel! There you are!" Frederic arrives in the room.
"Hi Dad!"
"Pops! Up high!" Eugene and Frederic share a high-five, Rapunzel chuckling at the two.
"Cassandra, I need to borrow our princess for a moment. And please wake up our darling little princess."
She curtsies and walks down the hall to go wake up Harmony. She opens the door and steps inside, opening up the shades.
"Rise and shine, Harmi."
"Mm?" She sits up slowly, yawning. "Morning, Cass..." She opens her eyes to see her outfit, eyes widening. "Wait a second..." She looks around rapidly to see that she's in her bedroom. "We're back home? How?"
"Duh! It's our home."
Harmony stands up and sees the mirror, noticing that she doesn't have her blue bangs anymore. "Huh?!" She looks to her left hand to see that there's no symbol on it. "Wait...what?! What happened to my hair? What happened to my hand? Wha...?"
She's so confused, she's supposed to be in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow still. How in the heck did she return to Corona without knowing it?
"Ah, there's my future sister-in-law!"
She looks over her shoulder to see Eugene approaching. "Bed-head too, huh?"
"And coronation jitters too," Cass whispers to him. "So cute on how they share everything!"
"Coronation?!"
"Yeah, coronation weekend. Okay, long story short, you're sharing dreams with Rapunzel, who said something about leaving Corona, coronation already happened, and a Dark Kingdom," Eugene tells her, to her confusion. "Pops came and took her for a talk."
"What?!"
Daisy flies in front of her, landing in her hands.
Her eyes widen as she remembers who she hasn't seen. "Vari! Where is he, I have to find him!" She rushes out the door, sliding into the hall and turning right.
Big Nose and Friedborg walk down the hall, holding hands. Frederic sighs happily as everyone has a smile on their face.
"Look how happy everyone is today."
Bluebirds chirp as they fly up to Rapunzel, who smiles at them. Even Old Lady Crowley is smiling! "Good morning, Rapunzel!" She greets cheerfully. "I am ready to party!"
"And it's all because of you and your sister!" Frederic places an arm around her shoulder. She smiles softly up at him. They end up in his meeting room. "I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am of you both," He holds her hands. "Oh! And show you the many festivities we've planned! See?" He moves away a cloth to reveal a diorama of Corona with clouds, rainbows, and the sun and moon.
Music plays and fireworks go off. She giggles and looks outside to see a caravan transporting Lady Caine and her goons away.
"Can you believe these jokers were gonna disrupt the coronation?" Stan asks as they stare after the transport.
"Ha! Not on our watch!" And with that, they walk away from the arch.
"Today is going to be the happiest, most perfect day Corona has ever seen," Frederic states to her, and she laughs softly, hugging him.
"It already is, Dad."
"Good then. I must be off! I get to judge the pudding contest! Best day ever!" He runs off and she laughs, putting a fist to her cheek. Another bird chirps as it flies by, a sinister-looking duo standing near the arches. She stares at the two, but then they disappear, causing her to gasp.
Harmony runs into Old Corona, which is surprisingly intact and not plagued with black rocks. She shakes her head rapidly to snap out of it.
"Vari? Vari!" She looks around for him, stopping a villager in his path. "Excuse me, have you seen a boy with black and brown hair, blue streak, mistaken for a wizard sometimes?"
"He's right over there, Princess!"
He points to Varian not too far away walking past, holding a box full of chemicals.
"Oh thank you!" She waves to the villager kindly, running up to the boy. "Vari! Vari, what's going on? I'm in bed in the castle when we're supposed to be on our journey, my hair is fully brown, and my hand-"
"Oh, hello, Princess Harmony," He greets, bowing his head, confusing her. First off, he hasn't called her that ever since they met. And second, he doesn't even call her that at all. And he'd usually greet her differently than that.
"...What?"
He walks right past her and she stops him again. "W-W-Wait, no. I'm Mona, remember?" She stammers, gesturing to herself, hoping this isn't what she's hearing from him. "We met here in Old Corona, y-you saved my life, you made me a necklace to wear!" She gestures to her neck.
He just stares at her hands before looking back to her eyes, chuckling. "I think I'd remember doing something like that. And I didn't make you anything, Princess."
"Stop joking!" She insists to him, wondering why he's acting like this. "Yes you did and to this day, I've never..." She pauses as she touches her neck and feels nothing there. She looks to her neck to see that her Harmonium necklace is no longer on her. "Taken it off? Wait, where's my Harmonium necklace? You made it for me during the science expo!"
"I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me with someone else. Enjoy your coronation, your highness!"
And with that, he walks past her. She stares after him with wide and sad eyes. Was this really happening? How can he not remember?
"But..."
She can only watch him walk away...
Rapunzel turns around to see blonde hair in the shadows, someone jumping over her head. She takes the sword from the display just as Harmony returns. "Who are you? And what do you want?"
"What are you talking about?" Harmony raises a brow.
"Harmi! We have intruders."
She looks around, only for both of them to be grabbed by the blonde hair. They're released as moon orbs appear in front of their faces. The hair starts messing with them until it hangs both of them upside down. Rapunzel clashes her sword with a frying pan and an arrow between the two.
"A frying pan and arrow?! Who are you? Because that's kind of...our thing."
The two strangers lift off their hoods to reveal themselves as Rapunzel and Harmony, with their current outfits and Harmony having her blue bangs with her current hairstyle. This Rapunzel also has the blonde hair back. They smile at their counterparts, who look at them in shock, so much so that Brown-Haired Rapunzel drops her sword.
"Okay..."
"Try not to freak out..." The two real sisters warn them.
"Try not to freak out?!" Brown-Haired Rapunzel lets out a crazy laugh. "Oh, why would we freak out?! Meeting ourselves is perfectly normal, right?! Trust me, we are not freaking out. Okay, we're meeting ourselves. We're meeting ourselves."
Rapunzel tugs on her hair to let them down. "Um, that's a reaction from people who would freak out," Harmony points out.
"Wait, wait, let me see something," Brown-Haired Harmony holds up the real one's left hand to see the moon symbol. "It is me!"
"We're meeting ourselves!" Brown-Haired Rapunzel points up at the two from the floor.
"Right?!"
"So neat!" They all say in unison, causing them to gasp. "You said the same thing I said!"
Brown-Haired Rapunzel lets out another laugh. "Best day! Ha! You thought I was gonna say 'ever' but I stopped!"
The four all gasp again. "Not to sound conceited or anything, but you are the best," Rapunzel points to the opposite duo.
"I was gonna say the same thing!"
"Me too!" Brown-Haired Harmony raises a hand.
"We know!" The two sisters reply at the same time.
"Okay. You know as amazing as this is, I sort of feel like I'm officially losing it," Brown-Haired Rapunzel holds her head.
"Sort of? Everything is so weird," Brown-Haired Harmony points out, hugging herself.
"Neither of you are going crazy. We know you remember the black rocks, the world outside Corona, your—our destiny."
"All of this is a dream," Harmony gestures to everything around them. "It's not real."
"No, our destinies are here...in Corona," Dream Rapunzel gestures to the diorama and Rapunzel holds her shoulders.
"This isn't Corona. Harmi is telling the truth, this place isn't real. The real world isn't as easy. It's your head. You're still in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow. You're both under a spell."
Their eyes widen at this.
"You tried talking to Varian, right?" Harmony asks her dream self.
"T-That's right!" She stammers quickly. "Why doesn't he remember me? Why don't I have my necklace?" She points to the necklace around her opposite self.
"We didn't meet Varian until after the coronation. Rapunzel and Eugene are a different story since they met way before. Which is why he's around here," Harmony states solemnly. "And because the coronation didn't happen yet, Varian doesn't remember anything about us."
"But that's all gonna change...right?" Dream Harmony asks slowly. "The only reason why we met is because I went to Old Corona."
"Mm, doesn't work that way," Harmony shakes her head rapidly. "If everything happens the way it does with you two accepting your positions, you'll be stuck in the castle forever, and that means you'll never sneak out to go touch the rocks and to meet Varian. Your relationship with him will never be set in motion. It'll be like it never existed."
A world without him? She couldn't even imagine that. "...He doesn't visit the castle?" Dream Harmony tries to find a solution to this. There's no way that a happy world is without Varian...
"Nope," Harmony shakes her head again.
"What if his father brings him?"
"Uh-uh."
"Team Awesome?!"
"Not even close. All of that happened because you touched the black rocks. They're the reason you go with Rapunzel to see him. Even if you could leave the castle, it wouldn't be the same. It'll be so that you two never met," The girl explains solemnly. She doesn't want a world without Varian either, which is why she had to make sure that they touch the rocks.
"And if you two never meet, he won't try to take revenge for what happened to his father and you getting him onto the journey won't happen either," Rapunzel frowns deeply.
"No...no," They hold their heads as everything around them starts flickering. "No, that's...that's not true. I like it here."
"Me too. No more Moonstone, no more pain, no more suffering!" Dream Harmony gestures to her hand.
"Oh, so a world without you having the love of your life is bliss?" Harmony retorts and the girl clamps her mouth shut.
"We know you guys do, but it's all a dream. And if you don't do something soon like Harmi said...you'll be trapped here forever!"
The real Rapunzel is trapped underneath vines, laying down on a platform. The real Harmony is stuck to the wall nearby by vines, her hair floating around in all directions as her eyes are white.
"Rapunzel! Harmony! Rapunzel! Harmony!" Eugene, Cass, Varian, and Lance are searching for the two in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow.
"Where could they be?" Lance asks while eating some chicken.
"Rapunzel!"
"Mona!" Varian calls out.
"You know, this is a hoot, but we'd cover more ground if we split up," Cass speaks up, Owl resting on her arm. "Cheekbones, Sandwiches, and Raccoon Boy, you take that hallway."
"Oh, now she's doing clever nicknames? Wonderful," Eugene deadpans as they walk down the opposite direction. Cass looks around the hall until a door nearby opens. She turns around only to see white light coming from it.
Cassandra...
"Hello? Rapunzel, is that you? Is Harmi with you?" She steps inside the room.
Cassandra...
The door slams shut behind her.
Lance, Varian, and Eugene stand in front of the Zhan Tiri door. "This door gives me the creeps," Lance cringes slightly. Footsteps move around inside.
"Even so, we have to keep looking for them," Varian frowns a bit in worry.
"Did you see that? Someone's in there. Rapunzel, Harmony, are you in there?!" Eugene slams on the door.
"How do you wanna go about picking this lock? The click-clack? The tweezer twist? The flippity flappety?"
Eugene kicks the door open. "Ah! The boot pick. Less subtle, but effective."
"What is this place?" The room is full of vines, and they look to see the two sisters and their positions. Pascal and Daisy are trapped in cages nearby. "Rapunzel!"
"Mona!" Varian rushes up to her.
"Less noise, please." They glance away to see Matthews wearing a dark red and purple cloak over himself. "Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, less noise."
"Matthews!" Eugene grits his teeth at him. "I knew you were up to no good!" He rolls up his sleeves.
"You have no idea how no good I really am." He creates green vines that push them to the wall, trapping all three of them.
"Matthews!" Lance cries out while struggling.
"Let them go!" Varian grunts a bit.
"Not quite..." His eyes flash and a light flashes to reveal that he's a spirit just like Sugracha. "I am Tromus." The two pets recoil back in fear. "And my master, Zhan Tiri, has a great need for this little sundrop and moonstone. Once these vines wrap round them completely, they'll have surrendered to the dream world, and their limitless power will belong to Zhan Tiri!"
"No!" Varian shouts at this.
"Blondie! Wake up!" Eugene yells at his girlfriend desperately.
"Please!"
"Mm-mm-mm-mm, nope. Sorry. The only way that's going to happen is if Lemon Head and Blueberry wake themselves up," He hugs Rapunzel's head and then plays with Harmony's hair. "But will they want to leave paradise? Probably not."
Rapunzel draws a circle around some black rocks. "The only way to escape Dream Corona is to go where the sunflower and moonstone once were and grab-"
"Grab the black rocks?" Dream Rapunzel finishes for her.
"You want us to touch those things?" Dream Harmony points to the black rocks on the map.
"Wait, no. This is nuts," Dream Rapunzel drags her hands down her face. "You're both not even real."
"You're right! We're not! We're all so smart. Come on, we don't have much time."
"I don't know if we can," Dream Rapunzel states skeptically. "What about the coronation?"
"If you two decide to put those crowns on, it will mean that you accept this world...and you will be stuck here forever!" Rapunzel places down a tiny model of Dream Rapunzel behind a barred window, Harmony doing the same.
"And you'll never meet Varian," Harmony points out.
"I'll meet him somehow. Doesn't he still like me regardless of whether or not I have powers?" Dream Harmony rolls her eyes.
"Yes, but he loves the real Harmony, the one who's brave enough to still keep these powers despite the risks and emotional damage it can do The one who's trying to use the powers of the moonstone for good," Harmony narrows her eyes. "This Harmony, being confined to a life that she's not happy in? That's not the real girl he fell in love with. He loves Harmony for who she is and who she chooses to be. And that's why you need to touch those rocks."
Everything starts flickering again as they hold their heads.
The girls struggle in their vines. "Ugh, it seems as though their subconscious selves are acting up," Tromus notices this. "It's time to reenter their dreams, and tip the scales."
The two pets squeak in protest, swinging the cage from side-to-side.
"Rapunzel!"
"Mona!"
"Work, work, work!" Tromus stands in front of Rapunzel, holding a hand out towards Harmony. "A disciple's work...is never done." He grips one vine while transferring energy to Harmony at the same time.
"Rapunzel!"
"Mona!"
"Listen-" Suddenly the two dream princesses disappear once Dream Eugene opens up the door.
"Rapunzel! Harmony! There you are."
"Eugene!" Dream Rapunzel hugs him as Dream Harmony smiles. "Oh...you are not gonna believe this. Look!" She gestures to where the two disappeared. "What?! They were just there! It was us! Well, not us, but...us, you know? With our hair back, and...they wanted us to lead them to the black rocks."
"Wants you to lead her to what?" Eugene starts laughing. "I'm sorry, ya lost me."
"But it's true!" Dream Harmony insists to him. "I saw it too!"
He kisses his dream girlfriend's forehead. "Hey, it's such a perfect day, what do you say we all get some fresh air?"
Dream Rapunzel sighs a little. "You're right. I think we both need to clear our heads."
"Follow me," He takes their hands and walks away.
"Woo-hoo!"
The dream sisters ride Fidella and Silver as Harmony is firing at targets. "Eat our dust!" She calls out over her shoulder as Dream Eugene comes up behind them.
"Oh, come on! You know I'm on a low-dust diet!" Once he reaches her, she lightly caresses his forehead.
"Then I guess today's a cheat day!" Dream Harmony brags as they pick up speed, with the dream pets blowing raspberries at the man. They continue forward to a stream, where the three horses jump over the water. They land on the other side, with Dream Max knocking down a log that was in the way. They eventually reach the wall, Dream Rapunzel beaming. The two horses stop in front of the wall, giving the two a boost so they can climb all the way up to the top.
"Wow, guys..." Instead of the beautiful forest, blue skies, and mountains, everything in front of them looks dreary and dull. No grass, no trees, and definitely no beauty. "That is...some view."
"I can't believe we're in the vicinity of this..." Dream Harmony cringes a bit. Pascal and Daisy just shrug when two fingers tap their shoulders. They turn around to see their counterparts, yelping in alarm.
"Hi!" they wave friendly with smiles.
"Would you stop materializing everywhere?!" Dream Rapunzel demands her.
"Why can't you just approach us like normal people?" Dream Harmony pinches her nose.
"We would, but it's not nearly as much fun!" Harmony winks at them in amusement.
"You can't keep avoiding us! You two know us! We are way too persistent!" Rapunzel smiles, holding up a finger.
"Well, most of the time. Sometimes we get roped into it," Harmony points between her and her dream self.
"You do it because you love me!" Rapunzel hugs her with a big smile.
"Touche," Harmony smirks slightly.
"I know...I love that about us," Dream Rapunzel admits sheepishly. Pascal squeaks as he glances at Daisy.
"Rapunzel, Harmony, you need to snap out of this," Rapunzel warns them. "Look, it's a tough choice, but you have to make it!"
"You have to make everything right again," Harmony gestures to the castle. "You and I both know that this isn't what you want!"
"Why?! Look at it out there!" Dream Rapunzel gestures to the land in front of them. "This is where I belong!" She points back to castle.
"I still firmly believe that Varian and I will meet someday," Dream Harmony crosses her arms.
"If you believe that, then take action and make the choice!"
"Ha ha!" Dream Eugene jumps, hitting the two sisters and they disappear. "Okay, i know what you're thinking. Now, it may have seemed like you won. But...hey, you two okay?"
"Yeah..." Dream Rapunzel looks to Corona again. "I'm okay. Heh. I just, uh, w-we thought we saw someone."
"Saw someone?" He steps forward to the brown-haired woman. "The pressure of the coronation has really gotten to you, hasn't it? You must feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders..." He lightly touches her hair. "But it's not. All of us are here to carry that weight to make those choices for you. Which, speaking of 'all of us,' it's about time we head back to the castle for the welcoming ceremony. Besides, nothin' to see out there but a whole lotta nothin'!" They walk down the wall.
The welcoming ceremony starts as they're all seated. "I can think of no better way to celebrate the love I have for this woman than this." Dream Eugene gets down on one knee, causing everyone to gasp.
"Oh, Eugene!"
Dream Harmony claps for them as he takes out the box, opening it up. The dream king and queen look on with pride, the two sisters reappearing again behind the man.
"Just listen..."
"Why are you doing this?!" Dream Rapunzel demands to them, but since the others can't see them, they take it as a negative reaction to Dream Eugene's proposal. He looks behind him to see nothing.
"I...gotta admit, I was not expecting that response, but hear me out. Rapunzel, from the moment I entered your tower..."
"I know leading the team out on the road hasn't been easy," Rapunzel speaks over him. "It would be easier to step back and let someone else make the tough calls, but you know we can't do that. We have to go back."
"You won't be happy here in the castle forever. We have a desire for freedom, and to make our own choices ourselves," Harmony speaks up.
"Even if what you guys say is true, why would either of us leave all of this? Cass is fine. Our friends are safe. Nobody is asking me to make some kind of huge life decision."
Harmony clears her throat, pointing to Dream Eugene.
"Ugh, you know what I mean. Everything is perfect here, so why would we come with you?!"
"So having the perfect life means you risk Harmony's happiness in the process? Because she doesn't have Varian in her life, so not everything is perfect here," Harmony gestures to her dream self. "Ignorance is not bliss, it's a false life!"
"If you don't, it could literally be the end of the world as we know it," Rapunzel warns her.
"Well maybe I don't want that responsibility. Maybe I just want to be happy! Harmi's happy! Is that too much to ask?!"
"So is that a...maybe?" Dream Eugene asks nervously, feeling awkward.
"Don't do it, Rapunzel."
"Your life and Harmony's life rest on this decision. You can't have happiness here without sacrificing hers," She looks behind to Dream Harmony, who glares at her.
"No...it's a yes. My answer is yes. I would love to marry you, Eugene, and to stay in this castle forever and ever..." The two hug as people applaud. "And ever."
She looks to her sister, who has a strained smile, and Dream Eugene's eyes glow green...
More vines appear around both of them as they glow the same color of green. "Magnifique! The power of the sundrop and moonstone is nearly in Zhan Tiri's grasp!" Tromus looks up at the statue of the sorcerer behind him.
"How did we not see this bad guy coming?" Lance struggles to break free. "We're usually pretty good at that sort of thing."
"To be fair, Brownie did warn us before we even went in here...but wait until I'm free!"
"That's just it, mon ami," Tromus turns around to them with a wicked smile. "You never shall be free...and in a few moments, neither shall they!"
The two sisters have smiles on their faces.
Dream Rapunzel looks at the ring between her fingers. Dream Harmony seems to be thinking about something. The door opens and she looks up to see her mother.
"I used to be so much like you. I had silly dreams of finding adventure and saving the world. Luckily, I had a place to put those dreams," She holds out the box to them and they open it up to see journals inside.
"My-I mean, a journal!"
She opens it up and flips through the pages, Dream Harmony taking hers into her hands. She rapidly flips pages to see Varian, but there's nothing inside either of the books.
"They're blank?" Dream Rapunzel looks up in confusion.
"Of course it is. There's no point in having a journal if somebody's going to fill it for you," Dream Arianna pinches their cheeks lightly, causing them to smile. She chuckles and then they see to a different message than plus est en vous. "Sois satisfaite! It means be satisfied. As princess, you need to show your subjects that you are content."
Dream Harmony hesitates, looking out the window.
"What if we decide we-"
"Girls, you don't have to decide anything," She hugs her daughters and leaves the room. But in Dream Harmony's head...she wants to decide...
And she wants to be with Varian...
"Be content with where you are?" Dream Rapunzel asks slowly, as something didn't feel right about it. "Something's not right, Pascal."
He looks up at them and waves it off, Daisy flying over to the desk and resting her head peacefully.
"I don't know if we should go through this anymore..." Dream Harmony murmurs as they open the books to the blank pages. Something flickers as drawn pages appear, but only for a second. They appear again and they stare at the blank papers.
"Raps, Harmi?"
They look up at Dream Cass. "It's coronation time. Why are you two looking at me like that?"
Dream Rapunzel slowly steps up to her. "Cass...are you happy here?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Cass holds her hands. "My best friends are getting crowned princesses together. What's better than that?"
Dream Harmony gets onto her feet. "Yeah, but...don't you sometimes get the feeling that there's more out there?" She looks out the window. "Maybe a destiny or...even someone you love?"
Her dream sister turns around, staring at the girl's back. "Hm..." She offers a small smile to Dream Cass, who returns the gesture. "Absolutely nothing is better than that," She laughs softly.
"Good. Now what are we waiting for? Let's get you coronated."
She walks off with them, the pages flickering again. They stay on there for a few moments before fading away...
Back at the House, the statue of Zhan Tiri is almost fully green. "Time's almost up," Tromus floats up to the statue, hovering over Rapunzel. "I would start getting nervous if I were you!"
"Rapunzel, please wake up!" Eugene pleads with her.
"Mona, snap out of it!" Varian begs, the vines almost covering them completely.
"Rapunzel!"
"Mona!"
"The wearer of these crowns is a shining example of the promise that is Corona," The Vicar holds up the two crowns that they'd wear. He steps forward, lifting up the crowns towards their heads. In the reflections, they can see their real selves.
"Once you two put those crowns on, you'll accept this world, and you both will be stuck here forever," Both of them say in unison. The dream sisters back away slowly as the flickering occurs again. Their hearts beat fast and Dream Harmony suddenly sees Dream Varian in the crowd. He seems to be happy...without her...She blinks at him and then they realize finally what they're doing.
"This isn't real..."
They close their eyes.
Rapunzel and Harmony reached out to the black rocks. "The black rocks are the only way out. You two have to touch the black rocks!"
The two fingers touched the rocks.
Once their eyes are open, they slap away the accessories. "This isn't real!" The crowd chatters in worry.
"Oh, I know! Being crowned princesses, it just doesn't seem real, right? Ha ha..." Eugene approaches them, grabbing their shoulders. "Girls, what are you doing? Just put your crowns on. Everything's fine!"
"Get off!" Dream Harmony slaps his arm off her.
"It is tempting to follow the path of least resistance," Dream Rapunzel looks to the fallen crowns. "But that is not us!"
"I don't wanna be trapped in the castle forever!" Dream Harmony gestures to everything around them. "I wanna be free out in the world, make my own decisions, and get my life back together! And most of all...I can't live in a happy world if I don't have someone I love...I want Varian."
Dream Eugene chuckles, confusing them. "These two have some kick!" He continues chuckling and when he opens his eyes, he reveals them to be green. "I tried to do this the easy way." Green fire surrounds him and then he changes into Tromus. "You said no to the dream. Let's see how you two enjoy being trapped in your worst nightmare!"
Max and Silver suddenly appear behind them. "Max! Silver! To the black rocks!"
"Hurry!" Dream Harmony urges them.
They throw the two off and they land on the ground. Green fire surrounds them as the real Cass approaches them.
"You did this to me, girls!" She lifts off her right glove to show her injured hand. "It's all because I followed you both!" She pulls out her sword, about to finish them off, but they grab the crowns, using those to defend themselves. Cass suddenly flickers away, and they turn to the drapes.
They rip them off and use them to grab a ceiling mast. "This would be a bad time to be wrong about this being a dream!"
"Totally," Dream Harmony agrees as they climb.
"You don't get it, do you, Princesses?" Tromus looks up at them from the ground. "I control this world!"
They pull the curtains and suddenly they're outside the castle, landing in the courtyard. They rush to the entrance and to the bridge. Thunder cracks over their heads as a storm brews. Looking up ahead, Ulf, Monty, Feldspar, Shorty, Big Nose, and Lady Caine stop in front of the path.
"Uh, hey! Other us...es. We could really use your help right about now!"
"We're kind of defenseless here," Dream Harmony gestures to themselves.
"Where are we when we need us?!" Dream Rapunzel asks in exasperation.
Blonde hair grips an arch, the two sisters swinging into action. They land nearby as Dream Harmony has her quiver.
"Hi again!" They greet in unison with a wave.
"Need a little help wrapping these guys up?" She jerks a thumb to the crowd.
"If you wouldn't mind!"
"You two hold them off, and we'll take it from there," Dream Harmony smirks a little.
"I love how polite and intelligent you are!"
"Of course, because we know them very well," Harmony winks at them, swiftly pulling out her bow and arrow. Rapunzel whips her hair slightly with her hand as Vlad steps forward. He throws a barrel to the duo, who run up to them. Rapunzel grabs the barrel with her hair and throws it right at them. Half of them disappear. Harmony fires her arrows like it was nothing, and the other half disappear once the arrows touch them.
"Ha! Dream fighting is easy-"
The ground rumbles, interrupting her as they look up to see something big coming into view. They all stare open-mouthed as a large Godzilla-like chameleon rises out of the water, roaring. It grips the bridge, staring all of them in the eye. A duckling in the same size steps up from behind. The two real sisters run off, only to be snatched and swallowed.
"No! Pascal!" Dream Rapunzel exclaims at this.
"Daisy!" Dream Harmony looks up at the giant duck. They suddenly gag as the two get out of their mouths.
"Don't worry, we're not real, remember?! Now, run!"
"Get to the black rocks before it's too late!" Harmony warns them before they're eaten again. The two step forward as the dream sisters run down the bridge.
"You know, I really wish I had my powers right about now!" Dream Harmony looks at her blank left hand. They race into the forest as the two big animals are chasing after them.
"Daisy, Pascal, please stop!" The dream brown-haired woman calls out.
"I don't think that's an option!" Dream Harmony cringes as Pascal's tongue sticks out, reaching for them. He captures Dream Rapunzel while Daisy steps her big waddled foot onto Harmony's back, stopping her. She wiggles her arms and legs around trying to get free.
"I hate to do this, but you're giving me no choice!" Dream Rapunzel runs around a tree and slips free, tying a knot. Pascal tries to get free, but bumps into Daisy, causing her to fall like a tree, and land on the grass. Dream Harmony stands up, dusting herself off. Pascal manages to move forward, swallowing them both...
And then they end up tied to poles in a familiar setting. Dream Rapunzel gasps, trying to break free as Dream Harmony looks around slowly, a gag tied over her mouth. She looks just like her sister did when she was tied up by someone who wanted to keep her locked up forever. Lightning strikes as at the top of the stairs stands...
Her...
"Hello, Rapunzel," Mother Gothel greets her. "This must be your dear sister...Oh, I've missed you, my precious flower."
Dream Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut as the woman walks around them. "When will you realize I will always get the better of you, whether you're trapped in a tower..." She leans in towards her ear. "Or trapped in your own mind. And now, you've brought me your sister!" Mother Gothel bends down in front of the girl, holding her cheeks and tilting her head up. "You'll do just nicely..."
"Get away from her!" Dream Rapunzel warns as the girl whimpers slightly in fear of the woman. She's never met her, but to actually see the woman in person...scares her. She knows the story fully well...suddenly they realize something.
"Our own mind...you're right. This is our minds. We're in control."
Dream Harmony looks to her shackles and they squeeze their eyes shut. They set themselves free, Dream Harmony ripping the cloth away from her mouth.
Mother Gothel cackles, reaching towards the window. "How many times must you hear before you understand that Mother knows be-"
Something hits the back of her head and she falls down, revealing Dream Rapunzel holding a frying pan.
"I have always wanted to do that," She smirks a bit, hugging her sister in relief that she's not harmed.
"Thank goodness..."
"I...have had...enough!" The last word isn't spoken by Gothel as there's a flash, and they look up to see Tromus standing there instead. "You will not escape my control!"
"You have no power over us here!" Dream Rapunzel points her frying pan at him, closing her eyes. A cupcake falls onto his head. "You thought by dangling an easy life in front of me, that I would follow you into oblivion."
"Or that not having Varian remember me would make me do the same," Dream Harmony narrows her eyes.
"Well, you were wrong!" They declare at the same time as they suddenly appear in front of the black rocks. They make four appear nearby. "We are a lot tougher than you think. From now on, the only thing that we follow...is our destinies," They touch the black rocks, activating them.
"Noooo!" He cries out as their hair arrives back, lights flashing in front of him.
The two suddenly wake up, the vines setting them free.
Harmony slowly falls onto the floor, holding onto the slab that Rapunzel's laying on. Her hair is messy as it's over her head, covering her face. Rapunzel sets the two pets free from their cages.
"Blondie!" Eugene beams as the three are set free as well.
"Eugene!" Rapunzel runs up to him and they share a brief kiss.
"Mona!"
She slowly looks up to see him, eyes widening. She couldn't believe she was even looking at him right now...the girl slowly runs over to him, tears in her eyes. She reaches out her arms as she slowly wraps her arms around the boy.
"Vari? Is that really you?"
He stares at his girlfriend. "Of course it is. What's going on? What happened?" He notices her crying.
"I'll tell you later!" She looks up at him, sniffling. He's slightly concerned, but she doesn't look sad, she looks relieved. "I'm just...so happy to see you..."
He rests his chin on her head as they hug tightly.
"Hate to be a squeaky fifth wheel, but can we get out of here, please?! This place is coming down!" Lance calls out.
"Follow us!"
The two sisters guide them out as the ceiling caves in on the room. The door finally reappears as they're pushed onto the ground, a bunch of sand spilling out from all of the windows. It engulfs the house as it slowly starts to disappear. Everyone protects themselves as Tromus starts to go away too.
"This isn't over!" He declares and soon, everything is gone. Rapunzel sighs in relief.
"Everybody okay?"
Pascal and Daisy squeak as Lance takes them out of his shirt. They sneeze out sand.
"Well, well, well," Shorty speaks up.
"Shorty?" They look to see him with the horses and Ruddiger.
"Look who finally decided to show up."
"Max! Fidella! Silver!" The two sisters run up to the horses, hugging them.
"Oh, it's good to see you, too."
"You have no idea what we've been through these past few days," Harmony looks back to where the house was.
"H-Have you seen Cass?"
"Come to think of it, where is Cassie?" Varian looks around for her.
"Hold on a second," Lance looks over his shoulder. They look to see a door materializing, the two sisters stepping forward, followed by the others.
"Get ready, guys. There's no telling what kind of subhuman monster might come through that door," Eugene warns them, but it's just Cass and Owl. "It's even worse than I thought."
Harmony elbows him as Rapunzel runs up to her friend, but Cass looks angry towards her for some reason.
"Cass! Oh, thank goodness you're safe!" Once she hugs her, Cass tenses up. "Are you alright? Where were you?" She holds her hands, but Cass moves them away.
"I'm fine, Rapunzel. Let's get movin', huh?" And with that, Cass walks off, which doesn't go unnoticed by Varian, Harmony, or Owl.
"Oh, okay then...time to hit the road. Destiny calls!"
The door slams shut and disappears.
"A world without us knowing each other?" Varian asks in disbelief as the two walk along, holding hands. She has her eyes closed, trying to get that image out of her head. "Wow...that's..."
"A nightmare," She rubs a temple. "It was like you had amnesia or something...I didn't know if I'd ever see the real you again..."
He pauses as he takes a moment to think about it. A world where he doesn't know Harmony...in his eyes, it wasn't even possible to think about. He couldn't ever think of a place, even imaginary, where the two didn't know each other.
"Mona..."
He squeezes her hand, causing her to look up. "There isn't any world on Earth where I won't be by your side."
A small smile escapes her as they press their foreheads together. "Ditto," She whispers to him.
"How'd you even end up in that room anyway?" He looks down at her.
"...Well," She seems hesitant to explain. "Today's your birthday, so...I thought I'd look for a present, and Punzie offered to help me. So she thought she'd ask Mr. Matthews. Matthews brought us to what he called his present room, but the next thing we knew, we were locked inside and then he trapped us."
He blinks slowly at her. He himself didn't even remember, and yet she searched a place she knows is dangerous to look for a present for him.
"Thank you," The boy smiles softly at her. "But all I want is right here," He kisses her on the forehead. "You can buy me a cupcake at the next town if you want to make up for it."
"Okay," She smiles back giddily, glad that he's not upset with her. "Happy birthday, Vari...we're almost getting there, you know."
He takes a deep breath. "Yeah...are you...scared?"
"Of course I'm scared," She murmurs as they look up ahead to the others. "I don't know exactly what will happen once we get the fourth scroll piece and we reach the Dark Kingdom. But...with you here right now...I'm not as afraid as I was when we started this trip."
"Don't worry, Mona," He smiles at the girl, squeezing her hand. "No matter what, you can get through it. I believe in you."
"Hmm," She hums, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Vari. I feel a little better now."
"Anytime, princess."