Angel: To those of you who read all my stories, including this one, and are wondering about Rise of TMNT, I've started writing the new episodes. But I don't know when I'll release them. I still have assignments to turn in and exams to do, so most of my time lately has been dedicated to that. Having said that, please be patient because this is 4 episodes in a row, and I have to do my schoolwork. All I can tell you is that I've only finished one episode so far. I don't wanna upload them until I'm done with all 4. I haven't forgotten about that story, believe me XD
I put up a poll last night to determine what movie to do this summer. I don't know if it'll be just one or more, but for now, I'm doing one. No, Tangled isn't on the poll XD I don't think it's even necessary to do the movie at this point, since Harmony isn't in Corona at the time that the events of the film happened. It'd be impossible for her to be there since in canon, she was in another kingdom at that point. Kinda wish they'd do a sequel where they have a 3D Varian XD I think the show is the last thing we'll get from this franchise...
On a full moon, a wolf howls into the dark night. Two pairs of bare feet run away. Rapunzel and Harmony glance behind them in fear. A large shadow is chasing after them. The blonde trips onto her sister, causing both of them to fall. They hide behind a rock, the chaser walking past them. It lets out a low growl as they peek out into the open.
Harmony's eyes go wide. Suddenly, the shadow appears right behind them and they turn around, pressing their backs against the wall.
"My...what big teeth you have..."
"And those claws," Harmony cringes nervously as it approaches them...
34 hours earlier
A banner is between two buildings: Rebuilding Old Corona Together. Rapunzel, Harmony, Eugene, and Max are walking through the renovations.
"Hi Mary," Rapunzel greets her.
"Well, hello princess!"
"Looking good up there, Monty," He simply glares at her.
"Nope, he still hates you," Harmony comments to her sister.
"Red and Angry, welcome...to New, Old Corona!" Rapunzel turns around to them.
"Thanks again for pitching everyone together to help out, you guys," Varian walks up to them.
"No problem. It was due for a remodel," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder and he smiles, glad that his home is finally being rebuilt.
"You know...it's about time you guys decided to settle down near us," Lance lightly touches Angry's cheek.
"We were getting kinda sick of life on the road," She kicks a rock. "Never knowing what you're gonna eat or where you're gonna stay. I mean, you should see the treehouse we've been staying in," Angry jerks a thumb behind her.
"Yeah! It's-"
"A total dump," Angry interrupts and Harmony notices Red's slightly annoyed look.
"With the princesses' initiative to rebuild Old Corona, you're gonna have your choice of places to live!" Eugene gestures to everything around them. Angry smiles while Red is holding onto the leaf necklace that her sister gave her.
"Ugh!" Angry rolls her eyes. "What is with you? You're acting weird."
"It's just..." Red sighs a little, looking at the leaf symbol. "I like the treehouse."
Angry groans again. "Not this again, Red. Look, this is what is best for us," She gestures to Harmony and Old Corona.
"But-But I-"
"Your majesties, help!" A man runs up to them.
"Earl, what's the matter?"
"It's my sheep. Come quick!" He beckons them forward and Harmony waves a hand to her sister.
"You guys go on without me, I'll meet you there."
They nod and run off. The two girls run past her. Harmony clears her throat, crossing her arms towards the girls. "Not you two. Over here, come on."
She sits in front of them as they stand in front of her. "Listen," She looks towards Red first. "If you don't wanna stay and for me to take care of you, that is completely your decision. Are you sure you two wanna move here?"
"Yes! We talked about this," Angry gestures to herself and Red before the red-haired girl can even speak up. "Or maybe we can stay in the castle with you?"
"Only if you both want to, but..." Harmony glances to Red. "This doesn't seem to be a unanimous decision for you both."
"Red's fine! Now come on," Angry pulls her forward.
The sheep have somehow gathered themselves into a heap on a hill. "What are they doing up there?"
"Something's got them scared," Earl informs the princesses.
"Like what?" Rapunzel puts down the telescope.
"I'm not sure," He rubs his chin, "But the same thing happened to my neighbor's flock. In fact, livestock all over Corona's been acting strange."
"He's right. It's been like this for the past few days now," Varian tells the two sisters. "Ruddiger's even too scared to come out of the lab."
"Huh..." Harmony stares at the sheep. "It had to be something big."
"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this," Rapunzel walks up to the others. "Max, do your thing!" He sniffs the ground as Red sees something in the bushes. She stares at something, gasping when Angry places a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on!"
Red looks back to the bush, following after them. Something didn't seem right to her over there...a low growl comes from the bush before whatever it was runs off. Max continues sniffing, neighing as he's caught something. They skid to a stop to see giant footprints in front of them.
"These look like...wolf prints," Eugene eyes them.
"Makes sense with all the animals here," Harmony turns to Varian. "Wolves tend to prey on small animals like the ones in Old Corona."
"If they are wolves," Angry measures the footprint with her hand. "That is one big wolf."
"No, this is something else," Rapunzel eyes the print closer. "These tracks aren't side-by-side. Whatever made them walks on two feet."
"That can't be right," Angry shakes her head.
"It can be if it's-"
"Uhh, are you sure about that?" Rapunzel interrupts Varian as she notices something watching them from the trees. "Let's move!"
They run after the stalker, who jumps off a small cliff. The two princesses take the lead, jumping on small ledges to reach the bottom. Eugene and Lance land behind them.
"Eugene, Lance, come on! Stay on it!" Rapunzel slides to a stop. She runs to her left, letting out her hair as her sister follows. Lance and Eugene run after the person, and when it jumps, it's grabbed by Rapunzel's hair and caught in the trees. She lands on the ground, Harmony pointing her bow and arrow. She lifts it up into the air as it struggles, growling.
Rapunzel glances to the two men, who shrug.
"That's no wolf," Harmony rolls her eyes, lowering her weapon. Rapunzel holds out her hand and takes off the skull mask. A woman screams at them and Rapunzel quickly puts it back down.
"Who are you?" She demands to the stranger.
"Captain Creighton. World-class big-game tracker, at your service."
"Oh yeah? Never heard of you if you're in the game," Harmony deadpans towards her.
"Ehh, I'm more of a freelance tracker. Do you treat all of Corona's guests this way?"
Once they return to the castle, she stuffs herself with food, eating a drumstick whole. She then pours gravy into her mouth, the others except Angry disgusted at her manners.
"Should we be impressed or disgusted?" Lance asks them as Pascal and Daisy faint. "Disgusted it is."
"So, uh, Captain...what is a world-class tracker doing in Corona?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask.
"Uh, tracking?"
"Okay, that's-that's on me," Rapunzel admits, the little girls and teens laughing. "Could've been more specific. Tracking what?"
"Uh, that thing that's been terrorizing your sheep? A werewolf."
The two pets lift their heads up in shock. "Now who do I gotta slug to get a glass of water around here, huh?" She doesn't seem to notice the baffled looks on their faces.
"D-d-d-d-did-did you just say werewolf?" Eugene stammers nervously. Creighton licks her lips, pulling out a book out of nowhere. She drops it in front of her, and it hits the table with a thud.
"It's all right here in this book. What we're dealing with is Maledicta Lupus: the wolf's curse. But for you laymen...a werewolf."
"Mona, is this for real?" Varian whispers to her.
"She wouldn't be here if it wasn't," She whispers back to her boyfriend.
They all gasp at her words. "The wolf's curse travels the globe. In search of host bodies. It feeds on untapped rage, so its ideal host is someone who harbors a deep-seated anger. It inhabits his body, and causes him to turn into a raging werewolf, every full moon...for the rest of his life!"
She shuts the book closed. "And here's where it gets interesting. The wolf has found a new home, here in Corona."
"W-Who is it?" Lance asks in fear, almost hiding behind the table.
"Who is it?" Creighton mocks him. "If I knew that, you'd think I'd be wasting my time with you milksops?! The wolf can be anybody!" She slams down a fist, all of them gasping again. "And maybe...it's right here in this room!" She points right at Harmony. "What do you have to say, princess? Or maybe...werewolf?!"
"That's crazy!" Varian immediately denies. "What untapped rage would she even have?"
She raises a skeptical brow at him. "There was what happened during the storm, you turning against us twice, Edmund...but I've let go all of those things," Harmony waves it off. "Trust me, I'm not the wolf, I already have enough on my plate."
"But the good news is, I'm not just tracking this thing..." Creighton places a crossbow on the table. "I'm not leaving Corona until I've destroyed it!"
They all stare at the woman, appalled by her decision. Harmony's eye twitches as Rapunzel hums slightly. She pushes away Eugene and clears her throat, the two sisters approaching the woman with calm looks.
"Uh oh," Eugene comments at this.
"She's got that 'ready to kill' look on her face," Varian eyes his girlfriend.
"Let me be clear, Captain," Rapunzel moves down the woman's feet. "You will not be destroying anything in our kingdom."
"Oh, I'm not sure you can stop me," She challenges back and Harmony waves a hand, creating a black rock near the woman. She recoils back in fright.
"Try us," The girl narrows her eyes.
"I ain't scared of ya!"
She's soon thrown out of the castle by Pete and Stan, the two princesses staring at her. "Oh, you're making a huge mistake!"
"We will take that-" Rapunzel slams the door. "I didn't time that right, I wanted to slam it after chance."
"We knew what you were going for," Eugene smirks a little. Max nods in agreement as Lance is eating a drumstick.
"Next time," Harmony pats her sister on the shoulder. "I'm sure that this isn't the last we'll see of her," She looks towards outside.
"Okay guys..." The two sisters walk past them. "There is a werewolf out there and we have to take action."
"We have to make sure that we take precaution on this," Harmony joins her side as they read the book Creighton left behind.
"Uh, excuse me, uh, princesses," Lance calls out from behind. "Ah, just a question here. Was throwing the werewolf hunter out of the castle the best idea?"
"But you heard her! She wants to destroy the monster! Well, that monster is one of our subjects!" Rapunzel points outside.
"So, we have to find it before she can," Eugene speaks up.
"Too bad we don't have a way of knowing..." Harmony rubs the back of her neck.
"Would you be able to sense them? You've been able to sense bad people since the trip," Rapunzel points out.
"Out of all the people in Corona? I mean, I could try, but I'd have to sense the whole town," Harmony frowns up at her. "And that's not going to be quick."
"The plan is, we do this quietly. We do not want a panic on our hands," Rapunzel approaches the doors and opens them, only to cringe towards outside. Somehow, everyone knows about the werewolf at this point, as they've gathered outside the castle in protest. Rapunzel smiles nervously and shuts the door behind her. "Okay, we're gonna need a new plan..."
Everyone is outside trying to calm down the public. "We know you've all heard about the werewolf rumors, and we are here to tell you there is nothing to be afraid of. We have everything under control-" She suddenly turns into a werewolf, Angry looking on in horror. Her hair is black as her arms are furry. For some reason, no one is freaking out as Angry backs away out of fear, looking up to see Lance, Harmony, Eugene, and Varian werewolves as well.
She holds her sister's hand. "Come on, Red! We gotta go!" They suddenly run through a crowd of werewolves.
"We're not going anywhere!"
She turns around to see her sister in the same state. "We belong here. You said so yourself!"
Angry falls from the balcony, screaming as she spins around.
It turns out that it was all a dream as her eyes go wide, panting. "Red, I just had the weirdest-" She looks towards the other bed, only to find it empty. "Where'd you go?"
Red is standing at the balcony from the entrance to the castle. Rapunzel and Harmony notice as they walk up to her.
"Red? What's wrong?" Rapunzel places a hand on her shoulder. "You seem so sad since you got here."
"I know something's on your mind, and it's not just the werewolf thing," Harmony joins her other side.
"No, no. I like it here," She says quickly, "But this..." She looks towards the castle. "This is not me. I mean, Angry says this is what's best for us, and-"
"Does she know you feel this way?" Rapunzel interrupts in concern.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony gestures to herself. "I don't want to make you move here if you don't want to."
"I tried, but...she doesn't wanna hear it. And you've been through so much that...I didn't wanna bother you," Red looks up at her.
"I know it's not easy, but you have to find a way to get through to your sister. If it were me, I would definitely talk about it with Harmi. And I would understand, and do whatever I could to make her feel comfortable."
"Communication is the best way to strength any relationship," Harmony sits in front of Red. "And Red, I will never be too busy to listen to you. Trust me, your problems are my problems, and it's okay to tell me about them. I wanna help you the best way I can."
Pascal crawls onto Red, giving her one of Rapunzel's flowers. "Thank you," She hugs Harmony, who hugs her back. "Was it...hard having your sister back when you came back home?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park," Harmony bites her lip a little. "But by the time of the coronation...I knew that we would always be sisters no matter what happened. Especially after certain...stuff."
"I tried so hard to get past her 'proper princess' personality," Rapunzel chuckles slightly. "But she would always keep to herself while a...friend would always keep me busy so I wouldn't think about our relationship much. Slowly, though...we started to talk more and more, and then we both finally adjusted. You could say that we influence each other."
"Yeah, I've become more independent and open with not just myself, but with my hobbies," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her sister.
"And I've gotten more mature on decisions for Corona, plus I'm a mean archer," Rapunzel jerks a thumb to herself.
"Hey," Harmony pouts playfully, the other two laughing.
"In the meantime, we've gotta figure out a way to find this werewolf. Wow, that's something I'd never imagine myself saying," She leads Red away, Harmony giggling.
"It's called the Mark of the Wolf," Rapunzel reads the book the next morning in front of Harmony and Varian. They're sitting nearby Monty's Sweet Shoppe, and Attila the Bun. "And Creighton's book says that if a werewolf in its human form has this blue paw-shaped blemish somewhere on the person's hands, arms, or face..."
Pascal jumps onto the table, covering himself with white skin and blue pawprints. Rapunzel giggles at him, Harmony nuzzling his forehead with her finger.
"Well, tracking them should make it easier on me," Harmony shrugs a little. "Still nothing since this morning, though."
"Maybe it's because that there's never been a werewolf in Corona that you're having trouble," Varian suggests to her.
"Maybe. What else does the book say, Punzie?"
"The only other clue is that Creighton's curse feeds on someone with repressed rage...? That shouldn't be so hard. Everyone in Corona is so sweet," She smiles towards the street, but Old Lady Crowley is arguing with the florist.
"You call this plumbagos?!"
Pete and Stan fight each other while Ulf is doing mime.
"Oh yes, the invisible wall. Let's go..." The two citizens walk away, Ulf running right into a wall.
"Okay, this is gonna be harder than I thought..."
"Wow," Harmony blinks towards the people.
"And I thought Old Lady Crowley was the only one," Varian whispers to her.
"Gonna be a full moon tonight," They turn around to see a smug Creighton. "Better hope you find your little wolf friend...before I do."
"You arrogant-!"
"Um, excuse me," Monty approaches their table. "I'm sorry, Princess Rapunzel, Princess Harmony, and Varian. Listen, I know we've had our differences, but I've really come to appreciate how much you do for our kingdom! And I thought I'd bring you an olive branch, and your favorites! The branch is made of licorice," He winks at them as he holds up three plates.
"Dark chocolate!" Varian's eyes widen at the bar.
"And a slice of blueberry pie with cream!" Harmony places her hands on her cheeks. "Oh, thank you, Uncle Monty. That's really nice of you."
They take their items and Rapunzel's eyes widen to see something on Monty's neck.
A blue paw-print!
"Uhh, actually, I don't like licorice," Rapunzel turns to him, standing up. "In fact, no one likes licorice, Monty," She guides him into his shop, slamming the door despite his protests. She smiles widely at the woman who walks away. The citizens follow after her with pitchforks and the temporary queen sighs in relief.
"Uhh, what was that all about?" Varian blinks up at her since they weren't facing Monty.
"I was a fool to reconcile with you, Rapunzel! But the desserts are still free, you two. A fool, I tell you! Enjoy, you crazy kids!"
"Thanks?" Harmony asks him in confusion and Rapunzel helps them stand up.
"We gotta go. Right now!"
"Uncle Monty the werewolf?!" Eugene exclaims once they meet back up. "Come on, no way!"
"Forgive me, princess, but that's...ha ha ha, I mean, that's just...that's just crazy talk!"
"Come on," Rapunzel insists to him. "You've never once suspected Monty had a darker side?!"
The men and teens shake their heads no. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with you hating each other?" Varian raises a brow.
She sighs and hangs her head. "...Okay, fine! But he has the mark. We should at least investigate that! Harmi, are you sure you didn't sense anything?"
"If he is the werewolf, I can't tell for sure...but you're right, we should check it out."
Later that night, the three adults and two teens watch Monty closing his shop for the night. A horse and carriage wait for him outside.
"Alright," Rapunzel whispers to everyone, as they're all wearing matching black cloaks. "It's closing time."
They duck their heads, watching him exit the store. He throws a sack over his shoulder, closing the door behind him. He sees the five watching him from the reflection of the mirror and they hide behind the barrels. He narrows his eyes suspiciously in that area, going up to the front seat and leaving.
"Giddy-up!"
The five come out of hiding.
"He's trying to get away!"
Rapunzel whistles with her fingers, the three horses running up to them. Rapunzel and Eugene catch Max, Lance catches Fidella, and the teens catch Silver as they run by. Monty ends up in the woods, looking behind to see them following.
"Alright," He holds up some licorice from his pocket. "Let's see how you like cinnamon taffy!" He throws it towards Max, who slips behind.
"Sour balls away!" He tosses little green balls at Lance, some of them hitting Silver. One of them lands in Lance's mouth.
"So good...but sour!"
Monty grins as he holds up a little pyramid of red balls in his hand. "Oh no, not the gumballs! Not the gumballs! Noooo!" Both him and Fidella get hit with them, and the horse ends up falling. Lance holds his hand out and catches a gumball just before it could hit the floor. He eats it, leaving only Max and Silver to chase after him.
"Tell my story!" Lance calls out after them. Harmony rolls her eyes silently.
Monty looks behind him to see nothing, only for the two horses to stop them in their path. "What? Hol-Princesses?! What is wrong with you?"
"We know your secret," Rapunzel looks at him accusingly.
"Alright!" He holds up his hands. "Alright, fine. I found a bunch of stale licorice in my back room. I was just trying to get rid of it! Lock me up! It's wrong! It was wrong!"
"Huh. Guess you were right about licorice after all," Varian looks up at the blonde.
"No! Wait, what?" Rapunzel is majorly confused. "No, we're talking about the wolf's curse." They circle him and he stares at him, offended.
"The wolf's cur-Hold on! Wait, you think I'm the werewolf?" He gestures to himself.
"I saw the wolf's mark on your neck," Rapunzel points at it.
"What, this?" He rubs his neck. "No, this is—this is paint! Paint from the renovations this morning!"
Lance joins them and blows a bubble, which pops all over his face. "But...why did you run away from us?"
"Well, five people hopped out of the shadows and came after me! What would you have done?" He replies back. "Besides...if I were the wolf, shouldn't I be sprouting fur and fangs about now?" Monty turns around to the full moon.
"Oh no, the full moon!" Rapunzel walks past him, and the real werewolf can be heard in the distance...along with screams. The five run into town as the people run around in fright. "Lance, help these people out of here!"
"And hurry!" Harmony points to her left, watching him run off. A fog starts to arrive, combing the area as the wolf starts destroying things, roaring. It approaches the four, Varian hugging Harmony close, but mostly out of fear. They look up with fright as the tall wolf looms over them, growling.
"You know, Old Corona should really consider enforcing leash laws," Eugene comments, getting slightly elbowed by Harmony.
An arrow suddenly flies between them, and the werewolf looks at the arrow. It's definitely not one of Harmony's due to the gold color; Harmony's are more of a beige color. The wolf bares its teeth and growls at Creighton. She's on top of a roof as she's firing at the werewolf. The wolf scampers away.
"Eugene, you and Varian keep Creighton busy. We're going after that wolf..."
"Be careful, Mona," Varian tells his girlfriend.
"I will," She pecks his lips and the two run off.
"Team Awesome again...but not in the best circumstance," Eugene winces a bit.
They run past a water puddle, the full moon reflecting in it. The wolf howls as they continuing running through a dark forest.
"Uh, something tells me that we're not chasing it anymore, guys," Rapunzel comments to the three. Pascal and Daisy glance to each other, looking up ahead nervously. Nevertheless, the two keep running down the path and to a rock.
"It's coming in close!" Harmony calls out as the wolf appears behind them in the fog. They trip onto the ground, but find a hiding place behind a few rocks. The wolf's shadow walks past the small rocks with a growl. They hear footsteps and then nothing, peeking out from the rock. Harmony's eyes widen as a shadow looms over them from behind. They press their backs against the wall, smiling nervously. The wolf stands right in front of them, growling at the two.
"My...what big teeth you have."
"And those claws," Harmony bites her lip nervously, sinking a little bit from the close proximity.
Creighton yells as she runs up to Eugene and Varian. He clashes his sword with her crossbow. "Ooh, tsk tsk, Captain. Never bring a crossbow to a sword fight."
He pushes it away and they briefly sword fight. He throws it out of her hands and it lands in Varian's arms. She growls at them and runs off.
"You're still milksops!"
"Well, it's no frying pan," Eugene looks at his weapon. "But there's nothing like a classic to get the job done."
"I think I'll give this to Mona for her next birthday," Varian smirks at the crossbow in his hands.
"If she finds out where it came from, she will never use it."
The wolf howls as it inches closer to the two princesses, both of them moving away. It sniffs their hair, drooling in front of them. Rapunzel opens an eye to see something golden from the neck of the wolf. She nudges her sister, who sees the same thing. The blonde moves away the fur...
To see a golden leaf necklace.
"No, it can't be..."
The wolf notices their expressions and runs off. "The wolf..." Harmony starts off.
"It's Red!" Rapunzel finishes for her as they look to where she left.
Rapunzel opens the door to the girls' room to see only Angry. "Angry! Where is Red?"
"What's-what's wrong?" Angry wakes up.
"Okay...oh, how do I say this? Maybe it'll be better if she hears it from you," Rapunzel looks to her sister.
"Um...Angry," Harmony kneels in front of her. "Your sister...is keeping something from you...something big."
"Let me guess," She narrows her eyes. "She doesn't wanna settle down in Corona?"
"No, well, yes, yes, she is hiding that, but this is something...else," Rapunzel speaks up.
"Angry, please believe me when I say that this is important," Harmony gives her a look.
"And it's not something we can really tell you right here," Varian glances away.
"...Okay, I'll take you to her."
She leads them to the treehouse that they used to stay in. "If Red's anywhere, this is where she'd be."
Rapunzel moves away the curtain, only to find no one. She steps forward inside, goes up the steps, and finds the little girl hidden in a blanket.
"I'm not the monster," She tells them meekly.
"No one said you were a monster," Rapunzel inches towards her, Harmony doing the same. The blonde removes the blanket as Harmony holds Red's cheeks. She wipes away the left marking to reveal the blue paw-print.
"I...I'm sorry..."
"Red..." Angry kneels in front of her, concerned. "How did this happen?"
"Last month. When you decided we needed to settle down, I wanted to tell you that I liked it out here. I wasn't ready to move, but...you wouldn't hear me. I went for a walk that night, and...that was when it found me."
A wolf ran past her and suddenly blue smoke came out of nowhere, forming into a werewolf. She looked up in horror.
"It told me it could help me be heard, that it could use all of my angered feelings and give me what I want. All I had to was...let it."
The curse entered Red.
"You should've told me, Red," Angry tells her.
"That doesn't matter now," Harmony sighs a bit. "Come here."
Red sits on her lap and she strokes Red's hair. "Red, no matter what is going on in your life, I will listen. Tell you what, if you really don't wanna stay in the castle, you don't have to."
"Or in Old Corona," Varian smiles a bit.
"...Really? You're not mad?" Red sniffles slightly, and they shake their heads.
"What we care about is your happiness," Harmony shrugs a little. "Well, and your safety."
"Guys, the important thing is there's a way out of this. This has a ritual that can get rid of the wolf, but...we can only do it on the final night of the full moon."
"That's tonight," Lance speaks up from behind.
"Now here's the tricky part..." Rapunzel stands up. "It has to be done on mystical ground...and the only place like that around is..."
"Janis Point," Eugene answers knowingly. Harmony pinches her nose at the memory.
They stand at the top of Janis Point, an owl hooting. Varian looks around at the area as they finish planting torches.
"Hey, remember that art teacher who brought us out here for her painting class?" Lance asks casually with a laugh. "Whatever happened to her?"
"Well, she turned out to be a hideous she-demon who tried to steal your very soul..."
"Oh, right. Tight..." Lance looks towards the ground.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Varian looks up at them and Harmony looks over her shoulder.
"Remember...I told you about that during the trip. I went to go see you in your lab and saw Quirin before I even met her."
"Oh...oh!" His eyes go wide, coughing awkwardly. "Now I remember."
"Okay Red," Rapunzel turns around to the girl. "All you have to do now is repeat what I say."
Angry gives her an encouraging smile and Red nods. "I swear this wolf away."
"I...I swear this wolf away."
"Not to give into its rage. Wolf, be gone!" Rapunzel repeats from the book.
"Not to give into its rage. Wolf, be..." She closes her eyes, hesitating. With this wolf, she can do what she wants, and now...she's just going to give that up to be a follower?
"Red, you can do it. Just say it," Rapunzel whispers to her. Harmony stares at her in concern, glancing to Varian.
"It's okay, kid. You're almost there," Eugene encourages her.
"Come on, Red. You have to!" Angry insists to the girl.
"Guys, I think we should-"
"I don't want to!" Red interrupts Harmony and moves away from her sister. "Maybe I like being the wolf! Maybe I'm tired of almost everyone telling me what to do. And I'm sick of people assuming I'm okay, just because I won't say I'm not!" She stands on a podium. "And another thing, I don't even like the name Red! I only went along with it because everyone expected me to!"
"I told you not to give 'em nicknames," Lance comments to Eugene, earning a glare in return.
"Okay, okay," Harmony says in a soothing voice. "Red-or whatever you'd like to be called, just calm down."
"What if I wanted to be the angry one? Just once, I wanted to be the one to call the shots! Being the wolf lets me do that!"
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to be so bossy. We can figure this out, together. But let's just finish this," Angry tells her.
"It doesn't matter if you finish."
They hear the new voice, Creighton coming in out of nowhere. "This whole ritual is bunk. I added it to the book so I'd know when and where the wolf would be. Thanks, princesses."
Rapunzel throws the book away.
"Wait, so you tricked us so that you would destroy her anyway?!" Harmony shouts at her as she and Varian jump, landing in front of Red. Rapunzel joins their side as the girl pulls out her bow and arrow, Varian equipping his hands with his alchemy balls.
"Leave the girl alone," Rapunzel adds in.
"As long as we're here, you are not laying a finger on her," Harmony points her bow and arrow to Creighton.
"Because that's what family does!" Varian glares at her, Red staring up at the two in surprise. Even after her outburst, they still cared for her...
"She ain't a girl anymore. She's a monster, and the sooner you realize that, the better!"
"How. Dare you," Harmony grits her teeth as Red growls behind them. Her eyes turn red and then she forms into the wolf right behind the three. She howls out loud and Creighton aims her crossbow.
"No!" Rapunzel stops her, the wolf howling. Red runs off and jumps onto black rocks below, jumping across them. They run up to the edge, staring after her in concern.
"Wow...she's fast."
Creighton runs away from the scene. "Where could she be going?" Rapunzel looks up at Eugene. Lance looks behind them.
"Uh, guys? Where's Creighton?"
"What?" They all look in the same direction.
"Angry," Varian speaks up and she turns to the two teenagers.
"What you can do for Red is now...is to talk to her. And I mean really talk. No more bossing around, no more expecting her to do what you want, and listen to her," Harmony looks at the black-haired girl. "It'll not only help her, but you too."
Angry nods slowly up at her.
Creighton is in the forest, looking around for Red. "The hunt is on..." She murmurs to herself. She closes an eye as she looks around, looking behind her and firing. However, it's just a wolf-shaped tree. She keeps her crossbow ready as she steps around, on alert in all directions.
Red slips right past her, and she looks in that direction. Red moves again, and she smirks, looking towards the bushes.
"Gotcha."
The bushes rustle as she points her weapon at it...and a bunny comes out, hopping away. "Ugh, false alarm. Dumb bunny."
Red roars behind her, throwing her onto the ground. Creighton looks back as Red jumps out of the fog, landing in front of the tracker. She knocks the crossbow out of the tracker's hands, roaring right in her face. She swipes in front of Creighton, her arrows falling onto the floor. Creighton's back hits a tree and she screams, leaping onto the ground. She lands on her back as Red looms over her, roaring in her face again.
"Please, I-I wasn't gonna hurt you. Uh, I'm actually a dog person, and I...uh, I love dogs," She cringes as she looks away, actually scared for a change.
"Catalina, stop!"
Red, or Catalina, turns around to the fog, where Angry steps out. "It's me, Kiera. Please don't hurt her. She may be a jerk, but...you're not a monster. I'm sorry I didn't listen better. I promise I'll try harder, but, please, let her go."
"It's okay to be angry and frustrated," Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian join her. "But this? This is not the way you deal with those feelings."
"We'll all help, Catalina," Lance steps forward with Eugene. "I promise."
"We can start by listening to you," Harmony gestures to Red.
"Please...I love you."
Catalina's eyes widen at her sister's words as she holds her head. She lets out a whinny. "Yeah! Listen to her!" Creighton calls out, and Catalina roars at her. She runs away out of fear into the bushes. Then she comes out surrounded by bunnies. "Bunnies!" She runs off screaming.
"Good riddance," Harmony narrows her eyes at her. How heartless would someone have to be to destroy a little girl? "As soon as we get back, I'm putting her on the ban list."
Catalina steps up to the group, Angry hugging her. Catalina pulls everyone into the hug. "Best. Hug. Ever."
"But you're crushing us!" Varian lets out a wheeze.
The next day, a new treehouse has been constructed for the girls to stay in. "Ground floor, please, Ulf," Kiera steps on a platform, and the mime lowers it. She lands in front of Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, Daisy, Harmony, Catalina, and Varian.
"I brought some of the princesses' old paintings from the castle," Lance puts down a box. "I thought it might spruce the place up." He holds up a painting of himself. "Best one of the bunch. Look at that. Ooh, so handsome."
They all laugh at him. "Thank you so much for fixing this place up for us, Rapunzel and Mom."
Harmony blinks at the name, but smiles at her. "Aw, I'm just glad we found a way for you guys to stay close by after all."
"Yeah, not quite civilized, not quite the wild. I'd say it's picture perfect," Eugene bends down in front of the girls. "But just promise me if you ever need anything, you know, like help managing the...rawr, then you're gonna ask for it."
"I promise," Catalina smiles softly at him.
"Because the last thing we want is for you to bury your anger again," Rapunzel states and Angry nods, holding her sister's hand. "That never helped anyone..." Rapunzel picked up a certain painting and put it back in the box...
A painting of her, Cass, and Harmony playing with her hair.
"Are you two really okay with us staying here?" Catalina looks up at the two teens.
"Of course. I mean, this way, you're in between me and Mona," Varian holds his girlfriend's hand.
"And all I want is for you guys to be happy," Harmony kneels in front of them. "As long as you are, I don't mind where you stay. But just remember to take care of yourselves, be safe, and that you can visit us whenever you want."
"So, does this mean…?" Catalina asks hopefully, Harmony looking up at Varian.
"Well, I'm still too young to be your official mother and adopt you, but…what I decided to was become your legal guardian. I'm a statesperson, so that nulls the age requirement. It'll last until I'm 18 and then we can sign the papers, but…it's the first step. If that's okay with you both."
Kiera turns to Catalina and they both smile. "Yeah, as long as we can still call you Mom."
"Of course you can," Harmony smiles softly at them.
The two girls hug Harmony, and she pulls Varian into it. He smiles as he joins in, and the others smile at the family moment.
Cass is pointing her hand at black rocks, trying to control them again. She bends down in exhaustion.
"You're doing it wrong."
"You..." She looks behind her. "What are you doing here?"
The Enchanted Girl floats in front of the woman. "I'm here to help you master the moonstone's power. It responds to hatred and anger. If you truly want to wield the moonstone, you mustn't be afraid to tap into the depths of your deepest rage. Remember what they put you through."
She looks at her hand in agony. "And use that fury, Cassandra."
She clenches her fist, gritting her teeth as she can feel it. She then starts to move a black rock...