Angel: Wow, so both Sonic the Hedgehog and Rise of the Guardians are now tied on my poll XD But ideally, when the poll ends, I can't do both at the same time...
Getting close to Cassandra's Revenge! A lot of stuff happens in that special!
A flower gets moved by a black rock, belonging to Cass. She tries again to control it, falling onto her knees in exhaustion.
"I can't control it!"
"You will, Cassandra," The Enchanted Girl floats over to her. "In time."
"I thought by taking the moonstone, my destiny would become clear," She hugs her arm. "But...what if I don't even have a destiny?"
"Of course you do. It is to destroy the two princesses."
Her eyes widen at this, whipping around to her companion. "Destroy Rapunzel and Harmony...?" She couldn't even imagine...she wanted her own destiny, but those were her best friends. And the moonstone guaranteed Harmony's life before she even touched it because of Edmund... "But...I...I couldn't-"
Red rocks shoot up behind them, just like Harmony did before...They travel all the way down. "What's happening?"
"You are connected to the rocks. They respond to your feelings. Even fear...something that Princess Harmony no longer has."
Cass glances at her, frowning towards where they're headed.
It's still dark out as the moon is risen near a certain cottage in Old Corona. Only one person is outside...
"Hey."
A warm hand is placed on his shoulder. He flinches at the sudden contact, his teeth clenching and his shoulders tensing. This, needless to say, worries her. It's lightly raining as he's sitting outside of his house, and he's been there for a while. She's holding an umbrella over her head, covering him with it as well.
"Vari, it's just me."
Varian whips his head up, his eyes widening. "M-Mona!" He chuckles awkwardly, thinking that it was someone else with a slight grudge against him. Lately, the people have been a little...tense towards him. "I didn't see you there..."
She purses her lips to suppress a laugh. She's getting slightly wet since it's a small umbrella, but she doesn't seem to care. "Probably because we didn't bump into each other this time...but what's with you? Are you okay?"
Varian's freckled cheeks feel hot, the tips of his ears turning red. He looks away from her. "Uh..."
"Vari..." She takes a seat next to him. "Really, what's wrong? Something's obviously bothering you."
It's quiet for a while as they hear the grasshoppers outside. He lets out a tired sigh. She always gets to him, whether he liked it or not. But...Harmony is so comforting. However, he doesn't want to burden her. She's already doing so much helping Rapunzel and the kingdom...
He musters a weak smile.
"I'm..."
He stares down at his hands...the hands that put fear into people, into her. Harmony places a hand on his shoulder and he relaxes a little bit.
"Vari...you can tell me."
Five words. He doesn't know how much she meant it, but it's enough to tug at his heartstrings and shatter his walls. A hiccup slips past his lips and he doesn't hold back. He lets the tears fall as they slide down his face. He cowers and begins to sob. It's a terrible sound for her to hear, him crying, but she rubs his back and allows him to let it all out.
His breathing grows unsteady as he shakes, almost violently, and it takes her everything in her power to not cry as well. But she has to be strong, to show him that she's here for him. His shoulders stiffen as the crying gets louder.
Varian tilts his head and rests it on her shoulder. She moves so that he's in her arms, and he wraps himself tightly around her. He doesn't even care that people could hear him. She runs her fingers through his soft hair and he hums lightly, clinging onto her dress as the crying gets softer.
"A-Am I still a bad p-person, Mona?" He muffles his broken voice into her chest.
She furrows her brows. She had no idea he still thought about it, but she should've known. Now she's mad at herself for not checking sooner.
"No, Varian," She places her chin on the top of his head. "You never were."
"Some p-people are still...angry around me," The ache in his throat grows. "I know they are. They don't even try to whisper...I know they h-hate me..."
She's running out of words to say. She didn't know what else to do...with her mind blank, she pulls away, holding his hands, letting go only for a second to cup his cheek. She lifts his head to make his sad eyes meet hers. He looks away, but she brings his face back.
"I'm sorry, Vari..." She begins guilty, "I'm sorry you feel this way. You shouldn't."
"But I should!" He retorts back, squeezing her hand as he looks away. "I-In fact, I deserve worse than this. I deserve worse things. I-I don't deserve a second chance! Why did I ever think I would? Why did I ever think things would actually go back to normal? Mona, I was so stupid. So, so stupid!"
She sighs at him. "Vari...please look at me." He takes a moment to catch his breath, looking into her eyes. "I know that it hurts...but I know how you feel, and I know that it can hurt. These thoughts aren't going away, but Vari, I know that you've changed. For the better!"
He catches a spark in her eyes, his heart booming.
"It's okay to be sad," The princess continues, "You just let everything out. You can come to me, and we can always talk about it...like you did for me. I will always be there for you...like you were there for me."
Some doubt grows stronger, but despite feeling that, he wouldn't have this moment any other way. He's still upset, but she did help a little. He feels like he can breath now, talk to her about anything now. Like everything would be okay if she was just right here.
He shuffles, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "But...I hurt you, and...you don't deserve someone like me."
"Vari...it doesn't matter that you hurt me, because I know that you won't do it again. I trust you...I don't care what you do or say...it won't change my feelings for you."
He smiles softly, grabbing the hand holding his cheek and interlocking fingers with her. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
She smiles back as he presses his forehead to hers. "Maybe."
"Let me show you then."
He pulls her in for a passionate kiss. She smiles into it and a few seconds later, he pulls away. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing here so late? And in the rain? You'll get sick again..."
"Well, I came to see how you were doing with the scroll, but...honestly, I wanted to check up on you," She answers softly, holding out something wrapped in cloth. "And because Rapunzel and I made apple pie."
"The scroll!" His eyes widen as he remembers about it. "That's right! Ah, I can't really...begin to explain since I can't read it yet." He rubs the back of his neck, taking the food from her. "B-But don't worry, I'll have it figured it out soon! I've actually started to compose a key for translation."
"I'm sure that you'll figure it out. I have faith in you," She kisses his cheek and stands up, waving to him. "Bye Vari. I'll see you soon."
"Thanks, Mona, for the food." He smiles and waves to her, walking back inside and going back into his room. He runs a hand through his hair.
"What does it mean, Demanitus? What does it mean?" He examines the scroll with his eyes, but for the life of him, he couldn't even understand it...
"Varian!"
His eyes go wide as he looks away. He opens up the door to his lab. "Dad!" He sees Quirin getting trapped in the amber again. "No! No, not again!" He runs up to his father.
"Serves you right, traitor!"
He turns around and sees the angry citizens approaching him and yelling at him for what he's done. "This is what you deserve!"
"Dad? Dad?"
Then Varian sees his girlfriend and smiles at her, but she doesn't respond, concerning him. "Mona...?"
"I never should've trusted you again," She spits at him, glaring in anger. "I don't know what I saw in you, I hate you for what you did to me and my family!"
"W-What?" He stammers in confusion and fear. "But Mona, I-"
"I never wanna see you again!"
"N-No, wait-!" He grabs her shoulder to stop her. She turns around and slaps him across the face.
"Don't ever touch me, Varian!"
And with that, she storms off and he chases after her, only to be grabbed by the citizens. He can only watch as the love of her life leaves him there, heartbroken, guilty, and alone.
"No!" Varian wakes up, panting. It was all just a dream...he's still in his room and he steps out to see Quirin walking by moving a wheelbarrow of apples.
"Morning, son," He greets before leaving. Ruddiger chirps from his shoulder.
"What is it, buddy?"
Ruddiger leaves his shoulder and runs towards the red rocks, sniffing them. He backs away out of fear. "Well..." Varian bends down to them. "This is new..."
"Last stop on our tour, the north balcony," Lance is guiding some citizens through the castle, Pascal and Daisy on his shoulders. "Uh, technically, the last stop is the royal kitchen, but I lost kitchen privileges after last month's incident. Word to the wise, a meatball catapult may sound like a brilliant idea in theory, but in practice...well, that's a long story. Let's not talk about it, let's just move on."
Suddenly, everything starts shaking, alarming them. The ground starts to crack a little, red rocks emerging from them. They hit the wall, causing the edge of the balcony to break. A citizen falls and Lance jumps forward, catching his leg.
"Okay, biceps, let's do this!" Lance struggles to pull him up, his whole body sliding. He manages to catch himself using the pillars nearby. Rapunzel and Harmony suddenly arrive, running up to them. Both of them fall and Rapunzel lets down her hair. She uses two lampposts to make a make-shift catapult and Harmony quickly fires two arrows with pink chem balls attached. The four land on a bouncy goop, before they land into hay.
Lance laughs in relief. "We call that move the Slingshot Bounce!" Rapunzel smirks a bit.
"Give it up for Princesses Rapunzel and Harmony!" Lance hollers, the people around cheering for them.
"Aww, just doing our part," Rapunzel chuckles, lightly waving.
"Thank goodness no one's hurt," Harmony looks over her shoulder.
"Everybody okay?" Eugene runs up to them.
"We're fine..." Rapunzel looks to the red rocks. "But we have some new additions." She walks up to one and touches it, recoiling her hand back immediately. "Cassandra...?" She whispers to herself. Eugene glances to Harmony, who shakes her head.
"Definitely not me."
Ruddiger has seemingly disappeared as Varian is in town looking for him. "Ruddiger? R-Ruddiger!" He sighs to himself, walking past the arch. "Ruddiger, where are you?"
Something jumps over a sign up above and Varian chases after him. "Hey! Buddy, where you headed?" As he's running down steps, it jumps over his head. He bumps into a wall and continues down the path, sliding to a stop in front of Feldspar.
"Oh! Sorry. Hi," He smiles sheepishly with a small smile.
"Don't you have a kingdom to overthrow or something?" Feldspar asks rudely, looking away.
"Ha ha...ha," Varian laughs awkwardly. This is exactly what he was talking to Harmony about last night. "Yeah, um. You haven't seen a raccoon around, have you?"
The woman holding her baby looks away, and the baby actually starts crying. "Okay...uh...n-never mind," He walks away from them. Something tips over a plank in the alley nearby and Varian chases after it. "Ruddiger! Hey, hey, come back here! Ruddi-"
It was just a street cat that he's been chasing, though. The cat runs off and he turns around to see Ruddiger, but...he's not moving, and his whole body is red as a look of fear is frozen on his face.
"Hey! Buddy, I was looking for ya! Wha...what are you..." He waves a hand in front of Ruddiger's face, and gets no reaction. "Hello? What's-what's wrong?" He picks him up, looking around.
Monty places down a candy apple for display. Max sees them and the man waves with a smile. A red rock appears in front of Max, frightening Monty. Max looks around as another one grows.
"Stop, thief!"
Dwayne runs right past the horse, who attempts to chase after him, only to find himself in chains. Max whinnies as Attila comes out of his bakery.
"Hey, what's with all these red rocks?" The croissants from the pan he's holding suddenly come to life, flying.
"Attila! You burned us! Now we'll burn you!"
"I'm sorry I overcooked your golden, flaky crust!" He screams, but to Max, nothing's happening. He runs away crying and screaming. Max whinnies in fear.
"Max, Max! It's okay, buddy!" Lance runs up to the horse. "They're only rocks!"
Another one appears, and it's enough to make the horse run away. "Hm...has everyone lost their minds?" He rubs his chin.
"Oh, Lance..." A scratchy voice speaks up behind him. A spider with a clown face emerges from the wagon in front of him.
"A-A clown spider?!" He whimpers in fear.
"Now sing!"
Lance shouts in horror and runs off. "No!"
"Looks like there's more of those red rocks here too...Brownie, have you...made these before?" Eugene gestures to them.
"Well, I've seen them before...but they would just usually go away after I calm down...because I usually remembered that my sister would've wanted me to stay happy." Harmony rubs the back of her neck. Actually, it happened when her mother got robbed of her ring, but she didn't want to sadden Eugene and make him feel guilty.
"Aww," Rapunzel beams, hugging her. Harmony smiles at her, returning the contact. "And you're sure this isn't you?"
"I'm sure," She shakes her head. "These red rocks...they're nothing like black rocks."
Lance runs past the three, screaming. "You can't make me sing in front of all those people! NO!"
"Hey now, what's gotten into him?" Eugene asks them.
"It's like these new rocks are making people see their worst fear..." Rapunzel glances at the rocks.
"Definitely not my doing, then," Harmony crosses her arms. "These rocks are only controlled by that emotion, which I don't have the power to do anymore."
"Yeah, but the rocks aren't doing anything to me. Probably because I'm not scared of much-" He looks at the reflection from the glass window nearby and starts freaking out. "No, no. No, no, no, no, no. Not a cowlick. Not a cowlick! Somebody wake me up from this fresh MISERY!"
"It's okay, Eugene! These rocks are messing with our heads," Rapunzel tells him.
"A cowlick is what you're afraid of? Next I'll be hearing that-" Harmony turns around, bumping into someone. Ruddiger goes flying into the air above them.
"Whoa!" The temporary queen catches Ruddiger into her hands.
"Sorry, sorry! To both of you," Varian smiles sheepishly. "Just me. Hi. A-and Ruddiger. Kinda."
"I think of it as a regular way of meeting you," Harmony chuckles a little. When she first started meeting him, they'd bump into each other. Varian stares at her, relieved that she's not angry with him and looks happy...
He pulls her into a tight hug, not wanting that part of his nightmare to become a reality. "Vari...?" She stares up at the back of his head in confusion.
"Just...let me hold you for a minute," He whispers in her ear, putting his gloved hand into her hair.
"Okay..." She murmurs, slightly concerned, but he seems fine now that he's embracing her.
"Varian, is Ruddiger okay?" Rapunzel inspects the raccoon in her hands, Eugene cringing at the sight. "What happened?" Pascal hits Ruddiger slightly as Daisy pokes his face with a wing.
"Uh, I'm not quite sure," Varian looks up at Rapunzel while still holding onto the younger princess. "But I think it has something to do with these new rocks...I mean, I've only been able to study them for a few hours, but-but their effects...appear to be...extremely dangerous. And I know you had nothing to do with them," His eyes move over to Harmony.
"Nope," She shakes her head again. "These types of rocks are beyond my expertise, anyway: I can't make them."
"Oh yeah? More dangerous than bringing people's greatest fears to life?!" Eugene screeches, holding his head.
"Yes well, if people remain under that fear spell for too long, it looks like they'll become frozen with terror...permanently."
He looks at Ruddiger. "Well gang," Rapunzel places her hands on her hips. "Then it sounds to me like we need to find a way to turn these fearful frowns upside down!" She moves away Ruddiger's lips. "...Okay, yep, sorry, that just wound up making him look creepier..."
Rapunzel and Harmony are painting something together. "Think this'll keep people away from these rocks?" They move away, smiling.
"Couldn't you have made us look a little more, I dunno, brave?"
Eugene is in Varian's arms, both of them having looks of fear. "We really wanted to get the point across. Besides, you're so cute when you're screaming in terror," Rapunzel pinches her boyfriend's cheeks and they hug.
"Ha. Well, that is true."
Harmony rolls her eyes in amusement as Eugene inspects their faces. "Hey, Sunshine, Brownie, how come you two aren't affected by these rocks? I mean, why aren't you screaming your heads off at some vision of your worst fears?"
"Because...as long as I have Pascal and my sister with me," She nuzzles Pascal's forehead. "I'm not afraid of anything."
"Same here, but with Daisy and my sister," Harmony pokes Daisy's cheek playfully, the duckling chirping. Pascal flexes his arms, Daisy rolling her eyes at him.
"Guys? I think I might have an idea," Varian calls out from behind as he's looking at a red rock with a magnifying glass.
"Now, theoretically, if we sever...this chain of rocks," Varian circles a spot from a map in the castle. "Using one of my alchemical solutions, then we can cut off the red rocks' fear power."
"Oh, we can so cut off their power," Rapunzel smiles smugly. "...T-This won't affect Harmi, right?"
"No!"
Varian and Harmony glance at each other as they said that so strongly at the same time.
"No," Harmony snaps out of it as she shakes her head rapidly, waving her hands. "They may come from the moonstone, but I'm not connected to these types of rocks in any way. No effect on me whatsoever no matter what happens with them."
"She's right, there's no reason why it should harm her," Varian places a hand on her shoulder and she couldn't help but notice that his hand is a bit tense. "You just need a cavern that runs deep enough."
The three stand up as the sisters glance to each other. "Deep cavern...we know just the place!"
A scream is heard from the hall as a handmaiden is running around. "Hey! You didn't change the linens!" A moth Old Lady Crowley shouts at her.
"No, no, no, no!" She steps backwards right into the red rocks, and gets frozen. The four run outside and see her.
"Oh no...it's getting worse. We can't let this happen to anybody else. Your plan starts now."
Varian opens up his backpack to reveal at least a dozen of beakers filled with the solution he's made. He takes one into his hand, hoping that it'll work...and that Harmony will be there for him. He doesn't want his nightmare coming true...
"You okay?" Harmony bends down to him and he smiles, some of his fears going away at the sight of her.
"Better now that you're here," He kisses her cheek.
"It's up to you two to keep the people's spirits up," Rapunzel tells Lance and Eugene. "Remember, you can't let fear take hold of anyone for too long or..." She looks to Ruddiger in Lance's arms.
"Don't worry, Sunshine, we'll think of something," Eugene replies confidently.
"Yeah, with us two putting our heads together—aah!" He screams at the illusion of the clown spider on top of Rapunzel's shoulder. "Get away from me, clown-spider!" He throws Ruddiger into the air and Eugene catches him.
"Or I'll be thinking of something," Eugene deadpans towards him. "At the very least."
They're walking through the same underground tunnels the three went through together when Varian stole the flower...A fly goes past.
"No problem," Varian states nervously. "We got this. No problem, we got this. Heh heh..."
Pascal and Daisy stare at him, the chameleon seeing the fly. "Ugh," Harmony swats it away from her. "Bugs..."
"You okay, Varian?" Rapunzel wonders as they step over a fallen post. "Because you've said 'no problem, we got this' 23 times now," She holds out her journal. "Look, I'm actually keeping track."
Varian laughs a bit at the drawing. "That's...I'm fine, really. Uh, you know, just trying to not set off the 3,000 traps down here!"
"It'll be fine," Harmony offers with a small smile, placing a hand on his back.
"Relax. We've been through these tunnels far too many times for that to-"
Pascal had grabbed the fly and triggered a trap, the floor splitting. "Look out!"
Both teens slip from the slab, Varian's bag opening. "My supplies!" Most of his beakers fall through the hole underneath and they explode. Harmony grabs his hand, but they're too late as they try to grab the edge, falling through.
Both of them scream as Rapunzel's hair reaches them. Varian grabs it with one hand, hugging Harmony's waist with the other. They smile in relief as she pulls them up.
"Oh, thank you," His feet touch the ground first as Harmony dusts herself off.
"Oh, are you two okay?"
"How would you chalk up almost dying?" Harmony wipes off her forehead.
"We're fine," Varian looks through his bag. "Oh, but we've only got one vial of my solution left..." He takes it into his hand.
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to make it count!"
The two teens take the lead, Harmony seeing his worried face. "I'm sure it'll work out, Vari," She holds his hand. "But...are you sure you're okay?"
"F-Fine, fine. Thank you for your concern, Mona, but I'll be okay. What about you?"
"I'm alright," She smiles softly at him, though his state is what worries her more.
Another fly appears and Pascal goes to catch it, but Rapunzel clears her throat, crossing her arms. She did not need him to set off another trap.
"Lance, I've got it! We are going to throw a talent show!" Eugene announces as they've set up a stage in front of the castle.
"You wanna do a talent show? Now?!" Lance asks in disbelief.
"Yes! Now is the perfect time for a talent show. Think about it: the production will be so entertaining that people won't even remember to be scared."
"Ah!" A little boy bumps into him while running away. "Get away, no!"
"Dragons!" Nigel is running around the courtyard. "Dragons! They are dragons everywhere!" Unfortunately, he had stopped near the red rocks and turns into a statue.
"And...our show's gotta start...now," Eugene states as they look at him.
"Not much further, we're almost there, guys," Rapunzel states to the others as she's in the lead.
"Where does this lead, anyway?" Harmony couldn't help but ask.
"It's a surprise! Have that solution of yours ready, Varian," Rapunzel smiles at her sister, booping her on the nose. Both of them then notice Varian's stopped walking as he looks at the solution in his hands. "Varian, whatever the red rocks are showing you, they're just visions. They're not real."
"...But they are. Do you know what this is?" He holds up the beaker, the sisters glancing to each other.
"It's what's gonna help us sever the red rocks' power."
"Why?" Harmony asks him slowly.
"Yes, but it's also the same compound that encased my father." The girl's eyes blink slowly at the explanation. "You know, the red rocks make everybody else see hallucinations, but what I see is something that really happened. This stuff ruined my life. Because of this, I did...I did terrible-"
The beaker slips from his grasp and Harmony leaps forward, holding out her arm. She catches it in her hand.
"Nice catch, sis!" Rapunzel smiles at her and she sighs in relief, standing up.
"If that had smashed," Varian takes the beaker from his girlfriend. "Then Corona would've been done for, and everyone would hate me even more than they do now, not that I blame them."
Harmony's eyes soften at this. "Varian, you can't be so hard on yourself," Rapunzel tells him gently.
"She's right, you need to think more positively about yourself."
"That's easy for you two to say! You're the embodiment of the sundrop. You know, the wondrous, magical sundrop. And you, Mona, even though you grew up with the moonstone's evil power...I never see you as an evil person. You're fearless and brave," He looks at the girl.
"Ah, you hear that, guys? He called me wondrous and magical, and he called Harmi fearless and brave," Rapunzel hums as Pascal clasps his hands, Daisy chirping happily. Harmony blushes bashfully at the compliments.
"No, what I'm saying is for ordinary people, like me, fear is just a little bit more...debilitating." Varian rubs his neck.
"Varian..." Rapunzel takes his hand and he looks up at her in surprise. "There is nothing ordinary about you."
"Vari...some people just have a hard time adjusting to what's happened," Harmony places a hand on his shoulder. "And it doesn't help that they know Cass is gone too..." She glances up at Rapunzel while biting her lip. "But you're not like everyone else with being ordinary. There is so much more to you than what's happened in the past. You're sweet, talkative, funny, understanding. And to me...you're special." She smiles softly and he returns the gesture.
"Thank you, Mona...that means a lot. I love you."
"I love you too..." She puts one of her bangs behind her ear shyly.
"Aww!" Rapunzel coos at them. Varian takes the girl's hand as Rapunzel takes the lead again, the smile still on his face.
Cass stares at the red rock in front of her. "There must be another way..." She's still contemplating about what she's been asked to do.
"You once questioned why you had no destiny. Now that you have one...don't question it," The Enchanted Girl instructs her. "You must wield the power of the moonstone and the sundrop. But you cannot do that...without destroying Rapunzel." She then murmurs something to herself. "And unlike that annoying twit who never listened to me...I now have someone who can do that for me."
Cass looks at the rock again, unsure of what exactly to do...
"Welcome, one and all, to Corona's first ever talent show!" Eugene announces to the crowd, a spotlight on him. "Now, let's turn up the taleeeeeeeeeeent!"
The crowd is mostly fearful instead of really paying attention.
"And now, we're gonna add some happy little eyeballs..." Vlad paints eyes on a unicorn. "There. This fella's got blue eyes."
"Unicorns!" Unfortunately for Feldspar, he's afraid of unicorns...The curtain moves and then he's replaced with Old Lady Crowley.
"In my job, I fold a lot of laundry...so when I play cards, the last thing I'm gonna do...is fold!" She waits for laughter. "LAUGH!"
They gasp at her and then Eugene pulls the curtain again. This was not going well...
Next up is Catalina and Kiera. "Gather close, one and all, for the truly astounding feats, the likes of which you have never seen before. Standing beside me today is a young woman, my sister. You know her as Catalina, and our surrogate parents being Princess Harmony and Varian, but I know her as the eighth wonder of the world! A girl who possesses a singular talent that is, I guarantee, the most stupendous, the most eye-popping..."
"Oh no," Eugene murmurs knowingly.
"The most fantastical spectacle ever to be witnessed! Feast your eyes upon...the beast!"
Catalina's eyes glow red as her fangs appear. They gasp in shock as she transforms into her werewolf form. The whole crowd runs away out of fear.
"But I didn't even get to my soft shoe routine!"
And with that, Eugene closes the curtain.
"Do, re, mi..." Attila is practicing his singing scales when Lance comes up.
"No, no, no! You're singing all wrong! Stand with your feet, hip width apart, knees relaxed, do not raise your chin, it puts tension on your voice, and please, breathe through your diaphragm!"
Eugene looks outside to see another red rock growing. "We're doomed, doomed! There's nowhere to hide!" A butcher hides behind some red rocks and gets frozen.
"Attila! Ah, not like that!" Eugene turns around to the duo. "Like this. Figaro, figaro, you have to dig through the belly! In through the nose. Figaro me, figaro you, figaro me, figaro her, Figaro dog, Figaro cat-"
"Lance!" Eugene pushes past Attila.
"Huh, uh, what?"
"i just figured out who's up next," He smiles a little. "You. You are gonna calm the people of Corona down...by singing!"
Lance laughs at his suggestion. "What?"
The ceiling crumbles a little over their heads as they continue walking down the tunnel. "Rapunzel, we really gotta hurry," Varian chuckles nervously. "How much farther is it?"
"Uh, we're here! You wanted a big, underground cavern? I give you the Demanitus chamber!"
They come to a stop in front of the Demanitus device, which did get pierced by black rocks, but they're now red.
"Whoa," The teens both murmur in shock.
"It-it's amazing," Varian comments first.
"I finally get to see it!" Harmony cheers, bouncing up and down.
"You should've seen it before all these red rocks," Rapunzel smiles a bit.
"Y-You've actually s-seen this before?" Varian glances at the blonde.
"You could say that," Rapunzel nuzzles Pascal with her finger.
"I didn't get to see it until now b-because..." Harmony glances away. "Because of other...stuff." When Rapunzel came down here...the girl was nearing death in the snow.
"Man, I would've loved to have met Demanitus."
"We did," Rapunzel and Harmony say in unison.
"Nice guy. He was a monkey," The blonde glances to her sister, who facepalms. "Uh, long story."
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Vari, with everything that's happened, I forgot! Demanitus wrote a letter for you after I asked him!"
"H-He did? You did that for me?!" Varian places his hands on her shoulders happily, shaking her slightly. "He wrote to me?! I'm not even mad you forgot, Mona!" He spins her around in excitement and she giggles. She's just glad that she could put a smile to his face since he's so worried about his fears.
"Come on, you two," Rapunzel waves them forward and they walk down the steps that lead to the floor.
"Oh, okay. There's the base," Varian points forward. "Encasing it in amber should stop the fear from-" The floor cracks underneath them, more red rocks growing.
"Okay, less explaining, more pouring," Rapunzel pushes him forward, wrapping an end of her hair around him. He steps forward.
"Varian!" He hears his father's voice, seeing him in amber. "Please help me!"
"I hate you, Varian!" He imagines Harmony's voice. "I should've never trusted you again!"
He squeezes his eyes shut, blocking it all out. He pours the solution on the rock, stepping back to the girls. They brace themselves for something to happen, but the solution just merges red with the rock.
"What?" Varian asks in confusion. "Gah, I don't understand, this solution should encase the red rock...Oh, of course! Oh! So dumb, Varian! Whatever turned these rocks red must've also changed their internal chemistry."
The girls are looking around. "So, that solution only works on black rocks?" Rapunzel asks curiously.
"Yes, well, what's left of it." There's only one drop left inside the beaker. "But I...I don't even see any black rocks."
"We do," Rapunzel points up ahead.
"Can sense one right...there," Harmony leads Varian forward a bit to see one black rock sticking out from a wall.
"Okay, this just got a lot harder..."
"Lance..." The clown spider is in front of him. "Time to sing in public, Lance. Oh yes. Yes! Time to sing in front of all these people," He guides the scared man outside. "They're waiting on you, Lance!"
"Come on, buddy!" Eugene calls out from a tower. "You've got this! I believe in you!"
"You know what?" Lance smirks, closing the curtain. "I'm bigger than you. I'm bigger than you," He steps forward, the clown spider shrinking. "I am bigger than my fear!" He smiles boastfully.
Eugene shines a spotlight on Lance.
When you're scared and stricken
And losing your cool
His voice breaks a little, sagging his shoulders. Feldspar and Old Lady Crowley stare at him.
When you're such a chicken
You feel like a fool
He shakes a bit, putting a hand to his face.
Don't freeze up, just ease up!
Lance freezes but then smiles.
Take one deep breath
And don't forget, this little rule!
He leaps off the stage as the music pumps up, dancing past them. "Yeah! Ha ha!" He moves away and his shadow turns into little demons, chasing after Feldspar, Kiera, Catalina, Monty, Old Lady Crowley, and Attila. "Whoo! Yeah!"
When your palms are sweatin'
When panic attacks
Monty runs away from a group, holding a yellow and green striped lollipop.
When you're close to wettin' your favorite slacks
Lance holds a hand in front of Monty, stopping him in his tracks.
Stop freakin' and shriekin'
The little group turns into one giant one.
Don't look so bleak and just relax, kid
Lance places his hands on his shoulders.
And if you weaken and your courage starts to plummet
Monty looks at the lollipop and faces the monster bravely.
Step up and overcome it
Cause you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that
His lollipop turns bigger and he hits the monster with it, separating them into duplicates. Lance hugs the two girls from behind.
You know you're stronger, and harder, and smarter than that
So when you're haunted or daunted, stay calm as a cat
Kiera grips the monster's leg, turning it into a balloon.
What are you afraid of? You're bigger than that
He picks up Catalina and spins her around. Attila backs away from one, trembling in fear. "Yeah! Ah, I feel good now. Whoo!"
Flying croissants go after the former thug. "Come on!" Lance grabs one.
If you're still uneasy, still trembling in dread
He throws it away.
You're still so queasy, you'd rather be dead
Feldspar looks on in horror as one of them is dancing in front of him, showing his disgusting feet. Lance pushes a foot away, placing an arm around Feldspar.
Don't sweat it, don't fret it
Cause if you let it turn your head, kid
Lance spins him around towards the monster, turning towards Attila.
You can't forget it, so if anything dismays you
Don't need to let it faze you
Attila pulls out a rolling pin and it turns bigger, allowing him to roll away the monster.
'Cause you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that
You know you're bolder!
Feldspar stops running and gets the courage to face it.
You're buffer!
You're tougher than that!
He turns around, flying into the air.
And since you're braver, don't waver!
Just hand in its hat
He shoots a yellow beam at it, giving him shoes.
Show it what you're made of
You're bigger than that
Feldspar watches the monster run away with pride.
And once you know this, there's nothing to fear
Lance dances around with Old Lady Crowley
Every new rouses, will just disappear!
Because you're bigger, you're badder, you're better than that
He lets her go and she kicks down three monsters, landing safely.
You know you're chiller, and you're flipper, and you're hipper than that
They all dance together before the monsters face them, but this time, they're ready to fight back.
So face your demon, stop screamin', and pummel attack!
Lance gets bigger in size and slams one with his face.
What were you afraid of?
You're bigger than that!
The crowd erupts into cheers and Eugene smiles at the crowd, as they seem so much happier. Now they just had to wait for their friends to stop the red rocks.
Varian laughs anxiously as he stares up at the black rock. "You're telling me I gotta climb all the way up there? Nobody in their right mind would climb-"
"Race ya to the top!" Rapunzel starts jumping on the red rocks.
"...Oh, come on!" Varian stares up at her in disbelief.
"Ladies and gentleman, my sister," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her. "And besides, I can always get it closer once we're at a good height."
They start to climb the chamber, Varian's hand slipping. Harmony turns to him when Rapunzel stops.
"Whoa! Watch out!" She dodges out of the way and her sister does so, but Varian loses his grip.
"Varian!" The two shout as Rapunzel jumps off, flinging her hair. She catches him just before he could get impaled on the rocks below. She throws another piece onto some wood, pulling him up. Harmony slides to a stop nearby, jumping onto a red rock. Rapunzel separates some of her hair so that the girl can sit on it near the boy.
"You okay?"
"I-It's no use, girls, I can't do this!" He looks towards the bottom. "What if...what if this really does hurt Mona? I know I said I was sure, b-but they're still similar to hers, and...I can't hurt her with the solution. I can't let that happen again," He squeezes his eyes shut. "Not...again..."
"Vari...that won't happen," Harmony replies gently.
"Varian...you cannot let fear run your life. Look, I'm afraid too," Rapunzel tells him.
"Yeah, you said that, Princess, but you don't see what I see," He looks towards the rocks again, seeing his father trapped.
"That's true. I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm not seeing...other things," Rapunzel says slowly, taking a deep breath. "I see Corona...it's covered in black rocks. And I see Cassandra...she's conquered the kingdom, destroyed it forever. And you know what the weird part is? What I'm most afraid of is losing Cassandra as a friend or my sister to her...forever."
"Rapunzel..." Harmony murmurs softly upon hearing this.
"Sometimes...I see you," Varian looks up at his girlfriend and she stares at him. What would she have to do with his fear? "Every time I smile at you...you tell me that you regret forgiving me and loving me...and that you don't wanna see me ever again...I can't bear to lose you, Mona," He looks towards the ground sadly.
"Vari, you're not going to..." She swings forward and hugs him. "I really care about you and I can't see myself without you. Do you wanna know what I see? I...I see me...hurting my family, my friends...you. And I can't stop myself. Black rocks...my black rocks, they're everywhere..."
"I had no idea..." Varian murmurs, hugging the girl back in comfort. He runs a hand through her hair in sympathy. "Both of you."
"I guess all of us have trouble talking about what scares us..." Rapunzel smiles weakly at the irony.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony asks her boyfriend softly.
"I-I didn't know how you'd take it..."
"...Me either for my fear..." She glances away, turning back to him with a small smile. "How about in the future...if something's bothering us, we tell each other first?"
"...Alright, Mona. I promise," He smiles, leaning forward and pecking her lips. The ceiling crumbles again above them and they look up at the black rock. "I'll do it. Just, uh, give me a lift."
Harmony nods at her sister, jumping upwards from her hair. "One lift, coming up. One..."
"Two..."
"Three!" Together, the sisters pull, lifting Varian onto a platform. He turns around to them.
"Hurry, Varian!"
"I'll give you some help!" Harmony holds out her hands, creating some little steps made out of moonlight. Varian steps on one to get to a rock, the red rocks moving closer to the girls. Rapunzel and Harmony step back, pushing against them.
Cass touches one too, closing her eyes.
Suddenly, they look at the rocks, sensing someone familiar. "Cass...?"
"Rapunzel? Harmony?" She senses them too. Their eyes widen at this, red encasing their hands.
"Uh, Varian?"
It's happening to him too, his arms getting covered in it. He squeezes his eyes shut. "It's not real. I can do this."
His confidence stops the red from growing and he sighs in relief, looking up at the black rock in front of him. "Okay." He finally reaches it, digging out the solution. "Come on...come on..." He reaches out his hand to it, his hands getting stuck. He drops the beaker.
"The vial! No!" He catches it with his foot.
"Varian!" He hears the voices from the two people that he loves, the drop about to slip from the beaker.
"No, no, no, no! Don't! Don't!" He catches it into the beaker with his foot, throwing it up into the air. He catches it again, but the red is starting to encase the rock. Varian reaches out his arm.
"Fight the fear, fight it! Come on!" He manages to pour it on the rock, the amber encasing it. "It's working!" He jumps off the base, the amber spreading everywhere. The two sisters jump off the platform as all the red rocks are now gone.
Varian lands in front of the two and Rapunzel hugs him first. "You tackled your fears, Varian! I knew you had it in you!"
He smiles at her, glad to hear it. Harmony smiles for his victory as he hugs her waist, and they share a brief kiss.
The red rocks in Corona sink back into the ground, also fearing anyone who was frozen. The citizens cheer, Eugene pumping his fists.
"They did it!" Eugene exclaims and Crowley smiles a little.
"So did you, Lance," She states to his shock.
"They love me! They really love me!"
Cass touches a red rock, but it turns black again, sinking into the grass. "Do you see now? Rapunzel and Harmony can strip you of your power, Cassandra. If you do not destroy them...they will destroy you. Together, we can steal the other half of Harmony's powers that rightfully belong to you…"
Cass looks up, getting onto her feet and glaring. She WILL get those powers...
Varian, Harmony, and Quirin are walking through town, telling him what happened. "If it weren't for Rapunzel and Mona, I'd be-"
Ruddiger runs up to them. "Ruddiger! H-Hey! It's good to see you, buddy."
"Oh!" Feldspar stands in front of him. "Nice job with those rocks, Varian! Rapunzel says you're a real hero, so, uh, yes!"
"Just doing my part," Varian smiles bashfully as he waves to the man. He rubs the back of his neck, Quirin placing a proud hand on his shoulder.
Harmony kisses Varian on the cheek. "I told you people would come around. My hero."
He chuckles, love-struck by her words, the man smiling at the two.
"I wanna thank you once again for your help, Princess," Quirin gestures to himself. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for getting me out of the amber and for reuniting me with my son."
"No worries," She waves it off. "We all have our parts to do."
"As a way to thank you, you two have my blessings for whenever you two decide to get married."
They both flush, turning away from each other. "Dad!" Varian mutters in embarrassment.
"Erm..." Harmony scratches her cheek, laughing nervously. "H-How about we settle on just getting something from Attila?"
He chuckles at the two of them. "Deal." Quirin guides them towards Attila the Bun.
"Can I...have that letter now?" Varian smiles a bit at Harmony.
"Oh, of course!" She digs into her bag, giving it to him and placing her chin on his shoulder. He smiles in excitement as he opens it up, his father smiling at the two. He's glad that Varian is being looked at as a hero and has someone in his life that loves him for who he is and will be by his side through anything...
To Varian,
I've heard about a lot about you. You're a very intelligent boy. Princess Harmony has told me much of you. Despite that we will never meet, I have hope that the worse won't come to pass. And if it does, I know that Princess Rapunzel and Princess Harmony will save us all. But you, my boy, have so much to live for. With that mind of yours, I'm sure you will move on to do great things. Speaking of which, those alchemy arrows you gave to Harmony are fascinating! It's only a shame we didn't have a chance to speak.
Best of luck,
Demanitus
"He thinks I'm smart..." He murmurs, doing a little dance. "Demanitus thinks I'm smart!"
Quirin and Harmony both chuckle at him.
"So Cass is attacking Corona now?" Eugene asks Rapunzel as they're on her balcony. "Well, that's delightful."
"She wasn't...I don't know how to explain it, but when Harmi and I touched the rocks, and stay with me on this...we sensed her. And...she wasn't attacking us. She was just as afraid as we are...as I am."
"So then that means..."
"There's still a chance to save her," Rapunzel finishes softly, and they look out the balcony together, holding hands.