Angel: *sags in relief* Finally done with all my schoolwork...also, tomorrow's the day! Cassandra's Revenge! Oh, and I listened to that song Silent Scream...I'm wondering just why I was asked to listen to it...? For those who don't know where my poll is, it's on my profile. Sonic the Hedgehog is slightly in the lead now. I don't know what to do about those 4 other votes from Sapphire14, but I'm not sure if I should consider adding the 4 votes or not. Not saying she's a liar, but I would prefer it if it was just one vote per guest reviewer just to be fair.
Rapunzel sighs a bit as she looks at Corona from her journal. "Okay, okay, uhh...what about this one?" She moves to the next page where she's drawn her hair falling out from her wig before her coronation. Frederic and Arianna have shocked looks on their faces while Harmony's blue bang sticks out from her own wig, gloves on her hands.
"Ooh, that's your coronation, of course," Frederic says as he's starting to remember.
"Yes!" The two sisters cheer. "Uhh, and this," Harmony points to the next one which is Eugene and Frederic when they tried to play a prank on King Trevor. Frederic is holding the seal in his hands.
"Okay, this. What happened here?"
"Uh, that's-that's when Eugene and I stole the royal seal of Equis," He points at it. "Oh, seal! Seal! I get it now!"
"Ding ding ding ding ding! Right again, yes!" Rapunzel smiles up at her father.
"I remember this," He points at the next one.
"Yeah, it's when we...broke through the wall."
The two sisters are standing next to each other in front of the broken wall of Corona from when they stopped Varian. Rapunzel's hair is out as Harmony's left hand was glowing in front of the rocks. Frederic chuckles at his daughters.
"No, it's when I realized what brave and independent women you two have become."
"Thank you, Papa," Harmony grins up at him.
"It's good to have you back, Dad," Rapunzel smiles, closing her book.
"And I have you two to thank for that. Throughout this entire ordeal, never once have either of you strayed by our side," He gives both of them a one-armed hug. "Family sticks together, right?"
"Family sticks together," Rapunzel winks at him.
"Always," Harmony agrees with her father.
"Can you believe the audacity of Lance?" Eugene interrupts the moment as he enters Rapunzel's room. "Not only did he borrow my moisturizer, but he left the lid off! Now it's all dried out!"
"Sorry for the interruption," Varian smiles weakly as he enters next. "But I couldn't stop him in time."
Owl suddenly hits the window, causing the two sisters to gasp. "Guys, don't worry," Eugene thinks that it's a reaction for his 'problem.' "I have a back-up bottle!"
"Not that!" Harmony gestures to outside as they run up to the window.
"Oh, Owl, are you okay? Where have you been?" Rapunzel opens up the window and helps him inside. "Wait...does this mean...?"
She doesn't finish as Pascal and Daisy take a small pillow for him to rest his head. "Where's Cass?"
He drops something into her hands and Harmony gasps at the pompoen fruit with stinky weeds attached.
"It's a pompoen," Eugene recognizes it too. Rapunzel sighs slowly.
"Looks like we're going back to Tirapai Island..."
Owl flies Pascal on his back, Daisy following after him. Varian, Harmony, Rapunzel, and Eugene take a hot air balloon there.
"We should be there in about 10 minutes..." Harmony sighs slightly, looking at the clouds.
"At least we were able to use my balloon," Varian gestures to the top.
"Blondie, do you really think Cass would go back to that island?" Eugene asks her, stepping away from the ropes. "I mean, with all the cursed idols, giant fire-breathing house flies, and crazy fish people? Actually, come to think of, Cassandra is a pretty good fit for that place."
Harmony elbows him slightly. "Ow!"
"This is our best lead so far. We haven't heard from her in months. And then suddenly, Owl shows up with a fruit that can only be found on Tirapai Island? I would say that's a pretty good sign. At the very least, it'll be nice to see Alfons and the other Lorbs again."
"Oh, right, the little leaf guys who think they're superior to human beings. They are a delight!" Eugene comments as the island is in their sights.
"Come on, they changed a little bit before we left," Harmony glances at him.
"They've been around for years. Change isn't exactly their thing," Varian shakes his head at her.
"Exactly, Goggles," Eugene points at the boy.
Soon, they land near the Lorb village, which is lit with the birthday lanterns. Rapunzel opens up the door and steps onto the sand first, followed by her sister, then Eugene, then Varian.
"Hello?" Rapunzel calls out as no one seems to be around.
"Little leaf people, hello?" Eugene tries next.
"Alfons?"
"Lorbs?" Varian looks around.
"Well, their little leaf people village looks empty. I was not expecting it to be this-"
A scream interrupts Eugene and they look up to see a bird from a tree. Harmony rolls her eyes at this. "He did that on purpose," Eugene mutters, Rapunzel giggling as she follows after him.
"Must've came here after we left," Varian shrugs as the two follow.
"Hello?" Rapunzel calls for them again. "Alfons? Okay, so no Lorbs..." She peeks inside a hut.
"Which is kind of weird. You'd think they'd be around in their own village," Harmony glances around all the houses.
"It's the fleinfloopers! Hello, is anyone there? Anybody home? No?" Rapunzel gets no answer as Eugene picks up a coconut drink.
"Huh, this looks like somebody already drank out of it," Varian inspects the drink, hands on his knees as he looks closer. "And by the looks of it-"
Something rustles from the bushes. "Did you hear that?" Eugene asks everyone.
"Yup," Rapunzel answers, a Lorb coming in out of nowhere.
"Look!" Varian points in its direction. The Lorb screams at the sight of the group and runs off.
"Hey, wait!" The four chase after it. "Stop! Come back! Ugh, we just have a few questions!" Rapunzel takes the lead, jumping over a fallen tree. The Lorb runs into a few bushes and the four run past them. Rapunzel pushes past some vines.
"This little guy sure can move! And with such little legs!" Eugene couldn't help but comment.
"But why is he running away from us?" Harmony turns to them as she and Varian run side-by-side.
They run past him hiding behind a leaf and the two princesses stop to stare at him. Varian and Eugene come back with Owl and Daisy. Rapunzel pokes him and he screams.
"Don't hurt me, wild fleinfloopers!" He pleads with them.
"Don't you recognize us?" Rapunzel smiles gently at him.
"We were here a few months ago?" Varian asks the little leaf.
He stares at them, shrugging. "Hmm...Eh, sorry, all fleinfloopers look alike. Except the new one," He jumps off the rock, confusing them.
"What? The new one? Could he mean...Cass?" Rapunzel asks slowly as they follow him.
"Either way, this does prove that someone else is here on the island like we were," Varian glances at everyone. "The marks on the rim from the coconut are too big to come from a Lorb."
"And if it is Cass...hopefully we're prepared for that," Harmony takes a deep breath. Both of them can easily control black rocks, but Cass only starting to control them seems to have no effect on the teenage girl, a fact that was honestly more relieving than concerning. And it means that Cass isn't as skilled from the moonstone's power at the moment...
The little Lorb leads the group to the others, where they're celebrating. "You can tell the new one apart by his mustache," He informs them.
"Mustache?" Rapunzel asks in surprise.
"Okay, so not Cass...who do we know that has one?" Varian looks up at Eugene.
"Well, there's Nigel, Lance, Edmund..." Harmony lists as they look up ahead to see a Lorb conga line...and at the end of it is the Captain of the Guards himself! He's wearing a beige shirt, tan pants, a red scarf around his neck, bracelets, has a belt around his waist, and is barefoot for once like the two princesses. He's grown a beard in the time that he's been gone.
"Or the Captain!" Harmony's eyes widen at him.
"Princesses? Fitzherbert! Varian!" He dances towards the shocked group. "What a surprise!" He engulfs all of them into a group bear hug. "Join the party!"
"Captain?! What are you doing here?" Rapunzel asks the man as he's dancing.
"Why haven't you left?" Harmony glances around the island. A ferry would've come for him multiple times in the months that he's been gone from the mainland, so why didn't he get on one?
"I think they call this one the Glaushsnuffer," He pats the yellow Lorb on the head. "Aren't these Lorb fellas great?"
"No, not really. They treated us like pets," Eugene informs him.
"Hmm," The Captain rubs his chin. "Didn't have that problem."
"That's because we love his mustache!" The Lorb nearby tells them.
"His mustache?" Eugene laughs a bit. "Really? That's the reason?! Well, look, it's not my fault my face is perfectly suited to a goatee."
"Lord, not that topic again," Harmony rolls her eyes in recognition.
"Here we go," Varian rolls his eyes with a slightly annoyed look on his face. They knew that he's always taking care of himself, not that they hated it. They just don't want to hear him talk about his methods every single time...and this goatee thing was always something he brought up with the two of them.
"Oh, I know, I know. No one's making fun of your perfectly sculpted face," Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder. "But Captain, really, what are you doing here? Xavier said you left Corona months ago to look for us."
"No one's heard from you since then," Harmony frowns a bit.
"I did! And I searched for you for a long time. After a while, word travelled that you'd returned to Corona. And Cassandra had made...other arrangements."
The teens tense up as he glances away at the mention of her betrayal. Rapunzel puts a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling about the whole thing. "Captain...I know how difficult this must be for you."
"Difficult? No. See, that's what makes this island so great! Come, come, I want you to meet someone," He waves them forward.
"There's another person on the island?" Varian blinks at him. "I thought he went off on his own."
"He did," Harmony glances to the others, having a bad feeling about this. "Look, I don't like this..."
They follow him and someone is sitting in front of the fire. A four-year-old Cassandra with long hair and dressed in the same outfit she was in when the Captain found her is standing there...
"Hi, Daddy," She greets with a smile.
"Cassandra?!" The four ask, baffled at her appearance.
"But that's..."
"Cassandra, my daughter!" The Captain introduces her happily.
"Um...Captain, while she may look like Cassandra-"
"Can it, Fitzherbert!" She narrows her eyes slightly at him and he laughs nervously.
"Ha ha ha. And she certainly sounds like her. Uh, I can't help but think you may have overlooked one small detail: She's four!"
"Daddy, watch me!" Cassandra calls out and the Captain walks up to her eagerly.
"What is it, Cassandra?"
"This must be why Owl brought us here," Rapunzel whispers to the others. "Do you sense her because...well, because of what happened with Cass?"
"I don't think so," Harmony shakes her head. "It's definitely not the real Cass, but there's something not right about her. I don't know what is it yet, but whatever it is...it's bad."
"I think being on the island for so long has made him a little..." Varian twirls his finger near his head.
Owl hoots from the tree branch, Cass playing with blocks. "Ooh, what do we have here, little one?"
"Captain, uh, a word please?" Rapunzel gets his attention and he goes over to them. Cass smiles at the blocks, Pascal and Daisy appearing in front of her. She slowly turns her head at them creepy like and they squeak in alarm, backing away. "Captain...um...where did she...come from?"
"Yeah, umm, I'm not sure how all...this happened," Harmony points between the Captain and Cass.
"Oh, I understand your concern. At first, I couldn't believe it either. But now I think I can explain."
"Well, we're all ears," Eugene comes over, arms crossed.
"I guess sometimes the universe simply hears your heart's desire," He says slowly.
"Well, that clears that up. Thanks," The former thief replies in confusion, Rapunzel raising a baffled brow.
"...Yeah, that was," Harmony clears her throat, rubbing her neck. "Interesting to hear, but I think we need a little more clarification."
"And, um, go back to the heart's desire thing?" Varian raises a hand.
"And gives you a second chance..." He looks to Cassandra.
"It's time for shalpendoofen!" A Lorb announces as they start doing the limbo.
"Oh, shalpendoofen!" The Captain places Cass on his shoulder. "They always win, but maybe today's our day! Right, Cass?"
"That's right, Daddy!" She smiles, hugging his neck. They run off to go join in. The four glance at each other, worried looks growing on their faces. This was obviously not the right solution to deal with Cass and her...life choices.
"Guys...we all know it's not really our Cass, but this Cass still gives me a bad vibe," Harmony glances to the little girl.
They stare as the two stand behind the Lorbs. One thing they notice is that the little Cass has no shadow from the rock nearby. It's like there's no proof that she's even sitting there, and they gasp at the sight.
"She doesn't have a shadow?!" Eugene exclaims once they're sitting on tree branches. "Now that is creepy. And normal Cass is creepy enough. So this little girl, what is she?!"
"I don't know," Rapunzel paces nearby. "I don't know! But we do know there is dangerous magic on this island, so we gotta figure out where she came from before the Captain or anyone gets hurt."
"And we all know that their magic has consequences..." Varian closes his eyes, crossing his arms.
"I just wish I could detect what exactly...created her or caused her to appear, or...I don't know!" Harmony couldn't think of a third thing since this was new, and they didn't know off the top of their heads what could've caused this. "But that's why I must be able to sense danger from her, because she was brought by magic!"
"And because she's creepy," Varian points out.
"That too."
"Okay, so, what's our plan?" Eugene asks the blonde.
"Um, I-I need you, Varian, and Owl to poke around and see if you can find out what type of magic this could be."
Owl hoots, joining Eugene's shoulder. "And more importantly, how to get rid of it. Meanwhile, Pascal, Harmony, Daisy, and I will keep an eye on that...uh...whatever she is. There's no telling what kind of danger the Captain could be in."
"And if he knows about that danger, well..." Harmony glances away, remembering what happened with that idol. "It doesn't bode well. Either he just doesn't understand...or he's aware of it and is fine with endangering himself or others."
Though she really hopes it's not the latter.
Little Cass sniffs the pink flowers in her hands the next morning. "Daddy, Daddy, look what I found!" She smiles, running past the group.
"So nice of you to join us on our outing today, Princesses," The Captain states to the two sisters. The two eye the little girl as she bends down to the sand.
"Uh huh, sure. Fun, fun fun fun. Fun is good..." They notice that Cass has suddenly disappeared, looking around for her. Rapunzel looks at a bush while Harmony looks past a tree. She tiptoes towards the Captain with a sinister look on her face, hiding something behind her back.
Their mouths open in shock. "Captain, watch out!" Rapunzel pushes her out of the way while Harmony takes out her bow and arrow, pointing it at Cass threateningly. The Captain notices Rapunzel holding up Cass while she's on her back. She puts down the little girl.
"I wanted Daddy to do my hair..." She holds up a hairbrush. The Captain clears his throat, stepping up to the blonde.
"Um, I...Oh! I-I thought I saw...a-a bee," Rapunzel stammers to the man.
"And I was...gonna get it with my arrow!" Harmony laughs sheepishly, feeling really embarrassed.
"It was a big bee...so big, and didn't want you to get stung," Rapunzel glances at the blank-looked Cass, Harmony smiling widely.
Meanwhile, the boys are checking Alfons' hut for any clues as to what they're dealing with. "Hmm," Eugene eyes the bookshelf, Varian looking over his shoulder. "Right!" He picks up the tiny book with his hands. "This one! Nope, I'm not seeing anything in any of these books that could explain where Little Miss Most-Likely-to-Eliminate-Us-All-In-Our-Sleep came from."
Owl shrugs at him as Varian continues looking through the shelf. "Yes, it is possible I missed it!" Eugene rolls his eyes. "Did you see how small this writing is?" He holds up the tiny book from his hand.
"This isn't gonna be easy," Varian sighs at this.
Rapunzel and Harmony are standing at the top of a cliff. They turn around to notice Cass running across a field towards the Captain.
"She's gonna push him! No, no, no, no, no! No, don't you dare-"
However, Cass has something in her hand, which is a kite. "Start without us!" Rapunzel finishes slowly. "We love kites! Ah! They're like lanterns' cousins, aren't they?" She laughs awkwardly. "Harmi, back me up on this."
"Umm, yeah, they both fly...into the air and stuff..." Harmony glances away as the two stare at the sisters weirdly.
Eugene lays out a piece of paper in front of a stone, Owl flying onto his shoulder. "Well, not sure if these mean anything, but maybe the girls could help us make heads or tails out of them."
"Yeah, maybe Mona's read about it," Varian examines the inscription.
"Ohh, poor lost fleinfloopers!" A female Lorb coos nearby. "Can I help you find your owners?"
"No, see, we don't have an owner."
"Stray fleinfloopers! Stray fleinfloopers!" She starts shouting.
"Is this a sign that I should go for a mustache?" Eugene comments to Owl, who nods in agreement.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once, I agree," Varian whispers to him.
"Stray fleinfloopers! Stray fleinfloopers!"
The Lorbs start chasing after the two with nets and they run off. They run right past the two as they hug a vine above them. Eugene gets down, helping Varian onto his feet. They see a cave with vines blocking it.
"Hello? Someone in here?" He steps inside, and grunting can be heard.
"Hello?" Varian follows him and they see something, gasping.
Cass is digging up sand. Pascal and Daisy walk up to the tiny hole, looking up at the...happy family. They look further to see a crab crawling around. Pascal, thinking it was a spider, grabs it with his mouth, running away when the crab pinches its claws towards him.
Pascal turns into the colors of a crab, pointing the crab to the left. He sighs in relief once the crab has left, turning back to normal. Daisy squeaks in laughter and he glares at the duckling.
"Maybe she's not dangerous, guys..." Rapunzel says, hugging her knees.
Harmony crosses her arms, raising a brow as Pascal squeaks. Daisy chirps, pointing to the little girl.
"I know she's not Cass, but...look how happy they are." They watch the Captain chase Cass, smiling a bit.
"Even if she's not...this isn't healthy," Harmony gestures to them. "He can't hang onto this...this image of Cass forever. And she's not even a real person."
"I know that...but if she's harmless, why should he have to lose her again?" Rapunzel asks slowly.
"Daddy, Daddy, higher!" She exclaims as he holds her up into the air. He brings the girl down to look at her.
"No one's ever going to harm you, little one. You're safe with me," He presses their foreheads together. He places her down and they continue to play in the water.
"Rapunzel...I know it's hard, but...he's going to have to deal with these emotions in a way that works for him. And this...this is not it," Harmony shakes her head slowly.
The Captain carries the sleeping Cass back to the village, placing her in a hut. "Good night, princesses," He tells them, crawling inside and closing the door.
"Psst! Girls!" Eugene whispers from a hut behind them.
"Eugene! Varian!" Rapunzel exclaims at them, sagging her shoulders. "Look, I'm starting to rethink-"
"Rapunzel, Mona, wait," Varian stops her.
"What?"
"You have to follow us, now," Eugene urges the two.
"Ah, there they are!" A female Lorb shouts nearby.
"And the faster, the better," Eugene finishes, running off with Varian in tow. The two princesses run after them, deciding to wonder about this later.
"What?" Rapunzel whispers as the boys lead them into the cave. "What is it? Did you find something?"
"More like...someone," He moves away a leaf.
"Guys, meet..." Varian gestures to Alfons.
"Alfons!" The two exclaim with smiles.
"Where have you been?" Rapunzel questions first.
"And do you know what's been going on around here?" Harmony gestures to outside.
"We found him locked up," Eugene explains to them.
"Yes, it was awful! The mustached fleinflooper. He did this!"
"The Captain?" Rapunzel glances to her sister.
"But why would he do that?" Varian raises a brow.
"Oh yeah. Follow me. I will explain everything," He jumps onto the ground, walking across the cave. "The mustached fleinflooper came for this: The Fountain of Anbietengenpfeifen. It was enchanted by the Lorb Warlock, Horb, to grant wishes," He moves away the vines to reveal a drawing of the fountain, the warlock, and the stream of water.
"So that's how four-year-old Cass got here. He wished for her!" Rapunzel frowns towards the others.
"And that's why she has no shadow, because wishes come with a price," Harmony narrows her eyes slightly.
"I first suspected the mustached fleinflooper's intentions when I found him digging in search of the fountain's magical coin. I tried to warn him, but he didn't listen, and locked me up!" Alfons explains to them.
"Warn him of what?" Eugene asks him.
"You know firsthand of the wickedness behind Lorb magic. The fountain gives you what you want...at first," He touches some leaves nearby.
"At first?" Rapunzel wonders slowly. "Oh, let me guess. Then the wickedness comes in."
"After what we all went through on this island, are you really surprised?" Harmony asks her sister.
"Yes. Unless the wisher takes his wish back, the fountain takes even the purest of wishes, and twists them into the darkest nightmares," He moves away the leaves to reveal a pompoen fruit that came to life, breathing fire at the villagers. "At sunset, on the 9th day."
"When did he make the wish?" Rapunzel questions and he says nothing. "...Oh, nine days ago." She glances to the others.
"Of course..." Eugene murmurs slowly.
"Ohh, I knew there was something off about her..." Harmony pinches her nose, slowly shaking her head. "It's the 9 day-old magic that I've sensed off of her. It doesn't have that weak of a sense since it's been over a week, but it's there..."
"I've always wondered, what's it like when you sense that stuff? Is it like a smell or hearing?" Eugene asks her.
"Well, more like all of them at once."
"Wait, so you can…taste it in your mouth?" Varian asks her incredibly.
"It really depends on the intentions of the person or object or magic. But yeah, I can taste it. This one tastes like gumdrops since we're dealing with a four-year-old…being." She smiles a bit. "Reminds me of Monty."
"No fair, I wanna taste it in my mouth!" Eugene pouts at her.
"Okay, first we find the Captain and get him to take back the wish. Then, when we get back, we'll go visit Monty for some sweets. I'm suddenly craving a lollipop…" Rapunzel murmurs to herself as they run off.
"Captain!" Rapunzel knocks on the hut's door once they've returned. "We really need to talk!"
"And it's important," Harmony places her hand on her hip. The door opens a few seconds later and the Captain peeks out.
"Look, we know about the fountain," Rapunzel speaks up.
"And that you tied up Alfons because you didn't want to listen to him," Harmony points to the leader.
He looks around and closes the door behind him. "I know this is really hard to hear, but..."
"Something really bad is coming if you don't take that wish back right now!" Eugene pleads with the man.
"Trust me, Captain, we've experienced it first hand. You don't want this for yourself," Varian warns him.
"You're putting everyone and the island in danger!" Harmony exclaims, gesturing to the village.
"It's worth the price," He replies stubbornly.
"But the magic on this island nearly did us in. You cannot take that risk!" Rapunzel elaborates to him, but they don't know how much he really wants this not just for himself, but for Cassandra.
"We risked our friendships, our relationships with each other because of the magic here," Varian glances to everyone, holding Harmony's hand.
"I have to risk it! It's my only hope! Girls...when I said I stopped looking for Cassandra...I lied."
At Demanitus' maze, he was alone, or so he thought. Someone moved past him from one of the walls above. Being the Captain, he noticed that someone was watching and looked around in alarm. He turned around as she landed behind him, jumping away.
He pulled out his sword.
"I traveled tirelessly in search for my daughter, and then..."
Cass, who had gotten paler, swung her black rock sword at him. She quickly disarmed him and kicked him onto the floor.
"I found her."
"Cassandra!" He shouted as she stood in front of him with gritted teeth. "Why have you turned your back on the princesses?!"
"How dare you ask me that?!" She pointed her sword at him. "You knew all along how much was taken from me! You KNEW who my mother was, and you kept it from me! And how do you repay me? You made me take care of that little stupid brat for years!"
"Cassandra, I only did what I-"
"You only did what was best for yourself! That's all anyone in my life has ever done! Well now, that's what I'm doing!" She accused him. They hadn't seen each other since she left, and she had a lot of time for her anger to fester not just towards her former friends, but to him. He raised her for years, and all that time, he never told her the truth.
And she always HATED the fact that he got her to take care of someone who had what belonged to her all along.
"This is mine! This is my destiny!" She gritted her teeth.
"I command you to surrender!" He shouted at her.
"Never!" She instead cut supports to the door, turning around and leaving him caved inside the room.
"Cassandra!" He called out, but she left him behind. He crawled to the top, horrified by her actions. He could only watch her run off. "Cassandra, no!"
She jumped off the edge of the wall. "She was filled with a rage I have never seen...that person...wasn't Cassandra."
He gives a sad look towards the ground at the memory, closing his eyes. "So you see, this is the only way I can fix my mistakes," He walks off, the four feeling bad for him. They couldn't believe that he saw Cass with his own eyes...and yet she treated him in that way.
"Captain, please. We are out of time," Rapunzel tries pleading with him again. "It's almost sundown!"
"Whatever is going to happen could start at any-"
The ground shakes, interrupting Harmony. They look at the sun to see it setting.
"Moment," Harmony murmurs in despair.
Rapunzel knocks at the hut again. "Captain, you don't understand! Only you can take your wish back. If you don't take that coin out of the fountain...the Lorb magic will turn on you."
"It's not something you can handle on your own, whether or not you think you can fight back!" Harmony slams down a fist.
"Blondie, Brownie...I think that ship has sailed," Eugene says in concern. A bird lands on a tree, but it's not any ordinary bird. "I recognize that bird..."
More of them arrive.
"Hello," Bird Cass turns around, followed by others.
"Hello."
"Hello," The others say in unison, narrowing their eyes at the group.
"...So glad we came back to this island. RUN!"
They take off running as the Cass birds fly after them. "Okay, okay, I don't know what wickedness I was expecting, but it definitely was not this!"
"It must have to do with the wish!" Varian covers his hair, a Cass bird pecking at his arms. "Ow!" Owl and Daisy try to fend them off, and they come to a stop in shock to see Cass in her knight armor.
"Well," She cuts some leaves away. "Hello, friends."
More of Cass arrive, some wearing her lady-in-waiting outfit, one of them Kid Cass, and another in her regular outfit. They laugh at the group, stepping forward. The Cass birds fly behind them, leaving them completely surrounded.
"Okay, you know what? I am now officially creeped out," Harmony murmurs as she stares at all of them.
"Alright guys, let's do this. And just remember, they are not the real Cass," Eugene warns her as she undoes her hair. Varian pulls out some of his chem balls as Harmony takes out her bow and arrow. She draws her bow as she brings her elbow to her face slowly.
The Cass army charges and Rapunzel throws her hair at three of them. She trips them onto the ground. Eugene jumps over them, blocking swords from two regular Casses. The one behind him laughs, leaping forward.
"You're still here?"
"I thought Raps would've dumped you by now."
"Your goatee looks as dumb as ever," The one in front of him grits his teeth.
"Oh, well now I'm keeping the goatee just to spite you!"
"Not real, Eugene!" Harmony calls out as she fires her arrow, and when it hits a Cass, they disappear into thin air.
"I know, but I had to say it!" He grins widely, to her annoyance.
Varian tosses a chem ball at a group, trapping their feet with a sticky substance.
Owl and Daisy are facing the Cass birds.
"And you! And you!"
The duo look at all the birds as they chirp, coming in closer. The two fly away as the Cass birds begin to chase them.
Rapunzel faces a group of Cass that has her maiden outfit. "Oh, hello Cassandras..." She looks around as more copies surround her. "Cassandris? Cassandries? H-How would you like me to address you?" She doesn't get an answer as she runs forward straight into the four Casses. They start pulling at her hair and clothes.
"Don't fight me. Rapunzel, you have to wear your shoes." One of them actually tries to put shoes on her.
Two of them have apples as they cut them into 8 perfect slices. They toss them at Pascal and Alfons, knocking the leader down. Pascal looks up at them and grabs a leaf, using that to catapult the slices back at one.
"You're gonna pay for that!"
"Just let me brush your hair!"
They don't notice that Rapunzel has gotten out of the group, running away from them. She then notices that two Casses are attacking the hut that the Captain and little Cass are in.
"Dad! Dad, are you in there?"
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" The kid Cass slams onto the hut with a small hammer. Harmony steps back near her sister, firing an arrow and causing a Cass to disappear.
"Pst, Harmi!" Rapunzel whispers to her. Harmony glances over her shoulder, stepping backwards in case someone attacks them from behind. The girl turns around and sees what's happening. They run towards the back, peeking through a crack. "Captain, please! You have to undo the wish!"
She doesn't see either of them inside as the Casses outside are starting to break through. "He's gone."
"But not very far..." Harmony turns around as she can sense 4-year-old Cass. She taps her sister's shoulder and she turns around to see the Captain running towards the hot air balloon.
"Don't be afraid, little one. Daddy's got you."
"Wait!" Rapunzel calls out to him. "Please! You have to undo the wish."
"Can't you see what you've done?" Harmony points to the hut.
"I don't wanna hear it, Rapunzel and Harmony!" He starts up the hot air balloon. "I have my daughter back!"
"Captain, I know these feelings are real. But she's not! The real Cass is still out there somewhere!"
"Daddy?" The little Cass looks up at him.
"Listen to us, soldier. You do not just get to forget about Cass and start over. Family sticks together!" Rapunzel insists to him, reminding him of how family doesn't abandon each other.
"This isn't you, Captain," Harmony shakes her head. "You are strong, and loyal. And in all of the years that I have known you, you would never endanger lives and leave them to deal with it. This is selfish, and I know you miss Cassandra, but this is not how you deal with her being gone. Not to mention, you're leaving with OUR balloon and abandoning people in need!"
He looks down at the Cass in his arms, closing his eyes. He has another chance, why should he get to throw it away? The real Cass...wasn't coming back in his mind. And with that, he closes the basket, shocking them.
"No, girls! This is my only chance!"
"No!" They protest as they watch the balloon leave.
"I know I can do right by her this time!"
Eugene and Varian scream as they run up to the group, Pascal and Alfons on his shoulders.
"Get 'em!"
The army of Cass laughs as they're chasing after the two. Rapunzel lets down her hair. "Everybody, hang on!" Rapunzel runs up to the water, snatching the basket with her hair. Harmony grabs on as they're lifted up to the air. Eugene and Varian just barely manage to get on, looking up at the balloon. The Captain looks down at the little Cass and puts her down.
"Now we can start over, Daddy! Right? No one but you and me," She states, and he looks to the left...seeing that she has no shadow. He recoils back in shock, taking a deep breath. "Daddy?" She looks up at him pleadingly and he sighs. What he's done...wasn't worth this anymore. He knows now that she's not the real Cass, and that Harmony is right. What kind of person was he to leave people behind to danger?
"I can't believe it!" Rapunzel looks up at him. "He's given up."
The Captain pulls the lever so that the hot air balloon turns around. They head back to the island.
"He will pay."
"Get them!"
"Would you believe I'm actually starting to miss the real Cass?" Eugene looks down at the army. "I mean, her charm, her wit, the fact that there was only one of her?"
"Uhh," Varian says nervously, since the only one isn't on their side.
"Okay, bad choice of words."
"You think?" Harmony retorts back. The army of Cass starts following them. The balloon lands as the four land on solid ground. The Captain jumps out of the basket once the balloon lands and he turns around to the sisters.
"Princesses...you're both right. I haven't failed Cassandra yet. Just as long as I don't abandon my daughter. My real daughter. And I have been selfish with my actions...this method...isn't right. For me or for Cassandra," He looks at the little Cass.
"He will pay for his wish!"
"Captain, go! We'll hold them off!" Rapunzel orders him and he runs off with the 4-year-old Cass. Harmony's eyes widen as she slowly turns around.
"...No..." She murmurs in shock at the sight.
"Rapunzel. Harmony," A blue-haired Cass steps up, pulling out her sword.
"That is one of the fake Casses, right?" Eugene laughs nervously.
"Is she?" Varian asks his girlfriend in concern.
"...I..." She clamps her mouth shut as she's really not sure. She gets the same vibe from her as she does from the one who has no shadow...she shakes her head rapidly, noticing something from the Cass in front of them. "No. She's not. At this point, the moonstone's changed her skin, and she has more tan skin than the real one."
"How do you know that?" Eugene asks the girl.
"She has the part of the moonstone that can affect her that way. I don't have pale skin like she does now because I have the other half. I've been looking into it," Harmony closes her eyes. "Ever since the red rocks."
"She's right. You are not real," Rapunzel grits her teeth at her.
"Heh. You would say that. You never take me seriously, and you always listen to her!" She runs up to the duo. Harmony snaps out of it and joins her sister's side. Rapunzel knocks three away while deflecting another. She then throws a guard Cass away onto the sand. Harmony fires her arrow rapidly, poofing away some Casses.
"This doesn't bother you?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask her sister.
"Would you rather I used my black rocks on this beautiful island?" Harmony raises a brow at her sister.
"Why are you still hanging around a kid for?" One of the Casses mocks and the girl shoots her arrow at her with almost no remorse. She already knew that they're not real and that the real Cass didn't regret her actions. But real or not, no one calls her a kid and gets away with it.
"Okay, fair point. Shoot all the arrows you want," Rapunzel narrows her eyes, a bit peeved by that kid comment. She doesn't see her sister as a child in any way.
Eugene is sword fighting with two of them. Alfons is on his shoulder as he tries to hold them off. A Cass is about to tackle him from behind when he ducks, and one Cass hits the other. He finds himself surrounded by them.
Varian ducks from a sword, his apron getting pulled at from behind. Varian throws a blue chem ball, trapping two in bubbles. He smirks a little before he dives out of the way, two Casses knocking into each other, and then they swarm him.
Rapunzel trips a Cass, the blue-haired one pointing her sword at her. The other ones behind her step forward as Harmony goes to grab an arrow. Her eyes widen as she doesn't feel anything, glancing over her shoulder to see that she's out.
"Uh oh."
"Daddy, what are we doing? Why are we here?" Four-year-old Cass asks curiously as they've reached the fountain. He puts her down gently. He holds her hands.
"I'm sorry, Cassandra...I'm so sorry..."
Eugene suddenly lands behind them. "You gotta take the coin out, Cap! We can't do it for you!" He informs, running back outside.
"You mean...you're gonna leave me?" 4-year-old Cass questions sadly.
"No...I'll never leave you. The real you. From now on, I'll always be with you..." He leans forward, seeing the lone coin in the water. The little Cass looks over his shoulder.
"No, Daddy," She pleads with him. "Please don't. Please!" She cups his cheeks as his eyes widen. The begging look in her little eyes is almost tempting...
The blue-haired Cass runs up to the princesses and they charge back. The three leap into the air in front of the moon, clashing. They land on opposite sides, Rapunzel holding her arm. Harmony holds her side as the two boys slide up to them. They stand together as the army surrounds them.
"Okay Eugene, Harmi, you take the hundred on the right. Varian and I will take the hundred on my left!"
They start laughing as they press their backs together, and then suddenly the birds disappear. All of the Casses disappear into thin air before they could touch any of them. They smile in relief, turning to the entrance of the cave. The Captain steps out slowly, holding the coin in his fist. He tosses it onto the ground and it slides onto the sand.
"Let's go get my daughter back."
Once the sun has risen, they're all prepared to go back home. The Captain shakes hands with Alfons. "Sorry for all the trouble."
"Mm. Say no more. This island seems to have that effect on fleinfloopers. Hmm."
Eugene pulls the rope and they take off. "We'll find her, Captain," Rapunzel tells him.
"I won't give up until we do..."
"We'll miss you, mustached fleinflooper!" Alfons waves along with the other Lorbs. "And you too, wild fleinflooper!"
Rapunzel, Harmony, and Varian wave to them.
"It's good to have you back, Cap," Eugene smiles at the man.
"It truly is. Let's go home," They look out to the view, flying towards the sun.
Harmony is still facing the island, smiling weakly. Varian joins her side, placing his cloak over her in case she gets cold. He had left it in the basket if the weather was windy.
"Thanks."
He smiles slightly, glancing away. "...How long have you been looking into the moonstone?"
"A few weeks. I wasn't going to tell you unless I was sure...but I know the truth now. There are certain things that I can't do that Cass can, and vice versa. And I don't know what that'll mean for you or for the people I care about."
"Mona-"
"I know," She squeezes her eyes shut. "I should've came to you first, or even my sister, but the more I learn about the moonstone, the more dread I feel," She hugs herself tighter. "I just hope that you can forgive me..."
"Actually, I was going to say that you did a great job being able to keep yourself together," He kisses her cheek and she looks at him in surprise. "I understand why you felt like you couldn't tell me, and I'm not mad either." He wraps an arm around her. "No matter what you do, I still love you."
He pokes her nose with his finger, causing her to giggle. "Thanks, Vari."
"I know that having this burden is hard," Rapunzel places a hand on her sister's shoulder, both of them turning to her. Both of them were wondering how long they've been standing there listening. "But we'll figure it out together, Harmi."
She gives her little sister a big hug and Harmony smiles at her embrace.
"By the way," Eugene starts off curiously. "I'm just wondering, when you sense Cass, what's the, what's the verdict there?"
"Sour grapes," She deadpans at this question. "Why do you think I use so many breath mints?"
Unfortunately, she can sense Cass at all times, due to them sharing the power of the moonstone. This is exactly why she keeps mints in her bag.
"Ohh," Varian blinks in understanding. "That just clarified 50% of my life."
All of them laugh at his statement. Not that he minded sour grapes anyway…
"Wait, wait. What about the Great Tree?"
"Oh, that? Sometimes apples, acorns…pine nuts. But taste is only occasionally. I sense more with touch in my physical body and smell too."
"I can't believe I'm only now just learning this." Varian chuckles softly at her. "I can't believe that I'm hearing it!"
"You never asked," Harmony shrugs sheepishly. "I don't usually complain because it's natural to me now. Taste was rare out of my senses…"
"Ooh, ooh, what about Mrs. Sugarby?"
She starts explaining to them all about it and they listen with amazement.
The Great Tree is in pieces, black rocks pointing to it. Cass and the Enchanted Girl are in the scroll room. The woman sighs in frustration.
"I told you. This is all that's left of the Great Tree." She didn't know why the ghost insisted on coming here when there was nothing useful to salvage. "The incantations were destroyed."
"Those incantations were our only hope of unlocking the power of the moonstone. Aside from the Demanitus scroll, but that was destroyed millennia ago."
Cass' eyes widen at the mention of it. "Did you say Demanitus scroll?" She remembers him well, the whole trip was partly because of him. She chuckles as she knows where to go next.
"Looks like our next stop...is Corona."