Thunder strikes as it rains. Cass is facing someone outside.
"It doesn't matter how many of you there are. Each of you will fall!"
The guards from Corona run up to her, but she knocks them all back with a slash from her sword. The Captain is not too far away.
"Cassandra! Stand down!" He warns her, but she doesn't listen.
"You're the one that should stand down, Father...while you still can," She narrows her eyes at him.
"You know I can't do that," He pulls out his sword.
"Then you will fall like the others!" She declares, sending black rocks towards him. He steps over them and runs up to her. He throws his sword and the hilt hits the moonstone, crushing it to pieces. "No! My power!"
He points his sword at her. "I don't need my powers to defeat you," She stands up, holding her weapon with both hands.
"Cassandra...I can't fight you," He shakes his head slowly.
"Then you will never be able to protect Corona," She grits her teeth, running towards him. He strikes at her, and then there's a flash.
The Captain sits up in his room, as it was all just a dream. He pants as it's still raining outside, placing his hands over his eyes. He knew that they'll have to fight Cassandra when the time is right, but...he couldn't do it.
He just can't.
The next morning, he's gathered all citizens and royalty to give the news. "King Frederic. Queen Arianna. As the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard, I have sworn to defend this kingdom against all who threaten it. But as a father, I cannot face my daughter in battle. And so it is with a heavy heart that I...retire from my post."
Everyone gasps at this, Pete even fainting with Stan catching his partner. Arianna and Frederic glance at each other. They don't want to force him to fight Cassandra...they wouldn't ask any father to fight their daughter.
"Captain, you have served Corona with loyalty and pride for so many years. Thank you."
"And we respect your decision," Arianna tells him.
"And as for my replacement...it was a very difficult decision. There are so many qualified guards."
"Can we get some water over here?" Stan calls out as he holds Pete.
"Have any of these guards ever successfully guarded anything?" Lance whispers as he nudges Eugene. Harmony gives him a look.
"My replacement has put his life on the line for Corona countless times, and so it is with utmost confidence that I recommend Eugene Fitzherbert!"
He holds out the helmet to the man, who spits out the tea he was drinking. "What?!" He asks in shock.
"Ha ha! Captain Fitzherbert!" Lance puts an arm around him. "I like the sound of that! Hey, uh, buddy, I have a few outstanding citations so if those could somehow, you know, disappear?" He chuckles a bit, Harmony narrowing her eyes.
"No, and I will disapprove of those if they ever fall in front of my parents," Harmony whispers to him, causing the man to pout.
"What do you say, Fitzherbert?" Captain smiles at him.
"Me?!"
"Captain of the Guard?!" Eugene whips around to the two sisters, now dressed in a red coat, white pants, and gloves. "What was he thinking?"
Rapunzel chuckles as she holds the helmet. "That you're the perfect choice!" She holds it out to his head as she can see him wearing it.
"You wanted to be a guard 2 years ago, anyway," Harmony smiles up at him. "And remember, the Captain used to hate you. This is a step up, Eugene!"
"Oh, l-look, I'm flattered by everyone's support. I really am. It's just that me? Come on! I was a legendary thief! I was Flynn Rider!"
"Ah, you were Flynn Rider," Rapunzel points out. "Now, you're Eugene. Maybe give this Captain thing a shot," She stands up, taking his hands.
"Come on! Let's check over here!" Stan's voice calls out from the hall. They peek out of the door to see Pete and Stan running past.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, what's the commotion?" Eugene asks him.
"The princesses' crowns, they've been stolen! Again!" He shouts, running after Pete.
"Ohh, sounds like the kind of thing the Captain of the Guard might handle. Huh? Hm?" Rapunzel nudges him slightly.
"First job as Captain, eh?" Harmony grins a bit.
"For the record, I have not yet accepted that position," He reminds them.
"The ceiling!" They see a panel is gone and a rope that's been left behind, the crowns gone from their pillow. "No one would think to stand guard up there! Whoever did this must be a criminal mastermind the likes of which Corona has never seen!"
"Stan, Pete," Eugene speaks up as he, Harmony, and Rapunzel are standing behind him. "I literally committed the exact same crime."
"We really need a safe place to put our crowns," Harmony rubs her chin. "Or at least, to make it so that thieves can't steal them..."
"Sir," One of the guards arrives in the room. "We've got a detailed description of the thief," He holds up the poster.
"Very funny. Who put you up to this?" Eugene deadpans, taking the paper. He holds up the poster to reveal that it's a wanted poster of him. However, the man on that poster has a mustache unlike the previous ones. "Oh, nobody wants to own up, huh? Okay. Well, I'll get to the bottom of this. Brownie, who paints the wanted posters in town?"
"Well, there's an old man in town who does it, and he hasn't retired. But I should tell you-"
"Got it," He walks off to go into Corona.
A person dips red paint onto a paintbrush, painting the wanted word onto the poster. "Perfection..."
The door opens and Eugene storms into the house. "You know, it's one thing you get my nose wrong all these years, but this mustache bit is taking things too far!" He yells at the man. "I demand-" He takes one look at the man and sees that his glasses are cracked. Which is probably what Harmony was trying to tell him.
"Ohh...this was not intentional, and I can see you are very busy, and I will just close this door right now," He closes the door behind him out of embarrassment. He stares at the poster in his hands. "Is it possible there's another Flynn Rider out there...?"
A shadow stands in front of the new poster.
"Rider..." He scratches at the face, ripping it off.
The girls, Lance, Max, Rapunzel, and Eugene are standing in the castle courtyard. Varian and Harmony are standing on top of a box.
"Ladies and gents, I give you the Roo-"
"I just can't believe how much this guy looks like me!" Eugene interrupts rather rudely. "And he's using my moniker-"
An apple hits the back of his head. "Ow!"
Harmony crosses her arms next to Varian, who clears his throat. "We'll wait."
"Oh," Eugene clears his throat awkwardly. "Sorry. But was the apple really necessary?"
"Neither was interrupting, but hey, you live and you learn," She points to him. "Go on, Vari."
"Thank you, I'll start again. I give you..." He wraps his arms around Harmony's waist and together, they jump off the box. "The Rooster!"
He rolls the r as they pull down the rope to reveal the machine. "Or at least it will be once we put it together."
"Our design," Harmony smiles proudly, gesturing to herself.
"It doesn't look like a rooster," Kiera stares at it.
"Uh, it's an early warning system. If Cassandra or any other danger threatens the kingdom, this will fire a glowing mortar into the air and alert everyone in Corona," He places his hands on his hips.
"We kind of got the idea from when we used that cauldron to cross Lumbard's Pass," Harmony giggles slightly.
"Great idea, and a great inspiration! At least something good came out of that. Right, Eugene?" Rapunzel turns to smile at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Eugene?"
He's still staring at the poster. "Sorry, it's just, cheekbones like these, they just don't come around twice in a generation, people. They don't!"
Harmony shakes her head slowly at him. Sometimes his focus is on things that she will never ever understand...
"Eugene," Rapunzel puts the poster down. "This is more important than some fake Flynn Rider."
"Rapunzel, he stole the crowns! I mean, only I could get away with that. Look, Flynn Rider has a reputation. I refuse to have it tarnished by some hack imposter! I am going after him."
"Eugene, you gave that up years ago," Harmony pinches her nose. "Shouldn't you be focusing on being the Captain of the Guard or the Rooster?"
"I will, but after I deal with this!" He gestures to the poster.
"Well then, I'm going with you."
"Ah, ah, hate to nag," Varian holds up a finger. "But who's gonna oversee the Rooster's installation? All military-grade applications require supervision by the Captain himself. Gah!" He whips around to Lance. "Don't touch that."
"Lance, you're acting Captain of the Guard until I get back," Eugene turns to leave.
"Sweet! A promotion!" Lance pumps his fist.
"Ah dah, dah, dah, it's temporary," Rapunzel corrects him.
"Sweet! A temporary promotion."
"Brownie, or Varian, one of you come with us! I need someone smart to explain just how wrong this is to people!" Eugene turns around to them.
"Ugh," Harmony slightly rolls her eyes. Is that really all they're good for?
"I've gotta stay with the Rooster to test it," Varian frowns a little. "Not that I'm not saying she can't handle it, but-"
"I get it," She chuckles knowingly. "You wanna see this through. Don't worry, I'll take care of this with them. Though you should really watch out for these three. Who knows what trouble they'll get into this time?"
"Oh, I can handle them," Varian smirks towards them. "But I wanted you to see it firsthand…"
"If I don't go, he'll bring it over our heads for not helping him. Just show it to me later. Bye Vari," She pecks his lips and walks towards Eugene and Rapunzel, who are walking away with Max. "And Lance, I mean it when I say do. Not. Touch," She glares at him in the same warning tone Varian gave to him.
The imposter is checking himself out with the gems from the crowns. He puts on Rapunzel's and throws his bag over himself, laughing as the coins fall out. Two land on his face.
"I'm getting my vest dirty and I don't even care!" He makes a money angel on the ground. "Hello beautiful," He makes a stack with coins before throwing them up into the air. "It's good to be me!"
Eugene growls as one of the coins spins to a stop. "Would you get a load of this villainous scum, huh?" He turns to the others. "Sorting through his booty with his well-manicured hands." He turns back to the man as he's putting coins in his pants. "Counting his loot with those piercing, almond brown eyes." Then the man is spitting out gold coins like a fountain. "He makes me sick."
He looks back again and sees that the gold and the imposter are gone. "Huh?" He slides to a stop. "Ah, he's onto us. Max!" He whistles with his fingers and Max runs past. He grabs onto the saddle and they take off.
Flynn Rider slides onto the grass, running down the path. He jumps past a tree, Max and Eugene doing the same.
"Come on, Max! This fool is as good as caught!"
Max whinnies as he continues running. "What do you mean he's faster than me?"
Flynn Rider grabs onto a vine, swinging around. He spins around the tree and Eugene swings Rapunzel's frying pan at him. This sends him flying and he hits a tree, falling onto the grass. The two princesses peek from behind the tree.
"Not so fast now, is he, Max?" Eugene brags as they arrive. He gives Rapunzel her frying pan back. Eugene steps down from the horse as they surround him. "Now, time for some answers, huh?" Pascal punches his hands together.
The imposter has his eyes closed, but they open. Then he sees Pascal's tongue in his ear. "Ugh! What is this...is this hair?"
Rapunzel has him tied up. "Yeah, hair does the job."
"Always works," Harmony shrugs a bit, holding her bow and arrow, but not aimed at him.
"Oh, it's your hair? In that case...hi," He pulls off a smolder. "The name's Flynn Rider."
Both of them give annoyed looks. "I suddenly feel like I'm in my sister's shoes today," Harmony murmurs to herself.
"No it's not!" Eugene comes in between the sisters. "No, sorry, nada, full stop," He holds the two crowns in his hand. "You thought you could steal the crowns better than me? Huh? Did ya? Did ya?! Well, you thought wrong."
He hands the crowns to Max. "Can we lock these things up better, please? Thanks. But let's talk about the real offense," He marches up to Flynn Rider. "Grand theft to boot. And how do you look exactly like me?"
"Ha ha ha, buddy. Exactly like you?" He starts laughing, to Eugene's disbelief. "Come on, come on now. Don't flatter yourself."
"No, don't flatter myself. No, don't flatter yourself, buddy! Okay, can you believe this guy? Big talk from a persona stealer," He crosses his arms.
"You stole it first," Flynn Rider quips back.
"I adopted the persona. There is a difference!"
Everyone behind him stares at the two in annoyance. "Law-man sell out."
"Ooh, ooh, who you calling sell out, huh?" Eugene points an angry finger at him. "And you know what? Flynn Rider never had a mustache, so there!"
"That's because yours truly gave him a long overdue upgrade, Big Ears," He smirks and Eugene gasps sharply.
"You, sir, have gone too far," Eugene grips his collar. Rapunzel throws some hair at him, pulling him away.
"Eugene, relax," Rapunzel steps up to him.
"Yeah, Eugene," Flynn Rider chuckles at the name. "Relax."
"Oh, he's just all big talk right now because we caught him," Harmony waves it off. "You really shouldn't be taking other people's identities, even if it's former."
"Aha! See!" Eugene points at her with a big smile.
"Aww, already getting attached to me, sweetheart?"
"Ew. No," She scrunches up her nose in disgust.
"No one can resist all this," He pulls off the smolder again.
"Don't test us, Rider," Rapunzel points at him. "My sister is in a happy relationship, so don't try anything funny or I'll pan you! And I'll let Harmi use you for target practice!"
They hold up their weapons threateningly and he sweats a bit.
"Got it."
"Come on, let's get this Flynnposter back to Corona," Rapunzel walks off. Eugene sighs wearily as they escort him away. None of them notice someone watching them in the shadows.
"In the hands of the law again...I'll bide my time," He smirks slightly, moving away.
Varian is walking down a hall to Harmony's room. "So, before we install the internal chamber..." He's holding an apple.
"No need to consult the schematics!" Lance holds out a hand in front of him. He stands in the sunlight from a window as he's in a guard's uniform with various badges on him. "It's already been assembled."
He escorts Varian up onto the roof of Harmony's room. "And we improved on your design."
His eyes widen as an actual machine rooster is sitting on the roof of the crown princess' room. "Now it actually looks like a rooster! You're welcome."
Varian facepalms at him. The head falls off, landing on Harmony's balcony.
"Why do you always bring people here when you don't even like it yourself?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask as Flynn Rider is heading for the pub.
"I bring people here because I know they will hate it."
Rapunzel's eyes widen at his explanation. That's why he brought her here when they first met...!
"Huh. If you had a different reaction from what you told me, you would've gone back to the tower a long time ago!" Harmony chuckles at her face.
"So there I was, you know, I'm surrounded by a battalion of guards." Flynn is telling a story to the pub thugs, and they're very interested. "All with their arrows drawn and pointed at numero uno, so I hand over the goods and I say...I see...your point," He holds up a dagger and they laugh.
"Where'd you get this guy?" Vlad turns around to the others, pointing at Flynn. "He's great!"
"GREAT?! What, that's not even his story!" Eugene protests at this. "It's mine! And he forgot the best part," He chuckles as he approaches, joining Flynn. "S-So then, the Captain says, lock him up and throw away the key! And then this is where it gets great, he actually does! I spent weeks in jail while they searched for it, but man, it was worth it! For the story, you know." He laughs, but they look bored, and Shorty has even fallen asleep.
"But, uh...I guess you had to be there," He walks away dejectedly back to the others.
"Well, of course, all that is nothing compared to the time I took on the Earl of Camembert, single-handedly," Flynn continues telling another story. Eugene leans back against the bar with a pout, arms crossed.
"Huh," Harmony blinks in realization. "Vari wanted to hear that too when he first met you."
"Eugene, you really need to let your jealousy of this guy go," Rapunzel tells him. "That's not who you are anymore."
"You willingly gave that part up, so why should it bother you this much?" Harmony gestures to the imposter.
"Flynn Rider was the closest thing to an identity I ever had, okay? Sure, I was on the wrong side of the law, but I was my own man! In Corona, I'm just Rapunzel's incredibly attractive boyfriend. Or that super, super good-looking free loader living in the castle. Or the older brother figure to the younger princess. I can't let somebody tarnish my legacy..."
"Legacy?" Rapunzel asks incredibly, scoffing. "You were a thief. Behind each stolen item is someone who's upset or heartbroken that it was taken. Is that a legacy to be proud of?"
"Let's not forget, you stole my crown the day you met Rapunzel," Harmony points at him. "Yes, I was out of town when you returned it, but I was the last broken heart you left behind in a sense. Why would you want to have that left as a legacy?"
"Well honestly, it depends on the-"
The two give him a look that says he should not finish that sentence. "No, no, definitely not!"
"Instead of locking him up, why not try to help him? Wouldn't that be a more rewarding legacy?"
"Not only that, you'll be returning the favor. Rapunzel was the reason you changed, after all," Harmony smiles, gesturing to her sister. "I mean, if Dwayne could change with a lot of effort, then this guy should be a breeze."
"Ahh...you're right, you're right. You're right, you two." He goes over to the table.
"There's the Eugene we know," Rapunzel smiles at the others.
"Excuse me," Eugene clears his throat at the thugs. "Excuse me. Excuse me, can I get by, thank you?" He pushes them away to see that the poster's eyes have been cut out. Shorty's eyes are over it.
"Check out my smolder."
"You helped him escape?!" Eugene turns around to Vlad.
"What? He was funny!" Attila states as he runs up to the secret entrance.
"Oh! And he did it the same way I would have done it!"
He's running in the tunnels when he bumps into someone, falling onto the ground.
"Well, hello again...Rider."
He clears his throat awkwardly. "Do I know you?"
The man simply steps up to him slowly.
"Why are we standing on top of Harmony's room, anyway?" Catalina looks around as it's now nighttime.
"It's the best altitude to try out the Rooster," Varian gestures to the contraption. "Don't worry, I got permission first, so long as we don't touch anything in her room...or destroy it..." He rubs the back of his neck.
"Huh...you two are pretty similar," Catalina couldn't help but comment.
"We are, huh?" He smiles as both of them tend to be territorial about their labs. "Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike! Of course, I don't fight much as her, and she's more free-spirited than I am."
He takes a drop of Flynnoleum and puts in only one drop. Lance looks down at him in disapproval. "Hm. I don't think that's enough."
"Okay," Varian chuckles, putting up his goggles. "With all due respect, I'm the alchemist. Flynnoleum is very powerful. Add too much of it and this thing will shoot far, we'll end up warning another kingdom. Doh! I forgot the fuses. Keep an eye on this stuff and DO. NOT. TOUCH. Anything. That goes for you too, girls," He gives them a warning look, sliding down onto Harmony's balcony. He runs into her room and opens up the door.
"I'm the alchemist," Lance mocks him once he's gone. "Well, I'm the guard wearing the Captain's uniform, and I don't think it's enough." He takes the eye dropper. "Do you?"
Kiera chuckles at her sister. "Nope." They both smirk and he throws away the tool. He takes the whole barrel into his hands.
Max is sniffing around as they end up at the same dam that they fought the royal guards in.
"Trail ends here, pal?" They look towards the ground to see the imposter being carried away.
"He's not alone..." Rapunzel looks up ahead and Harmony places down her goggles to get a better view. "Who is that?"
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that's..."
"The Baron," Harmony finishes for them, lifting up her goggles.
"The Baron?! Here?" Rapunzel exclaims in shock.
"Yeah, I know. Awful, right?" Eugene starts walking away. "However, it also solves our problem, doesn't it?"
"No," Harmony stands up, staring at him.
"The Captain of the Guard's duty is to protect all of Corona's citizens," Rapunzel states and he stops, as he's not convinced.
"I mean, do we know for a fact that he is a citizen of Coro-?"
Harmony points her bow and arrow at him threateningly as Rapunzel undoes her hair. "You may be my big brother, but if you take one more step towards that cavern, I'm gonna fire!"
"Okay, okay. Okay, you're both right, I'm coming," He steps forward towards them.
"Good answer," Harmony puts her weapon away. They all jump off the cliff.
A crab crawls away as they're walking across an old broken down bridge. "That's the Baron's hideout?"
"Ooh, talk about a fixer-upper," Rapunzel comments at their surroundings.
"This place has been downhill for a while, by the looks of it," Harmony murmurs to them.
Flynn Rider is tied up to a pole. He suddenly wakes up and looks at the area around him.
"You were supposed to steal these for me years ago," The Baron tosses the two crowns to his feet. "And now that I've got 'em, it doesn't even matter. Look what's become of me." Ever since he suffered that spider bite, half of his body, face, and neck are completely green. His hair has gotten wild, and his clothes are slightly tattered.
"Y-y-y-you know, I'm looking at you, and—and—and there's a lot of you, and I am—I am drawing a blank. Now, and don't take this the wrong way, but you have a face that is hard to forget. Because believe me, I'm trying," He stammers at the man.
"Enough games, Rider," The Baron grits his teeth at him. "I lost everything because of you, and now I'm gonna take everything from you," He grips at the man's vest.
"Kay, h-here's what I think. I-I-I-I-I-I think that you think that I-I-I-I'm somebody else."
The Baron growls in annoyance for his stalling.
Varian lights one of the fuses on top of the roof of Harmony's room. "The Rooster's first test is a go in a-three, a-two," Kiera and Catalina back away. "Oh, you don't have to stand back. I calculated it so the blast is contained and focused-"
The Rooster explodes, fireworks going off as an entire blast goes through the town. Thankfully, it doesn't affect any buildings in town.
Unfortunately, for them, the blast has caused a hole to appear in Harmony's ceiling in front of them...Varian coughs out some green smoke.
"You added more Flynnoleum, didn't you?" He looks to Lance accusingly. The man looks up as Varian yells at him, but he can't hear. The blast has given him temporary hearing loss.
"MONA IS GONNA KILL ME FOR THIS!"
"What?!" Lance hollers at the boy, who glares at him.
Rapunzel uses her hair as a rope so that Eugene and Harmony can get down there. "Steady...steady..."
Eugene tilts at Max's ear, and he looks up. He nudges Rapunzel and they look to see a projectile from the Rooster flying over to them.
"Uh oh."
"That's the Flynnoleum!" Harmony's eyes widen in recognition. They move out of the way, and the two let go of Rapunzel's hair. Harmony's quiver goes flying off her shoulder. Daisy chirps at her friend in horror. The duo end up falling right next to the Baron and Flynn Rider.
"You came for me! Eugene! And...actually, I don't know your name, beautiful. Alright! Do you know this guy?"
"You're lucky I lost my quiver," Harmony points at him with a glare. "And it's Crown Princess Harmony to you!"
"This guy? Unfortunately, we do. Baron! That must be you," Eugene holds his side. "Right? I mean, we can't really tell because we don't think you're aging very gracefully. Like at all. Have you considered a moisturizing consultant? Because I can put you in touch with my guy. He's very cheap."
"It's because of the effects from that Kai spider," Harmony whispers to him. "Have the venom in your body for too long, and...well, that," She points to the Baron's green part of skin.
"There are...two of you?" The Baron releases Flynn.
"Well," Flynn scoffs at this. "It's more like one and a half, if I'm being honest."
"Shh," Harmony shushes him.
"If you're being honest. You hush your mouth! You're not even a third of the man I am," Eugene retorts back, to Flynn's ire.
"Break it up! You're obviously the real Rider," He points to Eugene.
"Ha! Well, thank you very much for recognizing the genuine article."
"You're gonna regret saying that in a few seconds," Harmony whispers and she's right as the Baron grips her arm.
"Nobody has that fragile an ego."
He grabs at Harmony's throat, slightly squeezing it. "Let her go!" Eugene glares at him as Harmony lets out a small gasp, trying to catch her breath.
"So, then it's settled. Uh, if you could just, unlock these shackles, my good man. I'm gonna get on out of here."
"Not so fast!" The Baron grabs Eugene with his free hand. "I'm gonna get rid of you all."
Rapunzel's hair is hanging over the edge. "Well, looks like it's up to us, Max." She slides all the way down and lands in front of the hole.
"Just knowing this is the last time I'm ever going to see you..." The Baron has Harmony and Eugene shackled to Flynn at the post. "It really brings a smile to my face."
"What did I ever do to you?" Harmony asks him and he slams the post above her head, causing her to gasp sharply.
"You're the reason why your boyfriend isn't with my Morgan. He could've made her so happy, but you just had to take that away."
"Up yours! She barely even knew him, and they don't even have anything in common!" She glares at him. Both Eugene and Flynn stare at her in shock that she spoke in that way towards him. After all, even after she changed, she was still a princess.
"Ha ha," Eugene laughs at her remark. "Barry, Bobby, seriously? Last time? Last is so...finite."
"And I, well, honestly, I'm having a hard time making that out as a smile," Flynn comments as he looks over his shoulder. "More of a stern glare."
"He's got all of them, guys," Rapunzel whispers, but the Baron heard her anyway. He looks up at her and she gasps.
"Your girlfriend's here," He watches her move away from the hole. "But not for much longer." He removes a rock so that water comes into the room. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." He climbs up the wall.
"No! Rapunzel!" Harmony cries out in worry, a crab crawling out after him.
"Let them out of there, Baron," Rapunzel threatens him.
"When this is through...you're gonna wish he had stayed with my Stalyan and that Varian had gotten with my Morgan," He grabs a huge boulder.
"Staylan and Morgan have moved on. Why can't you?"
"Because I've got nothing to move on to!" He throws the rock at her, but with her hair, it breaks into pieces once they meet. He throws another one at her, and it knocks her onto the ground.
"Uh...Eugene," Flynn speaks up while Eugene is trying to get free. "It occurs to me that, uh, now we are about to face our doom...now might...now might be a good time to apologize."
"Actually, no, now is a good time to help me get us out of here!"
"I can't get this open, I'm not the lock picker," Harmony tries to get free.
"Will you two just listen to me? I'm sorry, to the both of you...I stole your name, but it gave me an instant reputation. And I did flirt with the princess a little. Without that reputation, I'm nobody. Just boring old Brock Thunderstrike."
"Come on, we gotta...I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"
The Baron picks up another boulder and throws it to Rapunzel, who was just starting to get up. She uses her hair to cover herself. "I'll hold off the Baron. You two go help Eugene and my sister."
Pascal and Daisy nod in unison before she grabs him and flies away.
"I'll tear it all down if I have to!" He grabs a large rock, which starts to break apart. Rapunzel stands up, unable to move. Max suddenly comes in and pushes her out of the way.
"Thanks, Max," She stands up, only for part of her hair to get stuck underneath some rocks. "Ah, I'm stuck!"
Another pillar is about to fall on her and she screams, bracing herself. However, nothing happens and she looks up to see Max holding it with his back.
"Alright, sit still. If you can get your wrist close enough, I can pick your lock, and then you can pick mine. And then together, we can pick Brownie's." Eugene instructs the imposter.
"Got it."
He concentrates and then soon Brock's hands are free. "Nice work! Man, you are better than they say. Color me impressed, whoo!"
"Be impressed later," Harmony looks over her shoulder since she's to the right of Eugene. "Now get us out of here!"
"Thank you very much. Now could you please..." Eugene sees him leaving and panics. "No, no, no, no! Where are you going?!"
"Sorry, pals. Not my fight. I want your reputation, not your problems," He climbs up the wall.
"You jerk!" Harmony gasps at him, the water touching her hair at this point.
"Come on! You wanna be Flynn Rider? Go ahead. Leaving someone like this is totally something Flynn Rider would do. But ask yourself: Is this something Brock Thunderstrike would do?" He glances at the two, but shuts his eyes closed and leaves them there. Eugene pulls at his shackles.
"Black rocks would've been useful if I had that power," Harmony grunts as she pulls. A squeak is heard from above and they look up to see Pascal. Daisy flies through the hole, hanging onto the chameleon.
"Ah, Pascal, Daisy! Quick, there's a lock pick in my-"
The water reaches over their heads and they have to hold their breath. The two animals dive in, going over to the shackles. Pascal gets the lock pick while Daisy swims over to Harmony. He slowly picks at the lock while Daisy does the same with her wing. They squeeze their eyes shut, but a few moments later, they emerge from the water.
"Alright, frog!"
"Thanks, you two," Harmony hugs them to her cheek. They crawl out of the hole in relief.
"Oh, thank goodness that's over."
"Eugene! Harmi!" Rapunzel calls out, pulling at her stuck hair.
"Don't worry, I'll get ya-" The Baron grabs the man and tackles him onto the ground. He holds the boulder over his head.
"This is how it ends, Rider."
He's suddenly hit from behind and he falls unconscious thanks to Brock and a frying pan. "Ooh, mama, I have got to get me one of these!" He holds out his hand to Eugene.
"Flynn, you came back!"
"Yeah, well...no. Flynn didn't come back. Brock did," He smiles a little.
"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouts as her sister is trying to help her.
"Come on!" They push at the boulder.
"Almost..." Her hair finally slips free from the rock. "Ah, I'm free!"
Max, however, is still stuck in his spot. Rapunzel, with her hair, grabs the boulder and together, they get it onto the larger one.
"Run!" They all move out of the way. The Baron grabs Brock by the ankle.
"Help!"
He gets dragged by the man as the rocks start to fall. Rapunzel grabs his hair and ultimately saves him. He coughs from the dust, looking up at Rapunzel.
"Wow! Uh, weren't we supposed to save you?"
"Ha ha. Uh, yeah, no, they usually do most of the saving," Eugene points to the sisters, who smile in amusement.
Pascal squeaks as he and Daisy hold up the crowns. They go over to their owners and join them. They smile up at Eugene and Harmony gives Max an apple, to his delight.
"Great job protecting my sister, Max."
They walk away from the area as the Baron is tied up. He's taken away by Max off to prison. "So, I, uh...I-I guess this is the part where Flynn Rider goes to jail, huh?" He holds out his wrists to be handcuffed. Eugene steps forward with the shackles.
"Eugene?"
Instead of cuffing him, he's grabbed the man's hand, clearing his throat. "Uh, it's true. Yes, Flynn Rider should go to jail. But as it turns out, I only see Brock Thunderstrike standing before me. Just promise me you'll make your own future and carve out your own identity." Brock smiles at him. "And whatever you do, do not let an awesome name like Brock Thunderstrike go to waste, man, because wow! What a name, that's like a gift from the heavens, you know?"
"Well, in, uh..." Brock clears his throat. "In that case, princesses, Captain, various pets. Are you pets?" The three animals just look at him in annoyance. "I-I don't even know."
The crab from before pokes his foot. "Ah! My own pet," He puts the crab on his shoulder. "Brock Thunderstrike and my new pet...Hulk the Lightning Claw, bid you adieu," He bows at them, turning around and leaving.
"He's not so bad," Rapunzel smiles as they walk up to the wanted poster. Eugene removes it and crumples it up.
"I really don't like him."
"If you say so," Harmony smiles in amusement as they leave.
The Baron is groaning as he's put into a cell, still the same as he is now...
"You know, Lance...it's hard to admit this, but when they wanted to make me the Captain, I was...scared," He closes his eyes and Lance seems to look sympathetic for him. "I-If I could just open up for a moment..."
The entire time Eugene is talking, Lance can't clearly hear a thing he's saying because he still hasn't gotten his hearing back.
"That's when I realized if they believe in me...well darn it, it's okay if I believe in me too. And I..."
Lance still can't hear a word he's saying. "To accept the position of Captain of the Guard!" He laughs, hugging his friend. "Oh, why, that feels good to get off my chest. Thanks for listening, buddy. Say, where did you get those medals, by the way?" He opens up the door.
"What?!" Lance hollers, putting a hand to his ear. "What was that? Eugene, check out the medals!"
Eugene rolls his eyes, pushing him through the door.
Harmony opens the door to her room and her eyes go wide as she notices the sight in front of her. Of course, she's looking at a giant hole in her ceiling. "My room!"
Varian still looks like a mess as the girls are smiling sheepishly. Lance is still getting his hearing fixed. "Uh, there's a perfectly good explanation for all of this..." Varian starts off and she gives a deadpan look. It wasn't exactly hard to determine what happened.
"...He touched the Flynnoleum, didn't he?"
"Actually, that's the best explanation for what happened," Varian points at her. She immediately turns to Kiera and Catalina since they were the only other ones with him.
"Girls! Why didn't you stop him?"
"We're kids," Kiera shrugs at her. "We love seeing stuff explode."
"Did they get hurt?" Harmony looks up at Varian, who shakes his head no.
"They moved out of the way because it turns out, they were in on it," He places his hands on his hips in disapproval. "So no, they didn't get anything major unlike me or Lance."
"Kiera and Catalina, you go to your room. Tomorrow morning, you're going to clean this mess up! Exactly the way it was before you blew it up!" Harmony points at the door.
"But Mom-"
"Now," She narrows her eyes and they pout, walking away. She turns around to Varian. "And as for you and Lance-"
She stops talking as Varian is staring at her for some reason.
"What? Vari, being silent isn't going to do anything, I'm not looking past you leaving Lance to make a hole in my room!" He still doesn't respond and she sighs. "Okay, stupefied boyfriend, enter the only solution." She whistles slightly and Daisy flies in front of him. She smacks him across the face, but not hard.
"Ow! Oh...sorry, I..." He looks away sheepishly.
"You...?" She asks expectantly, wanting to hear why he hadn't reacted.
"I just...never realized that someday...that's going to be us," He clears his throat. "Parents."
Harmony blushes as she moves a bang away from her face. They already knew that the girls would be in their care when they're old enough...but it's only now just hitting them that the day that happens isn't so far away...
"W-well, that's like 2 years from now, but today you-"
"I know, I know," He rubs his neck, smiling. "It's just...you know, I want this. To grow old with you, have children, and then teach them our skills! I mean, it is still going to be a while, but...I can't wait to age with you and see what happens."
She smiles softly at him. "I can't either. Besides, your ridiculous hair will be something to tell our future children."
He chuckles in embarrassment, looking at his soot-stained clothes and disheveled hair. "I...didn't know that they poured it all in until we tested it out. Made a mess of it."
"I think it looks...cute," She reaches out her hand, plucking a stray bolt out of his hair. The two smile at each other as he wraps his arms around her waist. "You look like a raccoon," Harmony giggles at him.
"Mona," He whines slightly at his girlfriend. "I don't wanna be told by you I look like Ruddiger!"
"Then go take a bath," She tells her raccoon boy. "I'll stay here and do what I can to my wall..."
It took more than one bath to get himself fully clean, but he did it and now he looks normal again. And thankfully not like his own raccoon. After getting his clothes cleaned by the handmaidens, he knocks on the door of Harmony's room. When he hears nothing, he steps inside to see that the girl is on the floor, having fallen asleep. There are a few bricks and cement laying nearby. She's physically and mentally tired after the day she had, so it was understandable.
With her having her own lab, it wasn't uncommon to see her fall asleep in the most random places. She'd stay up at night sometimes inventing things. One time, he found her asleep upside down in her lab.
He watches her chest rise up and down as she sleeps. It was very relieving for him to think that this princess, someone higher up than him, still forgave him for all that he did. And he knew the reason, because she truly loved him.
She shouldn't be so tired, and yet she is. She should be having fun, she's only 16 after all. But...what happened with Cassandra is still weighing on her. He has high hope that she'll stop blaming herself and appreciate all that she's done. Not just for her, but for others. One of the reasons why he started to see her as someone amazing is because despite all the bad things surrounding her, she never lets it stop her. She still opened up to Rapunzel and others, and she continues to help others...
"Fell asleep while working hard again, huh?" He shakes his head in amusement. "Hm..."
He bends down and picks her up in his arms. She immediately snuggles into his shoulder, humming. He smiles at her, marveling at how adorable she looks.
Varian walks over to her bed, Daisy moving over the blanket. He nods at her gratefully, gently laying down the girl in her bed. He strides over to the other side, flopping onto her bed in exhaustion himself. Today was definitely a long day, and he'll definitely scold Lance, Catalina, and Kiera later. But for now, he just wants to watch Harmony sleep.
He moves the blanket over them, laying on his side. He runs a gloved hand through her hair.
"We really are the same...but I wouldn't change that for the world. Goodnight, Mona," He leans over and kisses her forehead. She snuggles into him, snoring lightly. He wraps an arm around her, allowing the girl to rest her cheek on his chest.
Since he's sleepy himself, he decides to let his eyes close just until his father comes...
A half hour later, Quirin is being escorted by Rapunzel and Eugene to Harmony's room. "Thank you for letting my son bathe himself first before he left, Princess."
"No problem! Lance and the girls are gonna fix up that wall first thing in the morning, and apologize to Harmi too."
"After some sleep, I'm sure his hearing will return," Eugene points to his ears.
"So you're the new Captain of the Guard," Quirin eyes his outfit. "You must be proud."
"Ehh...surprised was more my reaction," He rubs the back of his neck.
"Here we are!" Rapunzel stops in front of the girl's room, knocking. "Harmi? Is Varian with you? Quirin's here to take him home."
They hear nothing and Pascal hands her the key. Rapunzel unlocks it, and sees that the hole in the wall is letting in moonlight towards Harmony's bed. She turns towards the direction it leads her to and coos at the sight.
Varian is fast asleep on his back, arms wrapped around Harmony protectively. She's still snuggled into him underneath the blanket.
"Couldn't stay up, could she?" Eugene notices all the tools near the hole.
"They look so cute!" Rapunzel smiles at the two, who are so tired, they don't even wake up. Quirin chuckles at the teenagers.
"So they do. I don't think we should disturb them any longer. I'll come back for Varian in the morning."
"Well, we'll tell them that you stopped by," Eugene places his hands on his hips in amusement.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't," Quirin smiles lightly. "Allow them to enjoy themselves for the night."
"We'll see you tomorrow, then," Rapunzel waves as he leaves the room. "I'm glad that they're happy."
"Yeah..." Eugene wraps an arm around her as they also leave. "Me too."