Warning: Mention of death
Summary: Vigor the Visionary reveals he is an ancient sorcerer who has taken refuge in the body of a monkey to keep safe the meaning of the scrolls for Rapunzel; Rapunzel and Eugene must traverse a deadly maze, with Vigor guiding them through the labyrinth.
Eugene is looking at the scroll on the ground outside the caravan. We're missing a piece. He realizes. Rapunzel comes. When is Eugene's birthday? She wonders.
"Hey, Eugene, when is your birthday?" She asks him. I don't have one. He thinks.
"I don't have one." He replies. Then, let's make one! Rapunzel thinks.
"Then, let's make one!". It doesn't work like that. He thinks.
"Blondie, it doesn't work like that.". Everyone has a birthday. She thinks.
"I know, Eugene, but everyone has a birthday!".
"Okay, fine. Today's my birthday!". She giggles.
Just then, Madame Canardist's booth shows up. Rapunzel runs up. Eugene follows. "You have to go through the maze. Vigor will guide you." She tells them. They nod.
Rapunzel, Eugene, and Vigor arrive at a cream, stone maze. "I'm Lord Demanitus," Vigor announces. What? Rapunzel thinks. What? Eugene thinks. They just look at him. She blinks.
"Lord Demanitus as in the ancient sorcerer?" She questions. He nods.
"As in Matthew and Sara's dad?" Eugene questions. He nods.
"And there is another triplet.". Who? She thinks.
"Who?" She questions.
"Gabriella. She is Albini, like her mother.". Who did she turn into? Eugene wonders.
"Did you see who she turned into?".
"Yes and unfortunately, you already defeated her.". Gothel, no! She thinks. Gothel, no! Eugene thinks.
"Gothel!" She exclaims.
"Yes," Lord Demanitus confirms.
"So, you can help us?". He nods.
They are at a sliding door with a hole pocket next to it. There is a wooden, purple sign that reads: remove a piece and I increase. Oh, you just take a coin out of the hole. Rapunzel thinks. She reaches in. What if there are snakes in there?! Eugene worries.
"Rapunzel! Wait!" He cries. She takes a coin out of the hole. The door opens. Demanitus smiles at Eugene. They walk through.
They are at a sliding door with a sun design next to it. I just need to hit the middle of the sun with something. Rapunzel thinks. She looks around. She sees Demanitus eating a banana. That'll work! She thinks. She takes the banana and shoots the middle of the sun by squeezing the peel. Demanitus and her walk-through. I don't trust him. Eugene thinks. He notices a square hole in front of his feet.
Eugene gets down and crawls through a dark tunnel, which has cobwebs in it. Yikes! He thinks. He crawls back up. Rapunzel giggles and Demanitus rolls his eyes at him. He rolls his eyes and gets up.
They arrive at a green crystal bridge with a glass case with a golden lock with the other scroll piece at the end over green acid. That is the final scroll piece! Rapunzel thinks. "The fourth piece of the scroll! We did it!" She exclaims. If I toss Eugene the key, then he will catch it. Demanitus thinks.
"Here," He calls. He tosses Eugene the key. He misses and it falls into the acid. "You were supposed to catch it!".
"You didn't warn me!" Eugene protests. Eugene could pick the lock! Rapunzel thinks.
"Eugene, you can pick the lock." Rapunzel reminds him. Okay, Eugene thinks. She tosses Eugene her light blue beret.
They cross the bridge. Eugene picks the lock. Rapunzel grabs the scroll piece with a purple stick figure with a pink and blue background. An automaton, stone dog with glowing green eyes, runs at them. They run into a dark, wooden cavern.
"Eugene, I'm going to need to have faith." Demanitus tells him. In what?! He thinks.
"In what?!".
"Find the faith you already have. Look deep down inside you, boy.". I have faith in us. Eugene thinks.
"I always had faith in Rapunzel, faith in us.". Rapunzel's hair glows. The dog flies back. Eugene hugs Rapunzel. I'm going to give Eugene my locket as thanks.
"Eugene, I want to give you my locket as thanks." He announces. He grabs the ruby in his turbine and gives it to him. Sweet! Eugene thinks.
The group goes back to the caravan. "Sara! Matthew!" Demanitus cries. Papa! Sara thinks. Dada! Matthew thinks. They run and hug him.
That night, everyone is sitting on logs around the fire. Demanitus is dancing. Eugene opens the locket. It has a tiny piece of paper. Eugene takes it out. Rapunzel's journey will end in the destruction of someone she loves. He scans the group. His eyes fall on Arianna who grabs the edges of her hair and retracts her head in her hair. Oh no, he thinks.
Author Notes: Bad News: Arianna's pretty much screwed. Good News: Only one more chapter! And THE MONKEY IS DEMANITUS!