Chapter 15: You've Got a Friend in Me
"I don't like this," Phoebus grumbled. Currently, he was making his way through a particularly dense part of the forest. He rode upon Maximus' back, with Eugene and Esmeralda leading the way, with Djali trotting alongside and Pascal clinging to Eugene's shoulder.
"Clopin is going to like it even less," Eugene commented, pushing a piece of brush to the side to allow Esmeralda to pass unimpeded, "You'll be lucky if you even get to see the meeting point before he and the others kill you."
"Charming fellow," Phoebus commented as he pushed a low hanging branch out of the way while Maximus tromped through a bush with an annoyed snort.
"He's dedicated to ending the oppression that Frollo has caused while the king turned a blind eye to it all," Esmeralda explained as she stepped over a rotten log, "The minister hasn't made it easy on him and so he's taken all of the precautions necessary."
"And even that didn't keep his people safe," Phoebus commented, a sad look on his face.
"No, it didn't," Eugene replied, pushing some hanging moss out of the way, "So he's even more likely to stab first and ask questions later."
"So what do you suggest I do?" Phoebus asked as Maximus snarled at a patch of briar he accidentally stepped in.
Before they could answer, Esemeralda and Eugene stepped through some brush and found themselves in a large clearing. A dozen or so campfires dotted the clearing, illuminating the area while casting long shadows over the surrounding forest. Dozens of people were gathered around the campfires, their meager possessions tied up in pouches and sacks alongside them.
A second later, Phoebus and Maximus came through the brush, making a large amount of noise as they did so, catching everyone's attention. Everyone froze for a moment as the refugees stared at them. Suddenly, everyone was in motion as men and woman alike drew weapons and began to converge on Phoebus, their weapons at the ready.
"Whoa whoa!" Eugene shouted as he hopped in front of Phoebus and Maximus, holding his hand out in front of him, "Hold on guys, he's with us."
"And what exactly does that mean, Rider?" Hook growled as he pushed his way through the crowd, flanked by Big Nose and Vladimir.
"It means he's with us," Esmeralda replied, giving Hook a glare.
"With us?" a mocking laugh called over the crowd. Looking up, they saw Clopin standing on a large rock that sat near the middle of the clearing.
"The captain of the guard? With us?" he sneered, "Excuse me if I find this hard to swallow."
"Look," Phoebus said as he slid off Maximus's back, "I know we've been on opposing sides in the past."
"Opposing sides?" Clopin growled, "You're the leader of the force that Frollo has used to oppress all these people! You led his charge!"
"I know!" Phoebus shouted back, reaching down and pulling off his sword belt, before throwing it on the ground with a dull thud, "I led the charge! I was your persecutor! So why do you think I've come to you, unarmed and outnumbered? Why would I do that unless I was on your side?"
This seemed to pacify the crowd somewhat, causing them to murmur amongst themselves.
"Alright, say we believe you," Clopin replied, crossing his arms and glaring down at Phoebus, "What caused your sudden change of heart?"
"A number of things," Phoebus replied, glancing at Eugene and Esmeralda, "But the reason I came here tonight is to tell you something."
"Oh?" Hook asked angrily, "And what would that be?"
"Frollo is planning on overthrowing the king and setting himself up as ruler," Phoebus explained.
A hush fell over the crowd as they all stared at him in shock.
"Are you serious?" Big Nose asked in shock.
"He is," Esmeralda replied, "And they also took Quasi and Rapunzel."
A gasp went through the crowd at this news. Even Clopin's glare was replaced with a troubled look.
"He took them?" Hook asked, shocked, "I know he was after Quasi but why take Rapunzel?"
"I'm…I'm not sure," Phoebus admitted. As he said this, Pascal looked up before quickly scurrying off of Eugene's shoulders and onto Phoebus's. Crawling across his armor, Pascal grabbed a lock of his hair and gave it a sharp tug, causing Phoebus to hiss in pain and look at the chameleon with a confused expression.
"What was that for?" he asked, turning to look at Pascal. Seeing he had Phoebus's attention, Pascal quickly scurried back off of his shoulder and crawled down to the satchel Phoebus still had slung over his shoulder and began pulling on it, trying to open it. Phoebus looked at what Pascal was doing in confusion for a moment before reaching down and opening the satchel. Inside, he saw the book he had found Pascal with.
Pulling the book out, he found one of the pages marked and turned to it. He quickly read over the marked passages, his eyes widening in realization as he did so.
"What is it, Phoebus?" Esmeralda asked, looking at Phoebus as he continued to stare at the book, his mind racing.
"She's the princess," he whispered to himself.
"What?" Esmeralda asked, confused.
"Rapunzel," Phoebus said, closing the book and turning to look at her, "Rapunzel is the Lost Princess!"
"What!?" Eugene exclaims, "How could you possibly have come to that conclusion!?"
"This book, Pascal gave it to me, it must have been the Archpriest's," Phoebus explained as everybody focused on him again, "It talks about a magic flower called the Sun Drop flower."
"You mean the kind they used to cure the queen when she was sick?" Esmeralda asked.
"The same," Phoebus continued, "apparently, there were others and it says here that if you consumed the flower, you can pass its power onto your offspring. And that offspring would have golden blonde hair."
"Ok, so Blondie's a…well a blonde," Eugene commented, "That doesn't mean anything."
"Are you forgetting what else her hair does?" Phoebus asked.
"Oh, right," Eugene replied, a look of realization passing over his face.
"What else does her hair do?" Vladamir asked.
"It heals," Phoebus stated, "Just like the flower."
"You're kidding," Hook replied, "That's ridiculous, you expect me to believe that?"
"It's true," Esmeralda said, speaking up, "I saw it."
"Me too," Eugene agreed, stepping up beside her and taking her hand, causing her to glance at him and smile.
"Yes, and that's precisely why she was taken in the first place," Phoebus explained.
"What are you talking about?" Big Nose asked.
"When the princess was taken, there was no ransom demanded, correct?" Phoebus asked, "Despite the fact that the king and queen would have literally handed over the kingdom to get her back."
"So whoever took her didn't want money," Eugene observed.
"They wanted her hair?" Vladmir asked, clearly confused, "Why not cut it?"
"This book says cutting the hair would cause it to lose its power," Phoebus explained, holding the book up as he mentioned it.
"Rapunzel mentioned something like that when we were talking last night," Esmeralda stated.
"So that's why you think the princess was kidnapped?" Hook asked, "For this magic hair?"
"Exactly," Phoebus replied, "That's why her mother would never allow her to leave her home."
"So what, some woman kidnapped the princess to use her magic hair on herself?" Big Nose questioned, "Was she sick or something?"
"No if she was sick she would have healed herself, ransomed, returned or killed the princess and that would have been the end of it," Phoebus explained, "No she wanted the Princess's hair for another reason."
"And what would that be?" Hook questioned.
"It can restore youth," Phoebus replied, letting the answer hang in the air as everyone looked at him with shock.
"So what you're saying is, if someone used this magic hair…" Hook began trailing off before he finished.
"They could live forever," Phoebus finished ominously.
No one said anything for a while as they all mulled over the meaning of this revelation.
"All facts point towards Rapunzel being the Lost Princess," Phoebus continued, looking around at the gathered people, "And Frollo, who plans on over throwing the king and queen, has her in his power. So not only does he have a connection to the throne, he has a source of potentially eternal life, so that he can rule Corona forever."
The crowd continued to look at him with a stunned silence. Clopin stepped down from the rock and made his way through the crowd before stopping a few feet away from Phoebus.
"It is clear what we must do then," Clopin stated, a serious expression on his face "We must leave."
Phoebus, Esmeralda and Eugene stared at him in shock as the rest of the crowd began to murmur in agreement.
"What!?" Phoebus exclaimed, "Leave!? Just like that!?"
"What would you have me do?" Clopin snapped, glaring at Phoebus "I do what I do to protect the people of this kingdom. And with the tyrant we have been resisting gaining complete power and, according to you, immortality, what can I do but take them to safety?"
"What of the people still in Corona!?" Phoebus demanded, gesturing in the vague direction of the city, "You'll just leave them to this oppression!?"
"What would you have me do!?" Clopin repeated, stepping up so he was only a foot away from Phoebus.
"I would have you stay and fight!" Phoebus shouted back, "If we work together, we can stop this madness before it begins. We can save Quasi and the princess. We can put an end to Frollo's tyranny once and for all."
"You dream, Captain," Clopin replied, turning away from Phoebus, "If Frollo has become so bold as to take the city for himself, than his power is far greater that I feared."
"So you're scared," Phoebus surmised coldly, pointing an accusing finger at Clopin, "With everything I've heard of you, and everything I've seen you do, the last thing I would think is that you were a coward, Clopin."
"You dare!?" Clopin demanded, whirling around and glaring at Phoebus, "You dare call me a coward!? Do you have any idea what I've been through, what I've sacrificed for these people!? You dare call me a coward!?"
"You run like one!" Phoebus shouted, getting right up in Clopin's face, "You refuse to fight! You abandon the rest of the people to a tyrant that I know you hate more than all else!"
"Yes!" Clopin shouted back, not backing down, "I do hate him more than anything! But what of you? What do know of the suffering of the people? You, who until now, has been the man's loyal lap dog!"
The insult caused Phoebus to pause and take a step back, his face calming.
"You're right, Clopin," Phoebus admitted, his eyes downcast, "I have been a loyal soldier to Frollo. I have unwittingly helped make the people suffer. But I am trying to change that. And I need your help to do it."
Stepping back, Phoebus looked around at the gathered crowd.
"Together, we can take Frollo down once and for all," Phoebus stated, speaking to the gathered crowd as he began to move through them, the people parting to allow him to pass as they followed and listened, "Together we can rid this kingdom of the corruption and oppression that has harmed it for so long."
"Together, we can free Quasimodo and the princess!" Phoebus continued, climbing up onto the rock that Clopin had been standing on before, "Together, we can save this kingdom! Who's with me!? What say you!?"
A resounding silence fell over the clearing as everyone looked at their feet or each other, just not at him. Phoebus looked around at the crowd, his confused expression turning to understanding and dejection.
"Of course," he stated, looking down at the people, "You can't throw your life away in hopes this will work. You have your families and loved ones you need to take care of."
Stepping down from the rock he moved through the crowd again before reaching down to where he had put down his sword and picked it up, slinging it back around his waist.
"But I do not have such things," Phoebus said solemnly, "And as such I will take up this task. I will fight to free this place from its oppressor and I may die in the process. But at least I will die fighting for something good for once."
The crowd was silent as they watched him. Esmeralda moved to put her hand on his shoulder but hesitated and pulled back. After a moment, Maximus wandered over and nudged him with nose, causing Phoebus to smile.
"Of course, I can't forget about you, old friend," Phoebus said, reaching up and stroking Maximus's snout, "I guess I won't be going into this alone."
"No, you won't," Eugene spoke up, giving Esmeralda's hand a quick squeeze before stepping forward, "I'm going with you."
"Flynn?" Phoebus asked in surprise.
"You're not the only one who's changed," Eugene replied with a smile, "By the way, my real name is actually Eugene."
"Eugene?" Phoebus questioned, "Really?"
"You learn something new every day," Eugene replied with a shrug.
"Well," Phoebus said, reaching out and shaking Eugene's hand, "It's good to have you with me, Eugene."
"That's not all you'll have," Esmeralda spoke up, stepping up with them, "I'm going too."
"Esmeralda," Eugene said with worried tone, "I don't think that's such a-"
Esmeralda quickly silenced him by placing her fingers on his lips.
"I appreciate the thought, Eugene," she replied, giving him a smirk, "But I'm going and you're not going to stop me."
"All right then," Eugene said, surprised.
"I'm coming too," Hook spoke up, walking over to join them.
"Hook?" Esmeralda asked in surprise.
"What? Am I not invited anymore?" he grumbled, glaring at her.
"No, it's not that," Esmeralda said, putting her hands up defensively, "I'm just not sure why you want to come."
"I had a dream once," Hook stated, his hardened look briefly falling into a sad one, "A dream I let die. Until I met Rapunzel."
His face hardened again into a glare.
"Princess or not," he stated, touching the handle of his hatchet in agitation, "I'm not going to let that old creep keep her locked up."
"Me either!" Big Nose declared, pulling his spear off its sheath on his back and slamming the butt of the shaft against the ground.
Vladimir stepped forward, pulling the large hammer off of the straps on his back, and palmed it in his massive hands.
"Quasimodo is my friend," he grumbled from somewhere deep in his chest, "I won't let Frollo kill him. I'll kill him first."
"I'm goin' too!" another person exclaimed. Stepping out from the crowd, a short, old man came into view. He had wild white hair and a bushy beard. He was dressed in rags that showed off his skinny frame. His brown eyes had a glassy look to them and he walked with a gait that suggested intoxication.
"Shorty?" Eugene asked, "Look, no offense buddy but I don't think you're all prepared for something like this."
"Hogwash!" the man, Shorty exclaimed, shifting unsteadily on his feet as he did so, "I was getting' in fights while you were still in diapers!"
The others looked at him unconvinced as Shorty barely managed to stay on his feet.
"Face it! I'm coming with ya whether you like it or not," Shorty stated, a drunken hiccup punctuating his statement.
The others looked at each other and sighed, some shrugging their shoulders in defeat. Eventually, all their eyes fell on Clopin. Clopin quickly glances around, looking at everyone as they looked at him. After a few moments, he let out a resigned sigh.
"Very well, I suppose I'm with you as well," he stated, earning smiles from the others, "So do we have a plan? It's not going to be easy breaking into the Palace of Justice."
"Where there's a will there's a way," Phoebus stated a smile on his face, "And I have a way."
Meanwhile,
The Palace of Justice sat under the pale full moon that hung over the kingdom of Corona, its light casting long shadows as it filtered in through the small windows in the palace's dungeon. Sitting on the cot in one of the cells, Rapunzel quietly wept into her hands, shielding her face from the world. Quasi sat in the cell across from her, looking at her helplessly.
"Rapunzel…" he began to say, but was interrupted when the door to the dungeon was flung open and a guard entered, dragging Gothel by the arm with him. He threw open the cell next to Rapunzel and pushed Gothel in before slamming the door behind her and leaving the dungeon.
Gothel looked around for a few moments, before noticing Rapunzel and Quasi, who were both looking at her in surprise.
"Mother?" Rapunzel asks hesitantly.
"Rapunzel!" Gothel exclaimed, rushing over to the bars separating their cells and grasping them tightly, a smile on her face, "I've been so worry about you!"
Gothel reached through the bars and motioned for Rapunzel to come to her, but instead Rapunzel moved as far away as her cell would let her, curling up into a ball in the corner opposite Gothel.
"What's wrong?" Gothel asked, confused.
"She knows what you did," Quasi spoke up, glaring at Gothel, "She knows who you really are."
Gothel gasped in shock as she saw Quasi for the first time, taking a step away from him in surprise.
"Y-You're the hunchback!" she exclaimed.
"And you're the kidnapper," Quasi commented, resting his hands on the bars of her cell.
"What?" Gothel asked, confused and on edge, "What are you talking about?"
"We know what you did," Quasi replies, "We know Rapunzel is the Lost Princess and we know you kidnapped her."
"What are you talking about, you filthy creature!?" she shouted at him.
At that, Rapunzel's head snapped up and she glared at Gothel through tear filled eyes.
"Don't you call him that," she practically growled at Gothel, standing up as she did so.
"What?" Gothel asked, looking at Rapunzel in surprise, "Flower, what's wrong?"
"I'm not your flower," she said, stomping over to the other side of the cell and grabbing the bars so hard her knuckles turned white, "And you're not my mother."
"Rapunzel, what are you saying?" Gothel asked, obviously hurt.
"Didn't you just hear me!?" Rapunzel shouted, "It's like Quasi said, you're not my mother. You kidnapped me. Frollo said so himself."
"Frollo is a liar!" Gothel exclaimed.
"Is the Archpriest a liar too?" Quasi asked, "Was he lying when he told us the same thing after Frollo's men had beaten him to a pulp?"
Gothel doesn't respond to this, instead turning back to Rapunzel.
"Rapunzel, you can't believe this," she pleaded but stopped when Rapunzel glared at her.
"Stop lying!" Rapunzel shouted, "Everything you say is a lie!"
Gothel looked at her in surprise before her eyes became downcast as a sad expression crossed her face.
"You're right," Gothel admitted, "I have been lying to you this whole time."
"Why?" Rapunzel asked, her face full of hurt and anger.
"Because I was scared," Gothel whispered, her eyes downcast.
"Scared of what?" Quasi asked.
"I've spent the last few centuries extending my life with the help of a magic flower and then kidnap a princess so I could keep the power," Gothel spat, glaring at Quasi, "What do you think I was afraid of?"
"Everyone dies," Quasi commented.
"Well, I found something that meant I didn't have to," she replied sharply, before her face fell, "I hadn't lived the best of lives before I found the flower and so I was scared of what lay for me beyond. So when I found the flower, my only thought was of saving myself. That was my only thought when I took you from your parents."
"So you never felt anything for me," Rapunzel surmised coldly, continuing to glare at Gothel.
"That's not true!" Gothel exclaimed, looking at Rapunzel with a distressed expression, "I've loved you for a long time! I raised you, how could I not!?"
"Stop lying to me!" Rapunzel practically screamed, before she turned away and fell into her cot, weeping.
Gothel and Quasi both watched helplessly as Rapunzel wept. Slowly, they turned and looked at each other. Quasi glared at Gothel before turning from her and lying down in his cot. Gothel sighed sadly, before turning and sitting on her cot, placing her head in her hands and began to sob quietly, echoing with Rapunzel's, the only noise in the oppressive gloom beneath the Palace of Justice.
A/N: Another fun chapter to write. While it ends on kind of a sad note, it does show that things are starting to look up! Hopefully you guys liked it, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please review! Later!