The Miracle

A/N: In this chapter; the amazing tale is revealed…

A/N#2: This story "kind of" follows my other stories, so you might recognize a few of my OCs here that are still awaiting their full development there… I am also providing this spoiler alert. That said; I hope not to spoil things too much.

A/N#3: This is my own tear transference story. I hope you enjoy it. And, oh yes, I do not own Tangled or its primary characters, though I do own mine and the idea…

A/N#4: Sorry for the delay; work and school has been murder these past two months!

Chapter Fourteen: The Tale, Part One

The small group, having reached the remote seashore, soon found comfortable spots in which to sit and looked longingly to King William.

"Now, I guess we can learn the rest of the story…?" William asked, as he looked around to ensure their absolute privacy.

"Yes, my good king. This story begins with not just one, but three drops of sunlight…"

"Three drops of sunlight?" King William asked, stunned beyond words by this new revelation.

"Three. Two of drops of sunlight landed on Io, the first one golden yellow and the second one an icy blue. The third drop of sunlight landed on the island nation of Nihon Koku, situated off the continent of Europa, it a flaming red." Mistress Cassiopeia confirmed.

"What is a drop of sunlight?" Stephanie and Chelsea both asked, simultaneously; the confusion they felt quite evident.

"It is complicated." Annabella replied; unavoidably giggling at the looks gracing the two crown princesses as they took in the beginning of the amazing story. She was quite sure that they would soon totally freak out.

"But what about Dr.…" Catherine began.

"…Lambert?" Cassiopeia finished.

"Yes. He told me the tale of the drop of sunlight that landed outside the confines of the current Kingdom of Corona. He also told me how it saved my life and most apparently transferred to Rapunzel."

Rapunzel and Eugene exchanged surprised glances. They had wondered why William and Catherine had seemed nonplussed at the whole amazing story they were told after he brought her home.

"Yes. I will admit that he is quite knowledgeable on the powers of the drop of sunlight and its transformation into a beautiful flower. However…"

"What?" Catherine asked.

"…due to the locations of each of the three drops; he, his father, and his father's father only had knowledge of the one."

"You mean to tell us…" William began.

"Yes, King William. The other two landed in very widely spaced and distinct areas and, most importantly, came from different suns; suns far outside our own system."

"Came from different suns; suns far outside our own system?" The group asked.

"Oh, yes!" Rapunzel excitedly shouted as she recognized the revelation. The others in the group looked longingly at the Corona crown princess, waiting for her to reveal more.

"I see that our young and very intelligent Corona crown princess has figured it out." Mistress Cassiopeia happily replied as she smiled brightly at an obliviously quite proud William and Catherine.

"Figured what out?" Stephanie and Chelsea asked as they looked on in envy; thinking not only of her envious relationship with the handsome and brave Eugene, but also her extreme intelligence.

"Simply that the stars we see in the night sky are, in fact, suns for other planets. Our own sun is but one of a vast multitude of stars." Rapunzel stated with a flourish as she grinned at a similarly grinning Eugene as he too made the same connection.

"Other planets?!"

"Yes. Many, if not a vast majority, of the stars in the night sky host a plethora of planets that travel around their hosts in a regular fashion just as Sonnen 3 travels around its yellow host. And while it is of interest to note, this is not the most important facet of this amazing tale."

"What is then?!" Everyone impatiently asked.

"The simple fact that each of these drops, coming as they did from very different types of stars, carried different elements within them that acted in distinctly different ways when they struck the surface of Sonnen 3."

"Are you saying what I think you are?" King William asked as he took in this new knowledge.

"Yes, my good king. The yellow star drop landed very close to Corona and reacted with nearby vegetation to form the miraculous yellow starflower; the very flower that saved Catherine's life and inexplicably transferred its power."

"So this is why Rapunzel had the bright, almost glowing, blond hair at her birth." Catherine replied.

"Yes indeed, Catherine. The tea, made from the petals of the flower, apparently not only healed you and ensured the health of your daughter Rapunzel, but also reacted with her cells to give her the gift of eternal youth to those who knew its secret. It was this one facet of the flower's power that led to your kidnapping by one who apparently had found the flower centuries before and used it selfishly for her own gain."

"But, what about…?" Rapunzel began to ask.

"…the other power this flower obviously has?" Mistress Cassiopeia asked.

"Yes."

"Let's save that for later, ok?"

"I guess so…"

"I promise we will not leave anything out. The second drop of sunlight, coming from a blue star in the vicinity of the constellation of Orion the Hunter proved to be even more miraculous than the yellow star drop. It also landed on the continent of Io; specifically in the confines of Avandell. It happened to land in the communal well, of all things, of an important residential portion of the village. It was in this portion of the village that several very special individuals were born and initially raised."

Eugene and Amanda could not help but look first to each other and then to Rupert. They then looked at their parents. It was as patently obvious to the three as to be as blinding as the sun. They could not help but smile as they took in the impact of this knowledge.

"Ah, Eugene, Amanda, and Rupert; I can see by the looks gracing your faces that you know exactly why this part of the story is so important. Yes?"

"I do." Amanda eagerly replied.

"As do I." Rupert excitedly confirmed.

"I guess so…" Eugene hesitantly replied as his confidence suddenly failed him.

Mistress Cassiopeia, seeing the quite sudden distress in Eugene's eyes walked over to him and gently hugged him about the shoulders.

"Eugene, please believe me when I tell you that you are just as amazing as Rupert and Amanda; if not more so."

"It is hard, Mistress." Eugene confessed, bringing warm looks of affection towards him to the faces of all present, especially a certain new blond.

"I know, Eugene. But trust me when I tell you that everything happens for a reason. You must let go of the past and live for the future. That said, I want you to look closely at Rupert and Amanda, ok?

"Ok. What am I looking for?" Eugene asked.

"Can you see their auras?"

"Yes, of course." Eugene replied. His confidence slowly returned as he took in the sight of the two glowing auras and the small tendrils reaching out towards the other.

"And…?"

"Well, Rupert's is an amazing red, while Amanda's is an icy blue."

"What else can you tell me about it?"

"Well, they seem to be intertwining and merging into a…" Eugene abruptly stopped as he saw the two single auras merge into a purple one.

"…purple one?" Mistress Cassiopeia asked.

"Yes! How did you…?"

"Before I answer, please look to William and Catherine."

The royal couple, already knowing the importance of Mistress Cassiopeia's words, moved towards the other and gently wrapped their arms around the waist of the other, causing their auras to merge as well…

"I can see the royal blue aura of William intertwining with the emerald green aura of Catherine."

"And…?"

"They are merging into a single aquamarine one."

"Very good. I am sure you can also see those of your parents?"

"Yes. But I do not understand…" Eugene hesitantly stated as he watched the blue aura of his mother merging with the aquamarine aura of his father; the two forming a brighter aquamarine aura.

"Do you understand what a soul mate is?"

A/N #5: What happens next?

A/N #6: Please review…