21: This Day Ever After
CORONA, AESTAS
Chrysalis admired herself in the mirror. Though Rapunzel had long ago chosen a dress far more modest than what Chrysalis would have picked, she still looked beautiful. Now, in these moments she had alone in the dressing room before her big moment…before she walked down the aisle to claim her prince…she smirked into the mirror. Perhaps the princess would be singing one of her silly songs, were she here. Inspired, Chrysalis sang a little song of her own:
"This day is going to be perfect,
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small.
All Corona will gather 'round,
Say I look lovely in my gown—
What they don't know is that I have fooled them all!
This day is going to be perfect,
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small.
And instead of having cake with her Eugene to celebrate,
Rapunzel's bells, they will not ring for her at all!
I could care less about the dress,
I won't partake in any cake!
Vows, I'll be lying when I say
That through any kind of weather
I'll want us to be together—
The truth is, I don't care for him at all!
No, I do not love the groom!
In my heart there is no room!
But I still want him to be all MINE!
For Rapunzel it is too late,
Elements can't save the day,
No, I'll be lying if I say
That I just want to abuse him, to wed him and to use him,
Not cherish, love, and care for him each day!
For I want Rapunzel's groom,
All my thoughts he does consume!
Eugene Fitzherbert,
You'll be mine very soon!
Finally the moment has arrived
For me to be one lucky bride!
Oh, the wedding she won't make
He'll end up marrying a fake!
And Corona will be…MINE!"
THE BORDERLANDS OF CORONA, AESTAS
"…and that's how we do it!" Pinkie finished. "It's foolproof!"
"But it means I have to lie," Rapunzel pointed out. "I know, it seems silly to worry about that at a time like this, but…I NEVER break my word. Ever."
"Then you won't have to lie! You can just tell a sort-of truth!"
"I'd feel wrong doing even that."
"Rapunzel, you don't have to lie at all. You'll be doing exactly what you said you'd do. I'll be the tricky one! Pretty please? You have to do it for Eugene!"
Rapunzel nodded. "Let's go."
They waited for Gothel to come back. "Hi there!" Pinkie greeted. "How was your day? Where'd you go? Did you go anywhere fun? Did you go to get candy? I would have gone to get candy if I were you! But then again, I like candy anytime—"
"YOU'RE certainly talkative today," Gothel snarled at Pinkie.
"I know!" Pinkie cried happily. "I almost forgot just how much I love talking! Especially to interesting people! Like you! I think you're interesting. I mean, you've lived for waaaaay longer than most other people! How old are you, anyway? One thousand? Two thousand? Three thousand? Four—"
"ENOUGH!" Gothel snapped.
"Mother," Rapunzel said, taking in a deep breath, "I've decided I'm going to sing for you. As long as you have me here."
"What?" Gothel was taken aback, but then just smiled. "I'm glad you came to your senses. Our relationship isn't a one-way street, you know."
"I went the wrong way down a one-way street once," Pinkie brought up. "I crashed right into Carrot Top! Boy, was she mad! But then I told her I was sorry, really really sorry, so SO sorry! And then she forgave me. Because it was an accident, after all!"
"ARE YOU THROUGH?" Gothel yelled at Pinkie.
"Just about," Pinkie said before becoming silent.
"Now then," Gothel said, turning back to Rapunzel. "You were saying?"
"I could sing for you now," Rapunzel said, "if you like."
"Hmm…" Gothel shrugged. "Well, I certainly don't see why not. A little more healing never hurt anyone."
Rapunzel began her song, and Gothel closed her eyes to listen to the dulcet notes: "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine—"
"You know what my FAVORITE flower is?" Pinkie interrupted. "Lilies, 'cause they're so huge and colorful! Except on the days when my favorite flower is roses because roses come in my favorite shade of pink! Though some days I'm actually more partial to—"
Gothel gave a wordless roar followed by "BE! QUIET!"
"But I hate quiet," Pinkie argued. "Quiet is just so…booooo-riiiing!"
"THAT'S IT!" Gothel withdrew a lockpick from her sash. "Now that Rapunzel's agreed to sing for me, I won't have any need of YOU anymore. And even if she has a problem with it, I'll find another way to get that voice." She knelt, undoing the chains that held Pinkie to the wall, including those that pinned her arms to her sides. "I won't put up with this annoyance for one more MINUTE!" She stood. "Get on your feet! You are coming with me."
Pinkie now only had one chain binding her wrists together and one binding her ankles. She stood up, crying, "I LOVE adventures! Where are we going!" She then made a dramatic show out of trying to take a step and falling over. "Oh no! Looks like I can't walk with these things on my ankles! Might as well just roll!" She rolled back and forth on the stone floor. "WHEEEEEEE!"
Gothel planted a foot on Pinkie's stomach, stopping her from rolling. She then knelt and swiftly undid the lock on the ankle chain before grabbing Pinkie by the elbow and pulling her sharply upward. Pinkie managed to clasp the unoccupied ankle-chain in her hands on the way up; Gothel didn't care about that. Gothel then dragged Pinkie forcibly down the length of the tunnel.
Pinkie noted that the woman was surprisingly strong. Not supernaturally, but Pinkie would have had a very hard time getting free of her grip. She didn't want to try that yet anyway. Her plan was still in motion.
A bright spot of light loomed at the end of the tunnel until Gothel and Pinkie exited onto a stone cliff overlooking a great quarry filled with broken-down water chutes. "If dashing your brains on the rocks at the bottom is what it takes to make you quiet…" Gothel growle, ready to throw Pinkie over the edge.
SNAP! Pinkie clasped the cuff from the chain she carried over Gothel's wrist. "Oops!" she cried, reaching down and grabbing the other cuff with her teeth so she could snap it on her own wrist, just above the one keeping her wrists less than a foot apart. "Guess I can't go over unless you come with me!"
"The sooner you're gone," Gothel muttered, fishing the lockpick from her sash with her free hand and guiding it over to the cuffs that bound them, "the sooner I—"
Pinkie's teeth were at the ready again; she bit down upon the lockpick when it was in range, taking it into her mouth. She steered it over to the cuffs around her wrists, unlocking all of them. One chain fell to the ground; the other hung from Gothel's right wrist. Pinkie then spat the lockpick into her now free hands.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Gothel roared.
Pinkie stepped aside, revealing a cannon that Gothel was sure hadn't been there to begin with. She aimed it at Gothel, pointing toward the tunnel from whence they'd come. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" she yelled, mashing the button.
Gothel was blown off her feet in a rush of confetti and streamers. When she hit the ground, Pinkie was quick to snap the chain on her wrist to her other wrist, then use the discarded one on her ankles. "Sorry I have to chain you up," she said, "but Rapunzel and I have to escape now!" She then took off running back into the tunnel, and all the enraged Gothel could do was roll on the ground.
Pinkie charged back to Rapunzel, crying, "It worked! It worked!" She used her newly acquired lockpick to undo all Rapunzel's chains. "Now we gotta go!" she cried. "Gothel might roll this way any minute!"
"Thank you," Rapunzel said as she stood, her eyes almost watering. Then she and Pinkie took off in the opposite direction from the cliff edge.
Back on the cliff, Gothel struggled with her chains until a rush of green fire appeared above her. Maleficent loomed, staring down.
"I don't suppose you'd consider this a success?" Gothel asked sheepishly.
"As a matter of fact," Maleficent said, smiling slightly, "I do not consider this a failure…yet. I admire your attempt to do away with the Element of Laughter. There is still a chance for you."
She passed her hand over the chains, and each chain snapped in half. "Go," Maleficent told Gothel.
"When I get ahold of those girls," Gothel vowed with gritted teeth, standing up, "they'll think that what came before was the royal treatment."
CORONA, AESTAS
The Great Hall of the castle was lined with pews, and the pews were filled with townspeople. Everyone had gathered to see the beloved princess wed the beloved prince. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack sat in the very front row, before the altar. Rarity had been assigned the job of carrying the rings, something a messenger from the guard had passed on to her as explicit orders from the princess. Rarity accepted the job with gritted teeth, knowing Chrysalis just wanted to watch her squirm. As for Eugene, he stood at the altar in his finest wedding white and a golden brooch shaped like the Coronan sun symbol; he dazedly stared at the door through which his bride would enter.
The procession began. Rarity held her head high, walking down the aisle in a vibrant gown of green as she carried the pillow that held the gold-and-diamond bands of the previous king and queen. Pascal sat atop her head, tossing flower petals down into the aisle. Rarity then took her place at the side of the altar, standing near where her friends sat.
Everyone in the room turned to the door and gasped. There she stood, resplendent in the white bridal gown and clutching a bouquet of white flowers. Barbara and Zal smiled, thinking they saw their daughter about to walk into the happiest day of her life. The townspeople smiled, thinking their princess was about to enter a beautiful relationship. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack scowled, knowing that Chrysalis was just eating the attention up.
Chrysalis strode down the aisle, escorted by Zal, as the wedding march played on the organ, echoing throughout the chamber. She kept on a smug smile, thinking she'd won.
"Wow," the priest at the altar muttered.
"Wow," Eugene said through his bleary haze.
Chrysalis strode confidently up to the altar, taking her place across from Eugene. "Dearly beloved," the priest began, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Rapunzel and Eugene in marriage."
"Eugene," Chrysalis muttered under her breath. "Silly name."
The priest continued his monologue: "To live their lives together as husband and wife, in everlasting…"
"Rainbow Dash ain't gonna make it," Applejack hissed. "We gotta stall. If Eugene weren't so mesmerized, he'd've figured out—"
"Mesmerized!" Twilight caught herself just in time to say the word softly and keep from following it up with a great gasp. "Sand mesmerism! Sadira got rid of the spell she put on Aladdin that way! If I just had sand, I could fix him, and he'd call it off!"
"What can we do?" Fluttershy asked worriedly. "We can't stop the wedding!"
"Unless we do something drastic." Applejack stood up, quietly, and moved next to Rarity. She then swatted the purple pillow out of Rarity's arms, sending the rings clinking and rolling down the hallway. "OOPS!" she said loudly; it echoed through the entire hall, and all eyes turned to her.
"WHAT is wrong?" Chrysalis snapped.
"Those durn rings just went flyin' out the door!" Applejack replied. "My fault. I'm a bit clumsy. Don't worry, we'll get it fixed up in no time. Twilight's gonna go get 'em, ain't ya, Twilight?"
"Of course!" Twilight stood.
Barbara gasped. "Those were my mother's wedding rings!" she cried.
"And we know just how special they were to Rapunzel," Applejack continued, looking meaningfully at Chrysalis. "She just wouldn't go through with the weddin' without 'em, seein' as they mean so much to her. Ain't that right, Rapunzel? The whole town knows that."
"I don't need—" Chrysalis began.
"We all know how much you wanted to use those rings," Zal said comfortingly.
"I can get them!" Twilight insisted. "They can't have gone far!" She darted down the hallway.
"And I'll help!" Rarity added, following. Pascal clung to her purple curls desperately.
"Don't worry," Zal told Chrysalis. "They'll get them back, and then the ceremony will be just the way you wanted."
"Isn't that a little extreme just for two little rings?" Chrysalis growled.
"Not for my daughter," Zal said with a smile.
Chrysalis turned her attention back to Applejack. "Where's your rainbow friend?"
"She ran out to help get the rings," Applejack replied. "Didn't ya see her?"
Chrysalis glared angrily. "This better not take long," she muttered.
Out in the hallway, Twilight and Rarity followed the clinking sound of the rings. "I'm going down to the beach to get sand!" Twilight panted. "Where are YOU going?"
"To get the rings back!" Rarity said as though it were obvious that they were necessary. "Rapunzel will be WANTING them for when she really gets married!"
"Okay," Twilight sighed. "We'll meet back here!"
"Right! Got it!"
The two mares split up once they left the building; Rarity chased the rings down an alley, while Twilight rushed for the beach.
THE BORDERLANDS OF CORONA, AESTAS
When Rainbow Dash got in sight of the Snuggly Duckling, she broke into a run. The warriors and Maximus followed her, knowing she wouldn't be able to find the passage on her own.
"Where is it?" Rainbow Dash cried, bursting into the empty tavern.
Franz entered, walking over to the bar and pulling one of the taps. "There."
A panel behind the bar slid open; a rocky tunnel was visible, leading downward.
"Perfect!" Rainbow Dash hopped over the bar. "Now, to check it out and see if…"
"HEEEEEYYYYY!" a high voice called from inside. "DON'T CLOSE THAT DOOR!"
"…Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash was confused.
Pinkie and Rapunzel ran into view, climbing up and out of the tunnel. "Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie said with a wave. "How'd you know where to find us?"
"You already ESCAPED?" Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "I…I…" She then comprehended the sight of Rapunzel. "What happened to YOU?"
"Chrysalis did this to me to make sure she looked more like me than I did," Rapunzel explained as to her lack of hair.
Franz rubbed his eyes. "Princess?"
"Yes," Rapunzel said. "I'm the real one. The one that's getting married to Eugene is a fake! I know that's hard to believe, but—"
"But it's true!" Pinkie affirmed. "The fake came from our kingdom, and she has magic like you've never seen before!"
"Well," Sigmund admitted, "I did think that you sending us away wasn't something you would do."
"She sent you AWAY?" Rapunzel cried.
"She didn't want us at the wedding," Franz said, somewhat hurt. "She said we were disgusting."
"But you're not!" Rapunzel told the group of warriors. "You're all my friends, and I would love for you to be at my wedding! Every one of you! Besides, Franz, no one could play the organ better than you." Her expression turned somber. "We have to get back to Corona. We have to stop that wedding!"
"We won't make it," Sigmund worried.
Maximus whinnied. "He can," Rapunzel said, motioning to the stallion. "Can't you?"
Maximus nodded.
"We have to hurry!" Pinkie insisted.
"Right!" Rapunzel ran to the cooking stove briefly. When she returned, she clutched a frying pan, still hot. "Just in case," she said.
She climbed onto Maximus' back. "I know this must be a little weird, since you're both horses," she told Pinkie, "but—"
"But it's an emergency!" Pinkie climbed up behind Rapunzel.
"That STILL weirds me out," Rainbow Dash said disgustedly. "I'll just have to travel on these babies." She spread her wings; they came out easily through the sleeves Rarity had included in the back of her dress. "Thank you, Rarity!"
The warriors gasped. "Is she…" Franz began, but couldn't finish.
"Yeah, I got wings," Rainbow Dash snapped. "And there's a fake princess in the castle. You're gonna have to start believing in weird stuff!"
Maximus carried Rapunzel and Pinkie out the door, and Rainbow Dash followed. Maximus then broke into a gallop, and Rainbow Dash kept pace in flight.
"Well?" Franz bellowed. "Let's go!"
The warriors charged forth from the Snuggly Duckling as quickly as they could.
CORONA, AESTAS
After causing a hullaballoo by crawling across several fancily set outdoor tables meant for the reception, Pascal chased the first ring down to an ice sculpture shaped like a certain frequenter of the Snuggly Duckling dressed in Cupid wings. Pascal shot out his tongue to catch the ring; it stuck to the ice.
"Oh, you poor dear!" Rarity rushed to the ice sculpture, whacking it with a soup tureen. It shattered, freeing Pascal but sending the ring flying. "Follow that ring!" she commanded Pascal, her eyes fixating on the street down which the second had gone: "I've got this one."
Rarity leapt into a nearby white carriage, not noting the tin cans hooked to the back—the honeymoon vehicle for Rapunzel and Eugene. She shoved off against the wall of a building; the carriage rolled downhill, after the runaway ring. Rarity leaned over the side of the carriage in order to catch it.
She crashed into a cart selling commemorative hats, then one selling commemorative gowns, then one selling commemorative makeup. This slowed her down only slightly, though it did plant a yellow hat on Rarity's head, a pink gown over her green, and a streak of lipstick across her cheek. She leaned over, about to grasp the ring, when she passed a cart selling mirrors and got a glimpse of herself.
"Is THAT what I look like?" she shrieked, falling out of the carriage.
"NOOOOOO!" Rarity bawled as the ring rolled out of sight. She rushed after it, turning a corner—
"Get your commemorative frying pans here!"
CLANG.
"Sorry, miss," the frying pan vendor said as Rarity staggered from the blow to the head. "I didn't mean to…"
"Ring," Rarity growled, trying to regain her senses. "Rolling down the street. Which way?"
"Uh…I thought I saw something shiny going that way…"
Rarity staggered after it.
In the meantime, Pascal had chased his ring until it became hooked on a floating lantern carried by a young girl. The girl rushed toward an impressive sight—a host of lanterns, to commemorate those that had brought Rapunzel home, all held down under a net—and let the lantern carrying the ring go among its identical siblings.
Pascal climbed up into the mess of lanterns, seeking the one with the precious jewelry. Then he heard the CLANG of Rarity hitting a frying pan.
"There's the signal!" someone yelled, having waited for a gong. "Release the doves!"
"There are the doves!" one of the men holding down the lanterns yelled. "Release the lanterns!"
To Pascal's horror, the net was released; the lanterns all soared up into the air.
Rarity had secured another wagon, trying again to steer it downhill, but her dazed senses got the better of her. She drove it right into a dead end on a precipice; the front of the wagon, where a horse might usually be hooked, drove into the base of the wall at road's end and flung Rarity up into the air. She screamed as she soared through the cloud of lanterns.
She briefly glimpsed Pascal clinging to one of the lanterns. "I don't even think I want to know how you got up there," she sighed before plummeting.
Twilight gathered as much sand as she could into her hands. "There!" she cried, turning to make the long run back uphill to the castle. "That should do…it…"
She beheld the lanterns floating in the sky.
"OH NO!" she cried. "What if I'm too late?"
She took off as quickly as she could.
A pile of wine barrels broke Rarity's fall. A flood of purple wine rushed down the street. Rarity was carried on the crest of the wave, still screaming as loudly as she could.
Pascal drifted down to the cobblestone street, having secured the ring. He sighed contentedly…before hearing the sound of Rarity's cry and seeing the rush of purple.
The wine swept him up. He crashed into something solid; Rarity's shoulder. She picked him up, setting him on her head. "How did you…" She closed her eyes. "Never mind."
She then looked up to see another wall. This time, there was no wagon to launch her. She let out the loudest scream yet.
The wave broke against the wall. Much of the wine went over, but Rarity and Pascal hit the wall lightly and stayed down. They were left in the damp purple streets, panting with exhaustion.
A gold glimmer caught Rarity's eye. She looked down against the wall. There, the other ring had rolled.
"THERE YOU ARE!" She swept up the other ring. "Now let's go before any other fashion disasters can happen!"
THE BORDERLANDS OF CORONA, AESTAS
Maximus galloped across the green grass, Rapunzel and Pinkie clinging on for dear life and Rainbow Dash flying alongside.
"We're gonna make it!" Rainbow Dash cried.
Suddenly, two figures leapt out from behind the trees, holding great swords aloft. Maximus dug his feet into the ground, skidding to a halt that kicked up dirt clods. Rainbow Dash also stopped. "What gives?" she complained, looking over the two that had blocked the way: a pair of muscular men with red hair, one wearing an eyepatch.
"The Stabbington brothers!" Rapunzel cried.
"Well, well," Ethan jeered. "If it isn't the princess with the magic hair. Except now it's all gone. What happened to your hair, little girl?"
"The boss was expecting the borderlands ruffians to come by this way," Corey continued. "He would have been impressed enough if we had been able to overthrow them and make them run back to the kingdom telling the what was in store. But capturing the actual princess? This just gets better and better."
"I'm warning you," Rapunzel said, "if you don't get out of the way…" She lifted her frying pan. "I'll have to fight you."
"Me too!" Pinkie added.
"And me!" Rainbow Dash put up her fists. "C'mon, you think those little swords are really gonna stop us?"
"The princess isn't the only one that can use magic anymore," Ethan boasted. "If she still can, that is."
At the will of his mind, his blade was suddenly afire with orange flames. Corey's blazed blue, coated in frost.
"MAGIC swords?" Rainbow Dash cried in surprise as Maximus whinnied in disbelief.
"That's cheating!" Pinkie whined.
Ethan swung his sword; a burst of flame shot toward Rainbow Dash. She ducked just in time to avoid it. Corey pointed his blade at Rapunzel, who dodged before a blast of ice could freeze her.
"Where'd you get those anyway?" Pinkie asked.
Then they all heard the thundering of footsteps from the direction behind Maximus and Rainbow Dash. The warriors had finally caught up, stampeding toward the Stabbingtons.
"Look!" Franz bellowed. "A pair of common thugs is trying to hold up the princess! We'll show 'em what's what!"
The warriors all drew their weapons, holding them aloft as they charged.
"Perfect timing," Ethan said with a smirk. "Shall we call him?"
"I think so," Corey replied.
They snapped the fingers of their free hands, and a third man materialized between them, having detected the signal to summon him. As his features became more clear, he began, "Well, well. What have we here? The great warriors of the borderlands, and three little rebel girls riding a—Y-YOU?"
"MOZENRATH!" Pinkie and Rainbow Dash yelled.
"But how?" Pinkie cried. "Why? Who, where, and when?"
"You can't be here!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "We left you behind!"
"You…know him?" Rapunzel asked.
"You're not the only ones that can travel, you know," Mozenrath told Pinkie and Rainbow Dash as the warriors got ever nearer. "I guess we were just meant to meet up again. I'd tell you to give Twilight Sparkle my regards, but I can do that myself once I'm the overlord of Corona." He turned his attention to the Stabbington brothers. "Take the pink-haired one and the rainbow one alive. For the rest…show no mercy."
By now, the warriors had caught up with Maximus, and they rushed the Stabbingtons and Mozenrath. Franz's axe clashed with Ethan's sword, but Ethan just sliced through the blade. Corey froze Sigmund solid with the swipe of his blade. Vladimir, the largest of the warriors, leapt forth to challenge Mozenrath with his mace; Mozenrath blasted him away with a bolt of blue energy from the gauntlet, slamming him into a tree and cracking the trunk.
"We've gotta do something!" Rapunzel cried. "We have to help them! Maximus…CHARGE!"
"WAAAAAH!" Pinkie gripped Rapunzel's waist tightly to keep from falling off as Maximus darted forward at a full gallop. Rapunzel held her frying pan high.
"What's this?" Mozenrath remarked, drawing back a fistful of blue energy. "The girl wants to challenge me? Oh, too bad for you that I—"
He didn't expect her to throw the pan. Rapunzel launched it, sending it spinning through the air. She caught the look of horror on Mozenrath's face just before the cookware collided with the side of his face, striking him right in the temple and knocking him unconscious; his body hit the ground with a thud.
In the meantime, Vladimir had gotten back to his feet, and had grabbed Ethan around the waist, throwing him at a tree and sending the fire blade flying. Gunther and Tor had managed to knock the ice blade away from Corey, using it to freeze him.
"GO!" Franz yelled, and Maximus galloped on, Rainbow Dash speeding alongside.
"You just took out one of our biggest enemies with one frying pan!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"How much should I be afraid of him?" Rapunzel asked.
"Very," Rainbow Dash answered.
"He's from a world with a lot more magic!" Pinkie explained, still clinging on. "That's how he got those magic swords!"
"Just wait until Twilight hears about this one," Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Why?" Rapunzel asked.
"Very…long…story."
CORONA, AESTAS
Twilight and Rarity met at the castle doors, both out of breath.
"I got the sand!" Twilight cried before noticing Rarity's appearance. "Uh…Rarity? Why are you wearing two dresses and a big hat? And how'd you get that lipstick all over your face? And what's with the giant bruise? Are you okay? And why are you soaked in…" She sniffed the air. "Is that wine?"
"No time to explain!" Rarity shouted. "I have the rings!"
"It might already be too late!" Twilight wailed. "They set off the lanterns! Eugene and Chrysalis are probably already married—"
"Actually, no. That was my fault."
"Um…okay?"
"I'll tell you the whole story LATER. Now let's just get back inside!"
At the altar, Chrysalis' impatience grew. "I don't CARE about two silly little RINGS!" she shouted. "I don't care WHO they belonged to: my grandmother, my great-grandmother, or a diamond dog! Can't we just GET ON with the wedding?"
"Well…all right," the priest sighed. "If you insist—"
"We've got them!" Rarity cried, bursting into the hall, holding the rings aloft; Pascal, still atop her head, gestured to them as if showing them off. Everyone in the hall gasped at Rarity's soaked, mismatched appearance.
"Well, that's a relief," Chrysalis growled. "Now, if you could hand them over—"
"JUST A SECOND!" Twilight charged up to the altar.
"What are you doing?" Chrysalis snapped as Twilight barged in between her and Eugene, facing the poor groom.
"Here goes nothing," Twilight muttered. She concentrated on the handful of sand, and it burst into luster, glittering like stardust. "You're Eugene Fitzherbert," she cried, "and you're in love with the REAL Rapunzel!" She blew the glittering sand into Eugene's face.
Eugene blinked, shaking his head. "Twilight?" he asked.
"Get OUT!" Chrysalis grabbed Twilight by the shoulders and shoved her aside. "You are RUINING MY WEDDING!"
"It's still you," Eugene realized. "You're still her. You're still the fake!"
"What?" Chrysalis cried. "No, Flynn—Eugene! It's me! Rapunzel! The one you love!"
"Really?" Eugene raised an eyebrow. "You're sure not acting like yourself, Rapunzel. Just like you weren't earlier."
"Eugene, NO! DO NOT—"
"EVERYONE!" Eugene turned to address the entire great hall. "I'm sorry, I know you all turned up expecting a huge wedding and a big shindig after, but I'm not going to be marrying this woman today."
Everyone in the great hall gasped. Barbara and Zal nearly fainted.
"What can I say?" Eugene shrugged. "Cold feet! Okay, show's over, you can all go home now!"
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Chrysalis cried, throwing her bouquet to the ground and stomping on it.
"Forget it," Eugene muttered to her. "The only woman I'm going to marry is—"
The doors to the great hall flung open. Maximus galloped down the aisle, two women aboard his back and one running after him. That one, Rainbow Dash, rushed to the pew where her friends were gathered. Maximus stopped in front of the altar, letting down Pinkie Pie and one other passenger.
"It's the assassin!" one of the guards yelled. "And she has the traitor with her!"
"GET HER!" another guard yelled.
Maximus glared at the guards, snorting his disapproval.
"Get that horrible woman away from my daughter!" Barbara cried.
"NO!" Eugene yelled. "No, no, everyone, LOOK!" He turned to look into the eyes of the woman that had dismounted before him. She was bald, and wearing a torn and stained nightgown, but he recognized the gorgeous princess before him. "Rapunzel…it's really you!"
Chapter 21
· The chapter title is taken from a mishmash: "This Day Aria," Chrysalis' villain song, and "Tangled Ever After," the short that this replaces chronologically.
· Also, this chapter doesn't exactly sync up with time. The Stabbington battle probably took place way before Rarity got the rings. I just felt it made better narrative variety to alternate the segments as much as possible.
· It is actually canon that Pinkie's ability to annoy the shit out of people and ponies can be weaponized. In the ep "The Last Roundup," they turned her loose on Applejack with one of her long rants about whether to call a cherry chimichanga a "chimicherry" or a "cherrychanga", as well as how fun the words "pickle barrel" and "kumquat" are to say, because Applejack was keeping secrets and they wanted to torture them out of her that way. Against the power of the Pinkie, Gothel is WEAK.
· So I really wanted the quarry area where the big action scene went down in Tangled to be part of this because I think it's cool. But I really had nothing to do there.
· And here comes the part where I rewrite Tangled Ever After to fit my needs. I have replaced Maximus with Rarity—behold! I tried to follow the slapstick chase as best I could while still keeping it fresh (meaning cutting out filler and hurrying it up for time's sake). This is probably the segment where no one cares. Oh well.
· I probably could have made a bigger plot point out of the early release of the lanterns. But I didn't. So there.
· So you're probably wondering why Moz was so easily defeated by a simple frying pan. I have this huge headcanon about an ongoing rivalry between Mozenrath and Rapunzel. They hate each other and it's really fun. I had to give him a reason to REALLY hate her guts, and having her take him out with cookware will do it.