Chapter 22
Eugene stumbles as another cannon explodes against the hull, quaking the floor beneath his feet.
The sudden movement sends a bolt of pain through the shallow cut in his abdomen. He presses his palm against it, his other hand running along the wall to keep him upright as he continues down the narrow hallway.
The movement of the ship throws him against the walls, but he doesn't slow for a second, despite the destruction occurring around him and the flickering flames that only seem to grow by the second.
It seems the fire has already managed to spread throughout the entire lower deck. The brightness blinds him, and the heat of it practically burns his skin. Smoke fills the air and torturously seeps into his lungs, stinging his eyes.
He hurriedly attempts to open each of the doors on either side of him, hoping that Rapunzel may be inside one of the cabins. He calls out her name repeatedly, desperately, but all of them are either locked or empty. There's no sign of her.
He feels weak. His limbs are shaking. He can hardly breathe. As much as his body is telling him to, he doesn't lose hope. He can't. Not now.
Eventually, beneath the sound of booming explosions and crackling fire, he thinks he hears a voice.
He stops and whips his head over his shoulder, unsure whether he'd imagined it. Eugene peers down the long, empty hallway behind him, finding nobody.
"Rapunzel!" he calls out.
Eugene hears it again – somebody coughing through the walls, crying out for help in muffled words he can't quite decipher. The voice is faint and distant, but Eugene knows it's there.
He rushes back the way he came, stopping in front of one of the closed doors. He hears her clearly now, just on the other side of it.
Eugene yanks on the doorknob repeatedly, but it doesn't budge. "Rapunzel!"
The smoke is heavier now. There's so much of it that he can hardly see what's in front of him anymore.
Eugene jams his boot into the door with all the strength he has left. He kicks it again, and again. The door rattles from the impact, wood panels weakening further with the help of the burning embers. He takes a large step back, then rams his foot into the door one last time.
The door splits down the middle, the burning planks of wood completely crashing at his feet.
It sends a puff of smoke directly into Eugene's eyes, seeping out of the small room and into the hallway. Sparks disintegrate into the air all around him. He shields his gaze with his arm, releasing a cough.
When Eugene opens his eyes, he sees her at last.
Rapunzel had been standing just on the other side of the door, but had stumbled back when it broke. She's holding a hand up in front of her face to shield her eyes, choking on smoke.
The small cabin she'd been locked in is almost entirely in flames. A thick cloud of smoke hovers near the ceiling. The walls are beginning to disintegrate into embers and puffs of ashes. A layer of water floods the ground. It pours through the holes in the hull and seems to be rising at their feet by the second.
When she looks up again, it takes Eugene a moment to realize that it is in fact Rapunzel, and not just a figment of his imagination. The sight of her after so long makes his heart burst with sudden ease and worry all at once. But he can't think about that now.
Though she doesn't recognize him, she looks relieved to find someone else here as she locks eyes with Eugene. Then her expression becomes panicked as she struggles desperately to breathe.
"I—I can't—" Her eyes fall closed, and her knees give in beneath her.
Eugene catches her before she falls. He wraps his arms around her, holding her upright. "I've got you… I've got you."
She latches onto Eugene's arms to steady herself, peering up at the face that is suddenly so close to hers. "Who… are you?" Rapunzel mumbles, disoriented. She's struggling to keep her eyes open and looks as if she may faint any moment.
Eugene had expected her to remember him, along with their swordfight in that cabin all that time ago. But she doesn't fear him now like she did that day. In fact, she couldn't seem more confused to see him. It doesn't matter now anyway.
"I'm getting you out of here," Eugene promises.
Rapunzel regains her balance, and manages to remain on her feet after that. She lets Eugene take her by the hand and guide her away.
They burst out of the room and into the lower deck. Eugene doesn't let go of her hand as they race down the hallway, with Rapunzel trailing behind him.
Planks of burning wood crash down from the ceiling in all directions. The ship lurches and rumbles beneath their feet, causing them to lose balance.
The water level reaches all the way to their knees now. Debris and flaming planks of wood float on the surface. It requires extra effort for them to tread through the flood until finally, they make it to the staircase that leads up to the main deck.
Beyond it, the night sky is finally visible again, though the outside air is foggy with thick gray smoke.
As they reach the top, the sound of swords ringing and guns firing is suddenly clear in their ears. The air is much cooler out here, providing an instant sense of relief from the heat. Finally, it feels as if they can breathe somewhat again.
The main deck is in chaos, with shadowy figures darting past each other through the haze. Footsteps pound and shuffle along the deck. There's so much smoke that no one can see more than a few feet ahead of themselves.
The rain is pouring down hard, obscuring their vision even further. There's a strong wind and a low rumble of thunder. Nothing but the scattered flames and occasional lightning strike provides light within the dark storm.
Moments after climbing onto the deck, an explosion erupts behind them and it throws both Rapunzel and Eugene to the ground, his hand suddenly losing grip of hers.
Pairs of boots bolt past Eugene as he finds himself now laying on his stomach, in the middle of the clamour.
He raises his head just in time to notice the tear-shaped potion bottle rolling out of his open satchel and across the deck. His hand shoots out toward it, but it merely brushes against his fingertips, slipping out from underneath them.
Eugene scrambles after the bottle, dodging the men that fight each other all around him. He keeps his eyes on it as he crawls across the deck in a panic. He needs that potion. It's going to fix everything. It's the key to getting all of Rapunzel's memories back.
Finally, he reaches it, and snatches it up in his hand.
Eugene springs to his feet, now standing at the edge of the ship. He peers down at it with relief, his heart pounding in his chest.
Just as he stands fully upright, the ship jolts again and it causes Eugene to lose his footing. He stumbles forward against the railing, the potion bottle flying out of his hand.
"No, no, no, no!" He claws at it in the air, before it soars over the edge of the ship and plummets into the violent waves below.
For a moment, all Eugene does it stare down over the railing in horror, watching the waves crash against the hull of the ship. It's completely disappeared, lost within the dark abyss of the ocean beneath them.
"Flynn!"
Eugene whips his head around at the sound of the familiar voice. After a moment, he spots Lance in the distance.
He's aboard The Strongbow, the other vessel floating directly next to The Scarlett Storm. He's standing at the edge of the deck, beckoning Eugene over. Cannons are being fired between the two ships, both swaying on top of the waves, though Lance's ship appears to be in much better condition.
That's their ride. They're running out of time.
Forcing the potion out of his mind for now, Eugene sprints back across the deck the way he came.
He weaves around figures and through the pouring rain. Searching through the smoke, he soon finds Rapunzel in the middle of it all.
She'd collapsed onto the deck after the explosion, and is struggling to push herself up as she lays on her side. Her hair and clothes are soaking wet now from the storm.
Eugene runs to her. "Hey," he kneels down, helping her to her feet.
She's coughing repeatedly. Her legs are wobbly, and it looks as if she may fall again. Her eyes are barely open. She's clearly weak, but she holds onto his forearms to steady herself. She isn't well. It strikes a panic in Eugene – one that he forces himself to ignore, at least until they get out of this.
Eugene hurriedly peers around himself, searching for a way out. Water drips into his eyes from his soaking wet hair, and he can hardly see through the pelting rain.
They have to get off this ship before it sinks.
After a moment, his gaze lands on the rigging overhead. He looks across the water at The Strongbow next to them, judging the gap between the two ships. With an idea coming to mind, he rushes toward one of the many ropes hanging above him with determination.
He finds a loose one and briefly tests its sturdiness. He wraps it securely around his wrist, ignoring the sting of his bruised and bleeding knuckles rubbing against it.
He climbs up onto the railing, reaching an arm down to Rapunzel. "Take my hand!"
She peers up at him hesitantly, until she finds no other choice but to comply.
Eugene hurriedly pulls Rapunzel up onto the ledge next to him, hooking his other arm around her waist. "Hold on."
She wraps her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face against his chest. Rapunzel squeezes her eyes shut, before Eugene leaps off the edge.
Before either of them knows it, they're soaring through the air wrapped in each other's arms. The rope swings them across the gap between the two ships, their feet flying over the ocean and blowing a cold breeze against their skin.
When they're hovering over The Strongbow, Eugene lets go.
They roughly land onto the deck of Lance's ship with a thud. Eugene cradles Rapunzel beneath him, shielding her from the impact as they both tumble across the tilting deck.
Eventually, they slow to a stop. Eugene lands on top of her, his elbows propped on either side of Rapunzel's head. He tucks his chin to his chest as another crash quakes the vessel. Debris and ashes pelt the deck all around them.
Eventually, everything slows to a stop.
Eugene pants for breath. His muscles are aching, and he'd definitely earned a couple bruises from that landing.
When it's somewhat quiet again, and the ship comes to a steady halt, he strenuously pushes himself up and peers over his shoulder at the destruction behind them.
What was once a beautiful and grand privateer vessel is now nothing but a pile of burning wood, slowly sinking beneath the sea.
The lower half of it is completely submerged, with the entirety tilting to one side. The broken bow protrudes from the surface, with its stern beneath the water. The crimson sails are only rags now, black and charred at the edges. An enormous plume of smoke slowly rises and disappears into the sky. Ashes and glowing sparks plummet into the ocean from all around, along with the rain. A flicker of lightning momentarily illuminates the dark clouds overhead. The mass of flames glow brightly in the black sky, the shape of the vessel nothing but a shadowed silhouette on the water.
Lance and his crew are shouting to each other somewhere nearby. People are running across the deck of The Strongbow, though Eugene hardly notices what is happening around him. The sounds of battle aboard The Scarlett Storm are still audible, distant within the night.
Despite everything, for the first time that day, Eugene finds his heart bursting with excitement.
They did it. They made it out. He can't believe they just did that.
However, when Eugene looks down at Rapunzel laying next to him, she isn't moving, and her eyes are closed.
It isn't until now he realizes how pale her face is, and the fact that her lips lack any colour. Whether it's from the cold air or something else entirely, he doesn't know.
Whatever sense of relief he'd previously felt suddenly disappears when he lays eyes on her face. "Rapunzel?" Eugene grips her arm as he hovers over her on the ground, nudging her gently.
But she doesn't open her eyes. He waits for a while longer, hoping that she'll come to now that she's safe.
He reminds himself he saved her. They're together, finally. She's supposed to be okay now. He refuses to believe he is too late. But the longer he sits there without receiving any indication that she can hear him, or feel his touch, the more his worst nightmare feels as if it is becoming a reality.
A sudden wave of dread nestles in Eugene's stomach as he realizes – this wasn't supposed to happen. Everything was supposed to be better now. This isn't right.
Rapunzel isn't waking up.
Donovan's limbs are quivering as he pulls himself out of the water and onto the shore.
Waves lap beneath him as he slowly crawls on all fours along the pale sand. He coughs forcefully, sputtering water from his lungs and choking on blood.
He's wheezing for air. His muscles are weak. His head is pounding. His face is throbbing. His hair and clothes are soaked. The water droplets mix with the crimson blood that pours from his nose, dripping off of him and into the sand.
It's quiet here – the sounds of battle entirely drowned out by the soft crashing of the waves behind him. The crisp night air holds an overwhelming stench of smoke. The storm has subsided, with nothing but a few stray raindrops falling from the sky now.
He stops crawling when the tip of a sword suddenly appears just a few inches in front of his face, the blade ringing out audibly.
"Don't. Move. Another. Muscle."
Donovan remains frozen, finding no other choice but to stare forward at the weapon now pointed at him.
He notices a pair of boots in the sand in his peripheral vision, though he doesn't recognize the stern and female voice speaking above him.
After a moment, he slowly lifts his chin and peers up at the figure standing over him.
He notices the woman's short black hair, disheveled and soaked with water. Stray curls stick to her cheeks and fall in front of her eyes. She's young, with a smaller frame than her threatening voice would otherwise suggest. She's dressed in a maroon long-sleeve draped with a black cloak, and a pair of black trousers. The moonlight glows against her pale skin and sharp facial features. She's glowering down at him at the other end of her sword, eyebrows pressed low over her dark eyes.
It isn't until then Cassandra really gets a good look at Donovan's face. It had been so chaotic back on the ship that she hadn't had the time.
His nose suffered the worst. It's bruised and swollen, with patches of dry blood just below his nostrils. It trails down toward his mouth, stains his lips red and coats his teeth. There's a shallow gash in his cheekbone and a dark bruise over one of his half-lidded eyes.
It makes Cassandra grimace just from the sight of it. She can't help but feel disturbed.
Though she had never seen him before today, she imagines he might've been handsome before Eugene ever did a number on him.
She'd never thought the thief to be capable of something like this. If Cass hadn't stopped Eugene when she did, Donovan would be long dead by now. Though, the guy doesn't look far from it at the moment.
As regal and noble as Cass has made him up to be, their so-called prince looks rather pathetic to her now.
"Who… who are you?" Donovan pants. His voice is hoarse as he fights the urge to collapse at her feet right then and there.
Cassandra's expression hardens as she thinks about Rapunzel, and all the horrible things this man has done to her. She clenches her jaw, and draws the blade across her chest.
She's doing this for Rapunzel.
"Someone you're going to wish you never met." Cassandra swings her arm down as she slams the handle of her sword into Donovan's head, knocking him out cold.