Now some more action along with some reveals about Rapunzel and Flynn's pasts. Enjoy!
The tunnel was hollowed out of the earth with stone all around it, though there was plenty of space to carry in a cart full of supplies.
Flynn carried a lantern as everyone else made their way through the cavern. Everyone else followed in a giant clump with enough leg room for them all while also making sure they didn't step on Rapunzel's hair.
"Well, I've got to say, didn't know you had that in you back there. That was pretty impressive." Flynn admitted.
"I know!" Rapunzel said excitedly, her voice echoing a bit. She calmed down a bit. "I know." she said casually as Flynn smiled back.
"Hey nice job with your one verse on that song Kairi." praised Daisy.
"You let us get an opportunity to sing too." added Oswald.
Kairi smiled. "No problem guys."
"I'm surprised you joined in Is'." Lea commented to the male bluehead.
Isa shrugged. "I don't sing often. But I figured I might as well be part of the group instead of just making it awkward." he replied.
"You guys should join us for some musical nights at the castle when you get the chance." suggested Mickey.
"Oh yes! We do it during holidays, birthdays, and special events." added Minnie.
"We'll keep our schedules open." Riku smiled.
Rapunzel nervously pushed some hair behind her ear. "So Flynn, where are you from?" she asked.
"Whoa, whoa! Sorry Blondie. I don't do backstory." Flynn interrupted. "However, I am becoming very interested in yours. Now, I-I know I'm not supposed to mention the hair."
"Nope." Rapunzel nodded.
"Or the mother."
"Nuh-uh."
"Frankly, I'm too scared to ask about the frog."
"Chameleon." Rapunzel corrected.
"Nuance. Here's my question though. If you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?" he asked.
Rapunzel was taken aback, chuckling nervously at the question.
"Hey yeah, how come you never went to see them before?" asked Naminé.
"Well…" Rapunzel began.
Suddenly, a pebble fell on her head, and they heard rumbling.
"Donald, please tell me that's your stomach." Daisy said nervously.
As if on cue, Donald's stomach did growl.
"That was my stomach." he told her as the rumbling sounded out again. "But not that!"
"God I hope the cavern's not caving in." Aqua said nervously.
"It's not! Look!" cried Lea, pointing behind them.
They all looked and saw the guards coming their way.
"Ryder!" the captain shouted.
"Run! Run!" Flynn cried.
Riku, Goofy, Isa, and Terra helped Rapunzel gather her hair as everyone ran through the tunnel.
"Gang way!" Myde exclaimed hysterically.
"Where's the exit?!" cried Lea.
"Over there!" called Ven, pointing ahead.
Everyone saw a light at the end of the tunnel and ran through it. But then they came out, they were standing at a rock ledge into a canyon. Behind them, a wall made of wooden boards formed a dam, while against the rock wall to their right, a complex system fed water from the reservoir down through a chute that led down through the canyon. They ran to the edge.
"Dammit! We're trapped!" cried Xion.
"There's gotta be a way down!" said Sora.
To their dismay, the only way down was a long rope ladder and through a hole into another cavern.
To the left of that passage, the Stabbington brothers burst through a boarded up path, brandishing swords.
"Who's that?" Rapunzel asked scaredly.
"They don't like me." Flynn replied, figuring that was all he needed to say.
"How did they get free?" Riku wondered out loud.
"Those guards are probably not good at their job." Lea guessed.
Then, the guards came out of the tunnel, surrounding the group.
"Who's that?" Rapunsel asked.
"They don't like me either." Flynn replied.
Then Maximus burst through the tunnel as well.
"Who's that?!" Rapunzel exclaimed.
"Let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me!" Flynn hastily replied.
"Sounds reasonable." shrugged Roxas.
Rapunzel shoved her frying pan into Flynn's hands. "Here!" She then threw her hair so it wrapped around a broken beam then pulled it taut. She then swung down across the canyon on an edge.
And then, some Fluttering, Rapid Thruster, Malachite Bolero, and Hookbat Heartless spawned all around them.
"Oh for the love of James Cameron's budget!" groaned Ven as he summoned Wayward Wind. (1)
"We'd better handle these creeps again." said Sora as he summoned Kingdom Key.
Everyone else summoned their signature weapons. They then jumped off in different directions, using Zero Gravity to slow their descents as they battled the Heartless.
The captain approached Flynn. "I waited a long time for this." he smirked as he threw his torch aside and drew his sword.
Flynn braced himself as the captain charged at him. Then, remembering he was knocked out three times with the kitchen appliance, he swung the pan, bashing the captain in the face, knocking him unconscious. While dodging their attacks, Flynn was able to bash them unconscious as well.
Flynn gazed at the frying pan in amazement. "Oh mama! I have got to get me one of these!" he exclaimed with a grin.
A sword came into view and Flynn brandished the frying pan… only to see that the sword was being held by Maximus between his teeth.
Sora, Riku, and Kairi combined Blizzaga spells that froze some Hookbats in place and Lea blasted them to death with a Dark Firaga spell.
"Good work Lea." smirked Riku.
"Glad to help." the spiky redhead smirked back.
Suddenly, a swarm of Rapid Thrusters flew right through them, actually managing to give them some cuts.
"That's new." mused Sora.
The Rapid Thrusters managed to cut and scrape the others as they tried to fend them off.
"Since when do the Heartless act like bees?!" exclaimed Myde as he blasted two Rapid Thrusters and Flutterings with a Wateraza spell.
"Probably taking advantage of air attacks." said Terra as he casted Mega Flare on some Malachiet Boleros.
Then, the Stabbington brothers approached them, holding swords.
"You lot with Rider?" Sideburns asked.
"Why do you care?" asked Max.
"He backstabbed us. And took the crown we stole today." Sideburns replied.
"You know where it is?" Patchy demanded.
"Sorry, but we don't have a clue." Lea said casually as he lit some Hookbats on fire with the snap of his fingers. "Also, you're not getting anywhere near Flynn."
"Yeah, we need him as our guide." said Kairi.
The brothers smirked.
"Very well then," said Sideburns, smirking. "Then we'll just have to deal with you first."
Kairi scoffed. "Boys, you don't even know what we're all capable of."
Sideburns lunged at Kairi, both of them clasheing weapons. Kairi ducked from his swinging and kicked him in the stomach, making him stumble back. Sora bashed his Keyblade into Sideburns' face, only to get slashed across his chest. Luckily, Terra came to his rescue and punched Sideburns in the face, making him stumble back some more and the Keyblade master blasted him into the wall with an Ignite spell.
Riku and Patchy clashed their weapons as the stabbington brother slashed Riku's shoulders. But the silverhead uppercutted his Keyblade into the Stabbington brother. Lea slashed Patchy's back twice, only to get slashed across his chest and arms by the thief. Luckily, Aqua used Blackout to confuse Patchy and both she and Lea casted Firaga against him, making him crash into the wall like his brother.
Up on the ledge, Flynn and Maximus clashed their weapons many times, the human running around to avoid the horse's attacks.
"Hey check that out!" Ven called as he pointed up at the two.
As soon as all the Heartless were gone, the others did so.
"Well there's something you don't see everyday. A-hyuck!" chuckled Goofy.
"You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!" Flynn shouted as they fought.
But then, Maximus managed to knock the frying pan out of Flynn's grasp. Both watched it fall into the canyon.
"Uh oh…" Aqua said in worry.
"How about 2 out of 3?" Flynn sheepishly suggested.
His response was Maximus pointing his sword at Flynn's throat, making the thief put his hands in the air.
"Flynn!" Rapunzel called.
She had wrapped a section of her hair around a rock sticking out of the ledge she was on and threw the rest of her hair to wrap around Flynn's hand. Rapunzel then pulled Flynn back. Seeing this, Flynn smirked at Maximus and saluted him off as Rapunzel swung him off the edge. Maximus' jaw dropped in shock.
Sora and Co. were amused.
"Well that's new." commented Naminé.
"Way to go Rapunzel!" cheered Sora.
Flynn swung across the canyon, lifting himself up briefly to avoid the angry Stabbington brothers who failed to slash them with their swords.
"Ha You should see your faces because you look-!" Flynn began to gloat before he hit himself against a piece of wood sticking out. "...Ridiculous." he wheezed in pain.
Everyone else, imclduign the horse, winced.
"Ouch." said Lea.
"He'll feel that tomorrow." muttered Roxas.
Flynn allowed himself to drop into the water chute. But then, Maximus kicked at one of the support beams holding up the dam. It broke off, causing water to spill out of a hole in the wall, and landed evenly to create a bridge between his platform and Rapunzel's.
"C'mon Boldie! Jump!" Flynn called.
Just as Maximus reached her, Rapunzel jumped off the ledge and swung down. She then landed and skidded in a puddle of dripping water. She pulled the rest of her hair down and ran.
"Go Rapunzel!" cheered Minnie.
"You go girlfriend!" cheered Daisy.
"Boneheaded thieves at 12:00!" called Myde, pointing at the Stabbington brothers who were charging at Rapunzel.
"Get away you brutes!" shouted Naminé as she casted Transcendence to knock the Stabbington brothers away.
"Nice work Naminé." smiled Roxas.
Naminé smiled at the praise.
"C'mon, let's go!" said Sora as they all ran to join Rapunzel.
Flynn jumped into the chute and slid down the current of water. He jumped over the side and landed on another section of the chute, which was starting to collapse from his sudden weight. Using the collapse to guide his descent, he reached the ground and quickly joined the others.
Suddenly, they all heard a bursting noise and all saw that the dam had collapsed.
"Oh shit!" gasped Riku.
"Run for it!" cried Sora.
The 22 ran for the cave.
Maximus and the now conscious guards saw the flow of water head towards them. The guards screamed while Maximus snorted defiantly before they were engulfed by an enormous wave.
The wave also hit the Stabbington brothers and then it suddenly knocked over a boulder tower.
The group of 22 barley made it inside the cave as Flynn retrieved the frying pan that had washed up to them. The boulder then fell into the ground, trapping them inside just as the water filled up the entire canyon.
"We're trapped!" cried Ortensia.
"And the water's pouring in! This whole cave will be flooded!" added Donald.
"We got bigger problems!" said Isa.
Everyone turned and managed to see through the pitch-darkness that there were a pile of rocks sealing their way out.
"Now we really are trapped!" gasped Minnie.
"Can't we use a spell?!" asked Max.
"Any spell to blast away those rocks could end up hurting us real badly! Or worse!" said Terra.
"Then what do we do?!" cried Daisy.
"Try to dislodge them the old-fashioned way!" said Mickey.
Sora, Riku, Terra, Aqua, Roxas, Lea, Isa, and Goofy tried to bash themselves against the rocks, but to no avail, as well as getting scraped on their arms. The same thing happened when the others tried too. Rapunzel tried to dislodge the rocks as well with the handle of the frying pan Flynn gave her, but that didn't work either. Flynn tried to move a rock with his hand, but he only ended up scraping it.
"We're stuck!" cried Roxas.
"Can't we use an Oxygen spell to breathe or something?!" asked Xion.
"It's too dark to see!" said Riku.
"And ot all spells last forever." Sora said sadly. He remembered that when he was trapped in the Benatar with Tony and Nebula after Thanos eliminated ½ of all life in the universe. They were almost out of oxygen after being trapped for 24 days. Even if Sora hadn't felt so weak from his injuries and lack of food and water, he knew that the Oxygen spells wouldn't do him, Tony, and Nebula so much good. He'd probably get even weaker from using so much magic to keep them alive. Thank god Carol had shown up.
Flynn dove down into the water to see if there was another way out as the water began to fill up the cave. He came back up with a distressed look on his face.
"It's no use. I can't see anything." he said sadly.
"Damn it." cursed Lea.
Rapunzel dove down next, but Flynn pulled her back up. "Hey, there's no point. It's pitch black down there."
"So I guess this is it." sighed Sora.
"Guess so." sighed Kairi.
Sora and Kairi embraced each other, ready for the end. Terra & Aqua, Roxas & Naminé, Ven & Xion, Mickey, & Minnie, Donald & Daisy, and Oswald & Ortensia did the same. Goofy held Max close. Lea and Isa stood together before the redhead pulled Myde close to him, much to the mullet-haired man's surprise.
Sora, Riku, and Kairi thought about how they would never see any of their friends and family again.
Donald and Daisy thought about how they would never get married and see their family again, especially after it had been brought back together.
Oswald and Ortensia thought they'd never see their 420 kids again.
Goofy and Max thought how they would never see Clarabelle, Roxanne, P.J., and Bobby again.
But at least they would all go out together.
Rapunzel leaned back against the wall in guil. "This is all my fault." she said sadly. "She was right. I never should have done this. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Roxas, Xion, Naminé, Lea, Isa, Myde, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, Max, Oswald, Ortensia, Flynn… I'm so sorry." she said as she broke into tears.
Sora and Co. gave Rapunzel sympathetic looks. Despite the situation, none of them blamed Rapunzel.
Flynn sighed before he said,
"Eugene."
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"What?" they all asked.
"My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert." the thief replied. "Someone might as well know. And they might as well be… my friends." he added with a smile.
Everyone looked touched.
"Well… we're from other worlds." Sora confessed.
"Might as well get it out there since we're all about to drown." Riku said in agreement.
Rapunzel, Flynn, and Pascal, while taken aback, smiled.
"I have magic hair that glows when i sing." Rapunzel confessed.
Everyone was confused.
"What?" Eugene asked.
Rapunzel then relaxed something. "I have… magic hair that glows when I sing!" she exclaimed just as the water reached their necks. "Flower gleam and glow let your power shine!" she began to sing just as the water reached their chins, making everyone take deep breaths.
At first, everything was pitch black. Suddenly, a golden glow began to emanate from rapunzel's 70-foot-long hair, lighting up the entire cave. Everyone was completely taken aback by the sight. Sora, Myde, Lea, Ven, Donald, Goofy, and Eugene gasped in surprise, before remembering that they were underwater and quickly covered their mouths. They all followed the golden path of the hair until they saw a pair of rocks near the bottom of the cavern, loosely stuck together and appearing to cover up a way out. Seeing that this was their only way out, everyone began to dig their way out, tossing the rocks out of the way. The light from Rapunzel's hair faded, but they were still able to move the rocks. Within moments, they pushed out the last wall of rocks, and the force of the water pushed them out and into a pond.
Everyone burst out of the pond and onto the shore, Pascal sitting on Rapunzel's frying pan, and laid there, catching their breaths.
"We made it!" Rapunzel said happily.
"We're okay!" cheered Kairi as she and Sora hugged.
"Hot dog!" cheered Mickey as he hugged Minnie.
"Quack-A-Rooney!" exclaimed Donald as he hugged Daisy.
"I've never felt more alive!" exclaimed Lea.
Xion and Naminé then hugged Ven and Roxas, much to their surprise. They then pulled back and giggled nervously, getting sheepish smiles from the boys.
"Thank god we all made it." said Sora.
"Her hair glows." Eugene said in shock.
"We're alive!" Rapunzel cheered.
"Never seen that coming. Her hair actually glows. Why does her hair glow?" Flynn asked Pascal, gripping his hand protectively.
"Eugene!" called Rapunzel. "It doesn't just glow."
Pascal gave Eugene a smirk. "Why is he smiling at me like that?" Eugene asked nervously.
Out in the forest, Gothel came across a hollowed-out tree. On the ground inside it, there was a circular trapdoor with a picture of a yellow duckling painted on it. She drew her dagger, ready to stab her quarry. But when the trapdoor opened, it was the Stabbington brothers, soaked and angry. Seeing that they weren't who she hoped they were, she slipped behind a rock.
"I'll kill him! I'll kill that Rider!" Sideburns sneered. "We'll kill him and get back the crown. Come on."
"Boys!" Gothel called out. The two thieves turned to look at her. At that moment, Marluxia, Shellgoose, and Felldrake teleported in.
"Who are you?" asked Patchy.
"Who we are is unimportant." said Marluxia.
"What's important is that you might want to stop acting like wild dogs chasing their tails and think for a moment." Gothel said with a smirk. She then held up the satchel with the crown inside.
The brothers took out their swords, tendering to just take it from her. She chuckled in amusement.
"Oh please. There's no need for that." she told them. She tossed the back to the two, who began to fight over it until Sideburns took out the crown.
"I guess that's that." shrugged Shellgoose.
"Be on your way." said Gothel. "We were going to offer you something worth one thousand crowns. Would have made you rich beyond belief and that wasn't even the best part."
"But I guess you both have your preferences." shrugged Marluxia.
"To think you could have it all." added Shellgoose.
"Oh well, C'est la vie. Enjoy your crown." said Gothel as they turned to leave.
The Stabbington brothers looked at each other in interest then back at the villains. "What's the best part?" inquired Sideburns.
Wicked smiles spread across the villains' faces. They turned to face the thieves again as Gothel brought out the Wanted poster. "It comes with revenge on Flynn Rider." she told them.
The brothers smiled evilly.
That night, everyone was gathering around a campfire to dry off and eat. Sora, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Lea, Isa, Goofy, and Max had gone out to get firewood that Donald lit with his magic. Naminé, Xion, Minnie, Daisy, Oswald, and Ortensia cooked the food Donald and Goofy brought from the Snuggly Duckling.
"Well that was intense." Eugene commented as Riku added wood to the fire.
"You can say that again." said Roxas.
"I think I'll take a break from swimming for a while." said Myde.
"You and me both." said Max.
Soon, they were all dinding on their food.
"This is really good." said Sora.
"Who knew a pub full of thugs could serve good food." mused Lea.
"Hey I did tell you lot it was a 5 star joint." reminded Eugene.
"True." nodded Mickey.
"So Rapunzel," Kairi began. "You said your hair glowed when you sang. But when we were all singing earlier, it didn't glow."
Everyone realized that Kairi was right as they all gave Rapunzel curious looks.
"Well, it requires a specific song." Rapunzel told them. "But like I said, it doesn't just glow."
"What else does it do?" asked Riku.
Rapunzel said nothing as she took her hair and wrapped it around the cuts and scraped everyone sustained from the Heartless, Stabbingtons, and rocks. Though they were all puzzled.
"Uh, Rapunzel, why are you wrapping your hair around our cuts?" asked Donald.
"Just trust me." Rapunzel replied as she wrapped one last strand around Eugene's hand. She then sat back down. "Just don't… don't freak out."
Rapunzel closed her eyes and began to sing a soft melody. As she did, her hair began to glow. "Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine." Sora, Eugene, and Co. watched in shock and awe as the hair wrapped around their cuts began to glow. They suddenly felt warm from the glow. "Heal what has been done. Change this fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine…" When Rapunzel stopped singing, the glow faded.
Everyone slowly removed the hair from their cuts. They were shocked to see that they were completely healed. No cuts, no tears in their clothes, no bloodstains, no nothing.
"Whoa!" gasped Sora.
"That was…" Ven started before trailing off.
"Incredible…" Aqua said in awe.
"That felt like light…" Kairi whispered, remembering the same kind of healing Kida did for her, Sora, and Milo.
Eugene was the last to remove the hair from his cut. He was shocked and surprised to see his hand completely healed. He stared at his hand in utter disbelief and started to scream.
"Please don't freak out!" Rapunzel quickly said, interpreting the freak-out.
Flynn stifled a small version of the scream, and tried to turn it into a comment. "I'm not freaking out. Are you freaking out? I'm just very interested in your hair and the mgaqcial qualities it possesses. How long had it been doing that exactly?" he said quickly before grinning nervously.
Rapunzel relaxed and let out a small chuckle.
"Forever I guess." she replied. "Mother said when i was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves. But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power." she explained, pulling her hair back to reveal a lock of short brown hair that went past her right ear.
"Ooh, that doesn't sound pleasant." muttered Lea.
"A gift like that, it has to be protected." Rapunzel said in agreement. "That's why Mother never let me… that's why I never left and…" she looked away sadly.
"You never left that tower." Eugene finished softly. Rapunzel looked at him, the sad look in her eyes saying it all.
"I get how you feel." said Naminé softly.
Everyone looked at her.
"What do you mean?" asked Rapunzel.
Naminé sighed. "I used to have powers myself. Memory manipulation." she explained. "But… I was used to benefit some bad people and it ended up hurting others."
Everyone looked at her in sympathy, especially Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Lea.
"I'm so sorry." Rapunzel said in sympathy.
"Thanks." Naminé said with a small smile. "And I was kept prisoner by those using me. And it doesn't help that they've returned and are allied with our enemies.
She then smiled a little more. "But I was able to fix my mistakes and make my powers useful in doing so. I can't do them anymore, but I have ones I know how to use for good. And who knows, maybe you'll really be able to leave that tower and use your powers for useful purposes."
Rapunzel seemed hesitant, which concerned everyone.
"Are you thinking about going back to that tower?" asked Xion.
"No. Yes…" Rapunzel replied as she dropped her head into her hands. "It's complicated."
Pascal leaned against her foot reassuringly.
Sora and his friends gave her looks of sympathy. But the 20 of them were also considering what Rapunzel had told them. They were trying to figure out her mother. She had kept Rapunzel in a tall tower for 18 years, was never permitted to leave, often left on her own for extended periods of time with barely enough to stave off boredom and form going insane. And she had also filled Rapunzel's head with the idea that people were selfish and cruel when not everyone was, insisting that Rapunzel couldn't handle herself, probably tearing down her self-esteem in other ways too. And she had claimed that they would want to use Rapunzel's gift for their own selfish desires which was why it had to be "protected." And then there was the fact that if the power was supposed to be "protected" for good use, how had Rapunzel's mother been using it? It was obvious that it had been in use before if Rapunzel knew all the words. Something just wasn't right.
Rapunzel then decided to change the subject. "So, Eugene Fitzherbvert huh?" she asked, giving him a playful look.
That brought Sora and Co. out of their thoughts and they looked at Eugen with curious expressions.
"Ah yeah. I'll save you all the sob story of poor orphan Euegene Fitzherbert. It's a little bit of a downer." he told them, trying to brush it off.
"You're an orphan?" Aqua asked in surprise.
"Well… yeah." Eugene replied.
"It's ok you can tell us." Minnie said softly.
Eugene seemed hesitant. Then, Rapunzel inched closer to him with an interested expression. He then saw Sora and his friends give him soft smiles. Even Isa looked interested.
This forced Eugene to relent.
"There was this book. A book I used to read every night to all the younger kids." he told them. "'The Tales of Flynnigan Rider.' Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies either. Not that he'd ever brag about it of course."
"Sounds cool." said Sora.
"Was he a thief too?" asked Rapunzel.
"Uh… well no." Eugene replied. "Actually, he had enough money to do anything that he wanted to do. He could go anywhere he wanted to go. Not too much unlike you guys." he said, comparing the fictional hero to the world-travellers sitting with them. "And, for a kid with nothing… I don't know, it just seemed like the better option."
"So that's why you became a thief." Sora said in realization. "Not just for survival, but you wanted to be like your hero too."
"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Eugene nodded. He then held out his hand entreatingly. "You can't tell anyone about this, ok? It could ruin my whole reputation."
"Ah, We wouldn't want that, right?" Kairi teased.
"What book?" Riku added with a wink, making his friends chuckle.
"Well a fake reputation is all a man has." Eugene shrugged, making everyone laugh.
Rapunzel and Eugene's eyes met for a moment. Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Minnie, Oswald, Ortensia, Minnie, and Daisy looked at each other knowingly while Donald and Goofy snickered.
Eugene realized what he was doing and quickly broke eye contact. "Ahem. Well, I should get some more firewood," he said as she stood up and walked away, careful not to step on the hair.
"Hey." Rapunzel said, causing the thief to turn back around. "For the record, I like 'Eugene Fitzherbert' better than 'Flynn Rider.'" she told him with a smile.
Eugene smiled back. "Wel, then you;d be the first: he said solemnly. "But thank you."
Everyone nodded at his statement as Eugene walked off to get more firewood
"We'd better start keeping an eye out for more Heartless and Nobodies." suggested Terra.
"You don't mind, do ya Rapunzel?" asked Goofy.
"Not at all." said Rapunzel with a smile. "I think I can handle myself."
"Alright. Be safe." said Daisy.
With that, the 20 worldly-travelers left.
Rapunzel watched the fire with Pascal. But no sooner was she alone with the reptile, she heard a voice she was not expecting.
"Well, I thought he'd never leave!"
Rapunzel jumped and turned around in shock. There, right behind her, was Mother Gothel.
"Mother?!" she exclaimed.
Gothel lowered her hood, revealing that some strands of her hair were now grey and had barely visible wrinkles on her face. "Hello dear." she greeted.
"But I-I-I-I don't… How did you find me?" Rapunzel stammered as Gothel walk up and hugged her.
"Oh it was easy really. I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that." Goethe replied, deliberately guilting her.
"Mother-"
"We're going home Rapunzel." She said sternly, grabbing her by the arm and started dragging her away. "Now."
"You don't understand!" the blonde protested. "I've been on this incredible journey, and I've seen and learned so much. I even made some new friends."
"Yes, the wanted thief and 20 Keybalde wilders; seven teenagers, a young brunette, a royal mosue couple, a mixed-species couple, a dumb dog and his son, two temeprmental ducks one worse than the other, a red spikeyheaded pyro, a blueheaded luna diviner, and an iditotic mullet-haired nocturne. I'm so proud." Gothel said sarcastically.
"Wait, how do you know about them being Keyblade wielders?" Rapunzel asked, taken aback.
"Oh please Rapunzel dear. I've been around this Earth for quite some time. I've seen things you couldn't possibly imagine or even understand." Gothel replied.
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked.
"None of it matters." Gothel said dismissively. "Now then, we must head back to the tower immediately."
"Mother please." begged Rapunzel. "I think… Eugene… I think he likes me."
Gothel scoffed. "Likes you? Please Rapunzel, that's demeneted."
"But Mother I-"
(Mother Knows Best Reprise from Tangled plays)
"This is why you should never have left!" exclaimed Gothel. "Dear, this whole romance that you've invented just proves that you're too naive to be here. Why would he like you? Come on now really? Look at you! You think he's impressed? Don't be a dummy. Come with Mummy. Mother…"
"No!" Rapunzel said definitely, standing firm.
"No? Oh… I see how it is." Gothel sneered, intimidating Rapunzel.
Mother Gothel: Rapunzel knows best
Rapunzel's so mature now
Such a clever grown up miss
Rapunzel knows best
Fine, if you're so sure now
Go ahead, then give him this!
She then pulled out the satchel. Rapunzel gasped, wondering how Gothel found it or even knew about it.
"How did you-?!" Rapunzel asked in shock.
Mother Gothel: This is why he's here!
Don't let him deceive you!
Give it to him, watch, you'll see!
"I will!" Rapunzel shot back as Gothel tossed her the crown, which she caught.
Mother Gothel: Trust me, my dear
That's how fast he'll leave you
I won't say I told you so!
No, Rapunzel knows best!
So if he's such a dreamboat
Go ahead and put him to the test!
"Mother, wait!" Rapunzel called.
Mother Gothel: If he's lying
Don't come crying!
Mother knows best!
Gothel then turned away, swiping her cloak dramatically and vanished.
(Mother Knows Best Reprise from Tangled ends)
Rapunzel stared at the crown for a moment, not sure what to do. Was Gothel telling the truth? Was Eugene just using her? No. She refused to believe that.
"Hello? Hey, can I ask you something?" she heard Euegen call from the distance.
Rapunzel quickly put the crown back in the satchel and his it behind a tree then returned to the fire.
"Is there any chance that we'll get super strength, like in my hand for me? Because I'm not gonna lie. That would be stupendous." Eugene said as he approached the fife while carrying an armful of branches. He saw Rapunzel looking away silently, concerning him. "Hey, you alright" he asked.
"Oh. Sorry, tes." Rapunzel lied, turning to face Eugene. "Just lost in thought, I guess."
Eugene seemed to buy that as he set the branches down and struck up a conversation with the teenager.
Several feet away, Sora and Co. watched Rapunzel return to the campfire. They had seen parts of the confirmation between Rapunzel and Gothelm though they didn't hear the whole exchange. But they had all seen enough to confirm their suspicions about that older woman.
"We can't let Rapunzel go back to that tower and stay with that witch." Sora said firmly.
"Agreed." nodded Aqua. "And I could sense a dark essence from that woman."
"That just spells trouble." said Lea.
"And there's no way in hell she's Rapunzel's mother." said Myde.
"Yeah, there's no resemblance." added Ven.
"I want to hurt that woman for the way she treats Rapunzel." sneered Naminé.
"Just like what Magica did to Lena." added Xion.
"And what Marluxia and Larxene did to you Nams." Roxas added.
"We can't do anything about it right now." said Terra. "C'mon, let's get back to the campfire."
Nodding, everyone rejoined Rapunzel, Eugene, and Pascal and began to tell them stories about their adventures.
Not too far off, far enough to not be seen by the group, Gothel and the Stabbington brothers watched from behind some trees. The brothers prepared to move in, but Gothel held her hand up.
"Patience boys. All good things come to those who wait." he dolt them calmly.
Behind them, Marluxia watched them.
"Just don't do anything rash Gothel." he said. "If those pathetic Keynearers cause us too much trouble, we'll have to eliminate them and go to the new lights. And the last thing we want is for them to be unintentionally corrupted by the darkness…"
To be continued...
And now they've escaped from the guards. And they know more about Rapunzel and Eugene. Rapunzel and Naminé have a lot in common as it seems.
Rate and review and I'll see you all soon!
(1) T&F Tales From The Rails S1: Episode 2 Lights, Camera, Agony