Tangled AU Chapter 60

Instructions

Chapter 60 Two weeks prior to the events at the Dark Castle, the gang is staying in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow to avoid the torrential storms. A strange shell house with endless doors, disturbing magic, and an unsettling host, they can’t wait to get out of there … as soon as the hurricane outside lets up, of course. Rapunzel wanders the halls, alone, surprisingly - mostly because she’s lost track of everyone. Dark magic lurks behind every doorway, and Rapunzel is silently cursing the fact that all of her friends are in danger again. Because of her. Would they even be on this journey, I’m perilous danger every day if it wasn’t for Rapunzel? Of course not. She’s the Sundrop, the flower child that was never meant to be - and now all of Corona is paying the Moonstone’s price. Would things be better if they’d let Rapunzel help? Most certainly! she thinks, bare feet pacing more quickly on the carpet as she calls out for Cass and Eugene. She can’t count how many times those two have stepped forward to fight sweet Rapunzel’s battles for her. Tired and unnerved by the silent hallways, Rapunzel wishes she could find Cass, and get them out of this wretched place. She’d grab her hand and burst through a secret door, just like all the ones Cassandra knew at home in the palace, and magically find a way out of this mess for all of them. Maybe then Rapunzel could be taken more seriously - A door. Ajar? A blueish light emerges from it, along with what sounds like the laughter of Cass and Eugene. Rapunzel breathes a sigh of relief that they’re not, like, /possessed/ (not dissimilar to the last room they entered together) and steps inside. “Eugene? Cass?” She calls just before the door closes behind her with a snap. <><><><> Rapunzel is standing … on the outside of a stadium? Crowds can be heard cheering just inside it’s borders, the sky is bright, and she is alone. The wind rustles her hair as Raps casts around for something familiar- and finds a small girl instead. With a blueish hue about her and a pristine fluffy dress, something about the child seems off. She smiles at Rapunzel amiably. “Who - who are you?” Rapunzel asks, confused. “A friend,” the girl says simply. “Or at least, I’d like to be.” Rapunzel blinks. She’s immediately disoriented - in the moment she blinked, her surroundings have changed. Now she and the girl are sitting in the bleachers, looking down at the warriors lined up below. “What - what is this?” Rapunzel cries in alarm. “Your performance at the Challenge of the Brave, of course,” the child laughs, offering Rapunzel popcorn. Rapunzel sighs. She’s been having strange dreams lately, ever since they’ve been in the caravan - this must be one of them. She turns and decides to try and enjoy the show. Rapunzel (that is, the one down in the arena) is doing an impressive performance in the swinging hammer trial, flipping and spinning. A job equal or even better than Cassandra’s, notably - who is staring at her, bewildered. “You’re not a warrior,” Raps remembers a younger Cass telling her. “How are you doing this? Must be beginner’s luck.” Now Cass and Raps are engaging in combat in the Dead Man’s Circle - Cass looks angry. “Interesting, how she underestimated you,” the ghost girl comments, “and then became so vexed at your success.” “Oh, she was just frustrated,” Rapunzel laughs, waving it off. “She’d been training for this forever, you know?” “I know,” the girl says cooly, before snapping her fingers. Changed again. “Vardaros,” Rapunzel whispers. The dreary town is decked out for once with tents and banners - the Goodwill Festival. “What happened here?” The girl asks, as though expecting only one right answer. “Cass said we could stay another day and give these people a proper celebration for once,” Raps remembers fondly. “We’d just met Lance -“ “She was humoring you,” the girl corrects her sternly. Past-Rapunzel walks by, spluttering defensively at Cassandra, who walks beside her. “There’s nothing wrong with pony rides,” Raps is protesting. “I’m just saying,” Cass laughs lightheartedly. “Planning something like this, it takes a certain… skillset.” The ghost girl “tsks.” “No one ever seems to think you know what you’re doing, do they, Rapunzel?” she notes sadly. “They certainly didn’t, in Corona, respect the simple, sweet girl who was fresh out of her exile?” The pub thugs, laughing when Raps tried to help them find their misplaced money, telling her to get lost. “They didn’t think you were capable.” Cassandra, telling Raps to hide, stay safe, out of the way, Cass will take care of it, it’s too dangerous in the woods - “They thought you were gullible.” Father and Mother, preying on Rapunzel’s childish yearning to turn her into a bird and trap her. “Any risk you took was too risky.” The Great Tree, Rapunzel trusting Adira, trusting her instincts, it all going so wrong - “Thought you were worthless, didn’t they? Except for one thing.” “Let’s see if the Sundrop is capable of being a real human,” (+)