Chapter Text
The moon was watching everything unfold; as she always did. Her glowing bright light, a reflection of the sun’s own brightness, was illuminating the dark night as the fight kept going in that old town. Chaos was normal on the earth, but this amount of chaos? It was unusual to witness, yet not rare for the human species since they have a big record of wars and fights and hate for each other. And though she hated how her creations were being used for pain, she couldn’t do a thing about it.
They’re only humans after all. They never learn.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel bad about them and their self-destructive behaviours so she just kept on watching how her glow reflected on those shiny pieces of metal from below.
~
And then the last remaining automatons exploded into what could have been an impressive light show for the princess’ birthday, and let’s just say it’s not the best time for a birthday party for the lost princess. This wasn’t going to end until a certain kid gave up and accepted defeat.
And that is where everyone underestimated him: they thought he would give up. They thought he could give up.
BOOM!
A bigger automaton emerged from the tiny house and entered the battlefield, the moon shining its radiance into the land and remarking all the damage done not just to the town but to the people. The field had so many wounded soldiers laying on the floor near all those houses that were destroyed, as well as some friendships. But he wasn’t the one to blame, right? The rocks were to blame! Those evil rocks have ruined everything. The rocks have ruined every life of every citizen of Old Corona, including Varian’s life.
And speaking of him, he was inside of the ultimate automaton, watching as a girl with long golden blonde hair, shining like it was the sun on a hot summer day, looked at the red cristal in that automaton. Staring directly at him as Rapunzel’s hair grew brighter and brighter. Varian had forgotten what summer looked like after that blizzard and looking at the princess didn’t make it better, especially after what happened. After the tragedy. After getting betrayed. Or thinking that he got betrayed. Either way, the princess was mad at him— and it was hard for her to be mad at someone— and there is nothing else that could be done.
What’s done is done.
That’s when he saw a raven-haired woman jump at him with her sword ready to strike. The kid didn’t even break a sweat and just caught her mid air in one of the hands of the automaton, making sure she was unable to escape.
“Hello, Cassandra,” Varian said with a smile, but there was nothing to be happy about. He had hurt the people that cared about him. This wasn’t right. However, anger was all he could feel. And even so, he never got this angry before. Something must be messing with him because this wasn’t natural, but somehow it felt like a second nature to him. “I always knew I could sweep you off your feet.”
Then the queen spoke. “Let her go, Varian!”
So he decided to grab her too and pulled her away from the king. Ugh, the king. He hated him for his self-righteousness, not worthy of the king of Corona. And the empty kindness of the queen made his blood boil. Even so, out of everyone, the queen must have been the nicest person to ever treat him after what happened, but she must have done it to guarantee he wouldn’t hurt her. Smart. But he knew after whatever happens now, no one will ever truly care about him. And he deserves it.
I guess taking the queen was enough to make Rapunzel take a stand.
“That’s enough , Varian.” She stated, just loud enough to make sure her voice was heard. Truly heard for once in her life. Her choices and her beliefs would finally be heard. They would finally matter. Matter to make a change.
“It’s not enough ,” he lectured as if he was older than her. She was 4 years older; to him, she should know better that nothing will ever be enough. “Until you endure the same amount of pain and agony I have!”
He started to crush the bodies of the people he had trapped. The people Rapunzel loved the most, her mother and her best friend. The sight was unbearable and atrocious. Her only thought was on solving this, but what if she couldn’t? What if he managed to kill them? What if everything she gained in a year could be lost in less than a few minutes? And all of this because of him or because of her? Was this because Varian was overreacting or was this because of her negligent attitude towards her friends?
The doubt was big enough to trigger her connection with the rocks and send them launching towards her with the aim of helping her solve things. Solve everything how it should be solved and how it should’ve been solved a long time ago.
“What’s happening?!” Eugene screamed as he ran towards her to protect her without knowing she was far more than safe when her destiny finally called and when she was ready to answer it. “Rapunzel!”
As her hair became in contact with the rocks, they seemed to obey her or to at least be willing to help her reach her goal. They were helping get the remains of the army of automatons fully destroyed. For once, those rocks were being useful instead of causing terror. It even caused the ultimate automaton to get sent far away from them and set her loved ones free. But why help now? Once things were too late and Varian and her had already collisioned? Maybe because they had their own selfish objective she has to help fulfil now. That’s how life and people have always been to her.
But things hadn’t finished yet.
The teen wasn’t done. He still had something left to lose: his freedom. Blinded by anger, Varian got up and the last automaton pounced at her as the black rocks were slowly destroying it as it ran. Piece by piece of his automaton got destroyed, his work got destroyed. His life was destroyed. All he had left was one last chance to get the princess to listen but that was interrupted as a spiky rock stabbed the robot, stopping the attack from continuing and the robot turned off.
“No… No!”
But the rocks didn’t stop until they delivered the message they had to. So they burst out of the dry land to bring down the wall of the kingdom, showing a clear path ahead, an open door. Nothing but freedom from here on out. Nothing but the sun shining in the princess’ back, even though she was sure she heard shushed whispers from it. Finally, the exhaustion took over as she slowly and gently fell to the floor and, luckily, she got caught by her boyfriend and surrounded by the people she cared about.
“Rapunzel!” he muttered, moving a strand of her hair out of her face. Seeing her unconscious made him worry enough to ask again for her to respond, in any way she could but just… react. “Blondie?”
Her eyes fluttered open to the sight of her worried boyfriend. She moved closer and kissed him on the cheek then just softly smiled right after. “Hi.”
Eugene laughed. “We have got to start finding better ways to spend your birthdays.”
She tried to laugh too but curiosity made her turn around and look at the path ahead. And the rocks had made it. It was obvious what they had to do, yet she was more concerned in what her father would think since he was clearly looking at her and the destiny he always knew she had to follow.
She knew she had a few seconds to prepare a defense for her case, so she began. “Dad, I know what you’re–”
“You should go.” He interrupted.
“Wait, what?”
“Rapunzel,” Frederic sighed before beginning the worst and best talk he could ever have with his daughter. “I’ve been proven wrong by these rocks so many times it makes me feel like a senseless king. But I’ve always known they were here for you, I just wanted to ignore the feeling of losing you again. But you have a direction to go now, with danger on the way and I know you can handle this if you are just who you’ve always been.” He reached out and grabbed his daughters’ shoulders and squeezed them lightly. “Having you with us again has been a good thing. But the thought of you growing and being free to explore the world on your own makes me the proudest a father can be.”
Her eyes got watery before hugging her dad, followed up by her mom doing the same.
“There is more in you than you know it is.” Arianna whispered, letting go of her daughter. “Go and find it, sweetheart.” But the loving family hugged again, feeling each other's warmth and showing her daughter that no matter where she was, her family will always be with her.
~
Somehow, Varian was exhausted too. His whole world had taken a big turn against him. Over and over again. And after seeing everything so red when he was caught he saw blue or was blue. He didn’t know. Maybe it was the headache he was getting after such energy was consumed. After feeling an emotion as strong as rage calming down it feels like you're diving into a deep blue sea. A sea so dark and immersive it makes you want to truly drown. Or maybe he is just mad.
But everybody had left. Even the princess and her friends. The only ones left were the king and some guards that were chaining him and his little gray-furred friend Ruddigger. Now that he was being taken to prison he surely had enough time to think, or at least that was what one of the guards had said the moment Ruddigger climbed his back and rested on top of his shoulders before closing the door of the small vehicle.
In the ride from Old Corona to the castle’s inner prison cells, his mind was thinking as quickly as the wind blew. And as quick as the wind turns on you. Why am I mad about this? I deserve getting punished. Bad people need to be punished, and I'm a bad person. I don’t deserve anyone's pity. In the world we live in, it is always hurt or get hurt. Dad will never be proud of this. If he is still alive, what would he think of me? I should have known better that no matter how much effort I put into things, I will trip at the finish line.
As he got thrown into his cell and got his wrists, ankles and neck chained like an animal— but for some reason not allowing him to have Ruddigger—, his brain was still analysing the situation and how his anger blew out of proportion. Things didn’t feel like they had a meaning anymore and all he could do to get rid of the annoying headache he was having was just to sit and let the moon pity him.
~
Rapunzel laid her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The blonde girl tried closing her eyes but all she could see were those rocks showing her a path. A destiny. Except she didn’t want a destiny. She just wanted to live a normal life with the liberty of making her own decisions and being free to make mistakes. Nonetheless, having Varian as an enemy hurts— a mistake she didn’t want to make. She didn’t want a kid as her enemy. And we can blame that blizzard for most of it, and her role as a princess. Making tough decisions wasn’t something she was accustomed to.
She never asked for this. She never asked to be a princess. She never asked for her hair to grow back, bringing problems with it too. She never asked for a destiny and this magical quest of solving things. She only wanted to solve things with Varian and be friends again.
No.
She will solve things with Varian.