#someone hold my rapunzel hair up for me its weighing me down thanks
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OoooOOoOoooo My hair is So Soft ooooooo you wanna touch it So Bad ooooooOOoOoo
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TTS Gen Week Day 3: Protection
Note: Yes, I know this was yesterday’s prompt, I just ended up being too tired to finish it yesterday but I really liked where it was going, so here we are! Thanks @purplespacefairy for organizing this!
Something More Important
Read on AO3
Edmund was upset, because today was supposed to have been special.
And it’d started off well enough. Ever since he’d informed the royal family in Corona that his son’s real birthday was approaching, they’d been nothing but willing to help him create the proper celebration. He could tell that their friend’s betrayal had been hard on Eugene and Rapunzel, but though it still cast shadows over everything, he could tell they were beginning to heal. That’d heartened him, particularly since he knew how far they’d come since it first happened.
That moment when his son had stepped into the room, with shock that turned to confusion… for a moment, he could imagine what it might’ve been like to something like this for him every year, growing up, if they’d been together. He felt something warm bloom in his chest as Eugene looked to him for confirmation, even then – for a moment, they felt like a child’s eyes. He made his way in and looked around with a child’s excitement and wonder – and though Edmund was happy to see it, he couldn’t help being stabbed with guilt. Maybe he could’ve tried harder, maybe he could’ve sent his son something every year just so he knew he was remembered, even if that could’ve been dangerous and attracted unwanted attention. If only he’d-
A cold gust of wind had run through the room, then, startling him out of his thoughts. He didn’t have to look to recognize the aura of the moonstone.
“Swell party,” She’d smirked. “I’m guessing my invitation got lost in the mail.”
It’s not my kingdom, He’d had to remind himself, adamantly, as she entered the room, dragging Adira’s blade across the floor. Cassandra didn’t deserve to be holding that blade. He was a guest here, this wasn’t his castle, which meant he had to defer to the royal family’s judgement, even if a part of him wanted to strike her down the moment she entered for having the audacity to use this moment, this moment that was supposed to be special and his first chance he had to celebrate a birthday with his son, to engage in her sick drama. The anger only rumbled deeper, and stronger, when she patronized the princess, and called his son an ex-convict and a loser.
He noticed his son only corrected the ex-convict part, and that hurt Edmund in a way he couldn’t quite explain.
After she left, the whole atmosphere had changed. No one wanted to celebrate anymore, with her threat looming over them. And before he had the chance to say much of anything, Eugene and his friends had already whisked out of the room, likely to decide what their next move was.
He couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret. He wanted to be a part of his son’s life, especially on a day like this, but the last thing he wanted was to accidentally do something that’d push him further away. He didn’t think he could bear making any more mistakes, not when this was such a delicate situation and his son had finally started talking to him enough that he’d had to be careful not to mention this surprise birthday to him beforehand.
So he waited. In fact, the next he heard from any of them, it was when the dispirited couple was walking through the castle’s hallways, on the way towards their bedrooms. “What happened, son?”
Eugene glanced over at Rapunzel, before looking back at his dad. “She took him.” He sounded defeated.
“Took who?” Edmund said, brow furrowing, concern entering his eyes. He didn’t have to ask who she was.
Eugene sighed, running a hand over his hair, but it was Rapunzel who answered. “Varian. He was translating the scroll, and we thought…“ Her voice trailed off, lapsing into silence.
Quirin’s son. “Then we must go after them at once!”
“We?” Eugene said, at the same time as Rapunzel said “See?” She crossed her arms. “He agrees with me.”
“You can’t be serious, son.” Edmund said, looking at both of them. “You said it yourself, earlier- with the scroll, and the moonstone, she could-“
Eugene looked at Rapunzel again, more out of concern than anything else – but she didn’t seem to be overly affected by the remark. Then, he gave another sigh, “Listen, Dad… can we talk about this?” The implication was clear. Alone.
Edmund was silent for a moment, unsure whether he’d pressed too far, but then he nodded. (And maybe it wasn’t important, given the current circumstances, but he couldn’t help thinking of a time when Eugene could hardly stand being in the same room as him.) “Of course.”
As he waited, Eugene squeezed Rapunzel’s hand and leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight, Sunshine. I’ll be by, later.”
Despite everything, Rapunzel smiled back. For a moment, the ring she hadn’t gotten to pull out weighed heavily in her bag. “Happy Birthday, Eugene.”
With that, she moved down the hall to go up to her own bedroom. Eugene’s gaze lingered on her until she disappeared from view, before turning back to his dad.
“I’m sorry if I’m-“
“No, it’s fine.” Eugene said, putting his hands in his pockets, before turning to walk towards his room. “This is important.”
“I agree.” Edmund swallowed, before walking to keep pace with him. “All I’m saying is that you already know exactly how powerful it is, if she has the ability to harness its full potential-“
“But we don’t even know where she is.” He cut in, half because he just didn’t want his dad to start detailing everything CassAHNdra could possibly do, right now. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it. “It’s dark, and in the woods, there’s no telling what we might run into- look, I don’t feel good about leaving her with all of that power and Varian, either, but what she did today-“
“What did she do today?” Edmund asked, in a quieter tone. By now, they’d reached the door to his bedroom.
“Kicked me down a flight of stairs, for one.” Eugene muttered, as they entered, closing the door behind them. He found himself continuing before he could stop himself- and once he’d started, he found he didn’t want to stop. “Almost ran me over with a giant ball. Almost brought a giant metal machine down on us while I was dangling over a drop while holding onto a horse’s legs. So you know-“ He forced out a wry chuckle, trying to hide just how shaken he felt. “A normal Tuesday. And that part was just Lance and Max and I, Varian is-“
Cassandra had taken him. Now, there was no telling where she was. And he suspected that Varian wouldn’t just tell her what she wanted to know, which meant-
Which meant the kid was in a whole lot of danger.
Eugene looked out the window. He’d never admit it aloud, but he didn’t think he’d been properly scared of what lengths Cassandra might go to in order to get her way before today. The person who’d faced him hadn’t been his friend- it was someone who had no qualms about using his life as a pawn in her game.
Well, at least it wasn’t his first time in that situation.
Edmund’s eyes hardened as Eugene relayed this series of events. “I’m sorry all of that happened.” Maybe, if he’d insisted on being there instead of waiting here, he could’ve-
“Dad.” Eugene said, looking back at him. “You were saying your thoughts aloud again.” By now, he’d crossed his arms, but the way he was looking at Edmund... it seemed almost vaguely confused by the sentiment.
“Sorry.” Edmund responded. He only hesitated briefly, before continuing. “But if you go tomorrow, you must let me come along with you.”
“You?” If anything, the confusion only seemed to have grown. “No, it should be Rapunzel and Lance and I, if anything- the less people who are at risk, the better.”
“The less people you have, the easier it will be for her to overpower you.” Edmund pointed out.
Eugene shook his head, and for a moment, Edmund caught a glimmer of the same conviction that’d swayed him from what he’d thought was his purpose for decades. “I’m sure Rapunzel can take her.”
“You have to agree, though, that having someone else along couldn’t possibly-“
“Look, I’m touched. But we’ll be fine.”
“And what if you’re not-“
“Dad,” Eugene said, resisting the urge to sigh for the third time and trying to keep his frustration at bay. “I get that you’re upset because Cassandra stole the moonstone and you-“
”This isn’t about the moonstone, son.” Edmund said, in a low tone. Eugene must’ve looked confused – he was so sure he’d understood exactly what was bothering his father – because then the older man looked at him more directly, and said in an even quieter tone. “It’s about you.��
Eugene blinked at him, stunned into silence at that statement. He didn’t know how to respond. People had tended to get upset at him time and time again throughout his life, but upset on his behalf? He hadn’t really encountered that until... well, Rapunzel. Which was much different from this. And his father had dedicated his life to protecting the moonstone, so he’d just assumed...
Well, he’d definitely been quiet for too long. It was time to fill the silence with something witty, like he usually did. Something intelligent, that’d distract him from whatever the hell this new emotion he was feeling was.
”...What?” He found himself saying instead, stupidly.
“It’s about you.” Edmund repeated, still holding his gaze.
Eugene blinked again, processing this, “…what,” He swallowed, realizing he was about to sound like an idiot again. “What do you mean? I mean, the moonstone is-“
“I lost everything because of the moonstone, son!” Edmund said abruptly, in rare burst of strong emotion. Eugene barely kept from flinching, startled by its force, even if he was equally surprised to realize he didn’t quite mind it. It didn’t scare him the way it had when they’d first met, at least. “In a different way from how she has.” Edmund continued, more softly, leaving no doubt as to who she was. “And now that ... something has brought us together again, whether you want to call it destiny or happenstance, I don’t want to-“ He gave a deep sigh, no longer meeting Eugene’s gaze. “I could not bear it happening a second time.”
You’re the reason it happened at all. He wanted to retort, but something held him back. The sentiment his dad was expressing seemed so... genuine and vulnerable, he wasn’t sure he had the heart to shoot it down, even if a part of him was still angry.
“And when she was saying all those things about you and your friends, I wanted to-“ Edmund’s hand clenched into a fist, taking the silence as an opportunity to continue. “You are many things, son, and I admit I don’t know what all of them are, and that is my fault. The weight of that decision is mine to bear for the rest of my life.” His voice was tinged with deep regret, as he finally raised his head to meet his son’s gaze again. “But a loser isn’t one of them. A loser would not manage to rise every time he was knocked down. A loser would not go out of his way to help even those who have wronged him. If being here has shown me anything, it’s how vibrant a life you’ve built for yourself, and how deep the connections you’ve forged run. Everyone practically jumped at the chance to throw you a party, after I-”
“...the party was your idea?” Eugene asked, in a small voice. Everything else he’d said was too overwhelming to process, right now, especially when he wasn’t properly sure how he even felt about the man standing in front of him. Besides, anything more, and his voice might start shaking, and the stinging in his eyes might turn into something more. He couldn’t afford that right now, even as he wondered at how... much it warmed him to be seen by someone relatively new to him.
“Well, Rapunzel took the idea and ran with it, of course.” He said, a somewhat endeared smile crossing his face.
“Of-of course.” Eugene realized he hadn’t been breathing, and released one, relaxing a little and unable to keep from giving a small smile. She had a way of doing that.
“But I wanted to commemorate this day in some way. So you could see that you are important - and to so many people, too.” His brow furrowed in frustration. “And then she-”
“That wasn’t your fault.” Eugene said, before he could continue. He wasn’t even sure why he said it, just knew that that wasn’t something he wanted his dad to blame himself for. Especially not after...all that. “Look, I’ll admit that I haven’t forgiven you for what you did, and what that meant for me growing up.” Rather than saying anything in protest, Edmund just nodded, bowing his head. Eugene swallowed, before reaching forward to put a hand on his father’s left shoulder. Edmund met his gaze. “But you’re trying, which is more than a lot of people would do. I can see that. And that still... means something.”
Edmund held his gaze for a long moment. To be honest, Eugene wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for, in there. But then, without warning, he felt himself yanked into a strong hug. He gave a (very manly) yelp.
Edmund froze. “You’re injured. I didn’t even think about that, are you-”
Eugene’s breath had caught in his chest, but as it released, it bubbled forth in a laugh. “I’m fine, Dad. Just warn me next time.”
Edmund pulled him closer in relief (though more gently). “I make no promises.”
He gave a smaller chuckle in response to that, but just relaxed into the hug, in lieu of giving an actual response.
Edmund smiled. There was a long journey ahead, but every step was taking them somewhere, and it was more than worth it. For now, he was just glad to have this moment.
“Happy birthday, son.”
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Raindrops Keep Falling, You Slip Through My Fingers Every Time
Played a bit with reincarnation themes! So have varigo fun times through different au’s and settings! Enjoy!
The rain fell lightly on the sidewalk. Hugo watched as Varian stood out in it, hands outstretched as he attempted to catch the droplets, face turned to the sky. Lightning split the sky, thunder following closely behind. Varian didn’t acknowledge it, his soaked clothes weighing heavily on his small form. Hugo watched as a droplet landed on the boy’s nose, traced it as it made its way down, over his lips, over the curvature of his chin, to the lovely slope of his neck, finally to join its brothers and sisters in the fabric of his shirt. He brought his eyes back up to his face, water gathered around Varian’s eyes. Were they tears? Were they from the rain? He’d never know, it wasn’t his place to ask. He only knew the boy through the glass of his window. He glanced back to the book on his lap, tapping his pencil to his lips as he worked to solve the problem within, when he looked back up Varian was gone. He always was elusive like the flow of time, one moment there, the next gone, always slipping through his fingers, never his to keep.
********************
The muddy water splashed Hugo’s face as Varian jumped in another puddle. He wiped it off his glasses, not that it did much good, Varian was already jumping again. “Will you stop being so childish?”
Varian briefly glanced over his shoulder at Yong and Nuru as they spun each other around in the rain, a small smirk gracing his lips. “Childish, am I?”
Hugo’s eyes went wide, taking a small step back as Varian reached down to grab a handful of mud. “Varian, don’t you dare.” Despite his words a smile forced its way onto his face. He didn’t bother dodging as the mud hit him squarely in the chest, instead he bent down picking up his own handful. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Varian laughed, running as Hugo gave chase. Their battle didn’t last long, Varian somehow convincing Yong and Nuru to help him. He was on his back now as the three loomed over him, Varian menacingly holding the last of their mud ammunition. “Surrender now, and we might spare your life.”
Hugo couldn’t help but laugh as he gave his answer. “Never!”
The three exchanged a look, Varian giving a small nod as they came to a silent decision. “So be it.” Varian took a step forward, arm poised to strike, before slipping on the wet ground. He fell right on top of Hugo, blinking owlishly from the disorientation the fall caused. Hugo brought his hand up to cup his face, the mud smearing along his cheek. He still looked heavenly, his wet hair dripping around them, mud caked to every inch of him. Hugo pulled him down into a kiss, relishing in the way Varian melted against him.
“Truce?” He asked, breaking the kiss briefly.
Varian nodded. “Yeah, truce.” He captured Hugo’s lips again, not caring about the mud that was being spread in his hair as Hugo tangled his fingers in it. Hugo closed his eyes, melting just as much as Varian. When he opened them Varian had his back to him, shoulders shaking with sobs as he locked himself inside the eternal library. It had rained that day too, and he’d let Varian slip away.
*******************
Hugo let the rain mix with the salty air of the sea, the feeling intoxicating against his skin. They had just raided Corona and had come back with more bounty than he could be bothered to count. It was wonderful, or at least it should be if their hostage wasn’t so annoying.
“Hey, jackass! I know you can hear me! Let me go right this fucking minute!” Hugo rolled his eyes, handing the wheel over to Nuru before approaching the pole that their captive was tied to. He was a pretty thing, if it weren’t for that mouth he had on him, still he knew he’d fetch them a pretty penny at the auctions.
“I don’t think you're in the position to make demands.” Hugo placed his dagger under his chin, bending down so they were face to face. His breath caught in his throat, he hadn’t seen him this close before. The blue of his eyes was absolutely breathtaking, the fire that burned behind them, the way his freckles accentuated them, the way his front teeth stuck out ever so slightly, and that wonderfully unique blue streak in his hair. Yes, he’d definitely fetch them a nice amount of gold, but then again he just might keep him for himself. “My, you are pretty aren’t you?”
“And your pretty fucking annoying.” He snapped back, eyes narrowing in a way that made them sharper than the dagger at his throat.
Hugo tilted his head, a laugh bubbling up from between his lips. “You’re pretty feisty for nobility. You got a name, sweet cheeks?”
“Fuck you.” He spat in Hugo’s face, the other clicking his tongue as he wiped it from his face. Oh, he’d definitely be keeping him.
Hugo pushed himself to his feet, dragging the dagger up forcing him to follow his movements. “Have fun sleeping in the rain, dear. Maybe you’ll be more cooperative in the morning.”
“You can’t leave me out here!” Hugo smirked as he made his way to the warmth of the captain’s chambers. “Hey!” He ignored his screams and slew of curses as he twirled a gold coin between his fingers. If he knew how hard he’d fall for the other in just a few weeks he’d have ran back out and scooped him into his arms, kept him safe from all the horrors of the world. But he didn’t, so he let him sit out in the rain, oblivious to fate’s cruel game.
*********************
He didn’t ask for this, frankly he figured he’d spend the rest of his days trapped in this awful curse. He had expected to, no one could ever love him, he had accepted that fate even. And then Varian came, noble in his quest to stay in captivity in his father’s place. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him, but the other made it near impossible. He was smart, talented, he wore his heart on his sleeve, he was so caring, everything he wasn’t, everything he didn’t deserve. It was impossible to stop himself from falling.
Varian held the mirror close to his chest, fingers brushing the metal around its frame. “He’s sick.” His blue eyes met his green, a silent plea in them. Hugo wanted to be selfish, he really truly did, but Varian’s eyes watered with the fear that he might not be able to see his father before he passed, and Hugo may look like a monster, he had been changed now.
He cupped Varian’s face, cherishing the way he leaned into his hand. “Go to him.”
“But-“
“It’s okay. You’re free now.” Hugo blinked away his own tears as Varian’s slid down his cheeks.
“Thank you.” Varian flung his arms around Hugo, holding him tightly before breaking away and running out the door. Hugo turned to the window, finally letting his own tears go. The patter of the rain was soothing, although he hated how it blurred his vision when all he wanted to do was watch Varian disappear into the rainy night. He brought his hand to the window, a stupid attempt at stopping Varian, he needed to be free. Try as he might, he couldn’t catch the rain.
********************
“Varian, you don’t have to do this!” He was desperate now. Varian couldn’t leave him, he couldn’t, he didn’t want to be alone. “I can change.” It was spoken so small, he didn’t know if Varian heard it over the pounding of the rain, a last plea to get him to stay.
Varian turned harshly, the water spinning around him. “You can change?! You said that last time, Hugo!”
“Var, please-“
“No, Hugo! I- I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be with you anymore.” Varian’s shoulders shook, the rain getting harsher as his emotions spiraled. The rain moved around him, never touching him. Hugo reached out, lightning cracking in the sky. Varian’s breath hitched, shuddering from the impact, while each droplet burned Hugo’s skin. Water and electricity never mixed, and still they insisted they’d make it work. “We can’t change what we are.”
Varian turned to walk away, gasping when Hugo grabbed his arm, his face scrunching up in pain. Hugo tightened his grip. “Please, I need you. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Varian sobbed. In a desperate move Hugo pulled him closer, slamming their lips together. They had never kissed before, they couldn’t when every touch hurt the other, he shouldn’t have done it, but he had been certain their love would be enough to contradict their very being, it had worked before for other couples. He was hoping it would be the same for them. It wasn’t.
Varian slumped against him, eyes dull as the electricity ran through his veins, tearing him apart from the inside, the rain now soaking his clothes. He felt nothing as he lowered him to the ground, no light in his eyes as he cupped Varian’s cheek. He held his body close, not caring about the burning sensation that filled him with each drop. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I thought it would work. Please, come back. I’m sorry.” He looked to the sky as he rocked back and forth, silently pleading with whatever cruel god was up there to bring Varian back. The rain would never stop now that he was gone. The rain would always remind him of what he had done.
*********************
“Have you found your soulmate yet?” Varian rolled his eyes as Rapunzel leaned over the counter, eyes glistening in anticipation for him to answer the question.
“No. I don’t think I have one.” He avoided her eyes, instead focusing on his book.
“Nonsense! Everyone has one.” Before he could protest she grabbed his right wrist, forcing the sleeve of his sweater up. Everyone had an inscription on the inside of their right wrist, whether it be a name or a phrase. Everyone except him.
“Rapunzel!” He hissed, pulling his arm back hoping she didn’t see. Her wide eyes told him she did.
“Var, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t, he knew he wasn’t the easiest to love, but he had hoped someone out there was destined for him. Instead he had no mark, no love, nothing to look forward to. He stuffed his belongings in his bag, wanting nothing more than to snuggle into bed with Ruddiger and a nice cup of hot cocoa. He hesitated, their highlighters were so close together, he couldn’t tell which was Rapunzel’s pink and which was his whatever color he got. He had never been able to see color, another thing that made him different. He was too frustrated to care in the moment grabbing one at random and stuffing it in his bag. “See you tomorrow.”
He headed out the door before Rapunzel could protest, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head, letting out a small huff of annoyance. Normally he didn’t mind the rain but he already wasn’t in the greatest mood, this was just another inconvenience to add to the list. He turned starting his walk home, when someone came barreling into him. His world exploded in color, the new ability sending his head spinning, or perhaps it was from him hitting the pavement.
“Shit. Are you okay?” Varian stared up at the outstretched hand, and into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen.
“I’m-“
“It’s okay, take your time. We can go somewhere and talk.” Varian nodded numbly, taking the man’s hand, he didn’t let it go, scared that if he did the world would go back to black and white. “I’m Hugo, by the way.”
“Varian.” He responded, letting what he was certain was his soulmate lead him down the street.
“I’m guessing you don’t have a mark either?” Hugo asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
“No.” He hated how little he was able to say, normally once he got going it was hard to stop, so of course he’d be tongue tied in front of the one person he wanted to impress.
“I’ve waited a long time to meet you.” Varian glanced up at Hugo, a soft smile on his face as he looked ahead. “Do you believe in reincarnation?”
Varian traced the lines of Hugo’s face with his eyes, the scar on his eyebrow, the softness of his hand, the way he was just perfectly taller than him. He felt comfortable here, he felt like he’d known him forever. “Yeah, I think I do.” He looked to the sky, the rain slowing considerably as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, giving him hope for their future. For once he looked forward to it, whatever twists and turns there may be, he had Hugo for eternity.
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Hello this is the shitty princess squad anon. AAASHSHDHHSHHDSHSJS THANK YOU SO MUCH AHSHDHAJSDDHSSH I LOVE YOU SJSHSUSHHSSHSSBAHAHSHSHSSH. Yeah Garou as Belle 'cause he is a monsterfucker is a work of galaxy brain. Nobody want to mess with that frying pan, nor its owner. And thank you so much for that Jasmine! Garou. You make him look good in her outfit.
Hehehe you’re VERY welcome and thank YOU for giving me lots of inspiration! In fact...
(2k, SG/GS, swearing otherwise no particular warnings)
”Y’alright?”
Genos looked up at the sky. Silently counted to ten.
He’d messed up - of course he had. Same as always.
”Heeey.”
The call was followed by a foot roughly prodding his side where he laid on his back, on the cracked asphalt. Monster was somewhere off to his left, very dead.
”I’m not carrying you home, get up.”
With a sigh, Genos finally pulled himself into a sitting position, looking down at his torn leg and his missing foot. It wasn’t a large injury in the grand scale of things - he’d certainly been through much worse, plenty of times - but the timing was exceptionally bad. If he’d lost an arm to that stupid sentient road sign he could have replaced it easily, he had several spare sets stuffed in his side of the closet, but a foot… he’d need Kuseno for that, and a visit to the lab would take hours, hours he didn’t have. Not today.
”Oi. People are starting to flock, now that that thing is dead,” Garou grumbled. Crowds of civilians were still… difficult for the former villain.
”Fine.”
Pushing himself to his remaining foot, Genos grabbed Garou by the shoulder for support, slowly limping back towards his and Sensei’s apartment.
-
”I’ll just have to cancel. That’s all there is to it.”
”Oh boo-hoo. I thought you didn’t even want to go, and now you’re doing the sad cyborg eyes at us?” Badd gave him a pointed look.
It was true - he initially hadn’t been especially pleased to receive the invitation from the HA. A donation drive in the form of a masquerade - as if most heroes weren’t already dressed in questionable outfits on a daily basis! Every S- and A-ranked hero had received an invitation, as well as the B- and C-ranks most beloved by the public. Saitama-sensei was not one of them. Not that it made a difference - each invitation included a ”plus one”, and after considering his options, Genos had naturally insisted that Sensei come with him. He could count it as date night, Genos had argued, one that included free food and entertainment. And as Saitama-sensei agreed to come, Genos found himself growing cautiously optimistic about the whole affair.
Badd, probably simply to be difficult, had invited Garou. The man was still viewed with great distrust by the HA and the public alike, but Genos supposed if he did manage to behave himself, being seen along high-ranked heroes might improve his reputation. And if he didn’t... well, it’d be amusing to watch the chaos go down.
Genos hadn’t been too concerned about the dressing up part. He’d planned on wearing his trusted bunny ears and tail paired with his suit, the one with the suspenders. What he really looked forward to was spending the evening with Saitama-sensei. Maybe they could even dance together…
Except now there’d be no dancing, or walking, or even standing up unaided.
”What’s the big deal? Just have your mans carry you around, I know you’d love that,” Garou snorted. Looking at him, Genos quietly wondered what he had planned to dress up as. Maybe he still had that faux wolf head stashed away somewhere…
”Yeah man, that’d be romantic as shit, right? It’d be just like Cinderella!”
”Cinderella lost her shoe, not her goddamn whole ass foot!” Garou countered, throwing a pillow in Badd’s general direction.
”Yeah, well, this is the cyborg version so there!”
Genos tuned out their bickering, looking down again at his torn leg. It had stopped sparking and it wasn’t painful, but it was damned inconvenient. He didn’t have anything to stick into it to make a temporary peg-leg, did he? Doctor Kuseno would certainly not approve of that kind of repair, but on the other hand, he did often tell Genos to try to get out more and do more fun things... He wasn’t even sure if this would even qualify as fun, but the doctor did also say that he’d try to catch the drive on TV and see if he could spot Genos, and yes, Saitama-sensei too of course, and… well...
He looked up with a start, broken from his train of thought as the door slammed from the end of the room.
”What’s happening? Where is Badd going?”
”To pick up your dress, Cinderella.”
”What?”
”I told him you weren’t listening even if you were nodding!”
-
”This was not made with cyborgs in mind.”
”Yeah, well, I don’t think any costumes are. Just… don’t make any sudden movements and you’ll be fine.”
Genos wasn’t wrong - the dress clearly was not made for someone of his size, nor his long legs. The skirt ended just below his knees rather than his ankles, and it strained dangerously tight over his chest. He’d put on the most slender arms he had at home and the elbow-length gloves did fit, but only very barely.
”Look at me, and hold still,” Badd continued, hairbrush in hand.
Mildly confused, Genos twisted on the chair so that he looked straight at him, then froze as Badd brushed his hair for him. With deft fingers, he tied a large bow - matching his baby blue dress - into his hair. He seemed so at ease - as if he’d done it a million times before. It wasn’t a skill set Genos would have expected S-rank hero Metal Bat to possess, but-
”Oh. You do your little sister’s hair.”
”Yuh,” Badd muttered through the bobby pins in his mouth. He put a couple into Genos’ hair to keep the bow in place, then stepped back to admire his handiwork.
”A beautiful princess,” Garou muttered from where he laid sprawled across the folded futons. ”Where’s your prince tho’?”
”Shut up,” Badd told him. “Go find a broom.”
”A broom?” Genos asked, carefully prodding the bow. He wasn’t accustomed to having something in his hair. Even though the bow weighed so little, he felt very aware of it.
”Don’t touch it!” Badd warned, then jutted his chin at Garou in a nod as thanks when he returned with the broom.
”Yeah, it’s your cane, Cinderella.”
”Oh.”
”Fits your character and all! We put thought into this!”
Carefully Genos took the broom into hand, standing up. It looked dumb. He looked dumb in an outfit so poorly fitting but… well, it’d have to do, he supposed.
The bag Badd had come back with didn’t look even half-empty yet and he leaned forward, trying to get a peek.
”What’s the rest?”
”Well, we decided we should all match n’ shit. That should rake in the donation money, right? They said we should divide ourselves into teams to fight over who gets the most donations, so we figured hey, team Princess!
Genos stared as Badd extracted two more dresses, one bright yellow and one in alternating pink and purple.
”Hell yeah! Time to be a monsterfucker princess!” Garou cried out happily.
-
”What’s your name supposed to be again?” Genos asked.
”Ra-pun-zel. Ugh, don’t you have a fancy computer brain to help you remember stuff?”
”No,” Genos huffed, feeling oddly vindicated as Garou thumped Badd on the back of his head and tsk-ed.
”Ow! Okay, so, I’m Rapunzel, Garou is Belle and you’re Cin- Deshiderella.
”Disciple-rella? Fine.”
”See, we’re all doing great.”
Genos was not accustomed to walking down the street in a dress, but despite limping along on one leg in a far too tight outfit, he seemed to be faring better than his companions.
”...the fuck you keep your balance in heels?!” Garou yelled as he once again near lost his balance on a bit of uneven asphalt.
”Just shut up and be grateful they had heels in your size!”
Their bickering continued the way it always did, sharp but well-meaning, until they finally reached their destination.
There was… a lot of people. And paparazzi. Of course.
Genos blinked as the cameras turned to the trio of princesses. Was he imagining things, or were they going off much more rapidly than when the previous group of heroes had passed through?
”Demon Cyborg! Metal Bat!”
”...the Hero Hunter..?”
”Such glamorous costumes!”
“You look precious! Absolutely precious!”
”Demon-sama, what happened to your foot?!”
”He’s Deshiderella now!” Badd yelled as he pulled the other two through the door.
-
Garou and Badd found Genos a chair that could actually hold his weight, mercifully placed him near one of the snack tables, then wandered off to do who knew what. Bother someone, probably.
Slowly chewing on a small sandwich, Genos contemplated how different the evening was turning out compared to how he’d originally planned it. He was supposed to have shown up looking his most dazzling, impressing Sensei not only with his looks but with the surroundings - the music, the people, the… everything. Who cared about donation drive competitions, that had never been what this was about, not for him anyway.
And now here he sat, in a too-short dress with a broom for a cane and no sensei at all. Where was he? Before they’d left, Badd had called Saitama as he was on his was back home, to tell him something - he wouldn’t tell Genos what. But he had promised him that Saitama would meet up with them at the party. But they’d already been here for 18, 19… almost 20 minutes now...
He was once more startled out of his thoughts as another chair was pulled up near his, together with a pleased ”Cyborg princess!”
”Fubuki.” He crossed his arms over his chest, fabric straining over armoured shoulders.
”You look wonderful. That shade of blue suits you. It is a little short, though.”
”We didn’t have time to shop around,” Genos replied, attempting to subtly pull the skirt down. He lifted his eyes to take in all the... sparkles. ”Your dress is very… shiny.”
”Mhm. Is the food any good?” As she asked, Fubuki had one of the little sandwiches float through the air to herself.
”It’s fine.”
”So, where’s your prince?”
”I… don’t know. I came with Metal Bat and Garou.”
”Ah, yes, last I heard they were bothering Amai Mask.”
Genos smiled faintly to himself.
”Which donation team is in the lead?”
”Ah,” Fubuki grinned at him. ”Well, ’Team Princess’ has made a strong impression it seems, but so has the little joint project Sweet Blizzard, despite not being as… coordinated as you three. It’s about evenly tied, right now, between the top A slash B ranked heroes and the three little nobles.”
”Four!” Badd happily corrected as he stepped up to them. His hair was a mess and he looked sweaty, but pleased. ”How’re doing?”
”Fine. Bored.”
”You won’t be for long,” Badd nodded towards the main entry, a ridiculously large set of double doors covered in (probably plastic) gold. There was still a steady stream of people dressed in all manners of costumes passing through, if gravitating towards sexy versions of Other Things. Genos wasn’t sure what he should be looking for, unless- oh.
As was often the case, it was the shiny bald head you noticed first. What was Saitama-sensei wearing… a crown? How did it stay on..?
The most powerful man in the world looked almost small as he carefully stepped into the grand room, easily lost in the crowd despite his brightly coloured outfit. Somehow, he’d managed to find clothes that broadly corresponded with his hero outfit - most of it was yellow, with white accents and if Genos wasn’t mistaken he’d attached his hero cape as well. The boots were different though, and the gloves, and there was a sash across his chest.
Despite the poofy shoulders and knees and loud colours, despite clearly not feeling at ease in this new outfit, Genos was certain he was looking at the most handsome prince in the world.
Prince Saitama.
He stood up, putting his hand on the armrest for support, ready to call out to Saitama-sensei when Badd pushed him back down into the chair.
”Let him come to you!” he growled, and Genos reluctantly obeyed.
It took him a moment, but then Sensei finally spotted Genos and his whole demeanour broke out into relief. He pushed himself through the crowd until he reached the waiting trio.
”Hi,” he waved.
”My lord,” Genos bowed his head from where he sat, noting how his prince blushed at the title.
”My… ’borg. Wanna dance?”
Genos pointed to his leg. ”I can-ah!”
As he spoke, he felt an invisible push, and suddenly he was standing, as if held up by a great pair of invisible hands. It was familiar, but it also wasn’t. How strange to think that different espers could have their own signature… feels. Fubuki was not Tatsumaki.
Gingerly, he took Prince Saitama’s outstretched hand into his own and walked oddly to the dance portion of the hall - he and Fubuki weren’t quite coordinated, so it was somewhat tricky to walk, but at least he could get around without the broom.
He felt Saitama’s other hand against his waist, enjoying the light squeeze he gave him. He looked even more wonderful, up this close.
”Er, Genos? I have no idea how to do this…” he muttered, beginning to sweat.
”Then, let me lead,” Genos smiled, adjusting their positions and hands accordingly. He leaned forward, whispering into the other man’s ear. ”Follow me, my prince.”
-
”I can’t believe we lost the donation drive challenge to, to them. To a cyborg on one leg, a ruffian and a villain. Not to even mention, Caped Baldy!” Amai Mask groaned, downing the rest of his drink. His cat ears had gone askew on his head, but he couldn’t be bothered to fix them. It was rare for him to be this chatty, especially with anyone in a class lower than himself, but that number of drinks would do that to you...
”Well,” Fubuki smiled back, taking a sip from her own. ”They did all coordinate their outfits, and they looked very cute… especially when the prince danced with his princess…”
”How did he even manage that, on one leg?!”
Fubuki smiled at him. ”I haven’t the faintest idea.”
#shitty teen squad#saigenos#genosai#deshiderella#ficlet#AHHH THIS WAS TUN TO WRITE#I'm imagining Garou-as-Belle just going wild running around in his dress
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Trust
CH 2
Requested: No
Fandom: Avengers MCU
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Enhanced!Female Reader
Summary: Reader meets Bucky while on a mission with Steve and Natasha to bring him back to the States and makes an unexpected connection with him.
Word Count: 1690
Warnings: Some swearing, mention of death (bad guys)
Comments: I will be explaining past events as flashbacks for background as the story continues, this will be written in italics. Some details are purposely left out, but will come to light later in the story. If things don’t make sense, you have an idea for the story, or a request of your own, please don’t hesitate to message me!
BIG thank you to @this-swede-loves-superheroes for being my amazing beta!
Happy reading!
Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7/ Part 8/ Part 9
You were hovering in the common room in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Your eyes were closed and you were attempting to meditate, it helped you keep your powers in check. But your mind kept going in circles.
You were curled up in your bed, curled up and hugging a pillow to your chest. Your cheeks were stained with tears and your chest was still in pain from your panic attack you were still recovering from.
You heard your door open and close, but you didn’t bother to look at your guest, you knew who it was.
There was a sudden weight on the bed, and a large hand began carding through your hair.
“Wanna talk about it?” Came Steve’s voice from behind you.
You took a deep breath to try and steady your voice, “No, but I have a feeling you are going to make me talk anyways.”
He chuckled, “You’re not wrong.”
You took a few more steadying breaths. You weren’t quite sure where to start. You figured he knew what happened, or at least knew what you did. After all, he would have spoken to the authorities in Bucharest after you all left.
You turned so that you were facing him, but didn’t make eye contact, “It happened again.”
You saw him nod in your peripheral vision, his hands still carding through your hair, “What happened again?”
Damn it. You knew he knew what you meant. But you didn’t want to say it out loud, so you tried just brushing the topic. You should have known better. This was Steve, and he was going to make you talk about it.
“I lost control.” Your voice broke at the end.
You saw him nod again, “Do you know why?”
Sighing, you took another steadying breath, “I was trying to get James-”
“Bucky.”
“Is that really important right now?”
“He wants you to call him Bucky, just trying to break the habit.” Steve smiled down at you.
You took a deep breath, slightly annoyed, and continued, “I was trying to get Bucky out of the building while trying to hold back the HYDRA men, but then one of them started shouting Bucky’s trigger words and I panicked. I do not know why. But I did. But the panic was not for me. He was in pain, and he was scared, and I was angry that these men believed that they were entitled to do such things. So I snapped, and that feeling took over and I killed them.”
You were nearing another panic attack, your breaths coming in short pants and heart rate picking up when Steve spoke, “(Y/N), you need to calm down, take a breath,” he grabbed your hand and held it to his chest, “Breathe with me. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
“I am sorry.” You choked out, “I did not mean to lose control. I was doing so well. It has not happened in months. I just, I could not let them-”
“(Y/N), stop. Nobody is upset. If Natasha were there she would have killed them too. And believe me, I do understand that when it comes to war sacrifices need to be made. But not at the expense of losing control of your powers. More than just the enemy can get hurt. People can get caught in the crossfire. Civilians and teammates alike.”
Guilt pooled in your stomach and tears began falling again.
“Hey,” Steve whispered, “Beating yourself up over it isn’t going to change anything. Let’s just be glad nobody else got hurt, move on, and work on it from here. Okay?”
After a few minutes, your panic began to subside and you nodded, letting Steve know you understood.
“Good, now come out to the common room. Peter’s been asking for you all day. Something about an idea for Spidey’s Insta. Whatever the hell that means.”
Without warning you were pulled out of your memories and jerked back into reality by the sudden grip of a hand on arm. Breaking the concentration of levitating, your feet dropped to the floor, your knees caving under you, but the firm grip on your bicep held you up.
“Damn it!” You looked up to see a more than smug Tony Stark holding back a laugh, “Tony! Do not do that!” You gripped your chest with your right hand, forcing yourself to breathe.
He smirked down at you, “Sorry, I kept calling for you, but you wouldn’t answer. I debated throwing a pillow at you but I figured you would startle, which I was right about by the way, and I didn’t want you to bust your ass.”
“So I am to thank you?” You retorted, feeling your heat return to its normal, steady pace.
“Well yeah, duh.”
“Thank you for my heart attack, Tony.” You flashed a smile and brushed past him, walking towards the couch, “Was there something that you needed me for?”
“Yeah, I wanted to know what you wanted for dinner.” Tony said as he plopped on the couch next to you.
You cocked your head at him and looked at your watch, “It is only two o’clock?”
He just waved his hand in a dismissing manner, beginning to type away on his phone, “Yeah, but they’re all arguing already. Half of them want pizza and half of them want Chinese. They said they would go with whatever you chose.”
You thought for a moment, debating and weighing the options before deciding, “I could just make dinner, it will give me something to do and everyone likes when I cook anyways. That way nobody gets their feelings hurt.”
Tony looked up from his phone at you and furrowed his brows, “You’re too nice for your own good, you do realize that, right?”
You only shrugged, and got up to head to the kitchen, “I should get started, it takes a while to make enough to feed an entire team of superheroes.”
Tony followed behind you and jumped up on the counter, picking up an apple from the bowl, “Oh that reminds me. Steve is coming back with Bucky this evening.”
That caused your movements to stutter and the bowl you had in your hand slipped from your grasp. You fumbled with it for a few seconds before you had it securely in your hands again.
“Oh? I was not aware they would be getting back so early.” You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear and set the bowl on the counter, keeping your eyes purposely away from Tony’s.
There was a slight pause, “Uh, yeah. Except it’s not early, today’s when they were scheduled to come back.” You could hear the amusement in Tony’s voice, and you absolutely refused to turn around to face him.
“Oh, I must have forgotten.” You could actually feel his eyes bore into the back of your head and you felt blood rush to your face.
“Uh huh,” Another pause, “Welp!” He clapped his hands effectively making you jump, “I’m gonna let the others know about dinner. You have fun now. Try not to drop anything else.”
You snapped your head towards him and caught him giving you a knowing smirk and a wink before walking off towards the elevator.
Letting out a large huff, you forced your mind off of Bucky coming back, and focused on your task at hand.
***
“Man, I don’t care what you say. Tangled is so much better than Frozen.” Sam argued.
“It’s not! Frozen is far superior to Tangled. They didn’t need a prince to save them, it wasn’t true love’s kiss that saved Anna, it was the love Elsa had for her sister. That’s some next level shit!” Clint ranted on.
“Nuh uh. Elsa put everyone in danger by secluding herself and bottling up her powers and then blowing up. Rapunzel embraced her powers and she also knew not to fall in love with someone the first day she met them-”
You laughed at the collective groan you heard from the living room. Checking the time, it was nearing 5:00. The lasagnas had another half hour to bake and you had to keep an eye on the clock so you could put the garlic bread in at the right time so everything would be done together.
“Hey.” You felt a poke in your side and looked up to find Wanda leaning against the counter next to you.
“Hello.”
She grabbed one of the dishes you had washed and began drying, “So,”
You looked up at her to see she had a smug look on her face. That was never good, “So?”
“Rumor has it you have a crush on the new guy.”
And again, the object you were holding slipped from your hands and fell into the sink, making a loud CRASH against the rest of the dishes. Everyone looked over at the two of you.
“Sorry, I dropped a bowl. My bad.” You felt your cheeks redden in embarrassment as everyone’s eyes lingered on you a little longer before they went back to their previous conversations.
You turned and hissed at Wanda, “Who told you? I have not even told anyone!” You directed your attention back to cleaning the spoon that you now had in your hands.
She shrugged, “Nobody told me, your mind is very loud when you’re nervous.” Wanda grinned, still looking at the dish she was drying off.
You groaned, leaning down and placing your head on your arms against the sink.
“You have a crush on Bucky??” You heard a whisper from behind you, and whipped around to see Peter hanging from a web with a large smile on his face.
Rolling your eyes, you flicked his forehead, “Um, ow!”
“Curse you two and your stupid enhanced abilities that limit my privacy.”
“Peter! What did I say about hanging from webs in the house?” Tony called from the living room.
“Sorry!” Peter dropped to the floor and walked to your other side, but before he could ask anything else, the elevator doors opened, and out stepped Steve and Bucky.
Oh dear God, didn’t they have enhanced hearing too??
Tag list: @cutiepiemimi13
#trust#bucky barns x reader#bucky barnes x enhanced!reader#bucky barnes x enhanced! female reader#bucky barnes x female reader#bucky barnes x you#bucky barnes fluff#bucky barnes angst#bucky barnes#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes fic#bucky barnes fanfic#bucky barnes posts#marvel#marvel fic#marvel fanfiction#mcu fic#mcu fanfiction#multi chapter fic
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Reprise (Chapter 17) [Frozen/Tangled/The Little Mermaid]
CHAPTER 17: Omis Ravir
The manticore gargoyle pawed the ground, thick haunches rolling up on its stone body. Full length, it had to be twenty feet long.
"What do we do?" Ariel asked.
"Maybe it's friendly," Rapunzel said.
It leaped forward, charging them. Ariel dove to one side. Rapunzel to the other. Elsa stumbled back, leaving a jumbled growth of ice spikes where she stood. The beast crushed them with its stone pillar legs. It raised a leg before Elsa.
A blast of light knocked aside the canis's face.
"Hey, over here!" Ariel shouted. She held out her trident, aimed at its head.
Seeing a more immediate threat, the colossus turned towards a new victim. "What do I do? What do I do?" Ariel shouted.
"Shoot it!" Elsa said.
Ariel blasted it with lightning. Its stone head jerked back, but couldn't be hurt.
Elsa saw her chance. A smooth patch of ice spread under the monster's legs. As it stepped on, the ice cracked into a spider-web. It must have weighed tons--too heavy to slip up.
Ariel backed against the border of the clearing. "Help me, guys!"
Rapunzel backed against a tree. She heaved her hair over a branch and skittered up. After a few more wraps, she made a leaping dive off. She swung in an arc across the clearing, screaming like a savage. The beast craned to look, but its neck was too thick for a full turn.
Rapunzel landed on the monster's back. She slammed her frying pan down with a resounding iron clang. "You. Leave. Her. Alone," she said, each word emphasized with a blow from the pan.
Its eyes squinted with each blow, head bouncing with each jolt. Ariel ran back to open ground.
The beast shook its haunches like a wet dog, slower and heavier.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rapunzel wobbled back and forth until she couldn't hold on anymore. She flew off headfirst, toward a nasty fall on the hard ground.
Elsa followed her with her hand. A snow drift appeared in front of Rapunzel where she landed, buried. She popped up, a pyramid of snow on her head. "Thanks," she said.
Elsa nodded, hiding her annoyance. She had the best chance of defeating the beast, if she wasn't spending all her time saving the others. "Ariel, get behind her," Elsa called out.
While Ariel maneuvered away, Elsa concentrated on forming jagged balls of hard ice. The beast turned its head. The ice chunk fell on the monster's head, jarring it. Then another. Another. Another. All it did was make it madder. She tried bigger ones. No reaction.
Elsa gritted her teeth. She shot melted ice shards at the colossus. A jagged glaze of frost coated its head, belly and front legs. The beast shook it off, pawing away the bigger chunks.
"It's a rock, Elsa. It doesn't care about freezing," Rapunzel said while Ariel helped her out of the snow.
Elsa didn't listen. Bigger ice. More ice. A blizzard as intense as the arctic. She would bring down this monster or die trying.
Elsa's eyes faded into a white glow. Constant ice shot out of her hands. The monster ran forward. Elsa was concentrating so hard, she didn't think about getting out of the way. She had to stop it.
Ariel fired her trident. Two shots hit it in the jaw. The third sideswiped its legs.
It burbled in pain and lost its footing. Eight tons of stone slid straight toward Elsa, scraping away topsoil. Rapunzel tackled her out of the way.
When Elsa's eyes re-opened, they had lost the white glow. "You were going to be killed," Rapunzel said.
Ariel continued to pelt the beast with lightning bolts as it regained its posture.
"This isn't working," Elsa said.
Rapunzel glanced around. If they couldn't stop it with their powers, maybe something else...
"I got it," she said. "Get me on that thing." She started sprinting towards the stone monster before Elsa could ask.
The beast was beginning to turn toward Ariel. Elsa created a set of ice steps under Rapunzel's feet. She climbed up and jumped on its neck. Taking a swath of hair, she wrapped it around the monster's eyes. It roared like a bull while Rapunzel wound three more loops, making sure the beast was blind.
The beast swung its head back and forth, but Rapunzel stayed on, holding her hair like reins. It bucked up and down, each jump bouncing Rapunzel into the air. The ground shook under their feet.
"Elsa--ice barrier! Ariel--shoot the tree!"
"What?" Ariel asked.
But Elsa knew what to do. She swiped her hand across the beast's path, making a thick wall of ice. The colossus crashed through with the force of mountain meeting mountain. Dazed, it fell on its belly, legs splayed out.
"The tree! That tree!" Rapunzel shouted and pointed. A gigantic oak tree, thick as a castle pillar, leaned into the clearing.
Ariel pointed the trident and shot the tree's base with as much force as she could will. The blast blew through the trunk, sending splinters and bark flying, creating flames at the impact point.
The oak made a heart-wrenching creak, then leaned further forward. Its looming shadow shrouded Rapunzel. She yanked up her hair and dove out of the way, landing in Elsa's arms.
The beast propped itself up on one leg. The trunk smashed it back down, followed by a tremendous explosion of leaves.
Ariel rejoined her friends, panting with hands on her knees. "Everyone okay?"
"We're fine," Elsa said.
Once the chaos settled, they could see the beast struggling to stand. But the weight was too much. It made a crooning bellow, equal parts anger and humiliation. Its glassy blue eyes faded to black.
"What do you think it was?" Ariel asked. "Did Omis Ravir make that as a guard?"
"Maybe it was meant to keep him in. Like a prisoner," Rapunzel said.
"No," Elsa said. "Omis made it. A monster to keep people out."
"How do you know?" Rapunzel asked.
"Because I made the same thing."
Elsa pulled open the cathedral door and beckoned the others in. Inside was an unlit chamber held by arched roof. No altar, no lectern, just a bare pulpit. Pews had been broken away, leaving an austere stone floor. Random beams of dusty light streamed through broken bricks and cracked windows.
Their footsteps echoed down the center aisle. "Hello?" Elsa called out. "Is anyone here?"
"Someone has to be here," Rapunzel said. "That stone statue wasn't guarding nothing."
Ariel's head turned, tracking a possible shadow. "Did you see that?" Rapunzel and Elsa hadn't.
They entered the transept. Grass and moss covered the pulpit like a carpet. "Mr. Ravir? Are you here? We need to talk to-"
The doors slammed. Light fluttered like a gas lamp. This was no wind brushing trees, this was magic.
"What's happening?" Ariel asked, clutching her trident. Unearthly sounds whirled in, like groaning earth splitting.
The floor below illuminated a glyph in bright cyan. Its intricate spirals and angles stretched from corner to corner.
Rapunzel shrieked. She was suddenly levitating. Her hair streamed upward like a ribbon as she floated toward the ceiling. Elsa grabbed her outstretched hand. "Don't let go!"
It felt like resisting a hurricane wind. For a moment, Elsa gulped. As her toes were about to leave the ground, Ariel wrapped her arms around Elsa's torso. They both grabbed Rapunzel, struggling to pull her down.
Ravir had seen their fight, knew how well they'd worked together. "Don't let them split us up! That's what he's trying to do."
They managed to overpower whatever force possessed Rapunzel. The invisible energy released its hold as Rapunzel's feet touched ground.
"Where is he?" Rapunzel asked.
"Show yourself!" Elsa demanded. "We know you're here. We know-"
Wind rushed around them, forcing their eyes closed. Elsa back retreated into her friends, making a back-to-back-to-back formation. Rapunzel held her pan to protect her face. Ariel peeked through the tines of her trident. As the vortex intensified, the light around them dimmed.
"I can't see!" Ariel shouted. "Everything's dark!" Her red hair flapped in her face while Rapunzel's spun into the center of the cyclone.
"Please stop this!" Rapunzel shouted.
Elsa tried shooting her ice, but the tempest swept up the particles into its mass. Rapunzel and Ariel screamed, but the air was sucked out of their mouths. Ravir wasn't going to let them leave. He wasn't going to help them. The darkness was going to swallow them.
"Rapunzel! Sing!" Elsa said.
"Are you kidding?"
"The light!"
Rapunzel didn't sing so much as scream. "Flower gleam and glow! Let your power shine!"
Her hair's radiance flickered like a dying firefly. The vortex was sucking the light from under them. But the wind weakened.
Elsa bellowed. "Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore!"
Ariel caught on. She sung the same tune when Ursula had taken her voice. The same that brought Eric to her. "Ah-ah-ahhhh, ah-ah-ahhhh..."
Patches of windlessness permated the air. White light exploded from the center of the vortex. Rapunzel's golden hair fell behind her in a heap. The cathedral was empty again.
"Who are you?"
The voice had a childlike timbre mixed with the brusqueness of age. They couldn't pinpoint the source due to the building's echoes. It seemed to be everywhere.
Ariel aimed her trident fiercely. "Are you Omis Ravir?"
A pause. "I know not of this person."
"Please. We need to find him," Rapunzel said. "We've all been afflicted by some kind of curse. Some arcane magic no one knows."
"Do not look to me. My business with your world ended long ago."
"Then maybe you know something? Please. We're desperate. We can't find a single person or book that can help."
A pause. "You can find no help here. No knowledge."
"But we can't leave. You're our only chance. My kingdom's at stake. All our lives," Elsa said.
The voice responded, "I live in isolation to protect myself and others. I hold no obligation to you or your people."
"We'd still like to talk to you. Can you show yourself?" Ariel asked.
A pause. "You wouldn't like what you see."
"I don't know. I've seen some pretty weird-looking fish," Ariel said.
"I'm friends with bar thugs and ruffians. Some of them have hooks for hands," Rapunzel said.
Silence. Elsa's fingers twitched. She had to suppress the urge to bellow "I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. She's the princess of Corona. She holds the trident of the sea god. Unless you come down, we'll send our combined armies to tear this place apart."
But she didn't have to. Out of the corner of her eye, a form appeared as if he had been standing there all along. Ariel and Rapunzel lined up next to Elsa.
The man was gaunt--emaciated to the point where a man shouldn't be alive. His mottled, cobalt skin stretched over the bones of his arms and legs like tight canvas. A sunken cavity lay under his ribs where a healthy stomach should have been. His only clothes were a burlap waistcloth and a mantle covering his mouth. Black stringy bangs hung over opalescent eyes.
Elsa's eyes bulged. Rapunzel gasped.
"I am Omis Ravir. Look upon me. This is the magic you seek."
Elsa stepped forward. "What happened?"
"What all power does--corrupts. The more there is, the more it despoils."
"It's okay." Ariel placed a hand on Ravir's shoulder. He twitched. "We're not going to hurt you."
"I attacked you," Ravir said.
"You're not attacking us now," Ariel said. "My name is Ariel. This is Queen Elsa and Princess Rapunzel."
Ravir blinked his glowing eyes. "You have such rank, both political and spiritual. Someone has seen fit to glut you with privilege."
"We weren't always this way," Elsa said. "Rapunzel's hair should be normal, brown, and shorter. Ariel was a mermaid who became human, but now she keeps turning back. And we think the only magic capable of doing this came from an ancient cult leader named Temeris. Do you know anything about him?"
"I was a knight. A crusader and scholar. Appointed by king to seek wisdom rather than conquer lands. But I do not pretend my journey was noble. My order required small skill in necromancy. Those who stood in my way are now stains on a sword. The journey led me to the Cult of Temeris. Two others sought the same, for their own reasons, and I joined them. We discovered their crypt through fortune and will, and made short work of the remaining members. The cult's strength had withered like old men. In the catacombs, we found the three faults."
"What were they?" Ariel asked. "What did they look like?"
"Three canopic jars, containing a heart, a body, and a brain--the mortal remains of Temeris. Each of us selected one, so none could claim envy. Each took what they believed to be the stronger of the other two."
"And you took... his brain?" Elsa asked.
Ravir nodded. "All the knowledge, the cunning, the sagacity. A universe of insight. It consumed me. People, places, seemed less interesting. Hollow representations of meaning. The insipid spirals of their petty contrivances changed disregard to disgust. At first only the dregs of society suffered my wrath. Soon, no one was beneath my contempt. My loathing manifested until exile became my only recourse."
"How long have you been here?" Rapunzel asked.
"Time no longer has meaning to me. It is a human construct. You wouldn't understand." Ravir held up his hand to silence the girl.
"Are you the one who sent us a message?" Rapunzel dug out the blank letter from her knapsack. "Elsa got one too, but they're both blank."
"I sent you nothing." Ravir peered at the fine sheaf, dragging a finger down it. "But this page is not blank."
"Can you read it? Is it in some magic script?" Rapunzel asked.
"It was meant for you and you alone. The explication is tied to your soul."
"okay," Rapunzel said. "So... what does that mean? How can I read it?"
Ravir sighed. He pointed at a spot in the center of the church. "Stand there."
Rapunzel walked up to it, letter held in front of her chest.
Ravir held his arms over his head. A yellow ball formed, crackling with energy. He threw it into the air over the pulpit. It shot through the stained glass window, raining fragments around them. The girls shielded their eyes.
"Look," Ravir said.
Light streamed through where the window had broken, bathing Rapunzel in a beam of light. On the sheet of paper, etchings glowed where the sunlight struck.
"Of course," Rapunzel said. "My power comes from a drop of sun that fell to Earth. It's even the symbol of Corona. I should have thought of it before."
"What does it say?" Ariel asked.
Rapunzel held out the paper and read.
I haply dote on thine magician's gaze
Command me spell bound my heart to find thine
The sun beweeps red tears of flame from rays
Doth brightest cans't to match thou brilliant shine
Time's tyranny of tide calls forth impart
But tread most feather-light across its flow
E'er contra the raucous tow of mine heart
And bid us route to wedding's altar glow
That, lo, the nupt of fruits bloom ripe thereof
By lost and lonely gods of yore. Let past
And future both attend the vow. For love
Bear guard through eyes of patience none outlast
At nocturne sweet rends mine and thou to we
Whence join sweet Iris lock to pair'ed key
"I have no idea what that means," Elsa said.
"What is it supposed to be? A love poem?" Ariel asked.
"I can only show you the door," Ravir said. "To walk in is your quest."
"If you didn't send this, do you know who did?" Elsa asked. "What about your two friends? Do you know where they are?"
"Not friends. Travelers of circumstance. A common goal led us down the same path temporarily. Once we had what we wanted, we left our separate ways. Their names were Lowther Vonde Brackridge and Arcius Cansteth. If one of them knows the source of your turmoil, pray it not be Arcius. That man lacked humanity before the magic corrupted him."
"Was he some kind of sorcerer too?" Ariel asked.
"I shall tell you his tale. Cansteth committed heinous crimes for the sole purpose of being sent to prison. Twelve years isolated in Ogrestone, condemned to death. For twelve years he labored in a windowless cell, preparing, refining, perfecting. Its doors never opened. Once a day, he received a tray of gruel shoved through a slot. At his trial, the only statement he made was that he would walk out of prison with a smile."
"How did he get out?" Rapunzel asked.
"The eleventh year, he begins claiming he's not Cansteth. He's an officer. That the real Cansteth is one of the guards. The officers open his cell and inspect everything, but find no evidence. Each guard that passes he tells he's not Cansteth. Every man that walks by, Cansteth yells that he's been replaced. The others ignore it, thinking he's gone insane.
"On the day of his execution, he asks for a single razor, as a last request. He shaves off all the hair of his body--twelve years' worth. The priest enters. Cansteth knocks him out. Glues his hair to the priest's head and takes his place. The priest yells that he's not Cansteth. That he was knocked out."
"And Cansteth walks out the door," Rapunzel finished.
"With a smile on his face," Ravir said.
The three girls stood in silence, contemplating what kind of man would make such a sacrifice to learn power.
"Elsa, what about your letter? Maybe the ice...?" Rapunzel said.
Elsa filched through the knapsack. She held the letter by one hand. Sparkles drifted down from her other hand, coating the paper in a sheen of white frost.
Line after line of cryptic symbols scattered across the page: squiggly lines and slashed lines and lines with other lines through them, letters and arrows and half-triangles and circles.
"What is this? A cipher?" Rapunzel asked.
"I don't see a pattern," Ariel said. "Unless... okay, so there's a line here, and a slanty shape here so... never mind. I don't get it."
Elsa stared at the shapes, waiting for some meaning to pop out at her. Was there anything magical about it what she was reading? The point of encryption was to make sure only the receiver could understand the message. Since whoever wrote it knew them, they might know enough to...
"Agh, I was so stupid. Look!"
She held the paper out to them. Rapunzel and Ariel shrugged.
"This curly-cue here. It means a divisor over Gaussian integers. It's a geometric formula."
Ariel's eyes brightened. "You know geometry. Can you figure it out?"
"Maybe. I need some tools. A compass. Graph paper."
"We have all those back at the castle," Rapunzel said. She turned to Ravir. "Will you come with us? We could use your help. You're so powerful..."
"It is for that reason I dare not leave this domain."
"It's okay," Rapunzel said. "You don't have to be afraid..."
Ravir shook his head. "My appearance is but a fraction of my antipathy. I no longer count myself in humankind. The only safe place for me is here, away from the world."
"I was shut away from the world once too. But it's easier to rejoin than you think. People would accept you. You just need to get to know them."
"My place. Is here," Ravir grunted.
"Please?" Rapunzel said. "You don't have to spend all of your life alone-"
"I said NO!" Ravir said.
The black wind rushed at them. Elsa, Ariel, and Rapunzel held their hands in front of their faces. Old paper and dry thorns brushed at their arms. The ground under their feet coiled and sprang like a trampoline. Then the wind ceased.
Bright sunlight. They were standing in a field, in front of a forest. Ariel turned around.
"Look! We're back at the castle," Ariel said. "He transported us."
"We should be thankful he didn't transport us farther," Elsa said. To Rapunzel, "Why did you make him so angry?"
Rapunzel sighed. "Maybe I pushed too hard."
Elsa sighed "It's all the better, I suppose. We couldn't force him."
"You can lead a captain of the guards to water, but you can't make him drink," Ariel said.
A contingent of royal guards was riding out to meet them--the same soldiers who escorted them. Rapunzel smiled at the story she was about to tell.
Flynn whistled a happy tune while carrying the tray of food. He knocked on the door to the drawing room. "Knock, knock," he said. "I've got some yummy treats for some hard-working girls." He opened the door.
Elsa sat alone at the long mahogany table, buried in scrolls, inkwells, pencils, and wooden doodads. She and Flynn stared at each other in uncomfortable silence.
"Oh. Where's everyone else?" Flynn asked.
She lowered her eyes back to the puzzle. "Rapunzel's with Ansel, educating him about Arendelle's tactical strengths and weaknesses. I don't know where Ariel is."
"Shouldn't you be with Ansel? You're the queen, right?"
"But I'm the only one who can figure out this message. And Rapunzel knows Arendelle well enough."
Flynn carried the tray in and placed it on the table. "I thought they'd be helping you."
"Does Rapunzel know anything about hexadecimal notation?"
"Uh... I'm not sure anyone in the kingdom does."
Elsa examined the tray. "Is that coffee?"
"Sure is. I even brought milk and sugar and all that fancy stuff."
"I actually prefer tea."
"Oh..." Flynn picked up the pewter mug. "You ever have coffee before? It's great for waking up on those cold mornings."
"No, thank you. I prefer tea." She placed on the graph paper to draw lines.
Flynn pulled up a velvet chair and sat on it in reverse, legs straddling the back. "Is it tough?"
"Not for me. I just need to draw out the formula now. Means a lot of complex calculations, and I won't know if I've made a mistake."
"Gotcha. There's no tutor with an answer key." Flynn picked up a protractor, looking through the hollow space. "So what's it like being a queen?"
"Irritating. You work long hours reading documents. You grind out a deal, make a compromise, and then no one's happy. Everyone depends on you and you get no credit for it."
"So Rapunzel has that to look forward to for Rapunzel." Flynn leaned back. "But Rapunzel's eager to learn and Queen Arianna's sure happy to teach her. I never imagined I'd get along with my mother-in-law so well. But then, I have to or she'll cut off my head. Heh-heh. I bet she's just as thrilled having a thief for a son-in-law. They not only regained a daughter but earned a son."
Elsa looked up from the tops of her eyes.
"Um... on that note, I should... check how she's doing." He staggered off the chair and backed out of the room.
Elsa muttered to herself as he closed the door. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Olaf."
Flynn walked across the castle to the war room. Rapunzel and Ansel stood at a chalkboard with Arendelle's coast drawn out. In the middle of the room, there was a large table with a map and tiny boats. Pascal crawled across the ocean, shifting models around.
"The two biggest ports are here and here," Rapunzel said.
"But are they the strongest?" Ansel asked. "They may have overtaken certain defenses at this point. What are the wind conditions this time of year in Arendelle?"
"I'm not sure. They seemed fine when I was there, but they're having odd weather anyway."
Ansel turned back to the chalkboard. "I believe we should concentrate on ocean territory as much as possible, use the land for boundaries. Using the Diekplous maneuver, we can separate their ranks. I'm assuming calm seas and average depth in the bay."
"I don't know. Elsa would." Rapunzel sighed.
"And I don't think you want to disturb her," Flynn said. "I brought her some coffee and she turned it cold just by talking to me. Are you sure she has ice powers? Because she sure is a drip."
"She likes tea, not coffee. And she's comfortable working alone," Rapunzel replied.
"No one's that comfortable. Even I made friends as a thief. Well, until I skipped town with the loot, but that's different. "
"I asked if she needed help and she said no," Rapunzel shrugged. "I don't think I could have helped anyway.
"Your highness," Ansel interrupted. "I have an idea. If the attack begins here..." he circled Arendelle's inlet, "we can push them to the coast. They'll have no maneuverability and no time to move into formation. They won't expect such an onslaught."
Pascal knocked one of the ships over.
"Don't let them retreat into the two surrounding fjords, or they'll have the kingdom surrounded," Rapunzel said.
"Or perhaps we do..." Ansel said. "If their fleet splits, they'll retreat, then they'll be trapped in the canals. No armada has ever won a battle on two fronts."
"Maybe..." Rapunzel said. "I'm worried about the damage they could do to the town. If they think they're not getting out alive, they'd act like trapped rats."
"One must expect collateral damage in a war. And this is only if we have to engage at all. I'm confident they'll surrender on sight."
"Or at least entreat negotiations." Rapunzel put down the chalk.
"My commanding officers are rallying all the available men, loading supplies. It's my policy to stay twelve hours away from full mobilization at any time. We will leave as soon as we're ready. Just after midnight, by my estimate."
Pascal knocked away all the ships representing the enemy off the board, whacking one with his tail.
Elsa walked through the door to the war room, holding a large sheet of paper. Several loose hairs from her tight braid wisped around her head.
"I finished decoding the letter, but-"
"You did?" Rapunzel squealed. "You got it figured out? What does it say?"
Elsa held up the paper. " I have no idea."
Rapunzel's face fell.
"It's some abstract thing." Elsa showed her a graph of concentric shapes, wavy lines, and number-value pairs along the side.
"Did you make a mistake?"
"I triple-checked everything. I'm pretty sure this is the message. All the coordinates follow a logical pattern, it just... just doesn't mean anything."
The two princesses stared at the ground in dejection. "Where's Ariel?" Flynn asked. "Maybe she could help out?"
"I think she left to explore the castle," Rapunzel said.
"What about the sonnet? Isn't she working on that?" Elsa asked.
"I've got the castle artistes trying to figure that out. They know about structure, sound patterns, form. She only knows Atlantican poetry."
Elsa grunted. "She should be doing something. Come help me find her." Elsa headed into the hallway before Rapunzel responded.
Ansel nodded. Rapunzel didn't worry about him having his tasks completed. She jogged after Elsa.
"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked Elsa, alone in the hall.
"We're here slaving on these ridiculous puzzles and she's frippering around? I know she couldn't have helped me, but why isn't she there for you?"
"She said she didn't know much about war strategy. I think that's why she left."
"I'm getting really tired of her attitude. Her trident is powerful, but anything that requires a modicum of experience or effort she shrugs off. She thinks everything can come to her by wanting it."
"Well, maybe she's still getting used to... living in a different world. I think she's doing very well for joining a new species."
Elsa stopped a passing guard and asked him where Princess Ariel was. "I think I saw her going up the northwest tower, your majesty."
Elsa started in that direction without a thank you. Rapunzel huffed up the stairs after her. "I think her... previous kingdom was more relaxed. She doesn't like being controlled or bound by rules."
Elsa turned and gave her a hard look. "She's still a princess. She has responsibilities. It's like she forgets she has a curse. Or that we do too."
"I think she's done a lot for us," Rapunzel said. "This 'curse' has been hard on all of us. I'm sure we can figure it out, if we all keep working at it."
Elsa stopped and turned around. "That's another thing. I'm getting tired of your sunny disposition for everything. You have a non-problem."
Rapunzel scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Ariel can't stay on her feet for more than twelve hours. My kingdom is under attack--by both the elements and another country. You? You have long hair."
"I just spent seven hours working with Ansel to send out ships to your kingdom. We're taking money out of Corona's coffers for Arendelle, just because we're family. I'm doing this for you."
"And while you were there, I was all alone, doing nothing but geometry problems. Your husband came to visit me. You didn't."
"You said you didn't want us to help you."
They reached the top of the parapet. True to the guard's word, Ariel was there. She stood in the glory of the mid-afternoon sun, letting the north wind blow her hair back.
"Have you seen this view? It's breathtaking. There's mountains, rivers, plains--all in the same view! And the castle! Rapunzel, it's amazing. There's a theater, a greenhouse, two music rooms, a Turkish salon-"
"I know. I live here," Rapunzel said.
"Why are you up here? You've been fooling around while we're working," Elsa said.
"I'm not... I didn't think anyone needed my help. You're doing military stuff and geometry. I'm no good at that."
"So instead you're playing around?"
Rapunzel tugged on Elsa's arm, warning her she was going too far, but Elsa shrugged her off.
Ariel held her hands behind her back and looked away. "Well, I didn't think you needed help. I'm sorry. Is there anything I can help with now?"
"No. That could have been a little more meaningful seven hours ago, but I am done, thank you."
"If you didn't want to help, you could have at least sat in and learned something," Rapunzel added. Elsa's righteous anger was infectious.
Now Ariel frowned. "Well... what about you? You're sending ships to another country. How is that helping our situation?"
"It's helping her." Rapunzel nudged Elsa. "Part of ruling a country means assisting allies. Do you even know anything about being a princess?"
"I'm the daughter of a king," Ariel said angrily.
"So are we all," Elsa said, crossing her arms. "If it weren't for that trident..."
"Is that all you think I'm good for? Blasting things?" Ariel asked.
"Right now, that's all you're good for," Rapunzel said.
"Do you know what it's like having your legs torn apart and sewed up again every day? Do you know what I sacrificed? I almost destroyed the whole sea kingdom for these." She gestured to her legs. "I changed my entire way of life."
"My way of life was torn apart because of this." Elsa held up her gloved hands. "The first moment someone found out my power they called me a monster. I had to run away to the north mountain to live in isolation-"
"Do not bring that up," Rapunzel said. "Don't even try. I was locked in a tower for eighteen years. Is that anything like you experienced? No, it isn't. Because you only spent, like, a day up there."
Elsa backed away, hunching her shoulders. Her hands clenched and nostrils flared.
"Yeah. And it was your choice," Ariel said, joining the reversal gang-up. "Don't act like you had rough."
"Rough? You?" Rapunzel whipped back to Ariel. "Every time you talk about your adventures it's all music and parties and beautiful scenery. I swear you want to go back there."
"If I knew I'd have to work with you kind of people, I might have changed my mind."
Elsa flexed her fingers within the gloves. "Do you smell smoke?" she asked.
Rapunzel sniffed and smelled it too. Wood fires typically burned throughout the castle, but not at the top of a tower.
Ariel pointed down to the city. "Is that supposed to be there?"
A cloud plume rose from the patchwork of houses in the middle of Corona. Rapunzel's silence meant it was not normal.
"What's in that area?" Elsa asked.
Rapunzel's eyes widened. "The library!" She treaded in a circle, ensnaring herself in her hair.
"We have to get down there," Elsa said.
"Isn't there a fire brigade?" Ariel asked.
"Yes, but who better to put out a fire than a snow queen and master of the seas?"
Embedded in the tower was a pole. It held a tensile cable that reached down to the courtyard so supplies could be pulleyed up. Rapunzel hooked her hair over and slid down. Ariel followed, using her trident as the trolley. Sparks flew as the friction made a severe zipping sound.
Elsa coated her hands with ice and glided down the rope, the ground growing ever nearer. She stopped panicking when she was close enough to the ground not to break anything if she fell. Ariel and Rapunzel, one on each side, stopped her breakneck speed and caught her.
"Come on." Rapunzel led them to three horses. They raced into Corona's village.
A gathering crowd hampered their progress to the door. They dismounted and maneuvered up to the front.
Smoke curled up at the doorways and windows. Ropes of fire chewed through curtains and books. Splintered, blackened wood jutted out of the entrance like briar thorns.
"My library..." Rapunzel mumbled.
"Is anyone still in there?" Elsa asked the townspeople.
Most of them shook their heads. Then a crying child yelled, "My mommy!"
Rapunzel looked up. "Ariel and I will search. Elsa, you go around and stop the fire from spreading."
She nodded. Ariel and Rapunzel rushed in without another word. Elsa ran into the alley between buildings.
A window spewed flames. As she shot her power, the air crackled and tinkled. The forming ice fizzled as soon as the fire touched it. She tried again, coating the window frame with ice. Nothing happened, except a faint hiss of steam.
"Why isn't this working?" she muttered to herself. No matter how she forced it, the fire lapped it up. She didn't understand why the fire wouldn't let ice form--mounds of snow would appear almost instantly.
Wait, that was it. Elsa rolled her hands. A ball of snow appeared over the flames. When it dropped, the fire hissed, defeated, as white powder slumped to the ground. She walked the perimeter, dumping snow on flames as she saw them.
At the back of the building, space was tight--all shadows except for a foot-wide swath of light. Thick smoke and high-reaching flames covered the roof overhang of the library. Part of the adjacent building had already caught. Elsa pointed, hammering it with dense snowballs. A few more and the fire withered away. Elsa smiled.
Glass shattered behind her. High above, wood groaned as part of the roof broke off. A charred flaming timber dangled from a thin hinge.
Elsa summoned her power but it did nothing. The timber broke. Elsa screamed again as it tumbled down.
An explosive yellow light shot out of a broken window, pinning the timber against the adjacent building with a smack. It glowed amber before disintegrating into black dust.
Ariel poked her head out of the window. "Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh," she said breathlessly.
"Saved your life," Ariel grinned and returned inside.
Inside, flames rippled across the ceiling, dropping ash like snowflakes. The mural of Flynn Rider was melting into a hideous goop of colors, except for the nose.
"Ariel!" Rapunzel shouted, muffled by a layer of hair wrapped around her mouth and nose. She held up a chunk for Ariel to do the same.
They hadn't found anyone yet. The dancing light and smoke kept objects and their shadows jumping. Whoever they were looking for would have to be right under their nose.
"There!" Rapunzel stepped over the scattered small fires from books. Ariel followed her, chained like a mountain climber. One of the bookshelves had toppled onto another. Beneath, a woman reached out her hand.
Rapunzel grabbed it. "We got you." She clutched the shelf and pulled with all her might. But the shelf didn't move. Ariel joined, but they still it couldn't budge. Rapunzel regretted asking for Kingwood bookshelves.
Ariel backed up and stuck her trident in, using it as a lever. Rapunzel lifted while she pried, but it was no use.
Rapunzel pulled down her mask. "Tie my hair." The two of them wound the golden tresses around the wooden plank several times. Rapunzel tied a knot as tight and fast as she could.
"Ready," Ariel said, giving her the thumbs up.
Rapunzel launched forward, her feet dug into the floor like a carthorse. If she could pull people up a forty foot tower, she could do this. She wrenched her head forward, groaning.
The bookcase lifted. Ariel slid the woman out, wriggling like a snake.
"You okay?" Ariel asked. Coughing, the woman nodded. Ariel pushed her toward the door. "Go, go."
"Ariel, help!"
Rapunzel tugged on her the ends of the knot, struggling to free herself. Both of them pried their fingers into the hair. Their chests hurt from the constant fits of coughing.
Ariel poked the center of the trident into the knot, digging like a giant toothpick. Rapunzel pulled apart the loose threads and yanked herself loose. Ariel helped unraveled the hair from the shelf.
"Got it," they both said. Rapunzel and Ariel dashed for the exit.
The entire ceiling had cracked into a spider web, bulging like a heavy water balloon. Persistent groaning grew louder through the fiery crackle. Cracked roof beams bowed out, like spindly arms that couldn't hold anymore. And they were right under the center.
A thunderous crack sounded. Ariel and Rapunzel shrieked. They crouched and turned away.
Elsa stepped in the library entrance. Ice had never fired from her hands faster or colder. The room filled with hissing and fog, swirling everything to white.
Rapunzel and Ariel blinked open their eyes. It was eerily quiet. No sound of the fire or breaking wood. They looked up.
A thick icicle hung down from the ceiling, like a frozen wasp's nest. Blackened roof debris jutted out, caught in midfall.
Ariel and Rapunzel crab-crawled from underneath the icicle. Elsa pulled them out of the doorway. The girls embraced in a three way hug as cheers erupted.
"Saved your life," Elsa said. "You all right?" She thumbed away a smudge of soot on Rapunzel's cheek.
"Fine," Rapunzel said between coughs. "Feels like I haven't breathed in a week."
"Now I know what a fire is," Ariel coughed, "and why it burns."
The head librarian waddled up to the three of them, arms full of scrolls and documents. "Paden?" Rapunzel asked.
"Princess. Thank goodness for your help. You are a saint."
"Is everyone all right?"
Paden grinned. "Everyone is fine and accounted for. Even the fish. And I managed to save the rarest documents from the archive." He held up the pile in his arms.
"How did it start?" Rapunzel asked.
"No one seems to know. The dry paper didn't help any. Maybe a gas lamp knocked over. The fire spread like it had a vengeance to sate."
Elsa's eyes widened, locked on a scroll rolling on top of the librarian's pile. "What's this?" She plucked it off.
"Oooh, you have good taste. That's the Nordsoen monograph, one of the earliest oceanic maps of our region."
"This is it," Elsa said. "This is what I drew."
She let the others see. "I was so close to the problem I didn't see the whole thing. It's a map."
#Ariel#Elsa#Rapunzel#Tangled#Frozen#The Little Mermaid#Disney#fanfiction#Reprise#fanfic#crossover#disneyprincess
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