Siblings of Corona-B3:Life On the Road

Chapter 20

"What am I doing?" Rapunzel looked at the crown the pope was holding.  She stepped back.  "You aren't real.  None of this is real.  I am being selfish.  What is wrong with me?  I'm being an idiot!" She pulled on her hair.  "I'm sorry, guys.  I gotta go-"

Eugene stepped in front of her, his eyes turning green.  His voice sounded like Matthews.  "Oh, dear.  And here I thought we could do this the peaceful way.  Put the crown on."

Rapunzel clinched her fists.  "No.  I can't do that.  I'm sorry, but I've always put my siblings first.  And the one time I wanted to myself first was almost the biggest mistake of my life.  Sorry, Matthews, but I'm getting back to the real Cass and Varian.  I don't want the fake ones.  I would have been miserable for the rest of my time if I stayed."

"The hard way it is." Eugene turned into the green ghost of Matthews, letting out a hiss.

Rapunzel yanked down a curtain, using it wrap around a banister and climb up.

"Don't you understand, dear?  I am in control of this world!"

Her world glitched and she felt herself falling towards her kingdom.  She used the curtain to catch herself as she landed on the bridge.  She found herself face to face with most of the villains she had ever faced.

"Uh... Varian?  Now would be a good time to pop out of nowhere."

"Oh, so now you want my help?"

"Gah!" Rapunzel let out a sigh.  "I always want your help, Varian.  I just have a bad way of showing it sometimes."

"Me too," Varian admitted.  "Although, this dream is pretty sick.  See?  My hand is just fine here."

"Oh, that is pretty sick.  How are you here anyways? Is this like a Moonstone thing oooorrrr...?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Varian dodged Lady Caine's sword.   "But we need to talk about how you felt like this fake place was something you almost accepted."

"I know, I was being selfish-" she slammed her frying pan into Weasel's face.

"That's not what I meant.  I was meaning, why didn't you tell us?  Why didn't you say that you weren't happy with how things were going?"

"I was the one that wanted to leave in the first place.  But after the first week, and I almost lost you and Eugene, and Lance almost died, I realized this trip wasn't what I wanted.  In fact, it keeps taking away what I wanted.  I just wanted a fun time with us three siblings, not life and death situations.  I wanted time with Eugene, but instead I took him out here where he almost had to marry his ex.  And he didn't even want to leave Corona!"

"Raps... I'm so sorry... I guess life outside the tower wasn't as cracked up as we thought it was.  Mother was right.  It's pretty cruel... But if I could do everything over again, I would.  Sure, there's a few mistakes along the way that I wish I could change, but I can't.  You can't."

"I know...  Maybe I'm not as good about talking about my feelings as I thought I was."

"Me too," Varian said. 

They smiled at each other only for a giant Pascal to suddenly appear in the ocean, eating Varian.  "Varian!" She screamed.

Her world suddenly glitched and she found herself tied to the banister back in the tower.

"Hello, Rapunzel." Gothel rubbed her nails against her thumb.

"M-mother?!"

"Look at yourself.  Always trapped.  Even in your own mind."

"My own mind?  Oh!  That's right!"

She glitched herself behind Gothel and swung a frying pan at her head, knocking her unconscious.  "Oh, I have been wanting to do that.  Guess what Matthews.  I'm in charge." She made herself warp in front of the black rocks, immediately reaching out and grabbing one. Her eyes snapped open as she took in a deep gasp.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene called.

"Eugene!" She shook off the vines holding her down.  Then she ran to Eugene and Lance, who had both fallen from their places as their vines disentagrated.

"Let's go!" Lance yelled.  They jumped out the door, feeling the ground shaking and the shell was falling in on them.

Rapunzel swung the front door open.  "Cass?  Varian? Where are you?" She called.

She turned back to the house falling in, but Eugene grabbed her arm.  "Blondie, no!"

Right before the building completely collapsed, Andrew dove out, carrying Varian.  He sheilded Varian from any of the stray debris.  Everyone slowly looked at the destroyed seashell house.

"Cass..." Rapunzel whispered.  "Cassandra! No!  This is all my fault!" She ran over and started pulling the debris apart.  "Cass!"

"Rapunzel-" Eugene tried.

Rapunzel only stopped when she saw a door appear.  It swung open, revealing a panting Cassandra.  "Cass!" Rapunzel ran to her older sister and threw her arm around her.  "I'm so sorry!"

"Woah, Raps!  What are you sorry about."

"I almost chose that stupid Dreamland over the real you.  Over everyone, I'm so sorry.  I could have killed you all..."

Varian walked over, setting a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.  "Punzie, the shell falling was activated when you woke up.  It wouldn't have mattered if you woke up any earlier."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  I guess Matthews used your awakening as a self destruct fail safe that failed to kill us," Varian explained.

Rapunzel sniffed, wiping at her cheek.  "Come here, you three." She pulled them all into a group hug.  "I love you guys.  How did I get the best siblings in the world?"

"I don't know.  I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one," Cassandra said.

"Me too," Varian agreed.

"For the record.  You guys are way better than that Dreamland."

Cassandra and Varian laughed.  "That's good."