Rapunzel Reborn

Come Back

MARIGOLD
************

"Why is everyone so quiet?" I asked, surprised by my parent's sudden silence. Just a moment ago, we were happy and the crowd was cheering for our reunion. Why is it that the whole crowd has gone silent now?

The fire was distinguished, that's good. Everyone is safe. So why the quiet? What's wrong?

"Mom, dad?" I asked, looking up at my parents. They didn't answer me. Actually, they weren't looking at me either. They were avoiding my gaze.

"What's wrong?" I asked, shaking them. "Where's Erin?" They didn't answer me. There was a pain in my heart. I don't want to believe it. "I know he went back in to look for you. Knowing him, he would have succeeded,"

My father, giving me a pained look, firmly took my shoulders. "Marigold, daughter," He started. "Erin... He saved us...at a cost,"

No.

"No, no, no," I said repeatedly, backing away from my father's grip. "You can't be saying what I think you're saying..."

"It's true," My mother told me. "He risked his life-"

"No!" I yelled at them, making them flinch backwards. "Even if Erin did save you, there's no way he wouldn't be alive!"

"Marigold, listen to me!" My father yelled.

"No! He's not dead! Erin isn't dead!" I yelled at them. I fell to the floor and started crying. "There's no way..." I whined. "He can't be,"

"I'm sorry," My mother said crying. "It's all my fault, he saved us," She also bent down to the ground, crying.

"No, it's also my fault," My father said, tears coming down his face. He stood there, crying.

"There's no way," I kept saying. "Erin wouldn't die," I repeatedly said the same things, over and over. My mind knows it, but my heart won't believe it. "It's not true, it can't be..."

"Nooooooo!!!" I yelled. "No! He's not dead! Erin would never die so easily!" Tears kept coming down my face as I protested towards the crowd. No one looked towards my gaze. They all really believed he was dead. I don't want to believe it.

I felt a pat on my shoulder, and looked up. Peter stood there, crying over me. "No, it's all my fault for kidnapping everyone in the first place. I caused all this. But not until now have I realized Erin has always been good. I regret all my actions. I'm sorry. So, so sorry..." He knelt down beside me and cried away.

Everyone else was crying too. The crowd, the king and queen of Tiza. All mourning the lost of the last wizard on Earth.

I stand up and start walking to the front gates of the castle. Some tried to stop me, but I pushed them out of the way. I stood. Right in front of the castle, screaming my lungs out.

"You stupid wizard!" I yelled, shocking some people in the crowd. "How could you kill yourself?! You dummy! You sadistic, evil, crazy-smart jerk! You're death doesn't make anyone happy! It's of no advantage! Where are you?! Come out stupid idiot! I know you're here!!" I knelt to the ground, crying again. Everyone stared at me in disbelief to my sudden outburst.

"You told me you'll come back alive... Stupid idiot..." I sobbed quietly.

He's so, so stupid. Erin's so stupid for dying like that. Stupid idiot. Stupid dead idiot...

"Who do you think you're calling stupid? If anything, Princess, you stay a dumb princess no matter how much I teach you,"

I feel a pat on my head, the familiar sensation.  He appears out of nowhere, surprising everyone. Kneeling down beside me, giving me that evil grin of his. He wears a cloak of some sort, and gently covers me with it.

"E-Erin?" I said quietly.

"Yo," He said in that same sarcastic way he always had.

I couldn't hold back. I jumped at him, making him fall backwards.

"Woah!" He said, scowling. "That's no way for a princess to act," He teased.

I cried as he gently patted my back, smiling at me. I won't let go of him. I'll hug him to death if I have to! "You're really stupid, I really thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, I know," He said. "Your mouth was protesting, but your head was full of cursing me, wasn't it?"

Everyone started cheering and running towards us. Crowding into even tighter spaces. My parents somehow got through the crowd and were, even though they were way in the back before, squeezing Erin as I was. He struggled out of their grip, they were chocking his neck. I couldn't help laughing at Erin's uneasiness.

Peter also somehow made it through the struggling crowd. He hugged Erin as I was, and cried like a baby. "W-What?!" Erin said, surprised. "I thought you hate me!"

"Just for now," Peter said. "Just for now, I'll hug you to death.  I'm just so glad you're not dead,"

As was I. Welcome back, Erin.