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"Rapunzel!" Cassandra cried as her friend let out a blood curdling scream. The warrior dived after her. The freezing air whipped her face while she desperately tried to fall faster to reach the princess. "Take my hand!"
Rapunzel stretched out her hand to her despite the wind rushing through their ears. Fear consumed the brunette so much that she hardly noticed the glow that emanated off her hair.
Faster and faster the two fell. Cassandra's hand was mere inches from Rapunzel's fingers now, but the crashing waves below drew closer with each second.
Just as the two friends locked hands, the glow over Rapunzel's hair grew so bright that it blinded them.
Rapunzel shut her eyes, waiting for the chilling smack of the ocean.
That's when she felt a weight over her head. Her free hand grasped a familiar texture, and her body was suddenly jolted to the right.
Both Cassandra and Rapunzel let out a yelp by the sudden stop. Rapunzel dared to open her eyes again. Cassandra had her arms wrapped around her torso while her own arm was tucked underneath her handmaiden's armpit.
The duo let out weary breaths, spotting the crashing waves only a few yards below them now.
"How did we--" Cassandra started before her gaze turned upward. "HOLY--"
Her friend's words were drowned out by Rapunzel's own scream when she saw the mountain of golden hair that cascaded down the rocky wall and rested in the princess's tight grip. She squinted her gaze to find that the end of her locks had tangled itself around a thick branch poking out from the wall.
"What-- I-- My hair!?" Rapunzel sputtered loudly, shifting her body from the shock. The movement, though, caused the branch to let out a cracking sound.
"Careful!" Cassandra pleaded. Pascal, who managed to still keep himself secure on the princess's shoulder yelped at the sight as well before falling onto his back, as if he fainted.
Before Rapunzel could say anything else, a neigh echoed from above. She looked up to find Maximus and Fidella staring at the duo from over the ledge.
"Max! Fidella!" Rapunzel spat. She searched around. The sudden appearance of her long hair would have to wait. The branch was not going to last long.
"There!" Cassandra announced. Rapunzel craned her neck to the left to find a beach only a few yards away from them. "We'll just drop into the water and swim over there."
"Uh, I can't swim, Cass!" Rapunzel spat with growing fright. The tree branch above made another snapping sound, causing the duo to fall slightly.
"It's okay, Raps. Try to swing as close to the beach as you can. I'll help you to shore. Trust me," Cassandra said looking right up at the princess. Rapunzel stared at her friend's determined gaze. Her assurance calmed her nerves, at least for a little bit.
"Okay... Okay, I trust you-- AH!" Rapunzel cried when the branch cracked again, jerking the duo.
"Now, Raps!" Cassandra spat. Rapunzel nodded and placed her feet up against the rocky wall.
"Hang on, everyone!" the princess called out before pushing off as hard as she could towards the beach.
The branch above snapped. The girls and Pascal screamed. The wind rushed through their bodies before they plunged into the freezing waves with a loud splash!
...
Deep blue ocean water crashed against the sandy beach in the dead of night.
The sight would be perfectly peaceful aside from the gasping from the two girls when their heads reached the surface.

YOU ARE READING
Fractured Dreams|•°Before Ever After°•
Fanfiction[Rated PG-13 for some minor swearing and violence. Think of it like a Young Adult novel.] °•°•°•° "Is this Happily Ever After, after all?" ~~~~~~~ After six months living within the castle's walls, Rapunzel's beginning to feel trapped once again. Fe...