Rapunzel Bennett (Jackunzel)

Chapter 21

Zel kept looking between Jack and his hand laid out waiting for her to grab on.
"Do you trust me?"
Zel furrowed her brows, "I don't know. I just learned you promised past me you would return and never did. Seems like you're full of crap." she joked.
Jack nervously laughed and looked away in embarrassment.
Zel took the opportunity to place her hand in his so that she could watch his eyes light up.
He cocked his head up and opened a portal to Toothiana's realm once again.
He seemed to be going there a lot lately.
He stepped in, hand in Zel's, and carried her through the almost bottomless place.
"This is amazing." Zel mumbled.
Jack chuckled at her enthusiasm, placing her on a ledge.
"Why are there so many little hummingbirds?" she inquired.
Jack looked around, "Oh... Well, that's Toothiana... Sort of. They're all apart of her. They help with the Tooth Fairy related things."
"Didn't you drop Flynnigan here?" Zel asked looking down at the ground into the river.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, I figured if he is my apparent future husband.."
"Not on my watch." Jack grumbled quietly.
"Hmm?"
Jack shook his head, "I didn't say anything."
Suddenly an even bigger hummingbird flew by, Tooth of course, "Jack, look at that one!" she said pointing to the colorful Toothiana.
Toothiana heard the noise and turned her head, "Oh! Jack! You're here again." she said too excited, failing to notice the short brunette girl watching her admirably.
She flew to Jack.
"Wow, is this her? She's absolutely stunning." Zel commented.
Toothiana jumped, "Who... Who is this?"
Jack awkwardly laughed, "Uhm... This is Zel."
"Zel? I'm sorry, who?"
"She's related to my problem." Jack admitted.
Toothiana unknowingly gave a harsh look to Zel, "Oh, her~"
"Yes, and she had a question I couldn't answer."
"Jack, she shouldn't be here."
Zel tried to join their conversation but a small swarm of mini Tooth's came and repeatedly hit her, tugging on her nightdress trying to push her into the abyss.
"Jack." Zel quietly called.
"Rapunzel I'm asking her," he said, not breaking eye contact with the also unaware Toothiana.
"Jack!" Zel cried as she fell to the ground clawing for dear life.
"Zel!" he shouted before zooming to save her, yanking her from the hundreds of tiny little hands, only concerned for her safety.
"Tooth!" Jack yelled as he caressed the exhausted Zel's forehead, wiping away strands of hair.
"I... I'm so sorry Jack, I didn't mean to! It wasn't me!"
"But they are you. You don't have to kill her we just need some information and we'll be going."
"You both will?"
"Toothiana!"
"Alright, just... Just tell me what you need."
Zel pulled out the two memories from her pocket as she stood herself up, "I... There is this woman in one of them. She's my mother but she's evil and in reality, she would never lock me up for personal gain. And I'm just... I'm confused."
Toothiana grabbed the vials, "How did you get these?" she looked at the people on the front, "Mary Overland and Rapunzel Fitzherbert. A once queen and a midwife. Why would you need these?"
"Well, I--" Zel started.
"I took them." Jack interrupted, "Mary was my sister and Rapunzel was the love of my life."
Toothiana smiled at Mary's, "She was a good person. Settled down and had a boy, she named him Jack."
Jack smiled at the vial, "Thank you... I needed that. But Rapunzel had a question."
Zel nodded, "Yes, my mother. Why is she evil?"
Toothiana huffed, "I'm no people expert but my guess would be reincarnation. History will always repeat itself. I don't understand how she would be any different. Are you sure she hasn't locked you away and used you?"
"That... That wasn't my question."
"Has she?"
"I didn't ask that. She would never-"
"-But did she?"
"JUST TELL ME WHY SHE IS THIS BAD GUY!" Zel demanded while screaming.
Toothiana looked at the girl, "I don't know why. Much like these little guys are a form of me. That bad guy you're talking about is a form of your mother. And it will always be that way. She is an extension of the previous woman. She's not a new person."
"But she's not-"
"Except she is. And you know it. I have to leave now, I'm busy and have already wasted too much time." Toothiana finished, changing the subject before taking off.
Zel fell to her knees and looked at the colorful, solid ground, "But she can't be." she mumbled as her eyes welled up.
Jack sat down beside Zel and wrapped his arm around her.

After a long silence, a question formed in Jack's mind. He shifted his head, almost making eye contact but not quite, "If you... If you don't mind my asking... Why are you so worried about Esther being evil in another life?"
Zel huffed as sobs slipped out, "I... I don't know. She is my mother and to see her be so... So mean to m-me well a a form of me and... And after seeing it. It looks almost as if nothing has changed. Jack... That was centuries ago and everything is just the same. But with slightly different experiences. I just-why?"
Zel knew she wouldn't get an answer from him. She was asking a question that was impossible to solve. Why doesn't anyone know about this? Why is everything repeating? Just why?
That's all Zel would allow herself to focus on.
She has been trying to let the other things bypass her but everything was making her frustrated.
Everything she knew was wrong.
Not just the personality her mother was hiding but magic. Magic exists.
And the only thing that kept her from knowing earlier was,
"Mother says this kind of stuff isn't real. It's all fairy tales fed to children to keep them entertained and distracted. To... Shelter them from the world. But... She was wrong because..." Zel looked up into Jack's vibrant eyes. It looked like sparkling crystals we're placed so intricately. Jack's cheeks turned red as he noticed how close the two were, "because you're here." she whispered. Jack could feel her warm breath hit his skin.
He swallowed unable to do anything else in the situation. He could only look back into her glossy eyes.
Like an eternal staring contest. The two were both so entranced they didn't realize how much time they were wasting.
"And you're holding me." Zel pointed out, continuing her sentence and shifting her gaze to Jack's arm which was still holding on to her tightly.
"You could never be fake." Zel proceeded, now moving her attention to his other hand that rested carefully on his knee. She slowly grabbed it and examined it, "I can feel you. I couldn't have imagined all this..." she looked back into his eyes with her mouth left slightly hanging open, "could I?" she asked quietly while Jack watched her lips slowly move.
He gulped once more but didn't say a word.
"You didn't... answer my question." Zel lightly stated, trying not to sound rude.
Jack jumped, "Oh! Uhm... I'm not entirely sure..."
"I... I hope it's real." he confessed.