My head was throbbing and I was in a very uncomfortable position. 'Man who knew sleeping on a floor of an abandoned cabin could mess up your back so badly.' I slowly opened my eyes and let them adjust. My eyes widened when I saw myself not in the cabin in the glorious meadow I had woken up in earlier, but tied to a chair in what looked like...hair? I started looking at my surroundings trying to figure out how to escape. At my feet was a black cat and next to me was a girl with short black hair tied up to a chair just like me with an owl on top of her chair.
"Who are you, and how did I get here?" A girl with long golden locks on her head walked out from the shadows with a frying pan in her clutches. She stood in front of both of us and swung her pan trying to intimidate us. "Answer me! How did you get me out of my tower?" The blonde asked and I tilted my head to the side confused. 'She was taken from a tower, and I was snatched up from that meadow I was in. Are we possibly in the same situation?' I asked myself trying to figure out what was going on.
"You really don't remember?" The brunette asked with big eyes. "Was it magic? Did you do magic to me?!" The blonde asked getting in the brunettes face. "It has to be magic." The blonde said pacing around both of us. "I mean Mother said people will try anything to steal my hair. I was just in the tower two seconds ago, and now I'm here. So, magic is really the only possible explanation." She started ranting and I stared at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but why would anyone want your hair? I mean besides of course voodoo, but you really only need a few strands to be successful." I said and the blonde turned her focus to me and putting the pan towards my neck. "Hey hey easy." I said trying to get away from her.
"Are you saying that you're the one who used magic on me?!" The blonde said getting closer to me. "What do you want with my hair? To cut it, sell it, use it for yourself?!" She asked me and I rolled my eyes. "I want nothing to do with this gorgeous monstrosity you've got going on here. Listen, I'm in the same boat as you. I was in my cabin and next thing I know I'm here." I said glaring at her and I could faintly hear the girl next to me muttering something. "So you did use some magic on me, didn't you?!" The girl said pointing her pan accusingly at both of us.
"No, no, I didn't use magic on you. But the reason you don't remember leaving your tower and why you don't remember leaving your cabin was...because...ruffians...a-and...um...hunters? They used magic on both of you." The brunette said and every bone in my body was telling me she was lying. "Ruffians?!" The blonde said and I stared at the brunette. "What kind of hunters?" I asked and she turned to me. "You know exactly what kind of hunters." She said and I tilted my head to the side confused. 'Why would witch hunters use magic? That's exactly what they're trying to stop.' I thought to myself.
The blonde gasped and I rolled my eyes. "Mother told me to watch out for those! And quicksand, uh, snapping turtles, molten lava, poison ivy, puppets, guys on stilts, witches, the plague, wooden shoes-oh pointy teeth! Did those ruffians have pointy teeth?" The blonde asked the brunette and she was taken back. "O-oh they're the pointiest! Pointier than that black cats." The brunette pointed out and the blonde jumped back. "Ahh! Black cat! Mother told me they only bring bad luck!" The blonde yelled backing away from the cat at my feet. "Oh please! That is just a superstition! Either way if you put that manifestation out then it's bound to come back to bite you in the ass." I said before rolling my eyes. "You sure do have a lot of anxiety don't you? Have you ever tried sage or a crystal? It helps." I said staring at the blonde with a blank expression.
"A-and the ruffians...they were after your hair a-and the hunters. Ooh the hunters were after you." The brunette said obviously lying. "S-so, they put you both under sleeping spells so they could steal you from your tower and you from your cabin. But you see, I rescued you from them." The brunette said and I looked away from her. "Look, look, look, look, look, look. You have to get back to your mom right? And you have to go back to wherever it was you came from? I can take you to the tower and I can take you to where ever it is you want to go. You just have to untie me. Well both of us." The brunette said smiling.
"How do I know I can trust you?" The blonde asked the brunette. "I promise. And when I make a promise I never break it." The brunette said and it seemed like she was finally telling the truth. "Me, neither. Promises mean a lot to me too. I never break them. Ever. What about you?" The blonde turned to me and I shrugged my shoulders. "I know how to get back at someone who can break promises so I always keep them to make sure I don't get hurt the same way." I said and the blonde nodded. The blonde untied us both and extended her hand.
"I'm Rapunzel!" She said all bright and cheery. "Cassandra." The brunette said shaking Rapunzel's hand. The both turned to me and extended one hand each. "I'm (Y/n)." I said smiling softly and shaking both of their hands. "It's so nice to meet you both!" Rapunzel said and I giggled at her bubbly spirit. "Either of you try anything funny, and I will pan you." Rapunzel said holding the pan out ready to strike. She swung it around only to hit herself in the head making me laugh. 'Innocent...anxious...sun...and something else...I'm not sure what.' I thought to myself trying to read the blonde. I turned my attention towards the brunette. 'Stubborn...strong...depressed...nervous...moon...and something else. It's the same as Rapunzel. Maybe they're have a deeper connection? I mean opposites attract.' I thought to myself.
The morning arrived and I was sitting criss cross with my hands turned towards to sky on my knees. I took a few deep breathes and tried to contact an old friend. 'Death??? Deeaath...shadow??? Hmm...I guess he's busy.' I thought before opening my eyes to see the black cat sitting in front of me. "I'm sorry to say, but he's not coming. Not for awhile at least." A deeper voice came from the cat and I jumped. "Talking cat!" I yelled jumping onto my feet and I saw my own body right in front of me. "I need you to calm down, (Y/n)." The cat said staring at me and I stared at my hands away from my body. "M-momma said that I-I wasn't ready f-for this yet!" I said running my hands through my hair and glaring down at the cat. "You! Tell me what's going on now!" I yelled and he rolled his eyes and laid down folding his front paws under his chest. "I'm sorry, but this isn't my problem to fix." He said turning his head away from me.
"At least tell me what you are and why you're talking to me." I said crossing my arms over my chest. "I forgot how defensive you used to be to new entities. Especially after the incident. I have to say that this whole predicament is a set back...although...it could get you out of your funk..." The cat said and I rolled my eyes. "Care to fill me in kitty?" I asked and the cat shrugged his shoulders. "To put it simply, I am your familiar." He said and I nodded sitting back down on the ground. "Was what the girl said true?" I asked and the cat sighed. "Yes and no." He said and I glared at the ground. "I knew it. Come on, we should go. She's lying and the connection between her and Rapunzel is making me uneasy. They're twin flames, but something is creating a block and I don't know what it is." I said glancing at the two girls. "You're absolutely right." The cat said and I stared at my body before moving so I was inside of it. I took a few deep breathes before opening my eyes again to see the cat in front of me.
The cat meowed and came over to me and rubbed against my hand. "I think I'm going to call you Sunny." I said to the black cat softly and he meowed. "So, are you gonna take me home or what?" I heard Rapunzel say and I picked up Sunny in my arms and carried him with me over to Rapunzel. "Uh, just a minute, packing a few things!" Cassandra said and Rapunzel looked down at the cat in my arms. "You're positive he's not bad luck?" She asked backing away a little bit and I nodded. "I'm 100% sure. He doesn't have an ounce of bad luck on him." I said smiling softly and she nodded.
Rapunzel walked away from me and picked up a box labeled "potions". I watched as she picked one up and stared at it. "Um...Rapunzel. You really shouldn't-" I tried to say before she used a random potion on herself. "Use...those..." I finished my sentence staring at her as she ignored me. I looked down at Sunny in my arms. "Is it just me or does she have no common sense when it comes to potential danger?" I asked and Sunny nodded. Rapunzel used another potion and she gave herself two heads. I facepalmed and watched her use another potion making her giant. She used one last potion that made her turn back to normal. I placed Sunny on the ground and took the box from her hands.
"Listen Rapunzel, you really shouldn't be messing with potions." I said placing the box in the ground. "How do you know so much about potions?" She asked and I sighed. "Look, that doesn't matter. Cassandra are we going?" I yelled to her and she nodded leading the way.
We made it to the boarder of the village we were in and Rapunzel stayed on the edge of the wall while Cassandra and I were in the grass waiting for her. "Are you coming?" Cassandra asked her. "It's just...I've never walked on grass before." Rapunzel said and I tilted my head to the side. "You've never walked on grass before?" I asked and Rapunzel shook her head no. "Well' I'm sure you'll do great." Cassandra said holding a hand out to her.
Rapunzel slowly stepped onto the grass and smiled wide. "Come on." Cassandra said trying to pull her with us. "Wait! There's no lava around here, right?" Rapunzel said jumping back and I facepalmed. "No. You're good. Lava free. Now, come on, let's keep moving." Cassandra said and she lead the way. I turned to Rapunzel and looked up at her. "Punz, how long have you been in that tower you keep talking about?" I asked and she smiled. "My whole life." She said and I stared at her wide eyed. "Like...all the time?" I asked and she nodded. "O-okay. That makes a lot of sense." I said looking ahead of me.
The three of us were walking and I noticed Cassandra picking up what seemed like ingredients. I walked behind the other two girls with Sunny and groaned. 'What is in my boot?!' I thought sticking my hand inside and feeling a piece of wood. I pulled it out to reveal a wand with multiple crystals inside of it. "Woah...this...is...gorgeous." I said softly examining it. "What's that?" Rapunzel said scaring me making me almost drop the wand. "I'm not sure." I said lying and holding the wand close to me. "There's a lot of emotions attached to it though. Maybe it was something I picked up before Cassandra saved us." I said the last part sarcastically before putting the wand back into my boot, but Rapunzel didn't catch onto the sarcasm.
At one point I wondered off with Rapunzel. We were walking when something in the bushes moved. "What is that?! Ruffians?! Do they want my hair?!" Rapunzel said freaking out and using me as a shield. "Rapunzel this is a forest. There's bound to be a few creatures. I doubt that any ruffians are that small to fit behind a bush." I said rolling my eyes and a bunny popped out of the bushes causing Rapunzel to scream in delight. "Rapunzel!" Cassandra yelled and used her sword to destroy a bush and jump out ready to attack. "It's so cute!" Rapunzel said pointing to the bunny in front of us. Cassandra simply put her sword away and we started moving once more.
"Look at this! Oh my gosh look at this one! Oh! Look at this one!" Rapunzel said about to touch a tree covered in poison ivy. "Woah!" "Careful!" Cassandra and I both said pulling her hands away from the plant. "Poison ivy." Cassandra said and I nodded. "Touch that stuff and you will be inching and scratching all day long." I said and Rapunzel nodded before running off once more. "She's quite a handful." I said softly and Cassandra groaned. "Tell me about it."
I watched as Cassandra was in a tree next to a birds nest and I sighed enjoying the slight breeze in the air as it flowed all around me. "This is so fun!" Rapunzel yelled out breaking the silence and causing Cassandra to get attacked by a bird and fall out of the tree. I helped her up and we followed after Rapunzel.
"Woohoo! Best day ever!" Rapunzel yelled as she swung around a large tree from her hair. Cassandra stared at Rapunzel with a soft happy gaze and I pushed my hair behind my ears staring between the two. 'She doesn't seem like she'd hurt us, but she's still been lying to us. I still can't trust Cassandra fully. Rapunzel on the other hand is just experiencing the world for the first time. She can't be a threat to me, but to herself and others possibly.' I thought to myself before Rapunzel appeared in front of Cassandra and I making us both fall over.
"What's that?" Rapunzel asked Cassandra. "Yeah, you've been carrying that around all day and collecting things." I said pointing to the blue book. "Oh! It's, uh...i-i-it's a cookbook! I'm making soup." Cassandra said and her owl hooted and stared at her. "A really super special soup." She said and I stared at her before rolling my eyes. 'Lying. Again.' "I love soup, too! Mother always makes it for my birthday." Rapunzel said climbing down from the tree she was in. "Oh! We need to get you this special spice mother uses, it's called minne, it has this bright blue flower and it's so good!" Rapunzel said and I nodded. "I-I'm pretty good around herbs and things like that. I can help if you need me to." I said and Cassandra shook her head.
"No, no, no, that'd be too much trouble. I don't want my soup to hold you up from getting back to your tower. You do want to get back as soon as possible, don't you?" Cassandra asked and Rapunzel smiled. "Of course I do!" Rapunzel said before running off. "Hey! Wait!" I said running after her with Sunny on my heels. "Ugh! This is like watching over a child that had too much candy!" I said to myself as I ran after her.
Rapunzel quickly scaled up the side of a cliff and I facepalmed. "O-okay. J-just think of what momma would do...m-mom isn't here. Just think, think, think! Ugh! This is useless! I-I shouldn't even be doing magic! I-I could end up right where I started." I said pacing back and forth before I looked up at the long flowing golden locks. "She better know what she's doing." I said softly to myself and used one of my hands to shield the sun from my eyes. I saw Rapunzel slip and I watched her argue with a goat. "Punz! Get down here! You're gonna get hurt!" I yelled up to her only to be ignored.
"Raps?!" I heard Cassandra say and she stood next to me. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Cassandra said before starting to climb up after her. It wasn't long before Rapunzel was plummeting towards the ground. Luckily, Cassandra was able to catch her before she hit the ground. "Let's get out of here, shall we?" Cassandra said and we both nodded.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. The minne was right there, and I just really wanted you to have it since you've been doing so much for me." Rapunzel said and I stared at the blonde for a few moments. 'She really does have a heart of gold.' "It's not a big deal, Raps, really." Cassandra said. "No, Cass. Saving my life is a big deal. Thank you so much. Not just for this, but for everything. I am so lucky to have someone like you that I can trust I don't know what I'd do here without you." Rapunzel said and I looked forwards to Cassandra. "Okay...well...that's enough for one day, don't you think? We'll head north to the tower in the morning. And then we can get (Y/n) to where ever she needs to go." Cassandra said and I nodded.
Cassandra had started the soup and Rapunzel was getting more wood for the fire. I was searching around for a few things that I had picked up on our journey and walked over to the soup pot. Rapunzel sat next to Cassandra and I stirred the soup counterclockwise. "May I add to the soup?" I asked and Cassandra shook her head no. I let out a soft sigh before continuing to stir. "It needs to simmer overnight, remember? We can taste test it in the morning, and then we'll head to the tower. You can stop stirring, (Y/n)." Cassandra said and I rolled my eyes. "Just a little longer. I don't know about you, but I'd rather banish negative energy before it's too late." I said softly and I heard Rapunzel sigh. "You okay, Punz?" I asked and she leaned against Cassandra more.
"I just...maybe a small part of me doesn't want to go back to the tower." She said and I nodded. "It makes sense. This is your first taste of the world and of any type of freedom." I said and she nodded. "The world is just such an amazing place, and I don't know if I'm ready to give it up. I feel so bad for saying this because my mother only wants what's best for me, and the world is kinda dangerous, but...isn't that what makes it exciting?" Rapunzel said with a subtle sparkle in her eyes. "Why are you telling us this?" Cassandra asked facing her. "Because we're friends. That's what friends do, right? They tell each other what's in their hearts. Well, goodnight." Rapunzel said getting up. "Raps, goodnight." Cassandra said and I stretched. "I think I'm gonna call it a night too." I said and Cassandra nodded.
I moved so I was leaning against a tree. I was close to Rapunzel, but not close enough to be in her space. "Oh, wow. The stars are so bright tonight!" Rapunzel said and I nodded. "You're right." I said staring up at the stars and thinking about my mother. "I've got to chart these." Rapunzel said and I noticed she took a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Wait." Rapunzel said sitting up and gesturing me to come closer to her. I moved next to her and stared up at the stars. "So, if the North Star is there...we're going the wrong way." Rapunzel said and we both looked down to see a drawing of Cassandra looking like an evil beast. I glared at the drawing and gritted my teeth. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted her! Come on we have to get out of here!" I said and Rapunzel stood up and turned to Cassandra.
"You're not taking me back to the tower, are you?" Rapunzel said and I facepalmed. "What are you talking about?" Cassandra asked and I stood in between the two girls facing Cassandra. "Listen, Cassandra, if that even is your name. We don't want any trouble. Just let us go and-" I tried to reason before Rapunzel interrupted me. "You said we were heading north, but we're not. I chart stars, I know." Rapunzel said pushing past me to Cassandra who laughed nervously. "Rapunzel, look. I can explain." Cassandra said standing up. "And why don't I remember drawing this? Hmm?" Rapunzel asked and snatched the book away from Cassandra.
"You did use some kind of magic on me, didn't you?" Rapunzel said backing away from Cassandra and I did as well. "No, no, Raps, that was ruffians! I saved you from them remember." She said and I clenched my fists. "You're lying!" I said glaring at her. "Maybe you did save us, but only because you wanted my hair." "And because you want me dead!" I yelled and glared at her. "And to think, I risked my life getting you that spice. Mother was right about everything!" Rapunzel yelled and I reached down into my boot pulling the wand out. Rapunzel flung her hair to Cassandra and I raised the wand ready to do whatever it takes to get out of here.
Rapunzel and I tied her up before running off together before stopping at a clearing. I was panting as I stared down at the black cat next to me. Suddenly hair wrapped around my wrist and I turned to Rapunzel. "How can I trust you?" She asked and I glared at her. "I should be saying the same thing." "What are you?!" Rapunzel yelled and I pointed my wand at her. "I'm a witch, now it's your turn. What are you? I know you're not normal. You have something strong and powerful inside you. And to top this whole situation off, you have a connection to Cassandra. So are you going to, oh I don't know, fill me in!?" I asked and our glares towards each other were strong. "A witch?! So you're the one who used magic on me!" Rapunzel said accusing me and I scoffed. "It wasn't me! I don't mess around with memory magic. It's too risky with no pay off. There's no point. I'm also not stupid enough to mess up my own memory! I wouldn't put my memories at risk like that!" I yelled and her glare fell.
I kept mine strong and I pulled my hand out of her hair. "I don't know what or who you are, but I'm getting out of here. You can either follow or go your own way. I don't care. Come on Sunny." I said and started walking away with Sunny next to me leaving Rapunzel behind.