[Eight And A Half Years Ago]
Thunder crashed loudly and the rain hammered upon the floor. The lightning flashed, as a mother chameleon ran for her life, wide eyed.
Mother Chameleon briefly turned around to hear a violent hissing. The white, orange and red eyed, snake she had accidentally gained the attention of, was just behind her, quickly slithering after her.
Running as fast as she could and hiding being a tree, Mother Chameleon quickly grabbed her baby son and snuggled him lovingly. Hearing the familiar hissing from behind the tree encouraged the mother to run, for the sake of her and Baby Pascal.
Baby Pascal, who was safely wrapped around his mother's tail, took one look at the venomous creature behind them and his eyes widened. The snake acknowledged this and slithered after them.
As the hunt continued, the hissing got louder. The rain pounded upon the ground and Mother Chameleon wrapped her tail around her baby even tighter as she picked up the pace. She was extremely worried. For her, and for Baby Pascal.
The mother kept running until she and her baby were met with a large, rushing river. Her eyes widened anxiously. She, and her baby, turned around to see the vicious snake quickly approaching them. Mother Chameleon knew exactly what to do. To protect her baby.
Mother Chameleon knew it was the only good choice, if she wanted Baby Pascal to be safe. She did what Bambi's mother, Varian's mother and Tod's mother did for their sons - sacrifice herself.
After snuggling with Baby Pascal one final time, Mother Chameleon set her confused and frightened son down upon a lily pad. Baby Pascal frowned as his mother's tail pulled away from his reach, and the lily pad drifted him away from her.
Mother Chameleon frowned as a small tear escaped her son's eye. She then turned and saw the snake towering behind her. Baby Pascal watched with wide, terrified eyes as his brave mother stood her ground and glared at the snake.
But as the lightning flashed, the rain hammered and the thunder pounded, the snake swooped at Mother Chameleon, who stood boldly in front of it. With one swoosh and a large bite, Baby Pascal's mother was gone. But, she was glad her son was safe from the vicious snake. Or so she thought.
The lily pad continued to escort Baby Pascal to safety, but both were met by a large waterfall. With a frightened squeak, the baby chameleon pummelled down the waterfall. He swam up to the surface of the water and paddled his tiny legs to a field of grass, where he coughed out the small water that could have choked the poor baby.
Baby Pascal collapsed onto the grass, after coughing. He was tired. After building up the strength to stand up, he opened his eyes and watched the top of the waterfall - he checked to see if his mother would follow him down the waterfall. She didn't. She was killed by the snake.
Baby Pascal frowned. He wanted his mommy.
But, she wasn't there to comfort him anymore.
He didn't have anybody else to help him.
This realisation made another tear fall from his eye.
He was on his own. And he was frightened and sad.
After walking slowly with his head drooping low, he collapsed on the floor again. With his eyes shut, to rest, Baby Pascal laid on the grass for several minutes. But the sound of a little girl humming a song caught the baby chameleon's attention. He opened his eyes and looked up. There was a tall tower, in front of him. And it was lit up, inside!
Hope sprung through the baby chameleon's heart and he rose to his feet again. He hurriedly made his way over to the tower. His eyes widened and glittered with interest. He slipped a couple of times when he climbed up the tower, but he eventually made it to the top! He let out a small sigh of relief as he pushed one of the wooden doors open.
The other wooden door then opened.
This confused Baby Pascal. He didn't open it.
But a sharp hissing told him who did.
His eyes widened. The snake had found him!
Baby Pascal backed away as far as he could, but the snake immediately coiled its long body around the helpless young chameleon. Once there was nothing else for Baby Pascal to do, the snake lunged, piercing one of its sharp teeth into the baby chameleon's back. Baby Pascal felt dizzy.
The snake rose up, congratulating itself.
*Clang* A metal frying pan hit the snake's head.
The tooth that pierced Baby Pascal flew out.
The snake turned to the source of what/who hit it.
A small, golden-haired girl stood in front of it.
The snake prepared itself - more food!
It lunged at the golden-haired girl. *Clang*
The girl whacked the vicious snake with her frying pan again. It flew out of the tower, with a shriek.
Hopefully, never to be seen again.
The little girl looked at Baby Pascal, concerned.
The colour on his body faded and his eyes rolled.
The baby chameleon tilted, then collapsed.
His eyes then shut and his body was still.
The sight was too much for the golden-haired little girl. A dead chameleon at her tower doors. She decided to help him. She had to. He was a baby.
"♪ Flower, gleam and glow,
Let your power shine,
Make the clock reverse,
Bring back what once was mine.
Heal what has been hurt,
Change the fate's design,
Save what has been lost,
Bring back what once was mine ♪"
When Baby Pascal opened his eyes, he was shocked to be alive. He realised he was wrapped in a bundle of glowing golden hair, and he didn't feel weak anymore. He glanced up at the singing child in front of him and he was shocked and amazed.
When the small girl finished singing, her hair stopped glowing and Baby Pascal didn't know what to make of it. Her hair was glowing and her singing healed him! Even for a baby chameleon, he couldn't fathom how that was possible.
The baby chameleon blinked rapidly and shook the hair off of him. Noticing his nerves, the girl kneeled down in front of him and gave him one of the sweetest smiles that reminded him of ones that his late mother used to give him, not long ago.
"Don't be afraid, Mr. Frog. You're safe, now." The little girl, a young Rapunzel, told him. Then she stood up and plucked a purple button from her dress. "Here. It's yours." She offered.
Baby Pascal shrieked and darted away, afraid.
"It's a gift." Young Rapunzel clarified.
This calmed the baby chameleon's nerves.
He peeked around and approached her.
Baby Pascal lowered his head and young Rapunzel put the button upon it. Feeling happy and flattered, he closed his eyes and matched the button's colour. This made the little girl giggle. The baby chameleon returned to his original colour, before letting out a sheepish chuckle.
The little girl held her hand out and Baby Pascal hopped onto it. "All alone, huh?" Young Rapunzel asked him, then frowned. The baby chameleon nodded with a small squeak, holding some tears in. "So am I, most of the time." Young Rapunzel admitted, tugging on a strand of her hair.
Her eyes then brightened, with an idea. "If you want, you can stay with me! Then neither of us will be alone, ever!" Young Rapunzel suggested. Baby Pascal smiled widely, ran up to her and nuzzled against her cheek. Little Rapunzel smiled.
From that moment on, Pascal and Rapunzel became inseparable. They engaged in fun activities together like tasting the food Rapunzel baked, playing chess, play-duelling with kitchen utensils, climbing from Rapunzel's long hair, watching the annual lanterns together and painting! Pascal and Rapunzel became best friends!
"Good night, Pascal." A seventeen year old Rapunzel told him one night, then kissed his head. "You'll always be my best friend." She promised in a whisper, before he fell asleep.
[In The Present, In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
The sun shines beautifully through Rapunzel's bedroom window and the birds chirp melodiously. Pascal wakes up, stretches and yawns.
Pascal lowers his hanging branch, which he always sleeps on, to discover Rapunzel's bed is empty.
The green chameleon turns to see Y/n, Rapunzel's little sister, returning her older sister's hairbrush and putting it on her desk. "Good morning, Pascal." She greets, as Bucky, her grey squirrel companion, chitters to his chameleon friend. Pascal gestures to Rapunzel's bed, silently asking the youngest princess where his best friend is.
"Rapunzel's in the kitchen, working on a batch of plum gravy. And don't worry, I didn't try any. She's waiting there for her trusty taster." Y/n assures him. Pascal gives a sigh of relief, then climbs up to Y/n's other shoulder (the one that Bucky isn't sitting on) and gives her a sweet morning nuzzle against her cheek. Y/n giggles, before Pascal eagerly rushes off to the kitchen to find Rapunzel.
[In The Kitchen]
As Y/n told him, Pascal is delighted to find his best friend in the kitchen, working on a recipe that Mother Gothel taught her when the golden-haired princess was cooped up in her tower for eighteen years. And Pascal is always Rapunzel's trusty taster.
Pascal squeals for Rapunzel's attention, but she doesn't hear him - she hums a little tune while stirring a ladle in a pot. Pascal then gets his best friend's attention by thrusting his long tongue and sticking it in her ear, momentarily startling her.
"Oh! Pascal!" Rapunzel giggles, extending her arm out so the green chameleon can climb onto her shoulder. "Thank goodness my trusted taste tester is here!" She tells him, re-stirring the plum gravy.
As Rapunzel blows on a teaspoonful of the delicious batch, Pascal is won over by its amazing smell and is about to have the first taste, when-
"Ooh, mama! Plum gravy!" Eugene identifies, bursting into the kitchen and taking the teaspoon.
He then tastes the sample, to Pascal's horror.
Eugene swishes the purple sample in his mouth for a few seconds, before giving his girlfriend some culinary advice. "Mm. Could use a touch more balsamic." He points out, as Pascal glares at him.
Rapunzel rolls her eyes and smiles at Pascal, apologetically. "Hm, yeah." She replies. "Maybe just a little." She tells Eugene, but he proceeds to empty almost half of the bottle into the pot. This makes Rapunzel cringe, while Pascal remains frustrated.
After slurping another spoonful of the improved batch, Eugene hums in delight. "Now that's plum gravy, baby!" He declares, then holds the spoon out for Pascal to taste - the chameleon bluntly refuses, crossing his arms with shut eyes.
Eugene eventually gets Pascal to taste the sample, but the green chameleon shakes his head and sticks his tongue out at him. "Eh. What do you know, frog? It's an acquired taste." Eugene states.
[A Few Hours Later, On The Courtyard Balcony]
Pascal and Rapunzel manage to spend some time with each other, engaging in a game of chess, like old times. Pascal uses his white queen to knock down Rapunzel's pawn and the golden-haired princess glances at her best friend in surprise.
"Nice move, Pascal! I didn't even see that coming!" Rapunzel compliments. Pascal nods, with a proud smirk. "What was that?" Cassandra asks Rapunzel, approaching her and Pascal.
"What was what?" Rapunzel asks, confused. "Congratulating your opponent. Chess is war, Rapunzel. And your opponent is the enemy." Cassandra advises, grabbing a chess piece and slamming it upon the board. Pascal glares at the Lady-in-waiting, as she moves him aside and sits down opposite Rapunzel.
"First rule of a game of chess is getting in your opponent's head. Now, give me your game face!" Cassandra tells Rapunzel while demonstrating, as Pascal sits upon his best friend's head.
Rapunzel gives it her best shot, with Pascal helping by raising her eyebrows. "Hmm.." Cassandra says, unimpressed by the attempts. "I don't know, Pascal. That's more.. confused face." She adds, removing the chameleon from Rapunzel's head.
Rapunzel then pulls an angry face. "Game face!" She declares. "Uh, we'll work on that later. Now I want you to look at this board, with only one strategy: no mercy." Cassandra instructs.
Pascal lets out a small squeak, trying to get his best friend's attention. "Not now, Pascal. I'm no mercy-ing my enemy." Rapunzel declares. The green chameleon knocks over his white queen chess piece in disappointment, before sulking off.
[An Hour Later, At The Training Field]
Pascal decides to try and spend time with Rapunzel again, by engaging in one of their favourite tower activities: play-duelling. But with wooden swords, instead of kitchen utensils.
Rapunzel smiles, as she manages to disarm the chameleon. "I know we're better with pans, Pascal. But swords seem to be the weapon of choice outside the tower." She tells her best friend.
"Is that a challenge I hear?" A voice teases, as a horse neighs. Rapunzel looks up to see Y/n and Maximus, both welding wooden swords. "Ha! Finally, worthy opponents!" Rapunzel declares.
"En garde, sister!" Y/n teases, climbing upon Maximus and Rapunzel duels her and the white male horse at the same time - Pascal frowns.
[In Rapunzel's Bedroom, Much Later]
While Rapunzel gets ready for Friedborg's birthday party, Pascal seizes the opportunity to help his best friend brush her long hair - just the two of them.
Cassandra enters Rapunzel's bedroom and sighs, in annoyance. She then snatches the hairbrush from Pascal's tiny hands. "Let me. We're late enough, as it is." She demands. Pascal sticks his tongue out.
Cassandra brushes Rapunzel's hair. "And you still need to sign Friedborg's card." She tells Rapunzel. "No need, Y/n's doing it for me." Rapunzel replies.
"Already finished." Y/n tells her older sister.
"Looks great, thank you!" Rapunzel tells Cassandra.
"These girls are ready to party!" Rapunzel cheers, waving her fingers triumphantly. Y/n giggles, then copies. So does Pascal, on Rapunzel's head.
Rapunzel sighs sadly, cupping her best friend in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Pascal. You know Friedborg is allergic to lizards, right? Remember the hives?" She asks, then whispers. Pascal turns yellow with purple spots, imitating the allergic reaction.
"I'll save you some cake." Rapunzel tells Pascal, who nods with a smile. His best friend then gives him a kiss on the head, before following her little sister out. "This is going to be great!" Y/n tells her older sister, once they're out of the bedroom.
[A Few Minutes Later]
Having had enough, the chameleon slowly walks through the castle hallways, with his head hung low and his body literally being as blue as ever.
"All alone again, huh?" He hears a voice ask. Pascal turns to Shorty, sitting in the hallway by himself. "I know how that goes, believe me. Sometimes, friends can let you down." Shorty points out.
Pascal nods, then looks down, still blue.
"But you know what I say? The key to opening that door is not to let it keep you down." Shorty advises. Pascal glances up at him, turning back to his original colour. "Now, that's what I'm talking about! Now, you get out there and you do that thing!" Shorty states. Pascal nods with a smile, giving the drunkard a salute before scurrying away.
"So, you're just gonna sit there all leafy and silent huh? Fine, don't take my advice!" Shorty tells a plant, crossing his arms in a huff. Then, he looks at it with a smile. "Aw, forget it! I can't stay mad at you!" Shorty admits, then hugs the plant.
Even though Shorty wasn't actually speaking directly to Pascal, he had great points. Pascal isn't going to let Rapunzel's busy schedule keep him down. After all, Y/n has to deal with it too. Pascal plans an entire day for him and Rapunzel.
[The Next Morning, In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
Pascal wakes up before Rapunzel and begins planning. This is finally going to be the day he and his best friend spend time together! He collected an assortment of items that relate to the variety of activities they used to have fun with in the tower, and set them on Rapunzel's bed.
Once Rapunzel wakes up, she is greeted by Pascal's beaming face. "Pascal, what's all this?" She asks, sitting up and looking at everything on her bed.
Rapunzel beams. "You planned a whole day for us? How fun!" She tells him. Pascal nods with a smile, proud of his accomplishment.
As Rapunzel goes to pick up her guitar, Cassandra bursts in, looking as frustrated as ever. "Rapunzel! You're supposed to be at breakfast with the Duke's daughter! Y/n's keeping her patient, right now!" She reminds her. "Oh, right!" Rapunzel recalls, getting out of bed. Pascal lets out a startled squeak, as the duvet is thrown over him.
"But after that, we can-" Rapunzel says, as Cassandra helps her dress behind her dressing curtain. "After that, you have to teach art class. Then you promised Max you'd play polo before your council meeting. After that is the music mix 'n' mingle with Hook Foot, then audience with citizens." Cassandra tells her quickly, in one large breath. Pascal sighs, in disappointment.
"You're booked. Solid. All day!" Cassandra tells Rapunzel, emphatically. The golden-haired princess looks at her chameleon best friend, guiltily. "I'm so sorry, Pascal. But these things are really important." Rapunzel tells him.
"Come on, Rapunzel. You can play together later." Cassandra states, as an idea blossoms from Rapunzel's head. "Oh, I know! Let's have dinner! Just you and me, like old times! We can tackle one of those puzzles!" She suggest. Pascal grins.
The green chameleon then links his arms together, to imitate six o'clock. "Yep, six o'clock. Promise." Rapunzel assures him, waving to him. Pascal gives his best friend a thumbs up as she leaves.
[Meanwhile]
Despite being the youngest princess, who isn't going to be queen for years yet, Y/n has a busy schedule, too. She has a few lessons to attend to such as history with her mother, archery and duelling with Cassandra and then studying Mathematics in the castle library.
Other than the lessons, Y/n also has a few chores to do such as feeding the horses and helping Ms. Crowley tend the garden flowers. She also wants to pay Varian a visit, if she has time.
Y/n heads to the kitchens to pack some food to take with her to Varian's house. Knowing him, he'll probably offer to make some of his own which is why she's preparing some herself. However, the clattering of cutlery makes her turn around.
Y/n sees Pascal on a shelf, having dropped a fork. Picking it up, she looks at the sheepish chameleon. "Pascal? What are you doing?" She asks.
Pascal makes long hair gestures, referring to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel? You're here for her?" Y/n asks. Pascal nods. "Rapunzel's with Cassandra. The Duke's daughter left, so now she's headed to the village for an art class." She tells him.
Pascal sighs, then gestures to some of the food in the kitchen, before making the six o'clock imitation again. After a few minutes of unsuccessful charades, the youngest princess gets the gist of what Pascal's planning. "Oh! You want to make some food, for you and Rapunzel? By.. six o'clock?" She asks. Pascal nods, with a cheerful squeak then does an adorable victory dance.
Y/n giggles, then checks the clock. "Well.. I should be going to Varian's house right now, but.. want me to help? It might take a while if you do it all by yourself, and the chef certainly won't allow that either. He's quite strict about animals." She tells her chameleon friend. Pascal agrees and they spend quite a while making what looks like a delicious banquet for Pascal and Rapunzel to eat.
[At Six O'clock]
The clock in the dining room chimes. Six o'clock. Pascal lets out a happy squeak, and grins excitedly.
The banquet is all laid out on the table.
Pascal stares at the door, with a smile.
[Five Minutes Later]
A princess is never late - Rapunzel knows this.
Pascal knows she should be right on time.
She promised. Pascal's smile turns to a frown.
'Where is she?' He thinks to himself, sadly.
[Half An Hour Later]
Pascal patrols across the table, grumbling to himself angrily. Rapunzel is late. She promised!
The dining room door handle then jiggles.
Pascal perks up. Could it be Rapunzel?
The door then opens, and in comes.. Lance.
Pascal frowns in disappointment.
Lance takes a deep breath through the nose and grins widely. "Gangway! I smell stroganoff!" He declares, eagerly running to the dining room table. Pascal flings his arms out widely, silently telling him that this well-prepared banquet is off limits.
"It's not for me?" Lance asks, then frowns.
Pascal shakes his head firmly at the former thief.
"Oh, why, I wasn't actually going to eat it." Lance lies. "I just wanted to take a second to raise a glass to you.." He tells Pascal, raising an empty wine glass. "..and then lower it." He finishes, trapping Pascal in the wine glass so he can eat in peace.
"Now, where was I?" Lance asks, opening the stroganoff lid. Pascal watches in horror as Lance begins to eat - maybe the chameleon should've asked Y/n to stay until Rapunzel got there.
[Another Half An Hour Later]
Any hope Pascal had left about Rapunzel joining him for dinner has been shattered, as he watches Lance dine on the long-prepared banquet. The chameleon glares at him, in a deep shade of red.
"I can see that you're mad that I ate every single thing at this table. And I know you and I haven't always seen eyeball, to.. weird giant lizard eyeball. But the thing is, you shouldn't be mad at me. Really, you should be mad at whoever stood you up." Lance tells Pascal, who returns to his original colour because he knows that Lance is right.
"Whoever took you, and all this fine food, for granted. If it were me.." Lance continues, then chuckles. "..you wouldn't see old Lance waiting around, that's for sure. Nope! I know when I'm not wanted. But that's what makes you better than me." The former thief states, removing the wine glass from the green chameleon.
"Ah! Now, if you'll excuse me.." Lance says, leaning back in the dining chair with his feet resting on the table. "..I've got a food coma to slip into." He yawns. The small green chameleon frowns, then leaves the dining room, where a snoring Lance is heard.
[In The Hallway]
Rapunzel hurries over to the dining room, feeling extremely guilty for being so late. "There you are! I need to talk to you." Eugene tells her.
"Eugene, I really have to-" Rapunzel urgently tells him. "Blondie, I've had two things running through my mind all day: 'What is chutney?', and you. What say you and I head over to the canal for a romantic cruise, just the two of us. Still haven't figured out that chutney thing." Eugene interrupts.
"I'm sorry, Eugene. I promised Pascal I'd have dinner with him and I'm already late." Rapunzel tells her boyfriend. "Oh, getting ditched for a frog. Ouch, right in the ego(!)" Eugene jokes.
"Aww, are we jealous of Pascal? Don't worry, you're still my best friend.." Rapunzel tells Eugene, making Pascal gasp in shock. Shutting the next hallway door means Pascal didn't hear Rapunzel finish. "..after Pascal." She tells him.
"Oh! Maybe Lance can join you on your cruise. Or Y/n. Night!" Rapunzel says, kissing her boyfriend. "But Lance always wants to steer the boat! I like steering the boat. And there is no way Lance or Y/n have any knowledge of chutney." Eugene states.
[In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
Pascal glances through Rapunzel's journal. Two entire pages are dedicated to him and Rapunzel. The next two pages are dedicated to Rapunzel and Eugene, with Pascal in the bottom right corner of the second page.
The third pair of pages is split - one page is of Rapunzel, Y/n and their parents - the next page is of Maximus and Bucky. Pascal is at the bottom right corner again but isn't coloured in yet. The fourth pair of pages is dedicated to Rapunzel, Cassandra and Owl. No Pascal.
Pascal shoves the journal off of Rapunzel's bed, accidentally knocking over his best friend's jewellery box. In the mess on the floor, Pascal sees the button Rapunzel gave him all those years ago.
Young Rapunzel's words echo in Pascal's head:
'You'll always be my best friend.'
Pascal hugs the purple button, turning purple himself. Then he sets the button down and opens the bedroom window. He then scurries out.
"Pascal?" Rapunzel calls, flinging her bedroom doors open. "Are you in here? I'm so sorry I missed dinner." She apologizes, then notices Pascal isn't on his hanging branch. Then, she looks at the open window. "Pascal?" She asks, looking around.
Panicked, Rapunzel runs to her little sister's bedroom. "Y/n! Wake up!" Rapunzel says, rushing over to the youngest princess' bed and pulling the duvet from her. "Rapunzel.." Y/n mumbles. "Pascal's missing!" Rapunzel tells her.
"Huh?" Y/n asks, removing her white eye mask. "You heard what I said! Pascal's missing! Look, help me find him. Please." Rapunzel says. "I will, I will.." Y/n replies, stumbling to her feet since she's still a little tired. "Come on, let's go tell Eugene." Rapunzel says, pulling the tired girl out by her arm.
[In Eugene's Bedroom]
"Eugene!" Rapunzel says, immediately startling him. "Whoa! Leave my cheekbones out of this! Who? What? Where?" Eugene blurts out. Even though she's tired, Y/n still finds this amusing.
"Are you awake?" Rapunzel asks her boyfriend.
"Uhm, I am now." Eugene points out.
"Pascal's missing." Rapunzel tells him.
"Yeah, doesn't he disappear? Isn't that, you know, his thing?" Eugene asks. "Well, yes. But he's-" Rapunzel replies. "I'm sure he's fine. Now if you'll both excuse me.. sleepy." Eugene says, then lays back in his bed. Rapunzel snatches his pillow.
"He has never ever spent the night away from me before. This isn't like him. What if something happened to him? What if he's alone, an-and scared and in danger?" Rapunzel questions, pulling Eugene to her by his top.
Rapunzel looks at Eugene in the most pleasing, heartbreaking way. Y/n can't help but pity her older sister. She would certainly be the same, if it was Bucky instead of Pascal. Eugene can tell Rapunzel is deeply worried about her chameleon (not frog) best friend. It obviously hurts to see his girlfriend this distraught. "I'll get my boots." He tells her.
[Meanwhile]
Where, indeed, is Pascal? Well, he hopped onto a haycart that took him across the castle bridge and he jumped off when he reached the forest.
Using his memory, Pascal continues the rest of his nostalgic journey on foot. However, little does he know, the exact same white, orange and red eyed snake from all those years ago, now with only one front tooth, slithers behind him dangerously.
[In The Castle, Early In The Morning]
Rapunzel calls for Pascal, while Maximus searches the castle. Eugene and Y/n are both still tired, but Rapunzel's persistence has made her fully awake.
Eugene glances over at the yawning fourteen year old princess, then rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Blondie, are you sure you wanna keep-" He asks. Rapunzel jerks up from under a table, making her little sister jump.
"YES, I'M SURE I WANNA KEEP LOOKING!" Rapunzel yells, in a panicked tone. Raising his hands in surrender with wide eyes, Eugene moves onto another section of the hallway, steering Y/n with him. "Okay! Looking! We're looking. Still looking." He assures Rapunzel, as Y/n searches the curtains.
Cassandra soon joins them, looking as serious as she normally does. "Rapunzel, I-" She states. "Hey, Cass! Good morning. You look less pale today. Looking for Rapunzel? Yeah, I wouldn't. She's a little upset, so you might want to keep your-" Eugene frantically warns her.
"Move it, powderpuff!" Cassandra snaps, shoving Eugene away. "Ole. Tried to warn ya.." He mutters.
"Raps?" Cassandra asks. "Did he turn up? Did you find anything? Did anyone see anything? Is he okay?" Rapunzel asks, frantically. "Uh.. no. No word on Pascal. Look, we're going to have to call off the search for now." Cassandra tells Rapunzel. "Uhoh." Y/n says. "I warned her.." Eugene mutters.
"What are you talking about?!" Rapunzel asks. "I know you're worried about Pascal, we all are. But you have another packed day ahead of you. Listen, Rapunzel-" Cassandra says, as a furious glare quickly forms on Rapunzel's face.
"No! You listen. Cancel everything. Lock down the castle. Nothing gets done until we find Pascal. Nothing is more important than that. Nothing. Is that clear?" Rapunzel demands. While Eugene smirks, finding his girlfriend to be even hotter, Y/n and Cassandra are both left wide eyed in shock.
"I'd listen to her, Cassie.." Y/n whispers.
"Now, that is a game face." Cassandra states.
[Later, In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
After a whole morning of searching, they head to Rapunzel's room where she paints a 'Missing' poster with Pascal's sad face on it. "How's this?" Rapunzel asks, showing them the poster.
"Well, it's a good likeness. But why does he look so terrified?" Eugene asks. "Because he's so scared, and.. and all alone, an-and frightened without me. He ran away and it's all my fault. I have been so busy with other things, that I've neglected our friendship." Rapunzel realises, sadly.
"And plus, you missed dinner with him." Eugene adds. Rapunzel glares at him. "Uh, but don't be so hard on yourself Blondie. You don't know that for sure. Besides, he couldn't have gotten far. He's tiny.." Eugene says, sitting beside her on her bed.
Rapunzel then looks at her fallen jewellery box and holds the purple button. After looking at her painted story on her bedroom wall, she gasps. "I know where he is." She tells them - the tower!
[A Few Minutes Later]
With Cassandra and Y/n on Fidella and Eugene and Rapunzel on Maximus, they quickly ride through Corona - only Rapunzel is aware of where to.
"Where are we going?" Cassandra asks.
"The tower." Rapunzel answers. Y/n's eyes widen.
"The tower? The tower tower? Okay, we really need to start voting on decisions like these." Eugene states, as they barrel through the forest.
[In The Tower]
Pascal lights a fire in the fireplace and glances around. All the memories of just him and Rapunzel come flooding back to him like a tidal wave.
Hearing a familiar hissing sound, Pascal turns around. He shrieks at the sight of the vicious snake, from his childhood. The snake lunges at him and Pascal dodges its tooth. With its tooth stuck in the ground, it whacks the frightened chameleon with its long tail. Pascal gets flung into the pot that Eugene's satchel was once hidden in - the pot breaks, as the snake frees itself from the ground.
[Outside]
They eventually make it to the tower, and Rapunzel takes a step back out of fear. The memories flood back to her, too. Immediately noticing this, Eugene places his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders comfortingly as Y/n holds her older sister's hand.
The tower still stands tall. "Wow. So this is where it all happened.." Cassandra says, taking a few steps forward. Rapunzel nods, edging a little closer to her boyfriend. "Yeah.. this is the first time I've been back, since.." She points out, with a small chuckle.
Eugene frowns softly at her. "Rapunzel, you don't have to go up there alone.." He tells her. "I'll go with you." Y/n volunteers, although the memories of her near-death quickly return to her, secretly frightening the youngest princess. Rapunzel sucks it up, with a brave face. "No! I do. I owe it to Pascal." She states, approaching the tower.
As Rapunzel walks away from them, Eugene shrugs. "Oh, it's probably better I stay down here. I have a strict rule about dying in the same place twice." He tells Cassandra.
Cassandra nudges Eugene, to shut him up, noticing Y/n glancing at the tower and her older sister with uncertainty. "That's not funny.." Y/n mumbles, sadly. "Right. Sorry." Eugene apologizes, with a comforting hand on the youngest princess' shoulder as she stares at the tall tower, wide eyed.
Rapunzel approaches the secret entrance of the tower and pulls away the loose vines. After reaching the stone staircase, she takes a few deep breaths. "Come on, you got this. Don't be afraid, Rapunzel. It's just a tower." She whispers, to herself. Taking another deep breath, she slowly proceeds to climb the stone staircase.
[In The Tower]
From his hiding place, a hanging basket, Pascal's eyes widen to hear Rapunzel calling him. The snake slithers away from Pascal, ready for his new target.
Thinking quickly, Pascal lowers the basket and braces for impact as it crashes to the ground. The diversion works, as the snake slithers away from the trapdoor. "Hello? Pascal?" Rapunzel asks.
Rapunzel then hears a loud, violent hiss and turns around wide eyed. The snake lunges at the golden-haired princess but Pascal grabs the snake's tail and flings it to the shelves.
Using a couple of camouflage tricks, the snake is oblivious as to where Pascal is. But then, he whacks the vicious snake with the frying pan, knocking out its final front tooth.
The snake then searches for the chameleon, as he pumps up the fire to make the flames rise. Using the snake's lost tooth, Pascal manages to frighten the snake. Backing up in fright, the snake turns to Rapunzel who smiles smugly before once again whacking the snake with her frying pan, sending it flying out of the tower for good this time.
[Outside]
Y/n silently refused to take her eyes off of the tower, as she stared up at it, worried for Rapunzel and frightened by past events. Eventually, Cassandra and Eugene convince her to go with them to the other side of the tunnel and wait for Rapunzel.
Sitting on the horses, they hear the sound of the bushes rustling. The snake fell in them. "Friend of yours?" Eugene remarks, to Cassandra. Y/n lets out a soft giggle while Cassandra shoots him a glare.
[In The Tower]
Pascal spits out the tooth and returns to his original colour, as Rapunzel approaches him with a grateful smile. "Oh, buddy. I know why you came here. Life was so simple when it was just the two of us. But that doesn't mean that I don't love you. That will never change. You will always be my best friend. Besides, nobody could ever take your place in my heart." Rapunzel tells him.
Rapunzel picks Pascal you and puts the button on his head again, like all those years ago. Pascal turns purple to match the button, too.
Pascal's eyes then water, touched by her kind words, and snuggles against her cheek while sitting on her shoulder. "Or on my shoulder." Rapunzel giggles, smiling warmly at her best friend.
[At Night, In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
Pascal sits on his best friend's shoulder, as she completes a new journal entry - dedicated to her and Pascal only. She then closes the journal. "It wasn't the same without you here." She states.
Rapunzel puts her journal on the desk, then kisses Pascal's head. "Goodnight, Pascal.." She whispers, climbing into bed. The green chameleon hops upon his hanging branch, but Rapunzel lassoes it with her hair. "Uh-uh. I don't think so. Here is better. Right by my side." Rapunzel states, pulling the branch down and setting Pascal down on the pillow beside her. Pascal smiles, as they both fall asleep.
Question Of The Chapter!
Favourite Disney Animal Sidekick(s)?
My Answer: Jaq and Gus (Cinderella)
I love them!
Yours?