[On An Old Island, In The Middle Of The Ocean]
A man waits patiently in the shadows, rubbing the wooden box in his hands. The shadow of whom he waits for approaches. "You're late!" He scolds.
A brown-haired woman with two long braids and green eyes approaches excitedly. "Did you find it?" She asks. The man glances up at her, squinting his one eye, that doesn't have an eyepatch over it, in a serious expression. "Remember, lass, abide the warnings." He tells her. She eagerly takes the box. "Yeah. Warnings. Totally got it." She replies.
The woman approaches the door, when the man grabs her arm. "Pay heed! For once you open this box, your life will never be the same." He tells her. "Sure thing..It's not for me though. It's for someone very special." She answers, smiling down at him.
[The Next Morning, On The Corona Castle Terrace]
"Happy birthday, Mom." Rapunzel says. "Happy birthday, Mommy." Y/n adds, at the same time. It's Queen Arianna's birthday! And to celebrate, the two daughters and their mother have something very special planned.
Arianna opens her blue present and smiles at the sight of a shiny gold telescope. "Oh! A telescope." She identifies. "Yeah! We can use it to watch all the falling stars during the Empyrean Shower tonight!" Rapunzel comments. "Oh, such a good idea, dear! Thank you." Arianna tells her, holding her hand.
"Open mine next, Mommy.." Y/n says, handing her a box wrapped in purple. The queen smiles at her youngest daughter and opens it to reveal a multicoloured handwoven shawl.
Arianna chuckles warmly, as Y/n smiles. "To keep you warm tonight, in case it gets cold." She tells her. "Aw, I love the colours. Thank you, honey." Arianna replies, holding her youngest daughter's hand with a smile.
"Open mine next, Mrs. Queen." Lance insists, laughing eagerly and handing Arianna a brown box. "Lance, you didn't need to get me a-" She tells him, opening the box and her eyes widen at the sight of a ragged tent with a note on top of it. The note says it's the queen's tent, with Lance's name crossed out. "..tent. Thank you so much." She tells Lance, with a smile.
"It's for camping! Queens go camping, right?" Lance asks, as Eugene glares at him. "Uh, not usually." Arianna replies, with a polite smile.
"Huh.." Lance says, then gasps excitedly. "Hey! Speaking of camping, Eugene and I are making a whole night out of watching the shower. We're actually gonna camp out overnight. It's kind of a tradition." He tells them, wrapping an arm around Eugene and pulling him in for a side hug before resting his hands behind his head on his chair.
"Hey! Think I can borrow your tent?" Lance asks. "Ahem! Lance! It's time we had a little discussion about royal appropriate conversation!" Eugene states, standing up abruptly, glaring down and steering his beaming buddy, by the shoulders, away from the group. This makes Y/n laugh in an adorable way that makes her mother smile at her.
"And we better pack for our big night at Mount Saison, right, Mom? Come on, Y/n." Rapunzel says, as Pascal climbs onto her shoulder. The sisters kiss and hug their parents, before leaving to get ready.
"They're certainly excited for your trip." Frederic points out. "Not as much as I am. My first birthday with Rapunzel and Y/n together, and it just happens to coincide with a star shower that only comes once every nine years? It's too perfect. But mostly, this is our first trip together. Everything's been so hectic since they've come back, and I'm looking forward to some nice, quiet mother/daughter time." Arianna says, bringing her teacup closer to take a sip. "WHERE'S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL?!" A familiar voice calls, making Arianna jump and accidentally pour some of her tea on herself.
[In The Castle]
The newcomer laughs, talking happily with the castle staff. "Nigel! Looking good as always. See, Stan? I told you a mustache would look killer on you." She states, then squeals. "Friedborg! Radiant as always. I hope you haven't been boring everyone with those crazy stories about all the trouble you and me used to get into! She's such a chatterbox." She adds, with a giggle.
The long-braided woman then glances her eyes upon Arianna and squeals excitedly. "There's my older sister!" She exclaims, wrapping Arianna in a tight hug. "Oh, Willow, I had no idea you were coming." Arianna says, groaning at the sudden hug.
"And miss your birthday?" Willow asks. "Well, you have missed the last six, but who's counting?" Arianna asks, with an eye roll.
"Huh? Has it really been that many? Big Fred! You always gave the best bear hugs!" Willow states, hugging her brother-in-law with a smile. "Willow, what a delightful surprise." Frederic chuckles.
"Uh, Your Majesty." Willow jokes, separating from the hug. "W-What gives? It's the queen's birthday. These folks should have the day off to celebrate." She states. "I suppose there is cause to roister." Frederic agrees. "Really, Fred. There's no need to shut the whole kingdom down." Arianna whispers.
"Did you hear that everyone? You get the rest of the day off!" Willow says. After every staff member cheers and leaves, Willow shows Arianna the wooden box she collected from the man on the rickety old island. "Ari. I got you something very special." She tells her. "Oh, Wilhelmina, you shouldn't have." Arianna replies, opening the box.
Arianna then exclaims in shock as a small, brown-eyed hampster-like creature hops out and sits on the queen's hands with a green jingly ball in her tiny hands. "Uh, it's, uh-" Arianna says.
"It's an UUmlaut. And she's extremely rare. I found her on my travels through the Neserdnian Empire." Willow answers. The green ball in the Uumlaut's hands then gets rattles at an ear-piercing volume. "And what's this?" Arianna asks. "Her rattle. Oh, the guy who sold it to me said to make sure that she has it on her at all times. I don't know. Must be a comfort thing." Willow assumes, with a shrug.
The Uumlaut then hops onto Arianna's shoulder. "Well, this is very-" She tells Willow, reaching to pet her. Then the Uumlaut hacks and spits out a large and soggy hairball into the queen's hand. "Oh! Thoughtful." Arianna replies, hiding her disgust.
"Now.." Willow says, walking over to a painting of Arianna, Frederic, Rapunzel and Y/n. "Where's my youngest niece, and my long-lost niece?" She asks.
[In Rapunzel's Bedroom]
All it takes is the calling of a familiar nickname, from the hallways, for Y/n to recognise who has just arrived at the castle. "Where is my adorable little music Starshine?" The voice exclaims.
Rapunzel looks confused, while Y/n gasps in delight. "Who's that?" Rapunzel asks. Her bedroom door opens and the youngest princess' favourite (and only) aunt bursts in with a warm smile.
"Auntie Willow!" Y/n exclaims, overjoyed. She gets up from Rapunzel's bed, runs over as Willow opens her arms with a smile and she picks the little princess up and spins her around in a hug. "Man, I've missed you. And look how tall you've grown, since I last saw you!" Willow tells Y/n.
Rapunzel introduces herself to her newly discovered aunt and they get to conversations about everything they have in common. "You never wear shoes either?" Rapunzel asks her. "I've always said, how can you know where you stand in the world if you can't feel the ground beneath your feet?" Willow answers, proudly.
"Oh, my.." Willow says, looking at Rapunzel's story that she painted on her bedroom wall. "'Punzel. These are AH-MAHZING!" Willow compliments.
"Aw, thanks, aunt Willow." Rapunzel replies.
"Yes. Rapunzel is quite the artist." Arianna states. "Well, obviously, Ari." Willow confirms, with an eye roll. "I mean, this one says so much." She adds, looking at a painted picture of Pascal.
"Sometimes, when I paint, I tell myself I'm not painting a picture.." Rapunzel tells Willow. "I am painting a story!" They both finish, then fangirl over how much they have in common.
"Right?!" Willow agrees, ecstatically.
"Oh, my gosh! Yes!" Rapunzel replies.
"I paint, too!" Willow tells Rapunzel.
"You do?" Rapunzel asks. Willow nods, with a smile.
"Well, that's funny. You two have so much in-" Arianna says. "You know what my favorite thing to paint is?" Willow asks Rapunzel. "If you say 'Dreams' right now.." Rapunzel replies. "I was totally gonna say 'Dreams'!" Willow confirms.
Noticing her frown, Y/n holds her Mother's hand with a smile. Arianna smiles back, giving her hand a playful squeeze. At least she has more in common with her youngest daughter. They both love to read, they both love music and most of Y/n's hair is the same colour as her mother's. Then the Uumlaut rattles her green ball loudly, startling them both.
[In The King And Queen's Bedroom]
As Arianna packs for the trip with her daughters, she informs her husband about her frustrations with Willow. He asks if his wife is angry, but she shakes her head, picking up the map.
"I'm not angry. I'm irritated. I love Willow. She's fun, she's silly. She's really outgoing. But she can also be loud, inconsiderate, and a little.." Arianna states, as she packs her bag. She accidentally puts the Uumlaut in her bag, making it shriek loudly. This makes Arianna and Frederic jump. Arianna then lifts the Uumlaut out of her bag. "..obnoxious." She finishes, as the Uumlaut sits on her shoulder.
"I just wish I knew she was coming. I-I could have mentally prepared. At least I'll get a little break from her tonight. Willow will just have to understand that Y/n, Rapunzel and I made these plans to watch the Empyrean Shower together a long time ago." Arianna states firmly, looking at a portrait of her, Frederic and Baby Rapunzel - before Y/n was born and before Rapunzel's kidnapping.
Frederic places his hands and Arianna's shoulders and the two share warm smiles. "Besides, she won't even know we're going, unless-" Arianna states, but the bedroom door flies open.
"Mommy! Mommy, guess what?" Y/n asks, running in and hugging her mother. "Ooh, someone's excited. Is it your friend, Varian?" Arianna asks, with a smile. This confuses her youngest daughter. "Huh? No. Auntie Willow wants to come watch the Empyrean shower with us!" She replies, excitedly.
Arianna glances over at Rapunzel and Willow, who stand by the door excitedly. Her eyes widen, as the Uumlaut jiggles her rattle again.
[Later]
Hallways to the campsite, Y/n, Rapunzel and their mother walk ahead while their aunt plays with the Uumlaut, who she insisted on bringing.
While Y/n thinks the Uumlaut is adorable, she can't help but agree with Arianna on how annoying the rattle is. But she obviously doesn't say anything, to stay on her aunt's good side. Besides, anything for a happy trip. Right?
"So, the best place to see the shower is the southern ridge at the peak of Mount Saison." Arianna tells her daughters, looking at her map and pointing in the direction they're going to go.
"Then the southern ridge it is!" Rapunzel confirms, sharing a high five with her little sister while Willow continues cooing with the Uumlaut. "Who's a good UUmlaut? Who's a good UUmlaut? You are! Yes, you are." She states.
Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Arianna turns to her daughters again. "I thought we'd take this trail. Oh my goodness, the view is breathtaking!" She states.
"Who's fancy? You're so fancy." Willow tells the Uumlaut. "Now, I timed it out, so we should-" Arianna tells her daughters.
"I love you! Yes, I do!" Willow tells the Uumlaut. "Get there just before the shower begins." Arianna tells her daughters. Finally losing her patience as Willow continues her baby talk with the Uumlaut, Arianna turns to her little sister with a glare. "WILLOW!" She snaps, shutting Willow up.
"Are you ready to go?" Arianna asks, with a sigh. "Always. Uh, Ari, look who you left behind. Our little UUmmy-wuumy peanut!" Willow replies, handing her the Uumlaut. Arianna rolls her eyes. "Thank you, Willow. I almost forgot." She lies through her teeth, as the rattle jingles again.
"Oh, my gosh! I didn't realize we were so close!" Willow exclaims, looking at the map. "To Mount Saison, auntie? It'll take quite a while." Y/n points out. Willow chuckles. "No, Starshine. To one of my favorite places in the world!" She tells her. She them dances off, followed by Rapunzel.
Y/n turns to her mother and holds her hand. Arianna smiles back as the two follow with the Uumlaut's rattle jingling loudly.
[Meanwhile, In The Castle]
Frederic walks through the deserted hallways, feeling a little left out. The staff are having a day off, his wife and daughters have left with his sister-in-law. What else is there for him to do?
Finding himself approaching Eugene's and Lance's bedroom, Frederic hears them talking to Bucky and Pascal, who also stay behind to let the ladies have their fun together.
"Bucky, Pascal, you're both gonna love this camping trip with the guys!" Lance boasts. "Yep! It's gonna be just like old times." Eugene adds.
"Out in the woods. No need to worry about rules, or manners, or anything!" Lance states, proudly. "I'm sorry, were those concerns of yours before?" Eugene jokes, with a smug smirk.
This jokey remark makes Lance laugh, as Frederic enters the bedroom. "Oh! Your Majesty." Lance greets, with a friendly smile. "Ah! Uh, hello, your Majesty." Eugene greets, turning around in surprise.
"Ah, getting ready for the big trip, I see." Frederic says, smiling at the group. Eugene nods. "Yeah! Seeing the Empyrean Showers. It's just this little thing we do." He replies, casually.
"Little thing?! It marks the first job we ever pulled as kids, your majestic one. You know how easy it is to pick someone's pocket when their eyes are on the sky?" Lance asks, with an arm around the King.
"Lance!" Eugene snaps, through gritted teeth. "Remember our discussion about king appropriate stories?" He asks.
"Looks like fun." Frederic tells them, allowing Pascal to sit on his shoulder. "A lot of fun. Yep." He adds, then sighs. "Everyone's having fun.." He states, feeling left out. Lance can't help, but frown. How much fun can a king have, anyway? An idea pops in Lance's mind. "Hey! How 'bout you come with us?" He offers, with a friendly grin.
"What? Me?" Frederic asks, flattered by Lance's offer. Eugene shakes his head frantically, behind the king's back. "No, no, no, no. I mean.." Frederic adds, thinking for a moment. "Well, sure, I could use the fresh air. I'll get my things." He agrees.
As soon as the king leaves the bedroom, Eugene glares at Lance with crossed arms. "What? I thought you liked the king." Lance states. "Oh, I love the king, Lance, but he's the king. And if I'm lucky, my future father-in-law, so if he's coming with us, we have to be on our best behavior. And by 'We', I mean 'You'. And by 'Our best behavior', I mean 'Your best behavior', because you cannot be a total slob in front of the king!" Eugene snaps.
"Relax, buddy.." Lance assures Eugene, tossing his chicken leg away. And judging by the sound of shattering glass, the chicken leg bone broke a window. "King or no king, it'll just be a bunch of guys camping, but if it makes you feel better, I'll be a paragon of eti.." Lance states, then belches loudly. "..quette." He finishes. "I'm sure you will(!)" Eugene sneers, in disbelief.
[At The Snuggly Duckling]
It turns out that Willow's favourite place in the world is the Snuggly Duckling. This surprises Y/n and Rapunzel, since they never expected Willow to be so talkative around such intimidating thugs. However, they find themselves listening to Willow telling stories about hers and Arianna's childhood.
"So, I looked at Arianna, and said to the guy, 'You keep the monkey. I'll keep the fez.'." Willow says, resulting in laughter from the thugs and her nieces.
"But the most ridiculous thing that ever happened to Ari and me?" Willow asks. "Ooh! 'Ari'!" Hook Foot teases. Arianna flushes with embarrassment.
"When we were kids, I had this idea for this giant cape slash kite, I could use to fly." Willows recalls. "Oh, Willow! We should probably be on our way." Arianna urges. "I was 98% sure it was gonna work." Willow continues. "Uh, what about the other four percent?" Attila asks. "Two percent, Attila." Y/n corrects politely.
"That's what big sisters are for. Am I right? Back then, I called her 'Dare-ianna'. Because she was so eager to impress, she'd do anything I dared. Long story, short. Dare-ianna tried it, but crashed into our Dad's carriage. So much for my cape/kite." Willow states, making everybody laugh again.
Arianna lets out forced laughter. "Just another one of Willow's hare-brained failures, huh?" She asks, making all the laughter stop. "Awkward." Shorty blurts out, as Willow looks hurt.
The Uumlaut jingles her rattle yet again, as Willow pulls her bag over her shoulder and she and Arianna share frowns. "Uh, we should get going. We don't want to miss that shower." Rapunzel pipes up. Y/n nods, holding their Mother's hand again. "Yes, come on Mommy. We don't want to miss out on our big night!" She encourages, with a smile.
"Bye, Dare-ianna." Hook Foot says, waving.
"We'll see ya." Big Nose adds, as they leave.
"Bye!" Y/n tells the pub thugs, waving back.
[A Few Minutes Later]
The sky turns dark as they continue to walk to Mount Saison. Rapunzel and Willow walk ahead. Arianna trails behind, with Y/n by her side.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. I love Corona." Willow tells Rapunzel. "Yeah, what's not to love?" The oldest princess asks. "It's just.. once you've seen so much of the world, it's hard to settle down in a place like this. It's too.. not fun." Willow tells her, then whispers "I don't see how anyone could."
"Okay." Arianna interrupts, stepping in between the two, with Y/n behind her. "Looks like we're coming up on the southern ridge." She tells her sister and her daughters. "Woo-hoo! The Empyrean Shower, here we come! I'm gonna go scope us out a good spot." Rapunzel says, pumping her fist excitedly.
Arianna glances at her sister, then turns to her youngest daughter. "Y/n, you go with your sister. We'll catch up." She instructs. Y/n nods. "Yes, Mommy." She obliges, giving her Mother a small hug before running after her older sister.
"Southern ridge, huh?" Willow asks, with a grin, crossing her arms. "Yes. Why?" Arianna asks, with an eye roll and a frustrated expression.
"Well, if you really want the girls to see the shower, you ought to go-" Willow advises. "I ought to what, Wilhelmina?!" Arianna snaps. Willow turns to her older sister, surprised. "Please, enlighten us. How can we best view the shower? Should we travel to the Mystic Cliffs of Gushombai?" Arianna asks.
"Ari, is something wrong?" Willow asks, with a frown. "You know what, yes. As a matter of fact, something is wrong, Willow. You roll in like a cyclone, appropriate my birthday. You embarrassed me in front of my family and subjects." Arianna rants, then groans at the Uumlaut's rattle jingling loudly.
"And give me this Oo.. UUmm.." Arianna says, mispronouncing the name. "It's a UUmlaut." Willow corrects. Arianna groans, as Willow rolls her eyes. "And I thought you'd like it." She tells Arianna.
"No! No, no, no, you didn't, Willow. You just like what giving me a cute, little exotic thing in front of everybody says about you! Did it ever occur to you that maybe a pet isn't the best gift?" Arianna asks.
"We found a perfect spot, by the-" Y/n says, as her and Rapunzel approach their aunt and mother. But Rapunzel silences her little sister, with a hand over her mouth, when she sees the two unhappy.
"I'm guessing not, because not only would that take forethought and restraint, but it would also require a grasp of what having an actual responsibility means!" Arianna snaps, at her little sister, before letting out a heavy sigh. "I need a minute." She tells them, walking away.
"Mommy..?" Y/n whispers, then goes to follow her but is stopped by her older sister. "Maybe just.. wait, Y/n. Like Mom said, she needs a minute." Rapunzel tells her. Y/n reluctantly nods, frowning.
Rapunzel then thinks of something that might cheer up her little sister. "Uhm, let's hope Lance and Eugene are having more fun." She tells her, with a giggle. This makes Y/n giggle. "Oh, they will be." She agrees, with a little smile. Rapunzel nods.
[Meanwhile, At A Campsite]
"Pork chop? I kept it warm in my boot." Lance offers, holding a mouldy-looking pork chop on a stick as a fly buzzes around it.
"Lance, I thought we agreed that because we were in front of certain company, that we going to be on our, meaning 'Your', best behavior." Eugene reminds him, quietly.
"Uh, what do you mean?" Lance asks, taking a bite of his pork chop. "Excellent question. Just remember, before you say or do anything, take a second and ask yourself, 'Is what I'm about to do or say inappropriate?'." Eugene advises.
Lance grins, swallowing the pork chop bite. "I'm on it." He replies, with a wink and Eugene sits back down. After clearing his throat, Lance turns to the king. "So, your Majesty, let me ask you. How much does a king pull down a year? After taxes." He asks.
Finally losing his patience with Lance's inappropriateness, Eugene lunges at his buddy, tackling him into the ragged purple tent. "Come on, man, be mature!" Lance scolds, then runs out of the tent. Eugene chases after him, then they wrestle in the bushes. This unintentionally makes the purple tent fall down. "See what you did to the queen's tent?" Lance asks, smugly.
[Meanwhile, With The Girls]
Y/n glances down sadly at her mother, sitting with just her Uumlaut for company. The youngest princess sighs, turning to her aunt and older sister. "I'm sorry, auntie Willow and Rapunzel, but I really think I should go talk to Mommy." She tells them. "You heard her and 'Punzel, Starshine. She needs a minute. Trust me, she'll be fine. Don't let it ruin our night." Willow tells her, relaxing on the floor with her hands behind her head.
"But it's not 'Our' night." Rapunzel states, walking away. Y/n nods. "No offence, auntie, but it was just supposed to be us three." She adds, following her older sister. Feeling guilty, Willow then stands up. "Y/n, 'Punzel. Wait." She says, following them.
A sudden glimpse of light flies across the sky. The princesses glance up and watch in awe, with their aunt, as the shooting stars fly by, one by one. Y/n feels incredibly sad, for her Mother missing out. But she finds it impossible to look away or even move.
[Meanwhile]
Arianna momentarily glances down at the Uumlaut, who looks up at her in worry. After a moment, the queen sighs and smiles down at her. "You're right, little guy. This is silly. We can still salvage the night." Arianna says, optimistically, but also forgetting that the Uumlaut is female.
Arianna stands up and turns around, but gets the shock of her life when she sees the Empyrean shower already taking place. She watches with wide eyes as her daughters and her sister rest in each others arms, watching the shooting stars.
Sitting back down with a hand on her face in disappointment, Arianna frowns as the Uumlaut jingles her rattle again. Arianna groans in frustration. "Would you give it a rest?!" She remarks, snatching the rattle and tossing it away. This makes the Uumlaut start to groan and jitter, with her pupils getting smaller.
[A Few Minutes Later]
"Mom! We're so sorry you missed the shower!" Rapunzel apologizes, as she, Y/n and Willow run to Arianna. The youngest princess wraps their mother in a hug with a guilty frown. "And me too. If it's any consolation, Ari, you were right about the southern ridge. It was beautiful!" Willow states. This tears it for Arianna. Now, Willow has crossed the line.
Gently separating herself from Y/n, Arianna glares at Willow. "Girls, may I please have a moment alone with my sister?" Arianna asks, emphatically.
Rapunzel looks at their Mother and their aunt, then grabs her little sister's hand. "Come on, sis.." She whispers, pulling Y/n along with her.
"I said 'Sorry'. What else do you want?" Willow asks, with an eye roll, when the two are alone. "Willow, our whole lives, you've done whatever you could to show me up, and honestly, I've come to accept that. But you know what? Not when it comes to my daughters." Arianna states, firmly.
Y/n and Rapunzel glance at each other, before they silently descend down the large stone staircase together. Their eyes then widen at the sight of the twitching Uumlaut.
"Tonight was supposed to be special!" Arianna says, sadly. "Uh, it was special." Willow states, not seeing Arianna's point. "I'm not the one who stormed off seconds before the shower." She quips. "I didn't storm off, Wilhelmina!" Arianna argues.
"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asks the twitching Uumlaut, as Y/n notices something. "Where's her rattle?" She asks, as the Uumlaut turns to them and hacks out another Uumlaut. "Oh!" Rapunzel exclaims. "Uh-oh.." Y/n adds, at the same time.
"I had a specific plan for tonight!" Arianna states. "Of course, you did. You've got a plan for everything! You know, you think just because you've always got it so together, that everyone has to do whatever you say!" Willow remarks.
"First of all, I never tell you what to do, and even if I did, you'd ignore it and do whatever you feel like anyway! You don't think I would love to have that kind of freedom?" Arianna fires back.
"Mommy?" Y/n asks, appearing with Rapunzel.
"Aunt Willow?" Rapunzel asks, at the same time.
"What?!" Arianna and Willow ask, simultaneously.
"We have a problem." Rapunzel answers.
"The Uumlaut. She's.. multiplying." Y/n adds, pointing at the nearby stone staircase. She's right. The Uumlauts keep multiplying from each other's mouths. "Willow, what is happening?" Arianna asks. "I guess now we know what happens when she doesn't have her rattle." Y/n answers.
"You know what? I'm gonna take the blame on this one." Willow volunteers. "I'm the one that threw the rattle. I can't let you take all the blame." Arianna confesses. "Oh, thank goodness. You want to split it? Fifty-fifty? Sixty-forty? Like you said, you threw the rattle." Willow points out.
"We have to get her rattle back to her." Arianna states. "Where is it?" Willow asks. Y/n then picks up the gold telescope Rapunzel gave to their Mother and uses it to search for the rattle.
"Ooh, I see it!" Y/n exclaims. "Great! Can we get it?" Willow asks, as Y/n hands Rapunzel the telescope and she spots the rattle, too. "Shouldn't be a problem." Rapunzel states, proudly.
"Are you sure this doesn't hurt?" Willow asks Rapunzel, as she dangles from her oldest niece's golden hair to grab the rattle which is stuck on a branch that's above a river.
"I'm okay, I'm okay. Just hurry! Eugene and Lance are down there." Rapunzel points out, holding her hair while Y/n and Arianna hold her so she doesn't fall. Y/n could have used her hair streak, but Rapunzel pointed out that a full head of hair is stronger than a streak.
"Wow! The view from down here is amazing! It reminds me of the Mystic Cliffs of Gushombai. Just not as-" Willow rambles on. "WILLOW!" Arianna urges. "Oh! Right! The rattle. Got it!" Willow replies, grabbing the small green ball.
Once Willow is pulled back up, the four rush to the Uumlauts and Arianna jingles the rattle - none of the Uumlauts acknowledge this. "It's not working!" Y/n says, as the army of Uumlauts charge into the distance. "We have a Plan B.. right?" Rapunzel asks.
[At The Campsite]
One Uumlaut hops onto a log, beside Lance. He gives a small yelp, slightly startled. But then, he smiles at the adorable looking creature.
"Well, hello there! Look at you! Little cute-" Lance says, then shrieks in terror at the sight of the Uumlaut multiplying. Then be lets out a girlish scream, with wide eyes, as the army of Uumlauts charge towards him, Eugene and Frederic.
"Your Majesty, this way! Come on!" Eugene says, pushing him and running, with Lance following.
"Eugene, I just want you to know, I will stop being so over-overwhelmingly ill-mannered." Lance tells him, as they run. "No, no! I need to yell at you less when you think you're being endearing!" Eugene tells him. "And I will try not to be upset with you, when you are yelling at me for thinking I'm being endearing." Lance adds. "This trip was a mistake.." Frederic mutters. Bucky chitters in agreement. Pascal also squeaks in agreement, with a nod.
"This way!" Frederic instructs, before climbing some rocks that lead to a higher round. "Quickly! Up here! Whoa!" Frederic urges, before he slips a little. Eugene and Lance quickly club up, help pull the king to safety and stare at the Uumlaut army. "Yeah. I think this is the worst camping trip ever." Eugene states. Bucky and Pascal nod in agreement.
"Eugene! Thank goodness, you're okay!" Rapunzel says, before wrapping Eugene in a warm hug.
"Her boyfriend?" Willow asks Y/n, in a whisper that's unheard by Rapunzel. She nods, with a smile.
"Arianna, what is going on?" Frederic asks. "The UUmlaut! I-I took her rattle away." Arianna admits, sheepishly. "Mom, uh, we might not have time for explanations right now." Rapunzel points out, as the Uumlaut army charges for the kingdom.
"What do we do? We tried to give her the rattle back." Willow states. "I think we have to find the original Uumlaut.. and give her the rattle, auntie." Y/n suggests. "How are we gonna find that cute, little fuzzy thing? It could be anywhere!" Lance says, then squeaks anxiously.
"Come on, guys. There's gotta be something we can do." Rapunzel encourages, as Arianna and Willow look reluctant to work together.
Arianna gasps, glancing at her tent. "Actually there might be. Hand me that rope. We don't have much time." She states.
[One New And Improved Tent/Kite Later]
"I don't know what this is but I know I'm not getting on it." Lance states, staring at the impressive invention with a hand on his head.
"I just hope we can get her to hear it!" Arianna says, jingling the rattle. "Here! I made this!" Rapunzel tells her, revealing that she turned the telescope into megaphone of sorts. "That'll work." Arianna states, after testing it. Rapunzel chuckles. "I owe you one birthday gift." She jokes.
"Okay, Will. It's a two-person job. One to steer, and one to shake." Arianna says. "You'd better let me do the flying this time." Willow tells her older sister.
"You ready?" Willow asks, when they're in position.
Arianna smirks. "Let's go." She tells her little sister.
Y/n and Rapunzel hug their Father's arms, watching anxiously as their aunt and Mother take off with the purple kite, sailing across the sky like a bird. Everybody then cheers at the success.
"Oh, come on. Where are you?" Arianna mutters, looking around. "There!" Willow identities, pointing to the large army of Uumlauts. Arianna grins, raising the rattle and telescope. She jingles the rattle, gaining the attention of the original Uumlaut. This makes the rest of them pause.
"There she is! Take us in low!" Arianna instructs. "Okay, sis, now it's all on you. No pressure." Willow states. "Thanks." Arianna replies.
As they fly towards the Uumlaut army, Arianna jingles the rattle then tosses it down to the original. Everybody cheers triumphantly as the original Uumlaut catches the rattle in her hands, sending all the other Uumlauts back to where they came from. Then she jingles the rattle happily, as if none of that ever happened.
[The Next Morning, Outside Of Corona Village]
"Bye, auntie Willow!" Y/n says, hugging her. "Please come back soon." Rapunzel adds, joining in as Willow hugs both of her nieces.
"That was a heck of a plan, Dare-ianna." Willow compliments, separating from her nieces and approaching her older sister. "It wouldn't have worked without your hare-brained cape/kite." Arianna replies. "Love you, sis." Willow says, as the two share a hug. "I love you too." Arianna replies.
Y/n then pulls her older sister in for a hug, which she gladly reciprocates with a warm giggle.
The Uumlaut then jingles her rattle again. "Goodbye, my little fancy pants." Arianna says, stroking the Uumlaut. "Aw.." Y/n says.
Rapunzel then giggles, looking off in the distance. "Hey, sis.." She says, nudging her little sister. "Hm?" Y/n hums. Rapunzel gestures to the village. Y/n smiles to see her best friend, waving over to her. She giggles, waving back to the young alchemist.
"You've said goodbye to aunt Willow, go on. Dad won't mind." Rapunzel encourages. Y/n looks at her older sister, then nods. "Goodbye, Starshine." Willow tells her youngest niece, hugging her one last time. For that day. "Bye, auntie Willow." Y/n says, before separating and running to the village.
"Her boyfriend?" Willow asks Rapunzel in a whisper, remembering she did the same thing with Y/n about her older sister and Eugene. Rapunzel smiles, smugly. "Not yet." She whispers jokingly.
Willow nods, before hopping onto her horse. "Now off to explore new lands. Tackle new adventures! And see new sights! And then, maybe I'll have a little lunch. Ta-ta for now!" She tells Arianna and Rapunzel, then leaves on her horse.
"I'm sorry your birthday didn't happen the way you wanted it to." Rapunzel apologizes, to her mother. "Well, when am I ever gonna get a chance to fly a cape/kite again?" Arianna asks.
"Willow can be a bit of a handful but if was really nice to get to know Dare-ianna. And who knows? Maybe Willow will change! I mean, she did promise to take care of that UUmlaut." Rapunzel points out.
However, a jingling sound gains their attention. Arianna and Rapunzel glance down to see the rattle-jingling hampster-like creature hack out a large furball. "Willow!" Arianna and Rapunzel yell.
Question Of The Chapter!
An Uumlaut - would you want one?
My Answer: I think they're adorable, but no.
I think that responsibility would be too stressful.
And the rattle? Even more stressful, for me.
Your answer?