Before we start Chapter 18, we've had a major issue here on Wattpad. If you keep up with me then you probably know how both my accounts were hacked and I lost my backup a count but I was lucky enough to be able to save my main account. However, not everyone has been as lucky.
If you're in the Tangled fandom then you probably know of Avery_Spokeens from her absolutely amazing books!
If you are unaware of what happened, Avery's account was hacked and she has since disappeared from Wattpad. Her best friend Scarlett_Schuyler is heartbroken over this and we all have to band together to help bring Avery home! We are so much more than just friends in this fandom! We're family!
"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."
Thank you all for reading this! Don't forget to spread the word around!
#TakeYouHomeAvery
Now, onto the story!
💧
Aqua sat down at the table with Varian, smiling at her parents.
"Hey, Squirt!" Eugene flashed the younger princess a smile.
"What's up, Eugene?" Aqua asked as she looked at him.
"Not much. What about you? I heard that you and Varian were gonna go to the Demanitus Chamber for a few weeks," Eugene said with a little smirk.
"Yeah, so that we can decipher the scroll," Aqua said as she placed her napkin on her lap.
"Is that all?" Eugene winked, but she ignored what he was inferring.
"Yep! That's all we're doing down there. Maybe do a few other experiments as well," Aqua replied to which Varian nodded.
"Well I hope you guys have fun!" Rapunzel said cheerily.
Aqua nodded with a smile. "I hope so too!"
💧
Aqua was playing with Ruddiger and Varian groaned as he slammed his fist down on the table.
"It doesn't make any sense!" Varian cried angrily and Aqua got up.
She walked over and rubbed his shoulders gently.
"Hey, calm down. You won't get anything done if you're stressing yourself out," Aqua said gently as she massaged his shoulders.
"I just want to figure this out... it doesn't make any sense..." Varian grumbled and Aqua looked at the scroll on the table.
"Wait... they're incantations, right?" Aqua looked at Varian and he hummed as he thought about it.
"They are. Rapunzel said that she saw this incantation on the wall during her journey," Varian said as he hummed.
"And didn't you say that she used a song to free your father?" Aqua hummed.
"Yeah, she did! I don't remember all the words," Varian said as he tried to remember.
"I'll go ask her! I'll be back, Var," Aqua said with a smile, kissing his lips quickly before she left.
Varian's eyes followed her as she left and Ruddiger made a snickering sound at the lovesick look on Varian's face.
"Be quiet..." Varian muttered with a blush as he looked at his companion. "While we wait, what do you wanna do? Have a snack break?"
Ruddiger brightened when he saw Varian pull out an apple from the covered basket on the table.
💧
Aqua ran into the palace and went to find her sister.
"Rapunzel! I need your- what's Pascal playing with?" Aqua asked curiously when she saw Pascal playing with a blue marble.
"It's just a big blue marble that came from Neserdnia today on the shipment. Now, what do you need? Did you figure out the scroll?" Rapunzel asked curiously.
"Not yet, but I need the healing incantation and the decay incantation. It'll help us in deciphering the entire scroll," Aqua said with a serious look.
"Of course, here." Rapunzel grabbed a piece of paper and a pen before copying down the incantations for Aquaria.
"Thank you, sis," Aqua said as she hugged Rapunzel after taking the paper.
"Of course. I love you. Tell Varian we all say hi," Rapunzel said and Aqua nodded.
"I love you too, sis, and I will definitely tell him." Aqua smiled brightly before leaving to go back to Varian.
🧪
The two spent weeks working to fully decipher the scroll, but they couldn't find the fourth incantation anywhere on the scroll.
"Maybe there's a second scroll. Maybe the fourth incantation was just too dangerous to put on the same scroll as the others," Aqua said as Varian tried to think.
"Maybe you're right but I just have a gut feeling that we're missing something..." Varian hummed and sighed softly.
"Why don't we take a break... hey! I know what'll cheer you up! Each day we can do a metals competition!" Aqua suggested and Varian perked up.
"That sounds like fun!" He said with a smile.
"Let's get started then! Day one!" Aqua started to write down the names of the metal on a sheet of paper that would be competing.
☀️
The sun was shining bright and the birds were chirping.
Rapunzel had spent her morning continuing the mural painting on the ceiling of her room.
"I was always taught nobody's got it all," Rapunzel sang as she painted a bird on her ceiling and gently dabbed a bit of paint on Pascal's nose. "And I never thought I had a shot at all. But to my surprise, look at how lucky I've been. Whoa."
She looked around at the paintings that decorated her ceiling.
"Freedom to explore. Work that I love to do. Friends that I adore. 'Specially, well, you-know-who. I'm not keeping score, still though I pretty much win," Rapunzel sang with a huge smile on her face.
"Yes, I get to be the girl who has everything. The world on a golden string and somehow it's mine."
She grabbed her hair and swung from one rafter to another.
"Just look at me, the girl who has everything. And I can tell everything is gonna be fine," she sang happily as she painted a purple branch.
"Think of all I've done. Life's really tested me. Sometimes, I have won. Sometimes, it's bested me."
She looked at the memories that were on her canvas. Some of the memories hurt but they all made her stronger.
"Things got pretty dark. Now though the dawn's comin' through. Ooh-ooh-ooh. Yes, now I'm safe and sound, back with my family," she continued as she looked at the painting of her and her father. "When I look around I see how things can be. Everywhere I turn there's so much more I can do."
She swung to another rafter and Pascal shot his tongue out, going over to the painting of him as the king from when they were on Tropi Island.
"And I get to be the girl who has everything. The blessings this world can bring all falling in line. Somehow that's me, the girl who has everything. Well, practically everything."
Rapunzel gently swung off the rafter and held onto her hair before sitting in a loop of her hair, gazing over her work.
"I'm sure there's more everything. For now, I've got everything. And everything's fine," Rapunzel finished singing with a happy smile crossing her face as she lowered herself onto a rafter.
Rapunzel stood on the wooden rafter and then held onto her hair as she jumped down.
She looked out her window and then at Pascal.
"We've gotta go make sure all the party planning is going smoothly!" Rapunzel said to her green pal.
Pascal squeaked and sat on her shoulder.
"This is gonna be the best birthday anyone has ever had!" She jumped up and ran to the ballroom.
☀️
Rapunzel smiled widely as she watched the ballroom decorations all come together.
"Everything is looking so great, you guys! Oh, Eugene's surprise birthday party is going to be amazing," Raps gushed as she threw her arms open.
"What's going to be amazing?" Eugene peeked his head through the door and Rapunzel had a moment of panic.
"What?! Nothing! Nothing is amazing!" Rapunzel quickly turned to him and closed the door a bit as she looked at him.
'He can't see his party! It's supposed to be a surprise!' Rapunzel thought to herself as she let out a nervous laugh.
"Why-why would you think anything is amazing?" She asked with a smile.
"Hey... are you planning a party?" Eugene grinned as he pointed into the room.
"No! I-I mean yes," she admitted, knowing she couldn't hide the party, but she could hide that it was for him. "But it is not for you. It's for my...parents! It's their anniversary!"
"But their anniversary was six months ago..." Eugene pointed out.
"Uh, no, it's six months from now. That's what makes it a surprise!" Rapunzel said quickly.
"Great! So put me to work!" Eugene said with a smile.
"No! You can't come in! I have a list of very important things I need for the party! Lance!" Raps called and she looked over at Lance who was wrapped up in pink ribbon.
Angry and Catalina unwrapped Lance, sending him spinning towards Rapunzel and Eugene.
"Go with Eugene," Rapunzel said before grabbing his gold necklace, pulling him close before whispering, "make sure he's gone long enough and get everything on this very important things!" She gave him a list and he looked at her funny.
"What?" He asked with confusion before he realized it. "Oh, right! Right! Right! Eugene, come with me."
"I honestly think-" Eugene tried to speak.
"Okay, bye! Bye!" Rapunzel cut him off and shut the door quickly. She sighed as she slumped.
"What's wrong, dear? You seem nervous?" Arianna walked over, concerned about her daughter.
"No, I'm just... I'm worried that Eugene suspects something is up," Rapunzel said.
"Relax, princess. He doesn't suspect a thing. How could he? He has no idea that today is his real birthday. I've even avoided thinking about it around him," King Edmund told the princess. "Now, high five Frederic to show camaraderie."
Frederic raised a hand and the two kings high fived.
Hamuel cawed and high fived himself, falling off Edmund's shoulder.
"You're right. This is gonna be the best surprise first birthday ever!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "And that's not all... come on Pascal."
Rapunzel picked up her best friend and ran back to her room.
She went inside and put a finger to her lips so that Pascal knew he was about to show him a secret.
Rapunzel ran over to her bookshelf and quickly climbed the ladder. She moved a book out of the way and grabbed a small box.
"This is the biggest surprise of all, Pascal," Rapunzel said as she held the box. "Right before he blows out his candles, I am going to propose to Eugene," Rapunzel whispered to Pascal. "He will never see it coming."
Pascal smiled up at Rapunzel excitedly.
"I don't wear shoes, but if I did, I believe they would be on the other foot," she said before she opened the box to show Pascal the beautiful engagement ring she had gotten for Eugene.
Pascal looked at the shiny yellow diamond on the ring.
"I'm gonna be the girl who has everything. Soon as he wears this ring and swears that he's mine," Rapunzel sang and she let down her hair, slinging it up to the rafters.
"True, we don't know what obstacles fate may bring. But why put off everything when we can share everything," she continued as she climbed up her hair.
She stood on the rafter and picked up a paintbrush from her kit.
"'Cause once he's my everything." Rapunzel carefully stroked a short yellow line over Eugene's finger in one of the painting on her roof. "Then everything will be fine."
Rapunzel leaned against the wall, looking at the painting over Eugene holding her close.
She was so excited to propose to Eugene and finally marry the love of her life. She was completely sure that he would say yes. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind.
🧪
"Aquaria, why did Demanitus have to make this so complicated?" Varian asked with frustration laced in his voice.
"My answer is still the same the last million times you've asked me," Aqua said as she looked through a book she had gotten from Xavier.
"Yeah, yeah, he didn't want just anyone to know the last incantation because it is probably the most powerful incantation," Varian repeated what she had told him each time.
"Exactly," Aquaria said and she looked up at him. She got up and walked over, sitting on his lap. "Hey, we figured out how to decipher the scroll. We'll find the final incantation and we'll be able to decipher it."
Varian sighed softly and smiled at Aqua as he hugged her. "Thanks, blue. I needed that."
"I know," Aquaria murmured before she kissed his lips gently.
Varian relaxed as he kissed her back, his gloved hand gently cupping her cheek. When she pulled away, he gently rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."
"I love you too. Why don't we take a snack break and just relax. Then we can finish our metal competition," Aquaria suggested and Varian nodded quickly.
"That sounds awesome," he replied before Aqua got up off his lap.
☀️
"SURPRISE!"
Eugene stumbled backwards a little when everyone jumped out in the throne room.
"This is for me? Why?" Eugene questioned quickly.
"Because today is your actual birthday!" Rapunzel exclaimed as she went up to him.
"It is?" Eugene looked up at his father, King Edmund, and he gave a slight nod of confirmation. "Oh, wow. This party is for me! An entire evening where everyone gathers to pay homage to my existence? Oh, how did I go so many years without-"
"'Cause I sent him away as a babe and his whole life was a lie," Edmund said and the air grew awkward.
"Always a dependable ray of sunshine, dad," Eugene said sarcastically. "Well, being on the cake!"
Rapunzel gave a hand gesture and Atilla brought out the cake which was shaped like the palace while there was a sheet cake with Eugene on it, wishing him a happy birthday.
Eugene smiled before he counted the candles on the cake.
"Hold up. I don't mean to nitpick but there are one too many candles on this cake," Eugene pointed out.
"Uh, nope. Nope, that's right," Rapunzel said as she looked at the candles. "You are one year older than you thought, Eugene. Hooray for another birthday surprise!"
Eugene laughed before replying, "you are so funny, but also incorrect. I am twenty five years old. The number of candles on this cake indicates that I am twenty six years old. One year too many."
"No, no. You're twenty six years old today," Edmund corrected.
"Yep! That's right! Twenty six!" Rapunzel looked at him with a bright smile before everyone in the room started talking about his age.
"Would everyone stop saying my age out loud!" Eugene snapped before the cake started to rattle. Shorty popped out of the sheet cake with the frosting Eugene on his face.
"Happy twenty sixith birthday, Horace!" Short shouted as he threw his hands in the air before he fell out of the cake and onto the ground.
"Wow..." Eugene walked backwards a bit before sitting in a chair that Lance had brought behind him. "I am a year older than I think I am? This explains the lines on my eyes! Are these crows feet?" Eugene pointed to the outer corner of his left eye.
"Why don't you take your mind off your age and make a wish? Come on," Rapunzel said as she helped him up out of the chair and took him up to the cake once more.
"Well, I can think of at least one wish I'd like to have come true in the very jear future," Eugene said and he looked at his cake.
Rapunzel stepped behind Eugene and went to his other side, pulling the box with the engagement ring out of her hair. She kept it behind her back still as she held onto Eugene's arm with her free hand.
Eugene went to blow out his candles, thinking about Rapunzel's accepting his proposal the next time he asked, but the wind blew out his candles instead. All the candles in the room, in fact.
"What the..." Eugene looked so confused before he looked towards the door.
"Swell party. I'm guessing my invitation got lost in the mail," Cassandra's voice came from the doorway as everyone cleared the view to show Cassandra propping herself against the other door that was still closed.
"I think for the next party I'd like to have at least some input on the guest list," Eugene said as he got ready for a fight.
Cassandra smirked and unsheathed her sword, dragging the tip along the floor.
"If you don't mind I'll just help myself to a slice of this cake," Cass said as she walked towards the cake.
"What does she want? Why show up here now? Is she here to apologize or for a fight? She's probably here for a fight!" Lance said to Eugene.
"Quiet!" Eugene said quickly and Lance quickly shoveled popcorn in his mouth.
"It's..." Rapunzel started as Cassandra stopped at the cake. "Where have you been?"
"Helping myself, you might say. It's about time I helped myself. Don't you think?" Cassandra took a piece of cake, one of the towers of the castle.
"I think she wants a fight," Lance whispered as he kept stuffing his cheeks with popcorn.
"I thought a lot about how we left things and it makes me sad." Cassandra turned to walk passed Rapunzel, holding the plate that held her piece of cake and a fork.
"Oh, it makes me sad too. I-I miss you, Cassandra. I want us to be friends again," Rapunzel said as she looked at Cassandra with hope.
"Yeah. We both have things the other wants. Which brings me to why I'm here," Cassandra said as she turned around to look at Rapunzel again. "I want you to give me the scroll."
Eugene quickly went up behind Rapunzel and held her arms from behind. "I wouldn't do that. The scroll has the instructions to wield the power of the moonstone and the sundrop," Eugene warned Rapunzel and Cassandra glared at him.
"Stay out of this, Fitzherbert! Blondie can think for herself, hm? Give me the scroll and I'll leave Corona in peace," Cassandra said as she walked up to Rapunzel.
"Cassandra, I don't think-" Rapunzel started.
"Oh, I know, " Cassandra cut her off. "It's hard making decisions when the only friends and advisors you have left are ex-convicts and losers."
"Hey! We are not ex-convicts!" Eugene defended.
"Technically we have never been convicted of anything!" Lance pointed out before he and Eugene fist bumped.
"I'll give you some time to decide. Enjoy your party, Fitzherbert." Cassandra grinned as she threw Eugene her plate with her cake on it.
Eugene tried to catch the plate and Lamce caught the cake in his mouth.
Cassandra walked out, closing the one door behind her.
"Just to be clear, because I think it's important, I did not wish for that," Eugene said lowly.
☀️
"I can't give Cassandra the scroll," Rapunzel said as she stood in her room with Eugene, Pascal, Lance, Kiera, and Catalina.
The party ended rather quickly, everyone afraid that Cassandra was going to come back and do something awful to them all.
"Hey, I agree," Eugene said quickly. "On the one hand, if she gets the scroll it could be the end of the world. On the other hand, she did say we would never see her again! So, you know, pretty big upside."
"Who knows what she's been doing since she disappeared!" Lance said from the chair.
"Probably practicing betrayal. Thinking a lot about doing harm," Kiera said as she sat on top of the huge spinning globe.
"Reading," Catalina suggested.
"Reading a lot about doing harm," Kiera said as she kept spinning until Eugene stopped the globe from spinning.
"So, Cass gents the scroll, total destruction of us, got it. So we should hide it. Yes? Where is it?" Eugene said as Rapunzel sat down and he sat beside her.
"That's the other downside. I don't have it," Rapunzel said as she looked up at Eugene.
Eugene looked at her before asking, "if you don't have it, well, then who do have it?"
🧪
"The results are in! Who will win first prize for best metal!" Varian looked at the two samples of metal and Aqua smiled bright.
She was so intrigued by this and was watching intently.
"Will it be steel for its durability and thermal conductivity," Varian started and Aqua clapped a little. "Or iron for its lustrous shine and high melting point!"
The two started a drum roll when Ruddiger jumped off the other table with a beaker of hot chocolate and a marshmallow for Varian.
"Ah, yes, thank you, Ruddiger," Varian said as he stood up and went to get his drink. "This is perfect." He let out a really dramatic laugh which made Aqua roll her eyes with a light giggle. "Warm cocoa will really hit the spot. Thanks, bud," Varian said and he took a sip before Aqua hugged him from behind.
"Can I get a sip of that?" She asked and he turned to let her have a sip. "Mm, that's some good stuff, Ruddiger."
Varian smiled and kissed her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled away before giving a cheeky smile and saying, "you're the best stuff here."
"Stop it," Aqua said as she blushed a bit.
"I love you," he said before he kissed her again.
"Hi, Varian! Hi, Aquaria!" Rapunzel walked over and they both pulled away quickly.
"Oh! Ah! Hi! Hi! We, uh, weren't, uh, expecting you so soon," Varian said and Aqua put the hot cocoa down. "I mean, we did agree that we'd need at least five weeks of solitude to decipher this thing, so I thought we had some privacy."
Varian looked away with an embarrassed chuckle. He still didn't really feel comfortable with kissing Aquaria in front of her family, only because he knew how protective her father was.
"Varian, don't be embarrassed," Rapunzel said with a smile as she looked between the alchemist and her sister.
"Hey, goggles, real quick. Do you have any anti-aging alchemies? Maybe some skin tightening serum?" Eugene asked as he walked over to the other table and opened an aging potion. He gasped when he saw that he now looked like an old man. "I'm getting older by the second!"
Lance started to laugh and Max was rolling on his back with amused whinnies.
"Hey- gah- please, be careful! That stuff is very delicate," Varian said and Rapunzel saw the scroll.
"Oh, thank goodness. You have the scroll," Rapunzel said with a smile.
"I do! Oh, I do, and it took a while, but I composed this key to translate the text in its entirety," Varian said with a proud grin.
"Varian, your a genius!" Rapunzel said as she walked over to the scroll on the wall.
"I can't take full credit. Aquaria was the one that realized how to decipher it," Varian said which made Aqua smile.
"What's it say?" Rapunzel asked and Varian walked closer to the scroll.
"This is the healing incantation. This is the decay incantation," he started, pointing to them respectively. "And this is a third incantation. It would allow whoever possesses the moonstone to wield complete control over the black rocks."
"That's why Cassandra wants the scroll," Rapunzel realized.
"Yes, yes, but there's more! It says here that there are four incantations, not three!" Varian said excitedly.
"But we can't find it on the scroll," Aqua said with a bit of disappointment.
"Uh, guys, you might want to stop talking about the secrets of the scroll!" Lance warned through closed teeth as he pointed to the top of the staircase.
Cassandra stood watching them and Rapunzel gasped.
Varian pulled Aqua behind him instinctively.
"Don't stop on my account," Cassandra said with a grin.