Prolouge

Author's Note: This is the pilot chapter for you guys reading on AO3 and FF.net. For. you Wattpaders the pilot chapter was the cast. (Sorry everyone else, I only know how to make a cast on WP.). So, without any farther ado, let's get on to the story!

Warnings: Atempted murder, life threatening illness, suggested abortion, abduction

Eight year old Cassandra Gothel was sweeping the floor of her mother's cottage. She hummed the melody of her mother's music box. Her best friend, sixteen year old Arianna Corona came in and sat down on the couch. "UFF!" She cried as she held her round belly. "Are you okay, Your Majesty?" Cassandra question, stopping her sweeping. "Yeah, my mobility has gotten questionable ever since month six. I can't ride anymore." Arianna explained. Cassandra frowned. "Don't worry, baby's due sometime this week!". Cassandra smiled. "Can you play a song for me on your guitar?". Cassandra picked up the broom and strumed the brisels as if it was a guitar. Arianna giggled. "I was thinking like on your real guitar.". "You mean you don't like the broomtar?" Cassandra questioned as she picked up the small black guitar in the corner and put the golden strap around her shoulders. Arianna giggled. She started to sing.

"Guess by now I ought to know my place

Do your humble duty with a smile on your face

Mother knows how much I love her,

but she's always doing other things

So I'll keep waiting in the wings

I crave so much

And yet I keep on waiting

One glance, one touch

And I just keep on waiting

And when it comes, it comes with strings

So I keep waiting in the wings."

Arianna clapped. "That was beautiful!" She complimented as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Gothel came in the room. Both of the girls stood still. "Want to hear some real music?" She questioned as she took the guitar from Cassandra. She started to sing.

"Crescent high above

Evolving as you go

Raise what lies beneath

And let the darkness grow

Bend it to my will

Consume the sunlight's glow

Rise into the sky

And let the darkness grow

Let darkness grow"

A black gas came out of the guitar. It surrounded Arianna and raised her up. "Please- I am having trouble breathing-" She plead. Then, the gas disappeared. Arianna's body fell down.

"NO! MOTHER! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Cassandra screamed. Gothel took off the guitar and slammed it on the ground. Cassandra collapsed balling on the ground.

The next afternoon Cassandra was sitting in a chair in the palace sickroom. Arianna was supposedly 'sleeping' in the sickbed. Cassandra took her sick friend's hand and held it. The dying queens' eyes opened. Cassandra was too lost in thought to notice. Suddenly, Cassandra barely heard a weak voice say, "gui-tar?".

Cassandra quickly snapped out of thought. She turned towards Arianna. The Queen's skin was deathly pale, her brown hair was tangled and thin, her eyes were discolored with red along the outside, her bones were showing, and her lips were chapped. "Doctor, she's awake!" Cassandra called.

A young woman with black, braided hair, brown skin, brown eyes, dark pink lips wearing a turquoise dress walked into the room and sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the bed. She felt Arianna's forehead. "How do you feel, Your Majesty?" She questioned as she took her hand off. "Gui-tar?" Arianna questioned. "The guitar broke at my house." Cassandra explained. Suddenly, Captain came in with Cassandra's guitar. "Cassandra…" He called as he went over to the girl and put it on her. "Thanks, Dad, I don't feel like playing right now." Cassandra explained as she let go of Arianna's hand. "Mus-ic?" Arianna questioned. "Actually, I've… moved on." She explained as she took the guitar off. Arianna started crying. Captain gasped. "But you can't just quit." He protested. "How am I supposed to go on playing music when he almost watched someone attempt to murder my best friend with a guitar yesterday!?". "You know, music is power, power can be used for good and evil." The doctor said as she stroked hair out of Arianna's face. Cassandra took a deep breath and began to sing:

"I know we've grown apart, it breaks my heart in two

I miss your company, the closeness we once knew

I won't pretend to know just what you're going through

But I'd give anything for you

Yes, I'd give anything to relive everything with you

So if you find that you're in darkness or despair

Though you won't turn to me please know I'll be right there

Name any sacrifice, I'll pay the price that's due

'Cause I'd give anything for you

Yes, I'd give anything to relive everything we knew

Yes, I'd give anything for you"

Captain and the doctor were in tears at the end. "Good job Cassandra!" Captain exclaimed. "Thanks! Now I know that my guitar's not cursed!" Cassandra explained. Everybody laughed. Cassandra looked at Arianna. She was asleep. Her face was all scrunched up. Her body was tightened. "She's in pain!" Cassandra exclaimed as she grabbed her hand. Captain rushed out to get The King and the doctor rushed over to her side.

Arianna was in so much pain as she woke up. Her whole body was sore. It hurt too much to open her eyes. She cried out. Her stomach hurt the most. She heard voices that gave her a headache. She cried out in pain. She felt something squeeze her hand. She heard the door open. She heard quick footsteps before getting picked up. She sniffed the air. It smelled like… Frederic's clone. She threw herself into whatever was holding her. She heard Frederic's voice, filled with worry and fear as she was held tighter.

Frederic held his wife and child tight. Arianna had thrown herself into him. It didn't hurt him, acourse. She had gotten so skinny since she had fallen ill. He was honestly more worried about her. "Ari, are you okay?" Frederic questioned fearfully. Obviously, Arianna didn't respond. She just continued struggling. A nurse noticed Arianna struggling. Cassandra rushed over to her side. Frederic and the nurse laid down swirmmy girl. Arianna laid down still. "She's running out of time." The nurse announced. "Please, can you do anything else?" He begged. The nurse looked at the lifeless girl. She begun to stroke her hair and sing:

"Once a single drop of sunlight fell to earth and became a cord,

Instead of playing music for the ear, this gear,

Has healing on the record."

Cassandra remembered her mother going to the forest, strumming a golden cord, and coming back looking almost de-aged. "I think I know of a cord like that!" She cried.

That night, as Cassandra sat down, removing the C Minor Cord from her guitar, she heard footsteps to the throne room. As she crept around the corner, she saw Quririn, a man who hung around her mother a lot, and she was pretty sure that he was her father. "If you take the Sundrop you will unleash an ancient curse, by removing the light you will unleash unimaginable darkness.". She put the guitar on and walked out into the light. She played the scale. Quririn and Frederic looked at her. "Arianna is a sweet, young girl. Just because taking the cord means that it would release some kind of darkness doesn't give us the right to kill her off. And, we're also talking about an unborn baby!" Cassandra exclaimed.

"You don't decide the fate of an entire nation!". Frederic stood up from his throne. "We, the People of Corona, decided long ago, that if ever the blood monarch's, Arianna's, life was endangered, without an heir, we would do everything that we can before letting her pass peacefully. As your King, I feel like that it is my right, and duty to take the Sundrop. So that idea is taken under consideration and dismissed." Frederic declared before dismissively bowing to Quririn. Quririn stomped out the door. Cassandra turned around to look at Frederic. He had a shocked look on his face. "I thought he was coming to give a crop report." He mumbled.

Cassandra ran upstairs. She opened the door to the sickroom. Her mother was holding Arianna. "She was crying a minute ago." Friedborg explained. Captain and Frederic rushed in. Frederic took his wife from her. She was seemingly sleeping. "Aww, you're going to be okay." Frederic cooed as he stroked her face. "I'm gonna to head out." Cassandra announced. She walked out the door.

Cassandra went out to her mother's cottage. Using her lantern, she searched around for the cord. She saw a glowing cord. She grabbed it. Black gas arose in the air. She covered her nose and mouth in her shirt. She ran back to the palace.

Cassandra ran inside the palace. She ran upstairs to the sickroom. She opened the wooden door. Arianna was sleeping peacefully in the bed. Frederic was holding her hand. She put the guitar around her shoulder and played.

"Power of the sun

Gift me with your light

Shine into the dark

Restore our fading sight

Rise into the dawn

Blazing star so bright

Burn away the strife

Let my hope ignite

Let hope ignite"

Arianna immediately woke up. Color returned to her skin and eyes. She smiled as she sat up. Frederic and Cassandra threw their arms around her. The servants clapped and cheered.

The next morning, Friedborg shook Cassandra awake. "There's a surprise for you in Frederic and Arianna's bedroom." She announced.

Cassandra rushed to the Corona's bedroom. Frederic was sitting on the bed with Arianna, helping her hold a playful, blonde, baby girl in her arms. "Come mere" Arianna announced. Cassandra ran over to and climbed on the bed. Arianna turned and gave the baby to her. "Her name is Rapunzel." Arianna told her.

That night, Gothel snuck in the palace. Cassandra and Arianna were awoken in there sleep. Cassandra ran upstairs to the Royal bedroom. She met Arianna inside. She was holding a sword out. "Did you hear that?" She questioned, panicked. Gothel step out. Cassandra and Arianna jumped. Arianna smile. "You are powerless without the guitar." She announced. "Oh yeah!? You will regret underestimating me!" Gothel announced as she pulled out her sword. She knocked Arianna's sword on her back. Arianna fell down. "No!" Cassandra cried. Gothel picked up Rapunzel and jumped out the window.

All of Corona searched for Rapunzel. But, they saw no trace of Rapunzel. And to this day they're still searching…