Chapter 18: One Step Closer

Warnings: Flood, and mentions of; accident, illness, suggested abortion, kidnapping, running away, forced marriage, war, runaway pet, beating, and being chased

Rapunzel and I walked through the brown, stone cave. "So, Anna, where are you from?" She questioned.

"Sorry, Rapunzel, don't do backstory." I told her. Suddenly, we heard footsteps behind us. I turned around to see Cassandra and Eugene chasing us. "Run, Rapunzel, run!" I exclaimed as I put my hands on her shoulders.

We ran out onto a tan, rocky cliff. Rapunzel handed me her black, cast-iron frying pan. She tied her hair around a brown, loose, wooden beam. She jumped off the cliff and landed on the other cliff. A white horse with a blonde mane with a brown saddle came up behind me with a little, wooden sword. I struck the pan at Maximus. "YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS THE STRANGEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE." I shouted across the canyon to Rapunzel. Maximus struck the pan out of my hand. It fell to the bottom of the canyon. I just stood there with my hands up. Maximus pointed the wooden sword at my nose. Rapunzel lassoed her hair around my hand and pulled me across the canyon to her. Once I was across the canyon, the brown, wooden dam burst.

Rapunzel and I ran into a brown, rocky cave. I breathed. Chilly water seeped into the cave. Pretty soon, the water was up to our waists. I dove down. It was pitch black. I got up. I kicked the rocks. My foot started hurting. I grabbed my foot. I groaned. Rapunzel dove down. I let go of my foot and quickly pulled her up. "Look, it's pitch black down there. You can't see anything." I explained.

"This is all my fault, I never should have left." She cried. I sighed.

"My real name is Arianna." I told Rapunzel.

"And I have magic hair that glows when I sing." She told me. I looked at her, confused. She began to sing.

"Flower, gleam and glow

Let your powers shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fates' design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine"

She sang. Her hair started glowing yellow. I gasped, making bubbles in the water. I quickly covered my mouth. Rapunzel's hair lined up from us to some loose, brown rocks. I dug up the rocks. I could feel my left hand go out of the cave. We fell out of the cave.

We fell into the river. Rapunzel climbed out of the river. "We're alive!" She exclaimed, running around in a circle.

"Her hair glows!" I exclaimed as I came up from underwater. I turned to Pascal. "Did you know that her hair glows?" I asked him. He just smiled.

"Arianna, it does more than just glow." She told me. Pascal smiled.

"Why is he smiling at me?" I questioned. She just laughed.

That night, after the sunset, Rapunzel wrapped her soft blonde hair around my scarred foot. "So, I see you are wrapping your hair around my injured hand." I observed. I winched.

"Almost done." She cooed. Rapunzel began to sing.

"Flower, gleam and glow

Let your powers shine

Make the clock reverse

Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt

Change the fates' design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine

What once was mine"

She sang. Rapunzel's hair started glowing yellow. My foot started feeling better. I unwrapped it. The scar was gone. I gasped. "Don't freak out." She told me.

"I'm not freaking out. I'm just… Has it always done that?" I questioned.

"Mother says that when I was a baby, people would try to cut it and try to use it for its power. But, once it's cut, it turns brown." Rapunzel pulled back her hair to reveal a short, brown lock.

"That's why you never left, are you going to go back?" I questioned.

"Yes… No… it's complicated.". She put her head in her hands. She ran her hands through her hair. I frowned.

"So, Arianna, why did you change your name?" Rapunzel questioned.

"I'm a runaway." I explained.

"Why did you run away?". I sighed.

"My mom disappeared when I was 15, leaving me the Coronan throne. I married one of my best friends, Frederic, who was 16 and we settled down. Two years after our marriage, I became pregnant. Everyone was so happy for us. But when I was nine months pregnant, I was ambushed by a witch and sickened. We were told that I or my child won't survive. But, then, rumors started going around about the sundrop, a healing flower born from a single drop of sun. But then, another of my best friends was like 'if you take the sundrop, you will unleash the darkness.' I cried all night. But, my sisters and friends found it and gave it to me. The next morning, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who looked like you." I explained, cupping her cheek. Rapunzel smiled.

"But, when the night fell, the same witch who had struck me in the heart with a black rock, broke into our house and kidnapped her. I tried to stay in Corona for a week, but I ended up running away.

First I went to Kodo, an icy and snowy kingdom. But after a while, I got sick from the cold. Then I went to Nezertnea, a desert kingdom. But just after a year and a third, my stepfather tried to marry me off. Next, I went to Begncore, a forest kingdom. But after sixteen months, we got ambushed. Then I went to Galcreast, a rich African kingdom. But after a while, I got sick from a mosquito bite. Next, I went to Pittsburgh, a kingdom with shorter people. But just after a year and a third, my pet pony ran away. Then I went to Invarr. I was able to join the army of warrior women. But after sixteen months, they found out about my identity and beat me up.

Then I ended up in Venice, Italy, But after a while, the city flooded. Then I ended up in the Philippines. But just after a year and a third, there was a tsunami that destroyed my foster family's home. Then I ended up in Madagascar. But after sixteen months, I got sick from the water. Then I ended up in Polynesian. My foster family decided to move us to Hawaii after a while. But just after a year and a third, there was a hurricane that destroyed my foster family's home. Then I ended up in Columbia. But after sixteen months, we got ambushed. Then I ended up in Antarctica. But after a while, I got sick from the cold. Then I ended up in Atlantis. But after two and a half years, there was an explosion that pushed me back to Corona.". By the time I was done, my eyes were full of tears from all the traumatic memories. Rapunzel hugged me.

After Rapunzel went to sleep, I pulled out my journal, and began writing.

7/3/1636 Evening

Dear Journal,

Cassandra and Eugene chased me into a tower. Apparently, there was a girl living there and she wants to see the lanterns. So, I'm taking her to see the lanterns. When we got out of the tower, she was so excited. I don't think she has even been out of there. It started raining. So, we went to the Snuggly Duckling. I was attacked, so the girl, Rapunzel, distracted them by talking about their dreams. Then, Cassandra and Eugene caught up to us. We escaped down a secret cave which flooded. But, Rapunzel used her magic hair to find a way out. I think Rapunzel is really nice and hope to get to know her better.

Sincerely,

Arianna

I put my journal beside my bed, laid down, and went to sleep.