Other Fan Fiction ❯ Reprise ❯ The Right Friends ( Chapter 31 )

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CHAPTER 31: The Right Friends

There was no noise. The bangs and booms had ceased. The ground no longer vibrated.

"Unh, come on," Ariel said. She jabbed her trident at a point near the dome's ceiling, chipping at the ice. A blast of lightning in these tight quarters could be disastrous.

Rapunzel sat against the wall. The passing time, the muffled silence, didn't bother her. The image of Elsa did. She hugged her knees as ice chips spattered her cheeks.

Ariel felt all three tines embed, instead just of the center point. "I think we're almost there."

Three more digs and a beam of light appeared. Ariel scraped against the aperture. Rapunzel pulled away the loose rocks.

It was daylight all right. They could see trees and hear birds.

"How did we get outside?" Ariel asked. "Did we teleport?"

Rapunzel knew the answer, but said nothing while Ariel hacked into the loose hole. One final blow excavated enough space to push out their thin frames.

Ariel gripped each side of the hole, pushed out her head, then her whole body. Weaving through portholes of sunken ships had prepared her for this. She tumbled onto grassy ground.

"Where's the castle?" Ariel asked.

"It's gone," Rapunzel said.

All around them lay a forest clearing. Thick, powdery snow covered the tall grass, like a patch of arctic in the middle of a forest. No trace of the castle remained.

"Elsa! Elsa, where are you?" Rapunzel shouted.

"Elsa!" Ariel shouted. "Elsa!"

"Ariel, she might have... she was in the castle at the time."

"If she saved us, she could have saved herself," Ariel replied.

They searched, spiraling out from the center. As they got closer to the edge, the sad reality ebbed in. Elsa could have protected herself, but didn't. The power had taken over. She had been so single-minded, she'd forgotten her own self.

Ariel poked the ground with her trident. Something underneath the snow was glowing.

"What's that?" Rapunzel asked.

"The morimema," Ariel said. It lay in the snow, now dull blue instead of pink, on the remains of its glass case. "I guess it's all that remains of Lowther now." She placed it in her pocket. "It must have been the only thing not made with Lowther's magic, so it stayed when he..."

Rapunzel reached the edge where only pebbles lay on snowy grass. Where Lowther's illusion ended, so did the snow. "Ariel, we can't stay here looking. We've got-"

"No, look!" Ariel pointed to the ground. "Footprints. In the snow."

"It must be her. They're too small to be a man's." Rapunzel laughed and hugged Ariel. "She's still alive!"

Side by side, they followed the footsteps north into the forest. All they had to follow were the direction of the footsteps, which ended when the snow did.

Hours passed while they called out "Elsa! Elsa!" But no answer. No sign of her passing, no ice on the trees. They didn't dare rest, for hope they could catch up to her.

Ariel remembered--from studying the map--there was nothing much in this direction but a small, rarely-used pier.

"She's going where I had the Barefoot Maiden dropped off," Ariel said. "I bet that's what she's heading for."

"She can't sail it without us, can she?" Rapunzel said.

Ariel shrugged.

Through the trees, they could see the ocean, along with the orange, pink, and red hues of sunset. And still no Elsa.

Rapunzel kicked a rock. "This is getting too frustrating. Nothing is going our way. Everyone we meet is trying to kill us. Your own kingdom, even," she said to Ariel. "And now Elsa's disappeared. Or something's happened to her. And we have no one we can turn to. No friends."

"We don't need a lot of friends," Ariel replied. "Just the right ones."

"Everywhere we turn, there's something new trying to attack us or stop us. What's going to be next?"

Their last steps brought them out onto the low cliffside before the pier. A boat was definitely docked there--a giant battleship. Its bow shadowed them, like the chest of a giant.

A group of naval soldiers walked up the gnoll towards them. Upon sight, they unshouldered their muskets and aimed. "Hold!"

Ariel and Rapunzel stood there dumbfounded.

Someone on deck shouted down. "What ho?" He had highly decorated lapels.

"A lucky find. Look now."

"Blast me..." he said. "Bring them on board."

Half the soldiers held their rifles while the others readied the rope. Were they mercenaries? Pirates?

They dragged Ariel and Rapunzel, bound and gagged, up the gangplank and on board the galleon. Other crewmembers gathered to see the commotion.

"Well, well, well," the captain said. "Here we are, waiting to prey on any passing ship. And who do we come upon but the two biggest enemies of the state. I would not dare calculate the chances of this. But a sailor knows not to question good fortune."

Rapunzel asked "What are you talking about?" but went ignored.

"Prepare the brig, sir?" one of the sailors asked.

"No. Execution. Immediately."

The deck murmured with mixed delight and surprise.

"Sir," one of the men said. Instead of a uniform, he wore a grease-stained apron with a saucepan hanging off his belt. An equally greasy handkerchief covered his grubby face. "Wouldn't it make more sense to bring them back alive? As hostages? We could use them for negotiations."

"As long as they still live, they have the chance of escape. I will not preserve them for the sake of my ego or to curry favor. Their bodies will earn all the accolades we need."

"What about that blonde one? They say she's got magic hair. Make ye live forever."

"Irrelevant. I'm not going to make a tactical mistake because of base greed. Too many have made the same mistake--they failed to use the opportunity when it came. Their pride or avarice got in the way." He turned to the others. "If he speaks again, stab him." To his lieutenants with guns, "Men, stand at attention."

Four men situated themselves in the middle of the deck. The ones holding Ariel and Rapunzel backed away and rejoined the crowd.

The captain unsheathed his sword and held it upright. "Ready!"

As the soldiers cocked their guns, Rapunzel looked for the man in the apron. He was their only advocate, plus something was familiar about him. But he had disappeared in the crowd.

"Aim!" The rifles dropped. Four empty black holes stared at them. Ariel squealed.

Rapunzel located the cook climbing up the rigging to the crow's nest. No one noticed him--all eyes were on the impending execution. Halfway up, he yanked a kitchen knife from his pocket and cut a rope.

"Fire!"

The cook swung down with the knife in his teeth as the word was spoken. He launched into all four, knocking them down like dominoes. The shots went wild. Two splintered the wood behind them.

The deck erupted into chaos. The cook rushed over and cut through their bonds. "Who are you?" Rapunzel asked.

"Oh, that's a fine greeting," he said. "I mean, granted, this is a good disguise, but not that good. It's the nose, isn't it? The handkerchief hides the nose."

"Eugene?"

The crewmen helped the soldiers to their feet.

"Traitor!" The captain pointed his sword. "Who are you? Talk and your death will be... less slow."

The man pulled his handkerchief off. "Why, you are in the presence of the one and only Flynn Rider. The finest rogue and magsman in the country."

The crewmen stared at him. "I thought his nose was different."

"Yeah, bigger."

"And more crooked."

The captain growled. "Kill them!" He thrust his sword in the air.

"Well, don't just stand there." Flynn handed Rapunzel a frying pan from behind his back. "'The smolder' won't work on these guys."

Flynn blocked the captain's overhead swing with his kitchen knife.

Two approached Rapunzel. They stepped in the loops of hair spooled around the deck. She grabbed a chunk and yanked. The loops tightened, pulling their feet out from under.

Ariel pulled out her trident. She spun the blunt end forward and socked one in the stomach. Another behind her back held up a cutlass over her head. She executed a 270-degree turn, whipping the end of her staff into his side. He whimpered, then crumbled into a ball.

But now her back was to most of her attackers. The nearest, she thrust her pole down. Its pointed ends jabbed into one of the sailor's boots. His eyes spun as he yelped with pain.

Ariel checked on Rapunzel. She was keeping the others on the ship from engaging with Flynn and the captain. It was all she could do to keep them away.

Someone sprinted towards her, cutlass outstretched to run her through. "Rapunzel! On your left!"

Rapunzel quick-stepped to the side and banged his head with the frying pan. He tripped and fell into a barrel. She gave a thumbs-up to Ariel.

Someone threw a metal bucket. Rapunzel smacked it with the pan, returning their serve. It wedged onto the thrower's head so hard it stuck. She glanced back at Flynn.

"I should have known you were a spy," the captain said as metal clanged.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. I've been doing this for years." Flynn parried another blow.

"You think you can win with a chef's knife?"

"You'd be surprised how handy kitchen utensils can be."

The captain grimaced, then followed with a flurry of determined slashes.

Flynn backed up against the railing, defending against the jabs. The tip of the captain's sword slashed his wrist. Flynn lost grip on the kitchen knife, which fell over the side.

The captain pointed his sword at Flynn's heart. "And now, miscreant, the die is cast."

KA-BONG.

The captain's head shivered. His body tensed. He fell to the side, slumped into unconsciousness. Rapunzel stood behind him, holding her frying pan.

"You mean 'cast iron'," she said. She reached out to help Flynn up.

"Thanks, Blondie. We should tally up who's saved who the most, just to make sure we're even."

"They say keeping score is bad in a marriage," she smiled.

A growl alerted them that the fight wasn't over yet. The remaining crew members were closing in on them.

"Guys!" Ariel shouted from above. She was halfway up the main mast, holding onto the rigging with one hand. The trident in her other hand gleamed. "Hang on to something."

Rapunzel and Flynn grabbed the railing of the ship for dear life.

Ariel pointed the trident into the ocean, off the side of the ship. The ethereal charge reached a pinnacle and a single gold beam shot into the water. Water rose like a tide at the impact point. At the same time, the opposite side lowered. In seconds, the ship had tilted forty-five degrees and still climbing.

The crew, those who weren't unconscious, scrambled against gravity. The floor that was supposed to be horizontal had become vertical. Barrels and bodies knocked into most of them, sending them splashing into the ocean.

One last sailor managed to clamber onto the opposite railing. His legs kicked in the air, but he wouldn't let go.

Rapunzel scowled. She grabbed a tress of hair and spun it with a sharp thrust. It sailed up and wrapped around his leg. She tugged with all her might. The sailor let go. With arms and legs flailing, he splashed into the water like a cannonball.

Ariel ceased her magic, righting the ship steadily. Once everything was level, she jumped down from the netting.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

Rapunzel and Flynn were already hugging and kissing each other. Ariel rolled her eyes and smirked, a little embarrassed.

"What are you doing here?" Rapunzel playfully punched Flynn in the chest.

"Figures. I finally find my love and she doesn't know whether to kiss me or kill me." Flynn cocked his head at Ariel with a hint of roguish smolder. Ariel giggled.

That didn't stop Rapunzel. "How did you get here? Why are you dressed like that? Why are you on this ship?"

"I'm spying for Corona."

"As the ship's cook?" Rapunzel asked.

Flynn grinned. "Number one lesson for sneakery--no one questions the kitchen staff. Someone got too nosy, I just threw potatoes at them and threatened to serve moldy bread. Better than being recognized as His Royal Highness Prince of Corona."

"But why? What's happening in Corona? Did you figure out the library fire? Did Ansel return?"

Flynn sighed. "That's a long story."

"We need to get to Arendelle," Ariel said. "We lost Elsa. And Arendelle's the only place I can think to look for her."

"No problem." Flynn rubbed his hands together. "I know this ship like the back of my hand. Just find a comfortable cabin, ladies, and old Flynn Rider will do-"

"I got it." Ariel trotted to the back of the ship. She leaned over the side and pointed her trident into the water.

A moment later, the world leaned again, twisting to the left. Flynn and Rapunzel held onto each other for balance as the wooden boards creaked and groaned.

Once the ship faced the open ocean a sudden jerk swept them off their feet. The masts swayed as the ship burst forward.

"There," Ariel said. "Arendelle by morning, at this speed. Assuming we don't veer off course. Keep the prow true north and we shouldn't have much trouble. The anchor's weighed and the rigging line's secured. Watch that boom, it felt a little loose. Do you know if the oakum is holding?"

"Um... I... I can steer," Flynn said.

"Good," Ariel patted him on the back. "And let's remember to take the flag down this time."

"So here's what we know..."

Flynn adjusted the wheel to the left. Ariel leaned over the rail, watching the ocean pass by. Rapunzel helped her husband steer.

"When you left Arendelle, Prince Hans and the Duke and were still in the harbor. Then all of a sudden Commander Ansel comes over the horizon with half the Corona navy. Hans's navy skedaddles. Ansel makes it to shore. Big celebration. He stays docked in Arendelle a while, just to make sure they don't come back."

"Good thinking," Rapunzel said. "People would know the queen was gone before long. Anna could use the help."

"Yeah, except for the part where Anna's disappeared and Ansel's declared himself ruler of Arendelle."

"What? When did that happen?" Ariel asked.

"How did that happen?" Rapunzel asked.

"No one has any idea. They've been keeping their borders tight. All we know is, he's sending out diplomats and ambassadors to other countries, seeking aid and alliances. He's declaring himself Arendelle's new governor. And not under Corona's flag either. I think he saw an opportunity to conquer and he took it. Arendelle was weak, covered with snow, helpless."

"That dirty... I trusted him," Rapunzel stammered. She rubbed her forehead. "I told him everything about Arendelle's defenses. I spent hours going over the landscape with him. He must have walked in like he owned the place."

"It was a bloodless takeover. Calling himself Lord Protector, so it sounds less like an overthrow," Flynn said.

Rapunzel looked up, startled. "What happened to Anna? Is she-"

"Don't know," Flynn said. "He hasn't said either way. Just that he's instated himself."

Rapunzel wiped away tears. "I should have stayed. They were facing a war and I just left."

"Princess Anna was there, wasn't she?" Flynn asked.

"She... she's not... exactly..." Rapunzel sighed. "Look, I've got to confess something. While Elsa was gone, I took over most of Anna's duties. I formed the laws, made judgments, held meetings. And the people loved it. They loved it so much they asked me to be their queen."

"What?" Flynn said. "Are you serious?"

"They wanted me to usurp Elsa. For Corona to annex the country."

"Wasn't Anna their queen regent?" Flynn asked.

"She was. But... they think I'm better."

"What were you doing taking over her job?" Ariel asked.

"It wasn't my fault, I just sort of... slid into it. Anna was inconsolable when she thought Elsa was dead. She holed up in her room for days. Meanwhile Arendelle was still under having problems. Someone had to run the kingdom, and I was the queen's cousin."

"They really wanted Corona to take over?" Flynn asked. "Huh, they got their wish."

Rapunzel frowned. "Ansel no longer represents Corona. I would never tell him to conquer Arendelle. He's a traitor to the crown. As of this moment, I declare him an enemy of the state."

"I'd think twice before shouting that from the rooftops, blondie," Flynn said. "He's got a handful of countries backing him, and more he can call forward. Plus he's building up loyalty every day."

"We can't let him get away with this," Ariel said. "We can't let him bully his way into a kingdom that's not his."

"I don't know if it's bullying. The people weren't too happy with Elsa either." Rapunzel looked at her hands. "I mean, we know her. But there's been two unexpected winters in a year. And she controls the weather."

"But this wasn't her fault. And we can prove it," Ariel said.

"It doesn't change the way they feel. They think she's an emotionally unstable sorceress who can bury the town in blizzards. And people shouldn't be afraid of their leader. Between her and Anna, no one's confident in the royal family. And I was thinking... maybe they were right. I was thinking about doing it."

"What?" Flynn asked. "You mean become queen of Arendelle?"

"They were... When Anna had to step up she... She's a great person. She's bold and inspiring. She's always trying to make people laugh. But she doesn't like conflicts. I saw her make some bad decisions just to avoid a fight. Instead of reading documents, she took us horse-riding. Some people just aren't good at making hard choices or inspiring faith in people."

"So you want to take her place?" Ariel asked. "I thought I knew you. But you're just as bad as Ansel."

"No!" Rapunzel said. "I'm not trying to brag. I'm really not. But you weren't there. I saw the way they reacted when I stepped in the room."

Flynn shrugged. "She does have a point. People in Corona say she'll make an excellent queen. They've never seen anyone as kind-hearted or supportive."

"Does Anna know you were thinking about this?" Ariel asked.

Rapunzel shook her head. "Elsa returned before I had to make a decision. I didn't even tell Anna. I... I was too afraid to ask."

Ariel scoffed. "Because she would have said 'no'."

"No, because I was too afraid she would say 'yes'."

Ariel softened. She shirked back and looked over the ocean. Rapunzel, puffy-eyed and holding back sobs, stared at the opposite corner of the deck.

"What did you decide?" Ariel asked.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. Before she could answer, Flynn pointed straight ahead.

"Whoa, look at that."

They passed by a buoy, signaling the border of Arendelle's waters. The flag, instead of the violet crocus, was black and gold with a fist in the middle.

"Hold tight. We are definitely entering dangerous waters," Flynn said.