Chapter 13 (SORA): Return of the Princess

Chapter 13 (Sora): Return of the Princess

      A scream on the shores nearby ended Sora and Kairi's moment.  Both looked up and towards the shores.  Rapunzel and Eugene's boat had docked, but Eugene was gone.  Rapunzel was surrounded by the two burly thugs from their time at the dam.  The thugs eyed Rapunzel with greedy looks and held a large burlap sack and rope.  Sora and Kairi hurriedly rowed their boat to Rapunzel's side as the thugs advanced upon her.  

     "He wouldn't!  He's not like that!"

     "We told you straight from his mouth" the thief sneered.  "Rider just led you on.  All he was after was that crown.  Unlike Rider, we're not gonna lie to you, sweetie.  We want that hair of yours.  And we're willing to do anything we need to get it."

      "Leave her alone!" Sora shouted, landing on the shore with his Keyblade in hand.  "You're not going to take her anywhere."

      "Stay out of this, kid" the second thief warned.  "You'll live longer that way."  When Sora didn't budge, Kairi jumped to his side with her Keyblade in hand.  The thief rolled his eyes.  "I guess we gotta do this the hard way."  

     "Run, Rapunzel!" Sora shouted.  The frightened girl did as she was told, running away from the scene.  

     When the second thief prepared to chase her, the first stopped him.  "Leave her.  With that hair, she can't get far.  We can enjoy this beatdown."  The thieves drew daggers from holsters on their belts and prepared to advance upon the duo.  Sora and Kairi remained on the defensive.  "Fight!"  

     Before the men could strike, both were delivered swift blows to the head from a blunt branch and collapsed to the ground.  Sora looked past the unconcious bodies of the thieves to see a woman, draped in maroon colored robes, wielding the branch in defense.  "Who are you?"

     "Aren't you Rapunzel's--" Kairi began

     "Mother?" a stunned Rapunzel asked as she returned to the shore.  

     "Oh, my precious girl.  Are you alright?" the woman asked.  

     "How did you find me?" Rapunzel asked, running into her mother's arms.  

     "I was so worried about you" the woman cried.  "So I followed you all here.  And when I saw those men attack you--never mind.  Let's get away before they come to."  The woman then looked to Sora and Kairi.  "I want to thank you two for protecting my darling Rapunzel for me.  If anything had happened to her, I don't know what I would have done."  

     "Your welcome" Kairi replied.  "We're just glad she'll be safe.  Right, Rapunzel?" 

     But Rapunzel was distracted by a ship sailing away in the distance.  When Sora and Kairi stared out into the distance, they saw the makings of Eugene sailing the boat away.  Tears swelling up in her eyes, Rapunzel fell back into her mother's arms.  "You were right, Mother.  You were right about everything."  

     "I know, dear" Gothel replied.  "I know.  But we really should flee before those brutes wake up."  Rapunzel slowly followed her Mother into the woods, but not before turning back to Sora and Kairi.  She nodded and waved sadly before vanishing into the dark forest.  

      Sora clenched his fists.  "I should have known Rider would do something like this!"

     "Something doesn't seem right, though" Kairi chimed in.  "Why would he go through all of that with us just to get some crown.  He looked like he was enjoying his time with her.  I don't get it."

     "That's just what he wanted us to think" Sora fumed.  "I should go tell him off right now!"

     "Sora, what is that going to solve?" Kairi asked.

     "I don't know" Sora sighed.  "I just--don't like it when people hurt others."  

     Kairi put her hand on Sora's shoulder.  "I know.  If Eugene has a side to his story, maybe we can ease Rapunzel's pain."

     Sora nodded.  "I think we should split up.  You go with Rapunzel and her mother to find out what exactly happened.  After we saved her daughter, I think she wouldn't mind the visitors."  

     "What about you?" 

     "If you think Rider has some good in him, I should be the one who has to find it for myself.  I'l lgo after him and figure this out.  We'll meet by the tower."  Kairi nodded and followed Rapunzel into the woods.  Sora turned back towards where Eugene's ship had sailed away towards and hopped into his boat to make his way after him.  

      Sora was surprised when he made it to the docks before Eugene's sailboat.  He skidded to a halt on the dock when the ship finally stopped moving at the docks.  He was about to chastise the thief for hurting Rapunzel, when he noticed Eugene was unconscious.  He'd been tied to the mast and made to look as if he was sailing the boat.  

      Sora scooped some of the water from the lake into his hands and splashed Eugene with it.  When he came through, he finally saw his predicament.  "What the--huh?  Wait?  Rapunzel?  RAPUNZEL!  Where is she?"

      "She's gone" Sora told him.  "She's going back to her mother."  

      Eugene struggled to free himself.  "Those stinking monsters!  They were going to hurt her!"

      Sora helped him unstrap himself from the boat.  "It doesn't matter.  She's going back home now.  She'll be safe there."

      Eugene shook his head.  "No.  She won't.  She'll be miserable.  Trapped up in that tower for the rest of her life.  I won't let her go through that again."  As he tried to board the dock again, Sora stood in his path.  "Sora, come on.  Let me through."

     "It's not for us to decide what's best for Rapunzel" Sora explained.  "If she wants to go stay with her mother, it's not our choice to make."

      Eugene lowered his head.  "Sora, please.  I'm begging you.  At least let me go and say goodbye."

     "I don't think Rider deserves that option" a sinister voice called.  Sora turned to see the two goons from before approach the boat.  "After what he pulled, he's lucky we haven't skewered him yet."  

     Sora called forth his Keyblade.  "What do you guys want?  I thought you were after Rapunzel?"

     "The girl with the magic hair was only part of the deal" the grunt explained.

     "Deal?" Eugene echoed.  

     "We were promised three rewards for our loyalty: the first was the girl.  The second was payback on Rider, here.  Finally--"  The thug pointed his finger at Sora's Keyblade.  "--was that."  

     "Sora's sword?" Eugene asked.

     "How dense can you be, Rider?  That sword is the key to unlocking everything we could have hoped for.  That, immortality, and revenge?  How could you get a better offer?"  

     Sora was about to attack, when Eugene leaped from the boat and tackled the thief.  When the second tried to intervene, Sora fired a beam of light at him and knocked him backwards.  Eugene and the thug wrestled until the brute was pinned underneath Rider's boots.  "How did you know about her?  Tell me NOW!"

     Terrified of Rider and the wrath of the Keyblade, the thug capitulated.  "It was the old lady."

     "Old lady?" Eugene echoed again.  

     Sora's eyes widened in horror.  "Oh no.  It's her mother!"

     "Rapunzel!" Eugene screamed, hurrying down the path towards the forest.  Sora followed him and came to a stop when Eugene was surrounded by Heartless.  "Out of the way!"  

     "Can't take a hint, eh?" a loud, bombastic voice shouted.  Sora recognized the voice instantly.  From the shadows of the night infested village, Pete stood behind his Heartless lackeys.  "You're not messing with my plans here.  That there girl's going to be my Heartless Servant."  

     "You'd better not--" Eugene snarled.  

     "Oh what?" Pete mocked.  "Mr. Big and Scary Thief is gonna stop me?  Ha ha ha ha ha!  Gimme a break!  Run along, pipsqueak!"  

     "Then try me, you big oaf!" Sora called, jumping to Eugene's side.  

     "Payback time, Spike-Head!" Pete laughed, sending his Heartless into battle.  

Boss Battle: Pete II

HP: 560

Battle Music: Rowdy Rumble

GET BONUS:

Sora Learned Guard Break

        Pete fell to his side from the last blow from Sora's Keyblade and quickly began to nurse his ailing wounds.  "Ow ow!  Ya little runt!  That hurt!"

       "There's more where that came from!" Sora shouted.  

       "Not for much longer" Pete snickered.  "I'm sure Mommy Gothel's already turning Rapunzel into a Heartless as we speak.  Then, once Mommy becomes one too, all that magic power will be mine!  Ha ha ha ha ha."  

       "You think she'd let you turn her into one?" Sora slyly asked.

       "She won't have a choice in the matter" Pete guffawed.  "Even if she manages to get ahold of a Keyblade, she still won't stop me!"  Pete prepared to call more Heartless to battle, but a loud whinny caught his attention.  He whirled around, only to find two large hoofs flying towards him and knocking him backwards.  Pete rolled past Sora and Eugene and into the water.  

        Maximus walked up to the boys, with a triumphant look on his face.  "Max" Eugene exclaimed.  "You came back for me?"

        The horse eyed him bluntly, then huffed.  

        "I figured it was just for Rapunzel" Eugene rhetorically responded.  He hoped aboard Max's saddle and turned towards Sora.  "We have to get to Rapunzel before it's too late.  If anything happens to her--"

       "You do care about her" Sora realized.  

       "Come on!  Let's go!" Eugene shouted.  

       Maximus took off down the path towards the forest.  Sora nodded contently, until he realized the disastrous mistake he'd committed.  "Oh no!  Kairi!"  Knowing she was in mortal danger if she was in the presence of someone who could turn others into Heartless, Sora put on his armor, summoned his hoverboard, and soared into the sky towards the hidden tower.

      Sora soared through the air atop his hoverboard, staying close to to Eugene and Max and they galloped on the ground towards Gothel's hidden tower.  Finally, the trio made their way into the meadow where the tower was hidden in the shadows of the valley.  Eugene jumped off of Max and Sora lowered himself down to the ground.  They hurried to the base of the tower to look for a way up.  As they did, the window that they'd climbed down some time ago opened.  Both boys looked up to see an immense amount of Rapunzel's hair flung out the window and landed beside them.  Eugene grabbed ahold first and began to climb his way up to the tower.  Sora followed at a distance, trying not to yank too hard and cause Rapunzel pain.
     Eugene disappeared into the window.  As Sora was about to join him, he heard a muffled shriek.  Sora climbed faster, but the hair was yanked back into the tower and Sora was left to dangle from the windowsill.  Sora struggled to get into the tower, as the window had been slammed shut behind Eugene.  He slowly swung his body up and down until his feet found the tower.  With one great kick, Sora kicked himself over and flipped up towards the window.  His feet blasted the window open and he landed inside the tower, Keyblade in hand.
     Gothel stood in the center of the room, her back to Sora.  "You are quite a persistent boy.  No wonder you were able to keep Rapunzel safe for so long."
     Sora studied the situation in horror.  Eugene was slumped against a wooden column, a large stab wound in his chest.  As the blood began to drop onto the floor, he continued to weakly try to get to Rapunzel.  Behind Gothel, Sora could see Rapunzel, bound in chains and gagged with a cloth, her eyes staring directly at Eugene, who slowly seemed to fade away.
      "Where's Kairi?" Sora shouted.
      "That's none of your concern" Gothel sneered.  "She and Rapunzel will guarantee me things I could have only dreamed of.  And I will not allow any obnoxious brats or criminals stand in my way."        Rapunzel struggled against the cloth over her mouth, until she finally wrestled it free from her mouth.  "Kairi's locked in the tower.  There's a tunnel over there."
      Sora dashed towards where Rapunzel had said, but two Large Bodies appeared to block his way.  Sora prepared to fight them, but noticed Gothel was preparing to drag Rapunzel away.  Before he could get past the Heartless to stop her, one of the Large Bodies knocked him backwards with his fist.  "Our secrets will die with them."
       "We won't have any secrets!" Rapunzel proclaimed.  "I will never stop fighting you.  If you take me away from him, I will always keep running away from you and you will never find me!"  Rapunzel took a deep breath.  "But if you let me heal him, I won't struggle or resist.  I'll go away with you and we can have that life you want.  Just let me heal him."
       A stone cobble burst open from the floor and Kairi emerged, flinging rope and a cloth to the ground and surveying the situation.  Gothel slammed Rapunzel's chains to the ground and ran over to Sora.  Dazed, he was unable to stop Gothel from grabbing him and placing her knife near his chest.  "I want that Keyblade.  Unless you want your friend to die, I suggest you go back down there, child."
       "Never!" Kairi shouted, aiming her Keyblade at the evil woman.
       "LET THEM GO!" Rapunzel shouted.  "Let them go and let me heal him.  And I will go with you."
       Gothel dropped Sora to the ground.  "How should I trust you?"
       "Rapunzel?" Kairi asked.
       "Kairi" Rapunzel explained.  "Losing someone for a while is one thing.  But if I keep fighting this, we both lose the two people we care about most in the world.  If one of us has to lose something, I'm glad it will be me."
      Gothel studied Rapunzel before undoing her chains.  "Make it quick."
      The Heartless stood near Kairi as she tended to Sora.  "Are you alright?"
      Sora nodded.  "Ye--yeah.  But we can't just--"  Sora tried to rush Gothel, but Kairi grabbed his hand and pulled him back.  "Kairi?"
      "Sora" Kairi pleaded.
      Sora was about to argue, but returned his attention to Rapunzel, who now tried to tend to a reluctant Eugene.
       "You're going to be alright, Eugene" Rapunzel whispered.
       "I can't let you do this" Eugene weakly insisted.
       "And I can't let you die."
       "If you do this, you will die."  Rapunzel and Eugene stared into each other's eyes.  The two leaned close to each other as if they were about to kiss.  But Eugene, with his last ounce of strength, grabbed a shard of glass from the broken mirror and cut Rapunzel's hair.  Rapunzel gasped as her hair turned brown.
       Gothel cried out.  "NO!"
       Sora and Kairi were stunned to find Gothel's appearance rapidly change.  She was quickly morphing into an elderly woman.  Her black hair became white.  Her face was filled with wrinkles and her skin turned a ghostly white.  She stumbled backwards until falling out the window.
       Rapunzel remained by Eugene's side, trying desperately to heal him without her powers.  "Stay with me, Eugene!  Please!"
       "Rapunzel?  You--were--my new--dream"
       "And you were mine" Rapunzel cried.
       Eugene coughed slightly before his eyes closed and his breathing stopped.  Kairi buried her head into Sora's chest while he comforted her.  Rapunzel took Eugene's lifeless head in her arms as she tried one last time to heal him with her song.  Heal what has been hurt.  Change the Fate's design.  Save what has been lost.  Bring back what once was mine.  What once was mine.  But when Eugene remained lifeless, she sobbed into him.
       A tear fell from her cheek and landed on Eugene's.  With that, Eugene's entire body began to glow.  Sora and Kairi watched as the light that had once shined in Rapunzel's blonde hair shined around Eugene's wounds and began to mend him.  With one gasp from a mysterious flower, the light faded.  Eugene slowly opened his eyes.
      "Eugene?"
      "Did I ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?"
       Ecstatic, Rapunzel leaped onto Eugene and hugged him.  Sora and Kairi cheered as their friend had survived.  Before they could celebrate, a loud roar was heard from outside.  The two Keyblade Warriors rushed to the window.  A monstrous Heartless plant emerged from the ground, frightening Maximus.  The creature bore the same kind of design as the plant that had emerged from Eugene's wounds.
      "What was that?" Rapunzel gasped.
      "The darkness in Gothel's heart" Kairi explained.
      "She's become a Heartless" Sora added.  With two swift movements, he activated his armor and Kairi's.  "Find cover.  This place isn't safe anymore!"  The two jumped out of the window and summoned their Keyblades.  The two landed in front of the demonic flower, that rose from the ground and eyed them coldly.

Boss Battle: Furious Fauna 

HP: 850

Battle Music: Extreme Encounters

GET BONUS:

Sora: +5 HP

Kairi: +10 HP, +10 Friendship 

      The Heartless form of Gothel vanished into the light and withered away into nothingness.  From where it's massive form had once stood, a single heart shined and vanished as well.  Sora and Kairi sighed with relief and put away their Keyblades.  

      Back in the village, the friends had gathered by the castle.  Rapunzel stood calmly as the dark haired King and Queen came out of the main doors to see their daughter.  Eugene stood beside Sora and Kairi, who hoped that her parents would recognize her.  

      The Queen was the first to approach Rapunzel.  She was cautious at first, but when she got a good look at her daughter's green eyes, she threw her arms around her.  The King, in tears, followed in suit as the family was reconnected.  

     Eugene smiled on as Rapunzel reacquainted herself with her family.  Even Sora noticed how quiet he was being.  "What?  No quips?"

     "I never said I was always a wise guy" Eugene laughed.  "Besides, Rapunzel's back with her family.  That's all that matters."  

     "Yeah" Kairi agreed.  "And with Gothel and Pete gone, I'm sure we won't have to worry about the Heartless around here."  She turned to Eugene.  "You just make sure you're on your best behavior.  Especially since you're going to be with a Princess like Rapunzel."  

      Eugene nodded.  "I doubt Max will let me get away with much."  

      As Eugene walked away to be with Rapunzel and her family, Sora and Kairi turned to each other.  "I guess we're done here" Sora said.  

      "Uh-huh.  And there are more people out there who'll need our help."  The two looked fondly at Rapunzel and Eugene one last time before they called forth their Keyblades and summoned a pathway to the light.  

Sora Obtained the Sundrop Wonder Keychain

STR: +4

MAG: +3

Ability:

Boost the amount of damage given during Reaction Commands