RotBTD Secret Santa gift for @pitchs-daughter. It may not matter anymore, but I hope you had a good Christmas and also for the other many Christmases in the future. It was unfortunate all your other replacement santas were busy. Sorry that you had to wait this long.
My gift for you is Jackunzel gifs, which is one of my favourite ships! I enjoyed making this and am pleased with the results, so I hope you like it. Please excuse any flaws that are present for I had to manage my time wisely. Have a good year! Achieve the impossible. Be healthy. Don’t stress yourself too much. And have fun!
To everyone: Please don’t think I left this project 2 months overdue. I received this task last week because I didn’t want anyone to not get a gift. And for those who are still waiting, someone else is working on them.
RotBTD Secret Santa gift for @songofafreeheart. I sure hope you did enjoy your Christmas two months ago. On behalf of your previous secret santas who were not able to send in your gift for whatever reason, I sincerely apologise for the long wait. You definitely did not deserve to wait this long. Nobody does.
I enjoyed making this gift. It was my first time working with the Merida and Eret ship. An additional apology if you aren’t satisfied with this gift, for I had a very strict timeline with other things to work on, but I made this top priority. Have a good day! Overcome obstacles. Let money flow in like water. Defeat your enemies. Enjoy 2016.
To everyone: Please don’t think I left this project 2 months overdue. I received this task last week because I didn’t want anyone to not get a gift. And for those who are still waiting, someone else is working on them.
oH MY GOODNESS I am a despicable human being. This is my ROTBTD Secret Santa gift to @anastasia-airy, and yes this is two weeks late because I was overseas. Thank you for being so patient and I hope this makes up for the wait!!!! This was actually pretty hard, and I was trying to think of a very special and thoughtful gift in this story. And I was so relieved when I thought of it, but I didn’t write it in full because goodness me this is already pretty long. Also, I think I totally failed in trying to make this steampunk as per request.
The view from the top of the Tower was breathtaking.
Below her, the city stretched out in all directions, a vast shadowy spread of towers and rooftops and bridges and domes and chimneys. From those large shafts came steady billows of smoke that ought to have made an ominous picture against the slowly darkening sky. Yet, populating this dusky canvas was a multitude of lights - from candlelit rooms and street lamps and festive lights and floating airships, twinkling across the city through the winter fog.
She watched as her breath came out in a little cloud and vanished completely.
Rapunzel sighed from her perch at the attic window.
Her gaze dropped to the little contraption in her hands.
It was a gold, shiny cylinder small enough to sit comfortably in her palm. Along its length was a flat white surface decorated with gold, green, and blue diamond shapes. Each of its two circular ends held an ensemble of interconnected gears sitting below a protective layer of glass with a little button in the corner over the first cog.
It brought back vague memories of a brief conversation with a white-haired stranger, of stopped tears, of the fleeting touch of cold fingers, of a voice that rang with laughter, of a gift, of a time long ago.
“If there ever comes a time when you really need anything, use this, and I will come find you.”
Absent-mindedly, she held up the contraption, toying with it in her hands, elbows propped up against her raised knees. The gold gleamed in the moonlight, a light joining the city’s sparks. She looked out again at the world outside, a dance locked away from her.
“Well, Pascal,” she glanced at her robotic chameleon, which had made its way onto her lap, “there’s no time like the present.”
She held it up to her face and squinted at the gears in the nightlight. “How do you work this thing anyway?”
A click sounded as she unintentionally pressed the little button. Eyes wide, she watched as the first cog began moving, triggering the rest of the gears. But that was all it did.
And then, through the fog, a great, looming shape emerged slowly.
She nearly fell off the sill in surprise - it took her a while to realise it was an airship. Though it wasn’t the largest she had seen, it was still impressive, appearing as if it was constructed for a lean build.
Then, as it passed a short distance before the Tower, something leapt off the side of the ship, towards her. She screamed.
“Rapunzel?” Came her mother’s voice, shrill even with the heaviness of sleep.
The figure, who had landed lightly on the windowsill next to her, pressed his finger onto her lips. “Shh,” he whispered, “don’t let her find us out.”
Through the darkness, a glint of silvery white hair in the moonlight.
She paused.
“Nothing, Mother! Just tripped over myself!”
Some incoherent grumbling downstairs. And then the house was quiet again.
“You scared me!” She hissed.
“Good to see you again too, princess,” he grinned at her. “It’s been quite a while.”
“How did this thing tell you where to find me?” She asked, looking curiously at the gold cylinder.
He shifted backwards till his back leaned against the window frame, facing her. “Magic,” he said simply, an impish smile on his face. He dangled one leg over the edge, propping an elbow up on his other raised knee. “So what’s wrong, princess?”
Instantly a languidness passed over her face. “I’m tired of being stuck here, away from the world,” she sighed. “Especially on Christmas. Everything looks so beautiful, but out of my reach.”
He tilted his head at her, wearing a serious expression. “And what would you like me to do?”
She raised her eyes to meet his.
“Take me away from here. Out into the world.” Her voice was just a fraction short of pleading. “…Please.”
“Of course,” he nodded, eyes soft as they remained locked on hers. “Anything for you.”
“You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”
“What kind of guy do you think I am?” A chuckle in his voice.
“Well, you’re being very suspicious right now,” she replied liltingly as they continued trudging through the snow. The only things she could see in the dark were the faint shapes of silhouettes, and if it weren’t for Jack’s hand taking hers firmly, she would have lost her way long ago.
Suddenly he stopped.
“Okay, we’re here. Don’t move, okay?”
“Okay.”
He let go of her hand, and she felt a split second of panic take hold of her. But she could hear Jack’s footsteps shuffling through the snow. Then the sound of something hitting metal.
“Ow,” she heard him mutter to himself. “At least I found it.”
She giggled.
There was the sound of something heavy being pushed. And all of a sudden the place was flooded with lights. She winced and shielded her eyes with her arm.
When her eyes had adjusted to the light, she dropped her arm and found themselves standing in a large cavern of some sort. Sturdy wooden pillars and structures lined the thick walls of ice.
He hurried over from a switch on the wall to the innermost wall of the cavern, where there were two heavy-looking wooden doors. She watched as he took hold of a metal lever, turning it in a clockwise direction. The large gears above the lever began rotating, and slowly, the doors opened.
And then the sounds of agitated bells and heavy… hooves?
Majestic reindeer emerged from the dark passage, agitatedly swinging their antlers, stamping on the ground. Bringing up the rear behind the three pairs of reindeer was a sleigh - admittedly a little roughed up, but still stately and impressive. Shaped like a ship, its red body gleamed in the light, a gold reindeer silhouette emblazoned on its side, metal-embossed skis underfoot, and a brilliant globe fixed on its dashboard.
Turning to her, he found her jaw hanging open. He laughed.
“Is this -” She gasped, turning to him. “Is this what I think it is? How did you -?”
“Let’s just say I know the big boss,” he waved a dismissive hand.
She gaped at him. “You’re friends with Santa?”
He chuckled. “Sorry, I laugh everytime i hear that name. His real name is Nicholas St. North, or North for short.”
“Wow,” breathed Rapunzel. “And he gave you permission to use his sleigh?”
“Not exactly,” he hedged casually. “I owe him a favour. He just doesn’t know I’m using one of his spare sleighs to fulfil it-”
Right at that moment, one of the reindeer lunged a little too close to Jack. He ducked swiftly, and Rapunzel sprang forward.
“Whoa, whoa!” She cried, holding her arms out in front of the reindeer. Despite it being a head taller than her, it stilled instantly, gorgeous brown eyes going wide as they were seemingly magnetised by her own. She stroked its head, and it nuzzled its head into her palm - it even began wagging its little tail. The other reindeer looked on evidently at the scene and started tugging forward towards her, noses seeking.
“Unbelievable,” he shook his head. “Comet sees me and tries to hack my head off. And I thought he might have recognised me, too.”
“Oh, he’s nothing but a big sweetheart,” she cooed, giggling as Jack rolled his eyes.
“Don’t spoil them, they’re brats enough already,” he scolded, moving towards the sleigh itself. “Your carriage awaits, princess.”
She hurried away from among the dissatisfied reindeer, towards him, and he chuckled at her excitement. Hopping onto the sleigh, he gave a bow with a flourish of his hand. She giggled as she curtseyed and took his hand, stepping up.
“You sure you know how to operate this thing?” She eyed him warily.
“’Course I do, I’ve seen North do it,” he retorted, grabbing the reins with one hand. “Buckle up!”
She sat down and frowned in confusion. “Where are the seatbelts?”
“Just an expression. Sit tight,” he grinned, and slapped the reins.
She squealed at the shock of the sleigh jerking forward.
The sleigh hurtled forward, out of the cavern, entering a long, winding tunnel of thick ice. Everything was a blurred rush - the pounding of the reindeer’s hooves, the stalagmites and stalactites shooting past, the rattling of the wood, the slap of the reins, the bell ringing hysterically, the powdered snow leaping from the ground into their faces, the sleigh sliding from side to side, looping up and around -
And then they were out in the open, on a short ledge of snowed-over ground, and an inclined wooden jetty, except when the reindeer dashed and leaped forward off the platform, there was nothing below, and there was the sudden sensation of nothing grounding the sleigh -
They were in the air.
She had thought the wind was screaming in her face, but then she realised she had been screaming too, and now her scream had turned into laughter that just bubbled out of her.
Clutching the side of the sleigh, she leaned out and looked at the sheer drop to the valley way down below, and the steep rock faces of the snowy mountains around.
Then she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t fall over, princess,” came Jack’s voice, teasing but with a hint of seriousness.
“This is amazing!” She giggled, whirling around to face him. He held her arm to steady her, but he couldn’t help chuckling at her excitement. “Where are we going?”
“To deliver some presents.”
She stilled at once.
He instantly looked worried. “Is that okay? I thought you seemed like you would enjoy the sentiment- of doing something like this on a holiday of gifts- I mean, if you don’t want to-”
He trailed off upon seeing her expression.
She only looked back at him as if she was committing him to memory, large green eyes shining with emotion in the moonlight.
“… Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked softly.
“Jack…” Her lips turned up into an affectionate smile. “That is the most thoughtful gift I have ever received.”
“Are you cold?”
Rapunzel was standing on the seat only in her winter dress, her coat lying forgotten on the bench next to her bare feet.
“It’s pretty chilly out, maybe you should -”
“No,” she hummed quietly, like her mind was in another world, “I like it. The cold feels brilliant.”
He studied her with a faintly awed expression on his face - her eyes were closed, arms spread out wide, lips slightly parted, like she was in the middle of taking a breath, which left her mouth in a little cloud that vanished immediately. Her long hair was flowing freely in the wind, glinting golden against the dark starlit sky, the moonlight casting a muted glow on her lithe figure.
Once she opened her eyes, she locked gazes with him - but he didn’t drop his eyes.
It felt intimate.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She whispered.
You’re beautiful.
“You have soot on your face.”
She blinked in surprise.
And then she giggled. “You too.”
“Probably from Jamie’s chimney,” grumbled Jack, rubbing his lower back.
“I could hear your fall from the roof,” she laughed.
“Yes, I’m fine, no injuries, thanks for your concern,” he rolled his eyes.
“Well, all that matters is that you didn’t squash the present and delivered it in one piece.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a mischievous spark in her eyes.
“So the work is more important than the worker. I see how it is,” he answered dryly.
A serene smile replaced her teasing expression. “Really, though, the children were so precious. I wish I could see their faces when they open their gifts.”
“The ones that didn’t stay up waiting, you mean,” he snorted. Leaning over to fiddle with the dashboard, pulling a thick cloth from one of the compartments. “I’ll help you clean up a bit. You can wash up more thoroughly back at the workshop.”
He made his way to the seat, and tugged at her hand to make her sit down next to him.
“Doesn’t someone need to drive the reindeer?” She asked as he raised the cloth up to her face.
“Nah, they’re experienced. Besides, I want to do this for you.”
They fill silent.
She looked up to watch him as he wiped the soot off her face. His eyes were trained on the soot in concentration, his mouth a very small but gentle smile. The light from the lantern at the front of the sleigh cast flickering shadows on the planes of his face.
Lowering her face, she took in a large breath that trembled slightly at the end.
He stopped dabbing at her temple.
“Are you crying?” said Jack, alarmed.
She shook her head, laughed, and cried all at the same time.
“Are you going to cry every time we meet?” He joked, but he had shifted to place his hands on her shoulder, stooping down to see her lowered face.
She laughed even harder, raising a hand to scrub at the tear tracks on her cheeks.
He rubbed soothing circles with his thumbs on her arms. “Hey now, what’s wrong, princess?” His voice had dropped to a murmur.
She didn’t want to think of returning to the Tower.
Inhaling deeply, she raised her eyes to meet his. “Nothing,” she beamed. “I’m just so happy to be here with you.”
By the furrow of his brow, he looked torn between acceptance and doubt.
So she leaned forward and dropped a light kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Jack,” she whispered as she pulled back. “I wish I had something to give to you.”
He tilted his head at her, icy blue eyes twinkling with mirth and affection.
So many of you have expressed to me that you have yet to receive your gift from the secret Santa exchange so this is a post for all of the replacement Santas who signed up as such, to message the page here if you're still willing to be a replacement Santa :) Also a quick little side note: many of you still waiting on a gift, your person has been busy and plans to post it shorty :)
I’m so sorry that this is a couple days late, maybe it can be a New Year’s gift? It was so fun talking to you this past month, I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and a great New Year!!
Exhausted, happy with her new gifts, and full of Christmas dinner, Rapunzel buried herself under a mountain of fuzzy blankets, thinking her Christmas was over. Only instead of sugar plums and Saint Nicholas or whatever things people on Christmas are supposed to dream about, Rapunzel dreamt that there was a high-pitched ringing blaring out. When she woke up, she realized it was her apartment’s fire alarm. Groggy and panicked, she threw on a pair of shoes and darted out the door with a small blanket draped over your shoulders. After being jostled by other panicked residents, she made it out of the building and into the parking lot with everyone else who lived in the apartment building, all bleary-eyed and blinking through sleepy eyes. Rapunzel shivered a little. It was far too cold outside to be standing out here in nothing but a pair of pastel macaron pajama shorts and a pink lacy tank top, with only a salvaged blanket for comfort. She looked at the building, people flooding out of it, and bit her lip. Hopefully all this was was a home cooked meal gone wrong. Small, thick clouds of smoke were puffing lightly out one of the windows. Rapunzel counted silently to herself. If she was right, then it was coming from the apartment directly above hers. Did she know anyone on the floor above her? Were they okay? She scanned the crowd to see if anyone was injured, but only saw lots of bodies huddled together, breathing warm air onto their hands to keep warm.
“People watching, huh?” A playfully snarky voice came from behind her. She turned over her shoulder to see its owner. Bleached white hair, several ear piercings, and what looked like a multitude of tattoos peeking out from under his coat. Definitely not the type of person Rapunzel had talked to before. Nonetheless she smiled politely before he continued. “It’s the perfect place for it, honestly,” he shrugged, then gestured over a group of high school-aged kids grouping up to take selfies in front of the smoking building. “Really brings out peoples’ true colors. Eh, if all our apartments burn to the ground, at least we will have the comfort of knowing it was all documented via ‘selfie’.” He grinned sarcastically, placing air quotes around the word “selfie”. This got a soft chuckle out of Rapunzel.
“Do you do this often?”
He shrugged again. “Just in situations like these. It passes the time. Plus it’s a good opportunity to see how ridiculous people can really be.” She watched as his eyes moved over the crowd of residents. “See that couple over there?” Rapunzel followed her gaze to where he nodded his head. A man and woman who looked to be about in their thirties stood close together, talking quickly and sharply. The man had his blue jacket hugged tight around him and the woman was running her hands over her bare arms. “She’s mad that he’s not giving her his jacket to keep warm. But he’s telling her that she should have brought one with her.”
Rapunzel giggled. The witty stranger leaned closer to her, lowering his voice to sound like a gruff, middle-aged man. “Denise, I told you to bring your jacket, how many times have I told you?”
She joined in, altering her voice to that of a stuffy housewife with a midwest accent. “Now you listen here, Henry, I didn’t hear you say a single fling-flanging thing when we left. All I heard was you yelling for those Stellars to catch the ball.”
“They’re the Stealers, Denise. I figured you would know that by now.”
“Well what about my needs, huh Henry?”
The boy snorted, unable to keep up the act. “Man, you’re funnier than I expected.”
Rapunzel raised a brow. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged — must be a habit of his, Rapunzel was realizing — “I dunno, it’s just that most pretty girls don’t need to worry about being funny, so they’re usually not. In my experience, anyway.”
Rapunzel folded her arms, trying not to blush too much. “Well I’ll have you know that just because a girl is pretty, doesn’t mean that that’s all there is.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Fair enough. I’m just saying that’s what I’ve encountered for the most part.”
She rolled her eyes. “So I’m guessing you talk to a lot of pretty girls, then?”
“What can I say? I like meeting new people.”
“But only the pretty ones.”
“Well, I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”
Again, Rapunzel found herself both offended and flattered and hoped that the streetlights were dim enough to hide the red flushing in her cheeks. “I just think that’s a little unfair.”
He nodded, as if he thought he was figuring her out. “Ahh, so you think I’m shallow?”
She placed her tiny hands on her hips, trying to keep the blanket from falling off her shoulders. “Well, given your attractiveness-discrimination, yes, as a matter of fact, I do?”
“Alright, well let me redeem myself here.” The boy closed his eyes and then put his hand over them to block his vision. “See? Now I can’t see you, and have no idea what you look like. Completely unbiased.”
She rolled her eyes again. “But you already know what I look like.”
“No I don’t! It’s pretty dark out here, for all I know I wasn’t looking close enough and you could have a million warts on your face or massive amounts of nose hair or something.”
This got a pretty loud snort out of here.
He chuckled. “Well, you can at least say that I don’t judge based on how cute someone’s laugh is.”
Her face scrunched up, teasingly mad. “Shut up!”
“Maybe it’s all the nose hair.”
“Oh my god, why am I talking to you right now?” She said, trying to keep from laughing.
He removed his hand from his face and flashed her what she assumed he thought was a charming smile. “Because I’m debonair and witty and make you snort?”
She looked away, smiling. “Something like that.” She sarcastically admitted. In the brief silence that followed Rapunzel remembered how freezing cold she was, and pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders.
The boy held up a finger, asking her to hold on. Then he took off his bulky blue sweatshirt and handed it to her. Normally Rapunzel would just politely decline, but she was pretty sure it was getting to below freezing and her legs were visibly shaking.
“Thank you.” She said. Without the sweatshirt he only had on a white v-neck tee. His now-exposed skin proved Rapunzel’s assumption about his tattoos to be correct — they were all over the place. Across his chest, up and down both his arms, there was even one that wove up towards the back of his neck. It was interesting. Normally Rapunzel thought tattoos were unnecessary and gross, but looking at his, maybe she was wrong. These tattoos were beautiful. The designs ranged from elegant artwork to little cartoons to phrases intermingled with pictures in varying fonts. Her cheeks flushed when she realized she was staring
“I like your tattoos.”
He smiled at this. “Thanks. They’re kind of addictive. Once you get one, you immediately want more.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Really?” There was this one design that she liked to paint on her body sometimes, but she’d never considered getting it tattooed before.
“You have to make sure you get a good artist, though. It’s way too easy to mess up a good tattoo design.”
She nodded, eyes tracing over all the different pieces that covered his skin. It was almost mesmerizing. When she looked back up to meet his gaze, she noticed that his eyes were trained on her, somehow very intense and striking. Maybe the absolute blueness of them made it look more intense than it really was. “What?” She asked, suddenly feeling insecure. Was he right about the nose hair thing?
He answered with a question of his own. “Have I seen you around the building before?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You seem like a memorable enough person.” She dropped her gaze and her cheeks turned pink when she realized how forward of a statement that was.
“I definitely would have remembered you.” He smiled. Not in that fake charming way that he was before, but with genuine interest. As though he might be actually enjoying their conversation.
“How was your Christmas?” She changed the subject to keep her face from matching the color of a tomato.
He shrugged once more. Although without the sweatshirt, the movement seem more pronounced, accentuating the muscles underneath. “Pretty much just like any other day. Except that there was a Christmas tree in the room.”
“Did you see any family or friends?”
“Eh, not really. Everyone is busy on Christmas, I suppose.”
Rapunzel felt a twinge of pain twist in her chest. She tried to keep from looking as though she pitied him. “No one should be alone on Christmas.”
“Why? It’s just a day, honestly. And if you want my opinion, I think it kind of messes people up. It’s a whole month, nay, a whole season all leading up to this one day. That’s a lot of pressure for a small twenty-four hour block of time.”
He made some good points, but there was something in his mannerisms that lacked sincerity. Like he was putting on an act to shield himself from the disappointment.
“Thanks again for the sweatshirt.” Ugh, why did she say that? Like that would in any way cheer him up. Way to go, Rapunzel.
He did crack a tiny smile, however. “No problem. It looks way better on you, anyway.”
Rapunzel went for a smile instead of attempting to say anything. Knowing her, she’d just make an idiot out of herself and say something like that it smelled really good (which honestly, it really did).
She was considering whether or not onlookers would find it creepy that the two of them were looking at each other for such a long time without saying anything when a firetruck finally blared its way into the parking lot.
Their landlord, a large white-haired Russian man, talked with the fire marshall for a few minutes before calling out for the resident of apartment 14C. Rapunzel’s eyes widened in shock when the boy with the tattoos sheepishly raised his hand, and excused himself to go talk to the firemen.
The fire turned out to be very easy to put out, and luckily his apartment was the only one damaged in the fire. Well, lucky for everyone except him.
She raised a brow at him when he came walking back to her. He smiled, clearly embarrassed. “I guess I uh…got a little too into the holiday spirit,” he laughed. Almost as if on cue, the firemen pulled a string of christmas tree lights out the window, smoking and barely recognizable. Rapunzel tried not to snort again.
“Well,” she remarked. “That’s one way to end a Christmas.”
“Honestly tonight was way better than any Christmas I’ve had in the past few years, so.” He smiled in this shy way that made Rapunzel’s stomach flip over.
The fire marshall walked up to them. “It’ll take a few weeks before the place is livable again. Do you have a place to stay until then, son?”
The boy looked hesitant, as if he was searching his brain for an idea. Rapunzel felt that twist of pity in her stomach again.
“He’s staying with me.”
She blurted it out before she could register what she had said. The boy looked back at her. “Really?” She nodded, giving the most assuring smile she could manage. He looked like he must be alone a lot. Nobody should be alone all the time.
The fire marshall nodded before walking off. Rapunzel couldn’t help but grin at the tiny hopeful smile that grew on this stranger’s face. “Are you sure?”
“Please. I get bored enough living all by myself as it is. I could use some company. As long as you promise to help me trim my enormous nose hairs in the morning.” This got a pretty adorable chuckle out of him.
“It’s a deal.” He nodded. “Although, it might be good if we knew a little bit more about each other first.”
“Oh, right. What do you want to know? Job? Hobbies? Favorite color?”
He laughed, and she noticed that his laugh sounded like a little kid’s, and that made her smile. “Let’s start with a name. Jack.” He held out his hand for her to shake. He waited for her to tell him hers, but she bit her lip. “So, do you not have a name, or..?”
“You’re gonna make fun of it.”
“I will not!”
“Oh really?”
“Promise.”
“…it’s Rapunzel.”
The snorting laughter that followed earned Jack several smacks to the chest. “Laugh all you want, but don’t be surprised if you find your hand in a glass of warm water tonight!”
The laughter continued all the way back to her apartment. She set up a place on the couch for Jack to sleep. Later that night, she passed him on her way to the bathroom and saw him fast asleep on the couch, chest rising and falling, looking beautifully serene. Rapunzel smiled, a strange warm feeling flooding through to her chest. She decided Jack had it right: this really was one of the best Christmases she’d had in a long time.
North, Sandy, and Bunny arrived at the castle with all the secrecy they could muster; the kids would just go nuts at seeing them. They met Katherine, Emily, and Toothiana at the back of the castle, the women bearing terrible news.
“Pitch got to Rapunzel!” blurted Katherine upon their arrival.
“Where’s Jack?” Emily quickly asked.
“Whoa, whoa, what? What happened?” asked North.
“W-we left her for just a minute, and Pitch got to her! He’s put her into a nightmare!” Katherine explained in near hysterics.
“We need Jack to get her out of it!” Toothiana blurted.
North sighed, “That will not be possible.”
“Why not?” asked Emily, worriedly.
“Seems the little show pony has gone off and fallen in love with another girl,” remarked Bunny.
“What?” asked Toothiana.
“Where?” asked Emily.
“When?” asked Katherine.
“Uh, earlier today, in a forest not far from here, he said today was her birthday,” remarked North. The three women glanced at each other.
“That could have been Rapunzel!” blurted Toothiana.
“What?”
“North, we need to get to the cottage, now!” exclaimed Katherine.
“Wait, shouldn’t someone stay here with the princess?” asked Bunny.
“I’ll stay,” volunteered Emily. North glanced at Katherine, they knew the real reason why. Sandy raised his arm and showed a few symbols to indicate that he would stay with her.
“Thank you Sandy, we’ll be back as soon as possible. Tooth, Bunny, let’s go!” The four piled into the sleigh, Bunny grumbling the whole way. Katherine picked up North’s globe and whispered into it before throwing it, creating portal back to the cottage. North landed the sleigh just outside the front door, and the four rushed in. “Jack, Jack! Are you here?”
“Jack! Please answer us!” Katherine called out. The four glanced around the room before Tooth gasped and rushed over to a corner. She turned to reveal two pieces of wood. The others gasped when they realized what it was.
“Oh no!”
“Jack’s staff!”
“Pitch must have him!’ exclaimed Bunny, pulling out his two boomerangs.
“Then we have to save him! Back to the sleigh!” The group rushed back to the sleigh, North picking up the snow globe this time and told it, “Pitch’s lair!” The portal took them to a more dismal forest, a wooden bed frame sitting gloomily in the middle of it. “Bunny, the back door, please.”
Bunny grinned, “With pleasure, mate.” He tapped the ground and a hole appeared which the group jumped into. They slid down to the bottom where a brooding figure snapped his head up when he heard them tumble onto the ground.
“North! Bunny! Katherine! Tooth! How did you guys know I was brought here? How did you even know Pitch kidnapped me?” Jack exclaimed as he bounded off the ground to greet the Guardians.
“Because we found your staff at the cottage,” remarked Tooth, producing the pieces.
“And Pitch put Rapunzel into a nightmare, we need you to get her out of it,” explained Katherine.
“What? Where is she?” Asked Jack with determination.
“At the castle,” replied Katherine.
Jack blinked, “The castle? Why is she . . . wait, she’s the princess?” The four nodded. “Well, what are we waiting for, let’s go!”
North grinned, “Good idea, Jack. Bunny!”
“Wait, what about Pitch? Doesn’t he realize we’re busting Jack out of here?”
“He must think that Jack is useless without his staff,” pointed out Tooth as she handed the pieces to Jack. Jack rolled his eyes as he fitted the two pieces together. A pale blue light ran up and down the staff in swirls and snowflakes, putting the staff back together into a full piece.
“Nice,” commented North, watching in awe.
“There might be another reason why Pitch isn’t here,” gasped Katherine. The others glanced at her. “Emily and Sandy are alone at the castle with Rapunzel!”
When they arrived back at the castle, it was a dire scene indeed. Emily had put up a wall of clouds around the place, Pitch’s nightmares being handled by Sandy as swiftly as he could, the rest getting stuck in Emily’s clouds where they were torn apart, but they were slowly and surely making headway. The group in the sleigh only took a moment to take in everything before jumping into action, taking out nightmare after nightmare.
“No!” yelled Pitch, noticing that Jack was back in action.
“Jack, do not worry about us, you wake up Rapunzel!” ordered North, his swords slicing through five nightmares.
“Right!” Jack bounded to the castle, Emily standing in the window of one of the towers. She waved him over and pointed to the bed behind her. There laid Rapunzel, her golden hair darkening with every passing minute. Jack nearly choked with anger and worry.
“Wake her up, now!” Jack nodded at Emily and dashed to Rapunzel’s side. He paused, what could he do to wake her up? He heard her whimper in her sleep, fear stamped all over her face.
“Oh no.” Without thinking, Jack bent over, and kissed her. A rainbow spread out like a ripple, disintegrating nightmares left and right, much to the chagrin of Pitch.
Rapunzel let out a soft gasp before opening her eyes, “Jack!”
Jack grinned at her as he helped her up, “How are you feeling, princess?”
She smiled, “Much better now, thank you.” They closed in for another kiss, only to be interrupted by a shout.
“No, father, wait!” Emily stretched out pleading arms to Pitch. Something of the old man appeared for a minute, and only a minute, before the nightmares retook him.
“I’ll be back, and I’ll be stronger, so strong that you won’t be able to stop me!” He and the nightmares disappeared in the shadows, leaving a distraught, yet hopeful Emily to greet the lovers.
“I think you can do it,” she whispered as tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. “I saw him again, it was only for a little while, but it was him.”
Rapunzel embraced her caretaker, “We’ll get him back, Emily, I promise.” Emily nodded before leading the couple down the stairs, where Rapunzel was happily reunited with her family.
