Tangled: Stardust and the 12 Zodiacs (Varian Fanfiction)

Chapter 56: Nightmares and Goodbyes

"Soul." Gold called.

No response.

"Soul." He repeated, shaking the girl awake.

Again, no response.

"Soul!" He shouted.

Still....no response.

Gold pulled the covers off the girl, his eyes widening as he saw his sister...as a seven year old? "What?" He gasped, dropping the blanket on the floor as he took a step back.

"What...what's going- my voice!" He squeaked, holding his throat as he eyed his surroundings. He's back at their tree house and most importantly, he was 15 again. "What's going on?"

"B-big brother..." A small voice called out, snapping Gold out of his thoughts. "Big brother..."

"Soul! W-what is it? What do you need?" Gold questioned, rushing next to his sister's side, checking on her.

"It hurts..." Soul croaked. No. No, not again!

"Don't worry! Big brother's here, see?" He gestured to himself, panicking as Soul closed her eyes again. " Hey, wake up! Look, Goldie's gonna make you grilled cheese for breakfast! Your favorite!" He exclaimed, happily throwing his hands up, albeit, his happiness was quite forced.

"It hurts..." Soul breathed out, clutching her shirt, where her chest would be as she coughed up blood.

"No, no. Nothing hurts. It-it's-." He struggled to find the right words to say as he continued to panic with how much blood his sister was coughing. "I-It's just your imagination! Nothing hurts, baby, wake up!"

Soul didn't respond, continuing to cough up blood. Gold's eyes widened as he raced out of the room's door to go to his lab, mixing up a quick herbal medicine, praying to the stars above that it would somehow ease his sister's pain.

Once the medicine was done, he sprinted back up to the room only to find himself in a new place, and he was back to his original age. His eyes scanned the new terrain, finding the place familiar when he saw his sister sprawled out on the ground.

"Gold..." Soul called out, reaching for her brother.

"Soul!?" He yelled, running towards the girl, picking her up and cradling her in his arms. "What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I....I should have...I should have l-listened...to you.." She breathed, placing a hand on her chest. That's when Gold noticed a certain object missing from her.

"Soul? W-where's your-"

"Gold...." Soul called, cutting off what her brother was saying.

"Y-yes?" He asked.

"Gold..."

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm here! What is it, Soul, tell me. What do you need?"

"I...I need you to..."

"Yes?"

"I...I need you...to......wake up."

Gold tilted his head to the side, eyebrows raised. "Huh?"

"I said...WAKE UP!!" Gold snapped his eyes open at the shout. Gasping as he met his sister's intense glare.

"AAAH- OOW!" He screamed, accidentally bonking his head on Soul's forehead, causing the both of them to cry out in pain.

"What was that for?" Soul whined, rubbing her forehead.