The Moon Calls

3

"We've got a problem." Cassandra said as they finally got back to the city, the sun shining down on them. "Because of the coronation, they've doubled security at the gates today."

"And there's no other way in?" Rapunzel asked worriedly.

"Sure, if you want to walk in the front door in broad daylight." Cassandra said sarcastically.

Rapunzel looked around, then gasped. "Maybe we don't need the front door..."

Varian and Cassandra looked at where she was looking.

--

Mamixus walked to Rapunzel's room and approached the guards. He noticed one of them wearing a cravat and stared it down.

"I told him it wasn't protocol, sir." The other one said.

Maximus motioned for them to go, then entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Then he went to the window as Rapunzel's hair was thrown in and he grabbed onto it with his teeth, pulling them up.

"Phew!" Rapunzel said as they got inside. Then she shut the door and looked around. "Okay, hand me the scissors. A knife. Anything."

Cassandra brought over the scissors, and they broke when they tried to cut her hair. Cassandra and Varian then kept bringing over various things to cut her hair with, Cassandra even went to her room and got some weapons she had been stashing away, but none of them worked.

"I can't believe this." Rapunzel looked at her hair. "Why won't it cut?"

"Hey, at least it doesn't cut and then grow back instantly." Varian sighed, his breath knocking against his long bangs, the streak ever-present.

"Is the magic...mad at me?" Rapunzel looked confused.

"Well, luckily, I can do some tests on it back at home and we can try to figure it out." Varian assured her. "But, right now, you have a coronation and 70 feet of hair to hide from your parents."

Rapunzel let out a whimper and Varian gently hugged her. "Hey, we'll figure it out."

"You gonna be okay?" Cassandra asked. "I gotta...get changed. I'll be back."

Rapunzel nodded and she headed out, closing the door behind her.

"Maybe we can just say it's a wig. You're blonde in your mural, after all." Varian suggested.

"Y-Yeah, we can try that." Rapunzel nodded.

"Alright, let me see what I can do to make it look shorter. A braid worked before..." Varian started to work on her hair as Rapunzel stared in the mirror helplessly.

"Sunshine? Are you in there?"

Rapunzel paled. "Eugene."

"It's okay, we'll just tell him it's a wig." Varian assured her. "We're in here!"

The door opened and Eugene walked in. "Rapunzel, where have you been?! You...what?"

"Surprise!" Varian gestured to her hair. "She asked for me to make her a blonde wing, since she thought the people didn't quite know her anymore with short, brown hair!"

"Oh, I...I guess that makes sense. Yeah." Eugene walked over to them. "Why is it so long, though?"

"Obviously, so the little girls can have fun braiding it." Varian said as he continued to braid her hair. "Now, we have to keep getting her ready. Did you need something?"

"Uhm...so, you snuck out at night for a wig?" Eugene asked.

"Obviously. We didn't want to do it in broad daylight, and we had to go all the way to my lab in Old Corona. And you should know, it wasn't easy making this thing. I had to find the perfect flower to use for dye, and it had to be just the right material to feel real. Here, run your hand through it." Varian invited.