The Moon Calls

53

"Rapunzel! Varian! It's time to wake up!"

"Mmnn..." Varian stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes, raising his head a bit from his sister's chest as he took in his surroundings. 'The...tower?' He thought, his brow furrowed.

"Rapunzel! Varian!"

"Hmm?" Rapunzel stirred in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes, yawning as she rubbed at her eyes. "What...? Who...?"

They heard footsteps and then a figure of a woman appeared in the curtained doorway. "Come now, children, I've been calling for you for five minutes now." She put her hands on her hips. "It's time to wake up."

"...Mother?" Rapunzel breathed, her eyes widening.

"Oh dear." She walked further into the room. "Are you well? You look as if you've seen a ghost, Rapunzel!"

They could only stare in disbelief and confusion. Gothel was here...? How? No, rather...why were they in the tower?

"You...but you...Eugene, he..." Varian stammered.

Gothel walked over and cupped his cheek, then placed her hand on his forehead. "Hmm, you don't feel ill." She did the same to Rapunzel, then straightened up. "Well, I'll prepare you some light porridge and a medicinal tea, that should perk up your spirits. Now, come on, you're wasting daylight!" She turned and walked out of the room.

Varian looked at Rapunzel with wide, shaking eyes. "That was...Gothel...right?"

"Y-Yeah." Rapunzel slowly climbed out of bed and walked over to pick out her favorite dress and change out of her nightgown. On the other side of the room, Varian changed out of his own nightclothes and changed into his own clothes, the same ones he'd worn when they left the tower.

And they had left it. Hadn't they?

"We saw her turn to dust." Varian said, fastening his vest. "Didn't we?"

"We did." Rapunzel nodded. "We left the tower...right?"

"We saw the floating lights...the lanterns. We met Eugene, we went to Corona, we learned the truth of your heritage, You went home to your parents, I went home to my father. And then...then the Moon attacked Corona, forced me to leave it, to go to the Dark Kingdom, we were traveling with Eugene, Cassandra, Lance, Hugo and Donella."

"And there were other...Saporians. Andrew, Juniper and Clementine." Rapunzel finished tying her dress and then turned to him. "Why are we in the tower?"

"Why is Gothel alive?" Varian turned to her.

"Children!" She called from downstairs, reminding them that she was, in fact, alive.

"...Well...I'm feeling a bit hungry." Rapunzel admitted. "Let's go down and...find clues."She walked to the door and he followed after her.

"Pascal?" Varian looked around and they heard a squeak as he poked his head out from under their pillow. He smiled, then looked forward.

He missed Ruddiger.

Gothel looked up as they walked down the stairs. "Ah, finally." She put her hands on her hips. "It's past time to wake up, you know. It's nine in the morning! Who sleeps in that late?"

"S-Sorry, Mother." Rapunzel said sheepishly.

"We were up late charting the stars." Varian said, and it was strange how easily it slipped out of his mouth and didn't feel like lying.

"Well, I had to use the trapdoor to get in, I haven't had to do that in years." She clicked her tongue. "Now, get started on the chores, I'll have breakfast ready for you soon."