Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (rewrite)

A lonely last breath

'Raps, why did you?' Cassandra asked as she passed the last oak trees, revealing a farmers village in a giant grassland after galloping through the woods for hours.

'Oh, fuck.' Jayce, the guard, said when the bodies pierced by giant spikes hanging in the air revealed themselves. He took off his helmet to get a better view and relieved his wavy black hair. Varian's village was nothing compared to this one: Every house was shattered into debris.

They rode over the debris-covered roads, looking for survivors, but everyone they found was as cold as rock. From the middle of the village Rapunzel counted fifty bodies, half of them children. She looked up and saw a five-year-old girl with a dress that shouldn't be red hanging on a spike. She started hyperventilating with her eyes locked on the body.

She should have never escaped that tower, everything was better than this. Mother Gothel was a terrible person, but she was right. The world was a dangerous and dark place. Everyone hunted her down for her hair. If she didn't need her hair for those stones, she would have cut it off.

Eugene, who had woken up and sat behind her, turned her face towards him and pressed his forehead against hers. 'Keep your eyes on me.' He tapped the horse on the side.

Rapunzel sniffed. 'I'm sorry. You were right. I can't handle this.' Her voice shook.

'I've met hundreds of people in my life and no one shined as bright as you. Crying, screaming, raging, that doesn't mean you're failing.' She knew he was right, but knowing and feeling were two completely different things.

Jayce came around the corner and saw the girl. 'No, no, no no.' he whispered and raced out of the village while covering his eyes.

Cassandra refused to let her guard down and kept inspecting the landscape with burning eyes. She had seen many horrific things in her life, but nothing came close to this landscape of ripped apart bodies. Most wounds were not caused by the spikes, this village was raided.

The group traveled further until they came across a wall of spikes that traveled to the horizon. 'We're gonna get pierced by them if we don't find a hiding place tonight.' Eugene said, shaking his head.

Jayce looked up. 'What do you mean? We've got Rapunzel.'

'We can't sleep in the spikes, they can grow out of nothing and kill us and if we don't, our location will be revealed.' Cassandra said.

'They don't grow around Rapunzel. Didn't you notice? When we were patrolling as guards you could see the rocks slowly growing, but since I'm with you guys they stand still. What were you thinking? Have you ever seen them grow?'

'How were we supposed to know? I thought they grew quickly out of nothing.' Cassandra said annoyed. Whatever, Raps, we could use your song right now. The village is out of sight.'

Rapunzel looked up. She was not going to give up, not with Eugene on her side. 'Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine.' The rocks lit up.

'Wait! They have signs on them.' Cassandra said surprised. 'I already thought I saw them at Varian's house.'

'Already going crazy? I expected more from you Cass.' Eugene said.

'I didn't expect you to be such a spiritual type, but good for you.' Jayce said.

Cassandra looked at them like a grumpy cat. 'I'm serious.'

'Uhm, Cass. There are no signs.' Rapunzel said, breaking the incantation.

'There are! Sing again, maybe I can read it.' Cassandra walked towards a spike.

'You know, your glowing hair is pretty cool.' Jayce said. Rapunzel laughed.