Reunion at Sea

Escape

"Ruddiger!" Hector ran over and knelt to pick him up from where he leaned against a door. "Ruddiger, are you alright?"

He let out a tired croon and nuzzled him before curling up around his shoulders. Cassandra looked at the door he was next to and gasped. "Hector...that's Zhan Tiri's head."

"They're in here, then." Hector summoned his blade and cut the door down, the wood falling to the ground sliced in half, as Cassandra drew her own sword. "Unhand my nephew!"

They saw two robed men standing next to altars with Rapunzel and Varian on top of the stone, vines almost completely wrapped around them. Hector growled as he recognized the one next to him as Lucas.

"More noisy ones." The other man clicked his tongue. "Lucas, would you take care of them?"

"Gladly." Lucas held out his hands and made the vines move towards them.

They dodged around them, Hector using his superior speed and pulling Cassandra along with him. He jumped from the wall and swung his sword, but was caught in midair by vines. "NO!" He yelled as they were both bound by vines and pulled apart from each other.

"Stay there, would you?" He flicked his wrist and they were slammed into the wall next to the others and vines moved over their mouths as they struggled. "We're so close...how did he get there?"

"I don't know, but he's left now. Let's not waste time, we can't let them get to the monument." The other man said as they turned back to the sleeping duo.

--

"Run, run, run!" Rapunzel yelped as they fled a pack of wolves.

"Giant lizards! Wolves! What's next?!" Varian cried.

"Oh, don't say that, they'll answer your question!" She cried, looking around anxiously.

"How...How much farther?" He asked.

"Well, I was riding a horse, before!" Rapunzel replied. "I don't know!"

"So, we just keep going, then?" He looked over his shoulder. "The wolves are gone."

"Well, look out for something else." She cringed.

"Getting tired yet?"

They looked forward and tensed, seeing Lucas and Tromus in front of them. "You can't run forever, you know." Lucas chuckled.

"No, but we only need to keep running until we get to the monument!" Rapunzel said firmly.

"We're not afraid of you!" Varian insisted.

"Oh? Aren't you?"

Rapunzel gasped, paling as she looked over her shoulder and saw Gothel. "M-Mother?" She breathed.

"Look how much you're trembling!" She walked up to them.

"You're not real." Varian insisted.

"Perhaps not, but you're still frightened." She said, then turned to look at King Frederic as he walked up beside her. "Now, why would you choose to give up your perfect, happy life with this man? You don't seem to care much for the real one." She laughed.

"It's not real. It's an illusion." Rapunzel whispered, then turned back to Tromus and Lucas. "Let us through! We're done dreaming!"

Varian's brow furrowed. "You could just take us now...so, why are you hesitating?"

"Why do you think?" Lucas asked with a smile.

Varian's eyes widened. "You need us to actually say that we're giving up. Whatever you're doing, it needs our complete, voluntary surrender!"