EVENT- A Sunny Picnic in Corona - 1 Month BDC

[Storyteller]

EVENT- A Sunny Picnic in Corona

Things are not always what they appear to be...

Event occurring 1 month before Dark Curse

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Eugene walked with little Anna on his shoulders one hand on her calf while his other was holding the hand of the slightly bigger yet still little Elsa who was skipping along to keep up with her father’s long strides. The water before them was calm and clear as Rapunzel began to set up their picnic area the giggling of the two girls swimming through the air. Castle Corona stood valiantly in the distance shaped in the apricot and peach oranges of the setting sun, tonight was the big night; the night of the lanterns. Eugene swung his youngest daughter off his shoulders as they chased after Elsa together as they got close Eugene let go of Anna’s hands and she took off running after Elsa as best she could while Eugene picked up Elsa lifting her into the air for a great big hug.

“Hahaha you though you could escape us Princess…” Eugene begins to say before being interrupted by a light thud in his leg from Anna looking up at him with her meanest and gruffest look. “Traitor, I thought you were on my team?” Anna’s mean look gave way to a big cheesy grin while her eyes maintained their innocent nature. “I can’t believe this you mean it’s you two against me?”

“Us three Daddy!” Anna reminded/threatened him

“Yeah Daddy don’t forget about Olaf.” Elsa added.

“You mean Olaf is against me too?” Eugene let Elsa down to the ground next to her sister “I just cant even…” And with the Eugene began to jog towards Rapunzel his children hot on his heels, Eugene tripped himself up and hit the ground with a roll so his children could get him “Olaf no, how could you?” It was now that his children launched themselves onto him as they rolled tickled and giggled over to Rapunzels picnic spot.

[Storyteller]

Rapunzel looked up from the large, overflowing picnic basket- half-full of likely inedible delights the young princesses had insisted on creating themselves- just in time to see her husband hit the ground in a whirl of blonde and auburn braids, tiny hands tickling his sides as best they could. A hand touched her mouth, stifling her own giggle as best she could as Eugene let the attack come from all sides when he could easily have evaded.

Not a day went by that she didn't find herself marveling at how incredible a father Eugene made. She'd never doubted him but to see it... A warm feeling spread through her chest into her arms and straight down to her fingertips. It was similar to the feeling her hair used to give her but so much more powerful. Rather than from the sun, it came from the heart. She stood from her spot on the blanket, abandoning the partially emptied basket for much more important pursuits.

Quickly she approached her family, scooping Anna up into her arms. "Now now, three against one doesn't seem like a fair fight," she chided gently, a mock stern expression on her face. Elsa halted in her action as three pairs of wide eyes looked up at the woman. She couldn't see Olaf's, so maybe four. Not able to hold in her laughter any longer, her expression suddenly melted into a grin, her eyes twinkling as she called out, "Four against one is so much better!"

Anna's giggles filled the air as her mother joined the tickle attack, concentrating on Eugene's lower sides where she knew from personal experience that he was most ticklish. Elsa quickly resumed where she'd left off trying to get under Eugene's left arm while Anna settled for sitting on her father's chest and sticking her little fingers under his neck, where he often tickled her. 

This. This was perfect.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Rapunzel joined in the tickling although she too decided to join the other team and used her knowledge of Eugene against him going straight for his most ticklish spot.

"Ok, ok I give, you guys win."

Eventually, after a few extra tickles, they conceded their victory and allowed Eugene to sit up and regain his composure. A cool breeze rolled off the darkened as the sun began to set faster than normal the once tangerined castle was quickly becoming encased by the dark of night. Eugene ran a hand through his hair upon completion of the act he looked at his hand.

"Is that...?"

Squinting for a better inspecting viewpoint "Rapunzel it is... Look, its a grey hair!"

[Storyteller]

Their chests puffed out victoriously, Rapunzel wrapped her arms around her daughters, "Well ladies, looks like our work here is done!" This was met with more giggles, the sound absolutely music to Rapunzel's ears. Exactly the sound little girls were supposed to make. 

A wave of cold blew in on the wind, washing over the family as the sun set lower. It would be time for the lanterns soon.

If they made it that long.

With a yawn, Anna snuggled closer against her mother, nearly crawling into Rapunzel's lap. Pulling Elsa in closer, Rapunzel pressed an affectionate kiss to the top of her eldest girl's head.

"Is that...?"

Eugene's voice drew Rapunzel's attention away from the girls and she looked up in time to see him furtively examining his hand. A wry smile crossed her face. Searching for that super human strength again? 

"Rapunzel it is... Look, its a grey hair!"

Huh? 

Rapunzel looked at the offending hair, her eyebrow raised. Eugene was awfully young for gray hair but with two rambunctious princesses to look after, not to mention all the trouble his wife managed to find herself in, Rapunzel supposed it wasn't completely outlandish. Her gaze moved back up to Eugene's face, a rather amused comment about him being an old man on her lips, but all amusement vanished when she saw him. 

"Eugene...Eugene, there's more than one." In fact in the matter of seconds, Eugene seemed to have aged at least ten years. A chill ran through Rapunzel, her heart beating faster in her chest. "What's going on?"

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"Eugene...Eugene, there's more than one.""What's going on?"

His hands covered his hair defensively as one would hold and cover a cut or wound "Undo it, undo it." Eugene tried to stand up causing his bones to creak and crack each movement a strain and inch by inch mission.

"Guess I must have hit the ground harder than I thought." Eugene said shaking his head trying to fight an on setting fatigue "I'm just going to go over sit on the blanket I feel..." A look of confusion flashed across his face "What was I saying? Right blanket." Feebly he began to make his way over to the blanket while the edges of his vision darkened and the rest blurred. Staggering Eugene made it to the edge of the blanket his breathing now slow and labored he turned to look at his family, smiled and collapsed onto the set out picnic.

[Storyteller]

With each passing second, the knot of worry in Rapunzel's stomach twisted tighter and tighter. It was no better as Eugene feebly got his feet, trying to make it to the blanket a few yards away. 

"Mommy, is daddy alright?" Elsa asked, the quiet fear in her voice breaking Rapunzel's heart. She didn't want to lie to her daughter. But she couldn't bear to tell her the truth either. "Elsa, take your sister for a moment, please." Rapunzel stood as Elsa protectively wrapped her arms around a now crying Anna. 

She tried to stay calm. She tried, for the girls sake. But then Eugene collapsed onto the blanket.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel yelled, dashing the short distance between them. She landed in a heap next to him, rolling him over onto her lap so that she could see him. The withered, gnarled face that stared up at her looked nothing like her young husband. Rapunzel gasped, tears rushing to her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no- Eugene. No." Her voice broke, the scene familiar and horrifying. "Look at me," She touched his withered cheek, forcing him to see her face, "Look at me, I'm right here." There was recognition in his eyes mixed with a resignation. That scared her most of all. "Don't go, stay with me, Eugene." Fruitlessly, she did the only thing she could think of. She took his frail arm, placing his hand on her short brown hair as her song reached a hysterical pace, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," It wouldn't work. She knew it wouldn't." "...make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." Her voice caught in her throat, the lump there getting larger with each word. "Heal what has been...hurt. Change the...fate's design." A vision of Eugene in the tower, bleeding from a stab wound to his stomach. She saved him then. She had to save him. "...save what has been lost, bring back what once was...mine." 

Her shoulders shook, the tears coming fast and strong. Please, please work.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

"...save what has been lost, bring back what once was...mine."

Though he was feeling dead tired and wanted to do nothing more than sleep Eugene removed his hand from her hair he could vaguely recall something like this happening once or maybe he had heard a story with similar elements in it either way he couldnt remember it. The nagging sense of deja vu plagued at him while he remained completely unaware of the changes that were happening to him with his vision fading he continued to look lovely at the wide eyed brunette before him his hand brushing her cheek.

"Hey Rapunzel..." Eugene smiled taking in the last thing he would ever see "You three were my new dream..."

Eugene then aged so rapidly he turned to dust.

[Storyteller]

Numbness. Everywhere.

Her breath coming rough and fast. Dust fell through her useless fingers. Her arms closed around thin air.

The world gone in an instant.

A low, guttural cry filled her ears. Her mind. Couldn't think. Nothing made sense.

This wasn't their ending. She was supposed to heal him.


"Eugene," she whimpered, her hands moving on their own accord to gently touch the blanket where he had been. How? How had this happened? And then a small voice, wailing for her. For him. It ripped through the numbness, clearing away the fog that had settled and replacing it with fear. 

"Anna," Rapunzel stumbled to her feet, trying to ignore the sheets of dust tumbling off her dress as she blindly reached for their daughters. "Elsa!"

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the tear streaked little faces just where she'd left them. They needed to leave. Her legs felt paralyzed as she began to run. "Anna! Elsa!"

But it didn't matter how many steps Rapunzel took, her girls were always just out of her reach.

[Medieval Kevin]

What was left of the light of the sun shrunk behind the tree's and as it seemed to grow impossibly dark the dying light made one last desperate grasp on the world. On that little clearing in the woods. But it was futile and as it flared brilliantly one final time it actually enhanced the shadows of the tall pines, the hills. Those dark splotches then stretched and reached for her, for Rapunzel and her girls.

    As they enveloped the three all was then dark and bleak. The sound of the wind and the leaves died with Eugene. Soon there was nothing. Nothing to give hope. Where there had been happy sounds, birds and all manner of furry creatures in the brush, they were slowly replaced now with faint drips. Cold, gnawing, infuriating gusts of wind. Inconsistent yet ever probing. Creaking sounds echoed as if from down a long cavernous hall.

    Thumps rang out as if from some distant drum. Voices. They could not be understood but mocked that woman. Alone in her grief... Not alone. Softly at first there came sobbing in the dark. Near. A child's cry... Then two children. A dim light started to grow. Very faint yet it still hurt the eyes in that place. As it intensified so grew too a pulsing in the ears. They seemed linked, both rising to almost unbearable levels until finally the pressure stopped. The drums, the voices, the wind... They too retreated.

    In the light huddled Rapunzel's children. Tears streaked their little cheeks. Their faces where blank now though. Eyes devoid of all emotion. Then came the footsteps, strong, purposefully getting closer. The tips of a pair of shoes and the hem of a dress came into the light. A dark red dress. It waited. Then the light turned into an eerie green and grew one last time to reveal a gaunt hauntingly beautiful face. "My children," Gothel said as she looked down on the young ones, "What has she done to you?"