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Chapter Text

It's a magical time in the kingdom of Corona! Wreaths are hung at every door, decorations were put up at each home and shop, and the citizens are abuzz with cheer.

One of the biggest holidays of the year is coming soon. There's also going to be a party at the castle on Christmas Eve. Which means there's still a lot more to get ready before the celebrations.

(Instrumental)

Citizens: Christmas Eve is almost here
There's so much left to do

Varian runs around the city, looking through the windows of the shops. Ruddiger, his pet raccoon, was riding on his shoulders.

V: Still need to shop for all my friends
But what to get? No clue!

He zooms past Lance, Kiera/Angry, and Catalina/Red, who are looking at tree ornaments.

Cat: This one is nice, and that's so cute
Although, that's pretty too

The shop-keepers are placing items in boxes.

SK: Why do I make all these gifts each year?
I doubt I'll make it through

Lance and the two girls then join Varian as they're now walking on Main Street.

L, V, K, C: One more day before the cheer

Cor.: Shop! Pay! Box! Wrap! Bow! Repeat!

L, V, K, C: One last chance before the holiday's here

Cor.: Box! Wrap! Bow! Again!

L, V, K, C: One more day to make the holiday great
One more day before we celebrate

Lance and Kiera: One day, and then it's here

Cor.: One more day to bring that holiday cheer

Attila walks by the shops with groceries in his arms. He was heading towards his bakery and Monty's Sweet Shoppe.

Att.: Christmas Eve is almost here
A day for us to share

Monty: Friends and family altogether

The Snuggly Ducking, including the Hook brothers, are all here to help with the preparations.

Att.: Thugs and Royals and a pair

Monty: Together families, lots of work
There's so much to prepare

Both: With all the planning we still have to do
We've got no time to spare

The Snuggly Duckling pub thugs went inside with the two to get started.

All: One more day before the cheer

Hook Bros.: Stuff! Box! Wrap! Card! Bow! Repeat!

All: One last chance before the holiday's here

Attila and Monty poured and added ingredients into a large bowl. Vladimir putting the finished goods into the oven to bake.

Attila: Stir! Pour! Bake! Again!

All: One more day to make the holiday bright

Outside, citizens are waiting outside Feldspar's shoe shop.

Feldspar: One more day, and I can sleep at night

Monty: The family's almost here

Thugs: One more chance to bring to bring that holiday cheer

Coronans are visiting shop to shop to find the perfect gift for their friends and families.

All: Before the fun, there's preparation
(Just around the corner)

Children are having a snowball fight near the fountain.

Shopping, cooking, decorations
(The complications)

A women was placing a freshly-baked pie on a window sill.

It's all worth it in the end
Spreading joy to all your friends

A group of people are holding handfuls of presents. One had lots of boxes towering over them, which causes the boxes to fall.

Even when it never, ever
Ever seems to end
Aah!

Meanwhile, at the castle, maidens and servants were decorating the ballroom. Eugene was carrying multiple boxes of tinsel and garland.

E: Christmas Eve is getting close
We're not prepared, I fear

He dashed to Rapunzel, who was going over a list of what to do for the party.

E: Blondie, you should take a break

R: No time for rest, that much is clear
I made a list and checked it twice
There's lots to do on here

She gives the list to her fiancé and rushed to the front door, putting on her winter attire.

Oh, if I can't get everything done

She opens the door and ran towards the city.
Eugene, already in his coat and hat, followed her while still holding the list.

I'll have to wait and celebrate next year

Unbeknownst to the two, the long list has wrapped up Lance, Kiera, and Catalina, who were walking past them.

All: One more day before the cheer
Shop! Pay! Box! Wrap! Bow! Repeat!

Rapunzel and Eugene ran past Varian and Ruddiger, who also got tied up in the list.

One last chance before the holiday's here
Box! Wrap! Bow! Again!

A few more people got wrapped up in the process.

One more day to make the holiday great
One more day until we celebrate

Braided haired girls: Please, oh, please make it really, really great!

One person was holding multiple presents.

Citizen: One more gift, try to hurry, don't be late!

A shopkeeper was waking up her partner.

Shopkeeper: Box! Wrap! Bow! Repeat! Gotta concentrate!

All: Just one more day until we all celebrate!

"C'mon Eugene!" Rapunzel calls out, frantically.

"Whoa." The former thief pulled on the list as it surprisingly got heavy for some reason.

The two then turn around to see their annoyed friends and Coronans wrapped around the list.

Chapter Text

Everyone struggled to free themselves from the to-do list.

"Remind me why you guys are wrapping everyone in the kingdom," Varian states as he unties Ruddiger.

"This is a list of preparations, Hairstripe," Eugene points at the list with a deadpan look on his face.

They glanced at the frantic princess as she goes from shop to shop to pick up random items.

"Is Rapunzel alright?" Kiera asks. "Because she's normally not so... stressed."

The brunette princess walked up to the five. She was carrying shopping bags and boxes in her hands, her hair was messy from the day's events.

"Sorry, guys. It's just that the party is coming very soon and we've been really busy. Not to mention Cassandra is coming back for the holidays. So are Adira, Hector, and King Edmund."

The gang all gave knowing looks to her. They haven't seen Cassandra for about a year, since she left after reforming and helping them save Corona from the evil Zhan Tiri. She sends them letters during her journeys, but it was still exciting to see her again.

Edmund and the rest of the Brotherhood had also returned to the Dark Kingdom. Since then, the king has kept in touch with Eugene, his long-lost son.

"Blondie wants everything to be great for both the holidays and for Cass and everyone else," Eugene states. Even though Rapunzel no longer has her long blonde hair, he still calls her "Blondie" once in a while.

"We can help you with the party," Catalina offered. The others murmured in agreement. "You've done so much for us and we want to return the favor."

Rapunzel put her hands to her heart, touched by this offer. These past three years, they've always had her back with practically everything. And she can't be anymore grateful to them.

"Thanks everyone," She says, smiling.

"Anytime, now I suggest that we break the list down in separate parts so that we get few items at once," Varian states, everyone nodding their heads in agreement.

The princess rips the list in four pieces and hands one to each of her friends.

"Okay, Lance and Angry; you two will be in charge of the food. Varian; you, Ruddiger, and Catalina are going to be the ones to provide the tree for the party. Eugene and Max will make sure that the guests are entertained. And finally, Pascal and I will stay at the castle to make sure everything is running smoothly."

"Um, speaking of which... where is Max and Pascal anyway?" Lance asks, looking around.

"Oh, we must have left them in the castle. C'mon Eugene!" Rapunzel ran back to her home, with her fiancée following at foot. "We'll meet you guys tomorrow morning!"

Chapter Text

The next morning at 6 am, Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, and Max met up with their friends at the fountain.

"Okay, we all remember what we're getting for today?" The princess asked. Everyone gave her a nod on their heads. "Alright, we'll meet back at the castle in a few hours just in time for the Christmas party. You guys ready?"

"Yeah!"

Everyone went their separate ways to gather their respective items for the celebration. Lance and Kiera went straight to Attila the Bun and Monty's Sweet Shoppe.

"Alright, Angry. The princess instructed that we get the sweets and pastries for the party. Maybe we can get some samples." Lance rubbed his hands together, eagerly.

"Nice try, Dad. Rapunzel specifically said that we have to go straight back to the castle once we're done." Kiera rolls her eyes in amusement.

"Oh, right."

The two opened the door and walked inside the shops. The warm and welcoming atmosphere surrounded them as they whiffed the smell of baked goods in the air.

"Hey Monty, Attila..." Lance's greet was cut short when the two shopkeepers are frantically placing candy and pastries in various boxes. "Um, are you guys okay?"

"Oh! Hello Lance, Angry," Monty turns to them with a smile. "We're sorry about the commotion, but we have to finish the deliveries for not just the party, but the entire kingdom as well. And it has gotten even more busy since it's the last-minute. We won't be able to finish packing AND deliver at the same time!"

Lance and Kiera turned to glance at each other and back at the two business partners. They both know that the holidays can be very bustling. Suddenly, Kiera got an idea.

"How about we help you with the deliveries," The dark-haired girl offered. The three grown-ups stop to glance at her. "We can drop off the boxes for the customers so that you don't have to worry about doing both things at the same time."

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Trust us on this. We'll bring these packages to people as fast as possible." Lance grinned at his adopted daughter for her generosity. He then looks up to see Attila and Monty smiling back.

"Okay, you got yourselves a deal." The helmeted pub thug brings them into a bone-crushing hug.

"Attila... you're squeezing us..." Lance cringed.

Chapter Text

Varian, Ruddiger, and Catalina went straight to the woods to get the tree they need for the celebrations. The blue-streak teenager was wearing his backpack filled with alchemy. They're both slightly struggling since the snow they're walking in is up to their ankles.

"Hey, Varian," Catalina speaks up, shyly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"If you don't have a... partner during the party, maybe you and I..."

Before she could finish that sentence, Ruddiger starts chittering excitedly.

"What is it, buddy?" The raccoon points at forward to their direction and ran. The two follow him as they trudged through the snowy fields.

"Ruddiger, wait up! You know we can't run in snow this deep!" The red-haired girl shouted.

Once they've stopped running, they were in front of a giant Spruce tree. It was 100-feet tall and has lovely green needles on each branch.

"Wow, this is perfect! Thanks bud," Varian says as they look up in awe and wonder at the beautiful tree.

Catalina's eyes suddenly widen in realization. "Um, how are we going to chop it down without an axe?"

"Don't worry about it, Cat. With the power of alchemy, there is nothing that we can't accomplish." He opens his backpack to reveal numerous types of chemicals inside, along with some ropes and books.

The young girl slightly blushed at the nickname. She didn't have any other ones than just "Red", but it felt nice.

Varian took out a couple of yellow chemical balls and start throwing them at the trunk. The glowing liquid was smeared near the bottom.

Catalina blinks after a few minutes. "Varian, I don't think.."

The teenage alchemist holds up a finger with a smug smirk. "Wait for it..."

Before she can say anything else, the yellow substance begins to melt the trunk like acid. It continued until the bottom is dissolved enough to look like it was actually chopped by an axe.

"I think we should get out of the way." The kids and Ruddiger moved to the sides.

"TIMBER!!" They shouted as they watched the tree make its way to the ground.

Varian ties it with the ropes he had in his bag. "Okay then. Ruddiger, would you do the honors?"

He gives his pet a small vial. Ruddiger grabs and drinks it, turning him into the same gigantic, hulking form he was during the battle against Zhan Tiri.

He and Catalina wrapped the other ends of the ropes around the giant raccoon. They both climb up on his back.

"Alright, let's get this tree back to Corona," Varian declares. "Hang on tight!"

And with that, Ruddiger pulled the tree and walked towards the kingdom, with his two friends riding on top.

Chapter Text

Back in Corona, Rapunzel was ordering the castle staff about what part of the castle to decorate. Pascal was on her shoulder as support.

"The wreaths go on the doors and wrap the garlands around the pillars." She instructed. "Faith, can you go to the storage room and see if we have any more decorations?"

"Yes, princess." The young handmaiden curtsied and ran off.

Eugene and Max came in from outside, snow was plastered all over them. Rapunzel turned around and her eyes widen at the sight.

"Oh, what happened to you guys?"

"Let's just say we got a little involved with a snowball fight," Eugene deadpans as Max shakes off the snow. "But never mind that, we manage to convince the Hook Brothers to provide entertainment for tonight."

She sighs in relief, putting a hand to her chest. Nigel suddenly walks up to her with a piece of paper in his hands.

"Your Highness, I don't mean to alarm you but we just receive a message from Cassandra. She wrote that there is a bit of a snowstorm while traveling back to Corona."

The three gasp in horror at this news.

"But do not worry, she also said that she found an inn to stay in until it's over." The Royal Advisor added. "She might be a little late for the celebrations."

The brunette princess lets out another sigh. "Okay, let's just hope she'll be fine for now. In the meantime, we have to finish the decorating."

They all nod as they get back to work.
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Meanwhile, Lance and Kiera have already finished their first round of deliveries for the Attila and Monty. They had borrowed a cart and a horse so that they can get on with it faster.

They pulled over in front of the shops, where the two shopkeepers are already outside with more packages.

"Wow, you two were fast," Monty admits, impressed. He and his partner load up the cart with more goodies.

"Eh, it was nothing," Kiera waved it off as her adopted father snap on the reins so the horse could start their next route.

"Hey Dad, you think that we'll be able to finish on time to bring our packages for the party tonight?"

"Don't worry about it, before you know it, we'll be back at the castle in no time. And once it begins, we'll be celebrating the holidays like never before!" Lance pats her head in a fatherly manner.

The black-haired girl chuckles softly as they continue with their temporary routines.

Chapter Text

Ruddiger pulled the Spruce tree with ease as he, Varian, and Catalina were about to leave the outskirts of the city. However, the raccoon came to an sudden stop.

"What is it, bud?" The alchemist asked. His pet starts to sniff on the ground and following the scent.

It took a few minutes for him to finally find the main source of the smell: it was Lady Caine and her crew hiding inside a cave!

"Oh no," Catalina and Varian groan at the sight of them. They have never faced or met the female pirate personally, but they had heard all about her from Rapunzel and Eugene themselves.

"What is she doing here? I thought she and her goons was shipped away to an island prison," The young redhead glances at the streaky-haired teen with worry.

"I honestly don't know how they escaped and made it back to Corona, but something tells me that there's going to be trouble," he whispers back, narrowing his eyes at the criminals.

"You stay here with Ruddiger, I'll take a closer look and see what they're up to." Catalina jumped off the giant raccoon and tiptoed to the cave.

"What? Cat, they're going to see you!" Varian protested. She turns around to give him a deadpan look.

"I'm the second half of the Silent Strikers and I can turn into a werewolf whenever I want. I'll be fine, V."

"Oh... right," He rubs his neck sheepishly. "But still, just be careful."

She salutes to him and continues to sneak quietly and stealthily to the cave. Once there, she hid behind the left side and peek to see the bandits surrounding of what looks to be a small map. She also looks up to see Dwayne and Anthony the Weasel.

"Ugh, I should've known Weasel would team up with Caine and what the heck is Dwayne doing with them?" The girl thought with disdain.

"My lady, tell me again what exactly are we doing?" Dwayne asks, cluelessly. The auburn-haired woman facepalms at his stupidity.

"Let me rephrase the plan again," She grits her teeth in annoyance. "The annual holiday shindig is being held at the castle tonight, which means everyone will be involved with all of the lame merriment that's spreading around."

"Therefore, when the citizens are distracted, we will seize the opportunity to destroy the royal family and take over the kingdom." Weasel adds, sinisterly.

Catalina silently gasps at this devious plan and tiptoe back to Varian and Ruddiger as fast as possible. The two turned around to see the panicked expression on her face.

"Hey, what did you hear?" Varian asks as the red-haired girl climbs back up behind him.

"They're going to attack Rapunzel and her parents during the party. C'mon, we've gotta warn them!"

"What?! Oh boy, this is bad news! Let's go, Ruddiger!" The giant raccoon did what his owner told him to do and ran back to the kingdom.

Chapter Text

Lance and Kiera arrived back at the sweet shoppe and bakery. They have finally delivered the last batch of goodies for the customers and are now about to go back to the castle with theirs.

"You two were a great help," Monty exclaims as he and Attila gave them the boxes they need for the party. "Here, for both the celebrations and your hard work. We couldn't have done it without you."

"It's no big deal," Lance waves it off. "The best thing is that we get to have these delicious pastries and sweets as a reward."

Kiera chuckle in amusement as they walk to the castle. "Happy Holidays, you guys!" She said waving to the two shopkeepers. "We'll see you later."

"Happy Holidays!" They waved back.
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Once they arrived back at the palace, the father and daughter duo gasp is awe at the beautifully decorated hallways and rooms inside. Wreaths, ribbons, and garland were all hung on the doors and walls.

Rapunzel turns around and sighs in relief once she saw them.

"Thank goodness, you two are the first ones to arrived," She tells them. "What happened while you were getting the treats? It's only a short trip to Monty's and Attila's."

"They needed help with deliveries, so we volunteered," Kiera explains, bluntly. Lance slightly cleared his throat at the girl to mind her manners.

"Oh... well, you can drop off the goodies in the kitchen while you're at it," The princess instructed. "And maybe you could also help the chefs and handmaidens with setting up the banquet."

"Okay." The two made their way to the kitchen, where they found the royal chefs preparing the dinner.

"Um, hello," Lance greets. "Does anyone know where we can..."

"You can put them on that cart next to you," One of the chefs says, pointing at one that was literally next to them.

"Oh... well, thank you," Lance and Kiera put the goodies on the cart as they were told.

"The princess says that we can also help you guys if that's okay with you," The dark-haired girl offered. "We are very helpful when it comes to cooking and sorting stuff out."

The kitchen staff glance at each other with knowing looks. It would get the work done faster with extra help. Not to mention the fact that they can't defy orders from the royal family themselves.

"Alright then, here's what you will do," The head chef starts off. "Lance, you can stay here to concoct the dishes while Kiera will help the maids set the tables and handle the silverware, plates, and bowls in the banquet room."

"Yes sir," The two of them salute and went to work.

Chapter Text

Varian, Ruddiger, and Catalina have finally made their way to the palace. They burst inside to look for Rapunzel and warn her about Lady Caine and her troop.

"Rapunzel? RAPUNZEL!" The alchemist called out for the princess, frantically. He turns around to a handmaiden. "Excuse us, do you know where Princess Rapunzel is?"

"Oh, she's in the ballroom. It's down this hallway and take a left at the next door." She points.

"Thank you!" The three ran down the directed hallway and opens up the ballroom door. They see Rapunzel holding a box of tree decorations along with Faith, Eugene, and Max.

"Guys!" They turn their gaze to the trip running up to her with panicked looks on their faces.

"Hey, you three. Wow, you picked a great tree for the party," Eugene compliments.

"Forget about that, we have bigger problems," Catalina says, unwrapping the ropes on the giant raccoon and the Spruce tree. "While we were coming back to the castle, Ruddiger used his sense of smell to find Lady Caine and her goons hiding in a cave."

The princess and her fiancée gasp in horror at this. They haven't seen the female pirate since their last encounter with her on their trip to the Dark Kingdom.

"They're planning to destroy you and your parents so they can take over the kingdom," Varian explains to Rapunzel. "And that's not all, Dwayne and Anthony the Weasel are involved too."

"Oh no," The brunette woman rubs a temple. "Faith, will you be able to continue decorating while we plan a counter attack?"

"Yes, your highness," She curtsied and ran off.

"We need all hands on deck. Max, Eugene; you two find Lance and Kiera. The rest of us will meet you in the Strategy room.

The horse and Captain of the Guard nod and went off to find their friends.
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Inside the Strategy room, the gang were discussing what they should do once Lady Caine and her crew tries to attack.

"Okay, we'll need every guard to stand at every entrance inside and outside. That way, we'll make sure that they won't get in," Rapunzel elaborates as she puts several figurines around the model of the castle.

"But how are we going to know what we'll going to do if they managed to sneak in," Lance points out. "Cat said she only heard them saying what they're gonna do, not the actual plan."

The princess sighed, knowing that Lance had a point. She then looks up with a determined look in her eyes. "Whenever they find a way inside and attack, we will be ready to fight back with everything we got!"

"Yeah!" The gang cheered, high-fiving one another as they walked out.

_______________________________________

Unbeknownst to them, the criminals have already managed to sneak in undetected. They were hiding behind the door, hearing the princess's plan.

"What are we going to do now?" Dwayne asks Lady Caine. She gives a devious smirk.

"We'll just have to keep on waiting until the perfect moment to strike."

Chapter Text

Later, during the evening, the guests have arrived for the biggest event of the season. They were dressed in their finest clothing. Some had come from neighboring kingdoms and villages.

Once they made their way to the banquet room, each person took a seat at their assigned table. Rapunzel, along with her parents and Eugene, are seated at the front of the room. Lance, Varian, and the girls have the table next to them.

"Hey, sunshine," Eugene whispers to the princess as the chefs came out from the kitchen to serve dinner. "Did you tell your mom and dad about the plan?"

"Yes, they were worried at first, but they agreed with everything," She says with a small, yet nervous smile.

After a delicious meal, everyone headed to the ballroom. They gasped in awe at the beautifully decorated tree at the center. And there were tables that have been provided with more food.

Varian looked around the room to see if there was anything or anyone suspicious. He turns to Rapunzel. "There's no sign of Caine or her lackeys right now. But I think everything's going swell so far."

"Thanks, Varian. Why don't you enjoy the party? You deserve it, along with everyone else," She smiled at him. He returns the sentiment and walks to one of the refreshment tables.

Arianna and Frederic glanced at their daughter with warm and loving smiles. She has accomplished so many things in the past and are proud of her no matter what.

The band, along with Hook Hand on piano, began to play their respective instruments. Soon, the guests start to dance and sway in the music-filled room.

Rapunzel looked around with a grin. "Maybe, I'm overthinking things," She thought. "I guess it'll be--"

"Attention, please!"

The princess's thoughts and the music were immediately interrupted by a familiar voice. Everyone looked up and gasped. There standing on a bannister was Lady Caine and her allies themselves!

The criminals grabbed a tapestry and swing down to the ground. They landed on the ground with their weapons in hand.

"Long time no see, princess," Caine says, mockingly. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes at her. "Aww, what's wrong? Are we ruining your Christmas the same way we did with your coronation?"

"What do you and your filthy pirate crew want from us, Caine?" Eugene demands. Lance and Varian stand back a little, with Kiera and Catalina in tow.

"Sweet revenge," The female crook points her sword at them. "We've spent the past two years rotting in that island prison because of you! But now that we're out, it's payback time."

"Bring it," Rapunzel challenged.

Chapter Text

The criminals charged towards the three monarchs, only to be stopped by Eugene and Lance, who brought out their swords from their hiding places.

"Varian, girls; you three will take on Weasel and Dwayne," Rapunzel shouts to them. "I'll deal with Caine!"

The three of them nod their heads and ran off to face the said crooks. The brown-haired woman grabbed a frying pan that was hiding behind a potted plant.

Frederic and Arianna led the guests to a safer distance, far away from the fight. Lance prosecuted with Otter and Pocket, while Eugene fought against the Skull Ruffian. Dwayne was easily trapped by Varian because of the chemical balls that were thrown at his feet. Weasel facepalms at this failure.

Catalina and Kiera fling some of the refreshments at Weasel with slingshots. However, he manages to slice them in pieces with his sword, until it was melted by an acid-filled orb that was thrown by the teenage alchemist.

Rapunzel and Lady Caine engage in a private brawl. The auburn-haired bandit swing her sword at the princess, who blocked it with her frying pan.

"Not so powerful without that ridiculously long hair in the way now, is it... princess," Caine taunts, pushing the weapon down on the pan. Rapunzel gave a small smirk.

"I can still put up a fight, even if I don't have 70ft hair anymore!" She grabs a tapestry nearby and uses it wrap around her enemy's legs. Caine fell to the ground, dropping her sword in the process.

"You see, I have found new ways to battle without my hair," The princess taunted back. However, the lady bandit turned to her with a wicked grin.

"Well, just so you know, I've also learned some new tricks since escaping prison," She pulls out a dagger from a scabbard that was attached to her belt. She cuts the cloth to set herself free and stand back up.

Rapunzel tries to slam her frying pan at Caine, only for her to block it with her sword with right hand. She then uses her other one to grab the dagger and slice at the princess's left arm, causing the latter to hold it in pain, while still holding her weapon.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene shouts. As he was distracted, Skull Ruffian gain the upper hand by punching the captain to the ground. Pocket and Otter grab Lance from each arm, restraining him; as did Weasel and Dwayne, who somehow managed to free himself, doing the same thing with Varian and the girls.

Caine swings her sword to knock the brunette's frying pan out of her hand and punched her to the floor. The lady pirate chuckles evilly.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this day, your highness," She raises her weapon, ready to strike down Rapunzel, when she heard a new voice.

"Hey, everyone! Hope I'm not too late."

Chapter Text

Everyone turned around to see whose voice they just heard. There standing at the doorway with a determined smirk on her face was...

Cassandra!

"Well, if it isn't Miss "Moonstone"," Lady Caine mocks. "Did you come back to sprout black rocks again?" The other criminals laughed at the taunt.

"Actually, I was going to attend the party," The dark-haired woman replied, pulling out her sword. "But since you and your goons crashed it, I might as well go down with a fight."

She charges towards the lady pirate with a yell as the two swords clash. The Coronans free themselves from their respective enemies' grasp and continue to battle each other.

Rapunzel picked herself up and swiftly grabbed a cloth from one of the tables. She wraps it around her injured arm.

Eugene and Lance had knock the thugs they were fighting out cold. As a result, they fell to the ground unconscious. Dwayne and Weasel have their feet and hands glued together, thanks to Varian's chemicals. The alchemist high-fives Catalina and Kiera for their victory.

Cassandra and Caine kept on fighting, until the auburn woman managed to knock the warrior's sword out of her hands. She then punch her to the ground.

Caine chuckle evilly. "It looks like you're about to get--"

Before she could finish, a smack is heard from the back of her head, causing her to fell to the floor. Rapunzel smirks as she twirls her frying pan with her right hand.

Soon, the guards came to arrest the criminals once again. The princess turns to her former lady-in-waiting with a smile.

"Thanks, Cass. I'm glad you made it on time, but what happened to the blizzard?"

"Oh, it ended a lot quicker than expected. After that, I decided to surprise you at the dance, but then Lady Caine and her goons showed up and... you know the rest."

Everyone glanced around the ballroom; the decorations were ruined, food was scattered all around, and the tapestries was ripped to shreds.

"Well... I guess it's safe to say that this shindig was almost as disastrous as your coronation, sunshine," Eugene states, reluctantly.

"It's okay, Eugene. I had accepted that stuff like this will happen to us occasionally," She sighs. "But on the bright side, we have each other, that's what's important."

The gang smiled at the declaration as they all share a group hug. After a few seconds, they pull away.

"Anyway, let's clean up this room," Rapunzel adds. "We don't want to wait until the last minute, otherwise it'll be more exhausting."

"And how!" Everyone agrees.

It was obviously not the greatest party she had attended... or hosted. But what Rapunzel does know is that no matter what, she will always have her friends and family by her side.