Chapter 30

                                    

                                          
Hey, guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter and happy reading!
                          

                          
Merida opened her eyes, groggily sitting up.
                          
"Ow.... That- that wasn't pleasant," she muttered. "At all."
                          
"You think?" Jack quirked a brow. Before she could say anything else, Jack added, "The others will explain what's going on but right now, I need to save Rapunzel and Galaxy."
                          
"Sure, yeah. Okay," Merida said, nodding a bit uncertainly. She turned her head back to look at the others who were waving at her to come to where they were. She looked back at Jack confusedly.
                          
"Thanks, Mer," Jack nodded gratefully. With a final clap on her shoulder, he went his way back to the two remaining others that still needed to be woken up.
                          
Let's see....Jack thought. Judging by the way they look it looks like...Rapunzel needs help first. He looked at Galaxy's face for a moment. Besides, she'll be fine for a little while longer, right? Now stop dawdling, Jack, there's still some work to be done. 
                          
A lot, actually. 
                          

                          
"...Or should I even call you that anymore?" Rapunzel said, her face showing how disgusted she was at an unfamiliar woman. She spat out the last word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth, and maybe it did a little. "Mother."
                          
"I may not be your mother, but I do have the power in this house," the woman who Jack guessed was something of an impersonation of a motherly figure to Rapunzel, sneered. "And I believe that I still do."
                          
"You can't control me anymore," Rapunzel glared. 
                          
"Or can I?" the woman said. She then unveiled something behind a curtain she was standing in front of at that moment. It reminded Jack of a magic show, but he quickly realized that it was nothing like one, for behind that particular curtain, was a man who was badly injured. His whole abdomen was covered in blood and the blood was still flowing out really fast.
                          
"Eugene!" Rapunzel screamed, running to the man. She gently put his head on her lap. "Oh gosh, Eugene, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to get caught in the middle of all this." She then got out a couple of herbs and berries. "Here, just let me-"
                          
"No, Rapunzel," Eugene coughed. His voice was hoarse and weak. "If you go through with this, then-"
                          
"Hey, it's going to be okay," Rapunzel smiled, but there was sadness in here eyes. "We'll both be okay after this."
                          
"No, we won't," Eugene coughed again. "If you end up saving me, Gothel will take you away and I'll-"
                          
"Eugene," Rapunzel said more firmly. "This is going to work out in the end. I promise."
                          
"I don't think that's a promise you can keep, Rapunzel," Eugene said quietly. 
                          
"Just trust me, Eugene," Rapunzel said pleadingly. "I'm begging you."
                          
Eugene was hesitant but finally nodded. "Fine, Rapunzel. You win."
                          
"Okay, okay, let's see," Rapunzel said, looking at the berries and the herbs she had in front of her. She looked like she was trying to look confident for the sake of the both of them. "I've got the anfir and the berryroot to help slow down the bleeding. And there's also the willipine to to help get your color back. There...there..... Now to just slather it on your wound. This might hurt a bit- yeah, I know, I'm sorry."
                          
"Tick tock tick tock," Gothel said tauntingly. "Time is running out."
                          
Rapunzel glowered at her before turning back to Eugene. "It's okay, Eugene," she said soothingly. "You're going to be okay."