A Gigantically Tangled Adventure

(BiggerBetterBarbie; idea by ChipmunkRaccoonOz)

"Oooooooooooooooh it's another beautiful day!" a young female voice said before she broke into a song about the start of another beautiful day. That voice belonged to 10-year-old Inma, who lived in a two story house high atop the same clouds that you and I would look up at the sky and see covering the sun at times. The birds would chirp happily in rhythm with her singing as she playfully danced around her room, feeling the wooden floor ever so slightly buckle underneath her bare feet.

Well, at least the birds would be chirping in her perfect world, but her world was anything but perfect as she would soon be reminded. As Inma finished up her song of another beautiful day by shouting out the open window, she failed to notice her door swing open.
"INMA!" a loud male voice shouted. Inma gasped and turned around where she saw both her mother and father standing outside her room.
"Ummm… good morning, Father. I was just smelling the beautiful morning air." Inma said as she smiled innocently, then took a deep breath and coughed out a couple times.
"Young lady, if I've told you once, I've told you a billion times. LOWER YOUR VOICE." the father said in about as stern a tone as you can imagine.
"Yes, Father." Inma said as she wiggled her toes and looked down on the floor, only for her father to walk right up to her.
"You better be looking dead into my eyes when you say that." the father said.
"Yes, Father. I'm sorry!" Inma said as she looked into his eyes.
"Good. Now come downstairs for breakfast. I'm going outside to check the top cloud layer… I better see you at the table when I get back in." the father said.

He walked out the room, but Inma's mother stayed behind and gently approached her daughter, kneeling down beside her.
"(sigh) I don't get why we have to be so quiet. It's not like anyone else other than the other giants can hear us." Inma said.
"I know, Inma, my dear. But after what happened over 100 years ago, we mustn't take that chance." the mother said.
"Mommy… do you think one day we'll ever visit the surface world? I know it's real! I know we will!" Inma said. Her mother patted her on the head.
"That's what we love about you, Inma. Your spunky enthusiasm brightens up even the sunniest of days." the mother said.
"Dad sure doesn't feel that way. He's been kinda mad for the past couple weeks." Inma said.
"Your father is under a lot of pressure to keep a roof over our heads. But that doesn't mean we don't love you. Never forget that, Inma. A parent's love for a child surpasses any supernatural power." the mother said.
"Thanks, Mommy." Inma said as the two ladies firmly hugged each other.
"Now, come. Like your father said, it's time to eat breakfast." the mother said.
"Okay, I'll be right down, Mommy, after I make the bed!" Inma said.
After the mother left, Inma did indeed make her bed, but after she did just that… she reached underneath her bed and pulled out what appeared to be an ordinary looking seed.
"Ever since I've been throwing these seeds every morning for the past two weeks, nothing has happened. Maybe today something will change… hopefully for the better!" Inma said with a smile. She lightly kissed the seed and then tossed it out her open window, watching as it disappeared through the clouds that held her castle home up. Then she turned around and ran out her bedroom to catch up with her parents.

Meanwhile, down on the surface, it was another day of traveling down the open road peppered with those mysterious black rocks for Rapunzel (with Pascal the chameleon riding her shoulder), Eugene, Cassandra, Lance Strongbow, Hook Foot, and Shorty… who all rode outside the massive caravan being pulled by the two horses, Maximus and Fidella. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra were riding up front while the rest sat atop the roof of the carriage.
"And that's when I wrote my first poem. Aces high, deuces low, call it right, and win the dough!" Lance said.
"Wow! Did she love it?" Rapunzel asked.
"Nope. She yelled are you in it for the love or the money? And then slapped me and that was the end of that date." Lance said. Everyone except Eugene sighed.
"Pfffft! Did you seriously think you'd win that girl's love with a silly poem like that?" Eugene asked with a smile.
"Hey, come on! I'm an adventurous hero, not a poet!" Lance said.
"Yeah… a big strong hero, alright." Cassandra said as she couldn't resist giggling. Lance had an annoyed look on his face, only to then be patted on the shoulder by Hook Foot.
"Aye, Lance. You're lucky. When all the girls look at my foot, they go running for the hills. Such is the life of a former Pub Thug." Hook Foot said.
'But you're trying and that's all that matters, Hook Foot!" Eugene shouted.

Before the conversation could continue, however, the group suddenly found the ground shaking severely, causing the caravan (and the horses pulling it along with everyone onboard) to bounce around.
"An earthquake!" Rapunzel shouted as she gripped tightly onto Eugene. The group then watched as a hole ripped out of the ground a few feet away and a beanstalk emerged… ascending rapidly into the sky. The beanstalk grew and grew and grew, and the group had to back away to keep from being clipped by it. Finally, though, after a few more seconds, the beanstalk stopped growing and the ground stopped shaking.
"Is everyone alright!?" Cassandra said.
"Wow… I knew my stomach rumbling when I'm hungry would be loud but this time it really took the cake!" Shorty commented as 'wisely' as he always does. Lance then pointed upwards at the sky.
"Yeah, I don't think that was your appetite this time, gramps." Lance said.
"Oh my word…" Rapunzel said as she looked up and up and up at the beanstalk.
"What is it?" Cassandra asked.
"Haven't you ever read fairy tales, like Jack and the Beanstalk?" Eugene asked.
"Ummmm… no. I was busy learning how to swing a sword, unlike you." Cassandra said.
"Hmmph! Well, I was busy being Flynn Rider and swindling from the swindlers! And reading child-friendly books at the same time." Eugene said.
"Maybe the black rocks caused something like this to appear?" Rapunzel said.
"I dunno, Raps. It's probably a coincidence." Cassandra said.

"Who cares who, what, when, where, why, and how this thing showed up! I say we navigate around this thing and just mosey along." Lance said.
"No, wait, Lance!" Rapunzel said with a smile forming on her face.
"Uh oh… she's got that look." Cassandra said.
"Yep, no argument there." Eugene said.
"Why don't we climb up it and see where it goes?" Rapunzel asked.
"And there it is." Cassandra said.
"Er… Blondie, you sure that's a good idea? We are getting kinda tired after a long trek. We need to find some food and…" Eugene said as he tried to feather his way out of this jam, only for Cassandra to jump in and get right to the point.
"…and get the heck out of here before we get into some big mess!" Cassandra said.
"Awwww… what's the matter, you two? Chicken? Besides, you forget… I have a knack for adventure!" Rapunzel said.
"(sigh) Yes, Raps. Yes you do." Cassandra said.
"Then it's settled! Eugene, Cassandra, Pascal, and I will ascend the beanstalk and see what's up there!" Rapunzel shouted enthusiastically.
"Hey, what about us!?" Lance asked.
"Yeah, you're not going to leave us dragging, are ya?" Hook Foot said.
"Funny how Hook Foot is the one saying that." Eugene said with a smile. Hook Foot knew exactly what Eugene was referring too, looking down at his hooked foot, and growled.
"You three should stay down here just in case something happens to the three of us. And besides… you three are better than us three at finding food. Heh... that was a lot of threes, wasn't it? Hey, three of a kind!" Rapunzel said. Shorty, Lance, and Hook Foot all looked at each other.
"She's got a point." Lance said.
"Alright! Last one up is a rotten eggplant!" Rapunzel said as she wasted no time in jumping towards the beanstalk, latching onto it and climbing upward.
"Ooooooh… and I hate rotten eggplants! The only thing that smells worse than dirty socks." Eugene said as he jumped on next. Cassandra sighed and followed suit.

Meanwhile, inside the cloud castle, Inma had finished eating her breakfast and was washing the dishes from which she ate. As she shut the faucet off, she watched both her mother and father walk towards the front door.
"Oh? Mother? Father? Where are you going?" Inma asked.
"Your father and I are meeting with the other Storm Giants. We should be back in about an hour." the mother said.
"Stay here until we get back." the father said.
"Yes, Father." Inma said, watching as her two parents headed out the door. She still had a couple more dishes to polish off before she could run around and play in the house.

Several minutes later, our three heroes finally reached the top of the beanstalk and stopped to rest atop the cloudy world they had just discovered. They were all breathing heavily from having to take such a long trip to reach their destination.
"(huff-puff-huff-puff) Next time, remind me that hundreds of feet of beanstalk takes a long time to climb!" Cassandra said.
"Hey, what do you expect? It was a very, very long ways up!" Eugene said.
"Come on, guys! We can't rest yet! Look, there's the giant castle!" Rapunzel said.
"Well, what do you know? I guess it was real after all." Eugene said.
"Wow… it's so big! I wonder if anyone lives there. Let's go see!" Rapunzel said.
"Raps, seriously! Slow down!" Cassandra shouted.
"Hahaha! These clouds tickle under my feet!" Rapunzel said as she hopped around the cloudy ground. Cassandra looked angrily over at Eugene.
"Seriously, you have GOT to teach her how to settle down." Cassandra said.
"And risk getting whacked by that frying pan? Oh no… not me!" Eugene said as he and Cassandra both chased after Rapunzel.

The three finally made it to the bottom of the gigantic front door of the castle.
"Ooooookay, so how are we supposed to knock on this thing?" Cassandra said.
"Oh sure. Just knock on the front door and right away the giant opens up and eats us like snacks." Eugene said.
"Giant? Did you say giant?" Cassandra said.
"Oh right… you didn't read the book because you were 'sword training.'" Eugene said as he held a few fingers up and bent them up and down, exaggerating on the words sword training.
"You're not scared, are you, Cass?" Rapunzel asked.
"N…n…no, of course not! I've taken down 30-foot-tall machines from Varian, may I remind you!" Cassandra retorted.
"I know. Still, maybe whoever lives here is not that big… and not that scary! And by the way, about the front door…" Rapunzel said as she next pointed at the opening underneath the front door, which was tall enough to allow the three to walk underneath.
"Heh. Go figure, a 'human' door." Eugene said.
"Move those fingers in front of my face again and they'll be deep fried the next day." Cassandra said.
"And I thought you were on a diet!" Eugene said. Cassandra then looked where she saw Rapunzel crawling underneath the door.
"Raps, wait!" Cassandra shouted as the three went inside.

Upstairs in her bedroom, Inma was putting the finishing touches on her tea set, placing down the table, chairs, cups, kettle, and of course her stuffed animals (such as a teddy bear, an elephant with larger than normal ears, and a red dragon who looked a LOT like Mushu).
"Alrighty then! Day 123 of the Inma Tea Party Delegation Special is upon us! Today our topic is… um… let's see…" Inma said. As she tried to think of something to talk about with her stuffed friends for the next hour or so until her parents got back, she suddenly felt the need to sniff the air repeatedly.
"That… that smell…" Inma said as she continued to sniff and sniff, trying to pick up that mysterious scent that she realized was coming from downstairs.
"Wait… it couldn't be!" Inma said as she got up and walked out of her bedroom to head downstairs.

Rapunzel (with Pascal still riding on her shoulder), Cassandra, and Eugene all walked around the area looking around their gigantic surroundings.
"*whistles* I've seen libraries smaller than this place." Eugene said.
"Somebody really big has to live here." Cassandra said.
"I agree, Cass. It's so weird that it's quiet around here." Rapunzel said.
"Hey, maybe the place is for sale! Now yours to own… a place that makes you feel like 3 inches tall." Eugene said.
"I just hope the cockroaches aren't plus sized up here." Cassandra said, which made the skin of both Eugene and Rapunzel tingle.
"Okay… suddenly that shadowy monster we encountered in the Forest of Forgetfulness wasn't so bad." Eugene said.
"And yet there's still so much more to see thanks to all those black rocks!" Rapunzel said.
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen a single trace of them since we climbed the beanstalk. We're probably well off the beaten path and should get back on it." Cassandra said.
"Especially leaving the guys down there. Knowing Shorty, he'd mistake a slithering bloodworm for a red apple." Eugene said.
"(sigh) You're right, there's nothing much to see up here. We should turn around before…" Rapunzel said, only for she and the others to suddenly feel the ground thump beneath their feet, and booming sounds that gradually got louder.

The three then heard a young female voice calling out.
"Fee fi fo fum! I smell the blood of cute little people! Be they alive or be they dead, I'll… well… I'll make them eat my bread! Because it's so tasty! Teehee!!" the voice said. Our heroes then gasped when they saw a 60-foot-tall girl, who looked around 10 years old, making it down the stairs.
"Wow… she's… young." Eugene said.
"If that's just the child, imagine how tall her parents must be." Rapunzel said.
"Never mind that! Hide before she sees us!" Cassandra said as she and the others went running towards the nearby table, taking cover behind one of the legs. The three peeked out to get a good look at the giant Inma as she walked around in her white dress scanning the floor. Rapunzel noted how she was in bare feet just like she was.
"At least she has good tastes when it comes to footwear." Rapunzel said.
"Y'know, if somebody could boost me 50 feet, I could pull the fire alarm!" Eugene said. As Rapunzel and Cassandra showed 'not funny, Eugene' looks over at Eugene, they watched as Inma got down on her hands and knees and crawled around the floor, sniffing every step of the way. This was not lost on Cassandra.
"Eugene… seriously, when's the last time you bathed!?" Cassandra said.
"Oh sure, always blaming me. It's not like you're crystal clean either. I mean, look at this microscopic piece of lint on your gloves." Eugene said as he reached towards one of Cassandra's gloved hands, only for Cassandra to swipe it away.
"Hands off, Romeo!!!" Cassandra said.
"Guys, would you stop fighting for two whole seconds of your lives!?" Rapunzel shouted as she looked away from the giantess and towards her two friends.

This meant Rapunzel could not see Inma spotting the three behind her. Pascal screamed out and tugged repeatedly on a couple strands of Rapunzel's hair.
"What is it, Pascal?" Rapunzel said as she saw her pet chameleon pointing to the rear. Rapunzel turned around and gasped over seeing one of the biggest brown eyes she ever saw.
"Peekaboo, I see you!" Inma said.
"EEEEEEK!" Rapunzel said as she suddenly jumped into Eugene's arms. Eugene was next to look up at the giantess, and he too was spooked.
"EEEEEEK!" he screamed as he, in turn, suddenly jumped into Cassandra's arms. Cassandra immediately was straining to keep the two balanced in her arms.
"Oy… you two… over… capacity!" Cassandra said as she was forced to drop the two to the ground, with both landing on their rear ends.
"Ow! Just be thankful you weren't trying to hold Lance, or someone even heavier!" Eugene shouted. Cassandra, meanwhile, drew a short sword out and pointed it towards Inma.
"Back off!" Cassandra said. Inma did indeed back her head away.
"Whoa, hey! Easy there! My mom says it's dangerous to be pointing sharp things like that!" Inma said.
"Who are you and where are we!? We demand answers!" Cassandra shouted.
"I… *ahem*… I am Inma, and you're in my home!" Inma shouted.

Rapunzel quickly realized this young giantess couldn't possibly mean no harm, and she stepped out near Cassandra and made her lower her sword.
"Inma, it's so nice to meet you! Please forgive my friend, Cassandra. She's very overprotective of me." Rapunzel said.
"Haha, welcome to the club! My parents freak out every time I set even a toe outside our front door. I totally understand." Inma said.
"Thank you! Anyway, my name is Rapunzel. This is Pascal, Cassandra, and Eugene. And we come from, well… I guess you could say the surface world given that your home is in the clouds and…" Rapunzel said as she pointed to her companions one by one, but she was then interrupted when Inma suddenly gasped.
"Wait… wait… wait… your feet." Inma said.
"Huh? Oh? What about my feet?" Rapunzel said as she wiggled her toes around.
"You wouldn't happen to walk around barefoot all the time, would you?" Inma asked.
"Well… yes, actually." Rapunzel said.
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Being barefoot is so awesome!" Inma said as she stood back to her full height and did a mini dance around, knocking our heroes off their feet.
"Oops… sorry. Here, allow me to take you to safer ground." Inma said. She kneeled down and extended a hand towards our heroes, waiting until they all jumped onboard.

Inma then stood back up and gently set the trio down on top of the table, which she sat down at and rested her arms on.
"Haha! And people thought I was weird. See, you two? There ARE others who can't stand the thought of wearing uncomfortable shoes!" Rapunzel said.
"For the record, I never doubted that particular decision of yours." Cassandra said.
"Teehee… you're all funny! So you said you come from the surface world?" Inma asked.
"Yep. This giant beanstalk suddenly appeared while we were traveling down the open road. It grew so tall it reached the clouds, so we climbed it out of curiousity, and here we are." Rapunzel said.
"Wow! That means one of my magic seeds finally worked! I was starting to think all I had were duds." Inma said.
"Oh? So the beanstalk was your doing?" Cassandra asked.
"That's right! I've been throwing one seed a day out my bedroom window hoping it would attract surface dwellers. I keep telling my father… the surface world is real!" Inma said.
"Oh, so you do have parents?" Eugene asked.
"Yes, but they're out for now. Good thing too… my father keeps saying bad things about tiny people like you. Something like how they are unlucky and how they banished the Storm Giants up here 100 years ago. I don't know. I kinda think it's hogwash. My Mom doesn't know what to believe." Inma said.
"I see…" Rapunzel said.

She then felt herself being picked up by the 60-foot-tall girl.
"Still, Rapunzel. I think it's awesome you're barefoot like me! It's like we're sisters!" Inma said as she cuddled the girl against her face.
"Ooooof! Glad you feel that way, Inma! Maybe don't squeeze so hard!" Rapunzel said.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Inma said. She then lightly stroked Rapunzel's long flowing hair.
"Wow… you have such long hair." Inma said.
"Thanks. Actually, this is not even its full length. It's held together by these beads." Rapunzel said.
"Oh! Can I see the full length!? Please please pretty please with a cherry on top!?" Inma said.
"Okay. Just set me down." Rapunzel said. After Inma set her back down on the table, Rapunzel did just that, removing the beads from her hair and allowing all 70 feet of it to unfurl, with most of it falling off the table and landing next to Inma's left foot.
"Teeheehee! This is beyond awesome! Though… aren't you worried of someone tripping over it or cutting it or something like that?" Inma asked.
"Nope! Blondie's hair is unbreakable! Watch!" Eugene said as he pulled Cassandra's short sword out and took a swing.
"Hey!" Cassandra shouted, watching as her sword shattered into many pieces as soon as it made contact with Rapunzel's hair.
"Ugh… that was one of my favorite swords, you jerk." Cassandra said as she folded her arms.
"Wow!" Inma shouted, again awestruck with what she saw.
"In fact, because it is so strong, I can even use it to tie up bad guys… like this!" Rapunzel said.

After pulling up some of her hair from off the floor, she twirled it around like a rope and then threw it towards Inma, allowing it to wrap around her waist and pinning her arms to her sides in the process. Inma didn't look scared, though, despite the binding she found herself in.
"Oh! I'm trapped! I'm like the princess in another castle!" Inma said. Rapunzel giggled, but quickly released the giantess from her hold. At the same time, the stomachs of all three grumbled loudly, something that Inma picked up on despite being bigger.
"Oh… I know that sound! You three are hungry from all that climbing, aren't you?" Inma said.
"Well, yeah… I guess we are." Cassandra said.
"Never fear! Master chef in the making Inma is here to the rescue! I'll take you all to the kitchen if you'll allow me." Inma said as she gently lowered one of her hands, allowing the three to step onboard once again. Once they were firmly in the palm of her hand, Inma walked a short ways into the kitchen. She set the three down on the table and then walked over to the nearby cabinet. She looked back at the trio for a brief moment, where she saw Cassandra sporting a very nervous look on her face.
"Huh? What's wrong, Cassandra?" Inma asked.
"Um… when you say master chef… you're not talking about… you know…" Cassandra said. Inma finally realized where Cass was nervously looking. It was towards one of the boiling pots sitting idly on the stove.
"Oh! Are you worried I'm gonna throw you into the stew? Good heavens, don't you worry about that! I think little people would make a bad topping anyway." Inma said with a smile as she went back to digging through the cabinets.
"Cassandra scared of a big ol' boiling pot? News flash! News flash! Read all about it! Ow!" Eugene said, only to get slapped in the back of the head by Cassandra.
"It's not that! It's just… I had this nightmare once about being stuck in a boiling pot. And you were in it, Raps." Cassandra said.
"Huh? What exactly was I doing with you?" Rapunzel asked.
"Not just that… what you were wearing too." Cassandra said.

But before Cassandra could spill the details on 'Witch Rapunzel,' the group heard Inma shout out.
"Ah ha! Here it is! Mom's world famous loaf of bread. One bite and you won't go hungry for the rest of the day!" Inma shouted. She picked up the loaf and placed it down on the table where Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene were standing. Obviously, they stood in awe at the size of the bread.
"*whistles* I bet every chef in Corona would be jealous if they saw this." Rapunzel said.
"Well, don't just stand there! Dig in!" Inma said with a smile.
"Who am I to argue with a very pretty and very tall 10-year-old!?" Eugene said as he literally dove head first into the bread, chomping away at it. Cassandra and Rapunzel looked at each other before finally digging in themselves.

After a few minutes, the three rubbed their bellies and laid flat on the table, unable to stuff another giant crumb down their throats.
"Oh man… that really hit the spot. What's for dessert!?" Eugene said.
"Thank you, Inma. That was so kind of you." Rapunzel said.
"Always happy to help a fellow barefooter! Say, how about I give you three a tour of the rest of my home?" Inma asked.
"Sure! We wouldn't mind that!" Rapunzel said.
"Great!" Inma said as she gently picked up the trio and held them in her hands, tucking them against her stomach area.
"Well, let's see. You've already seen the kitchen, let's see where else I can show you…" Inma said as she slowly walked around the castle.

As she peeked down one hallway, Eugene was the first to notice something peculiar about one of the doors.
"Hey, Inma. What's with that golden shine underneath that door? Did you forget to leave the light on?" Eugene said.
"Oh, no. That's the shine from the golden harp." Inma said.
"Oh? The golden harp? Do you play music?" Rapunzel asked.
"Actually, no. My mother and father told me I'm to never ever ever ever ever go into that room." Inma said.
"What? Don't you think that's very suspicious?" Cassandra said.
"Maybe, but every time I ask, I get yelled at by either one of them… or both. I… sigh." Inma said.
"What's wrong, Inma? Did we ask a sensitive question? Usually I'm the one doing that." Rapunzel asked as she glanced over at Cassandra, who just rolled her eyes.
"No, not at all. It's just… you three have been so nice to me. I've never had friends like you. In fact, I haven't had any other living friends in all the time I've lived." Inma said.
"Never any other friends? Wow, that's rough." Eugene said.
"The truth is… I feel like I'm a prisoner of this castle. I can't even go outside to see the sunshine. I'm always having to do that from my bedroom window." Inma said. Rapunzel lightly gasped and clutched her hands to her chest. This sounded VERY familiar to her. In fact, she briefly got flashbacks to the now deceased Mother Gothel.
"Actually, I know the feeling. I was once trapped in a castle myself." Rapunzel said.
"Really!? Wow… first bare feet and then that. Maybe we're long lost twin sisters!" Inma shouted.
"Heh heh… yeah. Maybe we are. Hahaha!" Rapunzel said as she gradually broke into a laughter.
"Anyway, let me take you all upstairs." Inma said.

Shortly afterwards, after ascending the only staircase in the entire castle, the trio found themselves in Inma's bedroom. Already Rapunzel spotted the tea set on the floor of the bedroom.
"Oh wow, you have a tea set?" Rapunzel said.
"Yep! I guess every 10-year-old where you come from has one too?" Inma asked.
"Well, maybe not everyone, but it sure is popular." Rapunzel said.
However, before Inma could sit down and set her new friends down… she suddenly heard a noise from downstairs. It sounded like a door opening, and then she heard a female voice.
"Inma! We're home!" the female voice said. Inma gasped as she immediately recognized the voice.
"Shoot! That's Mommy! My parents are home." Inma said.
"Ah, so this is the part where we meet the overprotective parents, right?" Eugene said.
"Ho ho… my father HATES smaller people. If he sees you three, you're all dead." Inma said, prompting a gasp from Rapunzel and Cassandra.
"Do you have a place to hide us?" Rapunzel asked.
"Um… Um…" Inma said as she rapidly looked around her bedroom.
"Inma! You come down here when we talk to you!" Inma's father boomed from downstairs. Inma sweated like crazy now, and for good reason. She knew her father would come storming up if she didn't get downstairs post haste.

So after quick thinking, Inma set the trio on the window sill.
"Quick, get out of here before my parents see you!" Inma said.
"Ummmm… but how are we supposed to… WHOA!" Rapunzel said, only for she, Cassandra, and Eugene to get pushed off the window sill and go freefalling towards the cloudy ground. Luckily, being a giant cloud, the surface was light and fluffy and the three had a soft landing. Still, Eugene, after brushing off some excess cloud, looked angerily up at the window they flew out of.
"Oooooh… the nerve of that young lady! She should be sent to timeout!" Eugene said.
"Yeah, try telling a giant brat to go to her room." Cassandra said sarcastically. Rapunzel then grabbed both her friends by the hands.
"Come on, guys! We should climb back down the beanstalk and fast!" Rapunzel said as she and the others dashed their way towards the beanstalk.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, Inma finally made her way downstairs and ran up to her mother, hugging her first.
"Mommy! Daddy! Welcome back!" Inma said.
"Yes, Inma, my darling, we are back. Did you have fun while we were gone?" the mother said.
"Oh, of course! Ummm… I had quite the tea party! That's why I was slow in coming downstairs. Sorry!" Inma said.
"Be faster next time." the father said, trying his best to remain calm for a change. However, he picked up on a scent that would send that calm demeanor out the window.
"That smell…" the father said.
"Huh? What smell, Father?" Inma innocently asked. The father, on the other hand, skirted past Inma and repeatedly sniffed the entire room, eventually marching upwards into Inma's bedroom.
Inma and her mother followed Dad upstairs. After taking several more good whiffs around the area, he finally looked down at Inma with a very angry look.
"Where are they, Inma!?" the father said.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Who is they…!?" Inma said, only to suddenly have one of her arms grabbed by the older man.
"Don't lie to me, child! WHERE ARE THE SURFACE DWELLERS!?" the father shouted.
"Darling, calm down! How do you know surface dwellers have been roaming around here!?" the mother said. The father glanced over at the mother, and then he shoved Inma to the side (with the mother catching her) as he marched downstairs. Again, the two ladies followed him.

Rapunzel (with Pascal still riding her shoulder), Cassandra, and Eugene were about 50 yards away from the beanstalk they had ascended earlier.
"Man… next time remind me to order those rocket things that you attach to your boots. I didn't plan on this much running today!" Eugene said.
"Oh, quit complaining! You could use the exercise." Cassandra said. The three then stopped when they heard a loud sound of a door opening up. They looked to see the father looking out towards them.
"YOU!" the father exclaimed.
"That must be the patriarch of the family. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yeah… Raps, I don't think he's in a chatting mood." Cassandra commented.
"I'd recognize that look anyday. That's the look of I'm going to kill you for improperly touching my daughter's hand." Eugene said. Again, Rapunzel and Cassandra had Huh!? type looks pointed at Eugene, but then all three saw the giant father take a couple steps out of the castle home.
"Time to go!" Rapunzel shouted as she and the others went racing for the beanstalk. They jumped onto it and slid down it like a pole.

The father, meanwhile, started to go after the trio when he was suddenly held back by his wife.
"Darling, wait! We can't just go rushing after them! It could be dangerous!" the mother said.
"Doesn't seem like a problem for them!" the father said as he pointed towards the beanstalk the trio had climbed down. Inma, meanwhile, made it out of the house and looked up at her parents as they talked further about how to handle the situation, though it was mostly an argument of the mother wanting to leave the 'tinies' alone since they escaped but the father still wanted to make mincemeat out of them. Inma opened her mouth to say something, but then thought to herself.
"Dad's really going to brain me now that he caught a glimpse of my new tiny friends. I'll show them… I'll show them the surface world is not so bad!" Inma said to herself as she ran towards the beanstalk. By the time she reached it, the mother realized what was happening.
"Inma, where are you going!?" the mother said.
"Don't worry, Mom and Dad! I'll catch those surface dwellers for you!" Inma shouted.
"Inma, wait!!!" the mother said, only to be held back by the father.

A couple minutes later, at the caravan, Lance, Hook Foot, and Shorty all watched as Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene all came climbing down from the beanstalk, eventually touching down on the ground.
"Oh, hey! What's up, gang? Freshly caught fruit just waiting to be devoured." Lance said.
"No time, Lance! Do we have an axe?" Eugene asked.
"An axe? Whoa… who you gotta grind with!?" Lance said.
"I once met an axe wielder who looked like me… his name was…" Shorty started to say, but Cassandra interrupted.
"Arrrrgh! This is no time to be joking around! We need something to cut that beanstalk down before we're all giant bait!" Cassandra shouted.
"Wait… giant? As in I'm shaking the caravan like it's just a toy giant? You know, a giiiiiiiiiiant?" Lance asked.
"That's an amazingly accurate description." Rapunzel said.
"Oy! We don't have any axes! You said all we'd need are swords!" Hook Foot said as he and everyone else looked at Cassandra.
"Okay, okay. I'll keep my mouth shut next time. Still, my swords aren't going to cut it in time." Cassandra said. The group then looked up as they heard a female voice humming a tune out, where they saw Inma climbing down.
"Inma! What's she doing coming down here?" Rapunzel asked.
Cassandra clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she knew they were in big trouble soon. That's when she looked down at Hook Foot's, ahem, hooked foot.
"Can I borrow this?" Cassandra shouted as she grabbed the hooked foot and pulled it right off Hook Foot.
"Ow! Um… no!?" Hook Foot said as he leaned on Lance to keep from falling over.
"Cass, wait!" Rapunzel said, but Cassandra was determined and she hacked away at the beanstalk with the hook. The hook proved amazingly strong and was cutting firmly through the base of the beanstalk. It only took about a minute for the beanstalk to start tipping over from being imbalanced.
"Timber!" Eugene shouted.

Inma could feel the beanstalk going down as she watched the scenery around her tilt.
"Whoops! Abandon beanstalk!" Inma said as she waited a few more seconds and then jumped off. With a resounding thud, Inma planted her bare feet into the ground for a perfect landing, just as the beanstalk came crashing down to the ground.
"Whew… that was close for Inma." Rapunzel said. Inma meanwhile stood back to her full 60-foot-tall height, where she took a long look around.
"Wow… I'm… I'm on the surface world." Inma said.
"Inma!" Rapunzel shouted as she and the others ran up towards Inma.
"Oh! Hey, everyone! I'm so glad you made it safe and sound back here." Inma said.
"Yeah, we're okay, but what about you?" Rapunzel asked.
"Haha! I'm fine! I've got super duper heavy duty legs! I can take any fall!" Inma said as she playfully stomped both her feet to the ground.
"Heh heh… I'm glad to hear that." Rapunzel said.
"Still, you're probably stuck here now. I'm sorry about cutting off the only way back above, but it was important we keep your parents from coming down here." Cassandra said.
"It's okay, Cassandra. The truth is… I'm so glad to finally be down here at the surface world! Oh! They have to be so proud of me that I'm the first giant in probably forever to be down here!" Inma said.
"Well, that's all well and good, but I'm not sure our world is ready to accept people your size just yet…" Eugene said.
"Eugene's right, actually. Maybe we should find a way to get you back home." Rapunzel said.
"Well, okay… but while you figure that out, I'm gonna walk around and explore this land! Oh! Inma's Grand and Glorious Adventure in the Surface World has begun! Let's see… with the beanstalk toppled that way… I shall go this way!" Inma said as she proudly stepped over our heroes and the caravan.

The group watched the 10-year-old giantess walk off in the distance.
"Hoo boy… a child wandering without her guardians is one thing, but a giant girl without her parents." Cassandra said.
"Awww, come on, Cass. It can't be that bad. There isn't much in that direction except for open terrain." Rapunzel said.
"Well, it's not open entirely. There was Vardaros." Eugene said.
"And Corona's that way too." Hook Foot said casually as he got his hooked foot back from Cassandra. This prompted a gasp from the former soldier.
"Wait… say that again, Hook Foot." Cassandra said.
"I said that Coro…" Hook Foot said, only to stop when he realized what he said. Seconds later, Rapunzel, Cassandra, Eugene, Hook Foot, Lance, and even Shorty had the most stunned looks ever on their faces.
"SHE'S HEADING FOR CORONA!!!!!!!!" they all screamed.
"Max! Fidella! Full reversal on the triple!" Eugene shouted as everyone got back onboard the caravan and the horses worked hard to turn it around to head in the reverse direction.
"Oh… we've got to hurry before she destroys my home kingdom!" Rapunzel said.
"Better yet… save Inma from Corona." Cassandra said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked.
"Remember how strong and resilient they got when Varian and his machines invaded?" Cassandra said. Rapunzel looked in the distance at the quickly fading giant Inma, wondering what could possibly happen at this point.

Meanwhile, back in the cloud world, Inma's mother and father looked down at the hole left behind from the beanstalk, seeing how it was chopped down.
"Darling, we have to do something! Inma is trapped down there!" the mother said. The father sighed and then walked back towards the castle.
"Where are you going!?" the mother said as she followed him inside. The father approached the door with the golden shine underneath. Before he opened it, he looked back at his wife.
"My love. You need to round up our friends, Erik and Merrick." the father said.
"Huh? But what for?" the mother asked.
"Although we are not ready, we must begin the invasion now. Our daughter has left us no choice." the father said.
"But our daughter is down there! I won't allow her to get caught in the crossfire and…" the mother said, only for her husband to angerily turn around.
"DO WHAT I SAY OR I WILL PUSH YOU OFF THIS CLOUD!!!!!!!!!" he boomed in a booming voice that would make Robby Benson proud. The mother gulped nervously and ran in the opposite direction, just as the father opened the door and fought against the bright golden light to retrieve the golden harp…

The kingdom of Corona was busy as always as some families were still putting their lives back together after the peace was disturbed by Varian and his machines. Activity in Corona came to a crawl when everyone heard faint rumbles in the distance that got louder and louder. Eventually, the murmurs became gasps, as everyone watched a 60-foot-tall giantess come hopping and skipping into town. And she was only a kid, no less!
"Teehee… hi, little people!" Inma said. Some people already dropped whatever they were holding and went running either for the hills or for Corona Castle. Others stared up in awe.
"Wow… everything looks so small! It's like I'm walking in a doll's town!" Inma said excitedly as she casually walked around and compared herself to the many houses that surrounded her. She gently tapped one of the windows and saw a mother and daughter hugging each other and shaking in fear. She couldn't look too long as she felt something slamming on her toes. It was a young man whacking them with a shovel.
"Go away, monster! Leave my wife and children alone!" the man shouted. Inma winced a little in pain from the shovel hitting her, and that's when she kneeled down and picked up the man, now screaming for his life as she held him up to her face.
"Gee, that wasn't very nice, mister. You're lucky I don't like to eat or hurt little people like you." Inma said. She then set the man down.
"Go ahead and run back inside. I promise I'll leave." Inma said. The man did just that, slowly walking back inside and realizing how lucky he was.

Inma now had a somewhat concerned look on her face. Why were so many people afraid of her?
"I don't understand. So many are so afraid of me. Maybe if I don't appear as big…" Inma said. She then got down on her hands and knees and started to crawl around the town. It was getting her long dress a little dirty, but she didn't care. My feet get dirty all the time, she thought to herself. She tried to crawl around as gently as she could, but that proved to make things worse, especially as one of her legs clipped a lamppost and knocked it down, almost whacking a man as he was running away from the giantess.
"S-s-s-sorry!" Inma said.
Then came the proverbial icing on the cake. There were others in Corona, especially the castle guards, who weren't afraid of a 60-foot-tall giantess. Inma watched as the guards and some brave civilians holding anything they could use as a projectile (like a stack of tomatoes) surrounded her.
"Surrender, giant girl! We have you surrounded!" one of the guards shouted.
"Huh? Wait! I mean no harm! Honest!" Inma said.
"Fire!" the same guard shouted. Numerous castle guards fired arrows up at Inma, who covered her face trying not to let an arrow hit it, but she did feel herself getting poked elsewhere on her body.
"Ow!" Inma said. It wasn't making her feel any better that she felt tomatoes and other food items land next to or on her toes.

It was too much for Inma. She didn't feel welcome in this town, and when combined with how she felt unwanted in her cloud castle home despite assurances from her mother… the tears began to fall from Inma's face.
"I… I just wanted to be friendly! Waaaaaaah!!!" Inma said as she ran away from the castle grounds racing to get out of the town. In her rush to do so, however, she was knocking aside things in her path and even clipping nearby buildings… many of which had been repaired after Varian's attack.
By the time Rapunzel and the caravan reached the outskirts of Corona, they saw the giant Inma coming their way as she feverishly rubbed her eyes of the tears.
"*sob sob* Waaaaaaah!!!" Inma sobbed as she approached the caravan.
"Incoming!" Cassandra shouted as everyone looked up in fear thinking Inma was going to bowl over their caravan. Lance, out of pure randomness, whistled out towards the giantess and held up both red and white flags trying to direct her out of the way.
Amazingly, it worked, as Inma turned to the left at the last moment, navigating her way through the nearby forest.
"Nice directing, Lance! I think." Eugene said.
"Heh, thanks! Now see, Lance Strongbow always finds a way to be useful." Lance said with a hearty smile and a quick flex of his arms. Rapunzel leapt off the caravan and watched Inma run deeper into the forest.
"Inma!!" Rapunzel shouted.
"Something tells me she was not welcome in Corona. Can't really blame them, to be honest." Cassandra said. She then watched as Rapunzel dashed without hesitation into the forest, taking the same path that Inma was carving.
"Raps, where are you going!?" Cassandra shouted.
"To cheer our new friend up, what else!? Stay here and try and calm everyone in Corona down!" Rapunzel shouted. Cassandra sighed but knew it was what had to be done to keep from making the situation worse.

Rapunzel made her way through the forest, listening to the echoing voice of Inma as she continued to cry.
"Inma! It's me, Rapunzel!" Rapunzel shouted as she stepped around the gigantic trees and bushes. She almost stepped on an earthworm along the way.
"Whoops! Sorry, little guy." Rapunzel said, watching as the earthworm quickly slithered away from her bare feet.
"Whew… now I know what it's like to be Inma." Rapunzel said with an innocent smile towards Pascal. It took another couple minutes, but finally she found the young giantess. She was sitting up against one of the huge oak trees with her head slumped to her knees.
"Inma!" Rapunzel shouted. Inma briefly looked at Rapunzel and then sharply looked away.
"Just go away! *sniff sniff*" Inma said.
"Inma, please… we're like twin sisters, right? Please tell me what's wrong." Rapunzel said. Inma sniffed and sobbed a few more times as she spoke out.
"They all hate me. They treated me like I'm some monster… just like my parents do. Nobody loves me." Inma said.
"You know that's not true. I love you, and so do my friends!" Rapunzel said. Inma continued to look away, still sobbing and sniffing and wiping the seemingly endless supply of tears from her eyes.

Rapunzel sighed. She couldn't imagine how tough it must be for someone who's been so alone for so long. She gently walked up towards Inma's foot and grabbed onto her dress, climbing it for a few seconds until she was on top of her kneecap.
"Inma, look at me. I was alone for many years too." Rapunzel said.
"*sniff* You were?" Inma said.
"It can be a very helpless feeling. My stepmother kept me from seeing other people when I was a little girl myself. The emotions you feel when you're that alone. I remember when I first met Eugene." Rapunzel said.
"Oh?" Inma said as she wiped away some more tears.
"You want to know what happened when I first met him because it was the first time I probably ever looked at another man aside from my father? I whacked him with a frying pan." Rapunzel said with a giggle.
"Teehee…" Inma said as she couldn't help but giggle herself.
"Inma, may I offer a piece of advice? I want you to remember it even if we never see each other again." Rapunzel said.
"What's that?" Inma said as she leaned her head closer to Rapunzel.
"We're all special. If everybody were the same, the entire universe would be a dull place to live! I have my 70 feet of hair. You're 60 feet tall. Eugene is unlike any other hero I've ever met…" Rapunzel said. This finally got Inma smiling.
"You're right, but still… all those people at that one kingdom." Inma said.
"I tell you what… I may not officially be so at the moment, but I'm still princess of Corona, that kingdom you speak of." Rapunzel said.
"Oh? I didn't know that!" Inma said.
"They'll listen to everything I say. Well, almost everything. Still, if they see me in your loving and caring hands, then they won't be so scared anymore. What do you say we visit them again?" Rapunzel said.
"Okay. Thank you, Rapunzel. You're the best little sister I've ever had." Inma said as she gently picked up Rapunzel and then stood back to her full height. Inma hugged Rapunzel against her face, but this time much more gently. It felt quite pleasant, Rapunzel thought to herself. Inma then placed Rapunzel on her right shoulder and she stood confidently as she watched Inma walk back the way she came.

Before the giantess could exit the forest, however, she and Rapunzel watched as Cassandra came running in.
"Whoa, Inma! Here comes Cass!" Rapunzel said.
"Rapunzel!" Cassandra said.
"What is it, Cass?" Rapunzel said.
"We've got big trouble, and I do mean BIG trouble. Inma's parents and two other giants are heading this way!" Cassandra said.
"What!? But we chopped down the beanstalk! Whoa!" Rapunzel said, having to hold on tight as she almost fell off Inma who dashed out of the forest. She looked out in the distance where she did indeed see both her mother and father stomping their way towards Corona, and behind them were a couple other giants that looked similar to Inma's father. These were Erik and Merrick that he had mentioned to her mother earlier.
"Huh? Who are those two giants? I've never seen them before." Inma said.
"Who cares who they are? How are we going to stop them from reaching Corona?" Cassandra said. Inma clenched her fists and then gently set Rapunzel down on the ground.
"You two and everyone else stay behind me. I'll try and stand up to them." Inma said. Rapunzel and Cassandra watched as Inma stepped towards the gates that led into Corona.
"I hope she knows what she's doing." Rapunzel said.

The four giants from the cloud world, Erik, Merrick, Inma's mother, and Inma's father all strolled their way down the path towards Corona. Inma's mother was the only one not sure about this whole plan, but played along with it anyway, while the male giants had confident looks on their faces. The father also had a golden harp strapped to his belt.
"Hmmhmm. This will be like stomping bugs out of a picnic." the father said.
"Haha! You totally said it, dude!" Erik said.
"Yeah! Truly awesome! I've been wanting to do this for thousands of years!" Merrick shouted. The four then stopped when they saw Inma walk in front of them and spread her arms and feet apart.
"No! I won't let you hurt my new friends!" Inma shouted.
"Inma! How dare you impede us!? As our only child, I demand you step aside." the father said.
"You lied to me, Father! You said there was no such place as the surface world! You said there were no other giants to be found for several clouds!" Inma shouted.
"Inma, my precious, there are things you're not yet old enough to understand…" the mother started to say.
"NO! I understand well enough! You were going to destroy everything on the surface world, weren't you?" Inma said.
"Inma…" the mother said.
"Weren't you!? What else have you not been telling me!?" Inma shouted.

The father was having none of it, however.
"I grow tired of this insolence. Move, you little brat!!!" the father said as he laid a hand on Inma's shoulder and shoved her to the side, forcing her to land near the forest. As the mother checked to see if Inma was alright, the three giants took a few more steps before again they had to stop, this time because six normal-sized people all stood in their path. They were Rapunzel armed with a frying pan, Cassandra with a sword, Eugene and Lance with bows and arrows, and Hook Foot and Shorty looking like they were ready to tackle someone.
"You want to go fee fi fo fum all over Corona, you'll have to get through us!" Cassandra said.
"You may have superior size. You may have superior power… but we have superior intellect!" Rapunzel shouted. Inma's father briefly frowned, like he was saying are you kidding me, and then pounded the ground with his right foot, knocking everyone off their feet.
"Ooooof! Then again, Blondie… let's not undersell size and power." Eugene said. Rapunzel gulped nervously as she watched the giant tower over her.
"Time for you to go squishy, along with that overly long hair of yours!" the father said as he raised a foot.
"NO!" Inma shouted as she rushed by and picked up Rapunzel and everyone else, cradling them between her arm and her chest.
"I won't let you hurt my new friends!" Inma said.
"Arrrrrrgh!!!" the father growled as it looked like he was about to give Inma a smacking, but his wife got in the way.
"Darling, you, Erik, and Merrick go on and attack the town. I'll make sure Inma and her little friends don't interfere." the mother said.
"Pfffft… you better talk some sense into that brat while you're at it. Come, let us march and smash and crash and smush to victory!" the father said.
"To victory, dude!" Merrick and Erik both shouted.

While the giants made their way onto the grounds of Corona, the mother looked down at Inma.
"Inma, please let your friends go. We don't want them in harm's way, right?" the mother said.
"Yes, Mother." Inma said as she gently set the six down next to their caravan. She looked back at them with a helpless look on her face as she and her Mom went into Corona following the giants.
"Inma, don't do it!" Rapunzel shouted.
"Raps, it can't be helped. She's not big enough… well, you know what I mean… to stand up for herself!" Cassandra said.
"Neither is the whole town. Corona doesn't stand a chance against those giants. They make Varian's robots look like… well… robot mice!" Eugene said. Rapunzel, meanwhile, tightened her grip on her frying pan.
"I'm not giving up on Corona. Not now and not ever! We'll fight them anyway we can! Who's with me!?" Rapunzel shouted. Nobody shouted back.
"Come on! I always wanted to be a giant killer!" Rapunzel said.
"Now you're talking! Woohoo!!!" Lance said as he suddenly thrust his arms upward. Everyone else eventually followed, and despite the long odds that faced them, they all ran into the kingdom of Corona.

There was much more panic than before when Inma showed up inside Corona, obviously because these giants were twice as tall as she was and they didn't look like they'd be messing around either, especially as Inma's father raised one of his sandaled feet and demolished a three story house right underneath it.
"Show no mercy!!" the father shouted as some civilians yelled and screamed around his feet. Erik and Merrick followed suit and did some destruction of their own. So far, nobody was crushed flat underneath the giants even as some of them tried to fight back, including the castle guards.
Over where Inma and her mother were walking around, however, they were much more dainty. They made it look like they were savagely destroying a property, but in reality they were just swinging their arms and feet around and scaring the tiny people. Inma's mother even went through the motions of picking up people and eating them, only dropping them in front of her chest and setting them back down to the ground.
"Mmmmm… delicious! Right, Inma?" the mother said.
"Er… um… right!" Inma said as she pretended to eat someone, not that she ever would in a million years.
Inma was confused. Why was Mom pretending to be as bad as the other giants, including her own father? Her mother could sense that confusion and whispered into her ear.
"Just play along, Inma. We don't want to anger your father." the mother said. Inma nodded and got back to pretend rampaging around.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel and her friends were deep in the heart of Corona staring up at the male giants rampaging around.
"Raps, please tell me you have a plan." Cassandra said.
"Um… no." Rapunzel said with an innocent smile. Cassandra slapped her forehead and shook her head. Not again, she thought.
"Well, Blondie, you know what they say… sometimes having no plan is the best plan to have!" Eugene said.
"Rapunzel!" a familiar male voice shouted. Rapunzel looked where the voices came from, and she saw two familiar faces running towards her.
"Mom! Dad!" Rapunzel said.
"Rapunzel, what are you doing here? We saw you leave Corona for the path with the black rocks!" the Queen of Corona said.
"Yeah, um… we were, but then those giants came down from the sky. It's all my fault… I may have inadvertently brought them down here." Rapunzel said. Her father, the king, gently patted her on the shoulder.
"It's alright, my daughter. We all make mistakes. It's how we overcome and learn from those mistakes that define us as people. My people are fighting bravely… but I can only hope it won't be in vain." the King of Corona said as he looked in the distance and saw a group of people, as well as castle guards, attempting to stall the giants in their rampage.
"At least that one giant has a beautiful golden harp. I wish I had a golden harp to play in my room." the Queen of Corona said. Rapunzel and her friends all looked up at the handheld harp that Inma's father was occasionally playing.
"Wait a sec… that harp. Maybe it's the source of their power!" Rapunzel said.
"Great, so how do we get it? Cook up a growth potion and take the fight to their level?" Lance said.
"Well, not bad, but I've got a better idea." Rapunzel said.
"Now you have a plan?" Cassandra asked.
"Sure do!" Rapunzel said as she smiled with glee towards Cassandra.
"Ummmm… why are you looking at me like that?" Cassandra said with a worried look on her face.

The giants continued to stomp around as much of Corona as they could, but it was getting annoying that they were being attacked by the tiny people.
"Pffft… these surface dwellers have spunk, I'll give them that, but they will tire out eventually. When they do, eat them for lunch! And don't forget the salt and pepper!" the father said.
"Heh heh… sure thing, boss!" Erik said.
"Totally!" Merrick said.
"Hey, you big ugly pieces of silk!" Cassandra shouted from down below. The three giants looked down by their sandaled feet where they saw the tiny Cassandra.
"And what do we have here?" the father said.
"Bleh! You three aren't so tough! I've faced mechanical monstrosities bigger than you three… combined even!" Cassandra said.
"Young lady, if you value your life, you will run away from the foot that's about to come bearing down at you." the father said.
"Haha! Not if I outrun it! Go ahead, I dare you to chase me around like the 'bug' that I am!" Cassandra shouted as she turned around and got running. Inma's father then looked over at Erik and Merrick.
"Well, don't just stand there like your favorite book got burned in the fireplace! GET HER!!!" the father said.
"Right away, supreme dude!" Erik and Merrick both said as they went stomping towards Cassandra, who ran as fast as her legs could allow her.

Elsewhere in the city, Rapunzel was hiding behind one building while Eugene and Hook Foot were behind another structure. The men were holding onto the end of Rapunzel's 70 feet of hair.
"I hope this works!" Hook Foot said.
"It better… Eugene puts those two chasing Cassandra to sleep with the sleep arrows, I jump on top of them and rope the harp from the hands of Inma's dad, and hopefully if Lance and Shorty did their part, Inma will come running in and grab the harp." Rapunzel said. The three then heard the rumblings getting louder and the ground thumping every second or so.
"Here they come!" Eugene said. The group watched as Cassandra came running past them and Rapunzel's hair on the ground.
"Now now now!!!" Cassandra shouted as she ran to the side. That's when Eugene and Hook Foot pulled hard on Rapunzel's hair and Rapunzel did her best to keep her footing. Erik and Merrick didn't see the hair in time and tripped over it.
"WIPEOUT!!!!" they both screamed as they collapsed on top of each other into the ground.
"Go, Eugene!" Rapunzel shouted. As Erik and Merrick fought to get off each other, they looked ahead to see Eugene pointing a couple arrows towards their foreheads.
"Sleep tight, boys." Eugene said with a smile as he fired two arrows from his bow. They hit the surprised giants dead center in their foreheads, and despite the tiny size of the arrows compared to their bodies, the sleeping medicine contained within those arrows worked as the two yawned loudly.
"This is bogus, man… YAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN." Erik and Merrick both said until they finally fell asleep.

As Rapunzel climbed atop the two sleeping giants, she watched as Inma's gigantic father came marching in and looked down in disappointment.
"Ugh! Get up, you bungling boobs! What!?" the father said. He then watched as his wrists got tied together by some kind of rope, which turned out to be Rapunzel's hair. Rapunzel yanked a few times until the giant finally lost of the harp he was holding. The giant fought hard to break free of the hair even as he was lifting Rapunzel off the ground. Rapunzel gulped as the giant lifted her up to his face.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene shouted in horror.
"Hmmmm… you'll be a tasty morsel, especially with all that spaghetti on your head." Inma's father said. As the giant opened his mouth and Rapunzel kicked around trying to break free, he didn't notice Inma heroically running into the picture and picking up the harp.
"Stop! Let go of Rapunzel!" Inma shouted as she hurriedly tugged a few of the harp's strings. To her amazement, a stream of golden magic came flying out of the harp and swirled around Rapunzel and her hair. The hair magically untied itself and Rapunzel proceeded to fall towards the ground.
"Eeeeeek!" Rapunzel said. At the same time, Lance and Shorty, who had both been riding on Inma's shoulder, leaped off and looked right at her giant father's face.
"Eat apple bombs, sucker!" Lance shouted as he hurled a few 'apple bombs' towards the giant, which were exactly as described. Ordinary looking apples that exploded right in front of the giant's face, forcing him to take a couple steps back and hold his nose.

Rapunzel, Lance, and Shorty would all be caught in mid-air by Inma with her other hand.
"Whew… perfect timing, Inma!" Rapunzel said.
"Teehee… I knew I could count on all of you! I'm so glad there are surface people as brave and fearless as all of you." Inma said. She then gently set the three down next to the others (Eugene, Cassandra, and Hook Foot).
"Inma, are you sure you've never used that harp before? To master it on your first play…" Rapunzel said.
"Honestly, I really never have touched it in my whole life! But it's like… it's like it's calling out to me. It's telling me what to do and leave the rest to the magic." Inma said as she looked over the harp from top to bottom. She then looked over at the sleeping Erik and Merrick.
"Like send those two back to the cloud world from whence they came." Inma said as she played the harp once again. A stream of gold energy came out of the harp and swirled around the sleeping Erik and Merrick. They eventually disappeared in swirls of golden light.

She and the others couldn't celebrate for long, however, as Inma's father had recovered from being bombed in the nose and was now staring right at his daughter, angrier than ever before.
"Petulent child! Give me that harp NOW!!!" the father said.
"No! I won't let you destroy the surface world any further! It's not as bad as you think!" Inma said.
"You are playing a dangerous game trusting these annoying little gnats. I am not going to warn you again… give me the harp!!!" the father said.
"If you want it, come and get it!" Inma said as she sharply turned around and leapt over one of the buildings, clipping it slightly with one of her bare feet.
"COME BACK HERE!!!" the father roared as he chased after Inma, with the two eventually marching out of Corona.
"Inma!!!" Rapunzel shouted.
"She's toast if he catches up with her!" Lance shouted.
"We have to go after them!" Rapunzel said.
"But how? Their strides are so long… we can't keep up with them on foot!" Eugene said.
"All we need is a little speedy transportation." Cassandra said as she whistled out. Suddenly, the two faithful horses who normally were in charge of pulling the caravan, Maximus and Fidella, came running towards our heroes. Cassandra hopped aboard Fidella while Rapunzel and Eugene were both riding Maximus.
"Lance! Hook Foot! Shorty! Stay here and make sure everyone is okay, including my parents!" Rapunzel said.
"Aye aye, captain! And be careful!" Lance said, watching as the two horses sped their way out of Corona.

Inma ran and ran for the next couple minutes, keeping a fair distance from her father. They both plowed over whatever landscape was in their path, mostly trees, although any people or animals in the way managed to scoot out of the way and avoid being crushed. Inma looked back to see how far away her father was, but as she looked back forward, she had to slam on the brakes to keep from falling off the cliffside. Judging by the pitch black she saw looking down, it was going to be a long waaaaaaay down. She looked behind and gulped nervously as her father approached her.
"I knew you would be trouble from the minute you were born. I strived to create the perfect utopia for you, your mother, and the other giants. But you had to throw it all away because of your fascination with the surface world!" the father said.
"Father, please! We can still create a perfect world, one that connects our two worlds. We can live at peace with each other!" Inma said.
"Fairy tale lies! The surface world drove us giants into the clouds years ago! We can NEVER be at peace with the surface dwellers! They must die!!!" the father shouted.
"But why, Father? Why must our lives be filled with hatred? That hatred has driven me… no, US… into loneliness. Haven't you stopped and considered what the other giants think?" Inma asked. Her father knew this was going nowhere, and decided to use a little bit of trickery to get Inma to give up the harp.
"Inma, my dear. You must be careful. Your little friends are by your feet trying to help." the father said.
"Huh? What?" Inma said as she looked down, only to see nobody by her bare feet.

That's when her father reached out and grabbed the harp, only for Inma to grab it with her two hands as the two tugged back and forth trying to take hold of the golden object.
"GIVE ME THAT HARP!!!" the father screamed.
"No! You can't use it for evil!" Inma screamed. The tug o' war continued until the father suddenly felt something strike his big toe… and it hurt big time even for his 120-foot-tall body.
"YEOWCH!!!" the father shouted as he let go of the harp, which suddenly caused Inma to lose her balance.
"Whoa whoa whoa!!!" Inma said as she almost felt herself tip over backwards into the abyss, only for her airborne foot to be tied up in hair and pull her back to safety. Inma, as she took a couple steps away from the cliff's edge, looked down and saw it was Rapunzel who had flung her hair at her foot and reeled her back in.
"Rapunzel!" Inma said.
"Haha! If I were you, I'd save the skydiving lessons for when you get back to the cloud world." Rapunzel said. She looked over at the dad who continued to bounce around holding his big toe.
"Rapunzel? Was it you who struck my father?" Inma said.
"Pan fried for your pleasure." Rapunzel said with a smile as she tossed her frying pan up and down.

Seconds later, however, Inma's father recovered from getting whacked in the toe and somehow being effected by it. He stared down at Rapunzel, Cassandra, Eugene, and the two horses. He then looked over at Inma and marched towards her.
"This ENDS NOW!" the father said.
"NO!" a female voice suddenly said. It turned out to belong to Inma's mother, who was now strangling her husband.
"Ugh! Sweetheart, what are you doing!?" the father said as he tried to fight against the mother, but she was proving to be strong as she dragged him and herself towards the cliff's edge.
"You've crossed the line, darling! I won't let you take my daughter's dream… or her life!!!" the mother shouted. Everyone watched as the cliffside started to crumble.
"That cliff can't take the combined weight of those two!" Cassandra shouted. Inma tried to step towards her mother.
"Stay back, Inma!" the mother said.
"Mommy! What are you doing!?" Inma shouted as she tightly clutched the golden harp.
"Inma… you are the future of the cloud world. Be strong for your fellow giants, and know that I will always love you! And be with you… in spirit!!!" the mother said.
"STOP! PLEASE!!!" the father finally screamed out of desperation.
Then the cliffside gave way, causing both adult giants to lose their footing and fall into the darkness.
"AHHHHHHH!!!" they both screamed.
"MOMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!" Inma screamed as she held a hand out, with tears immediately falling from her eyes as she ran towards what was left of the cliffside and watched the two disappear into the darkness.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra all stood completely stunned. Rapunzel especially. The echoes of the giants' screams immediately made her think of Mother Gothel's screams when she fell out of the tower she once called home (before disintegrating).
"Did that just happen?" Eugene said.
"Yes. She sacrified her life to save her daughter's." Cassandra said. Rapunzel slowly walked towards Inma, who collapsed onto her knees. Inma then held the golden harp above the cliffside.
"The… the harp. It can bring her back." Inma said as she held the harp out. It glowed brightly for a few seconds, but that golden light faded and nothing happened.
"It can bring her back!" Inma said as she tried again. Again, nothing.
"Inma…" Rapunzel said as she stood behind one of Inma's large bare feet.
"It can bring her back! It can bring her back!! IT CAN BRING HER BACK!!!!!" Inma screamed as she now repeatedly shook the golden harp. But nothing. They were both gone, their screams no longer could be heard.

As the tears flew out of Inma's eyes and she cradled her face into her arms, Rapunzel gently patted her giantess friend on the dress.
"Inma… I'm so sorry. I know what you must be feeling now." Rapunzel said.
"*sniff sniff* You… you lost your mother too?" Inma said.
"Actually, it was my stepmother who perished. Her evil ambitions proved to be her undoing. It was thanks to Eugene's sacrifice that I was able to reunite with my true parents." Rapunzel said.
"*sniff* I see." Inma said.
"Still… I…" Rapunzel said.
"It's okay, Rapunzel. It wasn't your fault. My mother was brave and full of courage to the end." Inma said.

Just then, the golden harp started glowing again. At the same exact time, a hole in the clouds opened up, and everyone gasped when they saw more giants ascending from the heavens.
"There's more!?" Eugene said.
"Oh great. Wrangling four of them is tough enough!!" Cassandra said as she drew her sword. Rapunzel and Inma looked confusingly as the giants touched down on the ground. They approached the group… and then got down on their knees and lowered their heads.
"What the…? What's going on, Inma?" Rapunzel said.
"I… I don't know." Inma said.

Finally, everyone watched as one of the giantesses, an elderly woman, walked in front of the group of giants.
"Inma! Oh, Inma… it's good to see you again." the woman said.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Inma asked.
"Oh… I don't blame you for not recognizing me. Your mean spirited father kicked me out of the house almost the instant your mother brought you home as an adorable bundle of joy." the woman said.
"You mean?" Inma said. The elderly woman nodded.
"That's right. I'm your grandmother, and I've been waiting for this day to come." the woman said.
"Huh?" Inma said.
"Inma. You are now in possession of the golden harp. That means you have the power to control the giants of the cloud world. You can be the guiding light to bring peace between us and the surface dwellers." the woman said.
"Oh? That IS what I've been dreaming of for the past few years." Inma said.
"We've been watching your every move from the beginning. By standing up to your evil father, and by allowing your mother to make the brave sacrifice, the golden harp has fully accepted you as its responsible owner." the woman said.
"I see…" Inma said as she looked over the golden harp, still glowing brightly.
"Is something troubling you, my dear Inma?" the woman said.
"Well, yeah. I'm… gulp… I'm only 10 years old. I'm not sure I'm ready to lead every single one of you down here and everyone in the cloud world." Inma said.
"Your skepticism is fully warranted, Inma. You are indeed too young to realize the full potential of that golden harp." the woman said.

Inma sighed, but her grandmother quickly perked her back up.
"But we will look after you, in the meantime. We will care for you, we will groom you until you are ready to become our princess… and perhaps eventually… our queen." the woman said.
"Wow… you really mean that!?" Inma said.
"Your mother would be so proud of you. I imagine she's already proud of you from the heavens!" the woman said.
"Wow… thank you, Grandma. Thank you, everyone." Inma said.
"Now then, Inma, we must return to the cloud world immediately and put the surface dwellers at ease that we will not bother them again until you are ready." the woman said.
"I understand, Grandma. There is one thing I want to do first." Inma said. She then kneeled down and got a closeup look of her tiny friends, namely Rapunzel. She gently wrapped one of her hands around her and picked her up.
"Rapunzel… why don't you come up with us? Stay in the giant world. We can have all sorts of fun adventures!" Inma said.
"I wish I could, but I belong down here… searching for my destiny and finding out what kind of princess I truly am." Rapunzel said.
"Hmmm… you're right. I understand. It's been great to know you and all your friends." Inma said.
"Same here, my big sister." Rapunzel said.
"Teehee! Farewell then, little sister! And remember, being barefoot is awesome!" Inma said as she gave Rapunzel one final quick hug before setting her down.

Inma then approached her grandmother and stood next to her, golden harp in hands.
"Now then, take us home, Inma." the woman said.
"Yes, Grandma!" Inma said as she played a quick series of notes. The harp glowed brightly, and she and the other giants all felt themselves being lifted up towards the sky, eventually vanishing into the clouds.
"Goodbye, everyone! Until we meet again someday!" Inma shouted before she too disappeared, even as Rapunzel and her two friends were waving them goodbye.
"Sigh… I miss her already." Rapunzel said.
"Me too. She had big spunk! Er… no pun intended." Eugene said.
"And a big heart, Eugene… one that all of us can only dream of matching." Rapunzel said.
"Come on, Raps. We better get back to Corona and check on everyone." Cassandra said.
"Right." Rapunzel said as she hopped on her horse, as did Cassandra and Eugene. Maximus and Fidella galloped away from the cliffside, riding their way back to Corona.

A couple hours later, after helping some people rebuild their homes and generally making sure nobody was hurt (thankfully that held true!), plus telling the story of what happened and the history behind all those giants, especially Inma, it was time to depart the kingdom of Corona once again. The caravan was all set up and ready to go, minus Rapunzel who looked at both her parents.
"Are you sure you can't stay with us a little longer, Rapunzel?" the King of Corona said.
"I wish I could, Dad, but my journey to follow the black rock path beyond Corona is far from over." Rapunzel said.
"Call this a gigantic detour that we went through. Pun intentional." Cassandra said with a smile. Rapunzel's mom gave her a quick hug.
"Well, once again, we with you good luck in finding your destiny, and be careful. All of you." the Queen of Corona said.
"Thanks, Mom." Rapunzel said.
"Hey, we better get going! It's gonna be dark soon!" Lance shouted.
"And there be creatures that go bump in the night!" Hook Foot said.
"*hiccup* Pretty ones too!" Shorty commented.

With that, Rapunzel hopped onto the caravan and the horses pulled it on its merry way. Rapunzel took one more look at the clouds overhead, imagining seeing her 'big sister' Inma winking down at her and hoping one day she can see her again.

END