A/N: Okay, so this is a story I wrote 2 years ago as a freshman in high school, and I decided to go back and edit it a bit (believe me, I was not going to post what I had written originally). The story itself is complete, but I have a few bugs to work out. I hope you all enjoy what I have so far! And give me feedback too, I would love to hear from everyone!
This story is kind of a "traditional" Disney-sequel story, and my take on what happened after that "wild party" after Rapunzel's return. Without further adieu, I present Tangled 2: Split Ends.
The kingdom of Corona had finally found their "lost" princess. Days of partying ensued, and everyone was content. It was as if the weight of the princess's kidnapping was resting on everyone's shoulders, and her return had finally relieved them of that burden. Rapunzel and Eugene were soon happily married. It was a majestic ceremony, and guests from far and wide came to celebrate, even those nasty criminal Stabbington brothers(it was rumored that a few tears of joy may have been shed by them). Ribbons of white and floral bouquets lined the streets, and vendors prepared their carts with as much Eugene and Rapunzel merchandise they could. The castle was beautifully adorned for the event as well. Hundreds of people crammed themselves inside the large chapel to get a glimpse of the princess on her big day.
The kingdom had once again become a peaceful land. Each new day seemed to be a delightful one, and many wonderful things happened. One of these most wonderful things was the birth of Rapunzel and Eugene's son, Chance. A mystery to both his parents was the beautiful blonde hair that he had been born with. It appeared to be a souvenir of Rapunzel's past (which although somewhat haunting, still gave the princess many fond memories). He had the "smoldering" brown eyes of his father, and yet had the soft and freckled skin of his mother. His parents showered him with love and affection every day, and tried their hardest to give him everything he could ever need.
Chance was an adventurous child, and was never in one place for too long. Guards and servants usually spent a good amount of their days trying to keep up with the always-energized youngster. Although, one place he spent a bit more than others was the stables. Playing around with the palace horses was one of his favorite things to do. He would sneak apples from the palace kitchens to give to his hooved pals. His favorite horse was a stallion with sleek white fur and one heck of an attitude, named Maximus. Chance's father had introduced his son to the spunky palace horse at a very young age. Eugene told Chance of all the shenanigans Maximus caused in the past. Chance and Maximus hit it off from the start. Maximus was a loyal pal growing up for Chance. The two always seemed to get into mischief. Profanities were often shouted when the two would go bounding through the busy streets of the kingdom looking for new adventures.
Even though getting into trouble was no problem for the boy, Chance also had the ability to behave like a proper prince should. Whenever dukes and lords of surrounding lands decided to pay Corona a visit, Chance would show the upmost respect, trying to salute and bow to the best of his ability (although they often just gave a smile and patted him on the shoulder before passing him by to meet his grandfather).
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There were always different people coming in and out of the palace every single day, whether they were people of high stature or simple commoners. Most people were coming to see the king, Chance's grandfather. The king was a courageous and kind man, who loved to share his time with others. After Rapunzel had been brought back to her home, no one was more elated than the king. He opened the palace up to visitors and would talk for hours with people he had never even met before. He would embark outside the palace and joke around with vendors on the streets, play games with the children, and even dance around the square whilst fiddles and flutes harmonized.
The queen, Rapunzel's mother, enjoyed seeing her husband in such a jovial state. After 18 years of sitting quietly together waiting for their little girl they never thought was going to return home, she felt as though a warm glow was visible around him. Now of course the queen was at her happiest as well. She too celebrated the return of her daughter in many ways. Almost every inch of the palace had become covered in purple and gold, and there was a plethora or arrangements made for Rapunzel and her husband Eugene.
Chance had a great relationship with his grandparents. His grandfather would wrestle around with him and tell him stories of when he was younger, and his grandmother would read books to him by the fire at night until he fell asleep in her arms.
Rapunzel and Eugene were wonderful parents as well. Eugene taught his son how to hunt, fish, and always looked out for him. Rapunzel would go with Chance and ride the palace horses together through the fields not too far off from the castle. Growing up, Chance's mother was more of a fun-love and a risk taker than his father, who always had something to worry about.
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The kingdom was a very happy place for years as Chance grew into a teenager. He loved exploring the kingdom and hanging out with his best friend, Russ, who was the son of Big Nose, a former thug and friend of his mother and father. Back when Chance's mother and father met, they were introduced to a gang of ruffians who were not all that rough. Big Nose had been looking for love all of his life, and soon after meeting Rapunzel and Eugene, he had found it. Big Nose's son was born shortly after Chance. Those two would play all day and share many adventures together, but every sundown Chance was called back to the castle.
"Dad, why don't you let me go out at night? Russ goes out at night with his dad all the time, and I never get to do that." Chance said to Eugene.
"Well, the kingdom can be a dangerous place at night, and mom and I don't want to take any risks of losing you," he told his son.
Chance longed for the days when he would be permitted out on his own. He became quite restless, being kept within the boundaries of the kingdom. He spent time and time again in his room looking out his window, questioning why he was so kept up. What Rapunzel and Eugene had not realized was that by keeping their son close by and almost never letting him out of their sight, that they had done to Chance what Gothel had done to Rapunzel. Chance started to recognize that he did not like the way he was being treated. Sure, he was royalty, but he wanted to be treated like any other person in the kingdom. He didn't even want to be king when he was older if it meant that he couldn't think for himself. If being king meant staying in that stinking palace for the rest of his life, Chance did not want to be a part of it.
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Outside the borders of Corona, a few miles south of the kingdom, there lived a family. They dwelled in a minor village thats population barely reached twenty. The small family had lived in the village for many generations. This family consisted of a mother, father, and two young children: a boy and a girl. The family would take trips every so often to the kingdom to visit their cousin and aunt who lived there. Once they would return home, they'd go hunting together. Living in such a small village meant that folks had to provide for themselves. The family was very much at peace where they were. The eldest of the two children, the girl, was named Kitlyn. Her brother was called Isaiah. As Kitlyn and her younger brother grew out of the toddler era and into kids, they were fast becoming more independent, like their parents had before them.
One (almost) silent night in the village, Kitlyn awoke to the sound of footsteps crushing leaves outside. She stayed in bed, for it was probably only an animal. Humans never went around in the village at night. She assumed it to be a fox or badger lurking around trying to find a mouse to eat. But the footsteps grew closer, and louder, until it seemed they were right outside her home. She perked her ears at the sound of faint whispers. Her eyes opened slightly, and tensed her body at the sight of a large silhouette standing near the entrance to her abode.
Kitlyn's father had also awakened and rushed to the door. The strange figure mumbled a phrase or two to him before forcing the door open. He shoved her father to the ground and proceeded to slam the door in his face, locking it from the outside.
Her father began to panic. He knew that something very bad was about to happen. There were no other escape hatches or doors in their small house. Well, maybe there was one…..
There was a tiny hole in one of the walls of the house, which had neglected being fixed since a storm had created it. That hole was not nearly big enough to fit Kitlyn's mother and father, but it was just the right size for the young girl and her brother to squeeze through. Kitlyn's father knew he did not have a single second to lose.
"Kitlyn, come quick. You and Isaiah have to go now. Grab your brother and crawl through that hole in the wall. Don't you look back either." Her father told her. "Oh, why this, why now?" He mumbled. Kitlyn may have seen a tear run down her father's cheek.
Kitlyn shook her brother awake and walked him over to the hole in the wall. Isaiah began to crawl through, yawning and blinking his eyes repeatedly to stay alert. He was too young to understand the magnitude of the situation. Kitlyn however, hesitated and glanced at her father. He was sitting with his wife, telling her what was going on. They embraced before Kitlyn's father saw her. He walked over to her and knelt down.
"But daddy,-"Kitlyn stuttered. "What's happening? Aren't you and mommy coming too? Why do we have to leave?" She took Isaiah's small shaking hand.
"There is no time to explain my dear. Your mother and I cannot fit through that hole, it is much too small. Don't worry, it will all be okay. You need to go now Kitlyn darling. Time is running out! Your mother and I will be fine! Just go!" Her father yelled as Kitlyn turned and hurriedly squeezed herself through the hole and met her brother on the other side.
But as she ran further and further from the one place she had called home, she couldn't bear it. She took a glance back.
That was a huge mistake.
The house had been set aflame, and an orange glow had surrounded it and the area around it. It was burning to the ground. Kitlyn watched shambles and debris fall and spark everywhere. How could her father have told her such a lie? This was anything but fine. She did not want to think about what had happened to her parents, but her mind flooded with horrid thoughts. What was she to do? She could not care for Isaiah all by herself! Her head spun and the ground seemed to be moving in all different directions. She turned around once more and grabbed her brother by the hand. They ran until they could no longer see the awful sight.
"Where are mommy and daddy?" Isaiah cried.
Kitlyn ceased running and sat her brother down on the ground, soon plopping down in front of him. She reached out and gripped his shoulders lightly. "Isaiah, listen, mom and dad couldn't come with us. They said that they had to stay home, but we can't stay with them. I think it's going to be just you and me from now on." Kitlyn sighed as her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't know how else to say it. He had not seen the fire or their mother and father hugging one last time. His young mind could not yet comprehend the current state that they were in. Their parents were dead. How can you say that to a small boy without crushing his spirits and breaking his heart?
Isaiah's eyes grew wide. Soon-to-be waterworks began forming at the edges of his eyes and streamed down his pale face. He got up off the ground where they had sat and rested, and looked in the direction they had come, then in the opposite direction. He started to speak, but he was still so young that he was barely understandable. "I don't want it to be just me and you. We need to find Auntie Gwen. She probably knows where mommy and daddy went." He started to run off on a completely different route, not realizing he left his sister sitting on the ground. Kitlyn did not have time to react. She sprung up onto her feet and tried to get caught up with him, but after all that had happened, she was exhausted and weak. She couldn't outrun her baby brother. He always used to tease her about being faster than her. Now it seemed like a cruel punishment that her legs couldn't pound against the grass fast enough to catch up to him. She gave up, her chest heavy, and curled her body under a tree, sobbing as the rain started to pour down on the late night sky.