Rapunzel ran her slender fingers through her hair for what must have been the thousandth time. Grabbing the longest strand she could find, she tried to pull it in front of her eyes. She had to strain to see it, but it was definitely brown. Letting the strand go, she shook her head back and forth, trying to get used to no longer having seventy feet of hair.

Sitting next to her, Eugene kept poking his right side. He examined his shirt, which still had a tear in it, but no blood. The skin underneath was perfect – there was no sign that a dagger had been plunged into it an hour earlier. He fiddled with the hole in his shirt, but every few seconds he glanced over at the now-brunette girl beside him.

They were sitting together in the dim light of the forest. Pascal was curled up against Rapunzel's foot, and Maximus was standing next to them, watching everyone with concern. It hadn't been very long since they'd left the tower, but time wasn't moving normally. For Rapunzel, walking out of the valley had seemed to take an eternity. There was no way of knowing how long she'd cried after they'd reached the forest, when Maximus had found them, or how long they'd been there since he'd come. Time didn't seem to exist or matter anymore. Not after everything that had happened. After doing her best to sort out all her confused thoughts and emotions, Rapunzel was feeling unable to do anything apart from playing with her drastically changed hair. Finally, with one last toss of her hair, she let out a shaky breath. She tried to laugh, but the sound was choked and weak.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, looking down at her bare toes as they dug into the grassy forest floor.

"Hey." Eugene put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head so she was looking at him. "Right now, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about."

Rapunzel sighed. "This is all just . . . it's a lot to take in."

She smiled sadly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. It stubbornly fell back into her face. Eugene smiled and gently put it back. He wanted to encourage her somehow, even though that meant ignoring all his own unanswered questions.

"I still have a lot I need to tell you," she said slowly, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Well, you're not the only one with things to explain," he answered. "We'll work it all out. You don't have to tell me anything before you're ready to."

"I know. But-" Rapunzel hesitated. "There is one thing I need to tell you now. Actually, I wouldn't even know it without you. So, I really should be thanking you for something you gave me."

From a pocket in the folds of her dress Rapunzel pulled out a crumpled purple cloth. She carefully unfolded it and spread it out on her lap, gently running her hand over the bright golden sun on it.

"Do you know the story of the lost princess?" she asked suddenly.

Eugene raised an eyebrow. He was about to ask why it mattered, but a glare from Pascal made him change his mind.

"It's a pretty short story," he said with a shrug. "She was taken away when she was a baby, so every year they release the lanterns, in honor of her, I guess."

"Every year on her birthday?" Rapunzel asked softly, keeping her eyes on the cloth in her lap.

"Well, yeah, I guess so," Eugene answered. "But why-"

Rapunzel looked over at him and his words died in his mouth. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Maximus snorted, shook his head, and then stared at her, making the exact same face as Eugene. Even with tears in her eyes, Rapunzel couldn't help laughing at the two of them.

Eugene cleared his throat. "Are you sure . . .?"

She nodded.

He exhaled and slowly ran a hand through his hair. "Oh boy."

...

Rapunzel hesitated in front of the gate that led into the city. It felt like a year had passed since she'd stood in front of the same gate, but it had only been a day. Everything had looked new and exciting then. Now it all looked strange and slightly intimidating.

Eugene turned to look back at her. "Castle's this way, Blondie," he said with a joking grin as he jerked his head toward the city.

Trying to smile, Rapunzel crossed her arms and took a few timid steps forward. Maximus gently nudged her from behind, and from her shoulder Pascal nodded his encouragement. Slowly she stepped forward and, following Eugene, passed through the gate.

It was the same kingdom, the same streets and buildings and even some of the same faces. The bustle and excitement of the holiday given for the lost Princess's birthday had settled down into the normal bustle of everyday life, but everywhere there were still smiles, and in almost everyone's face there was happiness. Rapunzel looked at everything in amazement, seeing all of it from a whole new perspective, her mixed emotions pulling her thoughts one way, then another.

Eugene watched her closely, amazed at how her expression continually alternated between excitement and fear. He wanted so badly to help her, to talk to her and make her laugh. But something told him that taking her to the castle as quickly as possible was the best way to help her. So he put his hand on her elbow, gave her an encouraging smile, and gently led her forward.

Once they were before the actual castle, however, it was Eugene's turn to hesitate. A sudden difficulty had come to his mind. He cleared his throat loudly and Rapunzel looked over at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, the kingdom and I still aren't exactly 'simpatico,'" he explained with a sheepish grin. "The fact that I busted out of my own execution today probably doesn't help matters."

The sad look in her eyes made him wish more than ever that he could take back the entire life he'd lived. He hated the fact that now, when he most wanted to be there for her, he couldn't help because of his own stupidity in his choices. But Rapunzel simply nodded.

"It's alright," she said softly. They were the first words she'd spoken since they'd reached the kingdom. Her voice was sad and somewhat fearful, but it was steady and resolved. "I know what I need to do."

Gently she took Pascal off her shoulder and set him on Maximus's saddle. The small chameleon looked up at her and squeaked. Even Eugene could tell that Pascal was asking why Rapunzel was leaving him behind.

"Sorry, Pascal," she said with a small smile. "But I think this is something I need to do alone, at least for right now. Don't worry, I won't be long."

Rapunzel scratched Maximus behind the ear, patted Pascal on the head, and gave Eugene a small smile. Then she took a deep breath, turned, and walked alone up to the massive gate of the castle. She stared up at the walls in amazement.

"Can I help you, Madame?"

The sudden voice made Rapunzel jump. Looking over, she saw a palace guard watching her with a slightly amused, slightly bored smile. She stared back at him, suddenly unable to find her voice. Could all this really be happening?

"Can I help you?" he asked again.

The guard was young – perhaps only a few years older than Rapunzel. His smile had become both more confused and more genuine. The kindness in his face and manner reassured Rapunzel. She took a deep breath, gathering the strength to say the words that seemed so strange.

"I would like to see my parents," she said slowly. "I believe they live here."

Still smiling, the guard raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to answer, but then his expression changed. A look of confusion passed over his features as he studied Rapunzel carefully. Then his eyes widened and his jaw dropped, exactly as Eugene's had. But what he did next completely took Rapunzel by surprise. The guard quickly dropped to one knee, his head lowered.

"Your Highness," he said quietly. His voice was a mixture of disbelief, respect, and sheer joy.

Rapunzel hesitated, slightly embarrassed and not knowing how to respond. The guard seemed to sense her embarrassment and stood again.

"I need to take you to the King and Queen!" he said, hurrying to the gate and motioning her inside. "If you'll just follow me, please . . ."

"Wait."

The guard turned back to her and Rapunzel blushed. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "It's just, well, I have a friend who came here with me. And I would really like it if he could come too. Please."

The guard simply smiled again. "Of course, my Princess."

"I'll be right back!" Rapunzel hurriedly ran back down to where Eugene, Maximus, and Pascal were waiting. They all looked up at her in surprise.

"Eugene?"

"Is everything alright?" he asked, taking her hands in both of his.

"Yes," she answered. "I think so. Eugene, I want you to come with me. Please. I-" She took a deep breath, then looked up into his eyes. "I know now that I can do this. But I don't think I want to do it alone. I want you to know you're next to me."

Eugene sighed. "Rapunzel, I would do anything for you. But the guards-"

"Hey," she interrupted softly. "I'll take care of it. I'm sure I can."

The corner of Eugene's mouth lifted in a small smile. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

The palace guard raised an eyebrow when he saw Eugene, seemingly trying to remember where he'd seen him before, but when he met Rapunzel's glance he nodded. Apparently he was more excited about the return of the lost princess than he was concerned about recognizing her friend. Eugene leaned closer to Rapunzel.

"Maybe it's good they never got my nose right on those wanted posters," he whispered. He smiled when he saw that Rapunzel, despite her obvious nervousness, had chuckled.

"Please follow me, Princess," the guard said, quickly leading them inside the castle. He walked so fast, it seemed to be taking all his effort to keep from breaking into a run.

Rapunzel and Eugene hurried to follow him, both glancing around nervously. The castle was mostly silent. The only other people they saw were a few servants and a handful of guards, all occupied with their own business. The guard led them through to the back of the castle until they finally came out on a balcony that overlooked the sea.

"Wait here, your Highness," the guard said softly. He looked at her another time in amazement, as if to make sure she was really there and his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. If he remembered that Eugene was there at all, he didn't show it.

Rapunzel nodded, and the guard took off – running this time.

"Well, here we are," Eugene said, placing his fist on his hip. He looked over at Rapunzel, expecting her to be excited. She was gripping the rail of the balcony and looking down at her hands. Her now short brown hair was falling in her face, but it wasn't long enough to hide the tear sliding down her cheek.

"Hey," he said gently, "what's wrong?"

She sniffed. "I thought I was terrified last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was about to live my dream, scared it wouldn't be everything I'd imagined. But this is a dream I never had, because even in my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined this. So how can I know what to expect?"

"Well," Eugene said slowly, trying to know how best to help her, "I'm sure you imagined things being different than they were. Now you'll be able to have the parents, the home, the life that you never had."

"That's just the thing," she answered, wiping away the tear. "I had a mother, a home, a life that I was happy with. That's all I ever knew. I had Pascal, of course, but she was the only human, the only family. And I always thought about leaving the tower, but never leaving her. I really did love her."

Eugene looked at her in amazement. As much as he didn't want to ask his next question, he couldn't stop himself. "How could you love her?"

"She was all I had. Her love was all I knew. And I thought she did love me. But I still always felt like I wasn't good enough. She would run me down with her words, and even though she said she was joking, it still hurt. I guess I just always assumed her love was the same as any mother's."

"Well, I guess I'm not the one to tell you what a parent's love should be like. I never really knew."

Now it was Rapunzel who looked over at Eugene, and he was the one looking down at the railing of the balcony.

"But then I met you," Rapunzel continued softly. "And I fell in love. And I wanted to believe you loved me. And now, because of you, I understand what the mother I thought I had never showed me – now I know that love is really about putting the other person first, caring about them more than you care about yourself."

Eugene smiled slightly. "You taught me the same thing. All my life I thought the only thing I had to do was look out for myself. Then I met you."

Rapunzel took a deep breath, then looked out across the water. "And now I'm here," she said slowly. "I'm about to meet the parents I never knew I had. I don't know what they'll be like or if they'll even like me. And I have no idea what's going to happen next. It's all so strange. In just a few days, the life I always knew disappeared forever, and now I feel like I'm being dropped into the middle of a life I haven't lived."

Reaching down, Eugene took her hand in his. "I can't say I know what happens next, but no matter what life you live, I just hope I'm always a part of it."

For what felt like the first time that day, Rapunzel truly smiled. For a brief, uncertain, beautiful moment, the two stood hand in hand on the balcony, looking out at the sea.

Then the door opened behind them.

...

A/N - I realize that, logistically, Rapunzel and Eugene probably wouldn't have had time to have that long of a conversation before the King and Queen came. But who wants to worry about logistics? This is Disney! I hope you all enjoyed this bit of fluffiness. Let me know what you thought!