Rapunzel's Paintbox
Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled, or the characters, so there.
A/N: Well, this little oneshot has been floating around in my head for a while, and my muse was feeling sappy, so I wrote it. It felt a little weird giving the Queen some dialogue… so I hope it worked. Haha. Enjoy and review! =]
Rapunzel sighed as she dipped the paintbrush into a deep chestnut colored paint. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth and her brow furrowed in concentration as she painted the choppy, dark locks of the Girl on the Wall. Her paintbrush swirled around the small section of wall, creating the long tresses that lay dead on the floor just like the dark-haired figure lying beneath the Girl on the Wall. She switched to a yellow paint, a pretty, life-giving yellow, the same color that had raised Eugene from the dead. The same color as the glowing lanterns that rose in the sky on her birthday each year. The same color as the royal crest. The same color as the faded duckling emblem on the memorable tavern. Gothel's favorite color. Rapunzel couldn't help but think of the tower, of Her even, when she used the color yellow. It meant so many things. It had been there at the turning of her life, and it had been there at the beginning too. Gothel loved yellow, she had always told Rapunzel that. As Rapunzel lightly flicked her brush on the wall, she remembered the picture she'd made for Gothel when she was small.
"Happy Birthday!" Five-year-old Rapunzel had shouted, her wide, innocent green eyes betraying absolute adoration as she held out her gift. Gothel had taken it with surprise. She hadn't really expected Rapunzel to get her anything. The child was so happy, so full of life. So useful.
Gothel took the picture and held it up to the light, a haphazard but promising painting of a long-haired girl sitting happily with a dark-haired woman stared back at her. They looked so happy, so much like a family. Of course… Rapunzel was so innocent, that's how she perceived her life. Gothel smiled darkly, it was the smile that Rapunzel knew as her mother's overjoyed face, for she always wore it when Rapunzel sang to her. She wore it when Rapunzel's hair glowed, when the light filled the room, shining with amber beams. Rapunzel's face brightened even more, if that was possible.
"You like it?" She asked excitedly.
"It's wonderful, Rapunzel." Gothel chuckled, "Now, sit and sing for me while I brush your hair."
"Okay." Rapunzel ran eagerly to grab the brush. She loved these times, it was the one time when Gothel sat down and was even a little patient with her. Her
When the time was over, Gothel smiled her happiest smile and fingered Rapunzel's golden locks obsessively.
"I love you." She said softly.
"I love you more." Rapunzel replied back automatically,
"I love you most."
She dipped her paintbrush into a sweet candy lavender and painted the Girl on the Wall's dress. She smiled as she thought of purple's love/hate relationship with her heart. It was the color of her once-favorite dress. The light lavender reminded her far too much of the days with Gothel, and most importantly… of that day in the tower. She had worn that dress to the dance in the square. She'd whacked Eugene over the head with a frying pan and stuffed him in a closet while wearing it. Rapunzel giggled quietly as she fondly swirled the brush over the skirt, painting it the color of her dreams. Purple was the color of the flag, she realized. The flag that had helped her see that she who she really was, and that everything Gothel had told her was a lie. Funny how the same color could be both Gothel's gift to Rapunzel and the old woman's undoing.
"I've got a surprise for you, Flower!" Gothel purred, pulling out a box from under her bed. It was Rapunzel's sixteenth birthday, and the girl had been hoping for something that would make her seem older. Rapunzel leaned forward in anticipation, her wide eyes watching her mother's every move.
She took the box with shaking hands and opened it, gasping as she lifted out the silken, lavender fabric of a beautiful dress, "Mother! You shouldn't have!"
"Oh, I know, I know. Isn't it beautiful?" Gothel said, pleased that Rapunzel was actually content with something she gave her. Maybe she would forget about the floating lights this year. She was surprised by a near tackle-hug as Rapunzel's arms wrapped around her neck. The old woman smiled and ran her hand through Rapunzel's hair, stopping when she reached a tangle. "Rapunzel darling, you didn't brush your hair well enough today, how about I help you with it?" She cooed.
Rapunzel tried to refrain from rolling her eyes. Sometimes Mother just didn't understand how hard her hair was to take care of. "I suppose you want me to sing for you too." She mumbled.
"Rapunzel, how many times to I have to tell you, stop with the mumbling! I can't hear you when you mumble. Now, be a good flower and get the brush for your mother."
Rapunzel sighed and obeyed. As she sang their special song, she looked over at the new dress. Maybe if her mother trusted her well enough to wear such a fine dress, maybe…maybe next year she'd let Rapunzel go see the floating lights. But, she'd try not to be too disappointed if Gothel didn't let her. After all, Mother did know best.
White paint. Rapunzel smiled bitter-sweetly as she picked up the jar. This was one of the reasons she was sitting here right now. The only reason she'd managed to leave that tower, her gilded cage. The only reason she'd begun to realize how much Gothel had lied to her. That was ironic. She shook her head, Using her finger to draw the lace along the dress with the pure color. White was the purest color, and it was the color of her first lie. She'd always been open with her Mother, she'd trusted her. She didn't know any different. She had no reason not to. But when she realized that her Mother was the very thing stopping her from her dream… that's when the white paint came in. She sighed softly.
"Rapunzel?" A soft, gentle voice came from the doorway. There was a soft laugh, not unlike Rapunzel's own. Her mom, not her mother, walked into Rapunzel's new room a bit tentatively. "We're going to have dinner soon." She smiled as she surveyed the paint covering Rapunzel's hands and face. Without thinking, she took her handkerchief from her pocket and wiped a dab of paint from her daughter's nose.
Rapunzel smiled as she did. Green eyes met green eyes. Rapunzel blushed shyly and laughed, wiping off a bit of paint from her arm. She loved the color green. The grass had been that color when she'd stepped out of the tower for the first time. It was the color of her mom's eyes, those beautiful, gentle, warm eyes that were looking at her now with such love it hurt. Green was the color of spring, of a fresh, beginning. It was the color of her new life.
Her mother got up and opened Rapunzel's wardrobe. "Hmm, let's get you dressed." She mused. She thumbed through dress after dress. None she held up seemed appealing to Rapunzel, however. A light dawned in the Queen's eyes and she grinned, "I'll be right back, I have the perfect one."
When she returned, Rapunzel nearly burst into tears with what she saw. It was one of the Queen's own dresses, dyed a brilliant green to match her eyes. Her mom handed it to Rapunzel, and she took it reverently. "Go ahead, try it on. I think it'll fit." The Queen said excitedly.
Sure enough, it fit like a glove. Rapunzel stepped out shyly from behind the screen and turned in a circle. The smile on her mom's face was priceless. The Queen reached forward and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go. "You look beautiful."
Rapunzel laughed, tears filling her eyes… Mother Gothel had never said that to her. Awkward, clumsy, cute… but never beautiful. She reached up and twisted a choppy lock of chesnut hair between her fingers. "But what about my hair?" It was short, ugly, and Rapunzel thought, perfectly useless.
But her mom shook her head and smiled, "Who cares about your hair?"
They both laughed, and Rapunzel leaned her head on her mother's shoulder, enjoying the feel of those small, strong, protective arms around her. Yes, she loved green. It might even be her favorite color.