Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of The Guardians or Tangled, just this respective plot.
A/N: Hello! I know this may seem a bit different than what I usually write but I blame Tumblr for fostering my sudden interest in Jackunzel with all the amazing fan art and quotes. One could even say Jack and Punz are becoming my ultimate OTP. Of course, with fangirling came plot bunnies and with plot bunnies... Well, why would this story be written then? Oh, and I also have this little quirk of recommending a song for a chapter to give readers the vibes for this story, I hope you'll listen to it! Please, listen to:
Release The Panic - Red
Rapunzel ran for her life.
She ran as fast as she could, narrowly missing a fiery beam that came crashing down, throwing debris and smoke into the already acrid air. Coughing, she made her way down a hall, where the grim portraits of her ancestors hung limp and half disintegrated by the fire. The paint bubbled and cracked, sounding much like the broken discord of her heavy breathing.
A crash sounded behind her and Rapunzel sped, her long braided hair trailing behind her like a viper. She thanked her lucky stars that she had the sense to braid it before going to bed as she had never anticipated anything like this happening.
It was all a blur but Rapunzel could still piece together the first parts of the evening.
The princess of Corona remembered being fast asleep before hearing a loud commotion outside the palace windows. She had awoken to find a fierce battle commencing below in the courtyard and spied the palace guards being attacked by mysterious hooded men.
A loud banging on her door had sounded and she instinctively ducked behind her huge poster bed, fearful of whom it could it be.
"Milady! Open the door, the castle is under siege!" said the voice of one of her chambermaids. Releasing a breath, she quickly ran to the door and swung it opened, revealing the scared face of a young girl barely her age.
"What's happening?" she questioned as she let herself be led by the elbow.
"We have no idea, one minute everything was calm as crystal blue water and the next…" she trailed off, rounding a sharp bend to the communal hallways where the servants would carry the washing and linen.
"…the next, they started attacking," she cried, her brown eyes wide with fear.
"Who is 'they'?" she questioned, as a loud booming sound could be heard from the giant dome overhead them.
Rapunzel watched in fear as the ancient painted dome fell away, revealing bits and pieces of the night sky. The tugging on her elbow increased.
"Now is not the time, hurry-"
Suddenly, the very same hooded figures launched themselves in through the broken plaster, landing onto the cold marble floor. Rapunzel shrieked as she felt herself being pushed to the doorway.
"Go, go, your highness! I'll distract them and-
The princess came back from her memories, shaking her head at the unwanted gruesome images of the maid's face just before an arrow plunged into her neck.
Racing down the hallway, she could vaguely hear the sounds of guards yelling.
"Get the royal family – sir, there's a carriage waiting – we have to get there –"
"I'm not leaving without our own daughter!"
Rapunzel's green eyes widened as she heard the familiar tone of her mother. "Mother! Father!" she cried as the foreboding sound of horse feet dimmed. Tears rushed to her eyes as she felt a pair of arms restrict around her. "Your highness…Princess Rapunzel! There's another carriage waiting for you, if you would just-"
The guard's words ceased suddenly and Rapunzel screamed. Blood fell on her hands from the guards' pierced chest. The man dropped dead like a wooden log and Rapunzel groaned softly, accidentally getting more of his blood on her arms.
A hooded figure was suddenly making its way towards her, its breathing menacing. All around her, Rapunzel could see nothing but the sudden flames caused by this bunch of maniacal thugs.
Curtains were falling, carpets were smoking and Rapunzel couldn't see or hear anything that indicated she wasn't the only one in this nightmare.
She stumbled back, the hem of her silk nightgown smoking slightly.
"W-What do you want with me?" she stammered as the silent entity crept closer and out of the darkness, two more of his comrades materialized.
Rapunzel felt the hot wood wall collide with her back as she tried to think of ways to escape. In vain, the princess tried to remember what few defense moves that one of the guards had taught her but it was futile.
The figure lashed out and she screamed when she felt a cold hand wrap around her dainty wrist.
Suddenly, the hand gripping hard around hers was whisked away and she looked up just in time to see a masked silhouette twisting the hooded figure's hand before using his body and ramming through another one of the thugs' comrades.
The other hooded figure staggered and the masked man harshly delivered a roundhouse kick straight to his gut. Using his grip still on the offending hooded figure's hand, he twisted around and, by the momentum of the swing, threw the man to his other partner.
The two of them fell in a heap and Rapunzel gasped. The masked man seemed to have noticed her and stalked towards her. The princess's head snapped up as she shielded her face.
"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered.
"I'm not going to, please princess, follow me," a deep voice resonated as Rapunzel lowered her hands.
"What-"
She didn't have time to ask as the masked stranger grabbed her by the arm and led her to one of the corridors. Rapunzel immediately recognized this path.
"Stop! We'll be falling straight into the-"
The stranger nodded. "I know," was all he said.
"Are you crazy?" she screeched over the din of the dangerously crackling flames.
In response he merely threw her a look over his shoulder and Rapunzel nearly flinched when she caught sight of his gaze.
It was blue, cold and calculating.
In the flames, his hair looked silver almost white, although she could be hallucinating from the lack of oxygen or the drifting smoke.
Their steps neared one of the forbidden hallways where Rapunzel wasn't allowed to go near, despite her status.
"Stop, please, I don't want to-
"Princess," he interjected urgently as they neared the doomed doorway.
"Do you trust me?"
Rapunzel felt like smacking the upside of his head. "Of course not," she screeched. "Why should I when-
Click.
The masked man threw the door open and all Rapunzel could see was a dark abyss below – the castle's moat.
His hand tightened upon hers as he pulled her in for a heart stopping, daring jump.
Whew, that was fast paced. Also, don't worry, this isn't the main part of the story...its just a precursor before the real story starts ;) I hope you guys liked it and tell me what you think!
-Clare