Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. And from, this, small drop of Sun, grew a magic, golden flower. It had the ability to heal the sick, and injured. A very old woman, known only as Mother Gothel, found this magic flower, and quickly discovered that it was much more than just a pretty flower.
Centuries past, and a hop, skip, and boat ride away, there grew a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen. And the Queen, at the time, was about to have a baby. But she became sick. Very sick. She was running out of time, and that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or, in this case, a magic golden flower.
However, Mother Gothel had other plans. She checked over bother of her shoulders, searching for any sign that she was being watched. When she was positive the coast was clear, she lifted the fake bush that sat in front of her, revealing the magic flower. She removed the hood of her cloak from her head, and kneeled in front of the flower.
Instead of sharing the Sun's gift, she hoarded its healing powers and used it to keep her young for hundreds of years. All she had to do, was sing a special song.
"Flower, gleam, and glow." She sang, waving her hands around the flower as it began to glow, "let your powers shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine, what once…was mine." She smiled as she finished her song, and what once was wrinkled, pale skin, turned into a healthy pink shade. That was when she heard the voices.
Franticly, she covered her precious flower and took off. When she noticed that her lantern had knocked over her fake bush, it was to late. The guards and villagers found it, and took it. She followed them, wondering where on Earth they could be taking her flower. She watched them take it into the castle, and listened in on the villagers conversations.
"I hope both of them will be alright," a woman said.
"The King must be so scared," said a young man.
"I hope the Queen's illness hasn't hurt the baby."
Gothel put things together in her head, and figured it out. They took her flower to save the sick Queen, and her unborn baby.
XX
Just as predicted, the magic of the golden flower healed the Queen. A few months later, a healthy baby girl was born, with beautiful golden hair, who they named Rapunzel. Other than her golden locks, she was a spitting image of the Queen. She was a very beautiful baby, with her bright green eyes, shoulder length golden hair, and the tiniest of freckles surrounded her nose.
In celebration of her birth, the King and Queen launched a floating lantern into the sky. And for that one moment, everything was perfect.
And then that moment ended.
When Rapunzel was only a few months old, Mother Gothel broke into the castle to test her theory. Did the magic of her precious flower live on inside this baby?
"Flower, gleam, and glow," she sang, and right before her eyes, the child's hair began to glow, just like the flower had done.
"Let your powers shine," she lowered a pair of scissors down to a lock of hair she'd picked up, "make the clock re-oh!" She gasped, for when she cut the hair, it turned brown, and her smooth skin wrinkled up once more.
This left her with only one option, one she was hoping she wouldn't have to do.
Carefully she lifted the baby out of her crib, waking her instantly. Once Rapunzel saw the menacing blue-grey eyes of Mother Gothel, she let out a high pitched shriek, instantly waking the King and Queen, who ran out of the bed tried to grab her before she managed to get away with their baby.
"Guards! Guards!" Shouted the King. Moments later, three guards shot into the room, quickly pulling out their swards and pointed them at Gothel.
"Don't!" Cried the Queen, "she has Rapunzel!"
"Give us the baby, woman." One of the guards ordered, pulling his sward back slightly.
Mother Gothel took a step back towards the window, then swiftly turned on her heal and dove for the balcony, only to have her cloak snagged by the King. The pried Rapunzel from her arms; who was now shrieking loud enough to wake the entire kingdom, and handcuffed Mother Gothel. As the old woman was taken away, the Queen held her crying baby, and discovered the short lock of brown hair behind Rapunzel's ear. Had it been their this whole time? She wondered. Perhaps it was starting to fade, like they figured it would.
Meanwhile, the guards took Mother Gothel to her cell under the palace, and she was to be hanged after sunrise the next morning.
But to everyone's surprise, when the guards went down to her cell that morning, she was gone.
Months went by, and by the time Rapunzel had reached the age of one, Mother Gothel had tried to steal the girl three more times, but failed. She was, however, able to get the magic out of the baby's hair moments before she was discovered. And that gave her an idea.
For the next three years, Mother Gothel broke into the castle while everyone was asleep, and she would brush Rapunzel's hair while she slept, and sing her special song. When Rapunzel reached the age of four, she started sleeping in her own room. That was when Gothel made her move.
She found the toddlers' room with ease, and purposely woke the child.
"M-Mommy..?" Rapunzel asked, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands.
"No," Mother Gothel whispered, "I'm your knew friend. I've come to show you that you have a very special gift, flower."
"My names not flower," Rapunzel yawned, sitting up in her bed and rubbing her eyes once more, "It's Rapunzel."
"Forgive me, Rapunzel." Mother Gothel groaned. "Do you know what magic is?" She asked. Rapunzel nodded.
"Well, you, dear child, have a magic power."
Rapunzel gasped lightly. "Really?"
The old woman nodded, and picked up a brush from the child's nightstand. "Listen carefully, flower, I need you to learn this song for me. But what I'm about to show you has to be kept a secret, between you and me only."
Rapunzel was confused, but allowed Gothel to take a few locks of her hair in her hand, and start to sing.
"Flower, gleam, and glow." Gothel sang, and Rapunzel's hair started to glow. The toddler froze, but listened as the old woman continued to sing.
"Let your powers shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal, what has been hurt. Change the Fates design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine." Rapunzel watched in awe as the old woman seemed to turn young again, and any cuts or bruises she had on her body healed within seconds.
"What once was mine." Gothel finished, and looked down at the child, who looked like she was going to pass out.
"Now, do you think you can remember that for me?" She asked. Rapunzel nodded numbly. "Remember, flower, you have to keep this a secret."
"O-okay."
"Good girl." Gothel smiled, patting the girls hair. "Now, go back to sleep."
Rapunzel, still in shock, lied back down in her bed, her eyes wide. Gothel tucked the blankets around the girl's shoulders, then disappeared out the window. Rapunzel shut her eyes tight, wondering if she would wake up the next morning, and find out that this was just a stilly dream.