A/N: Well, what a bummer. I thought that maybe more people would be interested in the story. But anyhow, I still continue. Because I myself like writing this story and hope at least one or two have fun reading it. I for sure know, that ICanSeeYourFace likes it, because she reviewed and told me. THANK YOU! I wanted to answer to your review, but told me I couldn't. So let me hug you on this way, because your review made my day. Once again thank you so much. This chapter is totally dedicated to you! :)

Also, many thanks, as usual, to my beta-bunny Kass. Hugs & kisses to you! :)

Oh, before I forget: Please keep in mind that this is not really a re-telling of Rapunzel, although I take some lines and maybe even some scenes out of the movie, but all in all this is a new approach on it. Therefore Rapunzels background-story will also be different, just so you're warned. ;)

Nough said, hope you enjoy. Reviews would be awesome. Really, really awesome. ;) ENJOY!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Disney's the genius.

Chapter 2

"I'm not happy about this."

Eugene saw the very serious expression on his uncle's face.

"I know you aren't. But I still have to do this," he answered nonetheless. He slipped into the vest and fastened the satchel on his shoulder.

"This is huge, Eugene. Maybe it's too huge. We are talking about the princess' crown. If they catch you, you will hang, royalty or not!" Victor's look was never this serious before. And the young man had an idea were this came from. He still ignored it and gave his uncle his famous half-smile.

"Aw, Uncle Victor, you need to trust me. They are not going to catch me."

"Be serious, boy!" The older scolded and the smile faded from Eugene's face. "You're messing with Lord Erevan. We both know he doesn't like to be messed with. He will try everything to hunt you down."

Lord Erevan was a couple of years older than Eugene and he was the one who had the most influence on the King. He and the lost Princess were betrothed from birth. He was also the most corrupt of all Lords. He only wished for the crown and the power which came with it. And Flynn Rider was not helping in his attempts to get on the throne.

When the business with Flynn Rider started the King announced that Lord Erevan was in charge of stopping the thief. With every coup accomplished, Lord Erevan's influence on the King faded more and more. And it made him more furious.

"Please, Victor. Don't worry so much. I need to do this. He still has too much influence, he needs to be stopped. Trust me, I take care of myself," Eugene tried it with another smirk, "and if that doesn't work out I still have Max at my side."

And with these words he slipped out of the room, down to the stables and headed out to steal the lost princess' crown.

Victor looked at the closed door and sighed. He knew another sleepless night lay before him.

oOo

Okay, maybe his uncle was right. Maybe he should have listened to him, because he was chased by the guards again. Maybe his most recent theft wasn't the best of his ideas. Stealing the crown of the lost princess surely got every available guard to hunt him down. Really not his best idea.

Max was running like a maniac, but the royal cavalry seemed to improve in the last couple of months. It was getting harder and harder to get rid of them.

Finally horse and rider turned around a corner and were out of sight long enough to find themselves a hiding place. Eugene looked around frantically and suddenly spotted some threads of ivy moving in the wind. He instantly knew that the plant wouldn't move unless there was a cave or something similar behind it. He guided Max over and in the blink of an eye later they disappeared into the darkness.

The young man turned around only to see the royal cavalry dashing past the covered entrance of the cave only moments later. Eugene sighed out of relief. This was a close call; he really needed to get more careful about this Flynn Rider business.

The stallion took him out of his reverie when he neighed and shook his head several times.

"What is it, Max?" He patted the horse's neck and smiled slightly when his eyes discovered what he had stumbled upon: This wasn't a cave. This was an alleyway to a clearance. A huge waterfall dashed down in the back of the valley. And directly in front of it stood a tower.

oOo

Half of the cookie lay on a plate beside a glass half full of milk. Normally the cookie wouldn't be there for much longer because a certain chameleon would hurry to eat it, but today was different. Today, said chameleon, tried its best to comfort the crying girl beside it. The 70 feet of blonde hair surrounding them worked as a blanket and a pillow while her hands both grasped at a handkerchief.

"I can't believe it, Pascal," the girl cried, lying on the floor in between all this hair, "All these years! She lied to my face every time I asked her. How could she? How?"

The only thing the green reptile was able to do was to shrug his shoulders. He himself didn't know how this cruel woman could do something so mean to this poor, sweet young woman.

When Rapunzel turned five her Aunty Gothel brought her to the tower. Although she never truly understood why she had to hide, Gothel told her it was for her own safety. She was also told that her parents died protecting her when a hired killer tried to steal the hair. He only got away with a lock, but it turned brown when he cut it. It was the only lock of her hair she was allowed to cut now from time to time, to hide it under the blond one.

Rapunzel once asked why not just cut all of the stupid hair. As the killer proved, the power would be gone and no one would chase her anymore. But her Aunt got so furious about it that she never asked again.

Ever since she started to live with Aunty Gothel, they traveled around, never staying too long in one place, except for this tower. The tower was kinda their home, where they spent most of their time and where Rapunzel was able to free her hair out of the tight braid she had to wear when outside.

Her Aunt, the only relative she had left, wasn't the most patient person in the world. Neither the most loving, or caring, or any other sympathetic feeling Rapunzel could think of, but she took good care of her niece, provided her with food, clothes, and shelter. And paints for her drawings.

She taught her the languages, mathematics and manners. Rapunzel knew botany, and geology, and she loved to cook. She learned writing, and reading, and she was a very fast learner. Sometimes – when she was in a good mood – Gothel even brought her books.

But the young woman also knew that Gothel got annoyed with her quickly, so she never asked any questions regarding her past. Her Aunt didn't like to talk about the past. It was too painful, she would say. Too painful to think of her beloved sister and her husband, who died too early and left her to take care of a small child. Never ever Rapunzel asked any questions out of respect and thankfulness that her Aunt had taken her in when she needed it the most.

Never, except for one: Why did lanterns light the sky every year on her birthday?

Gothel told her once – and only once – that it was some stupid celebration where the people all got drunk. And when people got too drunk they did horrible, unimaginable thinks to each other. That being also the reason why they never left for the celebration, although Rapunzel's biggest wish was to see the lanterns, even if it was only for that one time.

But Gothel refused year, after year, after year.

And every year, soon after the lanterns floated to the sky, the both of them would pack their things and head out to the sea shore to visit Aunty Gothel's special friend,Hank. When Rapunzel was younger she didn't know why Hank was so special. But she was nearly eighteen now and had also found the older woman's secret stash of adult lecture. Most of the books were some wild romances, but they did get quite in detail. So Rapunzel could imagine what it was that made this man so special to her Aunt. If Gothel ever found out that she found the books, she would be more than furious, Rapunzel was sure of it.

It was also the curiosity of maybe finding a new book which brought the girl to tears. Because instead of finding a new book, she found a letter. And this letter was very enlightening. It also finally answered the question she asked for so many years: The lanterns lit the sky for her to find her way back home.

Hank had written to Gothel and told her that he looked forward to their visit. He asked if she and Rapunzel maybe wanted to come a few days earlier and they maybe could visit the festival of lanterns together? Up to this point Rapunzel still was excited. Maybe her Aunt would say yes?

But then she read on. He said that Gothel was overcautious, that nobody ever would figure out Rapunzel's past. That so many years went by and nobody ever discovered the truth behind the girl's identity. That they surely could go to the lantern festival and nobody would see that she was the lost princess they threw this celebration for. They would just look like a family enjoying the evening together.

Hank wrote some more, but the young woman wasn't able to read on. She started with the letter again and read up to the point where all the loose ends of her past finally tied up. Finally she got the whole picture.

She saw herself as a kid, on her birthday, surrounded by many people. She sat on her father's arms and her mother stood beside them, both of them smiling at her, before they took hold of the first lantern and together let it float up in the air.

She saw her parents sitting at her bedside and her mother reading her a bedtime story about an adventurer named Flynnigan Rider, and remembered how she wished to be just like him, traveling the world and drifting into adventure after adventure.

Many of those memories floated her mind and all it took was a simple letter to get them to the surface, and making herself see, what she so long denied herself to recognize: Gothel lied to her. She lied to her ever since.

And that's how she ended up as a weeping picture of misery with only a chameleon to comfort her. The worst thing was that she still loved her Aunt. Even if she did one of those horrible, unimaginable things to her, she still gave her a home the past thirteen years, she taught her everything she knew and provided for her, never asking for anything in return except to sing to her to make her young again.

It was with this thought that another realization suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightning: Gothel used her. To her Aunt she was nothing more than the magic hair which provided her with everlasting youth. All these years and Rapunzel's whole existence could be shortened to being nothing more than a heap of hair.

And with this thought all the other realizations came: Gothel wasn't her aunt. She got kidnapped as a kid. Her parents were still alive and were waiting for her. She was held as a prisoner. She needed to get rid of this hair. As soon as possible.

All these thoughts shot through her mind, tumbling over each other in her head, while tears were still running over her cheeks and the cursed hair still was around her like a blanket.

This also made her realize too late, that she no longer was alone in her tower. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked up and saw a young man standing in front of the open window, staring down at her, very confused.

TBC