Like I said, I started at the almost-the-end. I'm going to start back-tracking from there.

While I'm thinking about, I have a poll on my profile. Just wanted to know how people are finding my various stories.

Again, I don't own Tangled or "Long Live". (Also, FYI: I'm a big supporter of the 'Rapunzel's-hair-gets-cut-and-doesn't-ever-grow-again' theory... Not sure how important this actually is to this story, but that's just how I've always envisioned it)

(Dang, I apologize... I had to re-upload this because I forgot to reply to anonymous reviews!)

loveghibli: Thank you, and, while this was a relatively quick update, I can't promise even semi-regular updates. I'm a senior in high school, and I'm in a really tough gifted/talented program that takes up all the time I don't spend on here.

Person: Thanks, sis! Hope this satisfies!

Chapter 2

Her choppy hair was so annoying.

She'd never really gotten used to it. After nearly eighteen years of having hair longer than she was tall, having her hair barely reach her chin was... a lot of things. She couldn't use it to climb up walls or cliffs, couldn't use it to grab things that were out of reach, couldn't use it as a swing, couldn't use it as a pulley system to lift and lower things (including herself), and couldn't even use it as a hiding place anymore. And it was always getting in her eyes, or in her mouth, or it wouldn't lay the way she wanted it to.

A part of her blamed Eugene. The part of her that could be so much like Gothel sometimes that it scared her.

The rest of her—the parts that had somehow not been tainted by Gothel's abuse and manipulation—knew it was Gothel's fault, for stabbing him and threatening her; and her fault, for doubting him, for thinking he might not come back.

Gothel, not Mother, she reassured herself.

They'd... Well, actually Flynn, mostly, had found out that Gothel wasn't her mother. A lot of people had known about her, if not had talked to her on a semi-regular basis. They'd started asking if anyone knew of someone she might have had a relationship with, around the time Gothel would have gotten pregnant with her. No one knew anything. And a lot of people had seen her the months between that and Rapunzel's birth, and claimed that Gothel hadn't appeared with-child.

She couldn't be Rapunzel's mother. It wasn't possible to hide a pregnancy eight months along. She wasn't Rapunzel's mother.

So, who was?

"You doin' okay, Blondie?" came the whispered question, at the same moment it always came: the moment she had to be able to concentrate, or she wouldn't be able to pull... whatever... off; the moment that was far enough in to the heist that he could be worried, but not so far in that the question answered itself.

She waved her hand back at him, hoping he took it as the usual Fine-now-shut-up that it usually was and not a No-come-help-me that he mistook it for all to often.

She was perched at the very top of a high wall, surrounding a large manor, torches burning at regular intervals, lighting inside and out. Her black skirt, cut narrower than most, hiked up around her knees. Clasped at the join of her collarbones was a black cloak, made more for obscurity than warmth. She was watching, and counting, trying to figure out the timing of the guards rounds before hauling Flynn up beside her and dropping into the yard below.

Flynn was so tense, she could practically taste it in the cool, dry air that surrounded her. He's so overprotective! I'm twenty years old, and have been doing this for two years now, for crying out loud!

This was a lot less like what they normally did though. Here, they were hoping to get information, rather than valuables, and that meant that there was a much higher chance of them getting caught; they'd have to stay and ask the target questions after all.

Said target was an older man, living here with his son's family. That son just so happened to be Captain Thomas Harris of the Palace Guard. According to a less than eager source, he was supposed to be at the Palace tonight for a party. Hopefully, he'd stay out a while.

Thomas's father, William, was one of the men who had helped start up a public records system. He had also once been Captain of the Guard. They were hoping they could find out who Rapunzel's parents were by asking him if he knew of any children who had disappeared almost twenty years ago.

They knew it was a long shot. Especially because that was the same year the princess went missing; he might not recall anyone other than the princess.

A few minutes later, she had figured out how large a gap there was between one guard passing and another coming: only about 90 seconds. As soon as one guard was around the next corner, she began hauling Flynn up to her. When the next guard had passed by, they both dropped onto the well-manicured lawn.

She pushed her hair behind her ears. Most of the strands immediately fell back to where they had been. She let loose an exasperated sigh.

Flynn was already at the corner, ready to distract the next guard long enough for her to get inside. She went up to a window and, happily, found that it was unlocked already. She pushed it open and climbed in.

Captain Harris wasn't happy. This party was supposed to be Their Majesties chance to forget about their missing daughter, if only for a few hours, and enjoy themselves for once.

But, of course, someone had decided to ruin the festivities by showing up and claiming to be the lost princess. Of course, Their Benevolent Majesties must "immediately tend to the young girl, and verify the story she had related to them."

He hated having to tell rich, powerful nobles that King Peter and Queen Catherine requested that they vacate the premises as soon as possible. They hardly ever took it well.

But, now, he was standing guard over the girl, at attention just to the left of her door, which was firmly locked. As usual, she had begged to be given a place to spend the night, and clothes for the next few days. He was convinced that, if the princess did return, she'd realize that she could be disbelieved, and turned away. None of the previous girls had left willingly, even if it was decisively obvious that they weren't the lost princess.

He hoped that Their Gracious Highnesses would realize this girl was playing their emotions before they became too attached. He hated seeing their hearts broken again, even more than dealing with arrogant nobles.