Chapter 6: The Thief
The sun slowly rose in the east, lighting up the early morning sky. The horizon quickly turned a rose-pink color and birds in the nearby trees began to chirp their little songs. Fresh morning air filled Jack's lungs and he heavily sighed, arousing from his sleep. It was then that he shifted his weight and the ground beneath him disappeared.
"Whoa!" Jack fell to the ground face first with a loud thud. Rapunzel lurched up in her bed, startled by the sudden commotion. "Ouch." Jack pushed himself off of the ground.
"Are you okay?" She asked, getting out of her bed and walking up to him.
"Yeah, I'll be fine; I just fell, that's all." Jack responded as she lent him a hand and helped him up from the ground.
"Oh, okay." She replied.
Several days had passed since the night Rapunzel had painted Jack sleeping in the windowsill under the moon's light. The next morning he had woken up in the early hours of dawn and found the canvas placed on the tile floor, covered in drying paint; surrounded by paintbrushes and paint jars. He was shocked at how good it looked, she had perfectly captured his sleeping face, the dark shadows around his eyes, the glow of his white hair in the moonlight, the curve of his jawline, the fuzz and frost of his cape and then, of course, the twinkling stars and full moon behind him. When Rapunzel woke up later that morning he talked to her about it, shocked that she had decided to paint him, and her cheeks blushed a bright red. Jack let it slide, knowing she was uncomfortable talking about the subject.
Rapunzel had many reasons for painting him that night, most of them were because she had never had a friend as good as Jack, with the exception of Pascal, and if and when he ever left and never came back, she needed to have some kind of picture to hold on to and remember her friend. However, the one reason she kept to herself was that she felt a connection with him. It was a connection that warmed her heart with every smile, and made her blush when she caught herself thing about him. She had never felt this way before, not towards her one and only pet, Pascal, nor to her own mother, who she loved dearly; but this, this was different.
Every day that passed was another day that they learned something new about each other. Rapunzel learned more about Jack's past and she constantly asked new questions, trying to get a better picture of what it was like to be free, outside of a tower's walls; free to roam anywhere she wanted to and not be held back by other people. Jack also tried to figure out what it was like staying in a tower all of his life, restricted from the entire world.
"How'd you sleep?" Rapunzel nodded towards the windowsill, which seemed to be his bed the past several days.
Jack stretched a little. "I slept alright, well, alright for a windowsill; that is until I fell." He mumbled.
"Good." She replied to the sleeping well part.
"How did you sleep?" Jack responded, finally getting all the kinks out of his neck.
Rapunzel lightly grinned. "Good as always." Jack nodded in response.
Jack. The moon spoke in the early morning sky, slightly covered by the early morning clouds. I need to talk to you.
Jack abruptly looked through the window, his light smile dropping. "What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, suddenly worried by the look on his face.
He glanced back at her. "I have to go talk to the moon. I'll be back in a while."
"Oh, okay." She responded. "See you later then." She added as Jack quickly grabbed his staff from the wood covered wall, where he always left it.
"See ya later, Punzie." Jack glanced back at her, a bright smile on his face; before leaping on to the windowsill and flying away into the morning sky. Rapunzel watched him with a smile on her sweet face for a moment, before she sighed and turned to Pascal; who sat on her dresser, staring at her.
"Well, what do you want to do today?" She asked him. A thoughtful looked crossed the small reptile's face and he squeaked, turning the same color as the dresser. "You want to play hide-and-seek?" Pascal squeaked again in reply. She lightly laughed. "Okay. You hide first!" She closed her eyes and started counting. "One, two, three…"
A little over an hour later, Pascal scrambled out the semi-closed window and hid behind a painted brown flower pot, blending into the object. He breathed hard as if he had been running.
"Ha!" Rapunzel shouted as she burst through the window shutters. Pascal held his breath. "Hmm. I guess Pascal's not hiding out here…" She spoke, knowing where he was hiding. She lightly placed her hands behind her back and innocently walked away. Pascal lightly sniggered, remaining in the same place behind the flower pot. It was then that a thin strip of Rapunzel's long hair wrapped around his green tail and yanked him up into the air that he stopped sniggering, startled. "Gotcha!" She grinned, hanging upside from the window frame. Pascal squeaked in surprise, returning to his normal green color. Rapunzel jumped down from the window sill and released her hair from the metal hook that hung from the window pane. "That's twenty-two for me. How about twenty-three out of forty-five?" She placed her hands lightly on her hips.
Pascal frowned, his eyes become smaller, and he sunk down to the windowsill. Rapunzel sat down next to him. "Okay, well, what do you wanna do?" He bounced up in a heartbeat, a squeal escaping his scaled lips and he motioned to the outside world, pointing at it with his long tail. His brown eyes glanced at her happily. Rapunzel made a face and shifted so that her legs were on the windowsill, picking Pascal up by the tail. She placed him on her knee, her legs hanging over the window. "Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you." She pointed to him. He gave her a look and stuck his tongue out at her. She scooped him up in her hands, a sympathetic look on her face. "Oh come on Pascal, it's not so bad in there…" She turned around and jumped into her room, Pascal in her hands. She ran across her room, her hair following. She placed Pascal down on the clock that hung from a wooden beam and leapt onto the beams above, using her hair to pull the levers and let the light in. She slid down her hair and picked Pascal back up from the clock.
"Seven A.M., the usual morning line up." She sang. She began sweeping the tile floors. "Start up the chores and sweep till the floor's all clean. " She piled up her hair on the table by the wooden stairs. "Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up. Sweep again, and by then it's, like, seven- fifteen." She skidded over to her bookshelf and grabbed several books. "And so I'll read a book or maybe two or three, I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery! I'll play guitar and knit and cook and basically, just wonder when will my life begin?" She walked over to the fireplace and shoved the large wooden object above the fireplace to the side and began painting. "Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking, Papier-Mache, a bit of ballet and chess; pottery and ventriloquy, candle-making, then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb, sew a dress!"
"And then I'll re-read the books if I have time to spare, I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. And then I'll brush and brush and brush and brush my hair." She sat on one of the wooden beams, finishing brushing her long hair. "Stuck in the same place I've always been, and I'll keep wondering and wondering and wondering and wondering, when will my life begin?" She threw her hair in circles around her. She skipped back over to the window, leaning against it with her arms loosely crossed across her chest. She sighed; it was just a few days before her eighteenth birthday. "On Tuesday night, Lights will appear, just like they do on my birthday each year. What is it like out where they glow? Now that I'm older, mother might just let me go…" She left the window again and added herself to the painting of the floating lights she had painted earlier. After few minutes, Rapunzel climbed down from the fireplace and began putting her paints away.
"This is it. This is a very big day, Pascal. Hmm-mm. I'm finally gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her." She spoke to Pascal as she placed her paints back in the wooden chest.
"Rapunzel!" Her mother's voice called in the distance. Rapunzel gasped in excitement. "Let down your hair!"
Rapunzel squealed. "It's time." She sat up. "I know, I know, come on, don't let her see you." She placed Pascal on her painting and covered it with the surrounding curtain.
"Rapunzel, I'm not getting any younger down here." Her mother called.
"Coming, mother!" She ran over to the window, throwing her hair over the windowsill and hung it from the metal hook. Her long hair almost automatically became taught and she began pulling her mother up, foot by foot. "Hi. Welcome home, mother."
"Uh, Rapunzel! How you manage to do that every day without fail! It looks absolutely exhausting, darling." Her mother stepped down from the windowsill, her curly black hair bouncing off of her back as she moved.
Rapunzel shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing."
"Then I don't know why it takes so long!" Her mother laughed, poking her nose. "Oh, darling, I'm just teasing." She walked over to one of Rapunzel's mirrors.
"Hmm, he-he-he. Alright, so, mother, as you know," She followed her mother to the mirror and stood beside her. "Tomorrow is a very big day-"
Her mother cut her off. "Rapunzel, look in the mirror. You know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady." The corners of Rapunzel's lips pulled up. "Oh look, you're there too." Her mother laughed and Rapunzel's face dropped. "I'm just teasing! Stop taking everything so seriously, agh." She began to check herself out in the mirror, making weird faces for some strange reason.
"Okay, so mother," Rapunzel tried again. "As I was saying, tomorrow-"
Her mother cut her off again. "Rapunzel, mother's feeling a little run-down. Would you sing for me, dear? Then we'll talk."
"Oh! Of course, mother." She quickly began scrambling around, grabbing a wooden chair and foot stool. She sat her mother down, giving her a brush and began rapidly singing her short little song, in a rush to talk to her. "Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse-"
"Wait!" Her mother tried to slow her down.
"Bring back what once was mine."
"Wait!"
"Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design." Her mother began brushing her hair, trying to get some of the golden light closer to her before Rapunzel finished her song. "Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine."
"Rapunzel!" Her mother gave her a look.
"So, mother, earlier I was saying tomorrow's a pretty big day and you didn't really respond, so I'm just gonna tell you, it's my birthday! Tada!" Rapunzel spoke quickly, leaning against her mother's chair, holding onto her arm.
Her mother shook her off. "No, no, no, can't be. I distinctly remember: your birthday was last year." She smiled at Rapunzel.
"Well, that's the funny thing about birthdays; they are kind of an annual thing!" Rapunzel sat back onto her stool. "Uh. Mother, I'm turning eighteen, and I want to ask, uh, what I really want for this birthday… actually what I have wanted for a lot of birthdays-" She began to mumble, pulling on a strip of hair.
"Okay, Rapunzel, please stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling –blah-blah-blah-blah-, it's very annoying, I'm just teasing, you're adorable," Her mother pinched her cheek and poked her nose. "I love you so much, darling." She stood up and walked over to the table by the stairs. Rapunzel glanced over in Pascal's direction. The chameleon motioned for her to try again.
"Agh, I want to see the floating lights!" Rapunzel spoke out.
Her mother froze where she was, an apple from a basket in her hand. "What?"
Rapunzel began to explain, standing up and revealing her painting of the floating lights above the fireplace. "Oh. Well, I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights."
"Ooh, you mean the stars." She replied, placing the apple back.
"That's the thing." Rapunzel used her hair to open up a window up in the roof, revealing paintings of stars. "I've charted stars and they are always constant- but these, they only appear every year on my birthday, only my birthday." Rapunzel leaned against the fireplace. "And I can't help but feel like they're… they're meant for me. I need to see them, mother and not just from my window. In person. I have to know what they are."
Her mother walked over to the main window. "You want to go outside?" She closed the shutters. She began singing. "Why, Rapunzel! Look at you, as fragile as a flower," She walked up to Rapunzel, dancing with her for a few seconds before patting the top of her head "Still a sapling, just a sprout." She sang. "You know why we stay up in this tower."
"I know but…" Rapunzel began, but was cut off.
"That's right, to keep you safe and sound, yes." She felt Rapunzel's long hair. "Guess I always knew this day was coming, knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest. Soon, but not yet." She began walking up the stairs.
"But-"
"Shh! Trust me, pet. Mother knows best." She sang, bumping her hips against one of the wooden beams, making the lights go out. Rapunzel lit a candle. "Mother knows best, listen to your mother."
The candle's light lit up her mother's face, startling Rapunzel. "Agh!"
"It's a scary world out there." Something pulled on her hair. "Mother knows best. One way or another." Rapunzel's hair was released and she fell to the ground, her arms caught by her mother's. "Something will go wrong, I swear." Her mother dropped her. Shadows began to swarm Rapunzel. "Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals and snakes…" Her mother appeared with a green lantern. "The plague!"
"No!" Rapunzel gasped.
"Yes!" She replied and disappeared again.
"But-"
"Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth, and stop, no more, you'll just upset me." She appeared again, a painting of a red man on the tile floor. Rapunzel hid herself in her hair on the floor. "Mother's right here, mother will protect you. Darling here's what I suggest. Skip the drama, stay with mama. Mother knows best. Ah, hahahaha…" Rapunzel began lighting candles, but her mother blew them out right after. "Mother knows best. Take it from your mumsy. On your own, you won't survive. Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy. Please, they'll eat you up alive! Gullible, naïve, positively grubby. Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague. Plus, I believe, getting kinda chubby. I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you. Mother understands, mother's here to help you." She sang, now standing in the center of the room, light up by the light that flowed through one opening in the ceiling. She held her arms out, inviting Rapunzel over. "All I have is one request!"
Rapunzel smiled and ran over to her, hugging her. "Rapunzel?" Her mother spoke.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again." She grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders and looked down at her.
Rapunzel blinked, sad and confused. "Yes, mother." She looked down.
"Uh, I love you very much, dear." Her mother titled her head back up.
"I love you more." She replied.
"I love you most." She kissed the hair at the top of Rapunzel's head. "Don't forget it, you'll regret it. Mother knows best!"
"Ta-ta; I'll see you in a bit, my flower!" Her mother called as she slid down the length of Rapunzel's hair.
"I'll be right here." Rapunzel unhooked her hair and leaned sadly against the windowsill. Sad once again, she let her hair flow in the wind outside of her tower. As hard as she had tried, her mother still wouldn't let her leave this tower and see the lights. Tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her round cheeks, falling to the wood of the windowsill below. At least she had tried.
Rapunzel slowly pulled her hair up after a few minutes and sat in the chair near the window, numb from everything that had happened today. Another few minutes had passed when a sound caught her attention. She stood up and grabbed the frying pan that was on the ground, left by her mother from her little 'show'. She leaned against the wall near her window and silently watched as someone climbed in through the window. He panted hard for a few seconds, leaning against the now closed window, not noticing Rapunzel because he turned his back to her and looked into some kind of bag. "Ah, alone at last." He spoke just as she lifted the metal frying pan up and whacked him in the back of the head. He automatically fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Eeek!" She squeaked and hid behind the clothing model for sewing. She scooted the model forward to get a better look at this stranger. She cautiously left the model's side, frying pan in her hand, and walked up to the person. Quietly, she used the frying pan to poke at the back of his head, making sure he was out cold. She took a hesitant step back, looking at Pascal, who had scampered over to her side. He cocked his head to the side. She looked back at the stranger, pushing his head to the side with the frying pan so she could see is face. She looked back at Pascal, who took a few steps over to her mother's painting of a man with pointed teeth. He held up two of his toes to his mouth and turned the same red color as the painting, making his reptilian-scowl noise. Rapunzel flipped the frying pan in her hand, so that the handled faced the stranger. She then opened his mouth with the handle, which revealed his teeth were square, not pointed like Rapunzel suddenly feared they were. "Oh." She breathed. She used the frying pan to flip his ear length hair out of his face. She sighed, her shoulders relaxing. She was shocked by how good looking this stranger was. She leaned in closer to get a better look at him.
He had a long face with a pointed chin and short forehead. He had prominent cheek bones, wide nostrils, a straight nose, straight, brown eyebrows, full lips and hair on his chin. His teeth were straight and his eyelashes were long. His upper lip was slightly larger than his lower; he had a small hint of sideburns, and heavy eyelids. His ear-length hair was a medium brown and from the side view, his jaw-line looked round. His neck was fairly short and his wide shoulders were broad. He wore a white shirt with sleeves that stopped at his elbows and a blue leather vest. Around his waist was a small tan-brown bag that contained a few of his belongings. He wore tan pants and brown leather boots that stopped just below the knee. His arms were fairly thick and his hands were large. Looking at this stranger almost made Rapunzel completely forget about Jack.
Not even a minute later, the stranger's brown eyes flashed open. "Huh?" Was the only thing he could get out before the frying pan came down on his head again. For sure this time he was out cold. Another minute passed and Rapunzel dragged the stranger to her closet by her hair, struggling under his weight. She looked at her closet, trying to figure out how to get him in there. Jack wasn't much of a problem because he weighed about as much as her and had a relatively small body; but this man was much larger than both of them and he weighed much more. At first, she tried scooting him into the closet, except he didn't go in at all that time and his head got stuck underneath the dresser. The second time she climbed up onto a beam and used her hair to sling him into the closet, only to have her hair get stuck in there as well. The third time she got him in, but he would up upside down and the doors refused to move. The fourth time she got him in and the doors closed, but as soon as she turned around, his body weight shifted the doors open and he collapsed to the ground, knocking her over. The fifth time, she used a broom and shoved him in and closed the doors, catching his hand in the doors. She quickly poked his fingers into the dresser and blocked the doors with the wooden chair. She slowly backed away , frying pan facing the closet.
"Okay, Okay, okay, I've got a person in my closet. I've got a person in my closet." She caught a glimpse of herself in the nearby mirror and she looked at herself with pride. "I've got a person in my closet! Haha! Uh! Too weak to handle myself out there, huh, mother? Well… hmm-mm… tell that to my frying pan-" She swung the frying pan around in a circle in her hand, accidently hitting herself in the face. She winced and rubbed the now sore skin. It was then a reflection of light caught her attention and she turned around to find a leather satchel in the middle of her room. That's what he must have been looking at. She silently walked over to the bag and reached inside, grabbing whatever object was in it. What came out shocked her. It was some kind of round object, made of gold and decorated with exotic gems and jewels. There was a massive oval-shaped jewel, perhaps a diamond, on the front of the object, surrounded by two smaller jewels, which were surrounded by hundreds of much smaller jewels. What on earth could it be? She thought to herself. Maybe some kind of bracelet? Rapunzel put it on her arm. The object was way too big for a bracelet. Pascal shook his head. A magnifying glass? She looked through the jewels at Pascal, which did zoom in on him, but not well. He shook his head again. She continued thinking, turning around to look at the mirror. Slowly an idea came to her and she placed it on her head, resting it on her golden locks. She looked at herself in the mirror, dazed by how beautiful it looked on her, as if it was meant for her. Pascal shook his head in disapproval, but Rapunzel didn't even notice.
"Rapunzel!" Her mother called. Rapunzel gasped, ripping the object from her head and placing it and the satchel she had found it in in a pot nearby. "Let down your hair!"
"One moment, mother!" Rapunzel called as she scooped up her hair and poured it over the window's edge.
"I have a big surprise!" Her mother called as she began pulling her hair up.
"Uh, I do too!" Rapunzel called back.
"Ooh, I bet my surprise is bigger!" Responded her mother.
"I seriously doubt it." She whispered as she continued to pull her mother up.
Her mother pulled herself up onto the ridge of the windowsill and sat. "I brought back parsnips. I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner, your favorite; surprise!"
"Well mother, there's something I want to tell you." Rapunzel began.
"Oh Rapunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a fight, especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong." She walked over to the table and started placing the parsnips on it.
"Okay, I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier and-" Rapunzel spoke.
Her mother interrupted her. "I hope you're not still talking about the stars."
"'Floating lights' and, yes, I'm leading up to that, and-"She replied.
"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart."
"No, mother, I'm just saying, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there." Rapunzel stated.
"Oh darling, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there." Her mother replied, looking over her shoulder at her.
"But if you just-" Rapunzel started.
"Rapunzel, we're done talking about this."
"Trust me-"
"Rapunzel-"
"I know what I'm saying-" Rapunzel placed her hand on the chair that blocked the closet.
"Rapunzel."
"Oh, come on-" Rapunzel tried to get her mother to listen to her.
"Enough with the lights, Rapunzel! You are never leaving this tower! Ever!" Her mother turned around and raised her voice. Shock pierced its way through Rapunzel's body and her hand released the wooden chair. "Ugh, great. Now I'm the bad guy." Her mother sat down, placing a hand to her head.
Rapunzel looked at her painting of the lights and then looked at the closet. "All I was gonna say, mother, is that, I know what I want for my birthday now." She lightly crossed her arms across her chest and took a small step forward.
"And what is that?" Her mother's voice was strained.
Rapunzel's voice was small and scared, as if anything she said would infuriate her mother. "New paint. The paint made from the white shells you once brought me."
"Well, that is a very long trip, Rapunzel. Almost three days' time." Her mother looked at her in irritation.
"I just thought it was a better idea than … the stars." Rapunzel paused.
Her mother sighed. "You're sure you'll be alright on your own?"
"I know I'm safe as long as I'm here." She responded, and hugged her mom as she walked up to her. Her mother kissed the top of her head. Rapunzel quickly packed her mother a basket full of food to take on her journey.
"I'll be back in three days' time. I love you very much, dear." Her mother responded.
" I love you more." Rapunzel replied.
"I love you most."
Rapunzel stood in the windowsill, waving her mother good-bye; however, as soon as her mother was out of sight, Rapunzel scrambled away from the window and to her closet. She pried away the chair, frying pan in hand. "Okay." She breathed to herself and stepped back, roping her hair and using it to open the closet doors; prepared for anything. However, the closet doors opened peacefully and the stranger's still sleeping body fell face flat onto the ground, crushing his face. Rapunzel winced. She slowly walked up to him. "Hmm."
"Whoa, Punzie, who's your friend there?" A voice spoke from behind her and she started. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Jack lightly rose his hands when she looked at him.
"How long have you been here?" She asked, rubbing her nose; as if she had been crying and it had started to run.
Jack sighed. "I got here shortly after your mother did. I just sat above the window and waited until she left. Are you okay?" He asked.
"I've never been worse." She smirked, bending over to grab the stranger by the hand and yank him into the chair. This time it worked on the first try. She quickly worked to tie him to the chair with her hair.
"I'm sorry about your mother and the lights." Jack walked up to her, staff in hand. "How long has he been here?" He asked, motioning to the man she just tied up.
Rapunzel glanced at him. "A little over an hour."
"Oh." Jack replied. For several hours Jack had been talking to the moon about the upcoming journey. He had tried to get more information about it from the moon, but Manny didn't give him much. Jack had been frustrated and took off into the woods, where he stayed for another hour or two. When he had come back, Rapunzel had just pulled her mother back into the tower. He listened to their conversation, trying to make sense of it; for sure, he knew there was something wrong. But he hadn't expected this. Rapunzel had had her back facing him when he entered the tower and he watched as she had pulled away the chair and opened the doors. As soon as he had seen the stranger in the closet, his heart stopped. This guy was nearly twice his size and just about as much better good looking than he was.
Rapunzel climbed up onto a wooden beam and began pulling on her hair, moving the stranger and the chair into the sunlight. She opened a few more windows in the ceiling and Pascal emerged on the tile floor, walking up to the chair.
"What are you going to do to him? The same thing you did to me?" Jack asked. "'Cuz you know, you can't interrogate every stranger you meet." He called up at her.
"I can if they climb, or fly, into my tower." She mumbled. "Besides, you were different than this guy. You flew in with a bunch of objects on a belt and a wooden stick, you weren't much of a problem; this guy climbed in panting with some kind of really expensive piece of jewelry and who knows what else." She sat down on one of the beams, twirling a frying pan in her left hand.
Jack's eyebrows pulled together. "Expensive piece of jewelry? Where is it?" He asked.
"In the pot over there." She sighed.
Jack quickly walked over to the pot and reached in, grabbing the jeweled object. He gasped. "Rapunzel, this crown belongs to the missing princess of Corona; it was stolen this morning."
"How do you know that?" She asked, peering down at him.
"Not every day do you walk in the forest and see royal guards chasing a bunch of thieves. News spreads fast." He responded.
"Oh." Rapunzel spoke as Jack placed the crown back in the pot safely and walked into the shadow where she hid. Now in silence, they watched as Pascal climbed up the chair and on to the sleeping stranger's shoulder. At first, he walked up to the stranger's face and slapped him with his tiny little paw. The man didn't wake, but Pascal jumped back, turning the same color as his blue vest. After a few seconds Pascal returned to his normal color and began slapping him with his tail, then poking. Irritated that none of his work was working, Pascal turned back around to face the man's head, sat, and opened his jaw wide. Jack watched in humor, but nearly burst out laughing when Pascal's tongue shot out of his mouth and into the man's left ear. That time worked and the man's head shot straight up, aroused from his unconsciousness. Pascal was sent flying to the ground and the man wildly looked around, bewildered. Jack had to try everything he could to not burst out laughing.
"Agh! Huh?" He struggled to get up, but was restrained by Rapunzel's hair. Jack watched in amusement. "Is this…hair?" He spoke out loud, unsure of what he was seeing. It was then that Rapunzel decided to speak up.
"Struggling… Struggling is pointless." She spoke, hidden by the shadow that casted on the side of the room.
"Huh?" The man looked into the shadow, trying to figure out who was talking to him.
"I know why you're here, and I'm not afraid of you." She leapt down from one beam to the next until she was on the ground.
The man became confused. "What?"
Rapunzel emerged from the shadows, frying pan in hand. "Who are you? And how did you find me?" She asked.
"Aha." The man seemed frozen in place, as if he was struck by something.
"Who are you, and how did you find me?" She asked again.
"Mh-hm." He cleared his throat. Jack rolled his eyes. "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say…" He grinned. "Hi." There was a pause. "How ya doin'? The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day going'? Huh?"
Rapunzel looked bewildered. Jack quirked an eyebrow. "Ugh! Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?" She brought the frying pan closer to his head. He flinched a little.
"Alright, Blondie-" He began.
"Rapunzel." She corrected him.
"Gesundheit. Here's the deal: I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and… ho, oh no… where is my satchel?" He looked wildly around the room.
"I've hidden it, somewhere you'll never find it." She responded. Jack sniggered, remembering when she said the same thing to him.
Flynn looked around the room. "It's in that pot, isn't it?" He replied. Rapunzel glanced at it from the corner of her eye. Only the sound of a metal cling responded to his question.
"Yeesh, Punzie, you can't just go hitting someone because they guessed correctly." Jack spoke, walking out of the shadow.
"Like I should have done to you?" She asked, grabbing the crown and satchel from the pot and walking over to the stairs. Jack grew silent. Rapunzel placed the satchel and crown on the ground. She then turned to the first stair on the stairway and pried the chunk of wood up and off. The inside of the first step was hallow and she placed the crown inside the satchel before putting it in the hallow step. Once in, she placed the top of the step back on. "Pascal, do your thing." She spoke.
"Do you even trust this guy?" Jack asked her as Pascal climbed back up.
"At the moment, I'm not sure…" She walked in front of Flynn.
Jack mumbled to himself and walked over to the dresser and leapt on to the top of it. Pascal shot his tongue back into Flynn's ear and he awoke. "Er, uh. Huh?" He looked to his left and noticed Pascal on his shoulder, tongue in his ear. Flynn freaked out for a second, and threw Pascal off, wiping his ear on his left shoulder. "Would you stop that?!"
"Now it's hidden where you'll never find it." Rapunzel spoke. "So, what do you want with my hair? To cut it?" She began to circle around him.
"What?" Flynn looked bewildered this time.
"Sell it?" She continued.
"No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it. Literally." Flynn spoke.
"Y-. Wait. You don't want my hair?" Rapunzel looked at him.
"Why on earth would I want your hair? Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed, end of story." He replied.
"You're… telling the truth?" She held the frying pan up to him.
"Yes." He responded.
"Hmm." Rapunzel replied as Pascal ran down her shoulder, across her arm and over the frying pan, straight to Flynn's face. Flynn leaned back, unsure of the chameleon. Pascal motioned to Rapunzel he wanted to chat with her, alone.
"I don't trust him." Jack spoke, still sitting on the dresser. Flynn didn't react to Jack's comment. "Oh, look who doesn't believe in me…" he mumbled sarcastically. Rapunzel shot a look at Jack. He made a face and grew silent. Pascal began to squeak at her.
"I know, I need someone to take me." She whispered to Pascal. " I think he's telling the truth, too." Pascal squeaked some more. "Doesn't have fangs, but what choice do I have?"
Behind her, Flynn back to move the chair, hoping to get free of her hair. Jack watched him in amusement, strangely wishing he could freeze the guy to the ground. Pascal squeaked and motioned to Jack with his tail. "I know…" Another squeak. "This is different." She added. Jack glanced over at her, his eyebrows pulling together. She was still bent over, talking to Pascal.
"Okay, Flynn Rider, I'm prepared to offer you a deal." She straightened and began walking, past Flynn to the fireplace. Jack remained to keep his confused face.
Flynn quirked an eyebrow. "Deal?"
"Look this way." She yanked on her hair and the chair he sat in swiveled until he found himself face planting into the tile floor. She climbed up onto the fireplace and yanked back the curtain. "Do you know what these are?" Jack felt the blood drain from his face, as if he knew what was about to happen.
"You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?" Flynn's voice sounded off because of his nose being squished against the ground.
Rapunzel looked at her painting, a hint of a smile on her face. "Lanterns. I knew they weren't stars." She turned her attention back to Flynn. "Well, on Tuesday evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal." Jack breathed heavily. Rapunzel avoided eye contact with Jack. Flynn flipped his chair over so that he laid on his side, rather than his face.
"Yeah, no can do. Unfortunately, the kingdom and I aren't 'simpatico' at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere." Flynn responded. Pascal made a fist with one of his paws and motioned for Rapunzel to hit him. Her eyebrows pulled together and she leapt down from the fireplace and began to pull on her hair, bringing Flynn's hair-wrapped chair up to all four legs again.
"Something brought you here, Flynn Rider. Call it what you will: fate, destiny…."
"A horse." He made a face.
"So I have made the decision to trust you."
" A horrible decision, really." Flynn spoke. Jack's lips became a narrow line.
"But trust me when I tell you this." She tugged on her hair and the chair went flying forward. Rapunzel caught it just before it hit the ground again. "You can tear this tower apart, brick by brick, but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."
Flynn made a face. "Hmm-mm. let me get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you'll give me back my satchel?"
"I promise." She replied. He quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. "And when I promise something, I never break that promise. Ever." Pascal nodded.
Flynn looked at Pascal, then back at Rapunzel. "Alright, listen, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." He made a face that was apparently supposed to look like a smolder. Rapunzel gave him a stern look. "This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn't normally happen…. Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns!" Jack scowled and got up, leaping off of the dresser.
"Really?" Rapunzel let go of the chair, sending Flynn crashing back to the ground. "Oops."
"You broke my smolder." Flynn groaned.
"So, Rapunzel," He said her full name this time, which caught her attention. "You can keep a promise, but you can't let me keep mine?!" Jack was furious.
Rapunzel opened her mouth to speak, but Jack tore his staff from the wall it was propped on and flew out the window. Her heart began to race and she began to feel just as small as she had when her mother yelled at her about the lanterns. Her eyes lowered and she sighed. What had she done? By getting Flynn to come, she had lost Jack.
"You comin', Blondie?" Flynn called up, climbing down the tower walls slowly. Rapunzel slowly stepped onto the windowsill, hooking her hair on the metal hook. She slowly looked down, nervous about leaving her tower.
"Look at the world so close, and I'm halfway to it!" She sang softly. "Look at it all so big, do I even dare?" She glanced back into her room, considering going back. "Look at me, there at last! I just have to do it. Should I? No. Here I go…" Pascal climbed onto her shoulder and tied himself to her hair. She took in a deep breath and leapt off of the windowpane. She felt the breeze in her face as she slid down to the ground on her hair, finally feeling free. It was then she looked down and stopped herself three feet above the ground, hanging in the air by her hair. She slowly stepped down, feeling the grass between her toes, just like she had always wanted to.
"Just feel the grass! The dirt! Just like I dreamed they'd be!" She sang, sinking down to the ground, rolling in the grass. She looked up as a Dandelion's flower petals blew away with the sudden breeze. She got up and followed it a little. "Just feel that summer breeze, the way it's calling me. For like the first time ever, I'm completely free!" She stopped again when she ran into a small stream and she bent over to scoop up a handful of the fresh water and tossed it into the air, feeling it fall back to the ground. She began running across the field. "I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding, and splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling. That's when my life begins!" She ran out of the cove, past the wall of ferns and into the forest, suddenly surrounded by birds that flew up into the trees.
"I can't believe I did this. I can't believe I did this." She whispered. "I can't believe I did this!" She jumped up and down in glee. She gasped. "Mother would be so furious." Rapunzel suddenly found herself sitting on a rock in the middle of the small stream, folding a lotus flower. "That's okay! I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?" Then she found herself in a dark cave outside in the forest. "Oh my gosh, this would kill her." She ran out of the cave, kicking a pile of leaves. "This is so fun!" And climbed a tree. "I am a horrible daughter, I'm going back." She spoke but got down and starting rolling down a hill, getting tangled in her long hair. "I am never going back! Woo-hoo." She found herself face flat in a meadow patch. "I am a despicable human being!" She got up and began swinging from a massive tree by her hair, acting as if her hair was a swing. "Woo-hoo! Best. Day. Ever!" She finally settled down against a rock and began sobbing.
Jack had never really left. Yes, he was furious with Rapunzel because she let him off the hook. But he couldn't stay mad at her forever. She was still his friend and he knew it was still his job to be her guardian. Not even a minute after he had flown away, he had flown back and sat on the tower's roof, getting over his anger with Rapunzel and waiting for her to come out. For sure she was probably untying Flynn. He listened as Flynn had scrambled out the window and made his slow descent to the ground below, using a bunch of arrows to climb his way down. He listened to Rapunzel sing as she debated if she should stay or really go and he leaned over the roof just in time to watch Rapunzel jump off of the window and go flying down, the wind blowing back her hair. He sighed and watched as she felt grass for the first time, watched as she ran in excitement out of the cove and into the forest, like a caged bird that was released into the wild. A smile crept up on his face and he found himself flying after her, over the Cove's rock wall and into the forest, where he perched in a tree and silently watched.
At this point, Flynn slowly walked up to Rapunzel, tired of her constant mood changes. "Hmm-mm-m." He cleared his throat and bent down beside Rapunzel. "I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here."
Rapunzel's hands uncovered her face and she looked at him and sniffed. "What?"
"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces, of course. Overprotective mother, forbidden road trip. I mean, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscience. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, that's good; healthy even!" He stood back up. Pascal climbed onto Flynn's shoulder and he brushed Pascal off with his hand.
Rapunzel lightly smiled at him, feeling cheered up. "You think?"
"I know. You're way over-thinking this, trust me. Does your mother deserve it? No." Rapunzel frowned. He continued. "Would this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course. But you just got to do it."
"Yeah, but you haven't met her mother…" Jack mumbled from the tree above. Rapunzel glanced up and saw him chilling in the tree and a corner of her mouth pulled up, relieved that he hadn't left; but she dismissed his comment and turned her attention back to Flynn.
"'Break her heart'?" She asked.
Flynn picked a berry off of a plant nearby. "In half." He responded.
"'Crush her soul'?" Rapunzel pulled on a piece of her hair nervously.
"Like a grape." He squeezed the berry in his hand, crushing it.
Jack rolled his eyes. "This guy's full of it."
Flynn walked over and pulled Rapunzel to her feet. "She would be heartbroken, you're right." She spoke.
"I am, aren't I? Oh bother." Flynn spoke dramatically. "Alright, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm letting you out of the deal." He walked past Rapunzel.
"What?" Rapunzel straightened.
Jack glanced down. "What an idiot." He muttered.
"That's right. But don't thank me. Let's just turn around and get you home." He grabbed Pascal from the rock he sat on. "Here's your pan, here's your frog. I get my satchel, you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust and voila! We part ways as unlikely friends." He began walking Rapunzel back to the tower. Jack leapt down from the tree he sat in.
Rapunzel halted in place, Pascal on her shoulder, and shoved him a foot away; stopping him. "No! I am seeing those lanterns!"
Flynn made an awkward, angry movement with his hands. "Oh come on! What is it going to take to get my satchel back?"
"I will use this." Rapunzel spoke, abruptly shoving the frying pan into his face. He flinched back. All of the sudden a rustling came from a bush behind them and they turned around. Jack leaned forward and tried to get a better look at what it was; while in the meantime, Rapunzel jumped onto Flynn's back freaking out. "Is it ruffians? Thugs? Have they come for me?" She spoke, terrified. Jack realized what it was just as it hoped out of the bush. Jack laughed as he stared down at the small brown rabbit on the grass.
"Stay calm, it can probably smell fear." Flynn replied. Rapunzel realized what it was and jumped off of Flynn's back.
"Oh, huh, sorry. Guess I'm just a little bit… Jumpy." Rapunzel responded.
Flynn straightened his blue vest. "Probably be best if we avoid ruffians and thugs, though." He replied.
"Uh-huh, yeah, that'd probably be best." Rapunzel gripped her frying pan.
"As if we couldn't handle them…" Jack spoke. Rapunzel looked at him. He raised his staff in the air, but placed it back on the ground. Ice crystals shot out across the grass and Flynn jumped back, startled. "Oops." Jack made an apologetic face.
"What was that?" Flynn asked, looking around. "Is that… ice? It's spring time!"
"You don't believe in Jack Frost, do you?" Rapunzel asked Flynn, looking at Jack.
"No, why would I?" He spoke. Jack rolled his eyes. Rapunzel gave Flynn a curious look.
"Well, because," Rapunzel walked over to Jack's side. "He's here, right now." She responded.
Flynn looked at her like she was insane. "Sure he is." Jack muttered to himself about Flynn's response, stepping forward and freezing a tree with the end of his staff. Ice crystals abruptly formed and raced up the length of the tree, filling the soft bark and freezing the green summer leaves. Within a minute, the entire tree was encased in a thick layer of blue-ish ice. Flynn's eyes widened dramatically and he took a step back from the tree, startled. "It can't be." He spoke under his breath, in awe. For years Flynn hadn't believed in the spirit Jack Frost, so he couldn't possibly exist, he had never seen him and the snow never came around here; but what else could explain a random tree freezing in the middle of spring. In the corner of his eye, Flynn watched as a new figure appeared. His head jerked in that direction and he saw the stranger for the first time; taking in the white hair, the ice blue eyes, pale skin, old clothes, bare feet, and the staff. His eye's locked with Jack's and he stumbled back in shock.
"So you believe in me now, Flynn Rider?" Jack spoke, breaking the sudden silence.
Flynn began to stutter. "I...I, I… guess." Rapunzel grinned and lightly pushed Jack in a teasing manor, causing him to catch himself.
"Hey!" He caught himself, light on his feet. Rapunzel beamed at him and a smile fought its way on to his face.
"And I always thought you had to see to believe." Flynn muttered to himself.
Jack sniggered. "Ha, no… Believing is seeing."
"Oh…" Flynn scratched the back of his head.
In the evening sky, the blazing sun steadily set behind the massive clouds to the west and darkness began to descend on them. The leaves on the trees around them trembled in the small wind that flowed through the forest and the hoot of an owl could be heard every few minutes. Rapunzel began to glance around herself, fearing the darkening forest. "We should probably set up camp; otherwise, it's going to be a long night." Flynn spoke as the forest grew dark, the trees suddenly growing taller and scarier. Any sound could spook them.
Jack sighed. "Alright." He responded, even though he wanted to continue walking. Jack still didn't trust Flynn, especially around Rapunzel. Jack knew he was a thief and couldn't count on anything he said. What changed his mind was Rapunzel's constant looking around, flinching at every sound. Her uneasiness was getting to him and he knew they had to stop, before she went running back to her tower. "You can get firewood." He spoke.
Flynn gave him a look before wandering off into the forest to search for firewood and kindling. Rapunzel watched as Jack searched for a nice place to sleep at. After a minute, he found a couple of trees that sat close to each other, their branches drooping to the ground in an almost curtain like way. "You don't trust him, do you?" Jack glanced over his shoulder at Rapunzel. He turned around to face her.
"Punzie, I've barely even known him a day; I can't trust him." Jack responded.
"I trusted you after I had just met you." She spoke shyly, walking over to one of the trees and scooting down the length of the trunk to the ground. She began to pull her hair in, wrapping herself in the long blonde hair. Jack sighed, giving up on their bickering.
"Hey, where'd you guys go?" Flynn's voice called.
Rapunzel glanced up. "Over here, Flynn." She called, pulling in the last few feet of her hair. Jack grumbled to himself.
"Oh, there you guys are!" He stumbled in to the trees. "I couldn't find you guys; I thought you had taken off."
"No, we didn't; Jack just found a nice little area for camp." Rapunzel replied.
Flynn nodded. "Nice choice." He complemented.
"Thanks." Jack spoke, leaning his staff against the tree he now sat against. Flynn began setting firewood up, placing the kindling inside, on top of and around the wood. He quickly worked wood together to form a small flame and started the fire, spreading it to the other kindling and wood. The fire began to flicker and grew bigger, radiating heat. Jack shifted uncomfortably, not used to so much heat; not that he ever really cared for anything heat or fire related. Rapunzel watched the flames for a while, the flames reflecting in her green eyes. After a while, the fire began to die down, casting darker shadows on their faces. Eventually, Flynn and Rapunzel settled down against a tree and a rock and fell asleep. However, Jack was not so easily taken by sleep; he had had enough of it the past couple of days, he could go for weeks without needing another minute of sleep. He constantly reviewed the day in his head, trying to figure out what had happened between him and Rapunzel, and why she had forced Flynn to take her; even when Jack had promised to take her in the first place. Did she no longer feel the same about him as she had when she first met him?
He sighed in irritation. Jack. The moon spoke, distracting him from his thoughts. It's time to find the others. Go back to Berk and get Hiccup. Manny ordered. Jack closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe it would be good to get away for a few hours.
"Alright." He whispered. He stood up and grabbed his wooden staff. He unhooked one of the snow globes from the ice belt around his chest and he gripped it in his hand, glancing at Flynn, making sure he was out cold; then at Rapunzel, watching her soft, sleepy face. He had to go. He shook his head and walked out of their small tree camp and into the forest, surround by dark trees and endless night. "Berk." He whispered, shaking the snow globe in his hand before tossing it into the middle of the forest. A large green portal opened in front of him and Jack flew straight into it, not bothering to look back behind him.
