Well, this isn't a very exciting chapter, but it's important and it's depressing. You've been warned. There's also a major cliffie. So enjoy that! I'll try and update on Tuesday. I think I'm seeing Tangled and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader tomorrow, so I probably won't update tomorrow, but you never know. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled (or the tiny Aladdin reference). And I don't own Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert. :'(
Hey y'all! Let's try and hit 100 reviews by Christmas! It would make such a wonderful Christmas present! So please review and enjoy! :)
Chapter VII – Lost in the Darkness
Rapunzel and Eugene looked up at Gothel and the guards, doom evident in their eyes. Gothel smirked maliciously and carefully patted the shell necklace that graced her upper chest. The dark seemed to be filled with a green light that came from the bright yellow lanterns and the murky black water and the shadowy navy blue sky.
Eugene took Rapunzel's hand and squeezed it gently. Rapunzel returned the motion, but didn't let go, holding his hand as tightly as she possibly could. Rapunzel had never felt fear like this, had never felt as sad as she knew she was bound to feel. Rapunzel knew that she and Eugene would be separated.
"You may have him, boys," Gothel said cruelly, still smirking that evil smile. The guards moved toward Flynn Rider, who grimaced and squeezed Rapunzel's hand so hard that both their hands hurt.
"Flynn Rider, you are under arrest for theft, kidnapping, attempted murder…" The charges went on and on. Rapunzel was shocked at the number of things that he had done, and was slightly afraid of him, but as she felt his hand in his, felt his fingers interlaced between hers, and remembered the memory of their would-be kiss, she knew that she wasn't afraid of him because he wasn't Flynn Rider; he was Eugene Fitzherbert. Rapunzel wasn't in love with Flynn Rider; she was in love with Eugene Fitzherbert.
It was an odd thing to feel—love. Rapunzel hadn't felt it for anyone, save her mother, and Rapunzel wasn't even sure that she loved her mother all that much anymore. That's a wicked thing to say, she told herself. Even if it might be true that your mother was overprotective for your entire life, but she's only trying to keep you safe from the dangerous world—But it's not that dangerous!—So what if it's not? Just look at all the things Flynn has done! He's a dangerous person!—But I'm not in love with Flynn, I'm in love with Eugene! Rapunzel thought she was silly for arguing with herself, but didn't show it. She was too distressed at the sight of her beloved in chains as his crimes were read to him.
The guards pulled Flynn up to a standing position and his hand was yanked away from hers. Rapunzel's hand felt cold, empty, and alone—much like herself. Tears filled her eyes and she didn't even realize she was still watching them until they were at least a hundred feet away. She only had eyes for Eugene, whose head and eyes were still fixed upon her, even though he was walking away. As soon as Rapunzel realized that she was being left behind, she began to run after, the sticks and stones poking and injuring her bare feet.
Rapunzel didn't get very far—she was still many paces away—when she felt a bony hand grab her arm and yank her back. Rapunzel cried out as she fell and hit the ground. Her back landed among the sticks and stones, and her head against the dirt. She laid there in shock for a few seconds before realizing that she needed to keep moving. But as soon as she stood up, the hand was upon her arm again, gripping her arm so tightly that Rapunzel was sure it would leave a bruise.
She looked at her captor; it was her mother. Tears began to slip down Rapunzel's cheeks and she shouted, "How dare you? Let me go after him!"
"My dear, sweet child! He was going to hurt you! That man was a wanted criminal! The guards told me everything that he had done to other people," Gothel lied, "and you were his next victim. That man was going to hurt you and then kill you in ways that you wouldn't even imagine possible."
Rapunzel was sobbing. "No, he wasn't! He—I—we—He wasn't going to harm me! He's my friend! I really like him! I think he likes me, too! Let me go with him, Mother!"
"And let you rot in jail? Certainly not!" Gothel said. "Don't even think about him anymore, darling. He'll be dead as the sun rises."
"What?" Rapunzel asked, taken aback.
"For all those crimes, he'll be hanged at sunrise."
This news forced Rapunzel into harder sobs. She knew she was just as much a prisoner as he was; only she wouldn't die.
"Come, darling, let's go home," Gothel said. She began to walk through the forest with her sobbing daughter.
Rapunzel followed blindly. She didn't want to think of anything, didn't want to say anything, didn't want to do anything. They reached the tower more quickly than it had taken Rapunzel and Eugene to get away. Gothel must have known her way through the forest expertly.
They climbed the tower through the dark, stone base. Rapunzel allowed her mother to undo what was left of the braid, and pull out all the flowers. She was still unfeeling, uncaring.
"There," Gothel said, dropping the last flower into the rubbish bin. "Now we can forget the entire thing happened."
Rapunzel said nothing. Gothel sighed, and left the bedroom, leaving Rapunzel sitting on the bed alone. Rapunzel carefully pulled the purple flag out of her bodice. She unrolled it and stared at it. As she gazed at it, Rapunzel felt as if it should mean something more important than it did. She knew that it meant something; she just didn't know what. She sighed, and tucked the flag back into her bodice. A tear dripped onto Rapunzel's hand.
She cautiously stood and walked down the small staircase to the main room of the tower. She saw her mother fiddling with the shell necklace. Clearly, Gothel didn't know that Rapunzel was watching.
Rapunzel saw a small orb of light come from the shell and move slowly toward the window. As Gothel's eyes followed the orb, Rapunzel ducked behind an armchair, knowing that Gothel's eyes would soon come across her. The orb of light flew out the window and lowered to the ground. Rapunzel saw a flash of light and then heard a monstrous noise. It was a roar.
Rapunzel saw something out of the window. It was getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. It was black and had some iridescent purple scales. Then the thing reared back and shot a fireball into the sky. Rapunzel gasped. She had only read of these things in books; she had never thought that they might be real. It was a dragon.
And it was then that Rapunzel knew that her mother was into black magic. Whatever that shell on the necklace was, it was dangerous, and it was the source of all her mother's power. Rapunzel knew that she had to somehow get that shell and destroy it before her mother did something even worse.
Gothel walked to the window. She smiled at the dragon, who sneered back. Gothel called up, "Rapunzel! Come here!"
Rapunzel stood as soon as Gothel turned around and then walked over. "Yes, Mother?"
"I'm going out," Gothel said cruelly. "But don't even think of trying to esc—leave. You have a new guard." Rapunzel looked out the window and saw the huge black dragon in all its glory. "And I will know if you leave. Now, let down your hair!"
Rapunzel looked frightfully out the window, but did as Gothel said. As soon as Gothel reached the ground, Rapunzel pulled her hair back in the tower and went up to her room. She attempted to braid her hair as it had been, and she wept.
Flynn Rider allowed himself to be tossed into his prison cell. There was a tiny window on the far side, but no light flowed in. Of course not; it was the dead of night. Eugene Fitzherbert rested against the stone wall and stared at the opposite side of the small room. The wooden door was closed and locked; there was no chance of escape. But to what purpose? Any escaping would just lead to more imprisonment.
Eugene knew that Rapunzel was being held captive by Gothel. There was no way that Gothel would allow Rapunzel to leave the tower again, especially if she wanted to remain young. Rapunzel had not been bothered by Gothel's perverted and obsessive use of her hair, but Eugene had seen what Gothel really was: a power-hungry old witch who was thriving off of Rapunzel's magic.
As soon as Eugene was released—if he was ever released—he was going to go straight to the library or city records and find all missing babies from around the time that Rapunzel was born. There was no way that Gothel was Rapunzel's real mother. No real mother would use her daughter like that.
Of course, the most popular missing girl was the lost princess. And then it hit Eugene like a ton of bricks. He had seen pictures and mosaics and paintings of the lost princess throughout his entire life—why didn't he realize until now?
There was no way that Rapunzel wasn't the lost princess. They were exactly the same age. They both had blonde hair and large, green eyes. The princess had been kidnapped by an old witch, and Rapunzel had been locked in a tower by a young woman. The evil women were most likely the same.
Eugene knew that he had his ticket out of the prison, but how could he make the guards believe? All they saw in here was Flynn Rider—not Eugene Fitzherbert—and Flynn Rider was a compulsive liar. Eugene Fitzherbert did not exist to them, no matter what he said or did or shouted out to the world. Eugene Fitzherbert was a made up tale from a compulsive liar.
The time passed slowly, and yet quickly at the same time, as Eugene mulled over these depressing thoughts. He knew that death was the only way out of this prison cell.
But then the door opened. Lantern light flooded the pitch black room. Two guards stood in the doorway. "Come on, Rider. You have an audience with the King himself."
Flynn stood and realized that this must be important if the King himself was going to see a common thief like Flynn Rider. The guards put the shackles around Flynn's wrists so he couldn't escape. They each had a hand on his arm as they escorted him down the hall and to the throne room, where the King and Queen were waiting.
Both monarchs looked exhausted. It was their daughter's eighteenth birthday after all. The Queen was pacing, and the King was slouching in his chair, half asleep. When the doors banged open, the King sat up straight and the Queen paused, but then walked to her throne and sat.
Flynn was brought to the center of the large room and was left there with the guards still attached to his arms. He looked to the floor, not wanting to look at the parents of the woman he loved—if she even was the lost princess, and he was almost positive she was.
"Flynn Rider," the King's deep voice boomed, echoing throughout the vast hall, "Do you know why you're here at this ungodly hour?"
Eugene hesitated, not wanting to make them angry, but not wanting to accept his fate either. Finally, he spoke up, "Because I stole things and kidnapped a young girl, who was being held captive by her own mother."
The monarchs seemed to ignore the bitterness in his voice. They assumed that he would be upset about his death.
Eugene was now too upset to shut up. "And for the record, I only stole what I couldn't afford, even if that was everything!"
"But our daughter's crown?" the Queen interjected angrily.
"I was hoping to get out of the kingdom and start over somewhere else," Flynn said quietly. "But now…now, I would never do that."
"And why is that?" the King asked.
"Because…Because I fell in love," Eugene said, more to himself than to the King.
"Touching," the King replied sarcastically. "Flynn Rider, you will be hanged at dawn for your crimes. It will be a public affair to set an example for other thieves in the area. Enjoy your last night of life. Take him away!" he bellowed.
"Wait!" Eugene shouted as he was dragged off. "I know where your daughter is!"
"Get him out of my sight!" the King shouted angrily, ignoring Flynn's pleas for time to explain.
"Wait, dear," the Queen said softly. "Just listen to him!"
"I can't, dear," the King said sadly. "I just can't listen to him spread lies about our precious daughter."
"Her name is Rapunzel!" Eugene shouted. "She was the girl I kidnapped! Well, not really! We had a deal. Her mother had locked her in a tower her whole life and all Rapunzel wanted was to be free! She did nothing wrong her entire life, except want to see the floating lanterns gleam!"
"Do you hear these lies? They're outrageous!" the King said to his Queen, then shouted, "Shut up! Get out of here! You die at sunrise, Rider!"
Eugene shouted his head off about Rapunzel all the way back to his prison cell, hoping that the King and Queen would hear and listen, or anyone would hear and listen and explain to the King and the Queen that their daughter was in danger right now.
Oh, Rapunzel, Eugene thought to himself, I'm so sorry. I've let you down. I should've tried harder to make your family remember or even believe me. I've ruined you, and I've ruined me. I've ruined us both, and I've ruined our chance to ever be together again.
If Eugene Fitzherbert hadn't had some Flynn Rider left in him, he probably would have wept. There was just something about losing the one you love that makes one cry.
When he reached his cell, Eugene slumped against the wall, with his legs spread out against the floor and his head in his hands. He felt as if he were a failure.
Eugene knew that dawn was coming more quickly than he wanted. There was nothing more that he wanted except for more time with Rapunzel. He wanted to kiss her and tell her loved her and kiss her some more. He just wanted time to talk, time to laugh, time to love. There was never enough time.
The room was beginning to brighten. The walls were a stony yellowish brown color. The sunlight was coming into the room more quickly now. And then the door opened again.
Flynn Rider was put into chains once more, and was marched through the halls of the prison. He passed a cell and saw the Stabbington Brothers. Flynn glared at them, and was glad that they had been caught. They would probably die, too.
The sunlight was unbearable after so long in the dark. Flynn was marched through the crowd of people and up onto the gallows. A hood was fitted over his head, enclosing once more into darkness. He felt the noose be placed around his neck.
And then there was a scream.
