A/N: Okay, for those of you who have seen Tangled, I officially support Rapunzeler now!
At first, I really didn't want to commit... (He's mine!) but A. Clueless. Conundrum's stories made me join the fandom. :D
I might write something for that... later.
:)
So, photo album time!
Requested by Spazzle.
(There is an OC in this chapter, but she's unnamed. I just thought it would be nice to add her into the photo album)
~OS
Ever since the first day he left his Lerkim, The Once-ler had never felt better. Besides when he was young and strong, of course.
Still, with Ted, Mustache, and Audrey's help, he had managed to clear out most of the junk.
He did refuse to throw out his Thneed, however. No matter how much trouble it had caused, he still supported his invention. After all, it was his life's dream.
Soon, the only room left was the basement. He hadn't even known he had a basement.
Until Ted nearly fell into it.
The fall had released a lot of dust, and for an hour, the four hadn't even dared to go near it.
Soon enough, the room was visible to all. Ted offered to go down first, but The Once-ler didn't want him to get hurt again.
So he descended into the dank, musty basement.
All around him were memories. His old suits, his guitar, sheafs of papers stacking to the ceiling. All, while painful, normal things to be laying around in here.
Then he came upon an old book with a brown leather cover, a thick layer of dust resting upon it. It was sitting on an old table that looked as if it had been moved recently.
Of course, he didn't dwell on that. He blew the dust off the cover (amid violent hacks) and hesitantly streched his hand towards it. He caressed the feel of the cool leather on his skin. Opening the book, he looked at the first page for a name. But there was none.
Shrugging, he turned the page, and photographs met his eye. Looking closer, he realized they were him. Pictures from when he first left home with Melvin, pictures of Pipsqueak and Lou, pictures of the animals eating marshmallows, pictures of the thneed. The colors were so bright compared to the dark purple and black everything seemed to be lately.
A quarter of the book or so was like this, happy, playful, innocent memories from one of the only times he had ever been happy. Then he reached a new page. It had a different feel to it, as if the pages had been added later. And he saw something, someone that he had never expected to see again. He saw her.
Smiling, laughing into the camera as if it was someone dear to her. That was one thing he remembered about her, he mused. She was always happy. He had tried to press down these memories, but with every new page came new photographs, and with every new photograph, the weight of what he had left behind filled him more.
More pictures: Him and her together, the day he sold his Thneed. Both of them dancing with the animals. Her sitting next to the Lorax. The mood changed. Him in front of the new factory with his arm around her. Both of them at a party, her wearing what he could now see was a very forced smile.
And the last picture in the book:
A simple headshot of the two of them.
It was the last day he ever saw her. The last day he was truly happy.
He sank to the floor. He was probably safer on the ground anyways, because he didn't feel so well anymore.
He sat there for what seemed like eternity until:
"Beanpole! You alright down there?"
He shakily rose to his feet and walked up the stairs.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just fine."
A/N: Ms. Ississippi! Sorry it took so lon, but I was completely out of ideas, and then I went on vacation, and, well, the rest is history. :D
So how'd I do?
Hope you love it guys!
~OS
