Someone had to go back and bring Natsu a horse from the village, which he had so helpfully forgotten.
In his defense, he was thinking about other things! Important ones! Like rescuing Lucy from towers and old witches and spiders and—suddenly, his blood ran cold (well, he never actually felt cold, he was a fire mage, after all).
Natsu for once, had quite an intelligent thought. What if I'm not the only Prince in the story? (Natsu was in fact correct…he wasn't the only Prince, but the other one was, for lack of better words, quite occupied at the moment…). He couldn't explain it, but he had to bite his lip from growling. Imagining yet another Loke or some annoying bastard daring to steal his partner away instantly caused his fists to clench.
Oh, sweet Mavis. I gotta save Lucy from those perverts!
He continued to ride deeper into the forest, peering into the thick foliage. He knew he needed to look for a tower, like in Rapunzel's story…but where was it?
Although he would never admit it, he actually paid attention to Makarov's story telling. He had downright hated fairy tales, with their sappy love story and those weak, smarmy princes. But the part that bothered him most was how easily those slimy heroes had defeated the evil dragon guarding the princess. They could never beat a dragon like Igneel, like the stories claimed! And by far the worst—the dragon always dies. Always! What was up with that?
Now that he was a prince, the true hero of the tale…could he finally deserve a princess of his own? Could the dragon finally win?
But Natsu didn't want a princess, or a damsel in distress. He wanted someone strong, courageous, and kind…didn't that sound an awful lot like his best friend?
He really had to stop thinking so much. It was starting to make his head ache.
The bright sun filtered through the leafy branches, revealing a small gap that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Natsu's heightened senses spurred him to instinctively head in that direction. Breaking into a gallop, his horse slid through the tiny passage, revealing a small glade in the forest. His eyes followed up to the peak of a pale white, glittering tower. Jumping off his horse eagerly, he called out.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Oh, he couldn't wait to see Lucy again!
A braid instantly fell from the window, and he picked it up, studying it curiously. This wasn't Lucy's hair! No, this braid was a familiar shade of blue…
He looked up to see a terrifying sight.
"Who dares interrupt Juvia and her quality time spent with Prince-sama?" A voice growled. Natsu gulped. Huge, scary eyes bulged out of Juvia's face, her glare darker than Zeref's robes.
"Oops?" He said weakly, as he was blasted away by a fierce stream of water.
Wrong tower.
Another day had passed, and Lucy was fed up. The only princes who had passed by were (she shuddered a little) a horrifyingly over-dressed version of Laxus, who had immediately left after Evergreen's poor flirting, Freed (who was currently sitting at the bottom of the tower as a statue—what? Evergreen had been in a particularly bad mood), and Bixlow, who had only been searching for his lost "babies" (Lucy cringed when he had appeared…why had the entire Raijinshu shown up?).
And if Lucy was frustrated, Evergreen was beyond irritated. These men were exasperating, and all she wanted was someone to break those damned bars off her window so she could finally leave! Seventeen years in this tower had really left her itching for some sunshine, and that annoying blondie who had promised help with her so-called amazing plan…
"You!" She shouted, pointing a finger at Lucy. "Your plan sucks!"
"It's not my fault that you're about as attractive as a cardboard box!" Lucy snapped. Tensions were high, and it was no wonder—this prison was simply too small for two strong-willed, determined females.
"Oh, you wanna go? Is that what you want, blondie?"
"Bring it on, hairball!"
A rather loud cough interrupted their little spectacle.
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" A determined voice called out.
"Someone's here! Quick, smile!" Lucy whispered fiercely, stretching Evergreen's face into a resemblance of a smile.
Evergreen rolled her eyes, carelessly tossing her hair out the window. She highly doubted this one would stick around for very long…
As Lucy waited for the prince to climb up with bated breath, she gestured furiously at Evergreen to move closer to the window.
"Whoa! This is MANLY!" The loud voice shouted. Bristly white hair and a blindingly cheerful smile appeared in the window.
Evergreen blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Your tower! It's so MANLY!"
Lucy slapped her forehead. Elfman?
Really?
Elfman?
"You're manly too!" He was cheerfully telling Evergreen, who looked half confused and half furious.
Uh oh. Lucy recognized that look—that was when Evergreen decided she would rather have a statue than a prince. She quickly intervened.
"Uh, Your Highness, we required your assistance. The fair Evergreen has been trapped in this tower for years. Please, help us escape!"
"Your Highness?" Elfman said, scratching his head. "I'm not a prince! I'm just a butcher in town passing by."
Lucy sighed. And yet another bust…
"But," He added cheerfully. "I can still help set you free!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a rather wicked looking contraption similar to a hammer. With his muscular bulk, he made quick work of the iron bars, cleaving them like butter.
"You can come out now!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Evergreen huffed, but Lucy could tell she was impressed. Elfman slid down to the base of the tower, settling on the ground and holding his arms out wide.
"I'll catch you! It's manlier that way!"
"As if I trust you! You would probably drop me!"
"But that's not manly!"
"Stop with the manly business! Is that all you can say?"
Lucy giggled silently. They argue like an old married couple…just like Elfman and Evergreen at home! She thought deviously, enjoying the scene enfolding before her eyes.
Evergreen turned up her nose in disgust, but slid off the window ledge gracefully anyway. She landed in Elfman's arms, her skirts tangling together.
"Humph…I suppose I should thank you." She said snootily, but smiling a little.
"MAN!"
They stared closer at each other. Her nose was almost touching the tip of his, and he was so close, he could see her long eyelashes fluttering gently. Was her heart beating faster? But, he was a person from that dreaded town that had condemned her so long ago…how could she be so flustered?
A sudden yelp interrupted the moment. A flurry of skirts and blonde hair had toppled down from the tower below, landing on the ground painfully. Lucy hastily sat up. "Oh, don't mind me!" She said awkwardly. "I figured no one would be here to catch me, so…"
Evergreen and Elfman blushed. They were still in their embrace, as if Elfman was carrying a bride down the aisle.
"So…now that you're free, what are you going to do?" He asked, breaking the awkward silence.
Evergreen looked down, chastened. "I don't know…I've been here my whole life, and I don't know if I have a place to return to."
"You can come back to town with me!"
"Really?" Evergreen said nonchalantly, but her eyes were shining. And then her face drooped. "But they hate me there."
Lucy quickly explained Rapunzel's story to Elfman.
"How UNMANLY!" He cried, shaking his fist. "I will ensure you receive the forgiveness and acceptance you deserve! We will go back to town immediately!"
Lucy couldn't help but smile as Evergreen grew so flustered, she didn't know how to respond. This is a true happy ending, she thought happily. Not every girl needs a prince!
She watched as Elfman helped Evergreen chop off her long hair after she had looked at it with disgust. "Thank god that's gone. What a horrible hassle that was!" The long tresses fell to the floor like a feather gliding gently on a breeze. With each snip, she could feel her heart growing lighter. Rapunzel was finally free.
Elfman had prepared a saddle for Evergreen for the trip back to town. She was sitting on the horse now, her arms wrapped around his midriff. "Are you sure you don't want to come back with us, Lucy?" Elfman questioned.
"No, I'll stay here. Someone's coming for me." Lucy said confidently. She, too, had someone willing to rescue her and take her back home. She trusted her fire mage with her whole heart, knowing that he would be able to find her anywhere.
"Well, alright then!" Elfman grabbed the reins, and the horse slowly began trotting.
"Lucy!" Evergreen suddenly called out. It was the first time she had spoken Lucy's name.
Lucy looked at her, confused.
"Um…I just wanted to say thank you." Evergreen stated simply.
Lucy felt her cheeks stretch into a smile. She waved cheerfully at the retreating couple, wishing with all her heart that Evergreen would finally be happy. Evergreen had found a new home, just like she had.
Lucy had decided to remain close to the tower, knowing that Natsu would naturally follow the story like they had before. However, she figured she would need a place to sleep at night, and the gloomy, dilapidated tower was definitely no five star hotel. She began to wander around the forest, searching for a spot where she could wait in comfort.
Right after Lucy had left, a hooded figure appeared at the foot of the tower. She noted the long locks of hair on the ground, seething in anger.
"She escaped!" The mysterious individual hissed.
But this would not go unpunished. The person who had helped her escape would be sure to suffer…oh, she would guarantee that.
The old witch began to gather the long tresses, cackling as she formulated her plan.
