As soon as they got far enough away from the campsite, the winter spirit and the viking prince broke into a run. They wound their way around bushes and leapt fallen trees, Jack's feet weren't even touching the ground after a while.

The sky was getting steadily lighter and slight rays of sun were beginning to peer through the trees when the boys stopped to rest.

"What happened back there?" Hiccup asked, gasping for breath.

"After you fell asleep, the guy with the eye patch switched with the other one. Scar guy kind of poked you a little bit to make sure you were asleep, then yawn and went to sleep himself. I took the opportunity to untie you and here we are." Jack was hardly breathing hard.

Hiccup breathed for a second thinking. "They're going to wake up soon and come after us… me."

"Then we need to get as far away as possible. We can get to the castle before they catch up, right?"

"I don't even know where we are in relation to Corona, much less how to get back there." He stopped, "Oh wait, you can fly up and find out. Okay, you do that. And while you're flying try to see where those guys are."

Jack nodded and called the winds to him. Up in the sky, he saw the sun rising behind the castle of Corona; its light illuminating the lake and clouds in a myriad of colors. They were off course to the bridge to the city. Not by too much, though it was still a good distance away. Jack went back the way they came to the Stabbington's campsite and found it abandoned, the fire still steamed from being put out. It seemed like they were awake now, and had discovered Hiccup's escape. And were hot on the trail; Jack could see them making their way fast in the same direction he and Hiccup had gone.

"The way to the bridge is that way, we're not too far off course but there's more forest than lake this way." He said when he found his friend again. Hiccup had continued on the way they had been going. "The thugs are right behind us though. They didn't waste any time in coming after you."

"How far away is the bridge?" Hiccup asked, altering his directions without slowing his pace.

"It's still pretty far away. There's a huge ravine up ahea-" There was a break in the trees and suddenly they were standing at the top of a cliff where a fast moving river rushed by far below. Bits and pieces of wood floated by and the remains of structures hugged the sides. It looked like there used to be a dam though here.

"It must have been a dam before." Hiccup considered the situation. "I really wish Toothless was here right now." He looked down at the rushing water beneath and took a deep breath.

"He would be a big help right now." Jack admitted. "Then we could just fly away."

"Is there a bridge somewhere?"

A crashing sound suddenly came from behind them and the brothers came running out of the forest. They smiled when they saw Hiccup with nowhere to go and spread out to better intercept him if he ran.

Okay, so you can try going either direction, though that way looks like there may still wood you can use to cross." Jack looked at their options. "Though they're probably going to catch you if you- Hiccup?"

The viking had jumped into the river.

He entered the water with a small splash and disappeared into the current as the Stabbington brothers rushed to the edge and scanned the water for any sign of him. None of them saw anything.

"Almost had him!" Scar Face cursed.

"Now what?" The eye patched one asked, throwing his hands up into the air. "There goes the ransom, we lost the crown, and the girl, and that woman disappeared off to who knows where. Everything is a mess."

"No. We can fix this." The one with scars said after a second. "We can still get the ransom if we play this right. They don't have to know we don't have the boy anymore. We can get the money and run."

"But what about the prince?"

You follow the river, see if you can find him. I'll go and let his family know we have their little prince. Meet me in the clearing south of the Snuggly Duckling at noon." They nodded to each other in agreement and ran off in different directions.

"This is so messed up." Jack said to himself. He had to find Hiccup before Eye Patch got to him, and they had to get back to the castle before Stoick and the other vikings can meet for the ransom, plus there was Flynn being imprisoned and how he had meant to help him out, and of course there was Rapunzel being held prisoner by a woman who was pretending to care about her but was really only using her.

Better start now.

Merida woke to sunshine in her eyes and clean sheets against her cheek. She smiled softly and yawned. Sitting up she recognized the guest room she had been given for her stay in at the castle.

It was almost mid-morning, judging by the light. Why was she only waking up now?

Her family must have gone to breakfast by now, she thought. Did they go down without waking her? Maybe there'll be some food left. She threw back the covers and noticed that her foot was resting on top of a couple pillows, wrapped in a bandage.

There pale bruises and scratches on her arms and now that she was thinking about it, her ankle really hurt. Suddenly, she remembered everything that had happened last night. The town, the lanterns, Jack, Hiccup, the dance, the attempted rescue, hurting her ankle running through the forest, Hiccup being captured saving her; everything came flooding back.

She sat there staring into space, remembering, as a pit of fear began to develop in her stomach. Hiccup. Rapunzel. They were in trouble. Where was Jack?

"He promised to keep me updated." She grumbled, sliding off her bed. She gasped as she put weight on her ankle. "Ah, that hurts. Why did I hurt it so bad."

"Merida!" The queen exclaimed, coming in with a tray. "Get back into bed this instant. Yae shouldnae be on that ankle."

"Mum. I have to-"

"Bed. Now." She ordered.

Merida sighed and got back into bed. There was no arguing with her mother. "But-"

The queen busied herself with tucking the princess back into bed. "There. Now isn't that better. You will need tae keep off of tha' ankle until it's healed, the nurse said." She went to open the curtains all the way and open the window. "Let's get some fresh air, shall we? The castle has been a madhouse all morning. Apparently, one of the princes didn't return to the castle last night. King Thomas and Queen Primrose 'ave soldiers all over searching for him." She sat on the bed. "His poor father has been pacing the throne room all day."

Merida knew it was Hiccup she was talking about. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about her father doing the same if she had been captured instead. "Mum, I have tae tell yeh something. About what happened last night."

"The nephew of King Stoic said that he saw you and Prince Hiccup together yesterday." Her mother looked at her, waiting for the explanation.

Merida told her about how she met Hiccup, the night before, and that they had gone around the town together and about meeting Flynn and Rapunzel at then dance, then how they rented a boat to see the lanterns and afterward had went into the forest. She was careful to make it seem like she and Hiccup were with Flynn and Rapunzel instead of having to explain about why she was alone with a boy in a romantic setting or about Jack. She'd tried before to tell about the winter spirit but her parents had chocked it down to an imaginary friend. It didn't seem appropriate to bring him up here.

"Flynn had gone off to do something when we heard a thump." She was making this up now based on what happened. Why did Jack have to make things so complicated? "Hiccup went after him tae see what happened while me and Rapunzel waited, and then out of nowhere her mother and takes her away. And these two huge men come from where Hiccup and Flynn went and they start chasing me. Ay ran away, which is where I got all these cuts, and I hurt my ankle when I fell. Then Flynn comes back just as those guys are about to catch me and he helps me back to the boat and we get away, but by then it was tae late for Hiccup and Rapunzel." She felt bad about lying to her mom, but the main point was there. Hiccup and Rapunzel were in trouble. "The last Ay saw of Hiccup was of those brutes tying Hiccup up and carrying him away."

Queen Elinor sat there with her lips pursed as her daughter told her story. She didn't interrupt, just listened; a skill she had worked on over the summer. When Merida was done, she stood stiffly and turned to the window. "This is a lot to take in, Merida." She said, thinking about what needed to happen with this news. She needed to share it with the king and queen of Corona and with the chieftain of Berk so that they knew the full story and could react accordingly. "Why did you say it was too late for… Rapunzel? Isn't she with her mother?"

"Her mum was using her. She arranged that whole thing so that Rapunzel would go back with her and it worked."

Elinor frowned. "Ay'll go and take care of this." She said finally. "The king and queen should know what you've told me. You stay here and rest." She swept out the door and down the hall.

Queen Elinor found the resident monarchs in the throne room, along with a few others of the visiting royal guests. The viking leader was also there, his voice easily heard across the room. At the moment he was interrogating a younger viking. Both seemed frustrated.

"I told you. I saw Hiccup with this red-headed chick down by the square. He said they were going down to watch the lights from the docks. That's all I know." The younger viking said.

"And you don't know anything else as to where he might be?" Stoick the Vast rumbled.

"No. I only saw him that once after breakfast. I've told you all I know."

"My daughter is awake." Queen Elinor said as she came up behind them. The vikings, the King and Queen, and the others gathered in the room turned to look at her. "Princess Merida, was with your son last night along with two others, according to what she told me. She came back tae the castle late last night alone and with a twisted ankle. She told mae that there was an incident in the forest the resulted in Hiccup being kidnapped by some men, and only she only escaped herself with the help of a man named Flynn who helped her get back safely."

"What was my son doin' in the forest?" Stoick exclaimed loudly.

"Maybe he was trying to show off to the pincess." Snotlout suggested from behind Stoick.

"Oh, yea know Hiccup wouldn't do anything like tha'." A third viking said from the background. He had blonde hair and a wooden leg, similar to that of King Fergus'. "He'd more like go inta the forest if 'e heard there was a dr- a strange beast there."

Stoick gave him a sharp look. "You know there are none of those here."

"But there could be."

"Gobber." Stoick warned. The other viking stopped talking.

The Coronan king was about to ask what he had meant by strange beast when a guard came hurrying in. He whispered something in the king's ear and handed him a wanted poster. King Thomas nodded and the guard hurried out. "It seems like a prisoner escaped with the help of a palace horse and some local ruffians." He seemed a little baffled. "Flynn Rider. Could this be the man your daughter was with last night?" He held out the flyer.

Elinor took it and looked it over. "I hope not, but I will show it to my daughter."

She turned and was about to leave when a second guard came in. This one was pale and out of breath and he held a letter and another flyer in his hand. He gave them to the king.

After a second of reading it, the king's face became pale and he turned to the watching nobility. "It would appear I found your son." He handed the letter to Stoick, who read it through. When he was done he threw it to Gobber angrily and started pacing.

"They think to hold my son ransom? For ten thousand gold pieces?" He fumed. "Do they not know who we are? We are vikings, we d'nae pay ransoms." Gobber finished reading the letter and passed it on to Queen Elinor and King Fergus, who had come to stand next to his wife.

"We need a plan of action." King Thomas said. "The letter says we have until noon to come up with the money. Now I will gladly pay, as this heinous crime has been committed on my land."

"We are not going to pay any ransom." Stoick said firmly. "I'm going to get my son back; the viking way."

A minute after her mother left, Merida was back out of bed, tenderly putting weight on her ankle as she got dressed. She grabbed her bow and quiver, which she had hidden at the back of the wardrobe and slung both onto her back. She snagged a few bites of the food Elinor had brought and put the rest into a small bag. After a second thought, she paused to better wrap her ankle. If she wrapped it right then it should be tight enough to walk on without too much pain. Of course walking around could make it worse, but she'll be careful enough. She would rest plenty later; there was adventure to be had, and there was no way she was going to wait around while her friends were out there in trouble.

Sneaking around the castle proved easier than she expected. After she left her room, she passed castle workers who gave her odd looks for the weapons on her back, but said nothing. They just passed by and went on with their work, it was none of their business what the visitors did, though there would be gossip later. Merida was just grateful that no one stopped her.

It was hard going with her ankle so tender and soon she had to rest against a window seat in one of the hallways. She could see the courtyard from there and noticed a bustle of soldiers running along the battlements and through the courtyard. Something was going on down there.

After a minute she continued on, she needed to hurry before someone recognized her and sent her back. She just needed to get outside, borrow one of the palace horses and ride into the forest to look for Hiccup. She wouldn't have to walk much after that.

Her thoughts drifted to the young man she had only recently got to know. His capture bothered her so much. She knew she had only just met him, but walking with him all day yesterday, made him feel like a friend. He was funny and smart. And kind of handsome too, she thought, especially when she compared him to the Scottish chieftains' sons she had met earlier that summer. And then there was the fact that he sacrificed himself to let her get away with her hurt ankle. It was all her fault that those thugs grabbed him. She owed him to help.

Merida slid down some stairs to the first floor. The main doors weren't far from the end of the stairwell and she started for them. Almost there.

Suddenly a crash and a shout came from one of the side corridors. A second later her three brothers came running past, a soldier covered in something wet chased after. They stopped and stared at her for a second disapprovingly before hurrying away from the angry guard. Harris glanced back and made and I'm watching you sign before he disappeared around another corner. Merida rolled her eyes. One of them were likely to tell on her the second they found a parent. She'll only have a little head start if she was lucky.

A few minutes later she was in the stables. Ducking behind a stall, she waited as a couple of stable hands led horses out. It looked like some of the castle guards had ordered some of the horses to be readied and brought out so most of the stable hands were preoccupied.

Luckily for her. It was easy enough to find a good looking horse already saddled and ready to sneak her away. Secretly, she was a little glad for whatever the commotion on the grounds was. It was really helping her get away.

Hurriedly, she mounted and urged the horse out the gates and through the town. Riding a horse with a sprained ankle was a whole lot easier than walking, she found. It took a lot of pressure off of the injury and was faster. Soon, she was passing the main square and crossing the bridge toward the forest. Where from there? She didn't know. She just kept riding.

It took all night to get back to the tower. Rapunzel and her mother reached the valley early in the morning and climbed up using the tunnel Gothel had uncovered before. Rapunzel had been silent through the whole walk home and Mother Gothel let her have her space. Back in her room, Gothel got to work undoing her daughter's braid and taking all the flowers out. It took all morning and when she was done she went to go make some Hazelnut soup, hoping that it would cheer Rapunzel up some.

Rapunzel kept replaying the last couple days in her head. All the fun she had, the new things she learned, Eugene. It just didn't make sense. Why did he leave her for the crown? She thought he had feelings for her. That he liked her. But he was playing her to get his precious satchel back. She sighed and looked at the piece of cloth bunched up in her hands. It was from the castle town and had the gold sun of the kingdom on it. Why couldn't she get that place out of her head?

She lay down on her bed and looked up at her painted ceiling. A cluster of figures up there caught her attention. It looked familiar. She held up the purple cloth, then looked at the picture again. It was the same shape as the sun. But how could it? She had only seen the symbol yesterday. She looked at her ceiling closer. There. Another sun among some birds she had painted. And there, another. Suddenly she was seeing tons of suns in her room. But why?

She stood in the center of her room looking up at all the paintings she had done and the subliminal symbols she had painted there without realizing it. Suddenly a memory flashed before her eyes. A spinning golden sun before her and she turned and saw a man and a woman standing beside her. They looked familiar. Then she remembered. The mosaic from the castle square of the king and queen and lost princess. The golden haired, green eyed lost princess who shared a birthday with her. She remembered that crown she found in Eugene's satchel and saw herself in the mirror putting it on herself and the feeling she had when she did.

Suddenly it hit her. She was the lost princess. That was why Mother kept her away in the tower. That was why the things she'd seen didn't match up with the things she was always told; like men having sharp teeth, ruffians and thugs, and people wanting to use her hair. The world wasn't like that, ruffians had dreams, teeth weren't sharp, and there was love. She fell back against the vanity as the power of everything she had just realized hit her.

"Rapunzel?" Her mother called from the other room. "Rapunzel, what's going on up there?" Rapunzel got up and walked to the doorway, still dazed. "All you alright?" Gothel asked.

"I'm the lost princess." Rapunzel whispered, trying out the words. She was the lost princess, she had been stolen from her parents when she was a baby and taken and kept here for eighteen years.

"Ugh, please speak up, Rapunzel. You know how I hate the mumbling." Gothel said from the stairs.

"I am the lost princess." Rapunzel said louder. Clearer. She stood up straighter and looked her 'mother' in the eye. "Aren't I?" She saw the look of shock on Gothel's face and knew the truth. "Did I mumble, mother? Or should I even call you that?"

Gothel managed to recover. "Oh, Rapunzel," she scoffed. "Do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?" She came up the stairs to try and calm down the younger girl. It was an obvious cover up.

"It was you." Rapunzel accused, pushing her away. "That boy was right; it was all you."

"Everything I did was to protect you." Gothel said, her face hard. Rapunzel pushed past her and went down the stairs. "Rapunzel!"

"I have spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power-"

"Rapunzel!"

"When I should have been hiding from you."

"Where will you go?" Gothel asked coldly. "He won't be there for you."

Rapunzel stopped, her face growing white. "What did you do to him?"

"That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes."

"No!" She gasped.

"Now, now. It's alright. Listen to me." Gothel crooned comfortingly. "All of this is as it should be." She reached up to pat Rapunzel on the head.

"No." The girl cried and grabbed her former mothers arm. "You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair, again."

Gothel broke Rapunzel's grip on her arm and backed up. He hit the mirror, causing it fall and shatter. Rapunzel turned away. She'll find her way back to the town, she'll save him. And maybe those other two, the red head and the guy with the weird leg, Hiccup, would help her. They tried before, she realized now. She just didn't listen.

Gothel watched her turn her back. Everything was falling apart, she realized. Rapunzel wasn't hers anymore. Now that she had realized the truth nothing will ever be the same. She had failed in her task and now she will have to face the others. And she'll lose the magic hair. She relied on that hair to keep her young. She couldn't let Rapunzel turn away from her like that. No. She wasn't going to let that girl go.

"You want me to be the bad guy?" She said quietly, straightening. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."