Merida put a hand to Rapunzel's shoulder and Hiccup braced himself for anything. Jack had his staff ready and aimed it at the old woman. She may have looked harmless, but something in her eyes made them all very afraid. She had a look of maliciousness and hunger as she stared at Rapunzel's hair.

"I'd thought it was lost long ago." Gothel said, coming closer.

"Get back!" Merida yelled at her.

Gothel glared at Merida, staring at her with disdain.

She then looked to Hiccup and laughed when she saw his leg, "I can see I'm truly outnumbered here. Let's do a head count." She teased, pointing to them, "The cripple, the feisty little brat who has no weapons on hand, my little flower, and then the white haired little runt who stole her from me years before."

Jack lowered his staff and stared in disbelief; she could see him.

"You…you were in my nightmare. It was you!" Rapunzel yelled angrily, "You stole me from my family and used me!"

Gothel laughed a very insidious laugh that sent shivers up even Jack's neck, "Oh please, it was your filthy parents who stole my flower in the first place. I simply took back what was mine."

"You're a witch!" Merida spat.

"Indeed I am." Gothel said, raising her eyebrows at them, "It's the only reason I've been able to stay alive for so long."

She kicked up some of Rapunzel's hair and began dragging her roughly to her. Rapunzel cried out.

"Let go of her!" Merida yelled.

Hiccup glared and ran forward with Jack but Gothel brandished her dagger at Rapunzel's neck, "Ah ah ah!" she warned, smiling at them, "Now, lower the staff, spirit, and you two back up, NOW!" she screeched.

Jack didn't want to, but he could already see blood on Rapunzel's neck. He looked to Merida and Hiccup who were still glaring but backed up anyways.

Jack finally glared at Gothel himself and lowered his staff.

"Now back away." She said.

He did.

She released the knife just a little and pulled out a chain, "Time for me to finally pay my debt."

"What debt?" Jack suddenly asked. If this woman had indeed been using Rapunzel's hair to stay young, he had to wonder how she'd managed to stay alive for this long without her.

Gothel stared hard at him, and then cuffed Rapunzel's wrists behind her back with the chain, causing her to groan in pain. Gothel pulled on the chains, pulling her down on the ground.

"Don't hurt her!" Merida cried.

Rapunzel stared up at them all with fear and sadness.

"How did you stay alive this long?" Jack asked, hoping for some time, "Where were you when Rapunzel got sick?"

Gothel looked from him to Rapunzel and then shrugged, sighing, "Well, I suppose I do have time for a little story." She glared at them all, "All of you sit, and keep your hands behind your head where I can see them."

They all agreed and did as she instructed. She found a seat and sat down, "Listen carefully, especially you spirit. I want you all to know what hell I went through the minute you stole my flower from me."

Gothel's Story

Rapunzel was asleep finally, which meant Gothel could sneak out of the trap door she kept hidden to go get more food and supplies. She had a feeling she would be back by the next day, no later. Gothel got her cloak and got ready to head outside where the snow was beginning to fall. Winter seemed more treacherous than usual this year, but times were desperate and they needed food.

She looked once more around the tower to be sure that Rapunzel would not see her leave. She couldn't risk her precious flower finding a way out.

She left and made sure to lock the door as she left.

She hiked all the way to another village, for fear of anyone in the kingdom seeing her and possibly questioning her. It had been five years but she had no doubt that the king and queen would not stop their search.

She kept hiking until the neighboring village outside the forest finally came into view. It was a rundown place but they always had good markets and no one asked questions.

She was busy collecting and buying food when she saw something. It was an old woman wearing a hood. She was sitting and smoking a pipe, staring at her. Gothel gave her another look because she seemed familiar. But she decided to let it go. She turned around and kept shopping, deciding to ignore the old woman. She was just packing some onions when she suddenly turned and the woman stood right before her. Amber eyes and white hair stood out under the hood. The woman smelled of pipe weed and cat hair.

Gothel gave a derisive snort, "Can I help you?"

"You don't remember me?" the old woman said in a throaty voice, "Gothel." She removed her hood. Gothel held back a gasp. She knew who she was. She thought she'd escaped members of the order long ago.

"I have no idea who you are, now move aside." Gothel threatened.

"Sure you don't recognize me…Because I sure recognize you."

Gothel ignored her and walked away.

"I could always call some guards about a mysterious stranger in the village, you know."

Gothel froze and glared back at the woman, "Fine…Grizzebella. Lovely to see you again." She ground out.

The old woman smiled, her lines more pronounced as she did so, "Funny how we met nearly fifty years ago, and yet you haven't aged a day."

Gothel suddenly grew nervous. This woman knew her from years past and would most likely ask how she'd stayed young for so long. Gothel closed her eyes and prayed for patience.

"Care to explain something dearie?" Grizzebella smiled.

"What do you want?" Gothel growled.

"Oh, I'm just wondering how a low life such as yourself could have possible succeeded your better at staying young forever."

"I don't have to explain anything to you, you old hag." Gothel sneered.

The lady returned the sneer and snapped her fingers. Two rough looking men came out.

"I could always ask around and figure it out, maybe find the king himself and ask questions." Grizzebella said very calmly.

Gothel's eyes widened, "If I tell you, you'd have to keep it secret and no one else can know."

"Let's shake on it," Grizzebella said, holding out her hand and a knife, "If you give me the secret of youth, I'll pretend I never met you."

"Blood binding?" Gothel laughed, "How old fashioned."

"Of course, there are other ways to staying young I'm sure many others in the order would be curious to know why their sister could desert them so."

"Fine." Gothel said, taking the knife and pricking her hand. She watched Grizzebella do the same and then shook on it.

"Very nice, now, do tell me. What are you hiding dearie?"

…

Gothel was annoyed that after nearly five hours of explaining in Grizzebella's home, she was actually dragging her back to her tower. She'd promised to let her use Rapunzel's hair in exchange for secrecy. Grizzebella seemed pleased with this and even promised Gothel that she would give her a higher rank in the order for her service to a high ranking member. Gothel was intrigued by this. That meant more power and advantages. She could hide Rapunzel much easier now and use her to her full advantage.

It took a whole few days to journey because Grizzebella had to rest more often. Gothel was getting annoyed. Not that Rapunzel could go anywhere, but she hated being away from her flower this long.

They finally reached the tower and Gothel got out a key. She had a feeling Rapunzel would be asleep by now, being it was very dark out. She unlocked the door and led the old woman up the stairs. She quietly opened the trap door and looked around. She didn't see anything so she got out, helping Grizzebella up.

Grizzebella panted and found a chair very quickly.

"Rapunzel?" Gothel called in her sing song voice, "Rapunzel, Mummy is home! And I brought a guest!"

She waited but didn't hear anything. She went up to Rapunzel's bed, "Rapunzel? Come now; show our guest your manners!"

She opened the door and gasped. Rapunzel wasn't there.

"Rapunzel? RAPUNZEL!" Gothel screamed, searching everywhere and finding her nowhere. Grizzebella even stood up to help.

"Where is she? Where is the flower child?" Grizzebella demanded.

Gothel panicked, holding her head in her hands, trying to find anything to show where she was.

The door was locked, she couldn't have escaped.

She suddenly noticed Rapunzel's paintings on the floor and noticed a new painting. She got closer and saw it was a painting of a boy wearing blue with white hair, dancing with Rapunzel.

Gothel glared, "That boy." She pointed, "He must have taken her." She growled.

"Find her!" Grizzebella demanded.

"God only knows where she is!" Gothel complained.

"I don't care how long it takes. FIND HER!" Grizzebella advanced. The room suddenly began to shake and the wind picked up. Grizzebella pointed a finger at Gothel and spoke in an inhuman voice, "You will find that child and you will stay this way for eternity until you do. You will not age, you will not be young, and you will be as haggard as I am. Find her and you will be spared this punishment."

With that, the old woman disappeared. Gothel stared in the mirror and saw her haggard appearance and wailed angrily, screaming revenge on whoever had taken her flower. She went over to the painting, crouching down, glaring at the boy in the picture. She picked up a nearby chisel and scratched his picture in anger. She would find her flower and she would make sure to take care of that brat that took her.

…

Years passed and Gothel searched but could not find her flower anywhere. She began to lose hope, letting everything in the tower go to waste. She would stare at her reflection every day and vow her vengeance. She had to hold on to hope that maybe Rapunzel would return, or perhaps that boy. Whatever he was.

She'd asked around about the boy but no one had ever seen him. She did as much digging as she could only to find out that the boy was actually a winter spirit. She grew angry and knew she couldn't kill him but she could find a way to make him suffer somehow. She would.

It wasn't until she heard a strange noise and voices by the tower that she grew nervous and hid in the trapdoor.

She listened and peeked out from the floorboards. When she saw the winter spirit, she had to keep from killing him on the spot. She needed information about her flower.

Only her flower had come to her instead. She crouched and waited for the right moment. She would catch them off guard, and she would take her flower, and she would get her revenge. It was finally time.

Grizzebella Comes

"So you see, I've already sent for Grizzebella and am just waiting to be spared." Gothel explained.

Jack glared at her, "Rapunzel was sick. I took her away from here to help her."

"You have no right to take Rapunzel." Hiccup added angrily to Gothel, "She's not a flower, she's a human being." His arms shook from being up behind his head for so long, but he didn't want Rapunzel to get hurt so he held his ground.

"You try anything I swear you'll regret it." Merida said, "I won't let you hurt my sister."

"Sister?" Gothel said, and then laughed, "How delightful, my little Rapunzel found herself a family and some friends."

"I'm not yours!" Rapunzel spat, "And I'm never going to let you use my hair."

"Shame you don't have much of a choice." Gothel smiled.

The room began to shake and the wind picked up.

"That you?" Hiccup asked Jack.

Jack shook his head nervously.

"She's here." Gothel smiled. She stood up and dragged Rapunzel who struggled against her bonds, trying her hardest to fight and get to her friends.

"Stop fighting!" Gothel yelled, tugging on the chains.

"NO!" Rapunzel yelled, lunging forward and turning to face her. The room kept shaking yet Rapunzel stood her ground, "I won't stop for every minute, I will never stop fighting and I will never stop trying to get away from you." She cried.

Gothel stared at her angrily. The wind picked up and Rapunzel looked to her friends and her sister. She knew what would happen to them once Grizzebella came.

She gave Hiccup a sad look, then looked at Merida, tears in her eyes, and then finally to Jack, who stared at her knowingly.

He shook his head, "Don't do it!" he yelled.

"What?" Merida cried.

Rapunzel turned to Gothel, "But…if you let them go, unharmed. I promise I'll go with you."

"NO!" Merida sobbed.

"Rapunzel, no!" Jack called.

"Don't do it!" Hiccup yelled.

Rapunzel ignored them, still staring imploringly at Gothel, "I'll never run, I'll never try to escape. I'll go with you and it will be just the way you want." Rapunzel said, tears falling down her face, "I promise."

"What good is a promise?" Gothel asked.

Rapunzel looked to her sister who knew very well that when Rapunzel made a promise she never broke it.

"My promise is my word. When I make a promise…I never, ever, ever break it." Rapunzel said firmly, and then looked back up at her, "Let them go and I'll never fight again, you can use my hair. That is my promise."

Gothel raised her eyebrows and then stared at the other three who were pleading with Rapunzel not to do it.

"SHUT IT!" she yelled.

The wind suddenly stopped.

Gothel tugged on Rapunzel's chain once more, "We'll see how good you keep your promises and I'll let Grizzebella decide what to do with your friends."

Rapunzel stared in horror with the others as a figure rose up from the darkness in the room. An old woman took shape and stared at Gothel and then at Rapunzel, a smile forming on her insidious, unmerciful face.

Rapunzel did not like it one bit.