AN: Okay, okay. I know the last couple of chapters were rather short. I really tried to plump them up. This chapter is a little different in that I included both Rapunzel's and Eugena's POVs. I originally didn't want to do that, but I had to just to make it long enough for my tastes.
Rapunzel lightly placed one of the small flowers from her elaborate braid on the surface of the water. As she and Eugena waited for the lanterns to rise, she had noticed several had fallen out into the bottom of their little boat. Collecting them up, Eugena had offered to hold them for her as Rapunzel placed them one by one on to floating in the water.
It was so very peaceful out here on the water with just the two of them (and Pascal). In a way is kind of reminded her of the night before when they sat by their little campfire. Of when she told Eugena about the magic in her hair and why she had never left the tower before and how Eugena had told her about being an orphan and wanting to be like that character in her favourite book. As much as she had enjoyed seeing and meeting all the different people in the kingdom, Rapunzel rather liked all the times it was just her and Eugena the best.
She sat up a bit out of the lounging position she had taken across her bench to select another flower from Eugena's hand. This one was a little larger and a purple-ish blue colour. Rapunzel set it down among the half-dozen other flowers already floating there. They had drifted a little and together they framed the reflection of the darkened castle that sat atop the island kingdom.
At that moment a tiny pin prick of light appeared in the water, rising up from the reflection palace.
Rapunzel stared at it for a moment and then her eyes widened. She realized the only thing that tiny dot could be. She looked up to see that it was, indeed, the very first lantern to appear. Beside her, Eugena looked up as well.
Her heart leapt in her chest and she jumped to her feet, scrambling for the front of the boat. The gondola rocked wildly due to her sudden motion, nearly sending Eugena over the edge, but Rapunzel didn't even notice. Her attention was solely fixed on that light rising into the sky. She wrapped her arms around the bowsprit, clinging to it as she tried to get the best view.
All those days, watching from the windows. All those years, outside looking in, she thought as awed wonder filled her. Just like she had told Eugena moments ago, this was the moment she had been dreaming about and it was finally happening. Out here on the water, actually seeing the lanterns in person made all the difference from watching them from her window every year. All that time, never even knowing just how blind I've been.
That single lantern was soon joined by dozens, then hundreds more. All were slowly rising up above the rooftops like a warmly glowing tide. Every street in the kingdom lit up as more and more people added their lanterns. Smaller clouds of them started rising from a number of the ships at anchor in the harbour, joining the mass overhead. Soon the glow of so many lanterns blotted out the very meager starlight until the stars themselves were nigh invisible.
Rapunzel's breath caught in her throat. It was all so beautiful. Everything she had ever dreamed and hoped for and more. The joy and amazement she had always felt watching them was doubled, no tripled, by seeing them now under the night sky. Without really thinking about it, she began to hum softly. Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight. Now I'm here, suddenly I see. Standing here, it's, oh, so clear I'm where I'm meant to be.
Now that she was finally witnessing this very special event, Rapunzel just knew instinctively that her life would be forever changed by it. The conflict she had felt about the prospect of returning to her tower, whether she wanted to or wanted not to, resolved itself. She was meant to be here, here among people and not hidden away. Mother had been wrong. The whole day, not a single person had looked like they wanted to cut or steal her hair. No one had even tried. She had no reason to hide.
And at last I see the light. And it's like the fog has lifted. It was true. All the worries, all the things she had feared about Outside, were all washed away in the glow of these lanterns. And it felt like a weight had lifted from her, one that she had never noticed before. And at last I see the light. And it's like the sky is new. Rapunzel almost felt new born in that very magical moment. She rested her cheek against the smooth wood of the bowsprit, never once taking her eyes from the magnificent sight before her. And it's warm and real and bright.
And very best part, the part that filled her with an ever greater joy was the fact she was sharing this with Eugena. That Eugena had made this all possible for Rapunzel. And the world has somehow shifted. That's exactly what Eugena had done for her. Rapunzel's world had been suddenly and pleasurably turned upside down from the moment the other girl had invaded her tower. And Rapunzel loved her for it.
That thought abruptly made Rapunzel pause. All at once, everything looks different, she thought as she realized that it was true. She loved Eugena. She loved her and it was different from the love she had for her mother. Different from what she felt for Pascal and Max too. Is this romantic love? She wondered. If she was being honest with herself, Rapunzel somehow knew that this moment wasn't when she first started feeling this way about the other girl.
No, it had started long before now. She couldn't really say if it had been sometime during the day, when they were exploring the kingdom together or if it had been the night before listening to Eugena's stories by the campfire. Maybe it was even as far back as that moment in the cave when Eugena and she had nearly drowned. Or perhaps even before that, when Rapunzel had only known the girl as Flynn Rider and they had just slipped out of the Snuggly Duckling via that hidden tunnel. Truthfully it could have been that first moment in the Tower when Rapunzel got her first look at the person she had whacked over the head with her frying pan. And it didn't matter, only that, man or woman, she did love Eugena.
She had never thought much about falling in love before. It was never something she ever pictured for herself, living all those years in her tower. Mother certainly had never encouraged that sort of idea. Rapunzel could remember having one book as a very little girl of fairy-tales. Most did not end happily, with someone doing something wrong and getting their comeuppance and those were the stories Mother preferred her to read. There was one or two, however, that did end happily. Where the girl or boy ends up marrying their True Love. Now in those stories the couple were a boy and a girl, not two girls. She wondered if that mattered.
It doesn't matter at all, Rapunzel thought finally, Now that I see you. But was it possible that Eugena felt the same? Could it be possible? Time and again that day, she had thought she had seen something in Eugena's expressions, actions, and reactions that hinted to that. And certainly, now that she thought about it, the townsfolk had been treating them as if they were a courting couple. Slowly she turned around to look at her.
The other girl had remained on her bench, looking back at her and holding a pair of glowing lanterns in her hands. And the smile on her lips was warm and gentle. And it was at that moment that Rapunzel remembered the satchel she had hidden under her seat when she had climbed into the boat, during Eugena's distraction with holding onto the dock. She knew now that it was time to fulfill her promise.
With a grin she sat back down across from the other girl. She chuckled softly and said, "I have something for you, too." Reaching under her bench, she brought out the satchel and held it on her lap. Eugena stared at it and Rapunzel could almost swear it was like she had completely forgotten about it. Quickly she explained, "I should have given it to you before, but I was just scared. And the thing is, I'm not scared anymore. You know what I mean?"
She looked up at Eugena hopefully.
To her surprise and delight when Eugena put her hand on the satchel, it was to lightly push it aside instead of take it from Rapunzel. "I'm starting to." She answered softly.
Rapunzel beamed and Eugena handed her one of the lanterns. As one the two girls sent them flying up to join the rest.
As their lanterns floated upwards, Eugena couldn't help but think of how much her life had changed in two short days. All those days, chasing down a daydream. She thought, unknowingly echoing the song that Rapunzel had been humming before. All those years, living in a blur.
And she had been. Her whole life, even before she had become Flynn Rider, Eugena had been just chasing daydreams. Ever since she had ended up in the orphanage at the age of four. Whether it was getting a new family, escaping a life of drudgery, going off on adventures, even the very act of becoming Flynn had all been just daydreams. And after becoming Flynn, it was all just a blur of stealing and running and hiding ad infinitum. All that time never truly seeing things the way they were. How had she never seen just how messed up the path her life had taken? Being a thief, acting selfishly, having concern for no one but herself; that was all wrong.
Eugena watched as the two lanterns floated higher and higher, circling around each other like they were dancing. Almost like the dance she and Rapunzel had never gotten to share.
Rapunzel. That was it. It wasn't until she had met Rapunzel that she finally saw the truth. Flynn Rider had only been a mask she wore over her heart, not just something to disguise her gender but to hide who she really was from the world. And as long as no one questioned that mask, in all likelihood she would have gone on wearing it. Rapunzel was the first person in forever that she had felt so comfortable enough around to take it off and let the real person through.
Eugena looked down from the lanterns overhead to see Rapunzel pointing at something, a single lantern floating low to the water and coming towards their boat. As the blonde girl leaned far over the side of the gondola reaching for it, Eugena couldn't help but think, Now she's here, shining in the starlight. Now she's here, suddenly I know.
If she had never climbed Rapunzel's tower, if they had never been trapped and nearly drowned in that cave, if they had never ended up in this moment on this boat right now, Flynn Rider would have remained and Eugena Fitzherbert forever buried. And she could see now what a terrible thing that could have been.
She suddenly remembered the 'conversation' she had had with herself the night before in the woods, when she had gone for more firewood. That other part of her had been right. She was in love with Rapunzel. And for the first time since she had realized it, she didn't care. She wanted to be in love with her. She didn't care that it was odd for two women to be in love. Heck, the whole day the townsfolk had pretty much been assuming that she was male and the two of them were a couple. Surely they could go on acting as if that assumption was true. She could be Eugene Fitzherbert instead. Surely that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Rapunzel caught the edge of the sun painted lantern with her fingertips and drew back to her seat, boosting it back into the air at the same time. In that moment Eugena came to a decision and chose to throw caution to the wind. If she's here, it's crystal clear. I'm where I'm meant to go!
It was like a revelation. It was like she had been searching for her place in the world for far too long without even realizing it. Eugena had thought she knew what her place was. Or rather the place she was headed for. Now though, she knew better. There was only one place she truly belonged. And it was right in front of her. It was clear now to Eugena. Her life was to be with Rapunzel, at the blonde girl's side, for as long as she would have her.
With great daring she took Rapunzel's hand in hers. The girl looked down at the grasp for a moment, but when she looked up at Eugena, there was a look of mixed surprise, hope, and, yes, love in her green eyes too. Eugena felt her heart do flip flops with joy at seeing that.
Rapunzel took her other hand and at the same time they sang "And at last I see the light."
"And it's like the fog has lifted." Eugena added alone. That's exactly what this moment felt like. The fog of the past, from running and hiding not just in reality but from her own feelings, had lifted. The weight of all that was gone. Eugena felt free and light, like she was one of the lanterns hovering in the air around them.
"And at last I see the light." They repeated and this time it was Rapunzel who had something to add as she sang "And it's like the sky is new."
Eugena wondered if Rapunzel knew, if she guessed, how true that was for Eugena. Not just the sky, but the whole world suddenly felt new to her. She was looking at world through new eyes now. Eyes unclouded by greed and arrogance. Now things were clear and right before her was the person who had made it all possible.
She did her best to convey all that as once more she and Rapunzel sang in harmony, "And it's warm and real and bright. And the world has somehow shifted."
The words she had spoken to Rapunzel moments ago, when the blonde girl had worried so much about how she would feel about the lanterns once she saw them, came back. You get to go find a new dream. In this moment of change, in revelation, in realization and acceptance, here in this boat surrounded by the hundreds of lanterns for the Lost Heir, Eugena realized what her new dream, her real dream actually was.
To be with Rapunzel. Forever.
The crown didn't matter anymore. That island, a castle of her very own no longer mattered. She would gladly live the life of a poor peasant, living in a small cottage in a village far away where no one knew about Flynn Rider, in a hut hidden away in the forest, heck even in Rapunzel's tower, as long as the two of them could stay together. For a tiny brief instant she tried to imagine what that kind of life would be like. How she and Rapunzel would support themselves. What they would need to do to protect the power of Rapunzel's hair.
"All at once, everything looks different now that I see you." As she stared into those beautiful, wonderful green eyes, Eugena found she had a hard time looking away. Not that she wanted to. Judging by the way Rapunzel was looking at her it was the same for the other girl. Unconsciously, Eugena gently drew their joined hands towards her and leaned in slowly.
In a very distant part in the very very back corner of her mind, she had to wonder what the frog-chameleon was thinking about all this. Did Pascal approve of her making moves on Rapunzel? Did he disapprove? Was he embarrassed? Why on earth was she concerned about this? Maybe it was because the little reptile was rather important to Rapunzel. Maybe it was because she didn't want to think about how Rapunzel's mother would think of all this. Rapunzel might be a little naïve about the greater world outside her tower and couldn't really know how society might view their budding relationship, but it was likely the mother wasn't and could.
Eugena was no fool. Even though she had never been attracted to any other woman before, or anyone for that matter, she knew that relationships like theirs were general looked down upon if not outright hated. It was different from the norm and anything that was different usually was looked at with suspicion. But as long as she wore the mask of Eugene in public, she didn't think they needed to worry about that.
"Now that I…" And here under the warm glow of the lanterns, none of that had to matter. Out here with just Rapunzel (and Pascal) no one had to know the truth. I don't care. She doesn't care. Why not go for it? She thought. Eugena released her hold on one of Rapunzel's hands to lightly brush back a bit of hair that had come loose from the blonde's elaborate braid. "…see you."
That small gesture led both girls to lean closer to each other. Eugena slowly cupped the back of Rapunzel's neck under the braid, the long locks smooth and soft as silk. Rapunzel's eyes drifted closed and her head tilted just a bit to the side. Eugena started to close the gap between them. As her eyes also drifted closed, all she could think of was that this had to be the most perfect moment of her life.
But it was not meant to be.
Just inches away from completing their first real kiss, something one the far shore caught Eugena's eye.