The bright lights, the games, the people and the food. Oh the food.
Rapunzel was jumping from one event to the next. From darts to bobbing for apples. And still with the apple in her mouth she went over to the pie eating contest. But before that was done she wanted to be the first one to light off a firework.
Now the sky crackles and popped as fireworks after firework lit up the night sky. But still she wasn't done. And as expected Eugene was right behind her, whether he liked it or not.
"We can go to the baker, there's cupcakes there!" she let out a mile a minute." A horse race, an art contest, oh what about this?!" She exclaimed happily. Flynn picked his head up to see what got her so excited.
"Fortune Teller?" he questioned. Clearly he wasn't as enthusiastic as she was. " C'mon you know what a rip off those things are."
"Oh it might be fun." Rapunzel said." We can find out our future."
"A million story books have done that before us. And then they lived happily ever after." Despite his statement Rapunzel walked inside the tent.
It was completely dark, as dark as night. But in that black abyss a voice called out to her.
"Come in child." It called." Come in. Don't be frightened." But that did not quell her fears. The room was pitch black and she could hardly see infront of her. The only light was coming in from behind her and it did little to brighten her path. Other than that before here were two candles right beside eachother. Furthermore was that voice. Quiet as a soft breeze but firm as the waves crashing against the shore.
She used those two candles to guide her path as she moved forward. But as she dared to venture deeper into this dark place she found that they were not candles at all but two eyes staring back at her.
Rapunzel stood before him under the gaze of his eyes. Nervously she rubbed her hands together.
"I...heard you tell fortunes?"
"Amongst...other things." The voice said." Sit" In the darkness she could he was pointing to the vacant chair beside the table. Frightened but still wanting to see this through she sat down.
She heard the floor creak and then shuffle right infront of her at the other side of the table. She heard it shift right before her and then those two eyes appeared again looking her dead in the face.
Quietly two thin, old hands reached out from the darkness and laid themselves out on the table before her.
"Your hands please." Rapunzel looked at those hands and then back at those eyes. Slowly she reached out for them.
"Rapunzel!" Flynn suddenly let out as he appeared in the doorway. Lifting up the curtain and shining light all around the room. The old man across from her was revealed for the first time. His head was completely bald with a long white beard that went down passed his stomach. His eyes were almost completely shut, his brow covered in wrinkles. This thin hands went back to thin arms hidden beneath a dark coat.
Yet when Flynn showed himself the old man was quick to jump to his feet.
"The booth is for paying customers only." He said in a sharp voice, shooing Flynn off. He brought his hand down bringing the curtain and darkness with it once more." Now then." He turned back to Rapunzel. "Where were we?" He retook his seat across from her." Your hands" He placed his own on the table once more. "Please."
Rapunzel took in a deep breath and then did as he told. The old man closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he held their hands together.
"You are the Princess of Corona. Born to the King and Queen Eighteen years ago. Your hair was a dark brown but has since gone back to yellow, like gold." She could tell where he was getting this from." History for one thing, everyone knew she was the long lost Princess. As for the rest his eyes if they weren't completely shut. This had lost it's luster very fast.
She pulled her hands away and stood up.
"I'm gonna get going now." she said in a voice to match her disappointment as she made her way out. The Old man did not stir from his seat.
"Yes I suppose you must. Mother will want you back to the castle. Doesn't want you out too late. After all... Mother Knows Best." That stopped Rapunzel in her tracks. It could have just been a coincidence as that was a common saying. But when she turned back to face the old man his face told her otherwise.
"How, How do you-" He held up a finger silencing her.
"I know... many things." He finished with a dark chuckle." For instance." He turned his finger down and pointed to the ground. Right by his foot was the end of Rapunzel's famous hair." I know the special power behind this." He reached down and with his hand grabbed her hair.
The scream was heard all around the courtyard.
Flynn didn't stray too far. And when he recognized that scream the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
"Rapunzel!" he yelled. He turned and ran back to where he last saw her, in the tent with the old man. He ducked passed other party-goers until he returned to the tent. He shoved his way through the curtain letting light back into the room." RAPUNZEL!" He yelled as he did so.
There ten feet infront of him was the Princess in the arms of the old man.
"Put her down!" He demanded.
"I don't think so." He responded in a deep, rolling voice. But the old man's bark was worse than his bite. He couldn't have been one hundred pounds soaking wet. Flynn could take him, even Rapunzel could have taken him if she wasn't so tangled up.
The former thief dived forward and prepared to take him to the ground. But in a puff of smoke and air Flynn didn't make contact with either person and instead hit the ground.