Everything was perfect. She had found her parents, she was free of the tower, she got to live in a castle for crying out loud. And Eugene was there, and he was safe. All of the bad was in the past, and it wasn't coming back.

At least that's what she tried to tell herself as she choked back sobs from her nightmare.

It hadn't been a nightmare at first, really. She had been painting Pascal as he sat disgruntled in a dress, though she was painting a happier face on him. But then she heard the familiar voice call out, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Her body tensed involuntarily, as it always did, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. "Coming, Mother!" she called cheerfully.

At the window, she went to loop her hair over the hook, when suddenly it turned brown in her hands. Mother was still on the ground, but she could see her face as clearly as if it were right next to her as the woman's face paled, grew thousands of wrinkles, and contorted in horror.

"No!" she screeched, the sound tearing Rapunzel's heart to shreds. As she faded away, her gaze fixed on the girl with a look of utter betrayal. "You…no! You've killed me, Rapunzel!" She dissolved into dust.

Suddenly she heard a groan. Eugene! He was clutching his side, eyes closed in a painful grimace. She rushed over to the man, tears already dripping down her face into her hair. Her long, brown, useless hair.

He forced open his eyes, finding hers. She gave a soft sigh and leaned in toward him, but he pushed her away. "You're too late, Rapunzel. I can't let you do this." And he slumped down, eyes rolling back in his head. His eyes turned black as night, as dark as the magic of her hair was light. Then his whole face began to darken, the blackness spreading outward and across his body and onto her arms and into her eyes and—

She woke up gasping, clutching her blankets so tightly her hands were shaking, not even sure where she was.

"P- Pascal! Eugene!" Her voice trembled. "Where…what did they do to you?"

A concerned chirp sounded near her ear, and she felt a small, scaly weight settle onto her shoulder. "Oh, Pascal, it's you. You're alright." He patted her cheek reassuringly, tail curled around her neck. She stroked his head, still shuddering. "I…I must have been dreaming. I was back in the tower, on that day. It's all…oh, Pascal, it all felt so real!"

But she was in her bed in the palace, safe, at home. Right. Pascal was here with her, and Eugene was likely asleep in the next room over.

She attempted a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, gasping as she felt how short it was. Her fingers raked through it rapidly. Eugene cutting her hair…the horror she'd felt as the veins of brown rushed out from the ends…Mother falling out of the tower…it was all real. She couldn't hold back the sobs anymore, burying her face in her many pillows as her dream flashed before her eyes again and again.

When she finally raised her head, Pascal was giving her such a concerned look that she nearly broke down again. But no, she could be strong. She was strong. She filled her lungs with a few fortifying gulps of air. Yes, she was strong enough to escape her prison of eighteen years, strong enough to make it home, strong enough to save Eugene. And…

And not save Mother. Rapunzel knew Gothel wasn't her mother any more than Pascal was a frog, but for so long, she had had no one else. No one who took care of her, who brushed her hair every night, who brought her pastries and rare paints and candle wax, who called her a flower.

But that wasn't all she had done, Rapunzel forced herself to remember. She had kept her in that tower for her own gain, never letting her go for fear the Sundrop's power could be lost. She had never hit Rapunzel until that last day, but she always felt better and safer when Mother was gone. Safe with her own feelings, her own questions that wouldn't be immediately shot down, her freedom. Or at least as near as freedom as one could get while trapped.

What really was freedom, anyway? She had never known such a thing existed until she left the tower, and she was so incredibly terrified of it, but at the same time yearned for as much as possible. It was still all so new and exciting. Beyond all she could have imagined. The world was wide open, and it was just waiting for her to enter it.

But maybe she didn't want to enter it. What would have happened if she never left the tower? Mother would have no reason to be jealous or worry, and they could have kept on living their lives, just the three of them (including Pascal, of course). She would have to live with the constant ache of wanting to know what was outside the walls, but would she trade that for a life of relative peace?

"Would I, Pascal? If I could go back and change that day, would I?"

He vehemently shook his head. She sighed pensively, tears now forgotten in the intensity of her thoughts. "You're right, buddy. I love Eugene and my parents and you too much to even consider that."

She rested back on the pillows, suddenly lonely.

"But I still can't help but feel it's all my fault."

Again, he shook his head, so hard he nearly fell off his perch. She allowed a tiny chuckle and caught him as he swayed. He chittered at her, mimicking Gothel to illustrate that it was her fault, not Rapunzel's.

"Thanks, buddy," she murmured. "I know you'll always be there to remind me of the truth. You're my best friend, Pascal."

He turned a pleased pink at the statement, snuggling gratefully into her palm as he pointed a finger back at her in response.

She kissed his head softly, yawning as her eyes began to close. "Goodnight, Pascal." Her last coherent thought was the memory of Eugene's face when he first opened his eyes again and told her he had a thing for brunettes, and a slight smile graced her face as she drifted asleep.