Hi, everybody! I hope it's warm wherever you are because we're just getting over a nasty blizzard.

I have a new story for you today. This is the very first Tangled story I ever thought of, and I finally managed to post it. It took a while since I had some serious writer's block with this first chapter, but hopefully, the next time the spinner lands on this one, it will go faster.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Tangled movie or television series. I only own my original characters and any concepts I add to the story.

Anyway, onward we ride!

Long ago, before the Seven Kingdoms were founded, when magic ran rampant and people believed that the sun and moon were controlled by unseen deities, there was a mysterious clash in the heavens.

From that clash, two drops fell from the sky; a drop of sunlight and a drop of moonlight. The sundrop formed a magical golden flower with healing powers. The moondrop created a single opal stone with the forces of death and destruction.

They became known as the Sundrop Flower and the Moonstone Opal.

Both were very powerful. The artifacts' magic was opposite in nature, yet they called to each other. Two halves that longed to be reunited.

While the Sundrop and Moonstone legend is known by all who studied magic and myths, early sages speak of a third light that also fell from the sky. A drop of starlight that split into seven smaller lights as it fell from the heavens.

While it's only spoken in whispers, they say these seven specks are called the Seven Starshards.

Much of their powers are a mystery. Each Starshard supposedly has control over an element, one of seven elements that the Seven Kingdoms would come to be named after. It's believed that together they are meant to act as a balancing factor between the Sundrop and Moonstone. As opposing forces, the shards were meant to ensure one never gained too much power over the other.

Centuries passed, and the Seven Kingdoms formed, grew, and changed with time. The Sundrop Flower watched from an out-of-the-way spot by the ocean as the Light Kingdom, Corona, expanded from the mainland onto an island in the bay.

The kingdom's golden age was during the reign of King Frederic vi Sonne and his wife, Arianna. Everything in the realm was prosperous and peaceful. The economy was stable, and crime was low.

But then, everything changed when the Queen fell ill while expecting their first child.

It was a story that would become relatively well-known. Desperate to save his child, King Frederic sent search parties out to find the fabled Sundrop Flower, believing it would heal his wife and unborn child. They succeeded, the Queen was saved, and Princess Rapunzel was born. Everything was bliss and happiness until one night when an unknown woman broke into the castle, kidnapped the Princess, and vanished into the night.

Many would argue that the King went mad after that, rage overcoming his grief-stricken mind. The kingdom's guard began cracking down on criminal activity, arresting even the pettiest of thieves. A shadow fell upon Corona as days turned to weeks, months, and years with no sign of the Princess.

Even so, the royal family didn't give up. Every year on the Princess's birthday, her parents would light floating lanterns and release them into the sky, praying for their daughter's safe return.

Three years later, a spark of hope appeared when the King and Queen were expecting another child. Everyone was surprised to learn Queen Arianna was pregnant again. With all the complications from Rapunzel's birth, everyone assumed she wouldn't be able to conceive again.

While there was excitement and happiness about the prospect, there was also a sense of dread. The kidnapping of the Princess was still fresh in everybody's mind, and there were fears that the kidnappers would return for the new baby. The threat was real enough that King Frederic had the Captain of the Guard increase security around the castle while the delivery was taking place.

Then, as if fate were mocking them, Arianna fell sick again. Only this time, there was no miracle flower to save them. All anyone could do was pray and hope for the best.

In solidarity, the people gathered for a candle-lit vigil in front of the castle, asking a higher power to intervene. To save the Queen and her baby.

Fortunately, this time, the kingdom's pleas were answered. Arianna survived the birth, and a miraculously healthy baby boy was born.

He was named Derek Albert de Sonne.

To celebrate the miracle of their new prince, the kingdom launched floating lanterns into the sky as they did for their Princess. The night sky became awash in golden-orange light, the stars looking dull by comparison.

For the first time in years, the veil of grief had lifted ever so slightly off the Light Kingdom.

The Princess was still missing, and there was no telling what the future held. The kidnappers were still out there and could very well take the Prince. But at that moment, none of that mattered as everyone basked in the joy of their new heir.

Years went by until, finally, all their prayers were answered. The day after her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel returned home.

(Six Months Ago)

The sun had risen over the Kingdom of Corona. It was the day after the Lost Princess's eighteenth birthday. The castle was quiet, everyone having just recently gotten up to start the day.

The silence was broken, however, by the sound of footsteps running down the hall as a teenage boy, fifteen years old, raced towards the castle entrance.

Prince Derek de Sonne had grown since the night he was brought into the world. He wasn't very tall or built, standing at only 5'3", but he was still considered handsome by girls his age. His brown hair was long, reaching his shoulders, and pulled back in a low ponytail. About two-thirds of the way down, Derek's hair becomes golden-yellow, and there's a matching stripe going along the right side. He has light skin since he doesn't get outside much, freckles across his cheeks, and watery blue eyes like his father.

For clothes, Derek was dressed in a white collared short-sleeve shirt under a red vest, dark blue pants with a gray belt, and tall brown boots with laces. It wasn't typical royal attire, but that was fine with Derek.

Running behind him was a female raccoon named Roxana, Roxie for short. Roxie had monochrome fur and a long striped tail, like all raccoons. She was slim, with brown eyes and splashes of brown on her paws and face.

As for why the Prince was running through the castle, he had just received news he never thought he would hear.

A few minutes ago, he had been up in his room with Roxie while Derek's best friend and equerry, Corbin Vogel, helped him prepare for the day. They had just finished Derek's morning routine when one of the maids entered the room. She looked out of breath like she had just run up there.

What she said next brought everything else to a sudden halt: Rapunzel was home. His sister had finally returned.

Derek didn't know what else was said afterward. The moment those words registered, he bolted out the door.

He skidded to a stop when he reached the entrance, panting hard. Roxie caught up to him and climbed up his back to curl around his shoulders. Taking in the scene in front of him, his parents had just walked in from the courtyard balcony with a young woman that looked familiar yet wasn't at the same time.

She was shorter than him, probably 5'1", with a slender frame and fair skin a shade lighter than his own. She had large green eyes that made her look young and brown hair in a short, choppy style.

She was dressed in a purple and pink dress with white lacing on the neckline and sleeves and swirling floral patterns on the skirt. What caught Derek's attention was that the mystery girl was barefoot, and she seemed to have something like a lizard on her shoulder.

This had to be his long-lost sister.

Along with them was a man that Derek recognized from the wanted posters around town: Flynn Rider. He was a foot taller than Rapunzel with a lithe, athletic build, short dark brown hair, a well-trimmed goatee, and light brown eyes. The man was dressed in his signature turquoise vest with a white long-sleeved shirt, dark cream pants, a belt with a mini-satchel around his waist, and brown bucket-top boots.

Derek stood frozen, unsure of what to do or how to approach them. He had imagined a thousand different scenarios for this moment, from a daring adventure to find her to a casual encounter on the streets. None of these prepared him for this moment's overwhelming shock and emotion. So he ended up just standing there, staring as he waited for them to notice him.

Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait. Rapunzel noticed him first, stopping a few feet away from him.

Snapping out of his stupor, Derek goes to say… something. Introduce himself? Confirm it's really his sister? He was still deciding on something when he opened his mouth.

However, the final decision was cut off when Rapunzel closed the gap between them, knocking him off balance as she threw her arms around him in a hug. The jolt would have caused Roxie to fall off his shoulder if she hadn't dug her hands into his shoulders.

"Hi, Derek." She said softly, holding him tightly.

Getting over his surprise, Derek slowly returned the hug. He held her tightly, afraid she would disappear again if he didn't. Their parents and Flynn hung back, letting the siblings have their moment while the animals smiled at their companions.

"Welcome home, Sis." He whispered back, trying to hold back happy tears.

At long last, the royal family was whole again. However, none of them realized at the time that this was just the beginning. What seemed like a fairy tale ending was really the beginning of an epic adventure.

And that was the prologue.

I'll be back soon, either with more of my old stories or some of my new ones.