Late-Night Thoughts

AN: So I just put up the last chapter for the Brave and the Bold for all those who want to read it. For all those who say I cheated by saying this story wasn't connected to TBATB, I didn't say it wouldn't be in the future...And for all those people who have started reading this story while waiting for ROTBTD, I'll try to make sure to keep you satisfied until then. Now, on with this story. It's time the guardians found out about Rapunzel and her magical potential.

"I knew it; you really do have frost for brains," Bunnymund said as Jack finished his story. All of the Guardians had gathered at the North Pole to hear Jack's story and what they got was not what they were expecting. Jack only usually came to themfor
/advice and death-birthdays.

"But it's true!" Jack exclaimed, "Everything I said was true. She's real, I swear!"

"Jack, it's a bit hard to believe," said Tooth, "That an eighteen-year-old girl has the power to heal people that's so great that it can heal your immortality."

"But she's real!" Jack shouted.

"We're not saying that we don't believe you," North said as he tried to calm Jack, "We're just saying that it's a little farfetched that there's a being with these types of powers that we haven't heard of."

"Well, she's been locked in a tower all of her life!" Jack explained, "I doubt anyone has heard of her!"

"Why would she be locked in a tower if she has this gift?" Tooth asked.

"I don't know, ask that witch," Jack scowled as he spat the last word.

"What witch?" Bunnymund asked.

"The witch that calls herself Rapunzel's mother. She pretends that she loves her but she just uses her to stay young and pretty! She's a Monster and she's treating Rapunzel like some kind of object that she can-"

"Jack! Calm down!" North interrupted as he placed his hands in Jack's shoulders. Jack looked around and saw that in his anger he had frozen the surrounding floor in a thick layer of ice, "Now, answer this. If that woman is using Rapunzel then why doesn'tRapunzel
/just leave the tower?"

"She's been in that tower all her life," Jack sighed, "To Rapunzel that woman might as well be her mother. She's never known anyone else. But I'm going to get her out of there tomorrow."

"How?" Tooth asked.

"It's her birthday tomorrow," Jack explained, "And I've agreed to take her to see a light show near the city. Her mother doesn't return until the day after so maybe I can keep her away for a day or two. Maybe I can convince her not to return to that tower
/but..."

"I understand," North said, "Do you need any help?"

"We'll just have to see," Jack sighed.

"Have you asked Manny about her?" Bunnymund asked.

"I asked but he hasn't replied yet," Jack said glancing up at the moon.

"How about we investigate her tower while you guys are gone. Maybe we can get some leads as to who her real parents are," Bunnymund suggested.

"Can you do that?" Jack asked.

"Of course, well, me and Bunny can," North replied, "Christmas isn't for a while and Easter has recently been and gone. And if we find anything we'll let you know."

"Thanks," Jack said before he paused and looked around, "I thought there were four of you."

"Well Sandy is off spreading good dreams, ain't he?" Bunnymund explained.

"Oh yeah, I hope he stops of at Rapunzel's tow-" Jack thought for a moment, "I wonder..."

"Wonder what, frost-for-brains?" Bunnymund asked.

"Well, Rapunzel could see me, right?" Jack asked whilst everyone nodded uncertainly, "Do you think she'll be able to see Sandy, too?"

The Guardians looked at each other and then at Jack.

"That's...actually a good question," Bunnymund said after a moment of thought, "Well, guess Sandy is gonna find out, isn't he?"

Rapunzel lay upon her soft bed, wrapped comfortably in her locks of golden hair as she pondered on the previous few hours. It had an interesting day to say the least yet everything she could think of always lead to the same person: Jack. Somehow he hadimprinted
/himself on her. She didn't know what it was about Jack that intrigued her. Perhaps it was his sense of fun and freedom that called to her. Perhaps it was because of his powers. Perhaps it was because he was the only person apart from hermother
/to show genuine concern and empathy and kindness towards her.

She was drawn to how he smiled at her. His pearly white teeth and warm joyful eyes glistened with fun. His sleek body glided through the air as if he were swimming gracefully in water. The way we would twirl and manoeuvre his staff. Everything about himseemed
/to prove her mother wrong. If most men were like Jack, they weren't hulking monsters that wanted to kill her and use her for her hair.

She would have to see the next day when she would finally be able to leave the tower. Never had Rapunzel been more excited for her birthday than now. She would finally be able to see the outside world and she knew that, with Jack leading her and guidingher,
/it was going to be the best day of her life. She couldn't wait to finally solve the mystery of the golden lights in the sky and was even more excited to see them up close.

However anxiety suddenly set in. What if the lights weren't as amazing as she thought they would be? What if the whole trip would be a huge disappointment? What if they ran into danger while outside? However any doubts soon left her mind as soon as sheremembered
/that Jack would be there. He would protect her; he would make it fun for the both of them.

Suddenly her thoughts her interrupted as she saw a glint of gold pass through the open door. The gold suddenly turned into a stream that flowed through the air and around her bed. Rapunzel was confused and check her hair to see if she had accidentallycaused
/it. However her hair was not alight and the sudden light show was not of her doing. Uncertainty started to set in until a warm and comfortable drowsiness overcame Rapunzel. She yawned as she lay down onto her sheets and tucked herself in, givingin
/to the sleep that consumed her.

Rapunzel then found herself in a golden dreamscape that was made of sand that shone just like her hair. It was soft and warm to touch and felt more like water than sand. She looked beyond the sand to a familiar figure standing silently and looking straightat
/her. She immediately felt at ease as she was slowly drawn to the figure and into his embrace. Just like the sand, it was warm and soft and comforting. Rapunzel snuggled further into the mystery figure, never feeling more safe and secure than in
/this person's embrace.

Rapunzel hummed contently as the figure hugged her even tighter and brought her closer towards his warmth. She could hear his silky voice cooing to her as she settled into his arms. She looked up into the man's eyes to be more surprised than she had everbeen
/before. Looking down at her, stroking her, cuddling her, comforting her, was Jack. His smile calmed her and his eyes enchanted her as she held him close. It felt strange how comfortable she felt as she realised that she was in Jack's arms but

she had no obligations. This was a dream, it wasn't like she actually liked Jack, right? Soon her mind fell into a deep sleep and any thought process she once had shut down and she was at peace.

Sandy, aka the Sandman, was more than confused when she saw a golden sand girl and a golden sand Jack Frost embracing each other the teenagers head. He had only recently noticed the tower and decided that whoever was inside needed a good nights sleepfor
/being in such a dreary abode. He had recognised the young woman as one who deserved a good dream and, being the Sandman, he granted her one.

Sandy had also met Jack Frost more than once so he knew what the winter spirit looked like. So the fact that this young woman, with extremely long hair and living at the top of a very tall tower, knew about Jack was a conundrum to him. A question markformed
/above Sandy's head as he tried to figure it out but his attention was then pulled to the Northern Lights calling him to the North Pole.

Sandy sighed silently as he sent an independent stream of dream sand to finish his job for the night and headed off to the North Pole, making a mental note to mention this girl to Jack.

Mother Gothel relaxed onto her bed in the room she had rented for the night. She had checked her mirror and sure enough wrinkles were starting to appear on her otherwise perfect face. She would have to make this trip quick if she wanted to get her youthback.
/She was still only half way to her destination and knew that by the time she made it back to Rapunzel's tower he would look at least ten years older.

She cringed as she remembered how Rapunzel was distracted back in her tower. But why? She had never been distracted before. What had changed? Gothel remembered how Rapunzel looked expectantly at that one spot on that damn wall as if waiting for somethingto
/show up. It infuriated Gothel how unfocused that stupid girl could be. It almost made her wonder why she didn't just teach her the song and nothing else. That would have been so much easier.

In fact, Gothel wondered why she even bothered with the stupid paints. She should just march back to the tower and force Rapunzel to sing that song. But that would not help in the long run. She needed that girl to trust her and make her feel loved. Evenif
/the process was unbelievably slow, it was worth it. There was no way Rapunzel would leave that tower...was there?