A/N Here we are, the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. Tangled is Disney's. I own only my OCs.
The shadows of his past were coming for him, clawing at his clothes and hair, screeching horrible screams that made him grind his teeth. The smell of blood hit him, so strong he toppled over, and then the shadows were upon him. He saw Zelly beside him. He called to her for help but she turned her back and left. Gothel was nearby too, laughing a horrible high pitched laugh, and all he could do was yell and yell as the shadows began to tear him apart…
"EUGENE!"
"Huh?" there was Zelly, shaking him back to reality, out of the grip of the nightmare.
"You were screaming and yelling. Nightmare?"
"Y-yeah."
"Lucky the people here sleep like logs. You scream like a girl, by the way."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." They sat in silence, watching the last few lanterns drift into space. Eugene tried to remember what had happened. The adults had shooed the children off to bed, and soon followed suit. Zelly had gone looking for wood to stock up the fire. His eyelids had been heavy. He must have fallen asleep.
"Hey Eugene?"
"What?"
"Do you still want to go back to your prison?" when he didn't answer, she reached up to touch his cheek just as Luna had done.
"Where do you get all these scars from?"
"I crash into a lot of things."
"What is there to crash into in a small room?" he looked away. Suddenly he felt something soft against his cheek. Zelly had draped her hair over his face.
"Wha…?"
"Flower gleam and glow
Let your powers shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt
Change the fate's design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was
Mine."
Her singing wasn't perfect, slightly off key and too high pitched, but when she softly swept her hair aside, his scar was gone. Before Eugene had time to process what had just happened, arms went around Rapunzel's waist, and a well-aimed punch was thrown at Eugene's newly healed face. His head swam, and he fought to stay conscious. Zelly was being dragged off, and now he was bound with ropes… Only then did he give in to the blackness.
He awoke on horseback, gagged and bound. Sitting in front of him was a well-built man clad in armour that was splashed with symbols.
"Mmmmmffff!" The man turned slightly, giving him a look of contempt.
"What's up, girly?"
"MMmmmMMMmmmmmmmmMFFfff!" the man ripped the cloth gag from his mouth.
"What is going on?" He exclaimed, scared and muddled.
"EUGENE!"
"Zelly?" He couldn't quite see her.
"Eugene! I… Don't… just… I…" He couldn't make out her words either, but the sharp scream that rang through the air he couldn't help hearing.
"Blondie…Zelly?" But there was silence. The man before him looked at Eugene with something like sympathy.
"Bewitched you, huh? Little witch."
"What?" But he was already dizzy, and confused, and when he reached up to touch his forehead, he felt a gash, thick with blood.
Eugene passed out again.
Mother Gothel crept quickly through the night. She could smell the youth, practically wafting through the air.
Rapunzel
She was so close…
Eugene opened his eyes, and then quickly squeezed them shut. It was blindingly bright. The room was sizzling hot, made from concrete. The legendary Corona dungeons. In summer it was rumoured you could be cooked to death, the prison cells gathered so much heat. Eugene knew this from a newspaper clipping that had fallen from an unsuspecting Gothel's pocket while she was in his tower. Maybe he would die here, alone, and no-one would care. A chirp came from his shoulder, as if to say, I would care!
"Max." Eugene smiled. Well, if he was going to die, he might as well sing something. For Maximus. What about Zelly? Something at the back of his mind whispered. He did not know where she was, or what it was she had done to deserve the dungeons of Corona, but this song would be for her too.
Dawn settled
And the whispers of the trees
Began
All the voices of my sorrows
Sang
Yesterday, of all the days
You chose yesterday
Why not today
Two years
Perhaps forever
So throw me off the highest height
Drown my sorrows
Among the whisperers
When the secrets of the wind
Are out
Perhaps forever
When your sorrows are your only
Regrets
Maybe you'll wonder
Why yesterday
But why did you chose
Yesterday
Guess I'll never know
Yeah
I'll never, ever
Know
After a slight pause, Eugene heard a loud snore. He crept across the floor, wincing at the sizzling sound his bare feet made, until he reached the door of his cell. The guard at the door was dozing, limbs twitching slightly, obviously lulled to dreamland by Eugene's song. He let out the occasional monstrous snore. A glint of bronze at his waist was the key to Eugene' prison. Heart racing, Eugene showed Maximus the key. The chameleon seemed to understand, so Eugene slowly poked him through the bars of the door. Maximus extended his long, sticky tongue and it wrapped around the loop of the key. It jangled as it was lifted from the guard's waist. The man grunted and opened his eyes. Eugene froze. But the guard's eyes seemed to look right through him. Still asleep, Eugene thought, creepy. He slipped the key off Max's tongue and turned it slowly in the lock, praying.
Click
The door was ajar. Eugene slipped through, silently punching the air. Then he paused. Now what? To find Zelly? To find the exit? Faint voices drifted down the passageway. Not knowing what else to do, he followed them.
"Blondie, if you do not reveal your real name to the court, we will be forced to torture you until you do. If you chose to reveal your identity, you will be beheaded for your crimes, and torture will not be necessary. Do we have your final answer?"
Silence.
Eugene had reached a large door, propped open only slightly. It was Corona's highest court. The furnishings, walls and floors of the place were red marble, and the members of court wore red silk. Eugene couldn't help but think of blood. And in a cage, wearing a red prisoner's shift, all seventy feet of her hair matted and dirty, was Zelly. She wasn't dead. But she soon would be. Frozen with horror, Eugene stood, watching the trial.
"Well, Blondie, do you have anything to say?"
"Rapunzel." She spoke in barely a whisper. "My name is Rapunzel Fitzherbert."
"And is this the truth?"
"I swear it." She turned slightly, catching Eugene's gaze. "The only truth."
"Would you be so kind as to list the things you stole from the kingdom of Corona?"
Stole? Eugene prayed it wasn't true. Not the only person he trusted in the world…
"A chest containing 100 copper, 1,000 silver, and 2,000 bronze. One watermelon. Sweet meats. A horse, a white stallion called Pascal. A pearl necklace, bottles of prized wine, three geese, a marmalade mare called A J, diamond earrings, a silk purse, violet and rosemary perfume, a vat of precious spices, two crystal figurines, a china set, a ruby necklace, a gold ring, a bag of cinnamon-"
"Well, well. I never saw you as the confessing type, Rapunzel Fitzherbert."
"I haven't finished. One bottle of the castle cook's prized olive oil." She gave Eugene a wink and a sad smile. He slumped to the ground.
She had lied to him. The girl he trusted, she lied to him. Zelly, no, Rapunzel, she was a thief. A good for nothing THIEF! She had stolen from others all her life, and not cared. So why would she think twice about stealing his heart?
A/N Now I am sad. Review. Tell me what you think, pretty please with frying pans on top? This story has gotten lots of support, so thanks again!