She paced in front of his limp body in the chair. "Mother was right. Mother was right." She kept chanting, like it would magically make Earwax disappear and she would be escorted to the lights by her mother.

She glanced at me, perched on her shoulder. "Well? Should we put in with the..." She lowered her voice like the man could actually hear in his state of unconsciousness, "other things?" She cringed, as if the name was a taboo and Mrs. Red would just show up.

I contemplated that and nodded. Anything was better than a chamber pot. Cuz I really had to go...

She glanced back at the man. She whispered, "Okay."

She tiptoed over to the staircase and ran her fingers over the underside of the stair until she found the little dent in the wood. She was about to lift it up when she froze. She whipped around to face the man and tilted her head, glaring at him.

I stared at her. She's gone insane.

Satisfied, she turned back around and noticed my look. "What? I had to make sure he wasn't looking. Could you keep a lookout?" She sheepishly grinned.

I sighed. I always have the hard jobs. I climbed to the top of her head and watched the man with a glare plastered on my face.

Make one move andy ou're out the window you little piece of- I mumbled, but nothing escaped Rapunzel's ears.

"Pascal!" She whispered forcefully, frozen in the action of placing the man-purse in the hidden crevice, containing an old fantasy book, a few blades of grass and some drawing of the light she didn't want Mrs. Red seeing. I rolled my eyes. She caught that too.

She gave her head a slight shake, flinging me up in the air. I fell to the floor and landed in a pile of hair.

Rapunzel chuckled and finished up her handiwork, making it look like it hadn't been touched.

I glared at Rapunzel and tugged a clawful of her hair. She yelped.

Ah, revenge is sweet.Like strawberries.I love strawberries.Strawberries are like-

A hand picking me up interrupted my thoughts and I focused on the task at hand. I was placed on Earwax's shoulder again with his mountainous head on my right.

I moaned. "Please don't make me do this." I pleaded with Rapunzel, standing where she was before she hit him.

She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, the gesture meaning 'It's final'. Yay.

I drove my tongue back in his ear. Deeper.

He woke up much slower than before, but he noticed me almost instantly, sucking up his remaining earwax. His wax was an acquired taste and I acquired it.

"Ah!" He yelped. I spread my legs and squealed, yet again landing on hair.

"Will you stop that!" He rubbed his ear on his shoulder, still bound.

NEVER! I thought, but Rapunzel interrupted me.

"Now it's hidden, where you'll never find it." She was in control of the situation and she has never looked better in this position. First time in seventeen years.

"So, what do you want with my hair? Cut it?" She circled him like a bird that...circle...things.

"What?" He asked. I started burrowing through the hair to her shoulder as fast as my legs could carry me, watching the situation through slivers of light..

"Sell it?" She shoved the frying pan in his face, careful not to hit him. Halfway there.

"What-? No!" He watched as Rapunzel circled him even more, the frying "safely" at her side. I reached my hammock and took a break, watching over her shoulder.

"Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair is get out of it. Lit-er-al-ly!" He struggled against the bonds as a show, but there was no way he would escape. I know from…personal experience.

"You-." She froze. She pointed the frying pan to his face. Her voice softened. "You...don't want my hair?"

"Yes!" He insisted.

Liar, liar, tail on fire! I scrambled out of my hammock. I've had HAD ENOUGH!

"Hmm." She sensed my shifting weight. She remained still letting me take the lead.

I climbed onto her shoulder, taking in the sight of Earwax Rider. He had flopping brown hair, much like Rapunzel's short lock of hair. He had a patch of hair on his chin and it was bothering me.

I swiftly climbed down her arm, lightly stepping over her lace sleeve, knowing how much time it took. One eye spotted the chameleon interwoven in it. I made it to the pan and quickly climbed the side.

He had brown eyes. Like mine. Oh god, we were alike.

I looked him up and down, with a look that could kill Mrs. Red. His eyes looked me up and down. I inwardly scoffed and outwardly growled. I turned to face Rapunzel and pointed my tail opposite of him.

He blinked. My left eye caught it and I turned to face him. I growled. I'll deal with you...later.

I climbed back to Rapunzel's shoulder with a determined strut. She took me in her hands and turned her back to Earwax.

"We can't trust him." I said to her.

"I know, but I need someone to take me." She turned her head slightly, to keep tabs on Earwax.

"What if he's hiding his fangs?" I asked, knowing the answer, but trying to shake her.

"He doesn't have fangs." She shook her head and stared at me because I saw the event of checking his teeth. She sounded tired, but she tried to hide it.

"So?" I shot back, also tired of this conversation.

"What choice do I have?" She was right. Earwax started making a commotion behind her.

"A better one." I mumbled.

She gave me a small smile and deposited me on her shoulder. "All right, Flynn Rider. I'm prepared to offer you a deal.

I saw him frozen in his chair, frozen in the act of trying to escape. I glared at him and he saw my glare and gulped. "What?"

"Look this way." As she pulled her hair, he spun around and landed facedown on the floor. I added some extra rage in my glare.

"Do you know what these are?" She pushed aside the curtain to reveal the painting of the lights.

I held my breath, waiting for the true meaning of the lights.