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The Great Escape
By: Renachi
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there once lived a beautiful, young lad who lived in a tall, stone tower deep inside a magical swamp, the Black Mud Swamp. This lad lived with his grandfather named named Saladin. All by himself, Saladin raised up his one and only grandson, Helia. Helia grew up to be a handsome young man with ebony locks that grew to be yards long and fair skin that deserved women's envy.
Saladin had fears for his beloved grandson like all overprotective grandparents, but his fear grew in paranoia. He shut Helia away in the tower with only a single window to serve as an entrance.
Every time Saladin wanted to enter the tower, he would call out, "Helia! Let down your hair!"
Just as ordered, Helia would let his silky hair fall from the tower's window so he could pull Saladin up using his super strength (or super hair). The handsome lad never left the tower as ordered, but he couldn't help but dream about the world outside. Even though Saladin had informed him about the evil in the world, Helia couldn't help but wish that a beautiful side existed as well.
He dreamt of the sights that existed past the swampy scene outside his window. However, that was all Helia could do: dream. His early years passed in that fashion, and Helia never had any other human contact other than Saladin, leading him to become rather quiet and reclusive.
During Helia's eighteenth year, a high-pitched voice sang from the foot of the tower. "Helia! Let down your hair!"
Has Saladin caught an illness?
Nevertheless, Helia let down his hair as he had done many times before and pulled it up when he felt a tug. However, he almost let go of his hair as he froze when a breathtaking woman entered the window's view.
The woman's emerald eyes sparkled like jewels with surprise and wonder as her grip slipped. She breathed a soft gasp as Helia swiftly caught her and they stared deep into each other's mesmerizing eyes. The woman's intoxicating perfume filled Helia nostrils. Helia felt his heartbeat dash as the woman's baby-soft skin touched him and a bright shade of rouge colored his cheeks.
He pulled the lady into the tower and stared for a few more seconds. They just stared at each other with no word exchange as if they were communicating by mind. Then a bird squawked outside of the tower, cracking the state of bliss he was in and making him sober.
"Who…who are you? What are you?"
A look of nervousness passed the lady's face, which somehow planted a frown on Helia's. A smile suited the woman more. "I'm Flora, a female, royal pharmacist and botanist from Magix. I was in this swamp to research the plants here."
"Magix…royal pharmacist…female?"
What's a female?
Questions bombarded Helia's mind, but Helia calmly kept them at bay, patiently waiting for the right moment to ask. "Why are you here?"
Flora paused and pondered. "Curiosity?" Awe filled her melodic voice as she glanced at the man's silky hair. Flora had to use all her might to restrain herself from touching and braiding his beautiful locks.
A slight smile played on Helia's lips as he noticed Flora's fascination with his hair. "Sure. You can touch it."
Flora's eyes lit up with excitement, making Helia grin even more about the girl's simple-minded behavior. Flora timidly reached out and started gathering locks of Helia's hair to braid it. As she placed the silky locks between her fingers, she caught the sight of bright paints on the floor.
She lifted her head up and gazed at the stone room around her. Fanciful pictures of Helia's exotic dreams of the outside world filled up almost every corner of the wall, floor, and ceiling.
"It's beautiful," she gasped, taking in the gorgeous images all around her.
"You like them? I…I painted them. They are paintings of my dreams of the outside world."
Flora's slender eyes knitted together. "Dreams of the outside world?"
Helia walked over to the window and looked at the swampy scenery with a distant gaze like his mind lived in some other world. "I've never left this tower. My world is restricted to this tiny view."
His heart jumped when he heard sniffling. When he turned around, his heart fell as beads of tears streamed down Flora's cheeks, staining her flawless face with sadness and pity. "How—SNIFF—sad…"
Helia knew he couldn't stand the sight of such a beautiful creature crying right in front of him, so he bent down and kissed the woman's cheeks so that the trails of tears vanished. A gasp escaped Flora's mouth.
Flora's soft honey-colored hair brushed against Helia's cheek. A salty flavor filled his mouth as his lips met her smooth skin, and suddenly Helia felt a foreign sensation, a sensual hunger. However, he held back the frightening yet pleasurable temptation.
Flora eyes shimmered with shock as Helia pulled away. "Who are you?"
"I'm Helia."
"Helia," she whispered. "What a unique name."
"Is it? I wouldn't know. But, didn't you know my name already? You called me to let down my hair?"
"Oh! I didn't know that it was your name. I just saw a old man walk by the tower every day and call out, 'Helia! Let down your hair!' so I thought it was a code to get in...I guess."
"And so you got curious and tried it yourself?"
Flora nodded enthusiastically, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "It shocked me every time when a cascade of ebony hair fell from the window. Why are you trapped in this tower?"
"My grandfather doesn't wish to let me out. He says the outside world is evil and filled with danger."
Flora frowned and shook her head. "It isn't just filled with negativity. The world has a bunch of amazing things too."
Flora's words piqued Helia interest, so he asked for her to explain more. Flora told him vivid stories of the outside world and Helia listened with a praiseworthy attention span. His eyes widened with excitement as beautiful crafted sentences flowed from her lips.
"Amazing…"
"Don't you wish to leave the tower and see for yourself?"
"I do...But I can't."
Flora's head dropped and she sighed. "I wish you could…I have to return back to Magix tonight, so I can't see you anymore, Helia. "
Helia almost choked when a lump of disappointment formed inside his throat. "You can never return?" he choked. She sullenly shook her head. Helia bit his lips and swallowed the lump in his throat as he plunged himself into deep thought.
His eyes were still distant and cast downwards as he uttered, "I'm going with you."
Flora's eyes filled with hope before they darkened again with defeat. "But…your grandfather—"
"I'll just go with you to Magix for one day and come back. It should be all right. One day should be fine," Helia assured Flora, even though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was Flora.
Flora still seemed hesitant, but she didn't argue because the thought of never seeing Helia again sent a pang of longing through her heart. "Can you let down your hair so I can get down? When I get to the ground, you can jump and I'll catch you."
Helia blinked with skepticism. "Are you sure you can catch me?"
"I have no other choice." Flora continued with more confidence in her voice when a frown fell on Helia's face. "Just trust me."
"…All right."
So Helia let down his ebony hair so Flora could slide down it.
"Jump!" she called when she reached the bottom. Helia drew in a deep breath and jumped.
Just trust Flora.
Splat!
Flora groaned with pain as she lay underneath Helia on the wet mud.
"Sorry!" Helia quickly apologized and helped Flora up. She was now caked in mud from head to toe. It was hard to even recognize that safari outfit she wore with mud dripping from it. Flora's eyes fluttered opened, and her bright green eyes stood out against her muddy face. Helia couldn't help but chuckle.
Flora pouted and wiped the mud from her face with the arm. She caught her reflection in a nearby pool and started giggling as well.
"You look like Stella in a facial mask!" she whispered.
They both laughed together with large smiles on their faces. Helia teasingly pointed at her face so Flora mischievously scooped up some mud and threw it at Helia's face. The mud ball landed at the tip of his nose.
"It got into my mouth," Helia coughed before continuing with laughing. He threw a mud ball at Flora and grinned when it hit.
Their loud laughter didn't go unheard. Saladin carried a basket of mushrooms as he made his way back to the tower. When the sound of laughter met his eyes, it confused him as if it was some foreign sound. He quickly exited the bush and was greeted with a mud ball landing in the middle of his face.
Flora gasped and Helia went silent. Saladin messily wiped the mud from his face and flipped his eyes open. At first, shock colored his countenance before raw rage emanated from him.
"Helia! What are you doing outside?" he roared.
Flora winced and Helia had the urge to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be fine, but he didn't. If he did, he would be a liar. Things were definitely not fine.
"I wanted to travel to Magix. I was only going to be gone for one day. Just one day."
"Magix? And who is she?" Saladin hissed, glaring daggers at Flora who almost cowered under his glare.
"Her name is Flora, grandfather. She is a female."
"I can see that she is a female with my own two eyes, Helia."
Helia narrowed his eyes in confusion, not really comprehending what the word "female" meant. He'd ask Flora what it meant later.
"You may not leave!" Saladin continued.
"…I'm leaving."
"No! You won't. You won't, Helia. It is a dangerous world out there."
"I'll be fine. I'll just be going to Magix."
"NO!" Saladin bellowed, frightening Helia. Saladin huffed, out of breath from all the shouting. "Your parents were killed in Magix."
Helia froze as the new discovery dawned on him. "You never told me. Nevertheless, I am still going."
"NO!" Saladin walked over to Flora and laid a loud slap on her cheek.
"Flora!" Helia rushed over to her with frantic eyes as he made sure she was uninjured. When her eyes fluttered open, he sighed with relief before scowling at his grandfather with darkened eyes.
"You will not leave. You'll be killed in Magix just like your parents. The world is dangerous, Helia. Very dangerous."
"I'm still going." Helia took a confident step towards Saladin. Scared, Saladin lifted up a finger threateningly.
"I'm not going to let you kill yourself like your parents did at that place during that one night while they were doing that one thing."
"I won't die! I won't be killed like my parents." Helia kept taking slow, steady steps forward.
"It's dangerous out there, Helia! Stop being naïve and listen to your grandfather! You don't know anything about the world."
"Then I'll find out."
"And get killed in the process?"
"I would rather live my life to the fullest with no regrets and die early than live to an old age and die as a recluse."
"Foolish," Saladin scoffed with a roll of his eyes.
"Call me foolish, but I want to see the world! I've dreamt about seeing the world for years." Helia took one final step towards Saladin so that Saladin's finger was only a centimeter away from Helia's chest. He fiercely gripped Saladin wrist. "I. Am. Going."
Saladin tried to move his hand, but Helia's iron grip stopped his movement. No matter how much strength Saladin used, he couldn't move his wrist. Then his eyes met Helia's slate gray eyes filled with stubborn determination.
Reality finally occurred to Saladin. His baby grandson had grown up. No longer was he a helpless child who needed to be protected; he was a full-fledged man who could easily defend himself and overpower ferocious beasts.
Why hadn't Saladin realized this before? Saladin could no longer blindly trap Helia in a tower. No matter how hard he tried, Helia would always desire to escape and seek adventure. Saladin's efforts were fruitless.
Helia eyebrows rose when Saladin stopped struggling.
"Leave," Saladin whispered. "Leave and don't ever come back." Saladin weakly laughed, jaded and feeling cheated. "I once wanted to see the world too."
"I can…go?" Helia couldn't believe his ears.
"Go! Go with that beautiful woman! Leave! I don't want to see that sickening face of yours anymore."
Helia released his grip and walked over to Flora who had been watching the whole ordeal with anxious eyes. Helia offered his hand, which Flora received with a blush.
"Thank you."
Helia and Flora set off on their journey to Magix. They traveled through the swamp while Flora answered the many questions Helia had such as what a female was. Flora couldn't help laughing at some of his preposterous questions.
The next morning, Magix came into sight and tears of freedom threatened to escape Helia's eyes.
"It's Magix…" he whispered in awe at the ethereal city. His dreams were now reality. "Thank you, Flora. Thank you for opening my world, and showing me the joy in life."
Flora gazed at Helia, her heart beating so loudly and wildly like bongos; she feared that Helia could hear it. "I've finally found you, my long-haired prince. Let's explore the world together, Helia," she whispered before the corners of her lips lifted up into smile.
"But before that, I need to get a new haircut, preferably with layers and bangs."
Flora frowned. "But…I like your long hair. It's attractive."
Helia blinked with blank eyes. "Flora…could it be that long hair is your fetish?"
Flora almost fainted at Helia's bold words and turned her head away in embarrassment. "…Helia…how is it that you don't know what a female is, but you know what the word fetish means?"
"Oh…Because I remember Saladin saying that my deceased grandmother had a fetish for long hair. That's why she married him."
"It runs in the family," Flora whispered to herself in horror. "No wonder your grandpa looked so attractive."
Thanks to my lovely beta xxxMusarockz for taking the time to proofread my works. Thank you Disney for making Tangled. This oneshot was inspired by Tangled and Rapunzel. Reviewers are lovely creatures.