But it wasn't the same.
AN: I was sad today. What if the tears had no power?
Rapunzel held the body of her new dream in her lap. Eugene had saved her from her terrible promise to Mother. The terrible promise that was supposed to have saved him. She needed him. She loved him and she didn't know how to give that up. Mother's screams still echoed in her mind.
"EUGENE!"
it was a cry, a wail, a dirge, a call that would make any man claw his way out of his own grave to answer. Eugene almost did, only all the combined forces of Heaven, Earth and Hell could hold him back, and the angels and the demons wept to do it, for it would have destroyed
EVERYTHING.
Eventually, there were no more tears left for her beloved thief, and the numbness began to take her. She ever so gently put down the head of Eugene and stood, she went over to Mother's bed and took the blanket and covered his cooling body with one first, last and only kiss. Steeling herself to leave she stood up straight and took a step toward Pascal and the window sweeping her arm back for her hair so she could go down.
She stopped in surprise when her hand came back empty. She looked at her empty hand and then through her fingers she could see the limp, lifeless loops of her formerly magic hair.
Rapunzel crashed to the floor in a crumpled heap. The utter despair of having lost everything that had defined her whole life crushed her to the floor. There were tears left for this and strength enough to life herself up on her arms, throw back her head and utter a throat wrenching wail of utter grief and inconsolable loss. The tears steaming into her ears. All strength leaving her, she falls again to the hard, cold tile floor a sobbing mass of sadness.
Pascal slow limps over to her and gives her wet face a nuzzle. Through her sobs Rapunzel slowly and gently strokes her only remaining friend in the world.
{I'm sorry he's gone, I was beginning to like him.} says Pascal in animal-speech.
{I know, so am I.} replies Rapunzel.
{To live is to die, someday.}
{But did it have to be today?}
{Is there ever a good day?}
"No." Rapunzel cries out in human despair as the sobs take her again, writhing on the cold, cold floor in agony of soul.
The numbness comes for this too. Slowly the tears stop and the strength returns to her limbs, Feeling her own emotional fragility, she doesn't look at her hair or blanket by the stairs, or much of anything really. She plucks Mothers spare cloak off of the hook by the window, leaving the shoes that didn't fit and with Pascal on her shoulder, she moves to the ladder that leads into the depths of the tower and freedom and home.
Ever so carefully she moves down the ladder, counting each step and rung to distract herself from everything that is above her. A small part of her still wants to live, to find her real parents, they might love her and she could love them, but it won't be the same, will it?
She pauses coming out of the base of the tower, blinking in the bright sunshine. She didn't really know the way to the kingdom, but she was pretty sure if she could find the road to the Snuggly Duckling she'd find a way. There was love out there for her to share, wasn't there? She was going to find out.
Settling the cloak on her shoulders she moved around the tower. Maximus trotted up to her.
Rapunzel almost smiled, {Max, you're here. It's so good to see you.}
{It is good to see you again, too,} Max looked around, {Where is Eugene?}
{I'm sorry Max, He saved me, but I couldn't save him.}
{Oh. He was a good rider. I shall miss him.}
{I miss him, too.}
Rapunzel wrapper her arms around his neck and hugged him. Her sadness was beyond tears now, but his warmth was reassuring that she still lived.
Finally, she broke the embrace and then she saw it. At the base of the tower was the black cloak and the red dress, held down by a crumbling pile of dust. She took the steps toward it and fell to her knees, her limbs with just enough strength to hold her up, her arms limp at her sides. Her emotions wanted to war with each other, grief for the loss of Mother, even though she hadn't been her real mother and hate for all the years of pain, but the numbness had claimed her.
Max put his head next to hers and asked {Who was this?}
{It was Mother, but not my mother. A lie, she was the one that took me.}
{It is best to leave lies behind for truth.}
{Yes, the truth. I am the Lost Princess.}
{Truly!} Max asked happily.
{Yes.} Rapunzel replied sadly.
{Then I know where you need to ride to, and I can take you there quickly.}
{Thank you, Max. I need the ride, I have no strength. You are a good horse.}
{Come, I will take you to the stallion that sired you and the mare that foaled you and you will be happy again.}
{I hope so Max, but not yet.}
She sat there a long time, the sun moved in its appointed way across the sky. Palace guards came chasing Flynn Rider and found her there still.
The sergeant leading the group was happy to see Max, but could feel the despair coming from Rapunzel. Something terrible had happened here. Waving his men to silence he approached, carefully.
"I love you more. Good-bye, Mother. "
Rapunzel looked up at the guard, and his heart broke to see the sadness in those great, green eyes. "Hello, ma'am. Are you all right?"
"No."
"Can we help you? "
"Yes. I am the Lost Princess. This was Mother, she stole me as a baby and kept me in this tower to keep my power to herself. She was killed by Flynn Rider, who died to set me free. His body is above." Her face was a mask of sadness.
The guards were happy that Flynn Rider was dead, but they did not want to disturb this inconsolable grief they were unprepared for.
They had standing orders to bring in any claiming to be the Lost Princess at all costs. They formed a guard of honor for her and her grief.
Rapunzel passed the Test of the Lost Princess and was reunited with her parents, who listened to her story. There were tears, there was a celebration, but it wasn't the same.
The king declared Eugene Fitzherbert a Hero and they gave him a state funeral and his tomb read:
- Flynn Rider / Eugene Fitzherbert -
- Hero -
- The Lost Princess -
But it wasn't the same.
Rapunzel was a good, kind and wise princess, but it wasn't the same.
Her people and her parents loved her and she them, but it wasn't the same.
Her parents found a great-hearted man to be her consort and he loved her and in time she came to love him, but it wasn't the same.
She bore heirs and children, and she loved them, but it wasn't the same.
They forgot Flynn Rider was a thief, they forgot he was a rogue, but they always remembered he was the lost hero.
She ruled wisely and well, and she loved the people and they her, but it wasn't the same.
For her birthday she was happy and gay. But forever more the day after her birthday was a day of mourning for the price one pays for special gifts and true love and lost heroes, and they launched lanterns,
but it was never the same again.
This was the hardest story to write, physically and emotionally. I cried through most of it and my arms were weak and my fingers were shaking. Sorry, that it was full of mistakes, it's hard to edit a story when your eyes are full of tears.
I have been missing a special person in our lives.
This story came out of that grief. Tears are allowed.
Let me know if you cried, too.