OKAY! I hope you guys like this one! I know it's dialogue heavy, and I'm sorry if you don't like that. Also, I made it longer! :D

Chapter 6- Reaching the Castle

Rapunzel found herself in her tower, all alone. Pascal, Max, and Eugene were out of sight. She wanted to escape, but her hair was gone, and the room was empty. There was nothing to escape with. She was trapped. Rapunzel felt a hand on her shoulder. Her heart raced. This was a woman's hand.

"Thank goodness I finally found you." The voice was familiar, and cold. Rapunzel's eyes filled up with tears, and she wouldn't dare turn around.

"Now, Rapunzel. Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "Go. Away," she said calmly, struggling to get the words out.

"That's no way to talk to your mother," the figure said.

"You are not my mother."

"But I am."

"NO, YOU ARE NOT!", Rapunzel yelled. She turned around to face the woman behind her, only to find that it was the queen.

Rapunzel woke with a start, bolt upright. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed deeply, trying not to cry.

"Bad dream?", Eugene asked, concerned. He had been sitting near Rapunzel after he had woken up, watching her, to make sure nothing bad happened to her.

Rapunzel dropped her arms, slightly startled. She had forgotten that she wasn't alone. "Um… yeah…" she sighed. "What if my mother… my actual mother- the queen. What if she's just as bad as the woman I thought was my mother?"

Flynn chuckled. "She isn't. Do you think they'd let a crazy, princess imprisoning woman run a kingdom?"

Rapunzel laughed at her own foolishness. "I really hadn't thought of that." She looked at Eugene and smiled. "You always seem to know how to make me feel better."

That's a first, Eugene thought. He stood up, and offered Rapunzel his hand. She took it, and then he lifted her up into his arms, and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad."

Maximus and Pascal had woken up, too. Max whinnied as if to say, "let's get on with the day—we have places to be!" Rapunzel and Eugene got the message, and Eugene set Rapunzel back down on the ground. "C'mon. We should get going."

Rapunzel smirked. "Okay. But this time, I'm walking with you." She turned to the horse. "Is that alright with you, Maximus?"

Max nodded. He wasn't going to argue with the princess.

Rapunzel and Eugene walked hand in hand, with Pascal on Rapunzel's shoulder, and Max not too far behind. Rapunzel was barefoot, but she loved feeling the ground underneath her feet. That was something she thought would never get old. After longing to be outside for 18 years, nothing was more fascinating than the grass, and the beaten down earth, and the trees, with the sunlight shining through the leaves. "Can we come out here, to the forest, everyday?" she asked, excited.

"Well…" Eugene thought long and hard about his answer, not wanting to lose credibility as the guy who always said the right thing. "You'll be having so much fun in the castle, that we might not have time to go out here everyday."

Rapunzel frowned slightly. "Is… Is the castle just going to be another tower for me?"

"No!" Eugene said, a bit too quickly. "No… you'll have family that loves you. Actually loves you. You'll have a father, now, and" he smirked. "You'll have me."

Rapunzel smiled. Ohhhhhh yeah, Eugene thought happily. I'm still that guy.

The four of them didn't have to travel for very long until they had reached the border of the kingdom. Rapunzel's heart fluttered, and Eugene's sank. He suddenly stopped walking, which made Rapunzel stop, too.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "We're almost there!"

He sighed. "I know." He squeezed Rapunzel's hand. "That's what I'm afraid of. What do we do now?"

Rapunzel looked at him and smiled a bit. "For once, you're the person asking the questions."

Eugene smirked. "Does that make you the person with the answers?"

"Hm. I hope so." Rapunzel smiled. "You got into the castle once before, to steal my crown… We can get in that way!"

"Well, I'm afraid not…" Eugene ran his fingers through his hair with the hand that wasn't holding Rapunzel's. "I used rope, and I left that, along with all my other theifly tools in my satchel, and I don't have that anymore."

"Oh…" Rapunzel's face dropped. "Don't worry. We'll think of something."

They stood there for a second in silence, looking out at the kingdom, and thinking, when Max whinnied to get their attention.

"Yeah, we know you're impatient, Max," Eugene said. "We'll get you home soon."

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Home! Oh my gosh, that's right!"

Eugene stared at her, confused. "Did you really forget that you're going to live there someday?"

"No, Maximus!" Rapunzel was beaming, while Eugene was still very confused. She saw the confusion on his face, and added, "He's our ticket in! If we look like the people that are returning the lost palace horse, they won't be able to hurt us!"

Eugene chuckled, slightly surprised. "I didn't know you were that devious."

"So is it a good plan?" Rapunzel asked innocently.

"It might work."

Eugene held his breath as he and Rapunzel neared the castle. The kingdom wasn't as crowded as it had been the day before, but it was still buzzing with people. There was so much color everywhere, everyone was smiling, the sun was shining brightly, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Rapunzel couldn't help but smile. At last, she thought, my life has begun. I'm where I belong. Eugene was thinking I hope that Corona's security system hasn't improved since yesterday. Max was thinking I would love some more apples right about now, and Pascal was thinking I hope the king and queen like chameleons. Rapunzel could sense Eugene's anxiety. "Don't worry," she said. "Things will work out."

They didn't get stopped until they reached the palace doors. The guard gave Eugene a fierce look, and raised his weapon. "Where do you think you're going?"

Eugene tried to look innocent and apologetic. He raised his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, for all the pain that I've caused. Really." The guard didn't seem convinced, so he continued. "I'm just here to return Maximus. I found him lost in the forest, and I've been taking good care of him. I would like to return him to the king and queen, and also personally apologize for all the damage I've done."

Max nodded, and the guard narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he said coldly and reluctantly. "But I have to accompany you. And if—when you try something, you are going to be hung. Just like you were supposed to yesterday. Got it?"

Eugene nodded. "Thank you so much, sir!" Rapunzel tried not to laugh.

The inside of the castle was gorgeous. It was everything Rapunzel thought it would be. Eugene suddenly realized that he could be living here soon… maybe. The guard said nothing as they walked through the long hallway, and then he opened the double-doors of the king and queen's room. Rapunzel's heart was hammering. Eugene's was too. The king and queen just stared, confused.

The guard cleared his throat. "Your majesties… This thief has something to say to you."

Eugene bowed. Rapunzel took the cue, and bowed as well, before remembering that ladies curtsy. "Your highnesses…" Eugene began. "I would like to start off by saying that I am very sorry for stealing your daughter's crown. I truly regret it. I've learned recently that there are things that matter more than money." Rapunzel blushed at that. Eugene continued. "I found this palace horse- Maximus- and I wanted to return him personally, and to apologize. And… also…" Okay, okay, Rapunzel thought. Here it comes. "I've found something else. Someone else."

Rapunzel's heart was hammering in her chest. She waved meekly. "Hello, your… majesties. My name's Rapunzel…" she looked at Eugene. "And I'm your daughter."

The king, the queen, and the guard stared in aw. The queen was the first to speak. "Do you know how long we've been waiting for our daughter to return?"

Rapunzel smiled. "Yes, 18 years, and one day!"

The queen continued. "Exactly," she said, her voice choked up. "Do you know how many people we've seen claiming to be our daughter?"

Eugene's heart sunk. This is what I was afraid of.

Rapunzel was holding back tears. "…..No…. But I'm the lost princess, I promise. I'm not lying to you! Every year on my birthday, I would see the lanterns, and I knew, somehow I knew that they were meant for me. Surely that's a sign!"

The queen shut her eyes. "Don't say that. I know it's not true. You're just working with this theif."

Rapunzel started to cry. She couldn't hold it in anymore. "No! I'm telling the truth! I had golden, magical hair, and it healed people, but then it got cut off and turned brown. That's why I don't look the same. But it's really me! Please believe me!" She looked desperately at her parents, with tears filling her eyes, and running down her cheeks. "Please!"

The king spoke next. "I think you should go." He turned to the guard, and said "Don't punish these two. Let them be. They returned Maximus, and for that," he turned to Eugene, "we are thankful. But we're not ready to trust you yet."

Rapunzel had no more words. The guard took her and Eugene by the arms, and pulled them out of the room. Rapunzel turned around one last time to look at her parents, and then the big double-doors shut behind her.

A/N: Don't worry. It's not the end. I know where I'm going with this. ;)