Here is the first (official) chapter of my Tangled fan fiction. Enjoy. :)
Eugene kept five-year-old Lillian secure in front of him as he rode his horse through the forest. Rapunzel rode on Maximus next to them, and laughed at the look of pure joy on her young daughter's face. Her chestnut hair had grown quite a bit, and now it was down to her waist. Suddenly, Eugene stopped the horse, lifted Lillian into his arms, and leapt skilfully off. He placed his daughter on the ground, and she ran off, barefoot, into the forest to explore.
"Don't let her out of your sight," Rapunzel told him. "I'm going back to the palace, but I'll be back soon."
"Don't worry; we'll be fine," Eugene assured her. Rapunzel leaned down and kiss his cheek, before turning her horse around, and galloping off. Eugene waved, and turned to find Lillian.
"Lilly!" he called. "Don't run too far, sweetheart!" He headed in the direction he saw her run.
Lilly heard her father call, and she giggled, stopping in front of a big, vine-covered rock. She looked around for a hiding place. She leaned against the rock, and fell through the vines.
"Oof!"
Quickly getting to her feet, she saw she was in a tunnel. Her green eyes went wide.
"Whoa…" Curiosity getting the better of her, and forgetting about her father, she walked through the rock tunnel, and out the other side. What she saw took her breath away. She was in a small field of tall grass, and flowers. In the middle of it was a tower, tall, and crumbling, but it still looked lovely. Lilly ran up to it, and all around it, looking for a door to get in by, but found none.
"It's the oddest thing I'd ever seen," she exclaimed to herself. "Ever more odder than the snail with no house." She circled around again, looking more carefully, until she came to the back. There were stones filling up a hole, though some had been pulled out of place. Lilly tugged at a few more, and they opened up the hole, revealing a narrow, spiral staircase going up. It was dark, damp, and Lilly was sure there were plenty of spiders on the way up, but she climbed them anyway, holding up the hem of her pale blue dress so she wouldn't trip.
She finally made it to the top. Crawling out of the hole in the floor, she cringed at the dust everywhere. She stood up straight, and looked around. It was empty, but someone had obviously lived there at some point; there was furniture, and paintings covered the walls. On the floor, a length of long, brown hair lay tangled in a heap. It was light, and the sun was warm, but she felt cold, like someone was there with her. Suddenly, she heard soft singing. The voice was frightening, but the words were beautiful.
"Flower, gleam and glow,
Let your power shine.
Make the clock reverse.
Bring back what once was mine."
She gasped as she felt someone softly tugging at her waist-length hair, as though stroking it, though there was no one there, and a soft tingling on her scalp, giving her goose bumps all over.
"Heal what has been hurt.
Change the fates design.
Save what has been lost.
Bring back what once was mine,
What once was mine."
The singing stopped, and Lilly turned around to see who it was. In front of her stood a tall, ancient looking woman in a red gown, with white hair. Her smile looked terrifying, but that was probably because she had little to no teeth, and her face was all wrinkles.
"The magic would work better, of course, if you sang it," she said simply. Lilly just stared.
"Magic?" she asked softly.
"Your hair is magic," the woman replied. "It can heal people."
"Did it heal you?" Lilly asked, still in a whisper.
"I was dead, but my ghost sang the song, and brushed your hair. It worked enough for me to come back, though very old. I would become young again if you sang it." Lilly dared not disobey, but sat on the floor as the old woman kneeled behind her, and began to gently brush her hair.
"Flower gleam and glow,
Let your power shine.
Make the clock reverse.
Bring back what once was mine."
Lilly noticed her hair starting to flicker slightly, a soft, pale blue glow snaking it's way down her golden locks. Though frightened, she kept singing.
"Heal what has been hurt.
Change the fates design.
Save what has been lost.
Bring back what once was mine,
What once was mine."
Taking a deep breath, she turned and looked back at the woman. She looked… pretty now. Beautiful even. Lilly relaxed.
"Why does my hair glow?" she asked innocently.
"Magic," the woman replied. "Your mother had magic hair, so you do, too."
"Wow…"
"Lilly!" a faint call came to their ears. Lilly gasped.
"Papa!" she cried. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"Oh, but will you come back tomorrow?" the woman asked sweetly. "I'll need your magic again." Lilly bit her lip as she considered.
"I'll try," she promised.
"Good," the woman smiled. "But don't tell anyone; it'll be our secret. Promise?" She put her finger to her lips to emphasise.
"Okay," Lilly agreed. "Promise." She climbed back down the stairs. When she was at the foot of the tower, she looked back up to see the woman waving from the window.
"Goodbye!" she called.
"Lillian!" Eugene called again. Lilly ran back through the tunnel.
When she came out, she looked around, hoping her father hadn't seen her. Luckily, he had his back to her, so she snuck around, and ran towards him from the left.
"Hi, Papa!" she cried, jumping into his arms.
"Hey, sweety," he said, kissing her hair. "Mama wants us back home now, okay?"
"Yes, Papa." She hugged his neck as he carried her towards the waiting princess and horses. "Maybe Nanna will make you that dress she promised today," Eugene added.
Please review! :D