Once again thanks for the reviews you guys. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I like writing it.

Now, on to the next chap.

Do you trust me

I can't believe I'm really doing this!

Fear and excitement coursed through every fiber of her being, dissolving her innate inhibitions, sending shivers tingling down her spine, and her stomach fluttering with anticipation—the anticipation to finally help someone, to actually help someone other than her mother.

But if she said she wasn't terrified, she would be telling nothing but lies. She was absolutely frightened, looking down at his injured form. She knew she was taking a huge gamble by helping him.

Would he be nice or hostile?

Would he talk to her? Become her friend, perhaps?

Her heart raced at the idea alone. Someone her age, speaking to her, relating to her, telling her of the world beyond the tower.

Not now.

She shook her mind clear of those thoughts.

Right now she needed to help him, whatever the outcome may be.

Rapunzel knelt at the boy's side, looking down at him tentatively, uncertain of what to do… and what to touch. Her cheeks burned, face flushing with embarrassment as she stretched out shaky hands. She had never put her hands on anybody but her mother before. And especially not a male, or a boy who looked so close to her in age.

She looked at his face once more, heart fluttering at the sight of his angular visage. What was it about this boy's face that she couldn't get over? That she couldn't turn her eyes away for a single second. It was strange. She felt so drawn to him. Like she had been destined to meet him.

Was it his peculiar whiskered cheeks?

Or his bright blue eyes?

"Aargh!"

His cry of agony returned her to the task at hand. She needed to focus and ignore the fact that he was the first person—save for her mother—that she had ever seen.

And when she looked down at him once more, her eyes went wide with alarm and dread. His skin looked too pale, the light in his eyes slowly but surely leaving him. He was dying, shivering harshly against her body, his exposed flesh cold to the touch. If she didn't do anything soon he would leave this earth even quicker.

She nervously leaned closer to him.

"I-I'm going to help you, ok?" She cursed the slight waver in her voice.

She couldn't show him fear.

The young man nodded slowly, his gaze locking with hers in gratitude.

If anything, Rapunzel was truly surprised by the fact that she could ignore the blood on his body. She had never seen so much of it, but she still didn't care. If seeing blood meant that he would live, then she gladly welcomed the sight.

"Can you still stand?" She asked carefully, hoping she wasn't demanding too much of him.

He nodded once more. And slowly, tenderly, she wrapped her arms around his armored waste, cheeks flushing red due to the closeness of such a position. Despite this, she still managed to help him to his feet. His left leg trembled uncontrollably, a deep gash painting his dark pants red with blood.

She ignored the gruesome wound, while wondering who would injure a person so young. Was the world outside her tower so harsh that even children like her were fair game for those larger than them?

He wrapped his left arm around her shoulder. She gasped as his weight pushed down on her, her own legs buckling beneath her, struggling to support his heavy body.

Rapunzel grit her teeth in determination. She had to get him to her room first. At the moment she could do nothing to help him, because her mother was still sleeping a few meters ahead of them.

And if her mother awoke because of them…

She didn't even want to think about the consequences. Not only for her, but for the strange boy dying by her side.

"Thank you..."

Rapunzel started at the sound of his voice, surprised by how soft and innocent it sounded.

She whispered, "For what?"

Even in the dimness of the tower, she could see his features curl into a small smile.

"For not," he coughed, "For not leaving me… to die."

His words were genuine. She could tell. Her eyes found his in the darkness. Emerald meeting Sapphire.

She soon found herself staring, and froze, swiftly turning her gaze away in embarrassment.

"I-It's ok." She replied.

They moved on the rest of the way in silence, her legs already burning with exertion. With all that armor he had on, it was a wonder how she could even support him.

Why is a dressed like that, anyway?

She wanted to ask, but the words never left her lips. Now was not the time to be asking such questions. His life was practically in her hands. He was depending on her. Needed her. So the questions would be for a later time.

"Who… do you live with?"

Rapunzel stiffened at the question.

"My mother… she lives with me."

For a long while they walked through the hallway that would have taken her moments to cross alone. Rapunzel could feel her heart rate rise. They were approaching her mother's room. The very room she hated sneaking past. It had been hard enough crossing it on her own. But now, she was practically carrying someone.

Maybe this had been a bad idea from the start.

The way she saw it now, things could only end in a disaster. Her mother would soon awake, punish her, and throw this boy out into the dark night. But no matter the odds against her, she just couldn't—wouldn't give up, and let this boy die. Something within her would not allow it.

"Naruto." He coughed.

Rapunzel looked at him with confusion.

"Hmm…?"

"I… never told you my name." He smiled faintly. "It's Naruto."

Naruto. She thought, the strange, foreign name bouncing around in her head.

Her lips curled into a shy smile. "I'm Rapunzel."

"Nice… to meet you, Rapunzel." He spoke softly, sagging in her arms.

Her eyes widened.

"Please don't give up. We're almost there."

It was as though her words renewed his strength, because he stood up once more, right arm wrapping tighter around her shoulder.

When they reached the side of her mother's open door, Rapunzel stopped abruptly. Naruto groaned lightly at the sudden stop, but didn't complain. Why would he?

She turned to him with a fearful look.

"Um, my mother," she began. "She won't like it if she sees you here. So we need to be super quite, or we'll be in trouble."

Confusion spread across Naruto's features, his dim eyes widening.

"But-"

Rapunzel cut in, whispering. "Please believe me." She begged. "I can help you if we get to my room."

A lingering pause followed. And then the blonde stranger nodded.

"Ok…"

She nodded as well and made the first shaky steps past her slumbering mother's door. She was tense, body moving slower than ever before. Naruto followed suit, walking as stealthily as an injured person could.

Creak!

The sound rang once more, yet she didn't stop.

Creak!

She moved on.

Creak!

Rapunzel didn't look back as they finally made it past the open door. She waited for a moment, listening intently, waiting to see if her mother had finally awakened.

Nothing. No movement, or groggy murmurs from her mother.

She breathed a small and relieved sigh, sending a happy smile toward Naruto.

But he looked far to pale. His eyes staring into space.

Her smile fell. He needed her help now.

When they finally reached her room, Rapunzel could support him no longer. She fell, pulling Naruto down with her to the soft, carpeted floor. Even then, he still moaned in agony as they made contact with the ground.

She shot up like a bullet at the pained sound. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

And then she was at his side, helping him to roll on his back, where she could see all the wounds that marred his body. His breastplate was cracked, his clothes all but torn, his left arm and right leg gravely injured.

"Who did this to you…?"

She didn't even notice the words as they left her lips. But he still responded, panting as he struggled to sit up.

"A war… battle, soldier's everywhere…" He managed through gritted teeth.

Rapunzel gently eased him back to the ground, letting his head rest on her lap.

"Don't get up yet," she spoke softly, looking down at him nervously. "I-I'm going to heal you."

His blue eyes studied her. "H… how…?"

She swallowed hard, fear suddenly filling her again. The Fear of the rejection she might face when she used her unique ability to heal him. For some reason she didn't want him to reject her. There was just something about him. Something strange, yet alluring. Something she wanted to know in full.

"Please don't freak out."

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Freak ou-"

"Do you trust me?"

It was a question so sudden and demanding, that Rapunzel was surprised she had even asked it. She regretted it instantly. Why would he trust her? She had just met him.

But contrary to her expectations, he actually nodded.

"You…" He managed between breaths, "chose to help me after all. So I trust you."

Unbidden, a small smile founds its way to her lips, cheeks reddening in the dim light of her room. He trusted her. He actually trusted her.

"Hold still, ok? I'm going to… to sing for you."

The blonde soldier looked at her with something akin to befuddlement. But she ignored it, holding his head gently in her lap. If the situation hadn't been so dire, then she would have been beyond embarrassed, having him so close to her, in her arms. Even now she couldn't help but avoid his piercing sapphire eyes.

Rapunzel took in a deep, shuddering breath. She made sure that her lengthy blonde locks were in contact with his bleeding skull, shrouding his blonde hair with hers. To her surprise he didn't protest and stayed perfectly still, patiently awaiting the sound of her voice.

Here we go.

She inhaled slowly.

"Flower gleam and glow…"

The opening words of that song left her lips, filling her with confidence and courage. The courage to help this boy resting in her lap.

"Let your power shine…"

She could feel it, that familiar energy coursing through her body, down her hair, and into him.

"Make the clock reverse…" Light flowed through her hair, golden and beautiful, illuminating her dark and silent room. She felt Naruto stiffen in her tiny lap, breath hitching in his throat, absorbing the energy emanating from her like a sponge.

"Bring back what once was mine…"

His body started to glow, eyes burning with golden fire. Such a thing had never happened when she sang to her mother. Yet she didn't let that hinder her.

"Heal what has been hurt…" Flickering flames covered him, the wounds to his skull healing, the gash on his thigh receding, the blood on his clothes evaporating like water in the sun.

"Change the fate's design…"

"Save what has been lost…"

"Bring back what once was lost…"

"What once was mine..."

With those last words lingering in the air, Rapunzel tightly shut her eyes. She was waiting—waiting to hear his inevitable reaction as the golden lights filling the darkness receded. He stirred on her lap, rising up with a surprised gasp. He looked at his legs, then his arms, then he touched his face with trembling hands.

There was a stunned silence.

She clenched her hands, expecting, waiting for him to scream in terror at her miraculous healing abilities.

"That was amazing!"

The young boy exploded, turning to her with wide eyes.

Rapunzel almost gasped, emerald eyes opening to his grinning face.

"W-Wait, what?"

"That was amazing!" He repeated while rubbing his golden hair.

Her mouth opened dumbly, mind unable to believe he wasn't frightened in the slightest. "You mean… you're not scared?"

His eyes brightened as he sat up, jumping up and down, testing his legs for any remaining damage, any lasting pain or hindrances. He found none.

"Of course not." Naruto turned to her with a strange, almost disbelieving look. "You just saved my life."

Stunned into silence, Rapunzel could not believe what she was hearing, her mind going completely blank.

Maybe, just maybe she would finally have a friend.

I don't know what it is about Tangled that I love so much. This movie is just awesome! Anyways, it seems that Rapunzel has found a life long companion in a blonde, orange-loving idiot. And what was up with that light show? Are Naruto and Rapunzel more intertwined than they realize?

Ages: as said earlier in the story, Rapunzel at the moment is six. I imagine that she was very smart at that age and was able to make decisions. And no, she is not in love with Naruto... yet. She's far too young. She's just so curious and nervous about meeting the opposite sex for the first time, that she's can't help but react in a natural way (Blushing, flushing, heart racing, all that good stuff). The first time I remember being attracted to girls was when I was seven, so I'm sure her reactions aren't too unrealistic, or far-fetched.

Naruto's age will be told in the next chapter.

Wow, that was a ton of words.

Hope you guys enjoyed!