Fiona woke up to the doors of her cell creaking open. She glanced up at Maxin.
"Ma-"
"Silence prisoner."
Four other guards came around the corner.
"Let's get this over with."
"What...?" Fiona glanced out the cell window. A guard was stringing a noose onto a large wooden arch. "Oh..."
Rapunzle sighed as his father loosened the last braid.
"There it never happened. Now, wash up for dinner. I'll make you favorite."
Rapunzle continued to stare down at his hands. Gothen sighed.
"I really did try Rapunzle. I tried to warn you about what was out there. The world is dark, selfish and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it."
Gothen closed the curtains and walked away. Rapunzle sighed and opened his hands. He opened up the crumpled purple handkerchief that Edna bought him at the market. It was a sun. The same sun that had been plastered all over the kingdom. The royal crest.
Rapunzle held back tears and laid down on his bed. He held the handkerchief to his heart and stared up at his paintings. Something was odd. He looked back at the sun and then back up at the paintings. He went back and forth until suddenly, the sun began to appear in his paintings. Within moments, his entire ceiling was covered in suns.
Rapunzle recalled a certain mural her say in the square. It was the king and queen holding their newborn son, who had long blonde hair. The woman and her daughter sitting at the mural told Rapunzle the story of the lost prince. And how a strange man entered the prince's chambers the night of his birthday and stole him. The king and queen only caught a glimpse of the figure. He was an old man.
Rapunzle held his forehead as another image became clear. The image that constantly appeared in Rapunzle's dreams. A floating model, above his crib as a baby, with the sun right in the middle. The faint figure of a couple, with dark brown hair and golden crowns. They were the king and queen.
But why are the king and queen in my-
Rapunzle gasped and crashed into his dresser. He stared right at the doorway.
Fiona accepted the handcuffs and followed the guards through the prison. She came across a small cell with the sisters in it. Fiona became overwhelmed with anger and knocked the guards holding her aside and lunged at the sisters.
"HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM? TELL ME NOW!"
"I-it wasn't us! It was the old man!"
"Old man..."
Fiona was grabbed by the guards and pulled along.
"NO PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME HE'S IN TROUBLE!"
"Rapunzle?" Rapunzle stiffened. "Rapunzle what's going on up there?"
He caught his breath and straightened up. He crossed the room and pushed open the curtains.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm the lost prince..."
"Rapunzle you're mumbling...you know how I hate it when you-"
"I am the lost prince. Aren't I?"
Gothen's eyes widened.
"Did I mumble...father? Or should I even call you that?"
"Oh Rapunzle please..." His voice cracked. "You're being silly. Why would ask such a ridiculous question?"
"IT WAS YOU! It was all you!"
Gothen's eyes narrowed.
"Everything I did was to protect you."
Rapunzle scoffed and pushed past him.
"I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my powers...when I should've been hiding from you."
"Where will you go? She won't be there for you."
"What have you done to her?"
"That criminal is to be hanged for her crimes."
Rapunzle froze. "No..."
"Now now it's alright." Gothen approached him. "All of this is as it should b-"
"NO!" Rapunzle grabbed Gothen's raised arm. "You were wrong about the world...and you were wrong about me."
Gothen tried to struggle.
"And I will NEVER let you use me for my powers...again."
Rapunzle released him and Gothen stumbled back. Rapunzle gathered as much hair as he could and walked away. He didn't hear Gothen mutter under his breath.
"You want me to be the bad guy? Fine...now I'm the bad guy."
Fiona struggled all along the passage. She bored her eyes into Maxin's stiff back. Why is she betraying me like this? Suddenly, Maxin stopped. The four guards among Fiona looked at each other in confusion. Fiona spotted a tiny unicorn sitting on the windowsill.
The door slammed at the end of the passage. The other guards tried to open it.
"CAPTAIN IT'S LOCKED!"
"I know..."
Maxin headbutted the guard closest to her. Two of the others were snatched up from something in the ceiling. The last guard holding Fiona looked around in dismay and let her go. She smirked and punched him in the nose.
"Let's get out of here."
Maxin and Fiona went running through the now open door. They kept running as more and more guards came after them. The ladies from the Ugly Duckling helped fend off the guards. They reached the square.
"What do we do know?"
"Now...you take Sniper."
"Excuse me?"
"The fastest horse in the royal guard...my horse."
Maxin whistled. An elegant black steed came trotting around the corner.
"T-thank you Maxin...I...no really thank you...I feel like all this time we just misunderstood each other and-"
"Shut up and get your boyfriend back."
"Oh right."
Fiona jumped on the horse.
"Just don't die Fitzherbet."
"See ya in a couple hours horsebrain. YA!"
Fiona rode through the square at lightning speed towards her target.
"Come on Sniper...let's see how fast you can run..."
They rode all the way to Rapunzle's tower. Fiona jumped off the horse and yelled up to the top.
"RAPUNZLE?! ...RAPUNZLE LET DOWN YOUR HAIR!"
Fiona began to climb the stones. She heard the doors creak opened. A wave familiar blonde hair came tumbling towards her. She climbed it as fast as she could.
"Rapunzle...oh Rapunzle I thought I'd never see you agai-"
Fiona gasped. Rapunzle was chained to the floor and gagged. His voice was muffled.
Edmmma Fook OUUU! (edna look out)
Fiona froze as Rapunzle's father drew a knife to her neck. She kept her eyes on Rapunzle.
"Tsk tsk tsk...I always thought you were better than this child. You were always such a clever little thing. Little Edna Fitzherbert who always took care of the little ones. You and that...Geraldine girl...such a waste of beauty..."
Fiona kept her eyes locked with Rapunzle's.
"You're that old man...the old man you stole the paints...you nearly got Geraldine arrested! And you...you..."
"I started your little careen didn't I? Isn't that peculiar...the only thing standing between me and my son...is the easiest thing...to KILL!"
Rapunzle screamed as Gothen stabbed her in the side. He yanked out the knife and let her crumple to the floor. He dropped the knife at her side.
"Now look what you've done Rapunzle? ...Oh don't worry son...our secret will die with her..."
Gothen unlatched Rapunzle chains and pulled him towards the secret passage.
"As for us...we are going somewhere were no one will ever find you...again. STOP STRUGGLING!"
"NO!" Rapunzle's gag fell off. "I won't stop...for every minute for the rest of my life I will fight...I will never stop trying to get away from you...but...if you let me heal her...I will go."
"No..." Edna struggled towards him. "Don't you even dare..."
"I'll never run...I'll never try to escape...just...please...let me heal her...I promise..."
Gothen glared down at him. "Fine..."
He unhooked Rapunzle's chains and crossed the room to Edna. He chained her to the stair case.
"In case you get any ideas about following us..." He walked away.
Rapunzle ran to her immediately.
"Edna...oh Edna..." He carefully moved her hand from her wound. There was a lot of blood. "Oh...I'm so sorry Edna...I'm so sorry this is all my fault...everything is going to be ok though."
Edna rejected the hair he was starting to place on her wound.
"No Rapunzle...don't..."
"You have to trust me just..."
"I can't let you do this."
Rapunzle choked back tears. "And I can't let you die..."
"But if you do this he'll-"
"Shshshshshhhh...it's going to be alright..."
Rapunzle started to place more hair.
"Rapunzle...wait..." He turned to her. She cupped his cheek. "Can't I get a kiss first?"
Rapunzle cracked a small smile and leaned down. His eyes widened as Edna reached for the bloody knife and cut off his hair. Edna collapsed in his arms.
"Edna wha-"
Rapunzle turned to a horrified Gothen in shock.
"NO!"
Rapunzle watched as every inch of his hair turned dark brown. It snaked all around the room. Gothen desperately pulled at the last blonde pieces and choked as the last of it turned brown. His hand began to wither into dust.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Gothen stumbled backwards towards the door. Rapunzle flinched as the withering form stumbled out of the open window.
Rapunzle turned back to Edna and gasped.
"Nonononono Edna...stay with me Edna please..."
Edna coughed lightly.
"Look at me I'm right here look at me..."
He raised her hand to his brown head.
flowergleamandglow letyoupwershiiine
"Hey..."
maketheclockreverse bringbackwhatoncewasmine
"Rapunzle..."
He looked down at her.
"What?"
"You are my new dream...ok?"
Rapunzle squeezed her hand.
"And you...are mine..."
Edna cracked the smallest smile and shut her eyes. Rapunzle's breath caught as she went limp. His eyes filled with tears. He caressed her cheek.
Heal...what has been hurt...
Change the fates' design...
Save what has been lost...
Bring back what once was mine...
"...what once was mine."
Rapunzle put his head down and weeped.
A single tear dripped onto Edna's cheek. That single tear melted into Edna's cheek. Rapunzle glanced at her wound to see billows of light weaving around them and forming a shining golden flower.
He examined the wound and saw that blood was gone. He turned to her face and smiled. Edna gasped to life and opened her eyes.
"Rapunzle?"
"...Edna?"
She smirked at him.
"Did I ever tell you I had a thing for brunettes?"
Rapunzle laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. As they leaned back, Rapunzle chuckled and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Once they seperated, Rapunzle was practically on top of Edna on a pile of hair.
"As much as I want to tear you shirt of right now...we should get back to the kingdom..."
Rapunzle blushed and sat up.
"Yup you're right...we should um..."
They sat up and glanced around. Rapunzle scratched his head.
"Are you really sure because I have a really nice bed upstairs and-"
"Hey now! We have errands to run sweet cheeks. I gotta clear my name and we gotta get Maxin to find your real parents."
"I can help with both of those things..."
They glanced around again.
"How to we get out of here?"
"...oh secret passage...over there...that one..."
"You never knew that existed?"
"Can we not...Edna...please?"
ALRIIIIIIIIIGHT
next chapter is the end
I'm combining the family reunion with the ending monologue.
So look forward to that :D