A/N: It's time for Hiccup and Rapunzel to meet! Ah! I can't wait to write this interaction between these two characters. Let's not waste any more time, let's jump in!

(Normal pov— Germany)

As soon as Gothel returned to the tower, Rapunzel placed her cooled cookies in a jar before getting to work on preparing a meal for them both. It was yet another routine she had been accustomed to for years, whenever Gothel would come home, she was tasked with preparing a meal for her. While Rapunzel was cooking, she suddenly found herself smiling to herself, she would dream of cooking for the love of her life, preparing him a nice meal after a hard day.

Alas, so long as Rapunzel was kept inside the tower, she would never have the chance to find love and settle with the man she was meant to be with.

When Gothel joined Rapunzel to eat, the lost princess ate in silence, her mind drowning in thoughts of adventure, exploration, traveling, and seeing the world. Her readings on fairy tales of adventure, peril, and the unknown excites her to no end, even her latest readings on Ragnar Lothbrok and his saga only fanned the flames of her desires of a life risk, discovery, and adventure.

Rapunzel was so wrapped up in her thoughts that Gothel had taken notice, instead of the energetic, talkative blond she was used to whenever she would return home, she was met with a silent, engrossed blond.

"Rapunzel, you've been... unusually, and uncharacteristically quiet ever since I returned. Would you care to share what's going on in that head of yours?"

After having the last bite of her midday meal, Rapunzel looked into Gothel's eyes and spoke in a dry tone. "What does it matter? You'll either deem it as foolishness or push it aside," she then rose to clean her dishes, but she could feel Gothel's gaze bearing in the back of her head.

"Excuse me?" Gothel said in a low tone.

"Why would I share what I'm feeling with you when all you've done is care about yourself... mother." She spat the word like out like it was a rotten piece of fish. "Or should I even call you that?"

"Rapunzel—"

"Mothers are kind, encouraging, and they're supporting. You're neither of those things."

"Enough, Rapunzel!"

"No! I've wanted to get this off of my chest for years, and you're going to stand there and listen to me!" She said firmly, surprising the older woman. "You don't care about me or what I want in this life, all you care about is keeping your vain beauty and youth when you should be dead!"

The following silence was so tense that it should've made Rapunzel squirm, but she stood her ground while glaring angrily at the woman who had "raised" her. Pascal tried blending with the blond's pink Dirndi dress as Gothel approached with a menacing glare. Before Rapunzel could react, she had been slapped across the face and crumbled to a single knee, placing a hand on her stinging cheek. Looking up at the woman towering over her, the lost princess rose. "Touched a nerve, didn't I?" Standing her ground, Rapunzel bore her teeth at Gothel. "You don't want me to leave this tower so that you can cling to your vain attempts of cheating death and staying alive for as long as possible. Well guess what? We all die at some point in our lives. Even you!"

"That's enough, Rapunzel—"

"No it isn't!" She growled. "I won't allow you to use and manipulate me anymore!"

Laughing darkly, Gothel then narorwed her eyes. "Where would you go, if you manage to escape this tower?" She then began to circle Rapunzel like a ravenous predator. "The world is unforgiving to foolish, naive little girls like you. You leave this tower, and you'll be eaten alive. When you're out there cold, starving, and taken as someone's whore... you'll wish you had listen to me and stayed here, where you belong."

"No!"

"You think you'll have a life outside of this tower? What an adorable fantasy," Gothel laughed in taunting amusement, "but here's the sad, yet honest truth, my dear. Nobody could ever love such a frail, weak little girl like you." Her words cut deep, Rapunzel could feel tears swelling in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wanted to scream at Gothel, to rip into the old corpse before her with her words, but Gothel's cruel words were cutting down her already low self-confidence. "What? Cat got your tongue, dear?" Taunting her further, Gothel leaned in and smirked. "Leave this place. Or don't. Either way, this world will tear you to pieces—"

"NO!"

Rapunzel screamed to the top of her lungs, panting heavily. Her hands clenched into fists, she wanted to wipe that smug, cruel grin off of Gothel's face. Despite her best efforts, the tears that Rapunzel desperately fought to hold back burst. Crumbling to her knees, the blond shook her head while sobbing. Of course, Gothel wasn't going to let her leave, why would she? So long as she kept her captive here in this tower, she would never get to explore beyond the tower and beyond Germany.

"Now that you got that out of your system, be a good girl and clean the dishes," Gothel said before collecting her cloak. "I need to go out once again. Don't go anywhere... oh, that's right, you won't." She laughed while packing a basket full of food before approaching the window and waiting for the blond to lower her down. Before the blond could lower her down the tower, however, Gothel pinched the blond's chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "This is as it should be, Rapunzel, it's for your own good," the blond said nothing, when Gothel released her, Rapunzel lowered her down.

Rapunzel looked to the midday sky and knew that one day she would finally get out of the tower and see what the world had to offer.

Gothel claims to act for her "own good," but Rapunzel isn't foolish, she learned a long time ago that the old woman was only using her for her own selfish desires.

"I'm done being held here, Pascal," Rapunzel looked to her chameleon companion and gave him a smirk. "Gothel wants to rob me of my hopes and dreams of a life outside this tower, now I'll deny her the use of my hair from this day onwards." Looking upstairs to her room, Rapunzel smirked before rushing up the stairs with haste.

She needed to get packing.

(Isle of Berk— Five years ago)

Hiccup took deep breaths to calm his racing nerves, in his left hand were flowers he had picked for Astrid, today was the day he wanted to confess his feelings to her. To be honest, the heir of Berk had no idea how this would turn out, he was already the most hated figure in the village, maybe second only to Mildew, but because of his... "weak" body and diversity, it was as if he were the Scourage of Odin in human form, many stayed away from and when people had a bad day they would pour out their anger and frustrations out on him by beating him into a pulp.

"All-Father, please, let this be a sign that you and the rest of the gods haven't cursed me. Please."

Battle cries filled Hiccup's ears and he saw Astrid and all the other young Vikings watching her: Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs. As the young Hofferson was hacking and slashing the air, her swings were precise and swift, she then hurled her beloved axe at a nearby tree which struck the center. Wiping the sweat from her brow, the blond was going to retrieve her axe when Snotlout saw Hiccup approaching her.

"Oh, well look who it is! Useless thinks he has what it takes to train with real Vikings, ha! Pathetic."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut snickered as Hiccup winced at his cousin's words, Fishlegs as usual, was quiet. Determined not to let his cousin's words bring him down, he looked to Astrid. "H-Hi, Astrid," rubbing the back of his neck, he was stunned by her beauty. The sunlight piercing through the trees shone down on her, making her glow like a Valkyrie. Clearing his throat he then inquired nervously. "C-Can... I talk to you?"

Snotlout snorted while sharpening a sword he had in hand before looking at Astrid, curious as to how she would respond. "Oh, this is gonna be good," he turned to the twins and grinned. "I can't believe Useless thinks he has a chance of winning her over."

"I know, right?" Tuffnut smirked before leaning against his spear. "But neither have you, Snotface."

Laughing at her brother's words, Ruffnut butted in. "Yeah, it's not like you have a chance of winning her heart... ever," she too leaned against her spear before grinning, "...the Jorgenson and Hofferson clans are like oil and water— not meant to be."

"Shut up, you muttonheads," Snotlout growled.

Ignoring the banter of her companions, Astrid turned to the disgraced heir of Berk. "Haddock," she grunted while ripping her axe out of the tree. "I'm in the middle of training, what do you want?" She then saw the flowers in his left hand and got the idea of what his intentions were. "Ah. You're here to... pronounce your feelings for me. Is that it?"

"Astrid, we've been friends for a long time, but the moment your uncle was killed by the Flightmare, it's as if you've forgotten I existed—"

"That's because I've sworn to kill the beast that shamed my family's reputation and honor. And if I'm going to do that, I can't afford distractions," she looked Hiccup over before resting her axe on her shoulder. "Besides, why would I want to waste my time with the village screw-up?"

Hiccup felt as though he had been stabbed in the gut.

"Astrid—"

Pointing her axe at him, she shook her head. "My ambitions don't include tainting my family name and my own reputation by associating myself with you, Hiccup... the Useless," tears swelled in his eyes and he felt his heart being ripped in two. Never before did Astrid call him that, but the fact that she too saw him as nothing more than a waste of human life wounded Hiccup more than any injury he had suffered. "I suggest you get out of here, this is a spot where Vikings train, and you aren't a Viking."

"Yeah, get lost, Useless," Snotlout said before sticking his sword in the ground and cracking his knuckles while giving Hiccup a predatory grin, "or don't, I'd be happy to give you another beating."

Dropping the flowers, Hiccup looked into Astrid's eyes and gave her a disbelieving look. "What happened to you, Astrid? The girl who used to be one of my best friends wouldn't do this, she would be flattered by my affections and at least hear me out, not cast me aside as if I were an item that no longer held any relevance to you—"

"Yes, and that's my point, you no longer hold any relevance in my life, Hiccup, none!"

Silence.

"Astrid—"

The fierce blond approached the shocked heir and suddenly grabbed the front of his tunic roughly, causing him to gasp. "The girl you held affection for no longer exists. She was a girl, who associated herself with a hiccup, who should've been hurled over the cliffs for his physical weakness," the blade of her words cut so deep, that it felt like Hiccup was being physically attacked, the tears he had fought to hold back spilled down his cheeks like waterfalls. "You're wasting your time, in another time and in different circumstances, maybe I would've shared your affections, but I don't. The future of my family name depends on me restoring honor and pride, should I associate with you, House Hofferson will be disgraced forever, and I won't allow that." Pushing Hiccup away, the blond gave him a dismissive gesture with her axe. "If you have any dignity, you might as well end your own life, you're not worthy of a warrior's death nor are you worthy of being our heir. You're nothing."

"Yeah, nothing but a waste of life," Snotlout laughed alongside Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

Hiccup looked to Fishlegs, who turned away from him, he too had given him the cold shoulder, just like everyone else in the village. Wiping the tears from his eyes, the disgraced heir of Berk stood to his feet before he felt an unspeakable heat swell inside him, lighting his blood on fire. "I'm a waste of life, am I?" He then turned his gaze away from his tormentors before looking at Astrid. "In case you're unaware of this, a warrior seeks to protect their tribesman, no matter if they're the lowest of mortals in Midgard. But we both know you won't do that for me, since I'll do nothing but taint your precious family's honor and name." As he was about to leave, he looked over his shoulder. "Have a nice life, all of you. Hopefully, you'll all be dead in the next dragon raid, or better yet, maybe the Outcasts will invade or the Lava Louts will take you and your people as slaves. Either way, enjoy this wet heap of desolate rock, since my own people have treated me worse than a thrall, I renounce my title as Berk's heir. The Hairy Hooligans despised me from the moment I could stand, so why would I want to rule over them when all they've done is judge and mistreat me because of my... "physical weakness?" I am who I am, and I won't apologize for being who I am. Whatever fame and ambitions you all have planned, I will eclipse all of you. My name will be legend, whereas yours—"

"Blah blah blah blah blah! Get lost already, Useless," Snotlout groaned in annoyance before adding with a smirk. "If you're expecting us to apologize for beating your scrawny arse, think again!"

"Where would you go anyway, huh? There's no place in Midgard that would accept such a sickly weakling!" Ruffnut laughed.

"Yeah, if you leave Berk behind and sail into the great beyond, Jörmungandr will end your sad, pitiful existence," Tuffnut smirked.

Hiccup looked to Fishlegs, expecting him to insult him as well. "What's wrong, Fishface, nothing to say?" Flinching at the disgraced heir's tone, Fishlegs gave him a... look of regret and sympathy. Scoffing, Hiccup shook his head before looking back at Astrid. "Enjoy your reputation and fame, with luck, the gods will avenge me and see you all suffer for your mistreatment of me." With that said, Hiccup ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

After running for what felt like hours, Hiccup found himself on a high cliff where sharp rocks rested down below and the sea crashed against them. Looking down, Hiccup was finding the prospect of ending his suffering more appealing with each passing moment. All that pain, the scorn, and the abuse would just... disappear. Just a few steps forward and he would be free from his miserable, helpless existence—

"No!"

Hiccup looked to the sky and knew that he wasn't meant to be a Viking or a ruler of men, he was meant to forge a path that he deemed worthy and he would do so with or without the permission of his father. Scoffing to himself, Hiccup knew that despite his efforts to please the man he shared a roof with, Stoick the Vast wasn't his father. Fathers are kind, they protect their children, and raise them.

Stoick failed spectacularly as a father. All he cares about was finding the dragon's nest, tending to the Hairy Hooligans, and finding an heir more worthy than his own son.

The anger Hiccup felt in the forest returned, he had suffered so much hurt just because he wasn't strong enough. If one is pushed around enough, the need to end the suffering will become a need like quenching thirst. And as Hiccup looked down the cliff he was tempted to jump off of, this was his chance to end his suffering.

"No,"

He repeated to himself while backing away from the pit. To hurtle himself into oblivion would be too easy, he knew he could surpass everyone on this island in every way. And... they knew it too. Why else did they see his diversity as a threat?

"I'm going to surpass them all. My name will be legend," nodding to himself, Hiccup felt his confidence return and the fires of determination blazing in his gut. "I will be legend." He then left the cliff and prepared to make his own fate.

(Present day— Germany)

Hiccup's grip on his saddle handles tightened, the memory of Astrid burning the bridge of their friendship and severing their childhood bond as if it never mattered in the first place. It was a day that made Hiccup lose faith in human beings, seeing them as nothing more than cruel, selfish, and judgemental beings. Being banished from Berk was the best thing that ever happened to Hiccup, true, it was hard at first, but not only was he famous but also battle-hardened; during his earlier adventures, he had fought for various warlords and rulers from Kievan Rus, Arabia, and Constantinople. His services had not only earned him fame, reputation, and vast wealth, but also the prowess of a fierce warrior.

"If only those fools on Berk could see me now, I've surpassed them all in every way," Hiccup said to himself with pride; he had bonded with a Night Fury, found the nest at Helheim's Gate, slew the Red Death that resided within it, he had traveled to lands no Viking has ever gone before, and his fame surpassed that of Ragnar Lothbrok and Ivar the Boneless. "What have they done? No doubt talk of fame and reputation, yet they haven't had the balls to go out and secure their fame." Scoffing in amusement, Hiccup took in the beauty of the Germanic forests from a bird's eye view while also recalling stories of how Berk had suffered many hardships in the last five years: plague, Outcast and Berserker raids, and food shortages.

The gods had been harsh to his tormentors while they blessed Hiccup, and the young man was pleased with that. For a long while, he believed the gods had cursed him, but over his exploits and adventures, he had learned that he had been in favor of the gods.

Hiccup was unaware that the gods were about to bless his life with what he desired more than fame and reputation— the woman of his heart's desire. Someone who is open-minded, creative, intelligent, and curious about the world would just talk about everything and share their ideas and go on adventures and be reckless together for fun.

Toothless, who had been silent for a long while now suddenly roared to grab Hiccup's attention, the banished heir suddenly laid eyes on a beautiful cove where a tower was set in the middle of it. "Take us down, bud," nodding, the Night Fury descended and soon landed in the cove. Taking in the beauty and serenity of this place, Hiccup was reminded of the cove back on Berk where he had bonded and earned Toothless' trust, only this cove was far bigger than the one his friendship with Toothless began. "Strange that this tower is here, in the middle of nowhere. Then again, it's a good place to hide a kidnapped princess." Toothless continued sniffing for the lost princess and when his gaze turned to the tower, Hiccup knew that this was where he would find Rapunzel.

"Alright, let's bring this princess back home to her parents," Hiccup patted Toothless' neck, pointing to the window of the tower. "Take us up, bud." Toothless flapped his wings until both rider and dragon reached and entered the window. Once inside the tower, Hiccup slid off of his dragon and took in his surroundings. Toothless continued sniffing, the scent of the princess was strong, it was all over this tower, and all that remained was finding Rapunzel.

CLANG!

Hiccup didn't even know what hit him as he fell to a single knee, his riding helmet had been knocked off of his head, but the impact of the blow he had received still hurt. Whirling around, Hiccup was rendered breathless. Standing before him was undoubtedly the most beautiful blond he had ever laid eyes upon, and he had seen his fair share of beautiful women, but none of them seemed to compare to Rapunzel. The afternoon sunlight that came from the ceiling shutter came down on the lost princess, bathing her fair skin and rosy cheeks in glorious light, it was as if she were a Valkyrie here to take him to Valhalla. Her piercing green eyes sparkled like emeralds and there was fierce determination within her that was very appealing, Hiccup had seen that same determination in himself whenever he would look at his reflection in a mirror.

Princess Rapunzel had ambitions to explore, venture into the unknown, and spread her wings. Hiccup could see it in her eyes, and although he didn't know her, he could see much of himself inside her.

"Who are you? And how did you find me?"

The blond beauty's firm words caused Hiccup to snap out of his stupor, cleared his throat, and placed a hand on his chest while speaking in German. "My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, I'm a bounty hunter looking for you," he then gestured to Toothless, who was crouched low beside him and wrapping his tail protectively around his legs. "And I found you thanks to Toothless, he had picked up your scent back when your parents allowed us to use the blankets and sheets you slept on as a baby."

"Parents?"

Nodding, Hiccup presented a violet cloth with a golden flower sown into it, handing it to the blond beauty, who took it reluctantly. "You're the princess of Corona, whoever ripped you away from the warm embrace of your family has been lying to you," expecting Rapunzel to be in denial or think him mad, instead he saw that she was unsurprised after she had looked over the cloth. "You know who you are, don't you?"

The grip on her pan loosened and she exhaled. "As I grew older, I had my suspicions, but until recently, I've been having visions of my infancy and seeing a man and woman dressed royally," she then let out a disbelieving laugh. "I'm... a princess. I'm the lost princess," Rapunzel felt her resentment towards Gothel had grown tenfold, the crone had abducted her from her true family, and years of her life had been stolen all because she possessed magic hair. Rapunzel's ire and frustration were momentarily replaced with awe and attraction for the handsome bounty hunter before her. She noted his fair, yet tanned skin illuminated in the sunlight, he had long, shaggy, auburn hair that she found herself wanting to run her hands through, he had piercing green eyes like her, and he wore black and dark brown leather armor, and boots.

Rapunzel was smitten; she found Hiccup Haddock III beyond handsome.

"So... I take it by the bag you have by your side, you're eager to leave this place." His statement caused Rapunzel to snap out of her stupor, blush, and nod. "And where were you planning on going once you left this place?" The blond opened her mouth before Hiccup spoke up. "That was a rhetorical question, don't answer that. Since you've never set foot outside this tower, you have no idea where to go."

Rapunzel shuffled around awkwardly, but Hiccup approached and reassured her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to judge you. If you want to see what the world has to offer, I can show you—"

"Wait, what?" Rapunzel looked at Pascal before looking back at Hiccup, not believing what he just said. "If you're a... bounty hunter, why would do this?"

Chuckling softly, Hiccup looked into her enchanting eyes. "Because I know what it's like to crave adventure, the unknown, and to see what the world has to offer. I hail from Norway, and I was next in line to rule over my... the tribe I had been brought up in. My WHOLE life has been a struggle, because my name means this: runt of the litter. And because since I've been surrounded by Vikings who are rather stern and aggressive people, they don't take physical weakness or disabilities lightly. In fact, Viking customs are to kill a newborn child with any physical defect or weakness. I was marked for death as a babe, but my mother convinced my father to spare my life..." he then shook his head before letting out a heavy sigh, "...but as I grew up, I wasn't the "extra large boy with beefy arms or the boy with extra guts and glory on the side," instead, I was a "talking fishbone," and because I wasn't Viking material to my people, I was beaten and abused to no end."

Rapunzel could see pain etched in Hiccup's face, recounting such memories, and although he was a stranger to her, she knew that nobody she ever suffer physical and verbal abuse just because they're different.

"I'm so sorry," her genuine sympathy was followed by a curious question. "What happened?"

Turning to Toothless, the banished Viking placed a hand on the dragon's head. "I shot Toothless, in a desperate act of being accepted among my people. But in doing so, I… crippled him. Again, I'm sorry for that, bud," Toothless cooed in understanding and nuzzled against his rider's side. "After earning his trust, I made Toothless a new tail fin so that he could fly again. However, my people were at war with dragons for centuries and to associate or even befriend a dragon was unprecedented in the history of the Viking people. I had been caught with Toothless, and we were both at the mercy of my father, or rather the man who only payed any attention to me whenever I screwed up, disappointed him, and the times he wanted me to live my life in a manner he seemed fit."

"I know how that feels," Rapunzel caressed a long lock of her hair before shaking her head. "

"So, princess, are you ready to leave this tower and see what the world has to offer?"

Reluctant at first, Rapunzel looked at Pascal, the chameleon smiled and gave an encouraging nod. Looking back at the handsome bounty hunter, Rapunzel took his outstretched hand. "Yes," a smile of excitement graced her face as she repeated herself, firmly this time. "Yes." Nodding, Hiccup hauled her behind his back, causing her to yelp in surprise. Once she wrapped her arms around Hiccup's toned abdomen, the Viking looked over his shoulder, grinning before placing his helmet over his head.

"You might want to hang on tight, princess," Hiccup's words were followed by Toothless releasing a mighty roar and taking off to the sky in the blink of an eye.

"WHOOAA-HAAA!!"

Rapunzel cried out in joy, never in her life did she imagine herself to be on the back of a dragon nor did she imagine she would experience the thrill of flying. Tears of unspeakable happiness and excitement streamed down her beautiful face, and the princess found herself burying her face into the Scandinavian bounty hunter's back.

"You alright back there?"

Peeling away from his back, Rapunzel looked at Hiccup's masked face before giving him a smile that put the sun to shame. "I've never been better, Hiccup!" She then whooped out. "THIS. IS. AMAZING!" Laughing at her excitement, Hiccup too let out a whoop as his dragon flew faster.

As Toothless climbed higher he then fell back while releasing a sound that resembled laughter. Holding on tightly to the bounty hunter and as they fell, Rapunzel reveled in the sensation of the roaring winds caressing her skin, running through her hair, and the rush she was feeling from this experience made Rapunzel cry out with heal felt joy.

Hiccup smiled seeing Rapunzel enjoying herself and the flight she was experiencing, never before had he met anyone so open minded as to fly on the back of a dragon. Despite only just meeting her, Hiccup found himself attracted to Rapunzel; not only did he find her beautiful, but he wanted to know everything about her and perhaps... see whether or not she was the woman he was fated to be with.

As for Rapunzel, she was determined to go out into the world with only Psacal and her wits. However, now she was in the company of a Viking bounty hunter and a dragon. Despite just meeting Hiccup, the lost princess was enraptured by the man was flying with; he was handsome, kind, understanding, and... call her crazy, but he seemed eager to know her. She was glad for that, because the feeling was mutual.

In time, she was certain she and Hiccup would have time to get to know each other. For now though, Rapunzel was savoring her freedom outside of the tower she had been locked away in her whole life.

She was finally spreading her wings.

A/N: Alright, so, Hiccup isn't going to take Rapunzel to her parents just yet, they're going to go out into the world and explore as much as possible for next few months before Rapunzel's birthday. Fun fact, Jay Baruchel and Mandy Moore, Hiccup and Rapunzel's voice actors have birthdays a day apart, Baruchel's is on April 9th and Moore's is on April 10th, and in this story, I'm going make those days their birthdays as well. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll catch you in the next update!