Alright, first off, this chapter features a transgender person. If you have a problem with that... well, you better turn away now.

Second, because of the setting, views will be expressed that I do not agree with, but I tried to be as positive as possible, so I hope it's not triggery to any transgender person who might come across this. If it is, I apologize and hope for advice. Because you're all valid and I'll be the last one to claim otherwise. :)

With that out of the way, let's get started! The rest of the A/N will be at the bottom!

I must have been fourteen or fifteen when it started. I don't quite remember, and I don't really care. Time becomes meaningless when you're stuck inside the castle walls for as long as I'd been.

Life in the mental ward of Corona wasn't bad, mind you. I was eight when the strange thoughts started, nine when I told my best friend and we were overheard by her parents. I wouldn't have chosen the ward, not at the time. Those strange thoughts weren't dangerous. In fact, they stopped immediately when I actually tried to listen to them. I knew they were there, lurking around the edges of my mind. To be heard only when I was half-conscious, and forgotten when I wasn't.

It was scary at times, but it didn't demand chaining me up like some of my fellows. I was free to roam the ward and talk to whoever I pleased so long as I didn't leave, and I was smart enough not to ask for sharp objects. Mom would have been disappointed to learn how quickly I forgot how to sew, but I could deal with that.

I found a place for myself. I made friends with the nurses, the guards and whoever was lucid enough to have a conversation with. Not everyone liked me, but that was fine. I helped where I could, and I would have been content growing up in the ward. The most exciting thing I looked forward to was the day the strange thoughts would disappear and I could become a nurse.

Naturally, a war was all the way down on the list of things I wanted to happen.

"Thank you, Kai."

"No problem," I said, tying off the bandage with a sigh. "That bite looked pretty nasty."

"I'll say! That beast aimed for my finger, I'm telling you!"

I couldn't help chuckling. Austin was one of the younger guards, and he tended to be overly dramatic. He was also a real cutie, with warm brown eyes and a strawberry blond crew cut currently hid underneath his helmet. He had the build of an asparagus and the goatee he wanted to grow refused to do so, but I didn't mind. He was my best friend.

I winked at him, gathered my supplies and returned them to the medicine cabinet. The sight of the empty spaces on the shelves dampened my spirits considerably and I bared my teeth. "Curse that alchemist! I hope those beasts don't carry any diseases. We haven't been so low on disinfectant since..." I hissed and slammed the cabinet shut. I couldn't come up with a good comparison. "Since forever!"

"You know, I think it's always the same animal," Austin offered. It was probably supposed to cheer me up, but I was in no mood for that.

"Great. A lone, aggressive rat. That's not concerning at all. Why doesn't anyone shoot it? Or lay out some poison?"

"We tried. But..." Austin blinked and turned away, his face reddening. I placed my hands on my hips and furrowed my brows.

"Don't tell me the whole guard is being outsmarted by a single critter."

"Then I won't."

He didn't continue, and I huffed. Before I could decide whether or not there was any point in having another go at the soldier (or if I could possibly make it believable), I heard a commotion in the hallway. People were yelling, a door slammed, and I was glad there was nothing in this part of the castle that would break.

Except in this room. Before I could stop him, Austin had jumped off the cot to join the fray... and opened the door.

A flash of gray whizzed through the crack. Austin tried to step in its way, but it was too fast. A scream tore from my throat and I rushed to protect the herbs and potions strewn out on a table. As the rat scrambled up a table leg, I managed to catch hold of it for a heartbeat. It snapped at my hand and slipped away, then it was on the tabletop and I couldn't do anything more. I would have done more damage trying to catch the rat than the rat itself ever could.

And then I realized it was no rat at all. The tail was too bushy, with a ring pattern, and its face was all fluffed up rather than pointy. I've never seen that kind of animal before.

"What's this?!" I yelled, then remembered that I didn't care as the animal snatched a ribwort potion. "Oh no, you won't!"

At least its jaw was busy. Austin had closed the door by then, and together we managed to corner the animal. Since Austin was injured already, I did the honors of picking it up and trying to ignore the burning scratches it gave me.

"What is this?"

"It's a raccoon," Austin replied, forehead wrinkled. "What's a raccoon doing in the castle?"

"Stealing our medicine, obviously," I grumbled. "And attacking the guard. We should get rid of it."

Even with its jaw clenched around a tube of ribwort tincture, the raccoon chittered in outrage. I curled my lips. "Hmm, it really does seem smart." I shifted the creature until I looked into its eyes. It was actually kinda cute, and I realized I didn't want it killed. "Lookie here, mister! Or miss! We need that medicine. And you're a critter, so you don't. Go back to where you came from! Next time I catch you, I'll toss you in the moat!"

"Uh..." Austin caught my attention. "The castle doesn't have a moat."

"Don't tell the raccoon, Austin!" I pouted. "Now, would you open the door for me? We have an animal to throw out."

"It'll keep coming baa-ack..." Austin singsonged quietly, and I sent him a glare.

"Let's hope it doesn't."

He shrugged and opened the door. I tightened my grip on the animal, expecting an escape attempt, but nothing happened. That is, until I carried it past the confusion in the hallway and relaxed. Then it dropped the tube and bit my thumb. The tube burst, I cried out, and the raccoon ran back the way we came. So I cursed loudly and gave chase, yelling for help.

Of course, that only made it worse. The chaos hadn't cleared yet, and everyone tripped over each other – the guards, the nurses, the occasional patient. The raccoon, on the other hand, slipped between legs, out from under fingers and even up some coats and tunics. I crashed into someone and took off shouting an apology without even knowing who it was. I was lucky that I was the youngest, and never particularly tall. I wasn't a raccoon, but I was still the most slippery among its chasers.

I was so focused on catching it that I didn't even realize where it was headed. It only stopped in front of a door way down the corridor and started pacing. I figured that, for some reason, it wouldn't go any further, so I took a moment to catch my breath and check my surroundings. And suddenly, I wished I had left the chasing to someone else.

The part of the mental ward I found myself in was the entrance to the locked section. It held the patients who were actually dangerous, those without control or at least no interest in trying. Criminals, oftentimes. That door was a reminder of why the rest of us was here – to prevent us from becoming like them.

I called it The Door.

I didn't care about the scratches or the broken ribwort potion anymore. I only wanted to get away, so I picked up the raccoon and turned around. It chirped pitifully, but I didn't let go.

"No, little one. You don't want to go in there, believe me. It's not pretty."

"Kai!"

I looked up to spot Arthur, another guard easily recognizable by his black sideburns and rather unguardy belly. He huffed and puffed as he walked up to me, trying and failing an imposing stride. He opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly forestalled him: "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be here! I was just chasing this raccoon and somehow ended up here."

Arthur smiled indulgently. "I know. Good job!" His eyes narrowed as he studied the creature dangling between my hands.

"What is it?"

"I think I've seen this fellow before."

"What?" I could tell he wasn't talking about the recent scratches and bites, so I waited with bated breath. Could this critter really'd been up to something?

Arthur lifted his gaze from the raccoon to me. I could almost see his mind racing behind the wrinkles on his forehead. "Tell me, Kai, have you ever been in this tract?"

"Do I really look that suicidal to you?! I have no reason to go in there!"

Arthur nodded solemnly. "You have now."

I almost dropped the raccoon. "What?!" I screeched. "No, I don't! It's dangerous, and I'm not a trained guard like you! If someone attacks me–!"

"No one will attack you. But..." Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've talked to Maurina. We wanted to tell you next week, but we've agreed that you're our best bet."

"For what?" Needless to say that my curiosity was piqued. Maurina was basically the Head Nurse, I didn't know what else to call her. She took care of the most difficult patients, but that did not include me. What was going on?

Arthur seemed to be steeling himself for a tough decision. "You see, Kai... There's a child behind these doors. A boy your age. I won't tell you what he did to end up here, but you can rest assured that Princess Rapunzel herself is very concerned with his recovery."

"Princess Rapunzel?" I couldn't believe my ears. The princess visited the ward a couple times since her return to Corona. The first time she came with a squadron of guards trailing her and seemed more concerned with getting rid of them than anything. And even though she'd been prone to insensitivities, she was friendly and honestly curious. Something of a disturbance, but hard to hate. And from the second time on... Whoo, boy. She kept sneaking in with only the Captain's daughter in tow and emptying half the ward with her awesome exorcism skills. I had no idea how she did it, but she had a way with ghosts.

Not with mine, though. She really wanted to help me, I felt it. But she needed to know what the spirit possessing me wanted, and I couldn't tell her.

I shook off the lingering disappointment and peeked over my shoulder at The Door. It was the same block of metal it had been before and didn't lose any of its menace. And yet... I was inspired. A teeny tiny bit. If I could be Princess Rapunzel for someone, I'd go for it.

One problem, though: I wasn't her.

"Do you really think I can help him? You know I'm not quite normal myself. What if I attack him? What if he attacks me?"

"He won't, and I'm certain that you won't, either. And I'll be with you if anything goes wrong."

I wondered if I could work with that. I wanted to help this mysterious boy. And so did the princess, apparently, and I could hardly deny Her Helpful Highness. Still, I hated that door. "But why me? Why not another child our age?"

"Because you know what it's like around here. And..." He trailed off. I tilted my head expectantly, but Arthur didn't elaborate. "Never mind. There's another reason, and you'll find out. If you're willing."

I glanced at The Door another time. In my mind, it grew teeth that would maul me and swallow me whole if I went anywhere near it. But there was a raccoon desperately trying to get in there, and I remembered my dream of becoming a nurse here myself. I would have to deal with these people. Now was as good a time as any to test if I was up to it.

I sighed. "Alright then. Never let it be said that a critter is braver than me." I shifted the raccoon in my arms to make both of us more comfortable and looked into Arthur's eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

"Talk to him."

I was so sure I'd get some more instructions that I waited a few seconds. Then my jaw fell. "That's it?"

Arthur chuckled mirthlessly. "Trust me, that's hard enough."

"Okay then."

He sorted through his keys, unfastened one from the ring and held it out for me. Just another surprise. "Wait. You mean, we're going in now? I need to bring this raccoon outside and..."

"Kai, you need this raccoon right here. It'll help you get through to the boy, and unless you believe you can catch it again, I'm afraid it's now or never."

Oh no... I was not ready for this! I thought I would have some time to prepare myself! But this raccoon decided to show up at juuuust the wrong moment. Then again, I figured it would always be just the wrong moment for The Door.

I glowered at the animal and jabbed a finger at its snout. "I. Hate. You. Don't you forget it!"

The raccoon responded by jumping off my arms and scratching at the door. I shook my head in disbelief and turned back to Arthur. "You said you'd be right behind me. What do I need a key for?"

"I'll be there, but I'd prefer not to be seen. It would be better to pretend that you came of your own volition. Oh, and Kai? Whatever you do, do not mention the princess."

I had no idea what 'volition' meant or what exactly the princess did to warrant non-existence, but I got the gist. Why Arthur assumed that I'd be able to fool anyone I didn't quite understand, but I shrugged and grabbed the key. "So I'll open the cell and all. What if he steals the key?"

"He's smarter than that."

Now that made even less sense, but since I made up my mind, I really just wanted to get it over with. "Very well. But don't blame me once everything goes sideways."

"If anything goes sideways, Kai. Where's your optimism?"

"Somewhere upstairs in the safety of my room. Certainly not behind this door."

"Fair enough."

With a grim smile, Arthur pushed his key into the door, and I felt my heart speed up.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

I took a deep breath, and suddenly I wanted to crawl under a stone and hide. I felt like an idiot. Why would I be such a coward?! "Uh... Which cell does this key belong to, anyway?"

Arthur smiled mischievously and pointed at the raccoon scratching at the door with increasing ferocity. "That little fella knows."

Very true. The Door swung open and the raccoon took off like an arrow from a string. I groaned and gave chase once again, grateful for the excuse not to look too closely at my surroundings. It wasn't a dungeon, not the way I imagined one at least. It wasn't dark, it wasn't wet, it smelled okay, and that was all I needed to know.

I caught up with the raccoon soon enough. It was pacing once again, then started running circles around my legs as I stared at the door it singled out. Trying to work up the nerve to open the thing, I glanced at Arthur a few feet away and took a deep breath. And another. And another. My heart refused to stop racing. Also, as I fidgeted with the key, I noticed a major flaw in Arthur's logic.

"Umm... You want me to pretend that no one sent me, right? How do I explain the key?"

Arthur pursed his lips. "The raccoon stole it."

I narrowed my eyes at Arthur. I tried to determine if he was joking, but it didn't seem like it. "What? You really think that would fly?"

Arthur simply looked at me, his expression all seriousness. "It did. A few days ago, it stole Robert's keys. He's still missing them."

"No way!"

I couldn't help staring at the raccoon with admiration. The animal itself, however, didn't care. And why would it, really? It was growing more impatient by the second and made to clamber up my tunic. I was pretty certain what it was going for, so I shooed it away and took yet another breath, determined not to let it go before I'd opened this stupid door.

I almost suffocated before the heavy metal creaked open. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I complained under my breath, followed my animal leader and finally found myself inside the cell. It wasn't all that different from my room, being furnished with a cot and a washbasin, but it also contained a bucket which I ignored to the best of my abilities. (I liked my table.)

The boy I came for sat on the cot, knees up and ignoring me to the best of his abilities. His posture only relaxed a little when the raccoon started chirping happily and tried to find a way up the cot. The lack of bed posts appeared to be a serious obstacle, but the boy leaned down to pick up the critter. I guessed it must have been his pet.

The loyal little fellow was up the boy's shoulder in a heartbeat and started burrowing through his hair, chittering excitedly. If asked, I would have claimed that the boy was happy enough with the company, but the truth was that I couldn't tell. He didn't deign to look at me, and the barred window behind him didn't help matters. I needed to find a better angle, but my feet were glued to the floor.

Talk to him, Arthur had said. But about what?

"I guess I found what the raccoon was looking for."

No response.

"He seems to like you very much. Or she. Messed up the whole guard to get here."

I like to think that the following sound was a suppressed snicker, but I'm afraid it was just the raccoon.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Silence. Even the raccoon stopped chirping, probably dragged down by the mood of its master.

"I'll take that as a 'Get lost.' I'd be happy to give you some space, believe me. God knows I needed it when I was hauled to this place. But I'm afraid I need to take your companion with me."

Before I could change my mind, I stepped towards the boy. The bold move finally got a reaction out of him – he jumped off the cot and planted himself in front of the window, making me squint against the sunlight. I gave him that: He knew what he was doing.

I crossed my arms and puffed up my cheeks. "I'd ask if you have some practice as a villain, but you probably won't answer anyway. Besides..." I pointed at the silhouette of the raccoon perched atop his narrow shoulders. "Your friend kinda ruins the effect."

"Shut up!" the boy growled. His hand slid down his waist with a clinking sound, then he was hissing. And that told me several things:

One, he could talk.

Two, his voice was raspy. He could probably use a cup of water.

Three, his wrists were chained. Possibly more.

Four, he was used to carrying something. A weapon, perhaps.

Five, having no pockets sucks big time. But I knew that. I wore the same clothes after all.

I wasn't sure what to address first, or if I should address anything at all. Maybe it was better to back down for now.

An idea formed in my head. I heaved a sigh and relaxed my posture. "I can tell I'm not welcome. Very well, I'll go. But animals are not allowed inside the ward, especially those that tear people apart. So I advise you to keep your friend hidden. And..." I turned on my heel, the door promising sweet release from this awkward situation. "Whatever it is that landed you here, I hope you can overcome it. See you around, Raccoon Boy."

He didn't try to stop me, and I was so relieved to lock the door from the outside that I had to pause for a moment and recover. Thoughts that weren't mine invaded my mind. I couldn't tell for how long I stood there before I managed to snap myself out of it and glance at Arthur. He motioned for me to follow him and we left the wing together, minus one raccoon. Only after The Door shut, he asked, "How did it go?"

I shrugged. "You were right. Talking to him was a problem. I don't even know his name or what he looks like, only that he's kinda lanky. He has a knack for staying in the shadows." I rubbed the back of my neck. Raccoon Boy definitely gave me some things to think about. "I didn't even need the key excuse... I got him to tell me to shut up, though. Does that count as a success?"

Arthur laughed heartily. "I'm sure it does!"

I joined in his laughter, hesitant at first but feeling lighter by the second. "Any idea why he doesn't speak, though?"

Arthur abruptly stopped laughing and his face scrunched up into a thoughtful frown. "That's what we're trying to find out. But I suppose it has to do with his viewing every one of us as his enemy."

"Hmm..." That actually made a lot of sense. "Wouldn't be the first time." It wasn't unusual for new patients to show up with an arguably healthy portion of distrust. I imagined that applied the most to those behind The Door. "What did he do to get stuck with the criminals?"

"I told you I won't say."

I shrugged. "Worth a try. So, when will you?"

"Never, if we're lucky. He will."

I groaned in frustration. Why did everyone have to be so secretive? "What's his name, then?"

At that, Arthur eyed me all serious and said, "Ask him."

I facepalmed. I absolutely had no words for this. "Are you sure I'm the nutcase?"

Arthur burst into laughter again and slapped my back. "We're counting on you, Kai!"

"Right, counting on me. The ward baby with the invading thoughts." I stretched my arms above my head. Which turned out to be a terrible idea when pain flashed down to my shoulders, making me hiss. "Ow... Did I mention I hate that raccoon?"

"At least you're not bleeding."

I checked my arms and sighed. "True. I'll go find something to treat the cuts, and you..." I glanced at Arthur. "I'm sure you have guard duties."

"I do." He smiled into his beard. "Good luck, Kai."

I chuckled darkly. "I'm going to need that. But good luck to you, too."

I waved, or at least tried to. It would be more accurate to say I winced, so as soon as Arthur was out of sight, I marched back to the infirmary. While I smeared some ointment on the scratches, I wondered idly if someone cleaned up the ribwort. "How weird that a raccoon would steal a glass tube instead of food... Oh well, it's locked away now."

"Talking to ourselves again, are we?"

Oh Lord, please, no. Not now! "Hi, Theo."

"It's Thea, Kailyn."

I suppressed the urge to groan. Theo was here because he was possessed by a female spirit. He always hiked up his tunic with a belt to make it look more like a dress, moaned about how he wanted to grow out his hair and insisted we call him Thea. On the flipside, he also insisted to call me by my complete name. Said I should be happy to be born a girl and not conceal the fact with a male nickname.

Never mind that I wasn't concealing anything. I simply didn't like my name very much.

All things considered, it was nothing I couldn't deal with. However, I needed some alone time. "Alright, Thea. Look, I'm sorry, but I just chased a raccoon all over the place. I could use a break. Do you need anything?"

"Oh, ah... No." He flushed the color of purple cabbage. "I was just looking for Nurse Celia. Do you know where she is?"

"Sadly no. But I bet you'll find her if you keep looking."

He nodded and walked off. I wasn't sure what to make of him. It seemed like he had a crush on Nurse Celia, but that didn't really fit with being female. Unless it did?

I shrugged it off. You learn to deal with a lot of weirdness when growing up in a mental ward. Moving on, I put the ointment away and left for my room. I ran into Austin on the way, who grinned and gave a salute. I gladly returned the gesture, noting with relief that his hand was fine.

When I finally entered my room, just about ready to crash on my cot, something caught my eye – glinting in the sunlight, a key lay on my table. I examined it and realized soon enough that it belonged to The Door. I reached into my sleeve to get the one to Raccoon Boys cell, but I only grabbed at air.

There was no key.

Alright, I started this... over a year ago. I wasn't going to post it at first because I wrote it for various reasons not pertaining to postability, though the most prominent among them was that I had no idea where to go with it. It was mostly a reaction to Rapunzel's request for Varian to not be hurt, and King Frederick promising that he would do his best to get him help. I refused to accept the general consensus that he'd be unceremoniously thrown into prison, but after a while, I simply ran out and pretty much forgot about it.

However, after I watched the first episode of Season 3, I was like: "Hey, didn't I write something? I actually have an idea where to go with it now!"
Of course, it has that air of a Foregone Conclusion to it now, but I still believe there's a tale worth telling in there. That complete one-eighty from "I'm the Bad Guy, that's fine / It's no fault of mine" to "It's not what they did to me - it's what I did to them" has to come from somewhere after all. I hope we get some canon flashbacks, but for now I'll just... turn to fanfiction. Because that's what it's for, right?