1: Living On

Flynn struggled against the brace, knowing that each moment he wasted was a moment Rapunzel was farther away from him. He searched around for something, anything, that could help him break free but found nothing within the reach of the chain that could. He slumped back up against the mirror, a hand over his face, his mind whirling at a thousand miles an hour, trying to calm down. He had to relax, otherwise all he would think about is how good it would feel to wrap his hands around Gothel's scrawny—

He shook his head and cleared his thoughts. One problem at a time. A chirping noise met his ears, and he saw a crimson Pascal glowering at the tile where his best friend exited his life. "Pascal!" Flynn said loudly, and the chameleon turned to look at him, reverting back to his normal green hue. He reached a hand out to the lizard and he quickly scurried up Flynn's arm, giving him his undivided attention. "See if you can find the key for this, or something!" Nodding, the green creature hurried back to the floor, scurrying around for anything he could find to help.

With a tinkling noise, Pascal made his way back to Flynn, a silver key in his mouth and the man sighed in relief. "Thank you," he said, quickly letting himself loose from the shackle and flexing his hand. There was a red ring around his wrist where he had struggled against the iron, and he rubbed it gently, wondering what he was going to do now. He put a hand to his forehead, not even knowing where to being, where to search, how to find the girl he loved the world over.

He'd been there for nearly half an hour, and though his tracking skills had a bit to be desired, there was still time to catch up with them. "Ready to go?" he asked Pascal, picking the animal off the floor and walking towards the far wall. Flynn pulled the tile up from the floor and slipped through, hurrying down the creaky wooden stairs, careful not to stumble. That would be quite the fall. He burst through the aperture at the bottom of the tower, and nearly ran into the patiently waiting, though sad looking, Maximus. "Max!"

The horse watched Flynn, looking unenthusiastic, and the thief watched him for a moment, confused. "What's the matter?" Maximus pointed towards the cave opening and dropped his head, and he understood. "Rapunzel told you not to follow them, didn't she?" he said, putting a hand on top of the horse's head. He nodded and Flynn furrowed his brow, feeling almost hopeless. "Do you think we can find them?" Max hung his head lower, and Flynn leaned down to look the animal in the eyes, wondering what he was thinking. "You don't think we can find them?"

Maximus huffed, and Flynn stood up, putting his hands to his own face. "We have to find them Max," he said, his voice torn with emotion. "I have to find her, and I have to set her free. Gothel can't keep her locked up forever, Rapunzel will fall apart." Pascal nuzzled his nose against Flynn's neck, turning blue and looking morose. They were quiet for a moment, and Flynn ran his hand through Maximus's mane.

"What we need to do, is to look in all the places that seemed deserted," he said with a frown, looking at the horse and chameleon with what seemed to be a sudden friendship with the two. "No one else knows who she is, no one else cares about her," he said sadly. "So we have to."

-break-

Rapunzel sat on the edge of a mattress on the floor that was foreign to her, in a dark room with a single lit candle in the corner. Her hands were bruised from trying to find a way out of wherever she was, trying to understand where Gothel had taken her, but it was no use. The room was like a dungeon, with stone walls and floors that were cold to the touch. There were no windows, and the only door was barred shut so that she could never get out of the room. Her heart was sore, and her face was tear stained though the tears had long since ceased falling.

Life would never be the same again. She promised something she had broken from the moment she left Eugene shackled in the tower. Her mind had already accepted that the world was beautiful, the world was vast and wondrous, that men in the world could be as kind and heroic as Eugene Fitzherbert. Even the thugs at the pub had been kind to her, shown her that looks are not all they seem. She pressed a hand to her face, water threatening to fall again, shivers wracking her entire body. There was nothing she could do.

No matter what, though, she wouldn't try to escape, just like she had promised. She would never break that promise, not in the rest of her lifetime, however long that would be. Her hands grew achy from clenching her fists for so long, and her eyes strained from trying to see by the light of one candle.

Rapunzel looked up to the ceiling, wondering if he was out there somewhere, if he had gotten free, if he was looking for her. And she wondered, would he ever find her?

A loud knock interrupted her thoughts, and the clinking of chains sounded as they were pulled from the door. She winced as light flooded the room, and she put a hand over her eyes. The young, shapely figure of Mother Gothel stood before her, a tray in her hand, and she slid it across the floor to the girl. A moment passed before the princess stood up and stepped carefully over to it. The food looked unsightly, but she began to eat anyway, wondering if she'd ever taste the delicious breads and cheeses and cupcakes that Eugene had bought her while they were at the festival.

Her festival.

"Dear, you seem a little down," Gothel said sympathetically, though Rapunzel knew it was a lie. As long as she had her magic golden flower, she didn't care what happened to the girl. Rapunzel glared at her, and moved away from the food, pushing it back towards the woman she had thought was her mother for so long.

She said angrily, "Don't pretend to be my mother anymore Gothel." The woman feigned hurt at that, and picked the tray up without a second glance back at the girl. Rapunzel looked down at her hands, where a soft felt flag sat, embroidered with a golden sun. Her heart hadn't stopped aching and it had only been one day since they had left the tower. She knew that it never would.

"He's never going to find you," Gothel said gleefully, knowing the content of her thoughts.. "He will grow old and die, he'll be caught and executed," Rapunzel flinched at that notion, feeling her stomach tie itself in painful knots, "and you and I will live here forever. You'll never see him, ever again. And life will go on like you never met him."

She shook her head, clenching the purple flag tightly in her fist. "That's not true. You can't erase love, Gothel. You can never erase love. And as long as I live, I will never love anyone as much as I love Eugene."

"Not even your own mummy?" she simpered, leaning one hand on the door frame.

Rapunzel replied, her voice calmer, "I would probably love my mother if I ever knew her." Gothel frowned at this and slammed the door back shut, the breeze from the action causing the candle to flicker and die, leaving her in total darkness.