I just came up with this idea and thought it would be a good what-if story. Just thought it'd be interesting. I'm perfectly happy with the way Tangled went. I hope you like it, anyway. NO FLAMES, PLEASE! This is a no smoking zone. If you don't like the story, you can say so, but SCREAMING YOUR HEAD OFF LIKE SOME RABID ANIMAL gives no help whatsoever. Thanks!

But, despite all these prior warnings, I hope you like it. (You might, actually, it just depends on your style of story)

Ok, I know it already said this story was complete (This was actually supposed to be a Oneshot but then escalated into a new full-blown story!) But after I bought Tangled on Blu-Ray and DVD I realized my dialogue on this scene was SO OFF! So I fixed it. But just in the beginning of this first chapter. Everything else is the same, though, so don't worry, loyal "What Must Be Done" fans!

I don't own the most EPIC MOVIE ON THE WHOLE ENTIRE PLANET AND UNIVERSE AND SURROUNDING AREAS! (If you haven't caught on by now, I'm talking about Tangled)

It was amazing.

Just absolutely amazing.

I had a person in my closet!

Just minutes beforehand, I, the believed to be frail, defenseless little Rapunzel, had brought down an intruder to my tower with nothing more than a frying pan! I couldn't wait to show Mother—earlier, she had banned me from leaving the tower and going to see the floating lights for my birthday…cast them aside as stars and told me every possible thing that could go wrong outside of the tower. But I did it! I had brought down this random, trespassing man and now I could prove to Mother that I was tough enough to handle going outside.

Although, right then, my main focus was on what the mysterious man had left on the ground—a satchel, containing some weird…something. I had no clue what it was, but I was sure it was supposed to do something! So Pascal and I were trying different things to see what on earth the use of this thing was. I had just put it on my head, and was now gazing curiously at myself in the mirror. Something just felt so strange…

"Rapunzel!" the familiar, melodious voice called from below. "Let down your hair!"

I let out a gasp, and then, odd thing forgotten, I tossed the man's satchel and the strange hat-thing into a pot.

"One moment, Mother!" Grinning from ear-to ear, I began stringing my seventy feet of blonde hair through the pulley. Seconds later, I felt the weight of Mother on my hair and started pulling it back up. This was a regular routine, but now, I was bursting with excitement. I could tell her, and then she'd let me go!

"I have a big surprise!" I heard her call from below as I strained to pull up the rope of hair.

I beamed. "Uh…I do too!"

"Ooh, I bet my surprise is bigger!"

I chuckled. "I seriously doubt it," I muttered under my breath in the same sing-songy tone.

As Mother finally reached the window, she grinned at me, presenting her "surprise": a basket filled with herbs. "I brought back parsnips. I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner! Your favorite!" She flung out her arms in a big, flashy entrance. "Surprise!"

I chuckled as she went over to the table and started preparing the meal. Hazelnut soup was my favorite, but there were much bigger things on my mind.

"Well, Mother," I said, now a little bit nervous. How would she react? "There's something I want to tell you—"

"Rapunzel, you know I hate leaving you after a fight," Mother interrupted, referring to our little spat about the floating lights earlier that morning, "especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong."

I still smiled, wanting to get to the point. "Well, I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier—"

"I hope you're not still talking about the stars," Mother cut me off again, not even turning to face me.

"Floating lights," I corrected her, moving closer to the closet that would win me my freedom, "and, yes, I'm leading up to that—"

"Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart…"

"No, Mother, I'm just saying," I prayed I would be able to finish this sentence. "You think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there—"

"Oh, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there," she said, a little annoyed.

"But if you just—"

"Rapunzel," Mother turned around, agitated. "We're done talking about this."

"Trust me!" I spoke a little faster, my excitement getting the best of me. My hand flew up to the handle. "I—"

"Rapunzel," my Mother tried to cut me off, but I was way too wound up to stop.

"I know what I'm—"

"Rapunzel—"

"Oh, come on—"

"Rapunzel!"

I couldn't take being cut off anymore. I had to show her. Before Mother could say anything else, I flung back the chair blocking the closet and hurled open the door, revealing the handsome man inside, who, still unconscious, fell on his face after I opened the door.

"Look, Mother, I did it!" I cheered, staring down at the unmoving young man. However, when Mother said nothing, I looked back at her and was surprised to see her face pale, her hand at her chest as if she was gripping the last ounce of breath she had in her. I wasn't expecting this. "M…Mother?"

"Rapunzel," she said gravely, backing away, her wide eyes still stuck on the man. "How did he get here?"

"I didn't let him in," I shrugged. "I think he climbed up the side, but I saw him and hit him with a frying pan, and—"

"Rapunzel," my Mother said again, her hand shaking as she fumbled through a drawer, her gaze still fixed on the man on the floor. "Go to your nook, now."

My face curled up in confusion. My nook was a little separate area upstairs where my bed was. Why did she want me to leave? I had just told her about this so we could talk about the floating lights!

"But, Mother," I asked, not wanting to leave, "what's wrong? I just thought—"

"Rapunzel," she commanded in a sterner tone, finding what she was seeking in the drawer and grasping it in her hand as she approached the open closet. "Go to your nook, now."

My stomach churned. This is not what I had in mind! Just as I turned to leave, I spotted the glint on the object in her hand.

The glint of a blade.

"Oh, Mother!" I gasped, flinging myself towards her. "What—what are you—you can't kill him!"

"Rapunzel, he found us," she said grimly, still approaching the unconscious man. "For all we know, he could be a ruffian, or a thug, or even a thief—"

"Or an innocent man!" I cried. "I didn't mean to—" I searched for words, my heart racing as I tried to save this young man's life. "What if we just let him outside? He's unconscious, he won't remember anything!" I dove forward to grab Mother's arm, but she flung me to the ground with such ferocity that I had never seen from her before.

"You know why he's here!" she yelled at me, her face red with anger. "We can't risk him finding us again! I can't risk him taking you!"

The only sound that came from my lips was my shocked, heavy breathing, and as much as I wanted to object, I knew I couldn't.

"M…Mother—" I tried to say something, but my terrified voice came out as no more than a whisper. Tears flooding my eyes, I scampered to my feet and ran, up the stairs, into my nook. I couldn't watch…I couldn't watch him die…

I threw myself on my bed, burying my face in my pillow. I didn't want to hear, didn't want to see…I did this.

I should have kept quiet…should have stopped when Mother yelled at me…this would have changed everything…innocent blood wouldn't have been spilled…

It didn't matter if he was a ruffian, or thug, or a thief…he was a person, and I couldn't bear to watch anything like that happen to him.

And in that instant, everything changed.

I had experienced death when it came to plants, but this was a whole different level.

This was a person.

And so, while Mother did what must be done, I buried my face in the pillow and cried.

I cried for the stupid thing I did.

Cried for that innocent young man.

Cried…

…for him.

Ok, I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHATSOEVER! I LOVE FLYNN AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE IF HE DIED! I just always wondered what would have happened if Rapunzel revealed Flynn to Gothel. Please, don't hate me! I'm a good, innocent person who loves blueberry muffins!

Yeah...originally it was just going to end right here, but...well, maybe you might just want to read on! ;-) Remember, Rapunzel isn't really the kind of person to just stand aside and watch...

I hope you liked it. Reviews are appreciated! Pascal will give you a hug!

(By the way, thank you everyone who already reviewed!) Pascal: *hugs*