A/N: Hello there, guys! I'm back with another Jackunzel fanfic! Hoooraay! But this isn't just a Jackunzel fanfic. It's going to have Merricup too! Hooray! But of course, this fanfic was born because of TheAve's prompt! Thank you so much for this wonderful prompt!

My dear readers, if you want to send a prompt, please do so! Thank you so much!

So, without further ado, here's the first chapter of Elixir!

Elixir

By TheMaskedGirl

1755

Garnette Gothel's Tower

"Oh, hush, Rapunzel," Garnette Gothel told her apprentice. "That dress is enough." She walked to the mirror to check herself.

"But mistress, we're going to a ball! A ball!" Rapunzel Corona reasoned. "I can't just wear this dress." She followed the older woman around the room.

Gothel looked at the young girl and gave a dramatic sigh. "Well, now that I've thought about it, my apprentice cannot wear something so simple. And since you are my apprentice, go and change. But don't expect to stand out when you're with me."

"Oh, thank you, mistress! I'll be quick," Rapunzel promised. She was really excited. She was going to attend her first masquerade ball. Exclusive for alchemists. She wanted to look good in front of the other and better alchemists.

"You better be. And do something with that hair of yours. Kozmotis doesn't like it," Gothel said as she sprayed perfume on herself.

The younger girl raised a brow and said, "You're calling him by his first name again. That means you're together. Again."

She stopped spraying the perfume and looked at her apprentice. Her gray eyes were clouded with desire. She smirked. "Well, I do need him." She put down the perfume. "Now go to your room and change. If you're not downstairs in ten, I will leave you. And please call Ralph on your way out."

"Of course, mistress," she said. She exited the room, her mind full of thoughts. Something about her mentor was bothering her.

Ralph Wrack, the servant, was waiting outside the room, like he always was. He waved at her and said, "Hello, Rapunzel. Does the mistress need me?"

"Yes," she said quickly. "I need to go now. She only gave me ten minutes."

Ralph chuckled and said, "Bye!"

She waved goodbye and hurried to her room, which was in the uppermost floor of the five-floor, not including the basements, tower. The receiving room, the kitchen, and the dining room were in the first floor. The second floor was the ballroom, the third was Gothel's room, the fourth was Gothel's closet, and the fifth was where the rooms of the apprentices were.

But she was the only apprentice of the great alchemist. The parents of the other aspiring alchemists were afraid of Garnette Gothel's relationship to Kozmotis Pitchiner so they didn't allow their children to train under Gothel. Rapunzel Corona was an orphan and she was brought up by Gothel so she didn't have a choice but to be her apprentice. She loved Alchemy though, so she didn't mind being one.

When she reached her room, she was out of breath. She opened her closet. At first glance, it looked like it contained only a cloak and five dresses that looked exactly like the one she was wearing. She rummaged through her closet until she found what she was looking for.

She changed into the ball gown and looked at herself in the mirror. Like her other dresses, it was purple with pink long sleeves. The skirt of the gown had the same embroidery, but it was full-length. And unlike her other dresses, it glittered.

She took her shoes under her bed and wore it. She would rather walk barefoot, but it would be informal if she did in a ball. She took the cloak from her closet and wore it.

She also took a pink half mask with a purple feather from her closet. It had a lavender lace, which would be tied at the back of her head to hold the mask up. Gothel once told her that painting and creating things like those were a waste of time. The alchemist was mistaken though, because if she didn't make one, she would have nothing to use for the ball. And it was a masquerade ball.

She looked at herself in the mirror once again and smiled.

Ralph knocked on Gothel's door. When he heard an airy, "Come in," he opened the door and entered.

"You asked for me, mistress?"

Gothel was standing in front of the mirror, observing her face. "What do you think, Ralph? How do I look?"

"You look beautiful, mistress," he answered dutifully. He had been working for her for more than twenty years and he knew that she was looking for that answer.

He was wrong.

"I am not!" Gothel lashed out. She glared at him. "How about Rapunzel?"

He didn't like his mistress a lot. After working for her for three years, he wanted to leave. But then he became attached to the baby Gothel adopted. He only stayed to care for the girl, Rapunzel, who was like a daughter to him. "She's beautiful, mistress," he answered sincerely.

"See?" she screamed. "Do you think she's more beautiful than me?"

He shook his head. She still frightened him. "N-no. I-just-she-well-I."

Gothel sighed and plopped down on a chair. "Oh, this is stressing me out." She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "Look at me. I'm old and weary and ugly! I'm ugly!"

"No, mistress. You aren't," he assured her. Although he thought she was old, he couldn't tell her outright.

"Oh, shut your trap, Ralph. Of course I'm not ugly."

"But-you-I-no-you!"

"Stop bumbling, you idiot," she hissed. She opened her eyes and looked at Ralph. Her gray eyes were clouded with desire. It wasn't a need for love or passion. It was something else. "I need Kozmotis Pitchiner. I need him."

Kozmotis Pitchiner's Château

"Welcome, welcome," Kozmotis Pitchiner, the brilliant alchemist, said. "Hello, my dear Garnette." He kissed her on the lips in front of hundreds of alchemists, Ralph, and Rapunzel.

Rapunzel couldn't help but cringe when she saw them kissing each other. She found it gross. "Uh, hello, Mister Pitchiner," she greeted him to stop the show.

The tall man looked at Rapunzel with his silver-golden eyes. "Ah, the little apprentice is here. How are you?" He looked at her hair which was tied in a braid. "You still haven't cut your hair, apparently." He bent down until his face was only a few inches away from hers. "And your eyes are still a vivid green, full of wonder, hope, light, and innocence."

She stepped back and touched her hair unconsciously. "I'm fine," she said. "And thanks." The man scared her. She couldn't decide whether his eyes were silver or gold. His eyes made her uneasy. Something about it felt wrong.

Gothel pulled Pitchiner away from her apprentice and said, "Enough with the greetings, Kozmo dear. I'd like to meet your friends."

He smirked and patted Rapunzel's hair. He was still looking at her when he said, "Of course, Garnette."

They walked away. Pitchiner's long cloak swished as he walked. Gothel looked back and sent Rapunzel a look that clearly said, Stay away from Kozmotis. He's mine.

Rapunzel shuddered and looked at Ralph. "Did you see that look? She thinks I'm going to steal that old guy from her!"

Ralph chuckled softly. "You're talking about our mistress, Rapunzel. You shouldn't talk about her that way."

She giggled. "What she doesn't know won't kill her. You won't tell her, right?"

The huge man shook his head. "Of course not. I'll be right there, okay?" He pointed to a room where the servants of the alchemists were. Servants were supposed to interact with their masters only. "Go and party! Have fun!"

She grinned at him and waved. "I will!"

She strolled around the ballroom in awe. She was in the same room as the famous alchemists. She couldn't identify them because of the mask, but she was sure they were famous. Pitchiner was famous too, after all.

She saw her mistress talking to some alchemists. Pitchiner was not with her. Gothel waved to her so she walked to them. "Hello," she greeted politely.

"You must be Rapunzel Corona," one of them said. He smiled warmly at her. "Your hair is quite long."

She smiled. "It's never been cut. It's become my trademark."

"You're quite charming, too," a woman said. "Can I touch your hair?"

Rapunzel nodded. The woman reached out to touch her braided hair. "It's really soft! Who braided your hair?"

"I did," Gothel said with a fake smile. Ralph was actually the one who braided Rapunzel's hair, but she loved the attention. "Anyway, I have a question." The alchemists faced her again. She gave her apprentice a look.

The girl took it as a signal to go. She passed by a waiter who offered her drinks. She refused at first, but she went back to get one. She wandered in the ballroom, holding a glass of wine.

From afar, she saw Pitchiner talking to someone with brown hair. From his stature, he looked young, but she couldn't say for sure since his back was facing her. For some reason, she was drawn to the man.

When Gothel pulled Pitchiner away, she put down her wine and walked to the man. She tapped his shoulder and when he turned, she was taken aback.

His face looked like it was carved by the best. His brown eyes were the same color as his hair. He was beautiful. "Hello," he said curtly.

Rapunzel was surprised. He was the first person to not greet her warmly.

He probably felt her surprise when he offered a fake smile.

She smiled at him and said, "Hello. Are you alright?"

"Actually, I'm not. I'm scared," he answered honestly. When she asked him, something compelled him to tell the truth.

She was confused. She looked at him and saw his eyes again. She missed the fear in his eyes when she first looked at them. "Do you need help? I can get my friend to-"

He shook his head. "No, no. Please don't." He was trembling.

She looked around and then grabbed his hand. She pulled him out of the ballroom and into the hallway. She led him to the staircase where they sat down. She let go of his hand and said, "Your hands are really cold. What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," he repeated. "I'm really scared. I want to get out of here."

"Then let's get you out of here," she told him. She smiled as if to reassure him, but he shook his head again.

"I can't," he said. "He won't let you."

"Who won't?" she asked, confused.

"There you are!" Gothel's voice said. In a flash, she was in front of the two. "I looked everywhere for you, Rapunzel." Then she looked at the boy. "Are you Jackson Overland? Your master is looking for you. He wants you there now."

"You know her?" the boy asked softly so that only Rapunzel could hear.

Rapunzel nodded. "I'm her apprentice."

Jack's eyes widened. He looked at Gothel and then at Rapunzel. The look he gave her was full of terror that it alarmed her. "Leave," he whispered.

"What? Why?" she asked. She was utterly baffled.

"What are you waiting for?" Gothel asked Jackson sternly. "Go! You don't want to anger Kozmotis, do you?"

Jackson nodded and sent Rapunzel one last look of warning. He then walked opposite the direction of the ballroom.

"What a rude boy," Gothel said. She clucked her tongue. "He didn't even say goodbye. Well, come now, Rapunzel. I'd like you to meet some of my alchemist friends."

"Haven't I met them already?" she asked. She was worried about Jackson. He looked absolutely terrified.

Gothel glared at her. "Where are your manners?"

"I'm sorry, mistress. I'd like to meet them," she answered.

"Good."

Gothel walked back to the ballroom and Rapunzel followed her. She spared one last concerned glance to where Jackson went.

"She was such a naughty girl," Gothel told her friends. "She liked to play with my metals. So I made her my apprentice. She's not just my daughter now, but my apprentice too!"

Rapunzel smiled rather forcefully. She forced me to play with her metals. She forced me to love Alchemy. Although I sincerely love it now, it was because of her. And you never treated me like a daughter.

"She looks like Primrose," the kind man Rapunzel met earlier said.

Gothel balked. "Who's Primrose?"

"You don't know Primrose?" the man asked suspiciously. "Isn't Thomas your friend?"

"Who are Primrose and Thomas?" Rapunzel asked her mother. "You've never told me about them, mistress."

Gothel laughed nervously. "I remember now. Anyway, they're just old friends, Rapunzel. You don't need to know about them. Go and dance, flower. Scuttle along now. But don't leave this room."

It was a warning and she knew it. But she couldn't help but worry over Jackson. When she was sure that Gothel was engrossed in her conversation with her friends, she sneaked out of the ballroom.

She followed the path Jackson went to. At the end of the hallway was a door. She opened it and entered cautiously. As she started to descend the stairs, she heard a piercing scream. She stepped back, frightened. She heard more screams. It sounded like someone was being tortured.

"What are you doing here?"

Rapunzel turned around and saw Pitchiner glaring at her. "I… I was just-"

"This place is off-limits!" Pitchiner hissed. "Rapunzel, be a good girl and close that door. Go back to the ballroom and forget everything you heard."

"But I think-"

"Close that door." Pitchiner towered over her, scaring her.

She reluctantly closed the door.

"Good. Now leave." His silver-golden eyes gleamed ferociously.

She spun on her heel and ran away. When she reached the ballroom, she put a hand to her chest to calm her heart.

She was afraid of Kozmotis Pitchiner.

"What did you tell the girl?" Pitchiner questioned Jackson. The boy was sitting in the corner of the laboratory while Pitchiner walked around. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing! I told her nothing. I swear, master. I didn't tell her anything," he said. He was crying and trembling. He looked at the other side of the room and saw three bodies lying on the floor. One of the bodies was still jolting. They were Pitchiner's other apprentices, three of ten apprentices. Eight were dead, one was half-dead and half-alive, and the last one was him. "I said nothing."

"Jackson, Jackson, Jackson. You were my favorite student. You knew that, didn't you? Those boys knew that too," Pitchiner said. He walked over to where Jackson was. The young apprentice tried to move back, to stay away from him, but he already reached the wall. "But poor little Jackson can't escape. You wanted to become my apprentice so I made you one. But now you're probably regretting it." He laughed cruelly and patted Jackson on the head. "Look at your friends. Dead. They're all dead."

"You took us in, orphans, and made us your apprentices! I thought you were different," Jackson spat. He was frightened, but he couldn't take it anymore. "I was right. You are different because you are cruel. You're evil."

"Ah, little Jackson knows how to answer back," Pitchiner said with a smirk. "I am evil. I am greedy. I want to become a perfect being. And do you know how I can achieve that? With the elixir of life. I will become immortal. I will age, but I will never grow old. I will live for eons. I will forever! I will be perfect!"

"Then why are you killing us?" Jackson screamed.

"Oh, I'm not killing you," he said indifferently. "I'm actually doing you a favor. If the elixir works, then you live forever. But the downside is, if it doesn't, you die a slow and painful death."

Jackson felt his death lurking inside the vial in his master's hand. Pitchiner looked at him with a smile that sent chills down his spine. His silver-golden eyes pierced his soul.

"Jackson Overland, are you ready for your medicine?"

A/N: I particularly like the last line because it's soooo creepy. It sent chills down my spine! Weee. I'm still working on the second part of this fic. Anyhow, if you want to send a prompt, please send me a PM or through Tumblr. I'm goldenfrostydreams. I'm also themaskedgirl, but please send it to goldenfrostydreams. Thank you!

Please leave a review if you can! Thank you so much!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl