Chapter Text
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
~ Isaiah 9:2, New International Version
In all the years Rapunzel had dreamed about seeing the lights up close, she had imagined herself alone, or accompanied only by Pascal and possibly Gothel.
But now that the moment had finally arrived, she was far happier having Eugene with her.
He had not only made this journey possible for her. He had spent the day with her, found a boat to provide the best possible vantage point, and even obtained lanterns for them to launch. And when she gave him the satchel containing the crown—his original reason for bringing her here—he set it aside to participate in this moment with her.
He had done everything he could to make the experience as good it could be for Rapunzel. But the best part, she realized, was simply having him there, watching the lanterns with her.
When Eugene grasped her hand, she was startled, and turned away from the spectacular sight of the lanterns to look at him; then she realized that while she had been admiring the lanterns, he had been admiring her. His expression was more tender than she had yet seen, and in the orange glow of the lights, he looked more handsome than ever.
Now they were both holding each other's hands, staring into each other's eyes, full of a hundred wonderful new emotions. Eugene lifted one hand to her face, pushing her hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek.
Despite all the uncertainties of the past few days, and her general ignorance of the world, Rapunzel was now sure of two things.
One: she loved the man in front of her.
Two: he was about to kiss her, and she wanted to kiss him.
They both leaned in, closer and closer, giving each other time to pull away. But neither of them did, and despite the beauty surrounding them and their admiration for the person in front of them, they both closed their eyes just before their lips touched.
Rapunzel did not really know what to expect, but to her, the kiss seemed perfect. It was warm, and soft, and gentle. It was brief, but it sent a thrill through her whole body.
When they parted, both of them smiling and laughing nervously, Eugene took her hands again and kissed them. It was so reverent and affectionate, it made her giggle.
Before she could think of something to say, something seemed to catch his attention. He looked past her, his brow furrowed in worry.
"Is everything alright?" Rapunzel asked.
"Huh?" He blinked, focusing on her again. "Oh, of course. It's just—" He broke off, frowning, thinking; then he seemed to come to a decision. He picked up the oar and dipped it into the water.
But instead of returning to the docks on the island, Eugene steered the boat toward a rocky beach on the mainland. Most of the lanterns had floated away by now, leaving the sky and the sea in darkness once more.
When they made shore, Eugene got out and picked up his satchel. "I'm sorry. Everything is fine." He looked at Rapunzel apologetically. "There's just something I have to take care of."
She looked back at him, trying not to show how confused and concerned she was. Her eyes flickered to the satchel he was holding against his chest. But she met his eyes again and managed a weak smile. "Okay."
Eugene looked at her a moment longer, as though reluctant to leave her. "I'll be right back," he promised. Then he turned and walked away, disappearing between two boulders.
Pascal, who had kept a polite, respectful silence throughout the lantern launch, now climbed onto Rapunzel's shoulder. She could sense his unease. "It's alright, Pascal," she said, trying to convince herself as well as him.
So much had changed since she and Eugene first met. Initially, neither of them had wanted to reveal anything about themselves. But when they almost died in the flooding cave, they had shared their most personal secrets, and after that, they had opened up to each other more and more.
Why was Eugene suddenly being secretive again?
A nagging doubt came into Rapunzel's mind. Gothel had said he would leave her once he got the crown. And now he had it.
But Gothel had been wrong about everything else—about the lights, about the world, and about Rapunzel herself. Everything Rapunzel had come to know about Eugene indicated that Gothel was wrong about him too.
Rapunzel trusted Eugene completely. She should show that by taking him at his word and waiting for him to return. She did not know exactly where they would go next—she still had not decided whether to go back to the tower—but she knew he would not simply abandon her when she was still so new to the outside world.
Still, the way he left worried her. He had been so anxious, almost fearful … was he going to do something dangerous? Maybe he had left her behind because he did not want to put her in danger.
But if that was the case, Rapunzel did not want him to face it alone, whatever it was. She had gotten them out of trouble on multiple occasions the previous day. As much as she needed him, he also needed her.
If he did not want her with him, she could at least stay close by, in case he needed her help.
Her mind made up, Rapunzel bent down and scrabbled at the bottom of the boat, searching for her frying pan. Then she remembered: she had left it in Maximus' saddlebag so she would not have to carry it with her during the festival. All she had with her now was the oar. That would have to do for a weapon.
She took Pascal down from her shoulder and placed him on the bench opposite her. "Stay here, Pascal," she told him as she climbed over the side of the boat. The chameleon made a reluctant noise, but did as he was told.
Holding the oar vertically like a club, Rapunzel crossed the beach as quickly and quietly as she could. The ground consisted more of rocks than sand, hurting her bare feet; but she ignored the pain and followed Eugene's trail past the boulders, through some trees and bushes, to another section of the coast.
Rapunzel heard him before she saw him. At the sound of his voice, she stopped to hide behind a bush, peeking out just enough to see the small beach. A boat with a sail was moored to a rock in the water. A tall, muscular man—one of the redheads who had chased them in the gorge—was sitting on a boulder on the beach. He was sharpening a piece of wood with his weapon—either a very large knife, or a small machete—and he also had swords strapped to his back and his belt.
Eugene was addressing the man with loud confidence, as though seeing an old chum, but received no reply. He cleared his throat and spoke somewhat more seriously. "Anyhow, just wanted to say, I shouldn't have split." He tossed the satchel toward the man, and when it landed on the ground, the crown fell out. "The crown is all yours. I don't need it anymore."
Rapunzel's heart felt like it was soaring. He no longer wanted the crown! The thing that had first motivated him to go on this journey no longer mattered to him. Her mother had been wrong! He did care about her, even more than treasure or riches!
"I'll miss you, but I think it's for the—best." Eugene started to turn away, but was cut off when the other redhead stepped out of the forest and stood in his way, blocking him from the path back to Rapunzel, and blocking Eugene from Rapunzel's view.
"Holding out on us again, eh, Rider?" one of the men said—she could not tell which one.
"What?" Eugene sounded utterly confused.
"We heard you found something." The first man stood, threw his knife into the sand, and walked up to them. "Something much more valuable than a crown." He stopped in front of Eugene. "We want her, instead."
Rapunzel gasped before she could stop herself. She clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late to stifle the sound.
The man blocking Eugene's exit turned—she could see his eyepatch and his suspicious, hateful glare—and then started approaching the bush.
Eugene cried out, "No! I won't let you!" But the first man grabbed him from behind and forced his arms behind his back.
Rapunzel gripped the oar, bracing herself. Gothel had always told her that people would try to take her and use her powers; but this was even worse than what she had imagined, because they also had the man she loved.
Well, she was not going to let them take him, or her, without a fight.
When the eyepatch wearer pushed aside the branches, Rapunzel struck—but he was too tall for her to reach his head. Instead, the oar hit his shoulder with a blow strong enough to hurt and anger him, but not enough to seriously injure him.
She swung again, almost forcing him back, but he managed to grab the end of the oar. In just a few seconds, making hardly any effort while she strained with all her might, he wrested the oar away from her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out onto the beach.
The thug with the thick sideburns had forced Eugene down onto his stomach, and now stood with one foot on his back, holding the crown in one hand. Eugene shouted in horror when he saw Rapunzel struggling in his enemy's grip. "No! Don't touch her!" He tried to push himself up on his arms, but was held down painfully. He could only gasp out, "Rapunzel!"
Sideburns laughed, and when his brother pulled Rapunzel over, he trailed his fingers over the top of her head. He seemed to enjoy seeing her shrink from his touch. "The girl with the magic hair." He spoke to his brother, who remained mute, though looking just as smug and satisfied. "How much do you think someone would pay to stay young and healthy forever?"
Even through her fear, Rapunzel was perplexed. "How did you know about that?"
"Who told you about her?" Eugene demanded.
The man shrugged. "It was an old lady."
"Old lady?" Eugene repeated, bewildered.
Rapunzel's mind spun, but she could hardly begin to think through what this meant. The thug holding Eugene pulled him back to his feet. He desperately reached for Rapunzel, but his captor twisted his arms behind his back. He growled, baring his teeth in fury, but his resistance made no difference.
"No!" Rapunzel begged. "Please! Let us go!"
Her pleas were ignored—if anything, they only amused the men. Sideburns dragged Eugene toward the boat, smirking at Rapunzel. "Say goodbye, sweetheart. Once they see him with this—" He held up the crown, making the jewels glimmer in the moonlight. "—it'll be a hanging for him."
That struck more terror in Rapunzel than her fear for her own safety. "No! No! EUGENE!"
Eugene only had enough time to shout, "Run, Rapunzel!" before the fist came down on his head. Rapunzel screamed as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The next thing she knew, the man with the eyepatch was pulling a sack over her head, pushing her to her knees and forcing her hands behind her back. She struggled and shouted, but her limbs were restrained and her voice was muffled. Someone was lifting her off the ground—
Then, suddenly, there was a whacking sound, and she felt herself falling. She landed painfully on the rocky ground. Then she heard one or both of the men make exclamations of surprise, such as, "Hey! What are you doing?" There was more whacking, and one or two muffled thumps—then everything was still.
When Rapunzel tried to move again, no one stopped her. She shimmied her way out of the sack, and when she pulled it off her head, she saw—
"Mother?"
Gothel stood between the unconscious bodies of the twin thieves. She was panting, holding a moderately sized tree branch like a weapon. She dropped it when she caught sight of Rapunzel, clasping her hands in relief. "Oh! My precious girl!"
She hurried over and knelt down, throwing her arms around Rapunzel, who was reeling from the sudden turn of events. After being so frightened, and being rescued in the nick of time, Rapunzel could not resist leaning into her mother's embrace. "H-how did you find me?"
Gothel held her by the shoulders, stroking her hair and looking over her frantically. "I was so worried about you! So I followed you. And then I saw them attack you—oh!" She hugged Rapunzel again, and then took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go—let's go, before they come to!"
"No, wait!" Rapunzel broke away and turned to the water. The boat had been launched, but it was only a few dozen feet from shore. She could make out Eugene's silhouette against the wheel, and the glint of the crown in front of him. She shouted his name, but there was no answer, and she realized he was probably still unconscious. They must have tied him upright and launched the boat in the direction of the kingdom, sending him into a death trap.
Rapunzel reached back for her hair, only to remember that it was still braided. She pulled it in front of her shoulder and tugged off the string holding the ends together. "Mother, help me undo this."
"Rapunz—"
"NOW!"
With a bemused frown, Gothel helped her unbraid her hair, though not with as much speed and urgency.
Once her hair was loose, Rapunzel took a few steps back, then ran down the beach and into the water, throwing her hair out like a lasso. It caught the highest peg of the boat's wheel, and she pulled it as hard as she could to the left, causing it to veer and turn back in a circle.
"What are you doing?" Gothel exclaimed.
Rapunzel spoke through gritted teeth. "Saving the man I love."
Gothel made a disgusted noice and began to scold her. "Rapunzel, don't you see? He must have been in on this attack—"
"No," Rapunzel shot back, "he wasn't. He was trying to protect me."
Gothel gripped her shoulder. "Leave him behind, or we'll never get away."
Rapunzel glared at her. "I am not leaving him." She wriggled out of Gothel's grasp and continued to pull her hair like a towline, until the boat ran aground.
The impact roused Eugene, who she could now clearly see was tied to the wheel. He groaned, blinking in confusion. "Rapunzel?" Then he gasped, becoming fully alert. "Rapunzel!"
"I'm coming, Eugene!" She looked around the beach, picked up a knife that one of the thugs had dropped, and climbed up into the boat.
Eugene had been tied down to the pilot's seat, his hands and the crown bound to the spokes of the wheel. His face lit up when he saw her, and he almost sobbed in relief. "Blondie!"
"Eugene!" Rapunzel was in front of him at once, and would have hugged him if she were not holding the knife.
"What happened?" he demanded as she began cutting through the ropes. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, I'm okay." When she freed his wrists, the crown fell and clattered unceremoniously on the deck. She paused long enough to touch his face with her free hand, examining him. "Are you hurt?"
He smiled sheepishly. "No worse than a frying pan to the head."
She smiled back, and then cut the ropes from his neck and waist. The moment he came loose, Eugene stood, and Rapunzel set the knife aside on the bench. They immediately had their arms around each other in a fierce hug. He smoothed her hair back with his hand and pressed kisses to her cheek and temple.
Rapunzel could not help but notice that she felt far safer in Eugene's arms than in Gothel's. She never knew which side of her mother she was going to see, and so she was never sure where she stood with her. But with Eugene, she felt no uncertainty or guardedness.
They pulled back just enough to see and touch each other's faces. "Are you really okay?" he asked, still full of concern.
She smiled and assured him, "I'm fine. We're safe now."
Eugene looked back at the beach. "How? What happened to—" He broke off when he saw the Stabbington brothers lying unconscious on the ground, and a woman he had never met standing there, watching them with a stormy expression. "Uh … who is that?"
"Ah." Rapunzel felt awkward and uneasy. "That's my mother."
She felt Eugene stiffen, his arms tightening around her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Should we just take the boat and leave?"
Before she could figure out whether he was serious, she saw Gothel suddenly bend over. "Oh—Rapunzel!" Then she fell to her knees, clutching her chest.
Alarmed, Rapunzel let go of Eugene and came to the side of the boat. "Mother? What's wrong?"
"All this excitement—it's left me a bit winded. I need you." Off of Rapunzel's blank look, she specified, "I need you to sing for me."
For the first time in her life, Rapunzel hesitated to grant that request. Gothel had seemed fine just a moment ago, and had been strong enough to knock out the twins. But upon examination, she did look older and more worn out than usual, her hair turning gray.
Rapunzel felt Eugene's hand on her shoulder. "I don't like this," he said, his voice low and full of dread.
She glanced back at him, pleading for understanding in spite of her own reluctance. "She's my mother. I have to help her."
After a moment he said, "Fine. But you're not going alone. And when you're done, I have some questions for her."
Rapunzel nodded, and climbed over the side of the boat, with Eugene following a moment later. She pulled her hair along as she knelt in front of Gothel, ready to sing. But Gothel stopped her. "Not out in the open! Everyone on the water will see the light. Come—take me into the forest."
Rapunzel bit back a sigh, and let Gothel put an arm around her shoulders and lean on her for support. Eugene followed close behind, gathering up her hair so it would not get caught on the Stabbingtons or the underbrush.
They only took a few steps into the forest before setting Gothel down to sit against a tree trunk. Rapunzel knelt, offering a section of her hair, which the old woman clung to like a lifeline.
She sang the song quickly and quietly, while Eugene watched. She had never felt so uncomfortable when healing someone this way. Granted, she had only ever healed Gothel, Pascal, and Eugene; but each of those times had felt … private. Intimate. It felt strange—almost wrong—to have an audience watching and judging the act, or her relationship to the person she was healing.
When Rapunzel finished the song, Gothel's hair was black again, and she looked as though she had just had a good night's sleep. She heaved a deep, satisfied sigh. "Thank you, dear."
"It's nothing," she said dryly. She stood up, and helped Gothel stand.
Eugene cleared his throat. "I don't think we've been introduced," he said, nodding at Gothel, who looked at him as though just noticing him.
"Right." Rapunzel had never introduced anyone before, but she tried to sound polite and respectful. She stood between them and gestured to each in turn. "Mother, this is Eugene Fitzherbert—although most people call him Flynn Rider. Eugene, this is my mother, Gothel. She—well—she saved us." She felt embarrassed admitting that she needed to be saved, especially by the very person from whom she was trying to gain some measure of independence. Then she felt ashamed for being embarrassed when she should be grateful.
Eugene and Gothel regarded each other coldly, their eyes full of mistrust. Rapunzel noticed, and wanted to diffuse the tension. She saw the crown in Eugene's hand, and when she reached for it, he let her take it without protest.
"You were wrong about him, Mother," she insisted, holding up the crown. "I gave this back to him, and he didn't want it. He gave it away—and when they turned on us, he fought for me."
Eugene's gaze darted between the two of them. "Wait—when did you two talk about me?" He peered incredulously at Gothel. "Have you been following us?"
"I was trying to make sure my daughter was safe," Gothel said haughtily, "after finding out she'd been spirited away by a wanted criminal."
"What?" That made him a bit indignant. "I'll have you know, she forced me to take her out of the tower."
Gothel sniffed. "Well, Rapunzel, did you find everything you were looking for?"
Rapunzel answered with pride, her tone bordering on defiance. "Yes, I did! I saw the lights up close, and they were everything I dreamed they would be." She took Eugene's hand and added with a smile, "Even better, actually."
"Wonderful." Gothel took on an air of cheerfulness. "Then there's no reason to dally here. So say your goodbyes, and then I want a word with him. After that, we'll be on our way home."
Eugene's hand tightened around Rapunzel's. She squeezed back in assurance. "Okay," she said carefully, "on one condition."
"Excuse me?" Those two simple words sounded dangerous in Gothel's voice.
Rapunzel willed her voice to be firm. "I'll go with you, but I'm not going to stay at home all the time. From now on, you have to let me go out, and you have to let Eugene visit us."
Gothel pressed her hand to her forehead, groaning in exasperation, as though Rapunzel were a child making a ridiculous suggestion. "That is absolutely out of the question."
"But—"
"You wait here. Mr. Rider, I want to speak with you on the beach."
Rapunzel dug in her heels. "No. Whatever you want to say to him, you can say in front of me."
Gothel was not used to Rapunzel defying her—she had never done so until the night before—and it immediately sparked her temper. "After all the ways you've disobeyed me—"
"Hold on, lady," Eugene said, letting go of Rapunzel's hand. He stepped forward to stand between the two women. "Just what kind of game are you playing?"
"I'm not playing any game, young man."
He waved his hand impatiently. "You know what I mean. What's your deal? Why are you so set on keeping Rapunzel away from the world?"
"Did you miss the ambush just now?" Gothel said, gesturing to the beach. "Do you think those two are the only ones who would try to take advantage of her?"
Eugene looked hard at her, his eyes narrow with suspicion. "They knew about Rapunzel's hair. They said an 'old lady' told them about it."
Gothel raised a brow. "Oh, and you believed them?"
"How else could they find out?" Eugene folded his arms, challenging her. "And how did you know where to find us at that very moment? Pretty convenient timing."
Rapunzel dropped the crown, aghast as the pieces came together in her mind. She stared at Gothel, feeling as though she were looking at a stranger. "You … you set this up. You wanted them to go after me—so you could step in and 'save' me."
Gothel's mouth was hard, and her eye twitched slightly. She did not deny it, nor did she repent it. "I tried to tell you what the world was like, but you wouldn't listen. I needed you to see for yourself."
"So, you put her in danger to show how much she needs to be protected," Eugene mused. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I get it. Lots of people use that tactic—warlords, crime bosses, pimps …"
"How dare you!" Gothel exclaimed.
Eugene looked her in the eye, dead serious now. "Admit it: You're not trying to keep her safe; you're trying to keep her scared. You want her to believe she needs your protection. And the past two days have shown that she doesn't."
"She knows nothing of the world!"
He wagged a finger in acknowledgement. "Good point. The question is: whose fault is that?" He started to pace back and forth between them as he worked out the answer. "Even if you were just trying to keep her power a secret, you could have let her go out and learn about the world. If you wanted her to be safe, you could have taught her how to survive on her own. Instead, you seem to want her to be helpless and dependent on you."
Rapunzel had never thought of it that way, but as Eugene said it, she realized he was right. Gothel had always warned her about the dangers of the world, but she never talked about what to do when encountering any of them. Rapunzel had learned by now that although there were risks and dangers, many of them could be overcome. And she was an apt learner; she could have studied self-defense and survival skills. But Gothel had never given her books or lessons on those subjects.
"You have another motive for hiding her, don't you?" Eugene pressed on.
"Be careful what you imply, Mr. Rider," Gothel growled.
"Oh, I'm way past implying," he said recklessly. "Was sending me away to be arrested and executed also your idea? I'm sure the Stabbingtons wanted revenge, but they're not that creative."
Rapunzel gasped, horrified. She did not want to believe it. Would Gothel really go that far? "You wanted him dead?" she whispered.
Gothel grasped her arm and pulled her aside. "Rapunzel, this man is a criminal. Our secret would have died with him. He belongs in prison, or the gallows; and you belong home with me."
"No, he doesn't—and I don't!" Rapunzel yanked herself free, which took some effort as Gothel's grip was so strong.
Eugene came up and stood alongside Rapunzel, glaring at Gothel. "You can't get rid of me, and you can't hide her away," he said adamantly. "And even if you could—you're not going to live forever. What exactly is your plan for her? If you don't want anyone to know about her, and you're not teaching her how to live on her own … what do you expect to happen to her when you're gone?"
Rapunzel was stunned. In actuality, Gothel could live forever … as long as she had access to Rapunzel's hair. She had never thought much about the fact that Gothel used her hair almost every day, and always looked more healthy and youthful afterwards. If Gothel had had her way—if Rapunzel had never left the tower—she would have been the only one to ever benefit from her hair's power. For the first time, Rapunzel realized how selfish that was—and wondered just how long Gothel meant for it to go on.
Eugene spoke with conviction. "I saw her in town today; she was happy, and she made everyone she met happy too. She doesn't belong hidden away in a tower!"
"She belongs where I say she belongs!" Gothel shouted. "I'm her mother!"
"She's not a child! She's eighteen now, isn't she?"
The word eighteen stirred a recent memory in Rapunzel's mind. Earlier that day, they had heard the townspeople talk about the lost princess, in whose honor the lanterns were lit every year.
Every year, on the princess' birthday.
Every year, on Rapunzel's birthday.
Every year, for eighteen years.
And that mosaic in town, showing the king, the queen, and the baby princess, with strangely familiar faces …
Was she …? Could she be …?
Rapunzel nearly fell over. She leaned against a tree to support herself.
Eugene and Gothel had continued arguing, growing angrier and more agitated. But Eugene stopped abruptly when he noticed Rapunzel's strange silence and shaken countenance. "Rapunzel? Are you okay?"
"I'm the lost princess," Rapunzel whispered.
"Speak up, Rapunzel; you know how I hate the mumbling," Gothel scolded.
Rapunzel looked up at her with narrowed eyes. "I am the lost princess, aren't I?" she repeated, enunciating each word clearly.
For once, Gothel was speechless, her mouth hanging ajar.
"Did I mumble, Mother?" Rapunzel asked, rising up to her full height. "Or should I even call you that?"
Eugene stared at Rapunzel in bewilderment; then his eyes widened in comprehension; then he gaped in awe. "Holy crown," he breathed. He looked at Gothel then, and said more words that Rapunzel did not understand—they may have been slang, or a foreign language—she did not know if they were curses or blessings, but they were clearly expressions of astonishment.
Gothel finally regained her voice, and her sickly sweet smile, resorting to her usual condescending demeanor. "Oh, Rapunzel, do you hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"
She reached for Rapunzel, as though to embrace her; but Eugene stepped between them, exclaiming, "That's not a denial!"
"My hair isn't the only secret you've kept, is it?" Rapunzel went on, stepping around Eugene to face Gothel. "That's why you wouldn't let me leave the tower. You couldn't risk me, or anyone else, learning who I am—or what you did."
Gothel was no longer smiling. She looked down at her coolly. "Everything I did was to protect you."
Rapunzel was seething. "To protect my hair! It was all you, wasn't it? You were the one who tried to take my hair when I was a baby—and since that wouldn't work, you took me, instead."
Disgusted and enraged, she began to gather up her hair, looping it around her arm, and stormed off toward the beach. The Stabbingtons were still lying on the ground, a reminder of all the fears Gothel had instilled in her from the time she was old enough to understand speech.
Gothel followed her and addressed her, but she took no heed. "Rapunzel—"
"I've spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power—"
"Rapunzel!"
"—when I should have been hiding from you." She stopped at the sea strand and glared at Gothel, feeling eighteen years' worth of anger bubbling inside her.
All the times Gothel had made her feel guilty about questioning her mother's intentions, betraying her mother's trust, wanting something more than she was allowed—all of it had been a manipulation. Their entire relationship had been a manipulation. They were not related by blood, and Gothel had not adopted her out of love. It had been an elaborate deception to keep her where Gothel could use her power, and prevent anyone from discovering her crime: kidnapping the princess of the kingdom.
"You wanted me to think I couldn't survive without you," Rapunzel said. "But I don't need you—you need me."
"We need each other, Rapunzel," Gothel insisted.
Eugene had followed them, and stepped back into Rapunzel's line of sight, standing near the path to the neighboring beach. His satchel hung from his shoulder, and his gaze darted between the two women. He was calm, but also urgent. "Rapunzel," he said quietly, "we should get out of here."
"Where will you go?" Gothel challenged.
Rapunzel was breathing hard, and the question gave her pause. A short time earlier, it would have been a difficult one to answer; but now she knew. Her eyes drifted to the island across the channel, where the town and the castle were. That was where she had come from, where she had always longed to go, and where she had finally seen the lights. She had always felt that they had something to do with her, and now she knew it for a fact: they were meant to lead her …
"Home," she said with conviction.
Gothel laughed as though she had made a great joke. "You think you'll be a princess? What do you know about governing?"
She shrugged. "I'm a fast learner."
"You'll be in over your head. You'll see what I've tried to tell you all along." She stepped aside so she was blocking Rapunzel's view of the island. "The world is dark, and selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it. That is what awaits you if you choose the world." She softened. "But in the tower, you always were—and always will be—safe."
She reached for Rapunzel as though to comfort her, but Rapunzel grabbed her wrist and stood firm, even as Gothel struggled. They had never physically fought before, and neither of them had realized that Rapunzel's strength matched hers.
"You were wrong about the world!" Rapunzel declared. "And you were wrong about me! And I will never let you use my hair again!"
She let go of Gothel, who stumbled back a few steps into the water, looking shocked and terrified, as though her entire life had just fallen apart. In contrast, Eugene, though still on edge, looked proud. Rapunzel nodded at him and turned away to retrace their steps to the other beach.
She heard Gothel's speak, her voice quiet and dangerous. "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."