Tangled

5.

As Xiao is led to the gallows, he sees the Harbingers incarcerated in their own cell. Xiao demands to know what has happened to Aether and they admit that they were acting under the promises of Mother Amias to get him back.

"How did you know about her?! Tell me, now!" Xiao demanded.

"It wasn't us! It was the old lady!" Tartagila told him.

"Old lady? Wait, no, wait! You don't understand, he's in trouble. Wait!" Xiao panicked.

Xiao struggles to escape, knowing that Aether is in danger, but is unable to.

Paimon then arrives with a few of the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling and they help Xiao break out so that he can ride out to Aether's tower.

"Paimon. You brought them here? Thank you. No really, thank you. Uh, I feel maybe this whole time we've just been misunderstanding one another. And we really just, yeah you're right. We should go. Paimon!" Xiao said to the horse.

"Okay Paimon, lets see how fast you can run." Xiao pat the side of her.

Xiao rides Paimon through the city square. They ride through the forest, then arrrive at the hidden gorge where the tower stands. Xiao hops off the horse.

Beneath the tower, he calls out to Aether's name and his hair is let down for him to climb.

"Aether, I thought I'd never see you again..."

He finds Aether bound and gagged in a chair. Before Aether can warn him, Amias emerges from the shadows and stabs Xiao in the side with her dagger. He reels back, falling against a vanity mirror and breaking the glass.

"Now look what you've done, Aether." Mother Amias spoke.

"Xiao!" Aether called his name through the gag.

"Oh don't worry dear. Our secret will die with him. And as for us? We are going where no one will ever find you, again." She told him.

Amias walked closer to Aether and Aether moved away. Amias grabbed him but he struggled to get out of her grip.

"Aether, REALLY! ENOUGH ALREADY! STOP. FIGHTING ME!" She yelled at him.

The gag had fallen from Aether's mouth and he spoke.

"NO! I won't stop. For every minute of the rest of my life I will fight. I will never stop trying to get away from you." He sneered.

He looked back at Xiao and spoke again.

"But, if you let me save him... I will go with you." He told her.

"No. No, Aether..." Xiao groaned in pain.

"I'll never run, I'll never try to escape. Just let me heal him. And you and I will be together. Forever, just like you want. Everything will be the way it was. I promise. Just like you want. Just let me heal him." Aether pleaded.

Amias agreed and let Aether heal him.

Aether stumbled over to Xiao and grabbed his hands.

"Xiao! Oh, I'm so sorry. Everything is going to okay, though." Aether stammered.

"No, Aether!" Xiao pleaded.

"I promise, you have to trust me."

"No...I can't let you do this." Xiao said.

"But I can't let you die." Aether frowned.

"But if you do this..." Xiao began.

"Shhh." Aether shushed him.

"Then you...will die." Xiao finished.

"Hey. It's gonna be all right." Aether reassured him.

"Aether, wait..." Xiao said.

"Xiao, what..."

Xiao has realized that he faces death either way; being hanged by the guards or bleeding out with Aether. He chooses to die in his arms and set him free. Sacrificing his last ounce of strength he pulls him close and cuts Aether's hair with shard of the broken mirror.

With the enchantment broken, Aether's hair turns into its normal brown and Amias staggers back as her skin begins to wrinkle.

"NOOO! No...NO! What have you done?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Amias screams.

Horrified by her reflection, she trips over some of Aether cut hair that Venti had put in her path and falls out the window. By the time her cloak hits the ground, she's rapidly aged into a pile of ashes.

"No, no, no, no, Xiao...." Aether pleaded.

"Oh, look at me, look at me, I'm right here."

"Don't go, stay with me, Xiao...." Aether choked out.

Aether attempted to sing the song of healing hoping it will work.

...

"Aether..." Xiao said weakly.

"what...?" Aether looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"...you were my new dream..."

"...and you were mine." Tears began to fall from Aether's eyes.

Xiao succumbs to his injuries and Aether breaks down. He tried to calm himself and try to sing again.

His voice would break and he would stop to cry but he never stopped.

"...what once was mine..."

Aether sobbed knowing that it won't work anymore. He let his tears fall and one fell onto Xiao's cheek. When the tear fell onto his cheek a sun-shaped glow started to shine on his cheek.

Aether gasped and looked at Xiao's wound.

Gold and white light in the shape of the star erupted from the wound and the gold light stretched all around the tower. Xiao's wound heals and the light recedes into him.

Xiao slowly began to open his eyes.

"Aether?" His eyes widened.

"Xiao.." Aether gasped.

"Did I ever tell you, I've got a thing for brunettes?" Xiao told him.

"Xiao!" He exclaimed.

Aether grabbed Xiao's face and pulled him into a kiss.