Rise of the Tangled

Chapter 20- The Meaning of Love

--Jack's POV--

I flew back to my icy pond in the town of Burgess. I smiled the whole way home remembering Rapunzel's happiness in making her own castle. It was an amazing place too, I thought to myself, it's a place she deserves. I flew to my tree and lied down on the top branch to stare up at a crescent moon. I chuckled, "So Manny, getting a new look?" I watched the moon shine in return.

 I thought to myself. I know how I feel about Rapunzel. I know I love her. I just don't want to admit it. But why? Why don't I want to admit it? Maybe, it's because I never really thought about...love. I had seen couples who looked my physical age before, but nothing ever sank in. I guess it just never appealed to me before. 

And why should it? 

What do I know about love? 

I must have loved my family before I became Jack Frost, but I don't remember what it feels like to love. Then I frowned, Ah! This is ridiculous! I shouldn't just sit here and sulk. Maybe I should do some research. I closed my eyes and shook my head, Ugh! Research. Hadn't I done enough?But I knew that research would help.

 I stood up on my branch and took a look around. I flew off toward the Burgess library. I searched through tons of books, when I came upon a dictionary. I looked up the word love,

 Love

 /ləv/

 1. an intense feeling of deep affection

 2. A person or thing that one loves

 I knew these things. It didn't seem to give me the answer I was looking for. I kept looking. I found a larger brown book and found another definition of love....it was exactly what I was looking for:

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

 It gave me all the answers of love I was looking for. I flew back to my tree with a smile on my face. I had memorized the paragraph and held it close hoping to use it in the near future.

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 The next day I hoped out of my tree, wide awake. I was going to go to Russia and make sure that they had a sufficient amount of snow and pay a little visit to the East side of the USA for a tiny snowfall as well. I finished my work and hurried over to Punzie's place. I bet she was sitting around still decorating.

 I flew past the mountains and fjords towards her castle. I soared over the last mountain and froze.

 "T-that CAN'T be her castle!" I said to myself. I wasn't looking at the golden castle with the sun shining as before. I was looking at a huge black stone castle with blood-red stained windows. I looked around with wide eyes and an open mouth. There was....black smoke.....surrounding....the castle.

 I raced toward the palace hoping I wasn't too late. Please...Please...Please...Please let me not be too late! I landed near large black doors and threw them open. I yelled for her.

"RAPUNZEL!"

No answer.

"RAPUNZEL WHERE ARE YOU?!"

I heard a laugh coming from up a large staircase it the middle of the room. 

"Punzie?" I called with confusion. That didn't sound like her. But it was. 

A lady in a black dress with a red neckline and a bright orange jewel in the middle, appeared at the top of the stairs. Rapunzel looked down at me and smiled. She looked exactly like she had before. She came hurrying down the stair and gave me a hug.

 "Hi Jack!....Well?"

"Well what?" I asked, confused.

"How do you like this new look?" She asked and gestured toward the castle, "I thought I might try something new."

"It's a little evil looking," I said suspiciously, "I thought there might have been something wrong.

She laughed, "Oh no silly! There's nothing wrong. I just wanted to try something new."

I looked at her eyes trying to read her. They looked normal and sincere enough, but there was something else there. Then it hit me. The color. I didn't look at the color of her eyes. Yes, they were green, but there was another color in the middle. It was hard to make out, but it looked like red. My own eyes widened a little, "Well...I will go see what North is up too then." I said as calm as I could and flew out of the castle.

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Rapunzel frowned, "You missed," she said.

"I know I did," came a voice coming forth from the shadows. Pitch stood tall behind Rapunzel. "He got out of here too fast."

"Do you think he suspects anything?" asked Rapunzel.

"Yes, but if you keep acting, he will fall right into our hands." he replied.

 He looked around and added, "We also might need to go back to sunshine and gold."

"Ugh WHY! It was so frilly!" complained Rapunzel.

"I know I know, but we need him to think you are still his golden flower. You can always visit me in my lair anytime too."

Rapunzel gave in and smiled, "All right then, but try to get rid of them fast. They make me sick."

"Of course they do! You are evil now remember?"

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-Ami2010buddy