All the stories don't always have a happy ending.

OS 3 Part 2 : I am alone now.

OS in some parts, centred on Rapunzel, her awakening after her father left her, and her life in the tower until she was released from it.

Pairing : No pairing

Spoiler : Beauty.

For Rapunzel, the first days of her life in the tower weren't really pleasant, as the witch wasn't a really sympathetic hostess. In fact, this last one never stopped from harassing her so she would accept to learn magic, a thing the young girl refused, persuaded as she was that her father wouldn't be long. (Even though it did mean Belle's death, who used to be her best friend, but it would signify the destruction of the Beast.)

The witch stayed patient, she had all her time, and knew the child would soon lose hope to see her father again. Because what the witch didn't tell to Rumplestiltskin, nor to Rapunzel, is that Belle would wait for one hundred year to die, the time that every drop of her blood that was in her body get out of it.

The first days, Rapunzel was the one who had to make the cleaning in the tower, as the witch was too old to do it (even though she could have done it with her magic); she proposed to the young woman to learn her some spells so she shouldn't have to do it without magic. But Rapunzel was someone really stubborn, and preferred to use the traditional broom. The witch just admired this strong character she had, and that she would soon break into pieces...

§§§§

After three weeks, Rapunzel began to realize that there was something wrong in this situation. The witch seemed to be too well-assured of herself, when the adolescent told her that Rumplestiltskin would some come here. Rapunzel began to understand that the witch didn't tell them everything; the trip from their kingdom shouldn't have been that long, even though it must had been difficult to him to put Belle in contact with the spell.

One evening, worried not to have news from her father, she confronted the witch.

"And my father ? When will he be back ?

- I don't know child.

- Or... will he be back ?"

And then, the witch smiled. Hope was slowly disappearing in Rapunzel' spirit, and it was exactly what she wanted.

"Maybe, Rapunzel, but I have doubts about it.

- But... why ? That can't be possible, he made me a promise !

- Maybe, but I don't think it changes something about that."

Suspicious, the young girl frowned. The old woman may knew how to play well a role, but Rapunzel understood at her badly disguised smile that she still hide something from her.

"I don't know many things about magic, and I don't want to know things about it. But the thing I know well is that all magic comes with a price. And I guess I am not the only one my father had to pay, right ?"

The other one smile accentuated.

"Right. A clue, it's about the time that will be needed before your dear princess die.

(She wasn't afraid to inform the young woman of that, who couldn't say it to her father. And, then, maybe it would help her to understand where her interest was.) Rapunzel became pale.

- It won't be that easy, right ? She won't die now. How many times will it be ? She hiccuped, afraid.

- Well... as a hundred year, she says, calmly."

Rapunzel' look had now a light of fear, and she began to tremble, as the witch's words printed in her mind. She needed some seconds to realize that she wasn't able to breathe. She didn't lose conscience, and succeeded to take her breath again, terror and horror still present in her.

"A hundred years ! She will need a hundred years to die ? But... it's inhuman, even for someone as the Beast ! Rapunzel then shouted."

She didn't want to listen to the witch, and as she didn't believe her, Rapunzel went into her room, fell on the bed and began to cry.

"He will come back for me, Rumplestiltskin's daughter whispered between her slobs. I am sure. That can't be differently. She lied to me so I give up and accept to learn magic."

But the witch didn't lie, and that, Rapunzel would soon understand it...

§§§§

It is just days after that that Rapunzel accepted to talk to the witch again, to tell her that she would learn magic with her. The witch knew that she won, and the young girl began her learning.

But the witch was wrong; Rapunzel was still persuaded that her father would soon arrive here, he would come, and Belle would die rapidly. (And she wasn't even guilty to wish her former best friend's death, someone she formerly wished to be more than that for her.) So, she resigned herself to learn this magic that profoundly disgusted herself, a dark magic, terrible, and evil. She didn't want, because it wasn't her.

And there was also her father, who would surely have felt a deep feeling of disappointment if he knew it. (But he would never know, right, because in the end he would never come back to her. No, I can't think that, I just can't). And it wasn't what she wanted.

So, she really tried not to learn all these damn spells, a thing she didn't really succeed to do. But, to her great joy (and the disappointment of the witch), she hadn't great dispositions for the magic (and she wasn't really enthusiastic at doing it), even if she did have skills in it now.

And she had to learn it, with a great disgust, still hoping that some day, something, anything would happen, and she would be freed from this hell. The young woman learned lately that she would never come back home...

§§§§

Some days after her twenty, Rapunzel finally understood that the witch didn't lie to her, never did, and it didn't happen by chance. In fact, during this period, she had to study the sleeping curses, as the one who would hit Snow White in the future, but also the one under which Belle was.

Suddenly, Rapunzel saw that this spell killed the person who was hit by plunging her in a deep sleep which would last hundred year, and would stop when the poor princess would have lost all her blood. A hiccup of horror crossed through the daughter of the one who cast the spell, because she lost every hope to go again in her realm.

Her father would live during this time without getting old, as he cast the curse. But the rest of the realm would sleep, and his father would be alone, without her. And maybe this thought was what made her cry, more than knowing she would stay there.

But also because even though the witch that trapped them here was with her, an only though obsessed the poor Rapunzel. I am all alone now, I know it, I am alone now. And her body began to tremble again, as she lost her hope to have her father with her. She would die one day, because no one can live more than hundred year, not without losing its abilities.

Except the witches, but Rapunzel didn't want to become that, she would never see her father again, and her heart seemed to bleed, as she realized finally all that she lost. But also all they had, her father and her, to pay as price to save their realm.

By seeing her young apprentice in this state, the witch, who was waiting for this reaction walked not far from her bedroom, and had another smile. Because now, this future young witch was her, and this, forever...

To be continued...