The Lost Princess - A Once Upon A Time Fanfic

Magic // Enchanted Forest

16 year old Rapunzel was living in a quiet village just outside of the Northern Kingdom. The kind people there had given her a tiny house to live in and food to keep her fed for about a month. She began to work around the town: gardening, housework and watching the young children, in order to make money to continue living. She became a big sister to most and loved by all. 

After a day of tending to the flowers of an older woman a few huts down, she retired to her home. Her extensively long, blonde hair was magically tucked into a neat braid that the children trickled pink and purple flowers in. 

She set her basket down on the counter and removed her long cloak, revealing a long, light purple dress with pink laces down the back. She brushed the dirt off of her hands and took a tie out of her hair. As soon as the tie was removed, her seventy foot long blonde hair circled the room, covering every edge. The magic she had helped hide it from everyone in town. She hummed to herself and began to take the fruit that the old woman gave her out of her basket. 

"Now that's a neat trick!" A voice startled her. 

Rapunzel yelped and spun around, seeing the Dark One standing in her living room. 

"Rumplestiltskin?!" She exclaimed. 

"The one and only," he said, bowing to her. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, putting the apple down and stepping closer to him. 

"I came to see what had become of your life," he said, moving about the living room. He ran his finger across the mantle of her fireplace and stared at the dust that lingered, "it's not as extravagant as I thought." 

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, smiling and looking around. "This is the life I've always wanted!" 

"You want to live as a peasant?" He snapped. "You were meant to be a princess!" 

Rapunzel laughed. "That was never my destiny. Mother couldn't even bear the thought of me. These people, they love me. That's all I've ever wanted was to be loved and wanted." 

"Well, you'll certainly get that here," he muttered, looking out the window. "But what about your magic?" He asked, turning back to her. 

She touched her hair. "I only use a bit to hide my hair." 

Rumplestiltskin gaped. "That's it?" He asked, appalled. He jumped closer to her. "You have all of this untapped power...and you use it to hide. your. hair." 

He was an inch from her face now. The scales on his face glistened with each micro movement. His eyes were like daggers into hers and he somehow made her guilty about not using her magic. She shook her head. 

"I have no other reason for it," she answered honestly. 

He studied her, noticing the calmness in her face. Her breathing hadn't faltered. Her eyes were steady. She wasn't shaking like most people would when the Dark One approached them. 

"There's something about you," he said, stepping closer. With every step forward, she took one back until she was up against the wall. She was still steady. He jumped away and giggled. 

"I will help you!" He said. 

She lifted herself from the wall. "With what?" She asked. 

"I'll teach you magic," he said, grinning at her. She shook her head. 

"Oh, no, that's quite all right," she said. 

"You see, dearie," he drew closer to her yet again, "you can't say no to the Dark One." He said.