The truth is that there never really was a witch. Well - there was. But the witch and Rapunzel's mother were of the same entity, the same person, were merely a transformation in personality.
Rapunzel's mother - let's call her 'Honor' was pregnant with child. She bloomed and blossomed in her pregnancy, dreaming of a child, a beautiful baby, with a future and a chance of success. Honor dreamt within the stars for her child, praying for hope and happiness and all that her infant could possibly need.
You see, Honor had a tough life. She never felt like she never had gotten enough from her childhood, not enough shelter, not enough encouragement, not enough in total. Everything she got she had earned herself. She wanted the best for her child, an easy life, a life with no stress or worries. Her child would get all that Honor had never gotten.
Honor's child was born. Everyone who saw the beautiful baby Rapunzel gasped at the sight of her; "oh what a gorgeous little girl!", "look at the hair of her, she'll be a red head no doubt" and "she's a tiny miracle".
Honor only saw one thing upon her first glance of Rapunzel; a promise of danger to come.
