The next morning came hours after the runaway and the thief fell asleep.
A pretty blue butterfly had tickled (Y/n) a bit before avoiding the tiny droplet that fell.
Another drop fell on (Y/n)'s cheek as she stirred awake.
"Hmm, what?" She mumbled as she wiped the water off, glancing up at the angry wet white horse in front of her face.
She snuggled back to the ground.
"Hm hm~ Well, I hope you're here to apologize."
...
"AHHHH!"
Rapunzel and Pascal woke immediately to the sound of (Y/n)'s screams.
Maximus dragged the girl away by her foot as she protested.
"No, no put me down. NO, NO!"
Rapunzel quickly caught up with them and grabbed the girl's arms.
"Release her!" He demanded as he tugged (Y/n) to him.
Maximus growled as he shook his head no.
"Owowowowowow!" (Y/n) groaned.
Rapunzel yanked harder.
"OW!"
He successfully pulled her away from the horse, her boot still in Maximus's mouth.
He stood back up and marched toward
(Y/n), only stopping in front of Rapunzel.
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa." He said, blocking Maximus's attempts to get to the fugitive, who pressed herself against the tree with fear.
"Easy boy, easy, calm down. Easy boy. Easy."
Rapunzel pleaded calmly.
Maximus stopped when he looked at the man, recognizing him from somewhere.
"That's it."
Max looked on toward the top of his head, watching a green chameleon raise his hands to calm him as well.
"Whaaaa?" (Y/n)'s jaw dropped as the horse listened to Rapunzel.
"Now sit."
Max glared.
"Siiiit."
...
He sat.
"Good, now drop the boot."
Once again, Max protested.
"Drop it."
...
He dropped it.
"Well aren't you are such a good boy."
Rapunzel began to pet Max as if he were a dog.
The horse's tail even wagged like one.
"Yea you are. You all tired, chasing that bad girl all over the place?" Max nodded sadly.
"Excuse me?!"
"Nobody appreciates you, do they? Do they?"
Rapunzel hugged the horse, who in return hugged back.
"Come one, he's a bad horse!" (Y/n) protested.
"C'mon (Y/n), he's nothing but a big misunderstood pony. Isn't that right... Maximus?"
The horse nuzzled into the boy as (Y/n) stood up and facepalmed.
"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered as she walked over, Maximus looked down under the boy's shoulder to snarl at her.
Rapunzel leaned his head down to talk to Max.
"Look... today is kinda the biggest day of my life. And I need, I need you not to get her arrested. Just for twenty-four hours and then, you can chase each other to your heart's content. Okay?"
(Y/n) sighed before lending her hand out to Max for mutual agreement.
Maximus scoffed and looked away.
"And it's also my birthday. Just so you know."
Rapunzel muttered through his teeth.
Maximus huffed in defeat before turning back to the fugitive... and placing his hoof in her hand.
The two made a firm shake.
Rapunzel smiled from between them before noticing something in the distance.
He walked between Max and (Y/n) hands and walked forward.
(Y/n) and Max stared at him as he walked before the horse jabbed the girl on her hip.
"OOF!" She squealed before falling.
Max whinnied.
Rapunzel made his way to the bridge of the kingdom. He turned to (Y/n) and smiled before moving forward again.
She smiled back at him before noticing a wanted poster he walked past. She quickly took the paper and balled it up. A huff of air brushed her cheek as Maximus glared down at her.
She smirked as she quickly stuffed the ball into his mouth.
He spit it back out and onto her face, ironically her poster face with the wrong nose on top of her own.
She quickly shoved it off and pushed Maximus hard.
He stumbled before bumping his head against hers. The two snarled before hearing a whistle.
Pascal sat atop Rapunzel's head and pointed to the two. He gave them the 'I'm watching you' glare.
(Y/n) and Max straightened up their act, though they did bump shoulders a couple of times again.
The town was buzzing with people when Rapunzel walked through the entrance.
He grinned, taking a step forward before jumping back from a man running through with a cart.
He apologized as he accidentally bumped into a lady and then another man.
He walked forward to avoid bumping into someone else, but his hair was yanked back.
"Ow ow!"
He looked back to see several people had walked onto his hair.
(Y/n) quickly came over and helped Rapunzel gather the bundles of hair.
They couldn't walk around with bundles of hair like this all day.
(Y/n) looked around before noticing a group of Boy Scouts tying fabrics together to make a rope.
She whistled over to them and showed them the hair.
The boys looked at each other with shock before grinning and running over.
~~~
The boys worked together on Rapunzel's head, laughing at how long it was.
(Y/n) quickly ducked as a couple of the king's guards walked by.
Maximus grunted at her.
"Wow!"
Max, (Y/n) and Pascal's attention turned to Rapunzel.
He turned around and looked down his back.
He had two tight corn rolls on his head that merged back together past his neck. The boys had used some of their rope to keep the hair in place off the ground. The last bit of hair swung freely as Rapunzel kneeled to high-five the boys.
"Thanks, guys!"
(Y/n) perked up and smiled dreamily at the boy's new look.
It looked good.
He looked good...
Max knelt beside her, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning suggestively.
(Y/n) noticed this and pushed his face away with a blush, making the horse and Pascal laugh.
~~~
Rapunzel dragged (Y/n) along through the many booths, excited to see each one.
~~~
As the two waited in a line to get a snack, Rapunzel noticed a memorial with the king and the queen standing together, a baby in the mother's hands
He slowly walked toward it and noticed a mother with her two children in front of it.
The little girl smiled at her brother and held up a little flower.
"It's for the lost prince."
Rapunzel looked back up to the king and queen before turning his attention to the baby.
He frowned as he inspected it closer.
He looked a lot like...
A small band passed by, playing their instruments with glee.
Rapunzel grinned and followed.
After purchasing the snacks, (Y/n) turned back around to find Rapunzel dancing to the music.
He hopped over to a little boy, spinning with him to the dance area. Rapunzel grinned as he dragged a young woman over to dance as well.
Soon enough, the courtyard was dancing together.
Maximus came behind (Y/n) as she watched in amusement at the dancing people.
Rapunzel even beckoned her over.
(Y/n) shook her head no, but Max rolled his eyes and booty bumped her into the crowd.
She glared at him before she was swept away into the dance.
Max and Pascal laughed.
~~~
(Y/n) bought a purple flag with the sun on it and handed it to Rapunzel. He held it up for the both of them to see.
The two glanced up at the other flags strung up on the rooftops.
~~~
The two danced with different partners.
Rapunzel reached out for her with a huge smile for (Y/n), who mirrored his actions.
The two drew closer, but another set of people grabbed onto them and they danced away from each other. Their eyes, however, remained glued to the other.
~~~
Rapunzel finished the final touches to his chalk drawing and stood back up.
(Y/n) grinned up at him as he smiled back.
He and some of the other villagers had just created the giant replica of the purple flag with the sun in the middle.
~~~
(Y/n) peeked out from behind a hole in the wall as two guards passed by.
She recoiled back in the tight hole and quietly giggled up and Rapunzel, who hovered over her with two cupcakes in hand.
He quietly chuckled as he handed her the yellow cupcake.
Rapunzel quietly scanned over (Y/n) and internally gushed at how cute she was.
~~~
The two laid together on the floor of a library, both of them looking over a world map. Rapunzel ran a finger just below India, before turning the page.
Books scattered everywhere around them.
~~~
Rapunzel spun in the middle of the dance circle as (Y/n) danced with another partner, though her eyes stayed firmly on her friend.
However, she wasn't paying attention as her partner let her go.
She spun a bit dizzily before falling backward.
She expected to fall, but strong arms pulled her up and spun her back to her feet.
Rapunzel and (Y/n) breathed heavily as he kept his hands on her waist and she gripped onto his shoulders.
The music stopped and the crowd cheered.
"To the boats!" Someone showed, making (Y/n) let go of Rapunzel and shyly brushed her hair behind her ear.
Rapunzel sheepishly smiled.
—
Rapunzel sat in the front of the boat as (Y/n) paddled the water.
"You sure you don't want me to row? It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me if I didn't."
"Ah. But today's your birthday, so you get a pass. Plus, you've never done this before, so I don't trust you'll know what you're doing."
Rapunzel laughed before turning around to the lake.
(Y/n) turned to Maximus, who stood on the dock with a sad expression.
He was too large and heavy to follow them on the boat ride.
"Hey, Max." She called out before tossing him a bag of apples.
He gave her the stink eye.
"What? I bought them."
Satisfied with her answer, he leaned down.
(Y/n) turned away and waited for the sound of him crunching before smirking.
"...Most of them."
Maximus's mouth gapped as he looked at the apples in horror.
Rapunzel turned to (Y/n) as she rowed them further down the lake.
"Where are we going?"
"Well..." (Y/n) smiled. "Best day of your life. I figured you should have a decent seat."
Soon, the sky became dark around the two.
(Y/n) noticed Rapunzel's worried face.
"Hey, You okay?"
"... I'm terrified."
(Y/n) frowned. "Why?"
Rapunzel hesitated, before sighing.
"... I've been looking out the window for eighteen years. Dreaming about what it would feel like when those lights rise in the sky... What if... what if it's not everything that I dreamed it would be?" He asked, looking back toward the kingdom.
(Y/n)'s frown softened in understanding.
"It will be."
Rapunzel scoffed a bit before looking to the girl. "And what if it IS? What then?"
(Y/n) gently smiled. "Well, that's the best part, I guess." She turned her gaze back to the kingdom.
"You get to go find a new dream."
Rapunzel stared at her with a smile.
In the palace, the queen straightened out the king's metal with a soft smile before noticing her husband's face.
He looked to the floor with shame and depression.
The queen frowned before gently placing her palm against his cheek.
She understood what he felt.
He looked to her in anguish and tears in his eyes.
Before they could fall too far, she wiped them away and smiled again.
The king sighed before leading his wife toward the balcony doors.
The two placed each hand on the lantern before raising it, letting the flame inside carry the lantern up.
The single light cued for the rest of the kingdom to let their lanterns go.
Meanwhile, on the water, Rapunzel held a few flowers in his hand as (Y/n) placed them one by one into the water.
He paused, looked down into the reflection of the kingdom at a single light in the sky.
He looked up to meet the same view.
A single light.
🎶 All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in🎶
He quickly jumped up and stumbled over to the side of the boat, making it rock and almost knocking (Y/n) overboard.
"Oi! Whoa! Ack!"
He ignored her cries as he held onto the edge.
🎶All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been🎶
Slowly but surely, the other lanterns began to follow the first one.
Rapunzel leaned his cheek against the boat's edge in awe.
🎶Now I'm here blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here suddenly I see🎶
Lanterns started to emerge from ships on the dock.
🎶Standing here it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be
And at last, I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted🎶
More and more lanterns filled the sky and floated above Rapunzel.
🎶And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted🎶
Rapunzel softly smiled before sensing something.
🎶All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you🎶
He turned to (Y/n), who held up two lanterns of her own with a small grin.
Rapunzel smiled before carefully sitting back down in front of her.
He paused.
"I... I have something for you too."
He reached to the side and brought out the satchel.
(Y/n)'s eyes widened, having completely forgotten about the crown.
... She didn't really mind...
"I should have given it to you before... but I was just scared. And the thing is... I'm not scared anymore, ya know what I mean?" He said.
(Y/n) smiled before moving the satchel aside.
"I'm starting to." She said, making Rapunzel grin.
He knew she wouldn't betray him.
(Y/n) handed him his lantern before the two of them lifted them up.
🎶All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were🎶
(Y/n) stared up at the lanterns before looking back down to Rapunzel.
🎶Now he's here shining in the starlight🎶
He leaned over the side of the boat to get a closer look at everything. He tapped her and pointed to a low flying lantern.
🎶Now he's here suddenly I know🎶
He reached out and raised it back up with a small laugh.
(Y/n), however, couldn't take her eyes off of Rapunzel for a second.
🎶If he's here it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go 🎶
She gently reached out and placed a hand onto his own. Rapunzel turned with a smile, taking her hands in his. He towered over her as the two sang in harmony.
🎶And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last, I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted🎶
Rapunzel looked deeply into (Y/n)'s eyes.
🎶All at once everything is different
Now that I see you🎶
(Y/n) reached up and brushed the few strands of hair out from Rapunzel's eyes. She kept her hand up and brushed her thumb against his cheek.
🎶Now that I see you 🎶
The two leaned in slightly, wanting badly to experience this magical kiss.
However, just as Rapunzel's eyes had closed, (Y/n) glanced over his shoulder.
The Stabbington Brothers.
They stood on the shore across from them before walking away.
(Y/n) frowned.
Rapunzel opened his eyes to look at the girl. "Is everything okay?"
He looked over his shoulder, not seeing anyone there.
"...Huh? Oh yes. Uh, yes of course. I... I just..." (Y/n) glanced at the satchel before frowning again.
—
Author's Note: I would like it to be known that I do not own anything related to Disney, any of it characters, or the original plot line. I've basically copied and pasted the story structure.