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.
"And why not?" She asked. His smile grew wider. He lifted his hand, cupping it like he was grabbing onto something. Suddenly, her throat closed up. She reached at it, suffocating and realized that he was the cause.
"Because I can do this and so much more to you," he said, menacingly.
"You're threatening me," she croaked out. Now, terror filled her eyes and he knew he had his answer. He let her go and watched her fall to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. Once she was composed, she looked up at him.
"Why is it so important for you to teach me magic?" She asked.
Rumplestiltskin pulled a chair from her table and placed it closer to her. He sat and stared down at her.
"I'm going to tell you a story. One that you definitely don't know. But once you hear it, you'll want me to teach you everything you need to know."
"Once upon a time, there was a great sorcerer who was the purveyor of all good magic. He never aged and lives even to this day, though more secluded now. No matter how much good you do, there's always a hint of darkness lurking around the corner to waste it away," he was smirking again. "This sorcerer faced the first known Dark One. It destroyed the only thing he truly cared about. A woman, of course. She would plant the most beautiful flowers, maybe you've heard of them," he said, his voice quiet, "rampion."
She grabbed her hair instinctively.
"This Dark One took her from him and killed her, causing the sorcerer to feel extreme hatred for the first time in his long life. He used his magic for the first time for something other than growth...he used it to fight. They fought, apparently, in the woman's garden. Once their magic intertwined, it combined and spilled into the soil, growing within the rampion, giving it its own magical qualities, that of a neutral being."
"What does that mean?" Rapunzel interrupted, curiosity taking over.
He paused, studying her face. "All magic comes with a price. If you save a life, a life needs to be given, etcetera, etcetera. However, for neutral beings, they have the ability to create and destroy life without paying any price."
"Why?" She asked.
"Because of where the magic was born, dearie!" He snapped, annoyed that she wasn't paying close enough attention, though she was. "Magic is born, not created. It has to come from somewhere. Then, the witch or wizard chooses a path. They choose whether to cultivate light magic or dark magic. But, when it comes from a flower," he said, leaning in, "the rules change. Then it's created. Anything goes. There is a catch!"
Rapunzel leaned in, craving more.
"Once they kill, they go dark, and there is no going back." He said in a low, dark voice.
Rapunzel sat back, shocked that he would even need to mention that. "I would never kill anyone." She said, sweetly.
Rumplestiltskin looked her up and down, then smirked. "We'll see," he said with a shrug and stood up from the chair. "So, now, child! Will you let me teach you magic?"
Rapunzel stood, unconvinced. "You still haven't said why you want to teach me."
He was taken aback. "The story wasn't enough?"
She shrugged. "It just doesn't make sense to me."
Rumplestiltskin came close to her again. He seemed unfazed by the lack of space between them. Rapunzel did not feel the same. "If I tell you, you have to let me teach you."
"You want to make a deal?"
"A deal!" He yelped, clapping and dancing around in a circle. "Yes, let's make a deal," he almost begged.
Rapunzel took a minute to decide. The silence was agonizing for the imp, but he knew her answer before she even gave it.
"Fine," she agreed. The Dark One's face was right next to hers once again.
"You're the only known person to hold these powers," he started, slowly and quietly. "It has been said a neutral being has the power to defeat a great evil."
Rapunzel understood. "You mean you?" She asked.
He nodded. "Anyone who defeats a Dark One becomes one. You wouldn't."
"But you don't want to die," she said.
"Of course not, dearie! But there will be so much more great evil in this world. You could help me destroy it."
"And turn my heart dark," she said. He shook his head.
"No, no, no. It's when you kill an innocent being. Someone with a human heart. That's when you'll turns yours."
"And you think by me learning from you, I won't ever try to kill you."
"That's the theory."
Rapunzel sighed. She didn't have a choice, she had made a deal and was afraid to see what would happen if she tried to go back on it.
"Okay," she said slowly. "How do we begin?" She asked.
Rumplestiltskin smirked. "Put your hair up, child. We begin now!" He snapped his fingers and they disappeared into a wooded forest. "Get ready, dearie," he said to her, "your life is about to change for the better."