Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Night has fallen in the wilderness. It is mostly peaceful with the crickets chirping and owls hooting.

However, something about this place also seems a bit odd.

In the cliffside, there are rows upon rows of giant, black rocks scattered along the land. All of them are sharp, and they appear to be growing on any surface they desire. It is unknown where they came from, yet their presence emits an ominous aura to those who took a glance towards it.

Further inside, the rocks' numbers increased the closer we get to the center. And in the center is something unusual!

There, standing in the middle of the crater...was a bed. And inside the bed was a sleeping boy. He was nine years old with fair skin and mostly brown hair with a dark blue streak.

The boy, named Kiren Yockenthwate, continued sleeping for a while until a gentle breeze of wind brushed against his skin made him groan slightly for a moment.

"Ngh...mom, five more minutes..." he murmured as he rolled to the sides to get away from the supposed fan. He reached his hand outwards from the bed and waved his hand around, accidentally poking at one of the nearby spikes.

Immediately, Kiren yelped in pain as he sat up awake. He opened his eyes as he looked around, eyes widening as he sees the black rocks pointing at the air. He whimpered as he looked around.

"M-Mom?! Dad?!" he cried out as he looked at the floor, seeing if it was safe to walk away. He slowly got off and began to walk around the crater, looking for a way out.

"H-Hello?! Mom? Dad?!" he called out! Then, as he approached one of the rocks, he looked at it and saw his reflection. He saw himself with his black pajamas with various aggressive animals, such as gorillas, lions, and elephants. What caught him off guard was a green streak on his hair. He ran his fingers on the line, growing confused.

"Blimey! How did I get this?! And where am I?!" he asked as he looked around again!

Eventually, he found a small pathway, possibly a way out! Kiren grew a slight smile as he walked towards it, hoping to find a way out.

Eventually, he found his way out of the cavern, and he got a good look around, seeing more of the spiky rocks, but he could also see much of the wilderness...and it didn't look familiar to him.

"Woah...Mom is right. I really should get outside more often." he said as he walked around, thinking he was in another part of the UK. Then, he shook his head. "What am I thinking? I should be finding a way to get back home! Of course...I need to find out where I AM, first." he mumbled again as he shook his head.

As he walked along, he took note of the surrounding countryside and several more isolated black rocks. The boy hummed to himself as he walked along, not paying attention to them glowing…

Suddenly, Kiren was taken aback by a bright blue light in the distance. He shouted as the brightness caused temporary pain in his eyes. Then, he was flung backward by a blast wave from a cliff in the distance. Kiren screamed in pain as he rolled along the ground. Once he stopped, he laid on the ground for a good while, before he shook his head as he slowly got up.

"What in the blimey-devil was that?! Don't tell me that was…" Kiren began, dreading the possibility of it being a missile before he heard something erupting from the ground in the distance. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw the black rocks! More of them were quickly erupting from the ground! Kiren gasped as he ran, failing to notice that the blue streak on his hair was glowing as well!

Kiren ran, the back rocks following after him, glowing as they sprouted upwards from the ground.

"What is going on?! Never mind, Kiren! Just keep running!" he shouted to himself as he ran across the trees.

As Kiren ran along the woods, his peripheral vision noticed another bright light from his left. He tried to ignore it, but the rays coming from it were hitting him in the eyes, and it briefly blinded him for a moment!

"Ack!" he went before he felt his foot trip over something. Before he knew it, he found himself tumbling down a hill. He grunted for seconds before he eventually slowed down to a complete stop at the bottom. "Ow…" he went.

He looked around, seeing a ravine up ahead, with nothing to cross to the other side. Several more black rocks can be seen jutting from the forest behind him. Kiren's body froze up upon hearing more of the black rocks sprouting up from behind. Kiren screamed as he rushed forward, but he froze upon seeing the ravine. He looked back, seeing the rocks coming in closer. Kiren gritted his teeth as he gulped.

"So...this is it...I'm gonna die without knowing where I am or why I'm here." he said as the rocks were about ten feet closer. Not wanting to be impaled, Kiren leaped forward and jumped into the ravine, curling himself up into a ball. He closed his eyes, waiting for it all to end.

Suddenly, Kiren felt his body being constricted, and he stops just before hitting the ground below. Kiren groaned at the force, and he involuntarily opened his eyes to see the spikey ground below. He looked around before he noticed a large vine wrapped around him. Kiren began to panic, and he slammed his hands against the vine.

"L-Let me go! Let me go!" he pleaded as he was raised up. The vine, shockingly, uncoils itself, and Kiren found himself falling back down. "Nonononono! I change my mind! Ahh!" he screamed, and the vine coiled around him again, stopping him from falling into the spikes below. Kiren panted in fear before looking at the vine, seeing where the vine was coming from. He only saw that the vine was attached to some overgrown weed on the other side of the ravine. Kiren sighed as he shook his head.

"Great...God, why do you do this to me? Firstly, you start World War 3, then you made me and my family get into a fight with my dad that had me nearly bite his NOSE off, then you had my older brother shipped off to the Royal Navy, possibly to die at the hands of the Russians, and now THIS! Ugh...can someone just get me out of here?" he asked before his eyes widened. "Oh, no! Wai-Ahhh!" he shouted as the vine uncoiled itself before tossing him up the ravine effortlessly. Kiren wailed his limbs maniacally, trying desperately to reach onto the ledge where there weren't any black rocks. He managed to grab onto the ledge on time, and with enough carefulness, and by carefulness I mean scrambling his little legs as fast as he could, he managed to get to safety.

Kiren panted as he looked at the other side of the ravine, seeing the black rocks. He then heard the sound of slithering, and he saw the vine slithering back into the bushes, before going lifeless. Kiren shivered.

"Jeez...what is happening? And where AM I?" he asked as he looked around, seeing nothing but trees and rocks, regular rocks, for miles. The moonlight was bright enough to help him see where he was, but where he was exactly, he wasn't sure.

"Hello?! Anyone?! Can anyone help me?!" he asked as he walked forward, hands rubbing his shoulders.

As he wandered forward, he then saw a faint outline in the distance. It appeared to be a large building in the shape of a castle. Kiren gulped to himself as he narrowed his eyes.

"Is that...Ah, civilization! Maybe someone there can help me...unless it's from an enemy like Russia or China...Oh, Kiren, what are you thinking? You have to go there and check it out. But maybe they don't like us, Brits! Oh, what do I do?" he spoke to himself as he scratched his head, his mind so confused on what to do, especially since he just got off being chased by black rocks and being tossed about by a living vine!

After a while, Kiren groaned to himself as he stared at the castle.

"I'm going there. No way am I staying here!" he said as he walked forward, quietly complaining about how he has to walk all the way, hoping that there is a car.

After about half an hour of wandering and complaining like there's no tomorrow, Kiren eventually arrived at a bridge. The sun was beginning to rise at this time, so Kiren had a good look at the place. It was then when he got a good look at the entrance. It looked very familiar to him. Almost like something he had seen in a movie before…

"Hey...this place looks like Corona from Tangled. Am I...standing in some kind of set for an abandoned live-action Tangled remake or something? If so, then I gotta give props to Disney." he muttered to himself as he walked inside.

Walking along the empty streets, Kiren could see the architecture of the buildings. He hummed as he walked the streets.

"Looks nice." he said as he walked along the streets. A chilling breeze of air brushed against him, causing him to shiver for a moment.

Then, he approached a small building with a stand. As Kiren approached it, he didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming from one alley, along with a humming sound.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm...Hey, kid." the deep voice said, making Kiren scream in fright as he jumped in place, landing on his, erm, bottom. He looked up to see a large man with dark skin and a white beard wearing an apron. Panic soon set in as Kiren crawled back.

"I-I-I'm sorry, sir! I-I didn't mean to intrude on the set! I didn't know it was private property!" he pleaded. The man stared at him, confused for a moment.

"Set? What are you going on about, boy?" he asked. Kiren stopped backing away before he blinked.

"A-Aren't you like the owner of this place?" he asked, referring to the town. The man shook his head.

"No. I own this workplace, but not Corona." he said, referring to the building on the left. Kiren blinked again before he got up.

"You...you're not a guard?" he asked. The man shook his head.

"Nope. We've got plenty of Corona's finest guards, so I don't see the need to guard the town myself." he said with an honest shrug before walking towards the store, opening the gate. Kiren looked at him, confused.

"Um...isn't Corona, like, fake?" he asked. The man looked confused, so Kiren had to explain that Corona is supposed to be a fictional kingdom from the movie, Tangled. The man stared at him for a while, before laughing.

"Oh, that's a good story, boy. Now, where are your parents?" he asked. Kiren frowned.

"Mister...whoever you are. I'm telling you the truth." he protested.

"I'm Xavier. And you?" the man replied.

"Kiren. Kiren Yockenthwaite."

"Kiren Yockenthwaite. Hmmm…sounds English. Are you from England?"

"Yeah. I'm from England!" he said as he approached the stand. Xavier froze for a moment and hummed to himself.

"Ooo, that's...not good." he said, sounding worried. Kiren raised his brows.

"What's wrong?"

"...Corona people hate the British."

Kiren blinked at this revelation. However, a part of him still doubts the situation.

"N-No. Again, Corona is not real! Princess Rapunzel doesn't exist. She was conceived by Disney in 2010!" he said. Xavier grew even more confused.

"2010? It's 1788 now." he replied.

"For real? You sure you aren't taking the whizz?"

"Huh?"

"You're serious?"

Xavier nodded again. Kiren groaned to himself as he rubbed his forehead. Xavier looked at him, and feeling pity for him, then placed his hands on the stand.

"Kiren? You wanna come inside? There's no way a kid like you would want to be out on the streets...unless you have somewhere to go." he offered.

Kiren hummed to himself as he considered his offer. In his mind, the phrase "Stranger Danger!" plays inside his mind. He should find a new place for him that he would feel comfortable. But, on the other hand...Given what he had seen, with the Black Rocks, the vine wrapping around him, and...if this truly is Corona, and if what the man said is true…

Kiren took in a deep breath, making his decision…

"Here you are. It's not much, but you look hungry, Kiren."

Xavier handed Kiren a piece of bread. Kiren looked at him and smiled, nodding.

"Thank you." he replied. Xavier nodded back with a smile.

"Now, I'll be with you in a minute. I've gotta get some statue done. In the meantime, get yourself comfortable." he replied. Kiren nodded before Xavier wandered off to get to work.

Kiren sat by himself as he ate his bread. He looked at the town nearby, seeing many townsfolk wandering about, talking about a coronation going to happen later today. Kiren then looked down as he realized what is truly happening to him.

"I can't believe it. I'm in the Tangled universe. I wonder if I'm still during the part of the film where Rapunzel and Flynn are galloping in the town, or...maybe sometime before or after. Maybe this could be my chance to rescue her from the tower!" he said to himself with excitement.

"The princess is already in the castle. Today's her coronation." Xavier called out. Kiren flinched at the suddenness of the voice. He looked up to see Xavier slamming his hammer on metal.

"You were talking to yourself."

Kiren sighed as he grinned slightly.

"I'm sorry, Mister Xavier. I have a habit of talking to myself a lot." he said. Xavier hummed.

"Is that so?" he asked. Kiren nodded before he continued eating the bread.

After a while, Xavier was finished with what he was doing, and he approached Kiren.

"So, Kiren. I have some questions. You mind answering them?" he asked. Kiren shook his head.

"I don't mind." he replied. Xavier nodded and began,

"So, you say you were from 2010?"

Kiren shook his head.

"No. That's the year the movie Tangled was released. I'm supposed to be in the year 2040."

"2040? Phew, I bet humanity has progressed a lot by then. Am I right?"

"Hehe, like you wouldn't believe...although I'm not sure now."

"How come?"

Kiren gulped to himself as he looked down, frowning as he pondered on what to say next. Xavier waited patiently. Then, Kiren spoke up with,

"W-Well, things aren't going so well in my world. You see, we're in the middle of a big war right now."

"War? What happened?"

"I don't know exactly, but my brother, who was in the Royal Navy, said that tensions between Russia and Ukraine reached a boiling point. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think it's about Russia topping Ukraine's government, and the United States of America and her allies not taking kindly to this, and thus we went to war with Russia, along with China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, and many, many others."

"Phew. That's a lot of nations. Wait, the United States? What happened to Great Britain?"

"The UK, while still very powerful, is not an empire anymore. The US overtook it. A bit ironic, now that I think about it. Anyway, we're fighting the war on the side of the US." Kiren explained. Xavier took the information in as he hummed again. Kiren, however, continued with,

"Like everyone else, my family and I were scared by this war. M-My dad was angry because of it, and he…" he said, voice beginning to quiver. Xavier frowned as Kiren rubbed his eyes.

"I don't want to talk about that part right now. A-Anyways, after a really bad argument involving my dad and everyone else, my mom sent me to bed, telling me that everything w-would be alright. Next thing I know...I woke up surrounded by these black rocks, and after an explosion, they sprouted up, trying to impale me…"

Xavier looked down when Kiren mentioned the black rocks. The two of them remained silent before Xavier looked at Kiren.

"Kiren, you mentioned that there was this, 'movie' about our princess?" he asked. Kiren, looking up, nodded as he wiped a small tear from his eye.

"Well, I want to know something; do you like it?"

Kiren blinked at this.

"I, I love that movie. It's one of the best movies Disney's ever made, and one of my personal favorites. Rapunzel's also my favorite character from that movie...Why are you asking?"

"I'm asking because given what you've told me, maybe you were sent here for a reason?" he asked. Kiren raised a brow.

"What?"

"I mean: I don't know if the people of your world believe in destiny, but maybe that might be the case. You were probably sent here to achieve something in our world, and maybe Rapunzel could be the key to that something." he explained.

Kiren pondered to himself as he thought over the blacksmith's words.

"Mm, why would I be sent here? I-I've heard of a TV show taking place, and given how successful it went, I guess that the characters there went fine without me. W-What would I do to change anything?" he said to himself. He then grabbed his hair again.

"Ngooh, I don't know. It's so complicated. I just wanna go home." he said.

"You know, you really gotta work on keeping your thoughts, well, in your thoughts." Xavier's voice said to him. Kiren gasped as he jolted in place, before sighing. Xavier chuckled.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

Xavier and Kiren looked up as they turned in the direction of the castle. Xavier hummed again.

"Coronation's about to start." he said. Kiren looked at him as Xavier smiled. "This could be a chance to meet her."

"M-Meet her?" asked Kiren. Xavier nodded.

"Of course, dear boy. She could be the key to your return, after all." he said. Kiren looked at him once more before looking at the castle, and the doors opening to allow guests inside. Kiren looked between him and the castle, anxious and a bit excited at the same time.

AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here!

The first chapter of the rewrite! I've already explained why I wanted to do a rewrite in the AN chapter, but to briefly summarize...well, I wasn't happy with how the original was going. So I wanted to do this! So, to be a lazy boy, I'll insert the AN of the original here!

Well, here we are! My first official Tangled story! This is based on the one-shot I wrote a while back! Now, at the time of me writing this, I am still watching the show to get myself caught up so I would know what I am writing! I love the film and intrigued by the premise of the show, so I figured why not? So, with a hint of a spoiler for this story: the first few chapters or so will be completely original, with the rest being a mix of episodes and original the more I watch the show.

Also, for those who have been with me for a while: yes, another one with a child OC of sorts. Why, because…well, I like these types of stories, I can't (won't) help it!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter Text

"Phew, I can't believe I'm doing this." Kiren muttered to himself as he walked among the crowd of guests. The crowd approached and went under the gates, and Kiren's heart fluttered as he found himself inside the courtyard of Corona's castle! He shivered to himself for a moment as he struggled to contain a smile.

"Hey." a voice whispered from behind. Kiren looked back and saw a child looking at him with curiosity.

"Hey." Kiren replied. The child then pointed at him or, more specifically, his clothes.

"What are you wearing?"

"Kiren blinked at this before looking at his pajamas.

"Oh. These are uh...pajamas."

"What are those?"

"Clothes kids used to sleep in."

Kiren immediately winced at telling him this. The boy blinked in confusion.

"That's...weird to bring such clothes in a coronation. However, it does look cool." the boy replied back with a smile. Kiren raised a brow.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Look at these animals. The elephants, lions, and what I think are supposed to be gorillas."

"Yeah. I especially love the-wait, what do you mean 'you THINK are gorillas'?"

The boy shrugged.

"People think that these animals don't exist. There's no record proving that."

Kiren blinked in intrigue for a moment, not realizing that even in his own world, gorillas were never explicitly documented until as late as 1902!

"Oh...I thought they were real. You sure?"

"Positive. Anyways, where did you get that 'pajama'? Is that what you say it is?"

"Yes. As for how I got it...well, it was given to me by my mum."

"Oh. Where is she now?"

That question made Kiren wince a bit, reminding him of the fact that he's no longer in his world and how he has to find a way to get back.

"I...I don't know. I haven't seen her since yesterday night." he replied.

"Oh…Well, she'll be back. No worries, right?"

Kiren shrugged, not wanting to tell the boy the truth.

"I guess. I hope so. So, what's your name? Didn't catch it."

"Sorry. Name's Celestyn Antoni. You?"

"Kiren Yockenthwaite."

The two boys then smiled at one another as they entered the castle, and the crowd was escorted to the ballroom. Trumpets blared as the crowd gathered around. Kiren looked up to see the other adults, some of them more nobly dressed than others. Kiren moved a bit further to the back to give himself some space, and he accidentally bumped into a woman in a white-powdered whig and makeup on her face.

"Ugh. Watch it, brat." she spoke in an accent. Kiren flinched at this tone and looked up with a shy grin.

"S-Sorry, ma'am. I'm just not used to coronations." he said. The woman raised her brows as she inspected him again.

"I can see that, with...whatever it is you're wearing." she said, pointing her fan at him. Kiren looked down and giggled again.

"Yeah...that's because this is NOT for coronations. These are pajamas: something kids...use for sleep." he said. The woman looked at him, a bit confused before struggling to hold in her laughter.

"Wow. I thought that the princess Rapunzel was the most unusual person. Looks like I was wrong." she said. Kiren narrowed his eyes.

"At least Rapunzel means well. You sound like you're the type of woman that would laugh at her own FATHER being tarred and feathered by the commoners!"

The woman, at this, gasped and then narrowed her eyes.

"I don't have to take this from an insect! Good day to you!" she hissed before walking away. Kiren just sighed to himself as he looked around, noticing that the other pedestrians were looking at him. Kiren giggled shyly before quickly moving to the sidelines towards a counter where the plants are.

Upon feeling that nobody was looking at him, Kiren sighed as he looked at the plants. Time passed, with nothing happening. Kiren sighed to himself.

"This is getting a bit boring. Where is Rapunzel? Is she doing alright?" he asked, looking around. He could see two people sitting at the throne. Kiren quickly deduced them to be King Frederic and Queen Arianna, Rapunzel's parents.

While Kiren was sitting around, he didn't notice the plants slowly moving towards his direction.

Suddenly, the trumpets blared up again, and before long, the doors opened again. Kiren looked ahead, and he saw bright lighting coming from inside. He wanted to see what was going on, but there are people in the way. So he tried to take a peek through, but all he could see was a glimpse of a woman with a giant wig struggling to walk forward.

Hearing her "woahs" made Kiren's heart flutter again! He recognized it as the voice of Rapunzel.

"She even sounds like her voice actress!" he whispered to himself, causing the nearby adults to give him strange looks again. Kiren followed after her, rather awkwardly as Rapunzel is trying to keep balance. Kiren wasn't sure why, but it didn't matter once she got to the stairs.

The bishop began to speak about the future of Corona with Rapunzel being officially coronated. Kiren didn't listen, however. All he could pay attention to was Rapunzel herself. He got butterflies in his stomach as a Charlie Brown smile grew on his face. He always had a crush on Rapunzel, you see. Part of a little phase is all.

"Wow...even with that ridiculous wig, she's beautiful." he whispered. Rapunzel lowered her head as the bishop raised a crown for her to wear to signify her being an official princess.

Then it all went wrong…

"Attention please!"

A shout of a woman, followed by several screams made Kiren snap out of his thoughts. He then saw several armed thugs causing mayhem, some of them rounding up some of the more important guests at the party. One of them pushed a man in a blue suit wearing multiple medals and knelt him in front of the king and queen.

"Release my guests at once!" Frederic demanded. Then, a woman's laugh made Kiren turn to the source. He saw her face, and immediately recognized her as the woman that he insulted earlier, but now with a criminal like appearance.

"L-Lady Caine…"

Kiren heard a voice, and he turned to see the boy from earlier, Celestyn. He scooted over to him.

"Lady Caine? Who's that?" he whispered. Celestyn looked at him.

"She's a famous criminal in the crime world. She acts as a leader of a pirate gang, and many criminals are willing to serve her."

"...Is one of those crimes assassinations?"

"I don't know, maybe. Whenever she kidnaps someone, the kidnapped person usually never returns."

"...Meep!"

"What?"

"I saw her in disguise...and I insulted her father."

"You did? Well, may God have mercy on you."

"Thanks for the reassurance…"

Kiren then looked back at Lady Caine, who was talking to Rapunzel.

"I saw my father thrown into a cage and hauled away like some kind of animal, never to be seen again! *deep sigh* So, I thought I'd return the favor." she said as she pointed a dagger at her. Then, as a carriage was being pushed inside, the signs on the side that read, "Apple Pie!" were taken off, revealing the carriage to be a cage. As several of the noble guests were escorted to the carriage, Lady Caine then turned to Frederic.

"Your turn, your majesty." she said. Frederic narrowed his eyes as he gently placed an arm in front of Rapunzel. Lady Caine snickered. "Oh, you didn't think we'd leave our prized pig in the pen, did you?" she taunted.

Kiren stared as the thugs pushed Frederic into the carriage. He heard Rapunzel calling to him in worry and Frederic ordering her to stay put as both her father and her king. He tightened his grip on the wall next to him, pondering what to do next.

"Oh, wait! There's one more I would like to add."

Kiren's eyes widened, and his blood turned cold as he heard Lady Caine say this. Her eyes scanned the area before their eyes locked. She gave an evil grin as she pointed her dagger at him.

"THAT one." she said. Kiren froze in place as people gasped.

"W-What? But he's just a kid!" Rapunzel protested.

"This kid insulted my father's memory before now, stating that I looked like the type of woman that would laugh at him while people covered him in tar and feathers!" she said as she approached a frozen Kiren, eventually standing right in front of him.

"No! Leave him alone, Lady Caine! It's me, you want!" Kiren's eyes turned to see Frederic calling out. Then, he felt Lady Caine grabbing the collar of his shirt and lifting him up to eye level.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?" she said as she gave an evil grin, her dagger pressing against his chin.

"U-Uh...Sorry?" he asked, in an attempt to get on her good side. Lady Caine and the others just laughed as she then began to carry Kiren away. Kiren began to panic as they approached the gate. He tried to struggle, but Lady Caine had a good grip on him. He looked around, seeing everybody looking at him with sympathy. Then, his eyes landed on the throne, with Rapunzel sighing to herself.

"Sorry, dad. But I can't stay put." she said as she pulled at her whig, and Kiren noticed several golden strands.

"Rapunzel!" Frederic called out as Rapunzel pulled off her wig, and much to everyone's surprise, 70 feet long golden hair flowed as Rapunzel fixed herself up. Kiren stared on in shock before it grew into an excited giggle.

"Eeeehehee!" he geeked. It was supposed to be quiet, but Lady Caine did look down and snickered.

"An admirer?" she asked. Kiren flinched again.

"Let. Them. Go!" Rapunzel demanded as she stepped forward. Lady Caine chuckled.

"It's amazing what you can hide under those whigs, isn't it, princess?" she taunted before she grabbed onto one of the bars, and the carriage began to move away. Rapunzel then grabbed her hair and whipped it forward, pulling the door open. Kiren stared in amazement awhile Lady Caine hopped down to the floor.

"Now, you're just making me angry." she warned.

"Good! Because I'm just getting started! Now drop the child!" Rapunzel retorted. The prisoners walked away from their captors while Frederic helped another one down.

"Get these people back here. NOW!" Lady Caine ordered, and her other minions rushed forward. Kiren, seeing that a fight was about to start, looked around, wanting to help out in some way! He then looked at Lady Caine...more specifically her shoulder. He sighed to himself, and then said to himself,

"I hate this." he said before he began to swing about. Lady Caine then looked down and saw Kiren twisting his body as he was facing her. Before she could react, Kiren grabbed onto her shoulder and lurched forward, biting into her shoulder.

Lady Caine screamed in pain as she released her grip on Kiren, dropping him onto the floor. Kiren then crawled back as she glared at him.

"Oh, now you're gonna get it, boy!" she said as she raised her dagger and marched towards him. Kiren crawled back in fright as Lady Caine approached him menacingly.

"Stay back! Get away!" Kiren pleaded as he bumped into the stand where the plants are. Lady Caine just grinned as she raised her dagger. Kiren closed his eyes and extended his arms outwards. His eyes were closed, so he didn't see Lady Caine being punched back, followed by a series of gasps.

After a moment of silence, Kiren slowly opened his eyes, and he too was taken aback by what he saw.

Surrounding him were a small group of vines! Kiren blinked as he looked around, searching for the source of the vines. Eventually, he found out that they were coming from the stand. Kiren blinked as the vines surrounded him.

"Uh...Uh…" he went, not being able to comprehend what was happening. At this point, Lady Caine got up, rubbing her chin. She saw the vines and hummed to herself.

"Interesting. But I'm not worried. Boys!" she instructed. Some of the other men nearby rushed towards him. Kiren screamed and waved his arms forward. Immediately, a vine swung forward, slamming into the men and sending them flying into the throne.

Kiren looked at his vines, who were still waving about. He then grew a soft grin.

"Cool…" he whispered. He then noticed several more thugs rushing to him, including one with a skull mask. Kiren then grinned in determination as he got his plants ready to attack.

There was an all-out fight between our heroes and the thugs! Kiren's never been so exhilarated in a while! The plants, while scary at first, proved to be quite effective, holding back some of the guards and even assisting some of the escaped prisoners. However, given that this is his first time using this power, he is a bit of a klutz. For example, one of his vines ended up slamming onto the throne, nearly crushing Arianna and Frederic. Kiren looked back and winced.

"Sorry! First time doing this, and it SHOWS!" he calls out sympathetically. Frederic responded with a slight glare. Kiren giggled but had to shift focus as a large thug nearly struck him in the head.

The fight was short but brutal. Kiren could see Rapunzel using her hair as a rope to swing towards another pair of thugs, kicking them into the flower stands. Nearby, he could also see two more people fight: a man he immediately recognized as Eugene Fitzherbert, or Flynn Rider, with a sword, and another woman in light blue that he did not recognize. She was fighting Lady Caine, who was using hand fans.

Kiren saw that Eugene lost his sword, and he was about to intervene with his vines when Rapunzel swung forward, passing something onto Eugene. It was a frying pan. Kiren raised his brows.

"Thanks, blondie." Eugene said.

"A frying pan? Really?" went Kiren. Even as a fan of Tangled, even he thought the frying pan was a dumb choice in weapons. Eugene looked at him, seeing him shaking his head with disbelief, and grinned.

"You'd be surprised how effective these can be. Watch!" he said as he got into another brawl with the thug, and two more approached him from behind. Eugene simply tossed the pan like a boomerang and knocked all three of them out. He then picked up the pan and grinned.

"Phew. This feels good!" he said before turning to look at a stunned Kiren. "See what I mean? Eh?" he asked. Kiren simply nodded.

"Woah...AH!" he said as his peripheral vision caught another, sleeker thug approaching him quickly. He tried to fight off the thug, but the thug was too quick. Kiren, however, managed to get a good look at the physique of the thug, and he could immediately tell that this one...was not one of the thugs that intruded the coronation!

One of the vines managed to lunge forward, but the spy managed to jump up, leaving the vine to slam itself into a set of double doors, which was blocked by an axe. The vine pierced through the axe and door, creating a large hole. Kiren winced again. The spy then leaped down from another vine towards him. Kiren yelped and stepped to the side, leaving the spy to slam to the ground. Then, Kiren saw this opportunity, and as fast as he could, he sent another vine slamming forward, punching the spy to the gut and sending her flying.

RIGHT towards the lady in light blue, who was pinning Lady Caine with a candle stand. Kiren winced as both of them were flung to the wall.

"...Whoops." he said.

"Cassandra!" he heard Rapunzel call out as she ran towards them.

"Sorry!" Kiren called out. Then, he heard Lady Caine get up with an evil grin.

"Thanks, kid." she said before grabbing the dagger and flipping backward, landing behind him, and grabbing him, pressing the dagger to his throat. The others shouted in alarm, just as the guards came bursting in with axes, along with a white stallion Kiren recognized as Maximus!

"Come any closer, and the kid dies!" she demanded. The guards and Maximus stood frigid, but they remained in place, ready to do anything.

"Please! Let him go!" Kiren heard Rapunzel plea. They turned to see her looking at her with desperation. Lady Caine huffed.

"Where was that confidence you had a moment ago? I thought you've dealt with much worse!" she taunted. Kiren looked at Rapunzel with guilt in his eyes. He didn't see the spy slowly getting up and looking at the scene with intrigue.

"Lady Caine! Please, let the boy go!" Frederic called out despite Arianna's protests. Lady Caine growled as she pressed the knife further against his throat.

"Alright, everyone! Listen up! I've had enough of all this nonsense! King Frederic! You and the boy are coming with us!" she demanded as most of her goons slowly got up, recovering from the fight.

"W-What are you gonna do with them?" demanded Eugene. Lady Caine grinned back as Kiren shivered in place.

"I think it's best if I leave that unsaid. After all, what will spoiling a surprise do?" she asked as she looked down at Kiren, who became mortified by this, but not in the way that Lady Caine expected.

Immediately, Kiren was taken back to his old home, grabbed at the collar of his shirt by his own father. He was giving off a menacing glare. Kiren shivered, as his father stated.

"If you EVER show me disrespect again...well, things will happen! After all, what will spoiling a surprise do?"

Kiren widened his eyes as he remembered everything that has happened up to his arrival in Corona: the first fight he had with his father a few months after the declaration of war, his older brother standing up to him and fighting him, forcing him to hide before the police arrive, the family splitting apart, and another fight involving himself biting his own dad's nose!

Panic began to swell up, and Kiren began to struggle once more!

"Noo! Let! Me! GO!" he said as he slammed his elbow on Lady Caine's waist. However, two of his vines lunged forward and wrapped their tips around her neck. Everyone stared in shock, but before anyone could react,

Snap!

Kiren's eyes widened in horror at the sound of bone snapping, just before he felt Lady Caine's arms releasing him, dropping him onto the floor. He turned around and saw Lady Caine's body stumbling onto the floor. Everyone gasped and stared in horror as the vines retracted back to their normal selves on the stands.

"Lady Caine!" one of the thugs called out as they rushed over to the body. Kiren ended up crawling away as the thugs surrounded their leader's body. Kiren then looked at the gang, noticing that even the spy had widened eyes!

"She's...she's gone." the large thug said with shock.

"Y-Yeah...she's dead!" another one cried out.

Everyone gasped in horror. Rapunzel then moved her eyes towards Kiren, and their eyes locked. Kiren's heart sank at seeing his idol looking at him like he was a monster. He knew now that since he killed Lady Caine, he could no longer find a way to gain Rapunzel's trust and friendship...now he can't go home…

"KILL HIM!" one thug called out as they raised their swords.

"You MURDERER!" another called out as Kiren began to crawl up as fast as he could and began to run towards the door, wanting to get out of here!

"Guards! Hold them off!" he heard one guard, the Captain, shout out as they rushed past him in order to intercept the thugs. Kiren, however, didn't care. He found himself running across the halls, tears of fear, hopelessness, and pain in his eyes. He couldn't hear Rapunzel calling out to him in concern!

Eventually, he managed to find his way out of the castle and onto the streets of Corona. There were other people outside, and they looked at him with shock and concern. Kiren looked around, trying to find Xavier's place, before running off to find him.

He did find him, thankfully. He was busy setting something on the desk. Without hesitation, Kiren ran towards him and opened the stand leading into the restaurant.

"Mr. Xavier!" he said before he rushed forward and gave him a hug. Xavier was taken aback by the boy's sudden barging in before looking down and saw Kiren's crying face. Xavier recognized him and knelt.

"Hey, kid...I guess it didn't go well." he said. Kiren shook his head. He then told Xavier everything that had happened up till this point, from the time he met Celestyn, to when he insulted the father of a disguised Lady Caine, to the time when the Coronation became a battlefield, to when he discovered that he had plant powers, to when he accidentally snapped Lady Caine's neck, to seeing Rapunzel's reaction.

Xavier widened his eyes in shock, not expecting the news at all, particularly the part he had plant powers and how he killed Lady Caine!.

"That...is pretty troubling." he muttered. Kiren sniveled as he stepped back.

"W-What am I gonna do, Mr. Xavier?! Rapunzel sees me as a monster now! I-I'll never get back home now! I'll never see my mother or my brother again!" he whimpered as he sat down and continued crying. Xavier stared at him as he pondered to himself on what to do.

After a few minutes, Xavier looked at Kiren and patted his shoulder. Kiren looked up at him.

"Kiren, how about you stay where I live for a few days? There, you can recollect your thoughts, and we can discuss what to do from then. Is that fair?" he asked. Kiren pondered for a brief second, and then asked,

"W-What about Rapunzel? W-Will she hate me?"

Xavier laughed and shook his head.

"Boy, given the circumstances, and after meeting her in the past, Rapunzel is probably the LAST person in the world who would hate you." he said with a smile. Kiren saw the sincerity in the man's face and felt a bit more comfortable. Then,

"Find the child!"

Xavier and Kiren's eyes widened as they heard shouting, followed by heavy footsteps coming down the streets.

"You need to hide, kid!" he said as he looked around, finding a spot for him. Kiren looked alongside him and noticed a barrel. He then pointed at it.

"I can hide there!"

Xavier looked at it and nodded.

Before long, Xavier carries the barrel onto a cart, which was being pulled by a horse. Inside the barrel, Kiren looked outside through the cracks, seeing some of the guards talking to Xavier. With them is Maximus, who was sniffing around like a bloodhound. Kiren gritted his teeth in fear; he remembered Maximus in the film, and how he was able to find Rapunzel and Eugene's hiding spot in that one bar.

Kiren closed his eyes as he pulled away from the crack and curled himself up in the dark corner, hoping not to get detected. He heard Maximus's nose sniffling near the barrel, and Kiren's heart began to beat.

"Alright then, thank you for your time." he heard one of the guards say. Kiren heard Maximum's grunt before he heard hooves moving away. Then, he heard a whisper.

"They're gone, kid." he said. Kiren sighed upon recognizing Xavier's voice.

"Great. Can we go to your house now?" he asked. Xavier patted the barrel.

"On the way." Xavier assured, and before long, Kiren felt the carriage moving. Kiren sighed to himself as he ran his hands through his hair, relieved that he would escape for now.

"But for how long?" he whispered to himself as the carriage moved across town.

Eventually, the carriage stopped moving and Kiren covered his face upon bright light seeping into the room. He looked up and saw Xavier smiling down.

"We're here, Kiren. Come on." he said as he helped Kiren out of the barrel. Kiren looked ahead and saw that they were near the coast. He then noticed a small house nearby.

"Is this your house?" he asked. Xavier nodded.

"Yep. Nice and cozy." he replied. Kiren nodded as he was set down.

"So...now what?" he asked as he looked up at Xavier. Xavier hummed again as he shrugged.

"Now, just settle in and relax. Once that's done, we can discuss what to do from there." he said. Kiren nodded as they walked to the house.

Kiren saw the interior of the house; single floor, with a hallway leading into a bedroom. Once Xavier told him that he had to go back outside to get more of his stuff, Kiren nodded and he was thus left alone with his thoughts.

Kiren sat on a nearby couch, looking at the sea outside. He, however, was not in the mood to look at the beauty of the scenery.

"I can't believe all this is happening. This is not how I wanted to meet my idol. *sigh* Oh, why God? Why do you do this to me?" he whimpered as he pressed his face against his arms, shaking his head as guilt for what happened began to leak out.

Outside the house, the spy, who had followed Kiren all the way here, was listening in to the boy's cries. She sighed to herself as she shook her head.

"Poor kid. He didn't deserve this." she whispered silently to herself. She looked on the ground for a while, before slowly standing up.

"I'm not taking him back so soon. Give him a few days to recover…" she decided before leaping away from the room and onto the nearby treelines, disappearing from view…

Kiren sat by himself for the rest of the day, sulking to himself. However, what the little boy doesn't realize is this is only the beginning of a new adventure for him!

AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here!

Second chapter of the rewrite done! Now, I've been thinking for a few days on how I wanted this to go out. I didn't want it to make it the exact same, otherwise I'd just be copying the latter half of the film  Tangled: Before Ever After!  So, I went along with this! So...yeah, Lady Caine is dead, for now…

Anyway...that's all I have to say! I hope you enjoy it! Please be respectful if you disagree! Be sure to leave constructive criticism if you have, and I hope you stick around for more!

(Tangled is owned by Disney!)

Chapter Text

AN: Hey everyone, superkoola here!

Well, this is another one of the stories that I've planned on rewriting. The reason for this is...well, it stinks! There's not a long of tense action in the beginning to grab anyone's attention, and quite frankly, it is a bit cliche in my opinion as to how Kiren would be introduced.

So, I've decided on a rewrite! The good thing is that I've already had the two rewritten chapters up and running and ready to upload at the same time as this AN chapter! And let me tell you, it is a bit of a journey to figure out how to replace it!

For a while, I wanted Kiren to stick around with Rapunzel and Cassandra when the rocks became activated, but I figured it would be too same-samey. Also, I wanted to have Kiren have black-rock powers. But it's been done quite a bit. So, I went with a more unique power: plant telekineses!

Yeah, it's also a bit overdone, but I don't see people using it in the Tangled universe, so I figured why not? Plus, it would fit very well with Rapunzel's sun drop. After all, without sunlight, most plants would starve!

Anyway...so there's that! I hope you enjoy them!!

Chapter Text

The week after the disaster of the Coronation had been quite eventful in the kingdom of Corona. When news came around that a boy wearing strange, colorful clothes that can control plants killed Lady Caine, everyone was shocked, and there was a bit of division in the town. Many people were happy to hear that one of the most notorious criminals in the lands finally received justice! But another, slightly smaller group of people wanted the boy to be charged with murder. Neither happened, as nobody could find the boy and thus were left undecided.

As for Kiren himself, he remained in Xavier's small house. It was tiny and incredibly boring, considering that Kiren used to play on the computer, or with action figures, or merely entertaining himself with some TV cartoons. But it was impossible, given that Kiren is now in a fictional magical world in the late 1700s, and those things would not be invented for another two centuries! This leaves Kiren sitting by himself, just waiting for everything to pass. Eventually, though, it did. One day, Kiren was sitting at a dining table, eating some soup made by Xavier. He was twitching his eyebrows: the soup tasted terrible. However, given that he was hungry and he didn't want to throw away the generosity that Xavier was giving, he had to endure it. Xavier was sipping his soup as well, but he was enjoying it. He put the plate down and hummed.

"Tasty, isn't it, boy?" Xavier asked.

Kiren, though he was groaning at the back of his throat, nodded.

"Y-Yep. It tastes fine." he said with a forced grin, left eye twitching again.

Xavier chuckled. Then he said, "So, Kiren. Thought of anything else to do now that everything has quieted down?"

Kiren froze a bit before frowning down.

"Uh… no. I was…. Just busy waiting for this to end. I never thought of how I would get back."

"Hm?"

"I-I don't know how they'll see me if they find out about how I…" Kiren didn't know how to say it.

"Don't worry, boy. I understand. It's not easy to get over killing someone, whether accidental or not." Xavier understood him.

Kiren and Xavier sat there for a while, not saying anything. Then, Xavier looked at the town outside and gave a small smile.

"Hey. Since the commotion seems to have died down, why don't you head outside my boy, and clear your mind?" he asked. Kiren blinked.

"W-Wouldn't they recognize me, though?" Kiren asked while not looking sure.

"Not really. Besides, I don't think you'll be staying in THAT, will you?" Xavier pointed to the pajamas.

Kiren looked down and nodded. "Yeah, You got me there. I don't want this to get damaged anyway. *sniff sniff* Ugh! Plus, it is a bit dirty." He pinched his nose

Xavier nodded with a gulp before he stood up. "I managed to get a pair of clothes that ought to fit for someone of your size. Let me get them. Finish your soup in the meantime." he instructed before he walked off.

Kiren stared at the soup and stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Ack. It tastes like a paint coat in cigarettes." he muttered to himself as he pulled the spoon closer to him. "Shame that I have to take it because Mr. Xavier is so polite." he added with a frown. But as he gulped down another spoonful of soup, Xavier returned.

"Here. I bought this one just yesterday." he said.

Kiren stared at it: it was a type of dress for little boys his age, dark brown in coloring, with a small hat and a pair of boots. Kiren hummed. "I guess this is the type kids wear."

Xavier nodded. "Yep. It might look uncomfortable, but it isn't. It's only the boots."

Kiren raised a brow at this remark and looked at the clothes again. "Well, I hope you are right." Kiren said as he took the clothes.

"Welp, he's correct about the boots." Kiren said as he wandered by himself, entering the town in his new clothes. He glanced down at the boots, feeling his toes pressed up against the leather.

"Ugh…Buggers, why couldn't he just get normal shoes? Maybe these are normal shoes for this world." Kiren muttered

Deciding to ignore the uncomfortable feeling, Kiren began to walk across town, seeing the structure and leisurely ambiance the town emits. He passed by several locals, who were being polite to each other. Kiren hummed to himself as he looked down.

"Definitely a bit of an upgrade from back home." he said, remembering the time where, especially during a time of war, people were always suspicious of one another, specifically towards any non-Englishmen, such as Chinese and Russians.

He then arrived at the water-fountain, finding it to be a quiet spot, with little activity barring a few salespeople and children playing nearby. Kiren, not wanting to partake in any of the activities, decided to sit on the fountain's edge. He stared at the sky and smiled to himself.

"Incredible….even in my world, the skies have not been as clean as this. With a better temperature too, might I add." he added quietly. He listened to the sound of water splashing down from the fountain. Turning around, he looked down, seeing his reflection. He smiled slightly at seeing himself before frowning, remembering Rapunzel's face when he was at the Coronation. He gulped as he took in a hitched breath.

"I hope that Rapunzel could forgive me for ruining her Coronation. I only wanted to see my idol in person. This would've been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and I ruined it for you." he went as he moved his hands closer to the water, causing them to touch the reflection. The water began to ripple for a moment, and Kiren sighed again.

The memories of the fight, the giant vines that he can control, the strange spy, and worst of all: the moment where he accidentally snapped Lady Caine's neck. Kiren shivered upon remembering the chilling snapping sound.

He gulped after a while and sighed. "I don't...I don't know what to do now. How am I gonna get back home if they see me as a monster?" he asked himself, as the rippling began to settle.

"I don't think you're a monster." a familiar voice spoke up from the left. Kiren blinked and looked down, and to his shock, seeing Rapunzel's reflection on his left. He turned to the left, seeing Rapunzel herself looking at him with a caring smile. Kiren froze for a while, and Rapunzel herself had her smile falter for a bit.

"Uh...Uh, good day to you, R-Rapunzel! I-I didn't expect you to be out here! I mean, it is a lovely day after all, but I thought you had 'princessy' duties. A-Anyways, how are you? Are you okay? You're not too hurt, are you? I-I mea-" Kiren began rambling on, mind racing too quickly for him to process what is happening. Rapunzel giggled at him, and she approached him.

"Sweetie, relax." she said, gently placing her hands on his shoulders. Kiren froze at the touch, and the two stared at one another.

"Uh...Uh…" he went, still having trouble processing the information. Rapunzel tilted her head.

"Are you okay?" she asked, now growing a bit concerned. Kiren then shook his head and cleared his throat.

"R-Right, right. Sorry I…speak faster than I think. Anyways, I'm fine...considering." he replied calmly, but with a frown still present. Rapunzel frowned as well, nodding.

"Yeah…" she replied, referring to the battle at the Coronation. Kiren then blinked.

"W-Wait. You recognize me, right?" He asked

Rapunzel nodded. "Yep."

"How? I wasn't wearing my pajamas." He wondered

"What are those?" Rapunzel asked, looking curious.

Kiren sighed. "Nothing. Anyways, how did you recognize me?"

"Oh. Your accent, and the fact that you were talking to yourself." Rapunzel chirped.

Kiren sighed as he wrapped his arms around him. "Yeah. Sorry: I don't go out a lot, so I tend to do that."

Rapunzel nodded. "I understand. So...what's your name?" she asked, sitting down near the fountain.

"Uh, Kiren. Kiren Yockenthwaite." he replied, raising his hand for a handshake. Rapunzel smiled back as she took the hand before he sat down.

"Hey, Rapunzel! Wait up!" another voice called out. Kiren blinked as he recognized the voice. Rapunzel perked her head up and smiled.

"Hey, Eugene! Cassandra! I'm just talking with a new friend!" she said. Kiren raised a brow in confusion as two more familiar figures: Eugene and Cassandra approached them.

"New friend?" Eugene asked. Rapunzel nodded as she looked at a blushing Kiren. Eugene and Cassandra briefly examined him before Eugene grew a smile.

"Eay, you're that kid who can control plants! Haha, awesome!"

"R-Really?" asked Kiren. Eugene nodded as he patted Kiren on the head.

"Yeah! Have you always had that? Can you grow new trees?! Have you practiced that? Amazing that there's another person with magical powers just like a certain blondie here!" Eugene said excitedly, briefly looking at Rapunzel with a wink, and Rapunzel giggled.

"Hey, Eugene. Lay off: you're overwhelming him." Cassandra butted in. Eugene looked at her for a second before looking at Kiren, who was looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh. Hehe, sorry about that. Didn't realize that." Eugene apologized.

"Of course, you don't." Cass replied as she stepped forward, making Eugene pout. She then looked at Kiren and softened her look. "How are you? Are you alright?" she asked.

Kiren, while still a bit intimidated, nodded. "I'm fine. Considering what happened…"

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra frowned, remembering the Coronation vividly as well. Kiren then looked at Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel, or Princess, or you-" he began wondering what to call her.

"You can call me Rapunzel if it makes you more comfortable." Rapunzel said with a caring smile. Kiren nodded before continuing,

"Okay. Rapunzel, I CANNOT tell you how sorry I am for what happened. I really didn't mean to ruin your Coronation." he said.

"Oh, you didn't ruin it, Kiren. Lady Caine and her crew did." Rapunzel assured as she scooted closer.

Kiren shook her head. "No. That's not what I meant. I meant...when I k-killed Lady Caine...I saw how scared you guys looked, a-and given what I can do, maybe you guys might-" He didn't know how to say it, but they get where Kiren was going.

"Kiren, stop." Cass said as she knelt in front of him. Kiren froze a bit, but Cassandra continued by saying, "Kid, that was an accident. The three of us understand that. We're not gonna arrest you, And you're not a monster. None of us think that. Rapunzel especially saw the look on your face. A monster would never have that look of regret."

Rapunzel nodded. "Kiren, I know how it feels to have powers." she added. Kiren nodded.

"Y-Yeah, I know. I've heard of you. You're famous, after all." he replied. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra blinked.

"I'm famous? Oh, so you have heard of me?" Rapunzel grinned.

"Y-Yeah. I thought your hair was cut off, though." Kiren pointed out.

"Yeah…. But...I don't know if I wanna talk about it though. But regardless, it grew back. I didn't want it initially, but...well, I'm stuck with it, now." Rapunzel explained as she pulled her braid over her shoulder to show him. Kiren looked at the hair in awe, before remembering his plant powers.

"I-I don't know if I want mine, though." he said, looking at his fingers.

"Your powers? Yeah, I don't think you have a choice, kiddo." Eugene stated as he sat next to him. This didn't make Kiren better, though.

"I know, Flynn. But it's not easy to accept. I'm lost, far away from home with strange powers that I used to kill someone! M-My family is torn apart, and I-I can't even be there to see them again...if they don't die by this war...I-I don't know what to do or where to go. Or what they'll say when I tell them what happened...I don't know. Everything is so…." Kiren groaned as he felt frustrated with his life and with everything that's happened. He felt the urge to cry but refused to. He only shed one tear in silence.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra frowned upon seeing the boy. Rapunzel didn't hesitate; she immediately pulled him into a hug. Kiren flinched upon her hugging him, but he just embraced the gesture and leaned into the hug after a while. Cassandra and Eugene looked at one another, feeling pity for the boy.

"I'm sorry, Kiren. I'm really sorry this happened to you." she said softly, rubbing his back. Kiren, without thinking twice, just raised his arms and wrapped them around her.

The four sat there for a while, not saying anything. Then, Rapunzel looked down.

"Hey, Kiren?"

Kiren looked as Rapunzel wiped away the tear before asking,

"If it's not too much to ask, where are you from exactly?"

Kiren's heart skipped a bit for a bit: he pondered for a moment on how he was gonna tell her that he was from another dimension! It seemed impossible for them to believe! Sure they're magical elements in this world: something like those black rocks would count, but there doesn't seem to be any type of magic to allow for interdimensional travels. Kiren scratched his head, which earned the confusion of the others.

"Hey, Kiren. You alright?" asked Eugene. Kiren blinked and turned to look at him.

"Huh?" Kiren asked looking up.

"You look a bit anxious. There something wrong with where you're from?"

Kiren blinked as he glanced down again, shaking his head.

"N-No. It's just that…" he looked nervous.

"Well then why not just tell us? It can't be that awful." Rapunzel said. Kiren, feeling a bit pressured, thought about it a bit, deciding to tell them at least the city he was from.

"Uh...London, England?" He cringed.

This made Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene's eyes widen.

"Oooh, not good!" Eugene piped up. Kiren raised a brow for a moment in confusion. "Huh?"

"Kiren, the people of Corona HATE the British." Rapunzel said. Kiren blinked before he remembered what Xavier said.

"Oh...so Mr. Xavier was right." he said. The three titled their heads. By this point, the other pedestrians are taking notice. Rapunzel noticed and patted him.

"Let's uh...take a walk. I'm sure you need some exercise." she said. Kiren noticed as well and nodded.

"Same here. Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here. You look like you could use some exercise. Plus, I don't want the people to listen in and get the wrong idea." Rapunzel said.

"Good idea, Blondie. I mean, getting to someplace quiet." Eugene added as he and Cassandra followed after them. Then they continued their conversation.

"So you've met Xavier?" Eugene asked and Kiren nodded.

"Yeah. He's keeping for a little bit. Anyways, he said something similar. Why, though?" he asked. Cass took in a deep breath as she got a bit closer.

"When Rapunzel disappeared, the King and Queen went overseas to reach out to other kingdoms, including Great Britain. Problem is, some ships of the Royal Navy, mistook them for enemy ships and fired upon them, including the ship where the King and Queen are!" Cassandra explained.

"Oooh...that's not good…" Kiren understood.

"THAT would be an understatement, kid." Cassandra said. Kiren frowned a bit.

"So...you think I'm bad too?" he asked. They shook their heads.

"Of course not, sweetie. You're a child, after all." Rapunzel said, gently ruffling his head. Kiren smiled slightly before he looked down, still a bit unsure about telling them the truth.

Cassandra noticed and then asked, "Something else you're hiding, kid?"

Kiren took in a deep breath as he sealed himself. If he was gonna stay with them, he needs to be honest.

"Well, what I told you earlier about where I'm from...is only partly true. I AM from England, but I'm not from...well, THIS England."

The others stopped for a moment, confused.

"Huh? There's more than one England?" Rapunzel asked.

"What do you mean, kid?" Cassandra added.

Kiren exhaled before gulping.

"I figured this would be the case. This sounds crazy, but it's the absolute truth: I am not from this world...or more generally, not this dimension." he said.

The three looked at him like he had lost his mind. Rapunzel was the first to break the silence.

"Um...are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Kiren nodded.

"I think the stress might be getting to you." Eugene added.

"Tell us the truth, kid. Are you from England or not?" asked Cassandra, growing suspicious. Kiren nodded.

"I am. Not from this world's England." Kiren said.

"Uh...I don't know what to say to that." Eugene stated.

"Neither can I...and that's an impressive feat to achieve." Cassandra added as the two looked at one another. Rapunzel, however, approached him.

"Kiren, you don't have to lie to make us like you." she said as she gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Kiren, however, shook his head.

"Why would I lie about something that can so easily be disproven?" he asked. Rapunzel hummed to herself for a moment, before nodding.

"Oookay...then how about you prove it, then? What do you have from your world that you can show us?" she asked, giving a small smile. Kiren grew a small smile, immediately having a plan.

Later, Kiren took the three to Xavier's house, and Kiren could find his pajamas hanging on the lines for it to dry up.

"There's one proof." he said, pointing at his clothes. Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene turned to look at it and Rapunzel "oohed" in intrigue.

"That's a cool-looking dress. What is it?" she asked as they approached it. Kiren reached up and graced the clothes.

"It's not a dress. These are my pajamas. They're pretty much used to sleep in. I wasn't going to head outside wearing these. So Mr. Xavier was nice enough to hang it up." Kiren explained.

"Xavier? He lives here?" asked Eugene as he touched the pajama, only to blink. "Woah. This is soft. What's it made of?"

"Cotton and silk. Whoever made this also added in these animals to make it eye-catching." Kiren said.

"Hm? I've never seen such...weird designs for a pajama. But if you like it, great." Cassandra said, trying not to sound too cynical.

Then, Rapunzel asked after a brief period of examining,

"What else? Do you have any other proof?"

Kiren's smile faltered for a bit as he tried to remember what else he had. Then, he remembered almost immediately.

"My bed! Almost forgot about it!"

"Your bed?" asked Eugene. Kiren nodded.

"Yeah. I was asleep by the time I was sent here. It's outside Corona near the shore, surrounded by these rocks."

Rapunzel and Cassandra grew surprised as they looked at each other.

"Big, sharp, black rocks?" Cassandra asked. Kiren nodded, before blinking in surprise.

"You saw them too?"

"Yeah. They're the reason why I have my hair back." Rapunzel explained.

"Ah. That explains why it's back. I thought Eugene cut it off." Kiren commented.

"Well yeah I did, but...wait." Eugene paused for a moment in confusion. Kiren realized what he said, but before anyone could say anything else,

"Ah, Kiren! I see you brought company!"

The four turned to see Xavier walking out of his house with a towel. Kiren greeted him.

"Hey, Mr. Xavier." he called out. Rapunzel and the others turned to look at Xavier, and Rapunzel smiled at the blacksmith.

"Hi again, Xavier! You live here?" she asked.

Xavier nodded with a chuckle.

"Of course. Kiren was telling you about how he got here?" he asked as he placed the towel on the line.

Everyone blinked again, and so Xavier, after inviting them inside, explained that he had found Kiren the morning before the coronation, and how he told them that he woke up surrounded by these black rocks, the blue explosion, and the chase following afterward (Rapunzel and Cassandra winced at this, as they knew the former was responsible for the explosion), and then he told them of the state his world was in.

"Woah. THIRD World War?" Eugene asked. Kiren frowned a bit.

"Yeah. Thanks to Russia invading Ukraine."

"Yikes...wait, isn't Ukraine a part of the Russian Empire?" Eugene looked curious.

"Russia's not an empire anymore. The "Empire" crud died down in the late 20th century." Kiren explained.

"Hmm, I see. And you mentioned there is a third World War. When did the first 2 happen?" Cassandra asked.

"World War One happened from 1914-1918. World War 2 happened from 1939-1945. There's been a period of 'Long Peace' between the World's Great Powers up until 2038 when World War 3 began." Kiren stated.

Rapunzel hummed.

"That's...hectic." she said.

"To say that, would be an understatement. I just hope it doesn't escalate. Conventional warfare is bad enough, but if it gets worse…" Kiren said feeling grim about those details.

Kiren then froze a bit, and they noticed that his skin was growing a bit pale. Rapunzel reached forward, before Kiren suddenly cleared his throat, wiping away a tear that was threatening to spill out.

"Anyway, enough about that. There's something else I want to tell you about my world, and I think this might be important if you're willing to hear." Kiren replied.

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra perked their ears, and Kiren began telling them about how in his world, there is this one piece of entertainment called "Films" or "Motion Pictures". Rapunzel was especially intrigued, and Kiren smiled a bit at her enthusiasm, before Xavier asked, "Are you sure you want to talk to them about this? I'm not sure they'll take it well."

Kiren grimaced but nodded.

"I have no reason to hide this. Besides, if I'm gonna find a way back, I need to let them know that they can trust me."

Xavier hummed but nodded. Rapunzel and Eugene looked at one another while Cassandra narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Kiren then continued explaining a bit more about what motion pictures are, before moving on to one particular film that he is a big fan of: Tangled. He explained that it focuses on Rapunzel and Eugene.

"Wait...so that's how you knew my former name?" he asked. Kiren nodded. Eugene then leaned in, and with a serious gaze, asked,

"Did they get my nose right?"

Kiren, after being nearly intimidated, asked, "What?"

"Did. They. Get. My. Nose. Right?" Eugene enunciated.

"Oh...uh, no they didn't. Each time they show a poster, they screw it up. One went so far as to give you a Pinocchio nose!" Kiren tried not to snicker remembering that scene.

"Oooh, those litt-Wait, who's Pinocchio?"

"A fictional puppet that became alive thanks to a fairy. His nose grows every time he lies." Kiren said.

"Ah…" Eugene nodded and sighed hearing about his nose.

"Hm. I'd say this 'Pinocchio' person fits you well." Cassandra said with a teasing smile.

"Yeah...Hey!" Eugene said as he turned to glare at her, only for Rapunzel to bud in.

"Guys! Focus!" she hissed before she turned to look at Kiren, feeling anxious.

"Tell me something, Kiren. What did that movie show?" She asked.

Kiren sighed as he stood up.

"Well, I think it's time I show you all because this is where things get interesting." Kiren said before he began to re-enact multiple scenes from the film.

Here are some of those scenes:

"I see a strong, beautiful, confident young lady. Oh look, you're here too! Hahaha!"

And,

"I can't believe it! They can't just get my nose right!"

And,

"It's in that pot, isn't it? Wha-poosh!"

And,

"You should see the look on your faces because you look *Whack!* ...Ridiculous…"

And,

"I have a dream!"

And,

"Did I ever tell you I have a thing for brunettes?"

As Kiren played out these scenes, the three stared on in shock. Rapunzel was especially shocked, and it was evident. This boy played nearly every scene correctly! When Kiren was finished, he looked at the three, who had a shocked look. Eugene, after a while, was the first to say something.

"Okay, aside from how creepy that is, you've got just about everything correctly. What do you think blondie? Blondie?" he asked as he turned to look at Rapunzel, who was frozen in shock, just staring at him. Eugene waved his hand in front of her; there was no response.

"Is she okay?" asked Kiren. Eugene hummed.

"Hmmm…. I think you broke her." Eugene quipped.

"Broke her?"

"Yeah. The fact that you know so much of their lives might have made her switch off or something. And I can't blame her." Cassandra said as she began to shake Rapunzel. Kiren hummed again. Wanting to try and help her regain her senses, he reached out, and Rapunzel's eyes moved towards him, and she responded by screaming and pulling back. Kiren stepped back and shouted as well. Rapunzel's hand fiddled around behind her, before pulling ahead a frying pan, pointing it directly at him.

"Woah, Woah there, Rapunzel!" Eugene said as he grabbed her hand gently.

"K-Keep him away from me! H-He's a stalker! He knows everything about me! M-Maybe he's a spy or something! Maybe he works for Gothel's ghost!" she shouted. While Cassandra and Eugene try to calm her down, Kiren stares at Rapunzel, not out of fear, but out of shock and hurt. There was his idol, staring down at him like he was a criminal! He felt like he was about to cry.

Once the two managed to calm her down, Eugene then said,

"Uh, Rapunzel. Why don't you step outside for a minute? To, you know, cool your head." he offered.

A shivering Rapunzel nodded before stepping outside, still carrying the frying pan. Kiren stared on as she was escorted out. After closing the door, the two then turned to look at Kiren, who cowered down in a bit of fear. However, Cassandra approached him with a look of concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Kiren looked at her and shrugged.

"I-I'm okay...not really sure how I feel though. I-I didn't think she would react like that." he replied. Eugene and Cass knelt beside him.

"Don't take it so hard. She just reacted, perhaps in a normal manner." he said. Kiren and Cass looked at him, confused.

"I-I mean put yourself in her place! If someone she didn't know told her everything that happened in the exact detail and way it occurred, I'd be creeped out too." he explained with a shrug. Kiren pouted. Cassandra then placed a hand on his back.

"Don't worry. She'll come around." she said softly.

"I-I wanted to tell her so that...well, we could maybe trust each other if I was being honest. I wanted to show her that I h-have no reason to hide that." he said. Cass and Eugene nodded in understanding.

"And I can congratulate you for that, kid." Cass said with a smile. Kiren looked at her, and she nodded.

"I mean it. You could've easily kept it hidden. But by telling us this, you're telling us that you are an honest and good-willed kid. And I can safely say that you've earned MY respect and trust." Cass stated.

Kiren gave a slight smile as Cass ruffled his hair.

"Ditto, Cass. Ditto." Eugene replied as he did the same. Kiren gave a small chuckle.

"I'm surprised that you took it better than I thought Flynn." he said. Eugene shrugged.

"I am honestly more flattered than creeped out. I'm still bummed they messed up my nose." he said with a pout, making Kiren giggle a bit. Cass then asked,

"Wait, hold on. If you're already from another world, or 'dimension', then why are you here? What does what you've told us have to do with that?" She asked.

Kiren blinked before shrugging.

"That, I truly don't know. Why, of ALL dimensions, I come to THIS one, I don't know. But Mr. Xavier says that-Have you been standing there the whole time?!" he asked as he realized that Mr. Xavier was still there. He nodded.

"Yep. This is my house after all." he said with a teasing smile. Kiren face-faltered, before shaking his head.

"Anyway, he mentioned that given my love for the movie, I was probably sent here for a reason. To fix something. What it is, I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. I just...I just wanna go home, back to my mom and brother. I wanna forget any of this happened. I just wanna forget I even have powers." he said, before rubbing his shoulders. Cass especially frowned. She could relate to the boy in a way.

"We'll help you." she said. Kiren looked up at her, and she nodded. "I'm serious, kid. I don't know how we will, but nobody deserves to be away from family. Not even during a time of war."

Kiren smiled at this, and he hugged Cassandra. Cassandra froze at the contact, before she relaxed, and gently rubbed his back. Eugene, while flattered at the scene, was mostly shocked at seeing a softer side of Cassandra.

Cassandra noticed this and raised a brow.

"What?" she asked. Eugene shook his head and raised his hands softly.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's just that I didn't think you'd be such a softie to anyone other than Rapunzel." Eugene mused.

"Well, that's because this little boy is not only...well, a child. But he's actually a good-hearted kid who is willing to help, and just wants to get back home. Basically, he's someone who deserves my respect and trust, unlike some people." Cassandra stated giving Kiren a soft look and Eugene a dirty one.

"Oh...Wait. Hey! I treat Rapunzel fine!" Eugene defended.

"Uh-Huh. Sure." Cassandra snorted.

Kiren bit his lower lips, having to hold in a giggle at their banter. Even Xavier had to chuckle. When Kiren pulled back, he tilted his head.

"So...now what?" he asked. Eugene and Cass shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know. I never had to deal with something like this. Should we bring him back with us?" Eugene asked Cassandra. Cassandra frowned a bit and shook her head as she stood up.

"I don't think so. If Rapunzel didn't panic as she did, she would do so without hesitation. But after what happened...Xavier?" she asked, turning to Xavier.

"Hm?" he replied.

"Is it okay if he can stay with you for a few more days? We need to figure something out and plan ahead. We can't bring him to the orphanage due to his accent: people are not gonna be happy with a British child in their lands. Is that okay?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh sure. I could always use some company. Right, my boy?" he asked, looking down at Kiren, who nodded with a smile. Then, he looked outside, seeing Rapunzel looking at the ground, still having an anxious look. Cass then gently pats him in the arm.

"She'll come through. Don't worry." she said. Kiren smiled as Eugene nodded.

"Well, kid. Gotta get going. Rapunzel's parents must be worried sick of us. We should've been home half an hour ago, actually." he said with a small, desperate chuckle. Cassandra nodded as the two began to walk towards the door. Eugene then looked back.

"Nice talking to ya, kiddo! Don't worry! Again, we'll help you with your powers and get you back home!" he said. Kiren nodded, but before Eugene and Cassandra leave, Kiren said,

"Wait!"

Eugene and Cass looked back at him.

"C-Can you tell Rapunzel that I'm sorry for scaring her? Possibly bringing back bad memories?"

Eugene and Cass smiled.

"No problem, champ! See ya later!" Eugene said with a grin and a wink before they left the house. Kiren smiled at the two but then frowned. Xavier approached him and patted him on the shoulder again.

"Just give it time, kid. Rapunzel's mistrust is understandable, considering her past. You retelling them could have brought back paranoia." he explained. Kiren looked up and nodded.

"I hope you're right, Mr. Xavier. I hope you're right…" Kiren said.

The two stood there for a while before Xavier cleared his throat.

"So. You mind helping me out with some chores?" he offered.

Kiren looked up and nodded.

"What do you need help with?" he asked.

Xavier smiled, and for the rest of the day, Kiren helped out with the chores for the man. And he was grateful for the distraction too. He could only hope that things would be set in motion soon…And he also has to worry about the plants, and whoever that spy was…

AN: Hi again, everyone! superkoola here! Another chapter of this story done and out of the way! Seems like things are off to a rocky start between Kiren and Rapunzel. I wanted to add this in because...well, I don't see any reason for Kiren to hide the truth. It would only create more problems down the line. Plus, it would make sense for Rapunzel to react the way she did. Nobody aside from her and Eugene (and even Pascal and Maximus) would know about it, so seeing another child re-enact these scenes almost per-You get the idea,

Well, I think that's it. I hope you enjoyed this. Please be respectful if you didn't. Leave some constructive criticism and stick around for more!

Update: Thanks to SORARULES23 for helping!

Chapter Text

Night has fallen in Corona. The moon was shining brightly, and silence rang across the kingdom.

Inside the tallest tower of the castle, there sleeps the kingdom's princess, Rapunzel.

Rapunzel was sound asleep in her bed as if she didn't have a care in the world. She tossed and turned in her bed, not listening to the sound of something slithering from outside.

In the window leading to the balcony, a large vine slithered to the glass, slowly turning the knob and pushing it open before it slithered inside. The vine then slithered to the bed and noticed Rapunzel's leg. Rapunzel's body jolted for a moment as she felt something on her leg. Then, she groggily opened her eyes.

"Hmm, Eugene...Not now…" she said as she felt something enveloping her body. She rubbed her hand to clear her vision. She then noticed the vine slithering up to her. Rapunzel gasped and was about to scream when the vine wrapped around her mouth, sealing it shut.

Rapunzel struggled as she quickly pulled out from her room, down the walls, and out of the kingdom.

When Rapunzel stopped moving, she found herself in a familiar place that would forever haunt her: her old tower.

"Oh, Rapunzel, my dear. It's wonderful to see you again."

Hearing that familiar voice made her freeze. She looked ahead and saw Mother Gothel looking at her with a "caring" smile. Next to her is Kiren, who has several vines surrounding him. Gothel turned to look at him.

"Thank you, my dear boy." she said. Kiren smiled evilly.

"Don't mention it, ma'am." he replied as he then stepped back, allowing Gothel to approach Rapunzel.

"Well, darling. Who would've thought having someone working for me would know so much about you, dear. Now, come on, my dear. Let's get back to your tower, once and for all…" she said as she ran her fingers over her cheeks. Rapunzel shook her head as she struggled once more, tears streaming down. She eyed Kiren, who was grinning at her evilly. Gothel ended up grabbing her by her shoulder, and she was forced to be pulled up!

Rapunzel gasped as her eyes opened, her body shooting upwards. She panted as she looked around, seeing herself still in her room. She shot out of her bed, panicking, opened the window, rushed to her balcony to see anything down there. She panted as she looked around, seeing no sign of anyone nearby.

A squeaking sound made her turn around, and she saw her lifelong chameleon friend, Pascal. Pascal crawled over to her, eyes filled with concern. Rapunzel sighed as she knelt and took Pascal in her hands.

"Oh, Pascal. I...I don't know what to do now." she whimpered. Pascal blinked, crawling to her.

"Ever since I met this child, I've been having nightmares for the past four days. That kid knows so much about my life in the tower and my time with Eugene! M-Maybe Gothel might've come back from the dead!" she said. Pascal crawled to her and squeaked again.

"How do I know? He told us!" she replied before looking down on the floor, remembering the encounter. She saw the look on the boy's face, and how he looked at her with a plea and...honesty. Immediately, however, it was replaced for a brief moment with that evil grin from the nightmare. Rapunzel then heard Pascal approach him, and he squeaked again.

"Maybe. I mean, Cass and Eugene seem to believe him. But they don't understand how easy it is for someone to trick them by playing nice! Well, Eugene may be an exception since he was a thief and all, but, gah." she complained before rubbing her forehead. She gulped and placed him on her left forehead before walking inside.

"I don't know what to do, Pascal. He seems like a nice child, but he knows so much about me. He MUST be working for someone. Unless…" she explained, remembering the pajama Kiren showed him. Pascal blinked as Rapunzel sat on her bed. Sighing and shaking her head, she sets Pascal down on the desk nearby.

"I need to sleep. Cassandra and Eugene are planning on visiting him tomorrow, so maybe I should talk to him then. *yawn* Goodnight, Pascal." she said with a warm smile. Pascal smiled again before curling himself up, falling asleep soon after. Rapunzel, on the other hand, did not go to sleep. She laid on her back, watching the ceiling. Her mind was racing a million miles a second with what she's thinking of.

"I want to believe you, Eugene, Cass. I REALLY do, but I don't know. I just don't know…" she thought to herself as she stared at the ceiling for a good long while...

Kiren lost count of how many times he had found himself reading some of Xavier's books.

It had been almost four days since the first meeting with Rapunzel and company, and things have been mostly quiet. Xavier has been good company for Kiren, but Kiren still felt a sense of boredom. The only thing keeping him entertained was Xavier's knowledge of Corona's history and mythology. Kiren finds it very intriguing!

Speaking of which, Kiren is in the front yard once more, reading more about Corona's origins.

"Ooh, Corona was once a Germanic tribe thousands of years ago. Cool…" he muttered to himself as he turned another page. He then looked at the sea in the distance. He hummed to himself, wondering if he will ever explore outside Corona's walls and maybe see the tower once more.

"Morning, boy!" Xavier's voice made him turn to see the large man coming from the path. Kiren smiled as he waved.

"Morning, Mr. Xavier!" he called out. Xavier then looked at the book and chuckled.

"Hehe, you're still reading that?" he asked. Kiren nodded.

"Yeah. It's the only fun thing you guys have here since there's no TV or computer at this time." he said, setting his head down on his arms.

"TV? Computer?" asked Xavier. Kiren shrugged.

"Types of entertainment in my world: similar to a motion picture." he replied. Xavier nodded with a hum.

"I see. Well, you should know that that isn't the only book around here. There is a library downtown." he replied. Kiren raised a brow.

"You guys have a library? Awesome." he said. Xavier nodded.

"Yeah. Also, books aren't the only pieces of entertainment. There are also plays, the scenery, swimming, and the occasional festivals." he explained with a nod. Kiren blinked.

"Huh. Okay then." he replied. Xavier nods with a chuckle as he pats him on the back. Kiren then blinked as he looked at the town. Wanting to stretch his legs, he then looked at Xavier.

"You have anything else for me to do with you?" he asked. Xavier shook his head.

"Nah. I can take care of it. You can stretch your legs if you want." he replied. Kiren smiled as he got up and gave Xavier the book, which he took.

Later, Kiren was by himself, sitting near a building with a patch of flowers nearby. He turned his head around, seeing the flower patch. He smiled for a moment before he reached his hand out to touch them.

Suddenly, an image came rushing back into his mind. It was the memory of the battle during the Coronation. The battle where he used his powers to protect himself from the thugs, the spy, and Lady Caine.

Lady Caine…

Kiren shivered upon remembering the snapping sound from the very powers he now beheld. He moved his hands away from the flowers and looked at them, replaying the scene over and over again. Then, the moment where Rapunzel looked at him with scared eyes.

Just like the eyes when she aimed her frying pan at him…

Kiren gulped to herself as he shook his head with a sigh. He didn't want to keep thinking about it, but it wasn't easy to get rid of the memory of murdering someone and potentially scarring an idol of his!

He felt something moving in front of him, and he looked up, suddenly gasping to see a leaf growing longer. He crawled back, and the leaf followed after him.

"No. No, no! Stay back!" he whispered as he stepped back. The leaf froze for a moment, staying in place. Kiren blinked for a moment, freezing in place as he stared at the vine.

"Remember, Kiren; you can control these plants. Just...try to...Blimey, I don't know what to do. Just 'Will it'?" he asked as he rubbed his head. The leaf, after freezing for a moment, then slowly moved forward again. Kiren stepped back as he tries to "will" the plant to stop moving.

To his surprise, it worked! The plant stopped moving! Kiren, feeling a sense of confidence, then raised his hands and slowly gestured them forward. The leaf slowly moved back until it returned to its original state. Kiren sighed in relief.

"Hey." a voice said, making him gasp and jump in fright for a moment. He turned around to see a five-year-old girl looking up at him with curiosity. Kiren blinked as he looked around, searching for the child's parents.

"Uh, er…Hi there." Kiren greeted with a shy smile. The girl blinked.

"Are you the one who killed Lady Caine?" she asked innocently.

"Uh...Uh…" Kiren went, now feeling very uncomfortable by the question as he began to get flashbacks of Lady Caine's body once more.

"Miranda! There you are!" a female voice called out. Kiren looked up to see an older girl rushing towards them. The younger girl, Miranda, looked at her and pointed at Kiren.

"He's the one who killed Lady Caine!" she said, almost happily. Kiren blushed as the older girl pulled her closer to her.

"I'm so sorry about my younger sister. She tends to run about on her own a lot, which is something we need to talk about." she said to Kiren before eyeing her sister with a glare! Miranda flinched under her gaze but still remained determined.

"But it's him. He's the one who saved the kingdom and killed Lady Caine." she said. The older sister raised her brows as she looked at Kiren. Kiren shook his head.

"M-Me? N-No way! She's way too tough for me!" he said. The older girl kept her brows raised, being suspicious of him. Kiren felt uncomfortable by her gaze.

"W-What?" he asked.

"It's your accent. You're not from around here, aren't you?" she asked. Kiren shook his head and began to shiver.

"Uh, no?" he asked. The older girl narrowed her eyes.

"You're not?" she asked. Kiren shook his head.

"Then where are you from?" she asked again.

"Uh…Uh…" Kiren began as sweat began to drop. The older girl's gaze then began to grow more hostile as she pulled Miranda closer to her.

"Your accent sounds very English… and I don't mean the language we speak. You're British, aren't you?" she asked, voice laced with venom. Kiren gulped as he shook his head.

"N-No! I-I'm not!" he said. The older girl, however, didn't buy this and approached him.

"Corona has ZERO tolerance for imperial scumbags like yourself. And after what your Royal Navy did to our King and Queen…*deep sigh*" she went, sighing through her nose. Kiren blinked in fear.

"B-But, I had nothing to do with-" he began.

"Shut up!" the older sister demanded, and Kiren did just that. Miranda watched on in surprise as her older sister grabbed Kiren by the collar.

"If I see you ANYWHERE near my sister, or anyone else I care about, I'm going to punch your face so many times that your mother won't be able to recognize your bloody corpse!" she said as she cracked her hands and raised her fist in preparation to punch him. Kiren widened his eyes and shielded his face with his arms in preparation for the blow.

Suddenly, the leaf reacted immediately and shot forward towards the older girl's legs, hitting her from behind and making her fall on her back. The older girl yelped as she did so, making the other pedestrians nearby turn in their direction.

Miranda and Kiren, all the while, stared at the vine and then at each other. Miranda had a shocked look, but Kiren had a fearful look as he stepped back.

"I-I'm so...Oh, blimey. I've gotta find Rapunzel, Flynn, and Cassandra." he said as he turned around and sped out of the scene. Miranda looked on as the older girl slowly got up, gritting her teeth as she looked ahead.

"Are you okay, sis?" she asked. The older girl sighed as she got up and dusted herself clean.

"I'm fine. But that boy will be sorry…" she said, before taking her hand.

"Come on. People need to know about this." she said as well before they walked away.

Kiren, all the while, rushed along the streets, missing the looks of concern from some of the other citizens. His focus, however, was on the castle looming in the distance. He hoped that Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra would be there.

As he approached the gate, he noticed that guards marching, battle axes in hand. Two other guards were standing on each of the castle gates, much like the Royal Guards at Buckingham Palace. Kiren gritted his teeth in fright.

"Dang it. I forgot that this castle has guards!" he said as he rubbed his hair. He looked back at the village, remembering the older sister from earlier and the plant that knocked her over.

"Ugh, I can't go back, and I certainly can't just waltz right up to the castle doors! What do I do? What do I do?" he asked as he paced about.

Then, he heard the sound of hooves clattering behind him with wheels rolling about. Kiren looked back, seeing a pair of horses walking over to the gate, pulling a large wagon. The two guards stared at the horses, and they approached, forcing the wagon to stop. Kiren looked at the wagon, immediately thinking that it would be an excellent opportunity to sneak inside. However, these hopes were crushed when the guards began to inspect the carriage. One of them almost caught a glimpse of him, and he had to step back.

"Darn it. Now what?!" he asked as he pondered to himself. His mind was racing, thinking of what he could do to sneak inside, how he'll do so without notice and the fact that someone who tried to punch him to death recognized his country of origin and would most certainly report him to the authorities. It was causing so much stress in his mind that he was causing another ruckus nearby unknowingly.

"Hey! Hey!" a guard's voice called out. Kiren yelped and raised his hands as he heard several books rushing in his direction. He looked up, and he saw seven guards with their axes, running right past him. Kiren, blinking, raised his brows before he turned to the direction of where the guards were going, and his eyes widened upon seeing a walking red-rose bush! It had its roots sprawled out like a spider, but it was otherwise a short bush.

"W-What in the world is that?" one guard asked.

"I don't know. And I don't think bushes are supposed to do that." another guard replied. Kiren watched as the bush shook for a moment, his mind wondering what was going to happen next.

Suddenly, one of the bush's roses closed its pedals, causing the guards to blink in alarm. Then the rose opened them again, spitting out what appears to be pollen, right at one of the guard's eyes. The guard shouted as he covered his face, making the other guards shout in alarm. The bush then began to crawl away at a fast pace.

"Grr. After it!" one guard shouted, raising his axe. The other guards followed after it, leaving Kiren, the carriage, and the two guards alone. Kiren then stared at the two guards wielding their axes as they stared at where the bush went. Kiren noticed that they were at a safe enough distance for him to sneak by unnoticed. Shivering for a moment, Kiren took in a deep breath and whispered a small prayer before narrowing his eyes in determination.

"Now or never, Kiren." he said to himself before speeding towards the carriage. He leaped inside, quickly finding a hidden spot that was small enough for him to fit inside!

"What the heck? Did something fall?"

Kiren's body froze at the sound of the driver outside. He ultimately failed to realize that jumping inside will undoubtedly cause the wagon to bounce for a bit. He gritted his teeth, realizing as well that the wagon is not big, and yes, his spot was easy to hide from those who take quick glances, but if someone were to examine it, he's doomed!

Luckily, he found a small barrel of water near the front of the carriage. With a gulp, Kiren managed to quickly, yet quietly, crawl towards the barrel and gently tilt it over on its side before crawling back to his hiding spot, just as the horse-driver arrives at the back of the carriage.

Kiren gritted his teeth as he heard the driver sigh.

"Just the barrel of water. Guess I should be lucky it didn't break; I had to wait for hours to get them to bring water to me." the man's voice said as he climbed inside the wagon and lifted the barrel. Kiren rubbed his arms in a panic.

Thankfully, the man didn't spot him, and eventually, he managed to put the barrel back on its spot.

"Need something, sir?" the voice of one of the guards called out.

"Nothing, sir. A barrel of water fell on its side, but it's fine. Nothing's leaking." the man replied as Kiren heard the sound of him crawling out of the wagon.

"Alright. Anyway, whatever that thing was doesn't seem to be coming back, or does there seem to be more of them. You should be good." the voice of the other guard said.

"Okay. Thanks." the man said.

"No problem. Have a good day, sir."

Kiren sighed as he felt the wagon move once more, and he pressed his back and head against the wall, panting with relief.

"Woah...I didn't think that would work. Oh god, why did I think of doing this?" he asked before letting out a quiet chuckle, covering his face with his hands. He took in deep breaths as the carriage moved through the courtyard.

Eventually, Kiren felt the carriage begin to slow down. He adjusted himself, ready to head out of the carriage.

"Okay. Now to unload." he said, making Kiren freeze again. He pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself as small as he could. He heard the man lift something up from the crate and walk outside. Kiren took a quick peek outside, seeing the man walking outside towards a shed. Taking a quick glance around, he found that some maids were adjusting some clothes and leaving them to dry. He took a quick step but then looked at his boots.

"These things are gonna make noise." he said as he quickly began to take them off. After doing so, he landed on the ground and looked around, seeing no one was noticing him, but he did see the man wiping his forehead as he walked back. Kiren gritted his teeth as he quickly ran towards the side of the carriage, away from view. Kiren waited until the man took away another crate to take away. Once that is finished, Kiren sped away from the carriage and along the path.

Kiren looked at the castle, trying to guess where Rapunzel was.

"Hmm...I don't remember the movie stating where her room is. Maybe... it's somewhere in the towers?" he asked, scratching his head. Gulping, he began to search for a way inside. It didn't take long, however, for him to find a door leading into the castle. Walking towards the door, he checked again to make sure no one was watching before eventually walking inside.

The interior of the castle was MUCH larger than Kiren ever expected it to be. Granted, he knew about how big castles were, but now that he is inside one, he can truly experience what it's like.

"Woah...how am I gonna find Rapunzel, Eugene, or Cassandra in a place THIS big?" he asked himself as he wandered around the halls. Kiren began to look around, searching for any rooms that they might be at, all the while having to hide from maids or guards that would occasionally pass by.

Kiren then approached a corridor with an entrance to a set of stairways. Climbing up the stairs, he passed through two floors before reaching a suitable floor for him to traverse through.

As Kiren wandered across another set of corridors, he approached a set of double doors that were slightly open. He wanted to go past it, but he then heard a pair of voices talking inside. Thinking Rapunzel, Eugene and Cassandra were inside, he slowly crept forward and peeked inside. To his disappointment and shock, he only saw two people that he recognized as King Frederic and Queen Arianna!

"Fredric, I'm worried about Rapunzel. She looks as if she hasn't been sleeping well for four days since she came back." Arianna said. Kiren blinked as he listened on.

"I noticed too, Arianna. I tried talking to Eugene and Cassandra about this, but they aren't sure. And after I spoke to her last time, I don't think Rapunzel will want to tell ME what happened." Frederic replied.

"...You think it might have something to do with the child that...well, killed Lady Caine?" Arianna asked, making Kiren wince. He gulped as his body shivered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Rapunzel has been pondering about where he was and if he was okay for a week until recently. Remember last time when you asked if she found him?"

"Yes. She said no, but I could tell something within her just, froze up in fear. Like it's a part of something she wants to forget."

Now Kiren bit his lower lip at this revelation. For the past week after the Coronation, Rapunzel had been worrying about him, and now after revealing the fact that he knows about her past, thanks to the movie in his world, Rapunzel wants Nothing to do with him! Kiren sighed silently as he rubbed a silent tear away from him, gulping in the process.

"You don't think something happened between him and Rapunzel?" asked Frederic.

"I don't believe that. Back at the Coronation, when he snapped Lady Caine's neck, I saw the look of guilt and horror on his face. I don't believe a child like that would ever want to hurt anyone." Arianna said. Kiren took in another deep breath as he felt his heart flutter at her words. At least he has the support of Rapunzel's mother.

"I remember too. You're right, Arianna. But that still doesn't explain what happened that made Rapunzel so...tense." Frederic replied. Kiren smiled briefly before frowning as well.

Wanting to get out of there, he tried to get up, but he felt his legs feel a bit heavy. Wanting to better support himself, Kiren pressed his hand against the door. This proved to be a big mistake, as Kiren ended up falling to his left as the doors to the room were pushed open.

Kiren groaned to himself as he rubbed his head and looked up, only to freeze in horror once he saw that Frederic and Arianna were staring RIGHT at him in shock! For a brief moment, neither of them said anything, until Frederic stepped forward.

"W-Who are you, little one? And how did you sneak inside?" he asked, firmly. Kiren crawled back in fear. That was when Arianna stepped forward as well.

"Wait...I recognize you. Are you the child at the Coronation?" she asked softly.

That's done it!

Kiren, in a state of panic, shot himself upwards as he turned to his right and back towards where he came from!

"W-Wait! Sweetie, come back!" he heard Arianna call out to him. But Kiren wasn't listening. He rushed towards the stairs once more. He could've easily taken the steps down, but his paranoia told him that there might be guards waiting downstairs for him. So he immediately went towards the upper stairs, running up them as fast as he could.

Eventually, he made it towards a spot where he couldn't get any farther up. He looked down and heard rapid footsteps and the shouts of the king and queen to stop running. Kiren gritted his teeth in horror as he ran along the hallway.

"Sweetie! Please come back! We're not gonna hurt you!" Arianna's voice called out once more, but Kiren didn't listen as he continued running.

Eventually, he found another set of double doors. He immediately rushed towards it and began to knock on it.

"Please! Someone, please let me in!" he pleaded, fear causing his voice to crack a bit. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Kiren zoomed inside, pressing his back against the door, sealing it shut. Panting for a moment, he looked back, and to his surprise, he found Eugene, Rapunzel, and Cassandra looking at him with shock. Rapunzel was especially shocked, stepping back with her skin slightly paling.

"Kiren? What are you doing here?!" Eugene asked. Kiren immediately approached him.

"F-Flynn, Cassandra, Rapunzel, you've gotta help me! I-I was walking along the streets of Corona when I ran into this pair of sisters. One of them recognized me as a British child and nearly punched me! T-The-my powers hit her, a-and-" Kiren began, but by this point, his heart and mind were racing and tears of fear were streaming down. He was becoming incomprehensible.

"Kid. Kid! Calm down!" Cassandra said as she knelt to his height and grabbed his shoulders. Kiren looked at her, still panicking.

"Relax. Deep breaths!" she instructed. Kiren did as he was instructed to do, and he slowly did just that. When Cass saw this, she nodded.

"Okay. Now start over? What happened outside, and how did you sneak inside?" she asked again, calmer this time. Kiren nodded and began to explain what had happened earlier today. Rapunzel stared at him, and while her heart was still beating rapidly, she got a good look at the boy's body posture, and her tension began to soften.

"I'm losing control of my powers, it'll only be a matter of time until the people know I'm British, and the King and Queen are coming after me! You've gotta help me, please!" he pleaded. Cassandra and Eugene looked at one another before they heard footsteps coming from outside. Kiren gasped as he stepped back.

"Oh no...Oh no!" he said as he stepped back.

"What's wrong, champ?" asked Eugene.

"I-I accidentally alerted the King and Queen. They're after me!" he explained. Rapunzel widened her eyes slightly, and she stepped forward. Neither of them paid attention to the pot of flowers shivering and the vines extending.

"M-Mom and dad?" she asked. Kiren nodded.

"Y-Yeah. I accidentally ran into them while looking for you guy-Oh no!" he explained before eyeing the hanging pot of flowers, which were growing rapidly. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra followed his gaze and gasped in horror.

"Oh no." Eugene said, just before one of the vines swung and smashed against the glass door, breaking it. Kiren screamed as he instinctively covered himself.

"Kiren, you've gotta stop this!" Rapunzel called out.

"I CAN'T! I don't know how! That's why I came here!" he said as some of the vines began to crawl onto the walls. At this point, the door opened, revealing Frederic and Arianna.

"Young one, please list-Woah!" Frederic said as he stepped back, pulling Arianna back in the process. Kiren whimpered to himself as he saw the roots and vines begin to fill up the room. Cassandra and Eugene were pressed up against the wall by one of the vines.

"Ack! Kiren! You need to stop doing this!" Cassandra called out. Kiren shook his head again.

"I can't! I-I can't control it! Again, I don't know how!" he shouted back, feeling the urge to cry!

Rapunzel, meanwhile, was hyperventilating as she pressed her back against the wall as the vines slithered around the room. Tears began to stream down as memories of her nightmare began to play in her head. Pascal, who was on her shoulder the entire time, whimpered as he pressed himself against her neck, hiding in her dress.

Then, one of the flowers began to expand in size, and its body leaned down. Its pedals closed for a moment before opening them again. Rapunzel screamed and jumped to the side as the flower slammed itself against the wall where Rapunzel once stood.

"Rapunzel!" everyone called out, while Kiren flinched. Rapunzel got up and looked at Kiren. The two of them locked their eyes onto each other once more, both of them were of fear and desperation. Rapunzel felt her heart beating at seeing him once more, but she could also feel the fear emitting from him. Putting her fear of him aside, she stood up and called out to him.

"J-Just try and WILL these plants to stop!" she called out.

"Easy for YOU to say! I-I've never had to do this before like I said!" Kiren replied! Rapunzel gritted her teeth.

"I know that, sweetie! But, just try it! I'm sure it will work out!" she said with a friendly, yet forced smile. Kiren gulped as he looked down, thinking if it would work at all. He tried really hard, but all it did was make the vines and flowers more sporadic!

"Ack! I can't! I just-" he began before Eugene called out,

"Rapunzel! Watch out!"

Kiren and Rapunzel looked at him, who was pointing to his top-right! They followed the direction and saw a large flower swinging directly towards them. More specifically, at Rapunzel!

Without even hesitating, Kiren rushed forward and with all the strength he had, roughly pushed Rapunzel out of the way, just as the giant flower slammed against him! Next thing everyone knew, Kiren was flying out of the room and down below.

"No! KIREN!" Eugene and Cassandra called out before the latter pulled out her sword and chopped off the vine trapping them. Frederic and Arianna gasped in horror. Rapunzel, all the while, got up and looked at the window. She heard the screaming of Kiren. Gasping, she rushed over to the balcony, quickly joined by Eugene and Cassandra.

Kiren screamed in horror as he fell down the tall tower. He waved his arms around in a vain attempt to slow down. Once he saw that the ground was close to him, Kiren curled himself up into a ball, waiting for his death to come.

Fortunately for him, it won't.

Below, several bushes shivered for several seconds before the roses extended upwards, blossoming and forming into what appears to be a trampoline.

A screaming Kiren then fell on the trampoline flower, bouncing off of it harmlessly before tumbling onto the ground. Kiren grunted for a moment as he slowly got up and rubbed his back.

"Hey! Hey, kid!"

Kiren froze as he turned his head around and saw that there were several more guards looking at him with alarm. One of them pointed at him.

"That's the kid who killed Lady Caine!" he said. Kiren gritted his teeth in horror, causing the plants nearby to act crazier, growing on the walls and in size. The guards then rushed towards him.

"Hold it, kid!" the guard at the center called out. Kiren crawled back and ran off, not wanting to get arrested.

From above, Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene saw what was happening. They were horrified by what they were seeing.

"They're scaring him!" Cassandra said.

"We've gotta get down there and help him!" Eugene said as he was about to turn around, only to be met with several flowers looking down on them! Cassandra got her sword ready, all the while finding time to look at Frederic and Arianna, who were stepping back.

"Get out of here, your majesties! Get somewhere safe!" she called out. Frederic nodded as he and Arianna ran away, slowly followed by vines expanding out of the room.

As Eugene and Cassandra began to fight off the giant flower, Rapunzel looked at Kiren running from the guards. She then saw the plants growing on the walls, some of them causing pieces of the wall to collapse. Eyeing Kiren once more, she began to remember the time at the Coronation, back to when she saw the look on his face after Lady Caine's death. The same look of pure horror and guilt. Very contradictory to what she saw in her nightmares.

Then she looked back at the plants, which were getting closer. With a sigh, she looked at Eugene and Cassandra.

"We have to get down and help him!" she said as she looked around and undid the braid in her hair. Eugene and Cassandra looked at her with an obvious look.

"No kidding! But how?!" asked Cassandra. Rapunzel looked at them.

"Grab onto me, now!" she said as she threw her hair like a lasso towards a pole.

"Wait, what are you planning, blondie?!" demanded Eugene.

"Just do it!" Rapunzel said. Eugene and Cassandra flinched at her for a moment but didn't protest any further. They rushed to her and grabbed on, as Rapunzel leapt from the balcony. One flower followed after them, pedals opening up to envelope them before stopping just a few inches away from Eugene!

The three screamed in surprise as they swung along the walls until they got to the ground. However, they couldn't land properly, and they ended up tumbling onto the ground.

Rapunzel groaned as she lifted her head up after a few seconds, immediately searching for Kiren. Eventually, she found him, still running in fear as the guards had to deal with another set of giant flowers. Rapunzel soon got up and began to run in his direction.

"Kiren! Kiren, wait!" she called out. Kiren's head turned in her direction, and Rapunzel could see his eyes widening in a panic as he continued running.

"Rapunzel, wait up!" Eugene called out as he and Cassandra rushed behind.

Kiren, meanwhile, was too much in a panicking state to think of what is happening. All he wanted to do was simply find Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene. That's it. Instead, he ends up covering the castle in vines and flowers.

"This can't be happening! I need to get out of here! This was a mistake!" he muttered to himself as he continued running, listening to the sounds of screaming maids and shouting guards.

Suddenly, an erupting vine made Kiren trip. He looked back and saw another flower growing in size. Kiren whimpered some more as he crawled back. Finding himself surrounded, he began to whimper as the grass surrounding him began to grow taller before they enveloped him, turning into a ball-shaped shelter. Just before they could finish, Kiren could see Rapunzel's concerned look and her shouting,

"No! Kiren, no! Wait!"

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass ran as fast as they could, dodging as many plants as possible along the way. Rapunzel could see Kiren crawling away from a rising rose, before some grass began to grow around him.

"No! Kiren, no! Wait!" she called out. But it was futile as the grass began to cover him in a spherical shield. The three were then stopped by the rose, which was looking down at them. Two more smaller roses stood nearby.

"Oh boy." Eugene said while Cass had her sword at the ready, although she too had a shocked look on her face. Rapunzel, however, kept her eyes on the sphere.

"Rapunzel! Stay back!" Eugene said. Rapunzel turned to him, and her eyes caught one of the smaller roses lunging towards her. She managed to block it with her hair, which stunned the rose for a moment.

"I HAVE to get to Kiren! Is there any way you can distract these things?!" she asked. Eugene and Cass looked at her.

"I thought you're scared of him!" Cass replied.

"I...I, w-well I am a little bit! B-But that doesn't matter now! He needs help! Please, help me get to him! Ahh!" she pleaded before the snapping of another rose made her step back. Cass and Eugene looked at one another briefly before nodding.

"Alright. We've got your back, Rapunzel! Hey! Over here!" Eugene called out to the rose. This got its attention, causing it to slither towards it. Eugene and Cass stepped back as the roses followed after them. Cassandra managed to look at Rapunzel and nodded, signaling her to go ahead. Rapunzel nodded and rushed past the vines undetected, arriving at the sphere.

"Kiren! Kiren, it's me!" she said as she knelt down to the sphere. There was no response. Rapunzel placed her hands on the grass.

"Kiren, please! You've got to control this!" she pleaded again.

There was no response again. Rapunzel was about to try again when she noticed that pieces of the grass were being moved aside by little fingers. There was Kiren, his blood-red eyes looking out towards her.

"R-Rapunzel?" he asked. Rapunzel nodded.

"Yes. It's me. Listen to me, sweetie." she said as she scooted closer and leaned in.

"I...I thought you were scared of me…" Kiren replied. Rapunzel stopped for a moment, face taken aback for a brief moment before nodding.

"W-Well, yes I am. But that doesn't matter now! YOU matter now." she said with certainty. Kiren blinked at what she said before Rapunzel continued with,

"Now listen to me. You've GOT to stop this, Kiren."

"I-I keep telling you. I don't know how!" Kiren replied.

"W-Well you've got to try something!"

"I don't know! I can't think straight!" Kiren said as his voice began to crack, scratching his head. Rapunzel then tightened her grip on the grass as she looked at him with desperation.

"Just take a deep breath, Kiren. Just try and calm down!"

"Calm down? Calm down?! How can I calm down?!"

Kiren suddenly shot himself up, and the grass immediately opened up, allowing him to stand to his full height. Rapunzel was taken aback by the boy's outburst. Kiren, all the while, hyperventilated, eyes blood-shot and streaming with tears.

"How can I calm down knowing that I've been making everything worse?!" he shouted, gesturing to the scene surrounding them. Rapunzel then held her hands up.

"Kiren, please. Calm down…" she pleaded, but it did no good. All it did was earn her a broken yet burning gaze.

"My world is dying; there is a HUGE war that could have millions killed, and that's IF they don't use nuclear bombs! My family is torn apart thanks to me and my dad, and I don't know when I'll EVER see my family again before they die! I'm in a world I loved dearly, yet surrounded by people who hate the British! I've terrified you and made you go through some sleepless nights, and worst of all; I KILLED SOMEONE! How can I calm down after everything I've done?!" Kiren shouted before he fell on all fours, emitting a wailing sob.

At this point, the plants have stopped attacking and turned to look at him, as did Eugene, Cassandra, and the guards. Rapunzel didn't pay attention to them, however. All she was focused on was Kiren, who was crying his heart away, hands clutching the grass on the ground. She covered her mouth in sympathy. At that point, any and all traces of fear she had of him from that day, all the images from her nightmares, all those thoughts, are all gone. Instead, they were replaced with sympathy and sorrow.

Something within her stirred up in response, and she slowly knelt down, waiting for him to calm down.

Kiren's wails and sobs soon turned into a strained cry.

"I...I just wanna go home. I wanna see my mommy and brother again. That's all I want...ALL I want…" he said with a hoarse voice, shivering.

Rapunzel, after a while of letting him let out his distress, slowly reached her hand outwards, and she slowly placed her hand on Kiren's cheek. Kiren flinched for a moment, shivering for a moment.

"Sweetie." she said softly. Kiren looked up as he took in a deep breath and gulped. Rapunzel then took his hand and held it gently. At this point, the plants surrounding them began to calm down. Eugene, Cassandra, and Pascal, of all who were surrounded by a group of flowers, found themselves being let loose.

"Y-You're not scared of me still?" he asked. Rapunzel smiled softly and shook her head.

"Not anymore. You're just a child who's been through a lot in such a short time and simply arrived in a new world unexpectedly. Nobody deserves to go through what you have gone through. I can see that now." she said softly. Kiren rubbed his eyes and his nose.

"I... I'm sorry, Rapunzel. I just...I miss my family so much. I miss my momma." he whimpered out. Rapunzel nodded in understanding, but Kiren kept going. "I miss her cooking, I-I miss her hugs...I even miss her singing."

"Singing?" asked Rapunzel softly as she moved aside a strand of hair from his eyes. Kiren nodded with a sniff.

"Y-Yeah. She had the prettiest singing I've heard in my life. O-One of my favorite songs that she used to sing to me whenever I had a bad time was...oh, what is it called...Oh, the Healing Song." he said.

"Healing song?" asked Rapunzel. Kiren nodded.

"It was the one you sang. Sorry if this sounds creepy, but I loved it. It's relaxing, and it puts me to sleep. Wait...wait, not like that. Not like-" Kiren said before he tried to correct himself, panicking slightly. Rapunzel giggled softly as she gently placed a finger on her lip.

"Relax, sweetie. It's okay." she replied. Kiren sight slightly as he wiped his eyes.

"Anyways, I know what you're talking about. It's a shame my hair doesn't heal anymore." she said as she grabbed a few strands of her hair, frowning slightly. Kiren raised his brows.

"W-Why?" he asked.

"I don't know. Not that it matters now. So, you loved that song?" asked Rapunzel. Kiren nodded.

"Do you...want me to sing it again? To make you feel better?"

Kiren's heart fluttered at the request, but he gave a soft smile and nodded.

"Y-Yes, please." he pleaded. Rapunzel nodded as she wiped away a tear, before closing her eyes, her hands holding his.

Flower gleam and glow.

Let your powers shine.

Make the clock reverse.

Bring back what once was mine

Kiren smiled as he listened to Rapunzel singing. It sounded a bit like his mother's, and although it would never match his mother's, it would come close.

Heal what has been hurt.

Change the fate's design.

Save what has been lost.

Bring back what once was mine.

What once was mine…

At this point, Rapunzel's hair, to the two's obliviousness, began to glow once more. Cassandra and Eugene looked on with surprise. What's more is that parts of the hair that had touched the plants is making them react as well in a more passive way. The plants began to calm down as they slithered away from the guards and the duo.

Kiren didn't notice this, and after smiling, began to sing as well.

Flower gleam and glow.

Let your powers shine.

Rapunzel smiled at the boy's singing. She pulled him closer and then pulled him into another hug before joining in on the singing. Kiren immediately felt calm and relieved, now that he finally feels safe, at least for now. The two closed their eyes as they sang.

As the two continued singing harmoniously, Kiren's green streak on his hair began to glow as well. The glow from the streak caused the nearby giant plants to react in tandem with Rapunzel's hair. The giant plants began to revert back to their normal forms, and the vines began to retract from the walls, leaving the structures cracked, but otherwise intact. One vine holding some maidens was morphing back to its original self, causing the maidens to tumble onto the ground stunned but harmlessly.

No one noticed that one cut vine and a few strands of Rapunzel's hair was glowing in one particular spot. The vine glowed for a moment before roots began to grow from the side, and a small stem began to grow from the vine. Before long, two leaves grew, and a flower was grown, but the pedals were still closed.

After a while, all of the flowers, vines, and roots are back to normal, and the castle and her walls, while damaged, still stands.

Kiren and Rapunzel soon finished their singing, and they pulled back, their hairs stopped glowing. Kiren and Rapunzel looked at one another and smiled.

"Feeling better?" asked Rapunzel. Kiren nodded as he rubbed his eyes again.

"Yes, Rapunzel." he replied. Rapunzel laughed softly.

"That's good to hear." she said. Kiren smiled as Rapunzel moved away a strand of hair from his eyes. Then,

"Blondie! Kid! You guys alright?" Eugene called out. Rapunzel and Kiren turned to see Eugene and Cassandra rush to them with concerned looks. Rapunzel smiled with a nod.

"We're okay. We're fine. Right, Kiren?" she replied, looking at Kiren, who nodded. Cassandra sighed as she then sat down.

"You gave us quite the scare, kid. I'm just glad you both are alright." she said with an exasperated smile. Kiren chuckled as well, but it was a faltering smile. Eugene then said,

"Just wanna ask: you two saw the uh...glowing hair, thing?" he asked. Rapunzel and Kiren raised their brows.

"Glowing hair?" asked Kiren. Eugene nodded.

"Yeah! Yours and Rapunzel's, when you two were singing! Nice duet by the way, you two should go on stage for Christmas. But still" he said, pointing to their hairs. Kiren looked up and ran his fingers through his hair while Rapunzel picked up some of her strands in confusion.

"Really? I thought my hair couldn't do that anymore. You think it could still heal?" she asked.

"I don't think so. The plants did react though." Cass replied. Rapunzel and Kiren blinked in confusion, but before anyone else could say anything else, they were immediately approached by the guards. Kiren froze in place, and Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra tensed up as well.

"Is everyone here alright?" the Captain of the Guards asked, inspecting them.

"We're fine, dad." Cassandra said. Kiren looked down as he mentally prepared himself for whatever retribution was coming for him.

"Rapunzel!" Arianna's voice called out. Rapunzel's head turned to the side of the guards, and she smiled in relief upon seeing her parents. She rushed up and hugged them, with the two easily returning the gesture.

"Mom! Dad!" she said with relief.

"Oh, Rapunzel. We're so glad you're safe." Arianna said before they puddle back, inspecting one another.

However, the peaceful reunion didn't last for long.

"Is that him?"

Kiren looked at the direction of Frederic and Arianna, seeing a tall slim man with long brown hair that was tied back with a yellow ribbon, and a red coat with a white shirt. Some of the guards got a closer look, and a few of them, including the Captain, hummed.

"Yeah... that's him." The Captain replied.

"He's the kid who killed Lady Caine!" one guard said.

"Yeah. And he's also the one who controls the plants." another added.

Kiren found himself quivering under their gaze. Eugene and Cassandra noticed this and quickly stepped into his defense.

"Guys come on! You're gentlemen not perverts, stop staring at him like he's going to bite your head off." Eugene replied in defense of Kiren. "Besides you're making him nervous enough to make a greenhouse." Eugene replied.

"Yeah. Try not to stare too much at him, he's been through a bit." Cassandra added with a nod. At this point, Frederic and Arianna looked at them and they stepped forward.

"Excuse us, you two?" asked Frederic. Eugene and Cassandra looked at them.

"May we see the child?" asked Arianna gently. Eugene and Cassandra looked at him, and then at each other in concern. Kiren looked at them, and then at Arianna. He then gave a slight nod.

"I-I guess." he replied. Eugene and Cassandra looked at him in shock.

"Are you sure, kid?" asked Eugene. Kiren nodded. With reluctance, Eugene and Cassandra stepped aside as Frederic and Arianna approached him, Rapunzel nearby to assure that he's safe.

The two knelt and began to look over him.

"Y-Your majesties, I-I would advise against getting too close to the dangerous child. He did almost destroy the castle!" the man in red said. Frederic replied with,

"I am aware of that, Nigel."

Arianna blinked as she examined Kiren.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" she asked. Kiren's body softened in tension at hearing her voice. He nodded with a gulp. Arianna lets out a small sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I won't hurt you. You did save my husband and our daughter." she said with a caring smile. Kiren grew a soft smile at her politeness.

"*cough* And almost crushed you. *cough*" the man in red, Nigel, coughed out. Arianna sighed while Kiren frowned.

"T-That was an accident!" he replied. Arianna placed her hands between them softly in an attempt to calm them down. However,

"Hold on...that accent…" one of the guards said as he approached Kiren. Kiren immediately recognized the gaze and shivered in fear.

"Are you...from England?" he asked. Kiren felt his heartbeat raise a bit. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra noticed this and approached Kiren.

"Why does it matter to you?" Rapunzel asked. Arianna and Frederic blinked at how defensive Rapunzel was becoming to the guard. The guard narrowed his eyes.

"You know the laws, your highness: there are strict regulations when it comes to visitors from enemy kingdoms such as Great Britain. Don't you remember what happened to your parents all those years ago?" he asked. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes as she slightly tightened her hold on him.

"Kiren is not like those men! He's a good child who made a few mistakes!" she replied. Kirern felt his heart flutter at how protective she was becoming to him. Eugene narrowed his eyes as well.

"You and the others are willing to give ME a chance despite my past, yet you are apprehensive about a child from Britain?" he asked.

"A child that has control of the plants; a child that damaged the castle, snuck inside twice, and killed someone!" Nigel insisted.

"Alright, that's enough, everyone!" Frederic declared with a stern voice. Everyone silenced themselves, turning to look at him. Frederic sighed as he looked at Kiren, and then at the Captain. The Captain then asked,

"Your majesty. With all due respect, he still needs to come with us to the dungeons. As reluctant as it is for me to do, he DID break some laws." he said. Kiren frowned as he looked on the ground, while Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, and even Arianna blinked in surprise.

"B-But he has no control of that, Captain! He shouldn't go to jail for something that is out of his control!" Rapunzel insisted.

"That doesn't change anything! He should stay in the dungeon for as long as possible!" Nigel insisted with a stern tone.

"Come on Nigel. Doesn't Corona also have laws about sending juveniles to jail?! Plus how is keeping a walking plant bomb under the castle sound like a good idea?! Eh... No offense kid."

"None taken." Kiren muttered looking down.

" I know this was all chaotic. But we have to handle this by the books. Otherwise, we're no different than our enemies." Cassandra said in support of Kiren.

Kiren listened to the debacle the whole time, and he briefly pondered on what to do. His presence is already causing quite a bit of stir in the castle walls, and now some of the royal staff and guards seem to be onto him. He wanted to protest further, but then he frowned as he remembered the last time he had done so. He shivered as he decided on what to do:

"I'll go!" he said. Everyone turned to look at him, as he slowly got up, legs shivering.

"I-I can go to the dungeon if it helps." he said. Rapunzel gasped while the guards and even Nigel blinked.

"Kiren, no! There's no need!" Rapunzel said as she knelt to Kiren, but Kiren shook his head.

"No, Rapunzel. I'll be fine! After all, I did break a few laws...remember the first time I snuck inside? When L-Lady Caine got inside?" he asked, referring to the Coronation. Rapunzel nodded, but she persisted.

"That wasn't your fault, though! You're not a monster!" she said.

"To YOU, Flynn, and Cass, I'm not. But I am to them." he said, gesturing to the guards and Nigel, who was staring on in surprise. Frederic pondered to himself on what to do. He sighed silently.

"Nigel: Cassandra and Eugene are correct. A dungeon would be too much for the child. Plus, Rapunzel seems sincere about the boy. At most, a house arrest would be sufficient. Wouldn't you say, boy?" he said as he looked at Kiren. Kiren blinked as he tilted his head.

"House arrest?" he asked, not knowing what it is.

"Pretty much grounded, only its by law instead of your parents." Eugene pointed out. Kiren understood, and then shrugged.

"I...I guess it works. Better than jail, I guess." he said. Frederic nodded. The Captain then sighed as he straightened.

"Well, you heard him, man. Let's take him away." he instructed before two guards approached Kiren, taking him by the arms and guiding Kiren away, taking further and further till he was eventually out of sight.

Rapunzel stared on in concern.

"W-Why would he turn himself?" she asked. Pascal chirped as he stared at Kiren sympathetically.

"I didn't think the boy had the maturity to do that. Even so, it's still risky." Nigel said as he fixed his shirt. Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene turned to glare at him.

"What's your deal with him? He's just a child!" Rapunzel asked.

"He is dangerous! And he himself knows it!" Nigel replied.

"He was just acting out of desperation! He's surrounded by people who hate his people, and he was losing control of his powers. He has nowhere else to go!" Eugene said.

"That would make his actions understandable, but NOT acceptable!" Nigel insisted.

"That's enough, Nigel." Frederic said, raising his hand slightly, silencing Nigel

"Why don't you check the structure and assess the damage. I can take care of it from here." he said. Nigel grew hesitant for a moment, but he nodded and walked away. Frederic and Arianna then turned to look at the three.

"Dad, I know what just happened might have made you distrustful, but as I said, Kiren is not-" Rapunzel began, but Frederic puts up a hand, and Rapunzel immediately stopped talking.

"Rapunzel...I believe you. That's why he's simply on house arrest." he said, growing a soft look. Rapunzel sighed in relief before Frederic said,

"With that said, Nigel has a point: Kiren has broken the law, many times: breaking and entering twice, murdering someone, and damaging...well, everything." he explained motioning his hand to the cracked walls. Rapunzel sighed, knowing that her father, and by extension, Nigel, was right. Caressing some of her strands, she looked at him with concern.

"What's gonna happen to him?" she asked. Frederic and Arianna looked at each other, before looking back at Arianna.

"We'll be having him stand trial for what has happened. Plus, the people of Corona must've seen what had happened and would need to know, so I'll have to give a speech about that as well." he explained. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass frowned at this, but Frederic nodded with a sigh.

"However, I do have faith that the child is honest and one with a good heart, as he willingly turned himself in. I would like to say that things might work well for him, but I can't say for sure." he assured before he turned around and walked off. Arianna stayed behind for a moment, looking at Rapunzel sympathetically, before gasping slightly.

"What did you say his name was?" she asked.

"K-Kiren Yockenthwaite." Rapunzel clarified. This made Arianna blink in surprise, looking down for a brief moment. Rapunzel tilted her head in confusion.

"Everything okay, mom?" she asked. Arianna nodded.

"I'm fine, dear. I'm just curious." she said, giving her an assuring smile before walking away. Rapunzel, Eugene, Cass, and Pascal are now all alone. Rapunzel sighed as she looked at the ground, seeing the grass. Eugene wrapped an arm around her.

"Don't worry, Rapunzel. Kiren will be fine. He seems to be earning Frederic's trust. Plus, he's on house arrest: the best type of imprisonment!" he assured. Rapunzel nodded.

"I know...but I still am afraid of what's gonna happen with him and the people of Corona. I mean, he's a child, Eugene." Rapunzel insisted. Cass nodded.

"I know, Raps. But no matter what happens: we'll be there for him." she said with a small smile. Rapunzel smiled at her friend, before looking down at the grass again, sighing slightly.

"I hope things go well for him...I never got to apologize…" she said solemnly, hoping things will go well for Kiren…

None of them could notice the closed-up flower from earlier, which remained closed for a few more moments, before it opened up its petals, emitting a familiar red glow...

AN hey everyone, superkoola here!

Phew, this is a bit of a long one, but I am glad to get this done! I swear, this show is quite engaging, so this helps out a lot!

So...I don't have much else to say, aside from the usual: I hope you enjoyed it, please be respectful if you disagree, leave some constructive criticism, and stick around for more!

Chapter Text

Kiren waited in the nursery while he was being tended to by some doctors for some possible injuries, not knowing exactly what's about to happen to him.

While he was waiting, he listened to the nurses talking about everything that has happened.

"I must say: who would've thought that a little kid like this one would do so much havoc?" one nurse said to the others. Kiren shifted slightly as a second nurse lifted his arm and squeezed it barely.

"I wouldn't put it past him. The princess did mention that he was simply scared." she replied. The first nurse scoffed.

"That's what he says." she said. The third nurse, who was opening Kiren's mouth to examine it, raised her brows.

"You don't think he's a spy, don't you?" she asked, making Kiren tense up a bit.

"Well, duh! He snuck inside the kingdom and the castle. Who knows what his goals are." the nurse complained. The third nurse scoffed.

"I hate the British as much as you do, but I don't think this boy would do such a thing. Otherwise, why would he kill someone like Lady Caine?" she retorted.

At the mere mention of Lady Caine, Kiren flinched again.

"Aaa whaa aang aiden." he replied, but his mouth was still open. The third nurse pulled away slightly, allowing Kiren to speak more clearly.

"That was an accident. I never wanted to do that." he replied. The second and third nurse grew sympathetic towards the boy.

"Poor thing." the second nurse said as she gently patted him in the back. Then she turned to look at the first nurse.

"Even if he IS British, he's just a boy." she said. The first nurse hummed.

"I dunno. You'd be surprised at how badly kids can screw us over. Ask my sons." she said. The two nurses laughed.

"Those little rascals? Oh, they're fine." said the second nurse.

"They tipped over an ice cream stand!" the first nurse replied. Kiren blinked.

"That man was looking at him weirdly." the second nurse retorted.

"He wouldn't give them ice cream, and he was glaring at them angrily, not with some perverted desires. If that were the case, I'd cut his sensitive spots off."

"That's...a bit extreme. Right, sweetie?" asked the third nurse to Kiren, who had his eyes widen in shock.

"I pray none of you to have kids, then." the first nurse said indignantly.

Kiren, all the while, was tense at the second nurse's words.

"I...am so screwed." he muttered to himself.

A few seconds later, Kiren and the nurses heard voices from outside. Then, the door opened, and in stepped a concerned Rapunzel, along with Eugene and Cassandra.

"Hey there, little guy. How are you?" she asked as she approached him. Kiren, feeling a bit better by her arrival, gave a small smile and a shrug.

"I-I'm a bit better. How about you three? Are you alright?" he asked. Eugene gave a smile.

"Well, aside from the fact that I have been beaten up by a bunch of flowers, I'm alright." Eugene said. Cass responded by elbowing Eugene.

"Swallow your pride, Fitzherbert." Cassandra scolded.

"I was just kidding." he stated as Rapunzel sat next to Kiren.

"So, how are things outside? Did anybody get hurt? How's the castle?" he asked, growing concerned. Rapunzel shook her head.

"No. Only a few bruises, but aside from that, everyone's fine. The castle, on the other hand…" Rapunzel said. Then Cassandra cuts in,

"The garden is in ruin, the paintings in the Portrait Room are all but torn up, the Throne Room is...surprisingly not THAT damaged, the kitchen looks like it's been through a war, Rapunzel's room is nearly destroyed, and worst of all: the dungeon room is left with a huge hole, allowing some of the convicts to escape." she explained with a sympathetic look. Kiren blinked as he stared in shock.

"W-Woah...I-I'm so sorry, everyone." he said as he looked at his hands. Rapunzel gently took his right hand in her left hand. Then he looked at Cass.

"Did anyone else know of what happened?" he asked. Cass nodded.

"There are people outside demanding to know what's going on. The king is announcing what's happened." she explained. Kiren blinked in understanding as he looked at the outside of the window.

"...Well, that makes sense. Honestly, I didn't know why I hoped people wouldn't have noticed." he said.

"Pardon the intrusion, but what did you expect, kid? The castle has been wrapped by vines like an octopus wrestling a rock." Kiren and the others turned to see the second nurse fixing herself, looking at him. Kiren frowned at this, but one of the other nurses stepped in.

"Oh, leave him be." the second one stated. The first nurse sighed and shook her head. At this point, Rapunzel gasped to herself as if she remembered something.

"I-Is Kiren good to go?" she asked. The third nurse nodded.

"Of course he is, princess. He's a bit shook up, but that's from everything that has happened. Aside from a small bruise on the back of his left shoulder, he's fine." she said. This made Rapunzel grow concerned.

"Bruise?" she asked. Kiren pondered for a moment before blinking in realization.

"I must've gotten it when I landed from that plant trampoline." he said as he looked at the back of his left shoulder to the best as he could. Eugene approached him and looked at his shoulder.

"Hm. It's nothing. I've faced worse than that. Haha." he said as he patted Kiren on the head. Kiren looked at him and gave a small grin.

"Because you actually went on various adventures while traveling, you knobbit. I'm sure you survived avalanches, faced off against numerous guards, and escaping the most dangerous creature known to mankind: a group of ravenous women during that 'special time', or something like that." he said with a chuckle. At hearing the last one, the girls blinked in surprise while Eugene wheezed out a laugh.

"Um...where did you get that last part from?" asked Cassandra, knowing full well what that "special time" meant. Kiren shrugged.

"From my older brother. I would sometimes hear him talking about his girlfriend going through that 'special time' a few times in the past. I don't know what that means, though." he replied, innocently. Eugene wheezed out again as he placed himself along the back.

"Woohoohoo. Oh man, this brother of yours sounds amazing!" he said as he wiped his eyes. Kiren giggled slightly as Rapunzel and Cassandra shook their heads in embarrassment.

"We need to have a talk about what is appropriate for kids like you to say." Cassandra said to herself.

Before long, Kiren was released from the nurses and was allowed to leave. When the door to the nursery room closed, Kiren looked at Rapunzel.

"So...what happens now?" he asked. The trio's smiles frowned. Kiren raised his brows for a moment before the memory of what will happen to him came flooding back.

"Oh...the trial's still happening?" he asked. Rapunzel nodded.

"Yeah. My dad mentioned that to the people." he said. Kiren frowned.

"H-How are the people reacting to me?" he then asked. Eugene shrugged.

"I don't know exactly, but in all honesty; after what happened, probably not very well. Why do you ask?" asked Eugene. Kiren then scratched the back of his head, before reminding him of the reason why he snuck in in the first place: about how a girl recognized that he's British.

"Oooh...that's gonna be a big problem." Eugene admitted. Kiren nodded. The four stood in a somber silence before Cass placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We should get going. The trial will be starting soon." she said. Kiren nodded before the four walked away, Rapunzel especially growing concerned for the child's future in Corona.

Later, the trial in the Throne Room soon began, and Kiren soon found himself standing in front of the King and Queen, with new chairs. Rapunzel was nearby to ensure that things go smoothly.

"This court is now in session! His Majesty King Frederic presiding!" the advisor, Nigel, announced.

"Your majesty, as you may be aware, this child is being charged for various crimes, ranging from destruction of property to breaking and entering (which, given how tight security has been, frankly impressive), to murder. Not to mention, some of our guards have heard from some of the citizens of Corona that he has assaulted a girl." he said. Kiren blinked in surprise, as did Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene.

"T-That's not true!" protested Kiren. Eugene came to his aid.

"He was going to be beaten by that girl!" he explained.

"And how do you know that?" asked the Captain, not very trustful of Eugene.

"You're talking to an ex-thief here! Trust me, I know a liar when I see one. This boy here; he's not lying." he said.

"He's telling the truth, father. Kiren's surrounded by people who, frankly, want to kill him. Why would he try to provoke or antagonize if that were the case?" Cassandra added before turning to King Frederic. Frederic hummed to himself as he took in both of their testimonies.

"Hmm...Kiren?" he asked, after a while. Kiren blinked as he straightened himself up.

"Yes sir?" he asked. Frederic noticed his stance and instructed him to relax, and also to simply refer to him as His Majesty, which Kiren agreed to.

"You say you're British?" he asked. Kiren nodded.

"Yes." he replied. Frederic nodded.

"What part of Britain are you from?" he then asked.

Kiren widened his eyes in surprise as he remembered the fact that he was NOT from England of this world! He looked to the floor, thinking of how he was gonna explain this to them. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra were also alarmed by this, and Rapunzel's teeth clenched.

Kiren's mind began to race once more as he tried to think on what to do! His hands began to tense up.

"Excuse me, boy. I believe the king asked you a question!" huffed Nigel suddenly. Kiren flinched at his tone, but he remained silent.

"What part of Britain are you from?" repeated the voice of the apprehensive guard from earlier. His tone made Kiren flinch.

"Both of you, stand down!" Frederic demanded. Kiren, at that point, made up his mind. He them blurted out,

"Yesn't!"

Everyone grew silent at what he said. Rapunzel and Eugene were very confused.

"Um, what did you just say?" asked Arianna. Kiren blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry. Yesn't means yes and no at the same time. Pretty common in my world." he clarified. There was murmuring in the room before Frederic asked him what he meant. Kiren looked back at the trio of friends, who were giving him unsure looks. Kiren gulped as he turned around.

"I am from London, England. But not the London from THIS world." he clarified. Now everyone else was in disbelief.

"Huh?" asked Nigel.

"Is this kid high on something?" replied another guard.

Frederic cleared his throat up and asked him what he meant.

"I-I'm from another dimension, Your Highness. I'm not from this world." he said. Frederic and Arianna looked at one another in suspicion. That was when Rapunzel stepped in.

"Mom, Dad, he's telling the truth!" she declared.

"He is?" asked Frederic. Rapunzel nodded.

"Yes. Eugene, Cassandra, and I were just walking in the streets to cool off from the Coronation when we ran into Kiren. We didn't believe him initially, but he showed us a proof: a type of clothing that he refers to as a pajama." she said. The King and Queen looked in intrigue, although Kiren thought that Arianna didn't look as surprised. Shrugging it off, he listened to the rest of Rapunzel's testimony.

"He told us about how his world is going through a massive war, called uh...World War 3?" she explained, looking back at Kiren for clarification, which he nodded to.

"I see...Kiren, may I ask you something about this war?" asked Arianna. Kiren nodded.

"Who are your people fighting against?"

"T-The Russians." he said. Frederic and Arianna blinked while the others murmured.

"Why was the British at war with the Russian Empire?" asked Frederic.

"Oh. Russia's not an empire anymore in his world. The whole empire stuff died down...when again?" asked Rapunzel to Kiren.

"The late 20th century, specifically in 1997, when Britain handed the colony of Hong Kong back to the People's Republic of China, whom we're also at war with." he clarified.

"Oh...so who's at the forefront of your world?" asked the Captain, now intrigued.

"For a while, the United States of America was the sole global superpower, with their airforce and navy being the most powerful. But since the Coronavirus pandemic, Russia and China have now caught up to the US, leading to global tensions." Kiren replied.

THIS got everyone's attention. There are murmurs across the room as even Eugene and Cassandra chimed in.

"Woah. The United States? You mean the one that broke off from British rule a decade ago?" whispered one voice.

"Apparently so. Serves the British right, if you ask me: they lose their empire, only for one of their former colonial subjects to dominate them. Karma's a jerk!" another replied.

"Yeah. And apparently, some time had passed as well. 1997? Wow!" chimed in a third one.

"Interesting...so, what does any of that have to do with why you're here?" Frederic asked, wanting to get back to the subject at hand. Kiren frowned.

"I...I'm not sure how I came here. All I knew was that I was asleep in my bed after a heated argument with my father. He...He was very stressed out because of the war. Next thing I knew: I woke up surrounded by these sharp back rocks! Before long, I was chased by them!" he said, briefly slowing down at the mention of his father, before widening his eyes as he talked about the rocks.

Rapunzel's eyes widened again at the mention of the rocks, and she turned to look at Frederic, whose gaze darkened. A while before, the two had a discussion about how Rapunzel's hair grew back thanks to such rocks, and how she was not only NOT allowed to leave the walls without consent, but also never to speak about this to anyone, ever.

"I see...was anyone else with you?" he asked.

"No, Your Majesty. I was the only one. I was able to survive thanks to my plant powers. Then, when I got into the kingdom, I was invited to stay in Mr. Xavier's house, and that's where I've been this whole time." he said. Arianna hummed.

"I see. Has he been treating you well?" she asked. Kiren nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. He's been very nice to me, despite everything I've done. Aside from his cooking, his place is nice!" he said. Arianna and Frederic raised their brows while the latter gave a chuckle.

"Cooking?" he asked. Kiren nodded.

"No disrespect to Mr. Xavier, but it is repulsive." he said with a shrug and a smile.

Frederic took in the story, and hummed to himself, thinking about what to do next. The room sat silent as everyone waited and waited.

Eventually, Frederic straightened himself up.

"Kiren, are you certain that what you're saying is true?" he asked. Kiren blinked.

"Of course. With all due respect, Your Majesty; why would I lie about something that could so easily be disproven?" he asked, innocently. Frederic nodded as he hummed.

"Fair enough." he said. Then, he decided to drop the verdict.

"Given that we have no records of someone like Kiren, and the special circumstances we're in right now, my decision...is that Kiren Yockenthwaite will be declared not guilty."

Hearing the verdict made Kiren's heart stop, but not in a bad way. Kiren blinked in surprise as he heard Rapunzel sigh in relief, while there were quiet sounds of surprise from the guards. He could also see Nigel looking at Frederic in alarm.

"Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra." he then said, getting the three's attention.

"Considering that you three are the most familiar with him, he will be under your protection. Is that clear?" he requested. Rapunzel nodded as Cassandra and Eugene approached from behind, the two also smiling in relief.

"Of course, Dad! We won't let you down!" she said as she pulled Kiren into a hug, the boy not protesting this one bit. However, this brief moment of respite did not last.

"This is ridiculous!" a voice called out. Everyone turned to see that it came from the same guard who was apprehensive about Kiren back outside.

"Um...something wrong, Gordon?" asked Frederic. The apprehensive guard, Gordon, glared back at him.

"Of course there is! You're allowing a child from the enemy kingdom into our walls!" he said.

"Uh, did you not hear what this child says about where he's from?" asked Eugene as he gestured to Kiren, who was staring at Gordon with concern. Gordon scoffed.

"You expect me to believe all of that?! We don't even have the technology needed to make it to Greece in an hour!" he said as he tightened his hold on the axe. The Captain glared at him.

"Private. Stand down!" he instructed. But Gordon didn't budge.

"Why should I? Of all of the criminals we've had to arrest (which are now let out again thanks to him!), why should HE go without punishment?!" he asked. Eugene stepped forward in front of Kiren and Rapunzel.

"For one, he's a child. I Don't know where you've been a while ago, but I'm pretty sure Corona has laws that go against sending kids to jail. Secondly, as this kid mentioned earlier, all of this is an accident! As in something he had no control over!" he said. Gordon narrowed his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised: an ex-convict defending another convict?" he growled out.

"Enough, Gordon!" Frederic demanded. Gordon stopped talking, but he stared at the king, creating a tense atmosphere. Arianna, wanting this to end, stepped in as she and Frederic stood up.

"Gordon, I understand that you're upset after your uncle died thanks to the attack by the Royal Navy, but that doesn't mean that this boy is a warmonger!" she said. Gordon, upon hearing of the mention of his uncle, shivered in frustration for a moment.

"My uncle died trying to save YOU, my Queen. He was-" he began.

"That's enough!" The Captain boomed, making everyone, except for Frederic and Arianna. Gordon stared at the Captain, and the two stared at one another. Then, he pointed to the door.

"My office. NOW!" he demanded. Gordon growled as he stared at him, and then at Kiren, with Rapunzel tightening her hold on him. Then, he walked away, with the other guards stepping out of the way. The Captain, before joining him, looked back at Rapunzel and Kiren and giving the latter an apologetic look before walking away.

Things were quiet for a while before Arianna approached Rapunzel and Kiren, looking at Kiren sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry about him, sweetie. He's lost his uncle thanks to Britain, as you just heard. So, he won't be as welcoming." she explained. Kiren nodded in understanding.

"I know…" he said as he clasped his hand together, biting his lower lip to hold in tears. Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene approached him and placed their hands on his back.

"Don't worry. As we've said before, we're here for you." Cassandra said with a smile. Frederic nodded as Arianna stood up.

"She's correct. You will remain under our protection until we could find a way to return you home. As for your powers...well, we'll figure them out as well." Frederic explained. Kiren smiled as he bowed slightly, making Arianna and Frederic smile.

Then, Frederic dismissed the court, allowing Kiren, Rapunzel, Cassandra, and Eugene to walk away from the room. After a few moments of silence, Kiren looked down on the floor with a frown.

"Should I have told them about the film?" he asked. The three looked down at him in confusion.

"What was that?" Eugene asked. Kiren looked up at him.

"Should I have told them about the film?" he repeated. The three were confused before widening their eyes and remembering.

"Oh...definitely not, Kiren." Cassandra said as she shook her head. Eugene and Rapunzel nodded.

"For once, I agree with Cass. The king is VERY protective of Rapunzel. He frickin' banned her from leaving the walls of Corona without consent after talking about the Black Rocks!" he said as they knelt. Kiren raised his brows. Rapunzel nodded.

"It's true. Cass and I snuck out one night to see the rocks, which appeared ever since the flower used to save my mother was plucked out. Dad found out, and...well, Eugene told you." she explained. Kiren frowned. Rapunzel then added in.

"They also mentioned that they are not to talk about the Black Rocks. However...you came along. Now, Dad's got a lot on his hands, in addition to running the kingdom. So having to talk about how you know about me and Eugene would make things worse. So...that part's gonna be our secret. Okay?" she explained. Kiren then nodded in understanding. Rapunzel smiled as she ruffled his hair, before frowning.

"Oh, Kiren." she said, before pulling Kiren into another hug. Kiren did not expect this, but he didn't protest. What he didn't expect was for what she said.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for how I reacted." she apologized. Kiren frowned as he remembered what she was talking about; when Rapunzel screamed in panic, and how she aimed a frying pan at him. He also remembered why she reacted like that, and he hugged her back.

"It's alright, Rapunzel. I just…" he began before Rapunzel pulled back.

"It's not. I saw you as someone who works for Gothel. I nearly hurt you. It was...it was wrong of me to do." she said with a frown. Kiren's sympathy grew for her, but Eugene and Cassandra joined in.

"It's not your fault, Rapunzel. To be honest, I would've panicked too if someone showed up out of nowhere and told every single detail of our adventure correctly!" Eugene assured. Cassandra nodded.

"Your reaction is understandable. What matters now is that you're willing to give Kiren a chance." she replied. Rapunzel smiled at them and looked at Kiren.

"So...are you willing to forgive me, Kiren?" she asked. Kiren stared at her, then grew a smile.

"Rapunzel, you helped me control my plant powers. You had faith in me even when you afraid of me or when everybody else in the kingdom either has doubts or wants to kill me! Well, Cassandra and Flynn have faith in me too, but...you made them that way." he said with a giggle, making the others laugh. Eugene then pointed out,

"You know, technically; he's correct in MY case. Cassandra...she's working on it." he said, pointing to himself and then to Cassandra, making the latter glare at him. Kiren and Rapunzel giggle before looking at each other.

"So of course I forgive you! Plus, you ARE one of my favorite characters." he said with an innocent smile. Rapunzel giggled at his compliment. Then, Kiren took her hands and held them close to him.

"Yo-You'll still help me get home and control my powers, right?" he asked. Rapunzel smiled again and moved closer, the two pressing their forehead against one another.

"Kiren, when I promise something, I NEVER, EVER break that promise." she assured. Kiren then raised a hand and lifted a pinkie.

"Pinky-swear?" he asked. Rapunzel giggled softly and lifted her pinky, wrapping it around his pinky.

"Pinky-swear." she said, making the boy smile again.

After a while, they pulled away before Kiren then asked,

"So...now what?" he asked. The three shrugged.

"Well...I can show you the rest of the castle! Well, at least the parts that aren't destroyed! Since you're staying here, you should know where things are, where you're going, etc!" Rapunzel said with a bright smile. Kiren smiled and nodded. Then, Rapunzel took his hand and pulled him away.

"Come on!" she said excitedly, leaving Eugene and Cassandra alone.

"Heh. These two..." he said. Cass nodded.

"Yeah. *sigh* I do hope we can find something out soon. I don't like Kiren's odds here." she said with a small frown. Eugene frowned.

"I agree. Still, with the three of us, Kiren will have nothing to worry about: the handsome, dashing Eugene, the caring, beautiful Rapunzel, and the ugly gremlin known as Cassandra." he said before looking at her with a teasing grin. Cassandra glared at him, and then grew an evil grin.

"At least I don't worry whether some bored chap messes up my dumb nose." she said before she walked off to follow Rapunzel. Eugene stared at her, gasping.

"Hey! I gotta keep making myself look the best! One DOES have to keep up appearances, Cassie!" he said.

"Call me 'Cassie' again, and I'll cut your throat open, Fitzherbert." Cass threatened with a glare as they walked away from the hall.

Neither of them noticed that they were being watched.

Outside, hanging by the walls, was the familiar spy, this time carrying a brown bag. She sighed through her mask and without any effort, leaped up towards the nearby ceiling.

"That's a relief." she said to herself as she sat down. Looking down for a brief moment, she then pulled up her bag and fished something out.

It was a strange spherical object that looked like the ones used by fortune-tellers. The spy placed the sphere in front of her and gently pressed her hands on top of it. After a while, the sphere began to glow a dark green.

"Sister. I've found the boy. He's under the custody of the princess of Corona." she said. The sphere, a few moments later, glowed a brighter green, and the spy nodded.

"He's safe for now. Do you still need me to take him?" she asked. Another glowing response from the sphere.

"Oh. Okay, he can stay here. Just make sure he's safe. Got it." she said. Then, after a moment of silence, the spy looked at the sphere.

"Be honest: how's everything going back there? Has the threshold been crossed yet?" she asked. The sphere glowed again, this time slightly faded.

"Not yet. Phew. Honestly, between you and me: I think this might be taking it a bit too far. You have bunkers, don't you?" she asked. The sphere gave a long glow again. It was faded at first before it brightened again. The spy nodded.

"You're right. It's necessary. *sigh* ...Don't worry. I won't let you down, sis. Kiren will not return home, under any and all circumstances!" she said. The sphere glowed again before the glow disappeared. The spy then placed the sphere back on her bag, before straightening up. She leaped down quietly, landing near a window where she could see Rapunzel and Kiren speeding along the halls with Eugene and Cassandra trailing behind. The spy looked at Kiren and her eyes softened.

"Sorry, little buddy. This is for your own good…" she said as she stared at him for a moment before the two went through a door, out of sight. The spy then decided that it was time to go. So, she sped towards the cracked wall, ran upwards, and jumped to the outside and away from view.

So far, things are looking up for Kiren, but as the old saying goes, this is just the beginning…

Chapter Text

AN: Well…this SURE is funny. I wrote Tangled fanfic about a boy sent into the Tangled world while his world was going through WW3 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Months later…viola! The invasion begins!

Okay, but in all seriousness; I did not predict the Ukrainian Crisis developing to this point, and I CERTAINLY am not trying to make light of the conflict (at least I'm hoping I'm not), even though the story was written before.

The reason I'm writing this is that, well the crisis is bugging me a bit, and given that the story, again, mentions it, I want to let everyone know that I do not wish to make light of the issue, nor did I predict that it would happen. Right now, at the time of this writing, WW3 hasn't started because of it like in this story. It was purely coincidental.

If there are any Ukrainians reading this note and story overall: I'm so sorry that such a thing is happening to you all. I love Russia and it's culture and people, but I DO NOT condone what Putin's doing, just because he wanted to restore the USSR or something like that. Regardless, it's fucked up. And I hope that this story (currently and in the future) does not make you think I'm making fun of it.

That's all I wanted to say: I wanted to let my concerns and frustrations out on this. You don't have to read it, but… yeah. I hope you all have a good rest of the day, and for Ukraine… I support you!

Long live Ukraine!