Chapter 22: Nothing Left to Lose

I ran to the tower. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" I cried. I just heard her muffled screaming. "I'm gonna kill you, Gothel." I mumbled as I pulled out my black hanglidder from my blue bag.

I flew up the tower. Gothel and Rapunzel, who was chained up in black iron chains and had a white gag around her neck looked at me. "Hi," I told them. I ran over to Rapunzel. "Okay, let's get this gag off you." I told her as I loosened the gag around her neck.

"Mom! You came back!" Rapunzel explained as she hugged me.

"I always do, Honey." I whispered. Meanwhile, Gothel looked like she was going to kill us both right then and there.

"Gothel, why?" I questioned as I turned to look at her. That was all I could say at the moment.

"I was the sole guardian of the Sundrop Flower until you came along." She hissed.

"Gothel, you're angry, I get it. Believe me I know what it's like.". I spoke. Gothel looked at me. "But you are making a mistake".

"The path of hate is a dangerous track

You take one step and it's hard to turn back."

I stepped out.

"It pulls you along"

I walked forward.

"And though it seems wrong it feels right

Don't you see this path you're on leaves a permanent mark

It feels good at first, then it slowly turns dark"

I hugged myself.

"With each passing day

You're further astray from the light"

I looked out the window. The sun was shining in.

"Suddenly, you lose your way and lose the thread"

I brushed my hand through Rapunzel's hair and thought about Ishaan's father taunting me and him. Rapunzel smiled.

"Lose your cool, then lose your head

Every loss is harder to excuse"

I ran my fist across my neck and hung my head as I thought about the Invarrian Army beating me.

"Then you'll see you'll lose your faith and lose your soul"

I put my hand on my heart as I thought about Gothel striking me in the heart with a black rock.

"'Til you lose complete control"

I thought about Gothel kidnapping Rapunzel.

"And realize there's nothing left to lose

Nothing left to lose"

I sang as I marched up to Gothel.

"Gothel, trust me, becoming the villain isn't the answer" I pleaded. "I've seen it in other people. It doesn't end well.".

"Is that what you think I am?" She questioned.

"The path I'm on is a path paved in black

I'm taking that road and I'm not looking back"

Gothel sang as she walked away from me.

"Each twist and each turn

Leads straight where I'm yearning to go"

She swirved her walk.

"Yes, it's true, my path is dark but I see where it ends"

Gothel put her hand on her heart and looked down.

"My rivals will fall as my power ascends"

She looked at me and Rapunzel as she climbed the staircase to her room.

"Despise me, that's fine

I'm taking what's mine even so

Not like you"

Gothel ran down. She looked me in the eye.

"You lost your nerve, you lost the game

But you and I, we're not the same"

She pushed me. Rapunzel caught me. I smiled at her.

"I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose"

Gothel put her arms at her side.

"So I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains"

She pushed Rapunzel. I caught Rapunzel. She smiled at me.

"Lose each weakness that remains"

Gothel pushed me. Rapunzel caught me. I smiled at her.

"Now that I have nothing left to lose

Nothing left to lose"

She sang.

"You have so much to hold onto"

I sang.

"I only want my rightful dues"

She sang.

"Listen please, you've lost your grip

And lost your mind"

I pleaded.

"I'm not gonna lose"

She insisted.

"All's not lost, don't be so blind"

I pleaded.

"I refuse"

She refused.

"Cut your losses, drop the IOUs"

I pleaded.

"I refuse"

She refused.

"Oh-oh, Choose"

I vocalized.

"I lose no tears and lose no sleep

What I want I'll take and keep"

She sang.

"It's time for you to choose"

I sang.

"You can't stop the burning of the truth"

We both sang. She chained me up with cold, black, metal chains. "You'll stay in that cage until this is done. And just in case you think of escaping." She told me. She stabbed my arm with a cold, metal dagger. It started to hurt. I let out a cry of pain.

"Mom!" Rapunzel cried.

"Now I have nothing left to lose"

Gothel sang.

Rapunzel tried to run over to me, but Gothel tightened my chains. "I have a proposition, I heal her and stay with you forever." Rapunzel proposed.

"No, I won't let you." I announced.

"Fine, be quick." Gothel ordered. She loosened Rapunzel's chains. Rapunzel ran over to me. She began to put her hair on my wound.

"Rapunzel, I can't let you do this." I told her.

"I can't let you die." She replied. Suddenly, I had an idea. I remembered seeing an aged Gothel the night she kidnapped Rapunzel. If I cut Rapunzel's hair, it will not heal anymore, and Gothel will leave us alone. I thought.

"Rapunzel, can I cut your hair?" I asked. She thought.

"Yes." She replied. I took a piece of broken glass from the mirror and cut her hair. Gothel's hair turned white and her skin turned grey and wrinkly. She looked in the mirror.

"NO! NO!" She cried. She put her cape over her head. Pascal pulled on the brown hair on the floor. She tripped over it and fell out the window.

"What are we going to do about my arm?" I questioned. My arm felt like it was burning.

"I don't know." She replied, tearing up.