The Light

Mother Knows Best

"So you're being strangely cryptic as you wrap your magic hair around my injured hand," Eugene said, forcing a chuckle before grunting as Richie tied his hair around his hand. Y/n only watched, fascinated already that it could glow. A fire glowed in front of them, keeping them warm.

"Sorry," he winced when he noticed the pain etched on his face. "Just don't..." He then looked between Eugene and Y/n, locking eyes with her. "Don't freak out."

She nodded, the promise in her e/c eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, eyes shut, he began to sing.

Richie:
Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine

The thieves' eyes trailed along their new friend's hair as they watched it light up, all while Pascal gave them a calm, 'lol bitches I'm high' look.

Richie:
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

He opened his eyes and his hair lost its glow. With a slightly freaked out face, Eugene peeled back the hair and looked at his hand. What once bore a cut now had not. Looking at the back and front of it, his breathing picked up, all while Y/n sucked back a gasp, staying true to her promise. He opened his mouth to scream, but stopped when Richie begged, "Please don't freak out!"

Mouth open in mid scream, he croaked, "Iiii'm not freaking out are you freaking out no I'm just very interested in your hair and the magical qualities it possesses how long has it been doing that exactly?"

He chuckled, trying to think back. "Forever, I guess? Mother said when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves. But...once it's cut, it turns brown and loses is power." He pulled back a chunk of his hair, revealing a spot where it had turned completely brown from when Gothel had cut it so long ago. "A gift like that, it has to be protected. That's why Mother never let me..." He stopped himself, starting again. "That's why...I...I never left the..." He trailed off again.

How long had he been living in fear? And for what? Nobody seemed to know or even care about his hair. Just surprised when they saw how long it was.

"You never left the tower," Y/n finished for him. Unconsciously, she reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. "And you're still gonna go back?"

"No!" he said quickly, turning back to her gaze, then shrugged. "Yes? Ugh, it's complicated..." He buried his face in his hands as she and Eugene exchanged concerned glances. Y/n shook her head, indicating that she would not let him waste any more of his life in that.

Pulling himself together, he looked back up and smirked. "So. Eugene Fitzherbert and Y/n L/n, huh?"

"Uh, you know what? I still don't do backstory." Eugene got up suddenly, the other's eyes following him. "But, uh, hey, maybe Y/n does. Actually, I should get some more firewood." He brushed past them, nodding his head upwards at Y/n with a smirk as he went.

Once it was just the two of them, Richie's eyes turned to her expectantly. With a light laugh, she shook her head. "Ah, yeah, well, I'll spare you the story of poor orphans Y/n L/n and Eugene Fitzherbert. It's a little bit...ah, it's a little bit of a downer."