Midwinter Prompt #14: Little Bird (Tangled)
Author: JMetropolis
Prompt: Not-So-Bleak Midwinter Prompt #14 (Robin)
Fandom: Tangled
Characters & Pairings: Rapunzel, Gothel, Pascal
Rating & Warnings: G, none
Word Count: 902
Summary: Rapunzel is delighted when she gets a visitor for the first time in the Tower.
Little Bird
Rapunzel spent most of her mornings in the tower doing chores. When she had finished, she would spend her afternoons doing leisure activities: reading books, arts and crafts, puzzles. Most days (other than her birthday) tended to run together and it was hard to tell them apart but there had been a few days that stood out.
One of those days had been the day that he (or maybe it was a she?) flew into her life. Rapunzel was all alone in the tower, but she was used to that. Mother had gone on one of her frequent overnight trips. Rapunzel was lying on the rug on the floor of the tower completing a jigsaw puzzle. Rapunzel was very careful with it and she still had all the pieces, it was just that it was her only puzzle and she had finished it so many times that some of the edges had become dull and would not hold a tight fit. Mother was angry at Rapunzel when Rapunzel had made this observation. Mother scolded Rapunzel and told her this was the reason Rapunzel could not have nice things.
As Rapunzel was completing the puzzle, she heard a loud thump on the wooden shutters that covered the large window in front of her. It had been a windy day and Rapunzel had closed the shutters to keep out stray leaves and little bits of debris. The sound had startled Rapunzel and so she hid under the kitchen table.
After a few minutes of silence, curiosity got the better of Rapunzel (it always did) and she decided to investigate the sound. As she crawled out from under the kitchen table she reached for her trusty frying pan and cautiously approached the shutters. She slowly placed her ear next to the wooden shutter and listened intently. There was a faint chirpy sound coming from the other side. Of course, Rapunzel could not understand the meaning behind these chirps but she could sense the pain and despair embedded within them.
Forgetting her fear, Rapunzel abruptly opened the wooden shutters. The shutters opened inward so Rapunzel was not worried about dislodging whatever was making that chirping sound. She saw a small bird lying on its back on the ledge of her window. He had a bright orange face and chest, a small bill and brownish gray feathers. Rapunzel could tell from the manner in which he was laying that the little bird had been hurt when he flew into the shutters. She immediately wrapped a strand of her long blonde locks around the little bird and began singing to him.
After she had healed him, Rapunzel had expected the little bird to fly away but he seemed to like her. The little bird remained with her in the tower. Rapunzel was delighted to have company. She talked and sung to the little bird, she even laughed as the little bird zipped past her and flew around in circles inside the tower, good as new. That night, Rapunzel used some fabric scraps to make a soft, small nest on her bed for the little bird. For the first time in her life, Rapunzel slept in the same bed with someone. Mother never let Rapunzel crawl into Mother's bed when Rapunzel had nightmares or even when Mother had returned from a particularly long trip and Rapunzel missed her terribly.
The next evening Mother came home. Rapunzel was excited to show Mother her new friend, her only friend. Mother was furious with Rapunzel. Mother told her that all birds were evil and that they would peck people's eyes out in their sleep. Rapunzel was surprised by Mother's reaction. Rapunzel had tried to explain to Mother that this little bird was different from all the others, he was her friend. Mother would not listen to Rapunzel. Mother snatched the little bird perched on Rapunzel's extended index finger and took him into her room. Mother shut the door behind her and did not come out the rest of the night. Rapunzel was confused, why would Mother take the little bird into her room if she was afraid the little bird would peck her eyes out? But Rapunzel had learned not to question Mother.
Mother was already gone when Rapunzel awoke the next morning. So was the little bird. Rapunzel was all alone in the tower again. There were no windows in Mother's room and there were an awful lot of stray feathers. Rapunzel tried to console herself by telling herself that Mother had probably taken the little bird back to his nest. Rapunzel was used to consoling herself but sometimes she was not very convincing. Rapunzel thought that perhaps if another little bird or small animal ever paid her a visit again she should probably not tell Mother.
Years later, when she had access to more than three books, Rapunzel learned that the little bird that had flown into her window had been a robin. Seeing the picture in the book of a robin standing between some bare tree branches made Rapunzel’s eyes water but then she looked at Pascal who was sleeping soundly on the table next to the book. Rapunzel startled Pascal as she scooped him up and placed him on her shoulder. She nuzzled him with her cheek and whispered, "Thank you," to her oldest, surviving friend. A perplexed Pascal shrugged his shoulders and fell back to sleep.