Excitement and terror shot through her, as she raced down the dark hallway. She extinguished the light that she had been emitting, think that it probably do her more harm than good.

The rooms and Hallways seemed endless. She had a few close calls with nightmare horses and once she caught a glimpse of Jack. Rapunzel began to lose the confidence she had when she first left her cell, and she was sure that she was going in circles . "Doesn't do any good to escape the dungeon if I can't get out on the castle" She thought "C'mon Punzie, think!" She had the idea to mark her the hallways that she'd gone down but the walls and floors were smooth and made of what she thought was probably marble. There were no stones to uses and she couldn't make a mark of the floor or the walls.

"Not that I could see it anyway in this darkness." Rapunzel though discouraged "...Wait... Maybe I can leave a light mark on it!" Not the most discreet of methods, but better than staying in Pitch's lair for any more time that she had too.

She pressed her hand to the wall and willed parts of the rock to light up. To her surprise the light began moving across the entire wall. Glittering designs spread like spider webs and the marble became a cream color. Rapunzel felt a sudden warmth. It was more like an emotion than an actual physical sensation, and it felt like she had just come...home.

Punz pulled her hand away and the feeling left. The marble darkened and designs faded. She felt drained, but something that Breeze had said was coming back to her. Breeze had said that Pitch had taken this castle from another Spirit: Sulis the Spirit of Light and Healing. 'If this was Sulis's Castle' Punz thought as she sat down, resting against the wall 'Then it should be mine now...well if Pitch hadn't taken it over'

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a pixie flying into her face. She flinched back startled and then calmed. There were three of them, small little glows of multicolored light, that dimly illuminated the space in front of them.

'Hello' An orange one said.

'Only it wasn't really a sound' Punz thought 'it was like the voice you speak in inside your head' "Hello?" She whispered out loud "Who-what are you"

'We are the Sun Pixies.' A blue one replied this time. Punz wasn't sure just how she knew, but she could tell which Pixie was speaking even if they were talking in her head. 'We were the last ones left after our Mistress fell. The others are in the tight grasp of sleep. We tried to wake them but the Dark King's power was to great'

'They will only wake when he is beaten' the last pixie- a purple one- said with distress. 'And he is much too powerful now, when the world is so dark and fearful.'

"Have you been here since he took over"

'Yes' The Orange Pixie said 'We could not abandon our home... and we were told by the moon to await a new mistress here. One with more power than even Sulis herself. One gifted with a drop on the purest sunlight.'

'We serve you now, Rapunzel of Corona' The blue one said 'My name is Dazzle'

'Mine is Blaze' said the Orange Pixie

'And I am Hue' Said the Purple one smiling 'The moon was right, Rapunzel of Corona, you are powerful and your aura shines as brightly as the sun herself in the sky.'

Rapunzel felt a wave of gratitude and she felt like sobbing in relief. "Thank you" She whispered to the Pixies. They smiled at her. "Can you help me find my way out."

They all gave tinkling laughs like small ringing bells. 'Of course' Blaze said 'This is our home. Pitch can darken and twist things, but he cannot truly change them. Follow us'

The three Pixies took off down the hallway keeping close to the ground. They warned Rapunzel not to go up into the high ceilings. 'Namtar keeps his minions up there' Dazzle said uneasily 'Of all the dark creatures, we like the Spirit of Decay and his minions the least'

They zipped along dodging Nightmare's and Black Wolfs ('Called Grimms' Hue said 'Nirrhiti's lap dogs') They once passed Gothel, and Rapunzel was sure that she could sense Rapunzel close by, as Gothel paused in conversation with Pitch and glanced around as Rapunzel was hiding waiting for them to pass.

Gothel stared around the room, with a suspicious glance. She walked, just barely missing Rapunzel. She then resumed talking with Pitch and left the room, but not before giving it an accusatory glare. Punz let out the breath she was holding, and continued onward.

Bells tolled suddenly distant, but definitely still within the Castle. "What does that mean"

'It means we need to hurry' Blaze said

'They know you've escaped' Hue said 'People will be searching for you, we need to get out of here'

She could hear shouts in the distance and knew that they were right. She broke into a run, and the Pixies flew faster than ever.

Rapunzel flew around a corner...and then skidded to a halt as she heard voices. "...Do you really have to search the entire castle Once. I mean who knows how long she's been gone. Punz is probably already long gone" It was Breeze. she glanced up and locked eyes with Punz. Punz backed around the corner sweating nervously.

"Pitch's orders" The Once-ler said walking into view

"Once-"

"Breeze, I know how you feel about him, but can we please just get this over with. I... really wanted to spend time with you, and the faster we get this done, the faster we do that"

There was a pause. Breeze sighed "Alright... why don't I search down these rooms and you can take the corridor to the left"

Once smiled. "Ok" He took her hand and kissed it. "Until we meet again, my lady" He proclaimed in a dramatic voice.

Breeze shook her head smiling. "Oh Once" He dispersed down another hallway. Breeze listened and when his footsteps had faded to nothing, she called out "He's gone now Punz, you can come out"

'Most likely a trap, Rapunzel' Blaze said 'I would not listen to her'

Rapunzel shook her head. "She already knows where I am" She murmured "If she was going to hand me over, I wouldn't still be here"

'Fair point' Hue said 'But then why is she with the darkened one's'

Rapunzel didn't reply, and instead stepped into the hallway facing her friend. She almost recoiled in shock. Breeze undergone a disturbing transformation. Her chestnut hair was now almost black. Her usually tan skin was now several shades paler, and she no longer had freckles. The most distressing of these however was her eyes. They had gone from a grass green, to a yellow, like Pitch's.

"Punz, What are you doing here" Breeze said urgently

"I think the better question is: What are you doing here Breeze?" Punz said "You haven't joined Pitch have you?"

Breeze looked horrified. "No! I'm going undercover... there was an opportunity and I took it. Punz, how could you think that!"

"Umm Breeze," Rapunzel said "Have you looked in the mirror lately. I think we both need to escape before whatever happened to you gets worse."

Breeze looked uncomfortable. "I know, but it's not effecting me, and it would be a shame to blow my cover so early..."

"And of course this has absolutely nothing to do with The Once-ler" Rapunzel said annoyed. "And the fact that he's trying to right everything that went wrong between you"

Breeze now looked extremely uncomfortable, and she opened her mouth to speak, but then closed and bit her lip.

"So that's it then" Punz said incredulously "You're just going to put everything we worked toward in Jeopardy because you want to spend time with your Boyfriend"

Anger and hurt flashed across Breeze's eyes. "Can you blame me for wanting that." She said, voice rising "Do you know hard hard it was for me! I spent six years watching my best friend, the guy I fell in love with, destroy everything I loved around me including himself, and then leaving him because I couldn't take it any more."

"I can't blame you for wanting" Punz said angrily "But I can condemn you for giving in. We're supposed to be better than this"

"Well maybe I don't want to anymore" Breeze said frustrated "Maybe for once in 600 years I want to be a little selfish. Maybe I don't want to have to be perfect!"

"Listen to yourself" Rapunzel pleaded "Please Breeze come escape with me-"

But Breeze had already shaken her head turning her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry" She finally said. "I'd better get going, they'll suspect if I'm gone to long." Still studying the floor, she turned away. "I'll keep them away from here for as long as I can" Breeze said and then she was gone.

Rapunzel stared after her still in shock. 'I truly am sorry Mistress' Dazzle said sadly 'The darkness can twist even the very best of Spirits'

'We must get going' Blaze said insistently 'If we will ever have a chance of restoring any Spirit, we will need to get out of here'

Punz nodded numbly following the Pixies. But it wasn't long before they stopped in front of a small door that might belong to a closet.

'This is an little known exit.' Hue explained seeing the confused look on Rapunzel's face. 'This is how Sulis Transported herself to the Nature Glade. Se would become a SunBeam materialising at the Glade where all the Nature Spirits gather when something happens that requires all of their attention.

'And the Dark King doesn't know about it and never will' Dazzle said smugly 'Not that would he be able to use it anyway. All three of them let out their bell like laughs again, and darted into the small closet as Rapunzel opened the door.

'Just place your hand on the wall' Hue said 'like you did before' Punz did so nervously and-just like before-The walls and floor became light colored again, with golden designs covering them. Unlike before however the room just kept getting brighter and brighter, before the room before her dissolved completely, and the world was nothing but light and color.