Rapunzel's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Orion, and a wave of emotions washed over her: fear, excitement, curiosity, and happiness. For her, having been alone for over 17 years, this was something completely new. Although her mother visited occasionally, she usually left for long periods, leaving Rapunzel feeling lonely.
(Image of rapunzel)
There was a brief silence as they stared at each other, but it didn't last long as a sound broke them out of their trance.
Orion looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it was the genie, now dressed in a large painter's outfit, holding a palette with various colors in one hand and a brush in the other. The genie was painting a picture, acting like a grand painter and mumbling words to himself.
"Oh, what a beautiful scene!" exclaimed the genie, speeding up his work. In a few seconds, he finished his painting and looked at it like a great critic before praising his work in French. "Parfait, une œuvre d'art."
Rapunzel smiled, amused by the genie's enthusiasm.
Cough, cough, hello said Orion, raising his hand in greeting.
"Oh, h-hi," Rapunzel responded, nervously brushing her hair, trying not to make a bad first impression.
Noticing Rapunzel's discomfort with the conversation, Orion turned his gaze to a nearby tree, quite tall. With great effort, he managed to climb to a height similar to hers.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Orion," he said with the friendliest smile he could manage.
"Hm, I'm Rapunzel," she replied, returning the greeting.
Upon hearing her name, a flood of ideas bombarded Orion's mind as he confidently believed he might know where he had ended up. Still, he decided to verify it.
"Do you happen to have someone close named Gothel?" he asked, with some hesitation.
"Do you know my mother?" she asked, surprised, looking even more curious at the young man before her.
"I can say I do, but she doesn't know me," Orion said calmly.
In his heart, he had confirmed his previous idea. It seemed he had indeed arrived in the world of Rapunzel, or Tangled, which he had watched with his little sister. Now, he needed to see what point in the story he was in to plan a strategy.
"Nice to meet you, Rapunzel," Orion commented, then looked at her shoulder, where a small chameleon was perched. "What's the little one on your shoulder called?"
"Oh, let me introduce you. His name is Pascal," she said, picking him up and showing him.
Pascal tilted his head, evaluating Orion with curiosity.
"Nice to meet you, Pascal," said Orion, giving a slight bow towards the chameleon, surprised by its actions. He then turned his attention back to Rapunzel.
"Um, have you always lived here?" Orion asked naturally, trying to strike up a casual conversation.
"Yes..." she replied, her gaze drifting towards the interior of her room. "I've lived here since I was little."
"Really? You must be quite bored," Orion commented, seeming surprised, before noticing the somewhat melancholic look in Rapunzel's eyes. "How about I come by tomorrow and tell you some interesting stories? Maybe that could help pass the time."
"Tomorrow?" she said, looking at the sky, which was beginning to darken.
"Yes, but if it really bothers you, you can tell me," Orion replied, showing some embarrassment.
"Oh, no, no, tomorrow is fine," Rapunzel quickly agreed.
"Great, then I'll see you tomorrow, a bit after breakfast," Orion said as he headed towards the tree trunk to climb down. However, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Rapunzel. "You look almost my age; how old are you?"
"I'm 17, and you?" she asked, studying him closely.
"Oh, we're almost the same age; I'm 18," he said before quickly climbing down the tree. "See you tomorrow."
"How touching!" said the genie, wiping away tears with a cloth.
"Stop bothering me," Orion laughed, gently pushing him away. "Help me find a cave to spend the night."
"See you tomorrow," Rapunzel whispered, her voice so soft that only she and Pascal, who was on her shoulder, could hear.
...
"Come on, I recognize that expression," the genie commented, lying face down with his hands on his face, enthusiastic like someone who loves gossip. "Ah, how sweet, our young master is... in love."
"Really?" Orion said, not paying too much attention to his words. He recognized Rapunzel's beauty, but there was a big difference between that and being in love. Moreover, he was still surprised by everything that had happened so far, which also influenced his reaction.
"Yes, in love, smitten, crazy about her" laughed the genie, suddenly appearing. "Treat her like a queen, that's what I always say. And let me tell you, young man, I know what I'm talking about."
"I know you just want me to make a wish" Orión said, shaking his head. "What would you wish for?" he asked, with his mind focused on his next plans, already aware of where he was.
"What would I wish for?" the genie commented, unsure of how to react. "No one has ever asked me that... But if I could really ask for something, it would be freedom" he said, then shook his head and dismissed the idea. "But you don't have to pay attention to that."
"Why not? —Orión asked, looking at the genie.
"The only way to achieve that would be if my master wished for my freedom" he said with a sigh. "That means he would have to spend one of his wishes on me, which seems quite obvious that no one would do."
"Really?" Orión commented sadly, seeming to doubt what he was about to say. "Alright, let's do something."
"Huh? Have you chosen your first wish?" the genie asked, trying to lift his spirits.
"No, that's not it —Orión said, while sighing." Look, I can trade my last wish and give it to you if you do me a few small favors. "He said, as if he were making a great gift and losing in this deal."
"Small favors?" doubted the genie.
"Yes, you don't need to worry about me asking for anything extravagant, since I know it's not fair, and the big things I'll ask with my two remaining wishes. Don't worry about it" Orión said, then sighed. "Although I know I could get great things with that last wish, I also know it must be a great torture to be trapped in that small lamp for so many years."
"So, in exchange for that, I just want to ask for small favors and advice, and maybe some other material things, mostly mundane and of little value, as they are to ensure my survival when you get your freedom" Orión commented, with a kind smile as if the genie was truly important to him, while approaching and patting his shoulder. "Genie, even though we've only known each other for a short time, I must say that I find you to be an amazing person."
"So, I don't want you to remain trapped in that place in the future" he finished saying, then stood up and looked at the starry sky. "So I promise you right now, with the sky as my witness, that within a year or less, you will be free."
"Really?" the genie asked incredulously, while shaking his head. "You don't need to do that... really, you don't have to worry.
"Don't worry about it, I'm truly telling you the truth, please trust me" Orión said seriously, looking the Genie in the eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Note 1: Hello everyone! I'm the writer. I didn't expect this story to be received so well. Gradually, you'll learn more about the system and our protagonist. I apologize for not posting more chapters earlier; I've been working on the story. Thank you for your patience and support!
I'll be reading your comments and reviews.
Note 2: Chapters will be posted once or twice a week. This volume will cover not only the movie Tangled (which inspired this story) but also include the animated series based on the movie. This will result in a volume with 31 chapters and two additional chapters.
After completing this volume, the story will continue in the same world, as I've heard that another Disney movie is also set in this world, but in a different location.
Once both volumes are finished, we'll travel to other worlds. Let me know which movies you'd like to see! This way, I can prepare them in advance and deliver a well-crafted story.
Note 3: I don't know why the translator translates everything into feminine when I refer to myself, I'm a man, for whatever reason :(