Herculean
Alternatively titled, The Redemption of Flynn Rider in Twelve Titanic Tasks.
Eugene Fitzherbert had been scared many times in his life, and to say that what lay before him topped the list would be a lie. After all, death was no stranger; Flynn Rider's escapades had made an acquaintance out of the grim reaper from an early age, and he still sometimes shivered from the memory of its cold embrace in the tower, extinguished only by the power of the magic flower- no, the power of Rapunzel. Yes, the only thing greater than death for Eugene Fitzherbert was his love for the Princess of Corona, or as he knew her, the sweet, naïve ball of sunshine with a penchant for adventure, reptiles, and an unexpectedly violent usage of cooking utensils. It followed, then that the only thing Eugene feared more than the grave was losing his beloved princess. It was this fear and this fear alone that could force the elusive Flynn Rider to face the consequences of his past.
"Eugene Fitzherbert, the punishment for grand larceny and evasion of the authority of Corona is death."
The king's voice boomed as it reverberated off the walls of the porcelain-blue, domed courtroom. A cold silence washed over the crowd. Eugene could not bear to look at Rapunzel- yet he could not run. The gallows would be preferable to the self-hatred, the return to thieving, and most importantly, the loss of Rapunzel that came with fleeing. And for the second time in his life, Eugene Fitzherbert was ready to die for her.
It seemed an eternity before the king spoke again. But after what appeared to be a difficult deliberation, the monarch of Corona stood.
"However, in light of recent actions- including, but not limited to: rescuing the heir to the throne, destroying a centuries-old plague of a being, and restoring a beacon of hope to the people, you will be made an exception."
Relief flooded Eugene's clenched heart as he looked over to the royal stand. Mirroring his expression was a teary-eyed Rapunzel, resplendent even in her all-too-serious attire.
"Your punishment-"
He froze. Had he not just received a pardon? Had the king changed his mind and decided to hang the kingdom's most prolific outlaw, as logic would dictate, after all?
"-shall be as follows: the completion of the repayment to the people of Corona through charitable acts to be determined as necessary."
The same relief, followed by a strong urge to laugh, replaced the cold. Community service! His sentence was community service!
Eugene, donning his trademark smirk and the most Flynn Rider-esque voice he could muster, asked, "So how long we talkin'? Twenty hours? Fifty? A week?"
"One year."
The sound of the king's gavel firmly tapping the table coincided with the thud of a fainting outlaw making contact with the hard gravel floor.