Eugene or Flynn
"For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."
"Well then you'd be the first, but thank you." He turned away from her, holding his recently healed hand in the other. He began walking towards the trees, What was I doing again? he asked himself. Firewood. Right.
As he searched for wood he replayed what she'd said over and over in his mind. I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider. Why would she say that? He'd spent over a decade making sure Eugene Fitzherbert was completely forgotten – especially by himself. He'd been so sure that becoming someone new would make him happier - but it hadn't. Since becoming Flynn Rider he'd made no real friends. He'd had no one he could really talk to.
Then he thought about the way Rapunzel had looked at him as he told her about Eugene Fitzherbert. He shook his head as he picked up a fallen branch. How had she gotten him to tell her about his past? He had never told anyone about his childhood. He'd known this girl less than a day and he was telling her his life story? What was the matter with him?
I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider. What did she know? She didn't really know either Eugene or Flynn. Flynn Rider wasn't afraid of anything. Eugene Fitzherbert had basically been fear personified. Eugene never knew when his next meal would come or if he'd ever find a real home.
Rapunzel was wrong. Who was she to say that anyway? Flynn Rider was who he was. He was different than that scared little boy he used to be. But then, he'd been different since finding Rapunzel. He'd never met anyone like her. She was so good. So innocent. He wanted her to stay that way. He couldn't explain why, but the way she relied on him made him want to be better. She had trusted him so freely to lead her to her dream, and he didn't want to let her down.
He decided right then as he pushed through some tall bushes, that he would be his best for her. That he would do everything in his power to be the man she thought him to be. He would make sure that her dream turned out to be everything she hoped it would be. Then he would bring her back to her tower safely. And he would get his satchel back.
The thought made his stomach sink. What was wrong with him? This crown was the pinnacle of his thieving career – he'd be rich. He could finally have everything he wanted. He could get his dream. Suddenly his dream felt shallow and empty. A somber feeling washed over him. How was he going to let her go?
This girl allowed him to speak his mind, when for years he'd only said what he thought Flynn Rider should say. Although the Stabbington Brothers and the Coronan militia were chasing him through the kingdom, he couldn't remember a time when he'd felt freer. He had to find a way to hold on to the way he was feeling.
He felt so strong. Rapunzel's reliance on him had made him feel confident. Not just the kind of confidence Flynn Rider pretended to have, but true confidence that Eugene Fitzherbert may have had if someone had given him the chance. His confidence had made him strong – and not just mentally. Was it him, or was he actually physically stronger now? Maybe it was Rapunzel's hair?
He decided he had gathered enough firewood for the night and walked back to the clearing, clenching and unclenching his hand. Once he saw Rapunzel he asked, "Is there any chance that I'm going to get super strength in my hand, 'cause I'm not gonna lie, that would be stupendous."