The orphans were rushed back into the building after they released their lanterns, watching the display from their windows. A tiny boy, with chocolate hair and maple brown eyes, stayed outside, unnoticed by the caretakers as he straddled the fence. His eyes were wide and the lights reflected in them, his lithe limbs wrapped around himself. It was a chilly night, unusual for the time of year, but he did not return to his room with the rest of the children.

His rear was beginning to get sore from the thin metal bar he was balancing himself on, but Eugene couldn't keep his eyes from the lanterns, in all their glory, dazzling in the night sky. This was the nine year old's third time seeing the lanterns from outside of his room, and he still could not truly grasp how wonderful they looked to him.

The nanny had told him when he turned five that the lanterns were a beacon for the lost princess, hoping that she would see them and come home. Eugene wished every year that she would come home, that the kingdom would be whole again. He knew what it was like to live without parents, and he felt sad for the king and queen to have to live without their daughter. It was the opposite situation, but he was sure that the suffering was equal. He had parents once, and now they were gone. They had a daughter once, and now she was gone.

But they had a chance, a glimmer of hope, of getting her back. Eugene shivered for a moment, rubbing at his arms to keep himself warm. The lights were beginning to fade from his sight, and he wished that they would float forever and ever and ever. The lights were like hope, thousands of hopes from thousands of people in Corona, all resting on one girl. He wondered if someone would ever put their hope in him, trust him, give him all they had to give.

He put a hand on his heart, and slid down from the gate, touching down on the ground quietly. His shoes gave a little under the pressure, and another seam ripped down the back. With a frown, he pulled them off to avoid any more damage to them, and strolled barefoot across the ground, keeping to the shadows to prevent being caught by the caretakers.

Eugene promised himself, touching the novel he kept under his shirt for safekeeping, he would rescue the lost princess. He would bring her home, and show her how much everyone missed her and loved her and wished she was okay. He reached out of his window and let his own lantern fly, past the rickety gate around the building and into the night sky. He knew what it meant to be a hero, and for the past four years, since he even know what the lanterns were for, he also knew what he wanted to do.

He would bring her home.

AN: I imagine a young Flynn as wanting to be a hero to rescue damsel's in distress and get rewards and be generally well liked. Only until he was older, he realized that money was too hard to get in vast quantities without using his five finger discount. Oh Flynnie.

I'm posting so many stories in so little time, but I'm afraid, like with most of what else I love and write about, I'll lose interest and stop writing. So I'll get all this out while I still have the desire to.