Stroke of Luck
Flynn Rider never put much stock in Fate.
He lived his life by coincidences; he depended on luck, the good and the bad.
Fate worked one way—for one person. Luck, though…there were two sides to that coin. One man's bad luck could easily be turned to another man's very good luck.
So when Flynn Rider found himself tied to a chair with some crazy blonde's hair, he didn't credit Fate. It was simply his turn to suffer from someone else's Good Luck.
Of course Rapunzel believed in Fate, young innocent that she was, but Rider felt no qualms about ridiculing it to her face.
"Something brought you here, Flynn Rider…call it what you will—Fate, destiny…"
"…A horse…"
He didn't even start to believe in "Fate" when Rapunzel somehow talked (blackmailed) him into accepting her wild proposition. Nor when he ended up in a tavern full of tough thick-headed nosy-minded wanna-be-thugs.
Nor when that stupid, stupid horse followed them into the tunnel.
Or when he ended up fighting off a sword with a frying pan.
Of course, the fact that he won that particular duel was not luck—'twas nothing but skill, Flynn decided.
Getting stuck in a cave that was quickly filling up with water was definitely bad luck—but this time, Flynn couldn't really see who was benefiting from their deaths. Oh sure, there were many people who would be glad to hear of his demise—but Rapunzel's?
For the first time in his life, Flynn questioned Luck—and was surprised to find that such a thing as empathy and a sense of justice still existed somewhere deep within him.
Fate was still out of the question, though.
He was even more surprised at himself when, though Rapunzel continued to bring him bad luck, he didn't try to lose her.
And when he did lose her—that was the worst luck of all.
He thought for sure he couldn't be unluckier if he just laid down and died—and then he found out the truth.
His last fading thought was a desperate hope that somehow, someway, his choice of this wrong side of the coin would give Rapunzel the second chance at freedom she so desperately needed.
Coming back to life?
Fate, nothin'!
Pure miracle, that.
Luck changed for him, then.
Nah, Flynn Rider never really did believe in Fate.
But Eugene Fitzherbert sure was beginning to…