"The Snuggly Duckling." Belle read the writing on the hanging sign out loud. "Sounds like a friendly place."

"I'm not sure," replied Rapunzel, clutching the frying pan she had taken tighter. "What if there are other people in there?"

"There probably are," replied Belle. "Unless the people staying there are currently out. Do you think my father could be in there?"

A look of determination crossed Rapunzel's face. People or not, she had to achieve her dream. Besides, the building did look rather harmless, bright and slightly crooked.

"Alright, let's go." She tried to make her voice firm, but was unable to stop the note of anxiety that crept into it. On her shoulder, Pascal imitated her expression and balled his little green hands into fists.

She walked down the path and up to the door, but was unable to bring herself to open it. Belle walked up next to her and opened it herself. On looking inside, Rapunzel nearly bolted.

Inside were the men her mother had warned her about. The criminals and ruffians and thugs. They were large and menacing, fixing her with suspicious glares, dressed in crude, dirty clothing, some scarred, some missing limbs, one with a hook for a hand, and one surrounded by rats. They were by far the most vicious men she had seen in her life. Well, not that that was a contest, since she hadn't met any other men. But even if she did, these men would still be the worst.

Belle had already stepped inside, looking as horrified as Rapunzel, as well as disgusted. Working up all her courage, Rapunzel started to step in too, but was stopped by one of the men's growling voice.

"And what are you doing here?"

She squeaked in response, squealing in fright as she felt a shorter man with acne running his fingers through her hair. She yanked her hair back, only for his fingers to continue sifting through. Rapunzel backed away, squeaking as she bumped into someone. She turned around to see the man with a hook for a hand glaring at her as he towered over her, though his expression quickly turned to awe.

"That's a lot of hair. You grow it out?" He had a gruff, but curious-sounding voice.

"I can't cut it," informed Rapunzel, trying to bundle it all into her arms.

"Excuse me." She heard Belle's voice, impressed by how steady and authoritarian it sounded. "Have any of you seen my father?"

"Your father?" one of the shorter men asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes. He's short, has a mustache, rather round—"

"Like this fellow?" One of the larger men pushed one of the smaller, portlier ones to the front.

"Oi! I think I'd remember having a daughter." He had an accent Rapunzel didn't recognise.

"I think we'd better be leaving." Rapunzel heard the disappointment in Belle's voice. "He's probably not here. I'm sorry for bothering you all."

Rapunzel was taken by surprise as one of the men offered her a white flower. "Fancy it, miss?"

"Uh, thanks," she replied, accepting it. On impulse, she tucked it behind her ear.

Another one of the men, the one with the hook hand, laughed heartily. "Keep dreaming, Big Nose. You have as much chance of wooing a girl as I have of becoming a pianist."

Big Nose flushed. Rapunzel wondered if that was his real name or a nickname. "Well, at least my chance is higher."

"Oh, really?" another man sneered.

Big Nose ignored him, turning to Rapunzel again. "What brings you here, miss?"

Rapunzel hesitated. Should she tell him? He was probably trying to seduce her, the way Mother had warned her men would do. She'd be falling for his tricks.

But what was the harm in telling him what she wanted to do? "I wanted to see the ligh—lanterns." She hastily corrected herself. "The lanterns I see from my home. I wanted to see them up close. It's been my dream ever since I could remember." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Belle return through the door, probably wondering why she hadn't followed her.

"Your dream?" The hook-handed man spoke up suddenly, his voice becoming less gruff and more nostalgic. "I had a dream, once."

Rapunzel jumped as he threw the axe he was carrying past her and above the head of a scrawny man, who quickly started playing his accordion. She listened with curiosity and genuine interest as he sang about his lifelong dream of being a pianist.

"I'm malicious, mean, and scary." That was how she had viewed him at first. But as he continued singing, she realised he wasn't too different from her, past his gruff appearance. He had longed to play piano on the stage for as long as she had to see the lanterns.

Soon all the men joined in, including the one who had offered her a flower. He sang about wanting to find love, but being restrained from doing so because of his looks. Others had even more harmless goals, one of them wanting to start a cupcake business and another being a talented mimer. Rapunzel wondered why she'd ever found them threatening.

When it was her turn to sing, she sang freely, from her heart. She knew exactly what her dream was. The nervousness she felt about singing in front of so many people was quickly overpowered by the thought of her dream.

"I just wanna see the floating lanterns... gleam." She substituted the word at the last second to make it rhyme. She added honestly, "And with every passing hour, I'm so glad I left my tower". And she was. The exhilaration of the outdoors and meeting new people outweighed her initial guilt and fear. She didn't know why she hadn't tried leaving before. This was more exciting than any painting or hide and seek match with Pascal.