The Snuggly Duckling
AN: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially with the musical number. Just imagine it going slots exactly like the movie except with no Flynn and more Jack jumping around and dancing everywhere. By those lyrics from Jack I made up completely so sorry if they seem a but off. Enjoy and please review! It's much appreciated!
Gothel marched with pride as she lead her two newest pawns in her plans. Of course the two criminals walking behind thought that they had complete control of the situation, but after almost three hundred years of life, Gothel had experienced men like
these. He knew exactly how to manipulate them and exactly how to put on a facade of weakness if need be. She could hear ever grumble and read every minute gesture of body language to the point that she was almost telepathic when it came scoundrels
like them. She had every planned out. Every was going her way, and as they rounded a corner, she spotted another opportunity to further tip the odds in her favour. A group of palace guards were approaching and she had just enough time to hide her
two new henchmen in a bush before approaching the palace guards.
"What do you want?" the guard in front asked as he heard her summon.
"Oh, thank goodness!" she cried in faux-despair, "My home has been ransacked! It was Flynn Rider! And he had an accomplice!"
The guards immediately perked up.
"Where is he? Who was this accomplice?"
"He took off before I could see where he was going but his accomplice was a girl, about eighteen, with long blonde hair and a pink dress!" she explained with a tremble in her voice.
"We saw that girl earlier down the path!" one of the other guards exclaimed. Gothel had to suppress a smile.
"I overheard them talking about a tiara or something like that but she also took some of my family heirlooms! They must retrieved and brought and to me!"
"We will do our best, ma'am," the chief guard before the three of them took off the path they came from. Gothel chuckled to herself before she called for the twins.
"What did you do?" asked one of the Stabbington brothers.
"I just made our search a whole lot easier," Gothel explained, "Now with us and the castle guards searching for her, our little treasure won't evade us for long."
Never did a pub ever have a more misleading name than the Snuggly Duckling. At first glance one would expect a friendly and welcoming environment, however upon actually opening the door to the building, the sight of a darkened room full of what of looked
like worst criminal scum you could picture was what met Rapunzel and Jack's eyes.
Every head in the pub turned towards Rapunzel, looking straight through Jack, and glared. It was only Rapunzel's iron clad will and holding Jack's encouraging hand that allowed Rapunzel to move from the doorway. Once at the bar, Rapunzel ordered a glass
of water and sat along with Jack on an empty stool.
"Why are they staring at me?" Rapunzel whispered to Jack.
"It's hard not to," Jack quipped, making Rapunzel smile a bit.
"Hey, sweet cheeks, who ya taking to?" hollered one of the criminals.
"Jack Frost," she answered innocently.
This caused the entire pub to burst into laughter.
"Honey, we stopped believing in fairy tales years ago," another one smirked.
"That's sad," she said, "What do you believe in, then? You must believe in something."
"Yeah, we don't have much to believe in anymore," one with a hook hand replied with a frown, "that's why we ended up here." The rest of the gathering nodded in agreement. Jack grinned.
"I think it's about time we give them something to believe in," he said as he jumped up onto a table and twirled his staff.
"Go ahead, Jack, dazzle us!" Rapunzel laughed. With that, Jack sent a snowball into the air that promptly exploded into a huge snowfall that lightly coated everyone in the tavern.
"What da hell?" the hook-hand man exclaimed. Then a small snowflake managed to land softly on his huge nose, making his eyes sparkle and a huge grin appear on his face. "Woah, guys! It's Jack Frost!"
"Welcome to the club!" Jack laughed and bent over to shake his hand, "How about convincing your friends?"
"Guys!" hook-man exclaimed, "Can't ya see him?"
A small bearded was next to experience enlightenment as he too started laughing and pointing. Slowly more and more people felt a snowflake land on their noses and began to witness the winter spirit as he started flying around, throwing snowballs.
"Hey, Punzie!" Jack shouted, "A have a fan club!"
"Way to go, Frost Boy!" Punzie shouted back, "Don't go telling Bunny or North, they might jealous!"
"Jealous? They have whole holidays based around them. I don't think I could exactly hurt their egos."
"This is amazing, fellas," hook-man grinned, "I haven't felt this great in ages! In fact, I think I feel the song coming on!"
Everyone cheered as hook-man took his place behind the piano at the back of the room.
"Hey," Jack asked hook-man, "um...what's your name, again?"
"Call me Maestro," hook-man answered.
"Right, Maestro, what's 'the song'?"
"Well, it goes like this," he said as he threw his axe into a wall prompting an accordion player to let out a terrified cord, "Ahem, I may be a bit rusty...
I'm malicious, mean and scary
My sneer could curdle dairy
And violence-wise my hands are not the cleanest
But despite my evil look and my temper and my hook
I've always yearned to be a concert pianist!"
Jack and Punzie laughed as he performed a full run up the keyboard of the piano with his hook.
"Can't you see me on the stage performing Mozart?
Tickling the ivories till they gleam?
Yep, I'd rather be called deadly for my killer show-tune medley
cuz way down deep inside I've got a dream!"
Suddenly everyone burst form their chairs and started a synchronised dance routine, much the couple's amusement.
"He's got a dream
He's got a dream!"
"See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!
Though I do like breaking femurs, you can count me with the dreamers.
Like everybody else, I've got a dream!"
Everyone carried on the chorus as Jack and Rapunzel danced together under the spotlight in a makeshift boogey, laughing all the way. Next the spotlight moved to a man with a huge nose and a winged helmet.
"I've got scars and lumps and bruises,
Plus something here that oozes,
And let's not even mention my complexion!
But despite my extra toes,
And my goiter,
And my nose,
I really want to make a love connection!" he sung as he presented Jack a small flower that Jack quickly tucked behind a blushing Punzie's ear with a wink.
"Can't you see me with a special little lady?
Rowing in a rowboat down a stream?
Though I'm one disgusting blighter,
I'm a lover, not a fighter!
Cuz way down deep inside I've got a dream!"
Jack was now flying along beside a suspended, makeshift Cupid launching snow angled everywhere whilst Punzie danced along with the tune.
"I've got a dream
He's got a dream
I've got a dream
He's got a dream
And I know one day romance will reign supreme
Though my face leaves people screaming,
There's a child behind it dreaming,
Like everybody else, I've got a dream!"
Next the spotlight started flicking to random people in the crowd.
"Toll would like to quit and be a florist;
Gunter does interior design;
Urf is into mime;
Attila's cupcakes are sublime;
Bruiser knits;
Killer sews;
Ven does little puppet shows;
And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns!"
Jack looked skeptically at a Goliath of a man holding two tiny miniature unicorns in between his giant fingers who proceeding to gently clink ten together with a satisfied smile. Jack shrugged with a sigh, not wanting to interrupt the song.
"What about you, Jack?" Maestro asked. Jack blinked whilst sniggered at the thought of Jack singing.
"Oh no, I for really sing, it's not in my job description," Jack said to a crowd of boos. Eventually Jack gave in when Punzie gave him her best puppy eyes. "Fine!" he exclaimed, "I'll try and think of a verse!
Well as all of you may know,
I spread joy and winter snow,
But what's the point if no one sees or hears me?
So all I really dream,
Is to forever be believed,
By anyone and everyone around me!" he finished with a flip in the air. He pulled Punzie up onto the table, both of them twirling around each other as she sang.
"I've got a dream
She's got a dream
I've got a dream
She's got a dream
I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam
And with every passing hour
I'm so glad I left my tower
Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream"
Now the party was in full swing as Jack jumped around everywhere, the people preparing for the big finale.
"She's got a dream
She's got a dream
They got a dream
We've got a dream
So our differences ain't really that extreme!
We're one big team...
Call us brutal,
Sick,
Sadistic
And grotesquely optimistic,
Cuz way down deep inside we've got a dream
I've got a dream
I've got a dream
I've got a dream
I've got a dream
I've got a dream
I've got a dream
Yes, way down deep inside, I've got a dream!
Yeah!"
Everyone in the pub cheered as they struck a pose. Jack and Punzie ended up somehow together as they flew their hand up in the air in celebration.
"We should do this more often," Jack said as the song died down.
"Yeah, I liked your solo," Puznie laughed as Jack teasingly hit her shoulder.
"Shut up, my voice is beautiful," Jack said as he caressed his throat.
Suddenly Maestro shouted from the window, "Palace guards! They look angry!"
"What!" Punzie exclaimed, "I thought we lost them!"
Jack quickly grabbed Punzie by waist and scooped up Pascal before flying up into the rafters to hide themselves. He quickly pulled all of her hair up with them just as the door swung open.
"Where is she? A girl with long blonde hair and a pink dress!" the guard exclaimed.
"Jack!" Punzie whispered, "The tiara! It's in the hamper down there!" She pointed to the basket that sat on the bar bellow them. Jack nodded and floated down to try ground, hoping for once that they didn't believe in him. One of the men noticed him and
quickly shouted, "I think she's over there!" and pointed out of the window, giving Jack just enough time to grab the hamper and fly back up to the rafters.
"We need to go," Jack said, "We'll take a window."
"Psst," Maestro said as the guards were interviewing one of the other men, "Come down behind the bar."
The couple cautiously floated down to mead barrels where Maestro flicked one of the water dispensers and a small trapdoor was revealed.
"Go," he said, "Live ya dreams."
"Thanks," they both whispered as they slipped out into the passage way, grabbing a burning torch to light the way as the trapdoor closed and darkness descended on them.
"Where do think this passage leads," Punzie whispered as she sought for Jack's hand.
"No idea, let's find out," he replied as he entangled his arm around hers and they carefully ventured forward into the unknown.
Gothel and the two Stabbington brothers waited patiently as the two guards entered the tavern.
"We can cut them off," one of the henchmen said, "We know a path that leads straight to where the escape passage leads to."
"Then let's go!" Gothel said as she followed the two junking criminals. She could almost feel Rapunzel's silky hair through her fingers as everything in her plan fell into place...