Author Note: Sorry to everyone who's already read it, but I decided to rewrite chapter 13 b/c it came out sad and short—so now it's going to be long and happy-ish! :D and… I want to have 15 chapters b/c I'm weird and my favorite number is 15… ;) I also apologize if I mixed up some parts about Flynn's escape—I couldn't find the clip online and I can't remember all the details… Thank you again for all your reviews! :D I really enjoy seeing what you think!
Soli Deo Gloria
Disclaimer: Disney owns Tangled, its story, and its characters
"What was it, Dad?" Annabelle asked, seeming to forget that she had heard this story a hundred times before.
Eugene sighed, "Well, just as our beloved thief was about to kiss the girl of his dreams, something caught his eye. And it wasn't the warm shine of a floating lantern—instead, it was a gloomy green light bobbing on the distant forest shore. Flynn's eyes widened as he recognized the hulking figures of his ex-partners, the Stabbington brothers. They were glowering at him, their eyes narrowed with evil intent and their craggy faces darkened by shadow. Fear struck at his heart, and he realized they must have seen Rapunzel giving him the satchel. They knew he had the crown—they would probably stop at nothing to get it back.
"Then he heard Rapunzel asking him if everything was all right. Flynn quickly took her hand again, murmuring a 'yes' as his mind raced. Rapunzel was the most important thing right now. He knew his partners, and knew that if they even suspected the power of the girl's hair, they would try to take her from him. He couldn't let that happen. He had to keep her safe—and the best possible way he could do that was to return the crown and apologize for his betrayal. After all, they only wanted the crown, right?"
Ginger held tightly to her father's arm, her eyes wide as he continued to speak.
"Flynn silently rowed their boat away from the warmth of the lanterns and to the chilly forest shore. With the trees overhanging the beach, their branches rustling in the wind, the world felt darker somehow. Fog, rolling in from the ocean, made the shoreline misty and vague. Cruelly twisted shapes seemed to rise ominously up in the eerie darkness. Flynn beached the boat and jumped out, landing upon the wet sand. He grabbed the satchel and glanced back at Rapunzel. 'I have something to take care of, but I'll be right back. I promise.' He said, trying to reassure her. Rapunzel nodded, replying nervously, 'Okay.' Then she watched as Flynn strode away into the cloudy vapor, vanishing from her sight.
"Flynn walked around the next bend to find that Bush-face was carving a piece of driftwood with his hunting knife. His brother rested nonchalantly against the boulders that flanked the beach at this part of the forest. They both looked up as Flynn cleared his throat. 'Well, it's good to see you guys safe and sound,' the thief said, lying through his teeth. 'But I'm sorry for leaving you in the forest and, as an apology, I'll let you keep the crown,' he tossed his satchel at Bush-face's feet. The men stood up and idly kicked the satchel away. Then Bush-face remarked quietly, 'Oh, but we heard that you found something much better than a crown, Rider.' Flynn's eyes widened, and he knew, without knowing he knew, that they meant to capture Rapunzel."
Eugene curled his hands into fists, his voice tightening as he said, "The two brothers overpowered Flynn. No matter how hard he struggled—and how hard he punched—he couldn't throw them off. He couldn't even warn Rapunzel because the moment he opened his mouth a grimy hand would clap over it. And then Eye-patch struck him a severe blow on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. They dragged his limp form over to a sailboat they had stolen. Propping him up against the mast, they quickly tied him into an upright position, slipping the crown into his hand as they fastened his wrists to the steering wheel. Then the Stabbington brothers shoved the boat out into the river, its destination somewhere near the docks of the city guardhouse."
"He couldn't defeat them?" Thomas asked in complete disbelief.
His father shook his head, muttering, "They were too strong. And Flynn was too focused on protecting Rapunzel to bother taking care of himself. It wasn't—it wasn't his fault…" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Just the thought of what had happened—and what very well could have happened—made him ache inside. He still couldn't fully cope with the memory even after all these years… it hurt too much.
"What happened, Dad? Did Flynn escape?"
He sighed, "No. And as his boat floated closer to the guardhouse, the Stabbington brothers approached the other end of the beach. Rapunzel looked up as she saw a figure coming towards her from the mists. Thinking it was Flynn, she smiled and said uneasily, 'I thought for a second that you had taken the crown and left me.' And then the Stabbington brothers emerged from the fog," Eugene gritted his teeth, "and they told her that I had left."
Ginger frowned, "You?"
Her father blinked, realizing what he had just said. He smiled slightly, "Sorry—I meant that Flynn—they said that Flynn had left."
"What happened next?"
"They chased her—and for the first time in her life Rapunzel truly understood what Gothel had meant about someone wanting her hair. But thankfully, and this is the only time I'm going to say this, Gothel decided to end the charade she had concocted for the Stabbington brothers. Using a large log, she knocked the two men out. She had known exactly where they would be, for she had told them the location herself. Gothel had planned the whole thing out so she could get back her magic flower. And Rapunzel, frightened and scared and hurt at Flynn's so-called betrayal, ran to her fake mother. Gothel took the sobbing girl back to the tower—even as Flynn's boat struck the docks of the guardhouse.
"The thief woke up to the sound of shouting, and he was temporarily blinded by torchlight as soldiers swarmed the boat. He couldn't understand—what had happened? Where was Rapunzel? Suddenly, he felt the crown being wrenched out his hand and his arms pulled behind his back. Shackles were put on his wrists, and he began to struggle, yelling out Rapunzel's name. 'Let me go! I need to help Rapunzel! She's in trouble!' He tried to escape the guards, still howling into the night as he strained against the men holding him.
"Some distance away, Maximus sat upon the dock, waiting for his friends to come back from seeing the lanterns. The horse's ears perked up at the sound of Flynn's voice. He seemed upset—and was crying out as though his very heart was broken. Maximus's eyes widened as he turned to look out across the water where the forest lay. The horse made up his mind immediately and sprang to his feet. Then, breaking out into a run, he charged up into the city and towards the bridge, determined to get help."
"Did Max find somebody? Did he find Rapunzel?" Ginger asked, gazing at her father's saddened face.
"No, Ginger-snap. Gothel was well on her way to leading Rapunzel back home before Maximus even reached the forest's edge. Instead, the valiant steed took off in a separate direction, his hooves pounding the leaf-strewn earth underneath the trees and black sky. And then, steadily, the night passed on into an early, grey morning. Gothel and Rapunzel had reached the tower sometime before dawn, and using the stairway, the woman took Rapunzel back up into her turret room.
"She sat Rapunzel upon her bed and unwound the careful braid the little girls had made for her. Picking the flowers out of her adopted daughter's hair one at a time, Gothel scolded Rapunzel for leaving the tower. She was convinced that her sly comments would turn Rapunzel against Flynn and everything they had done together. Gothel lied to her, just as she had been doing all those years, and made sure that Rapunzel was too affected by the ordeal to try leaving again. She wanted to keep her magic flower close. She would never let her out of her sight now.
"As a final stroke of evil genius, Gothel told Rapunzel, 'I did warn you, Rapunzel. The world is a cruel and selfish place. And if it ever finds a single drop of sunshine, it destroys it.' Then she closed the door, and Rapunzel lay down on her bed as Pascal patted her leg comfortingly. She sighed and glanced at the flag Flynn had given her at the festival, wishing that it had all just never happened.
"Meanwhile, Flynn paced around in his cell back at the city, his mind full of thoughts of Rapunzel. He did not know what had happened to her. She could be in chains for all he knew—and he groaned at such an idea. He could only hope she was safe though, because he would not be able to help her from here in prison. Just then, the door of his cell was unlocked, and the Captain of the Guard looked grimly in. 'Let's get this over with, Rider.' He said, nodding to the hallway outside. Flynn frowned, 'Get what over with?' The captain looked at him, and the thief nodded, 'Ah.'"
"What are they going to do to him?" Thomas asked quietly.
"Well, as a criminal who had stolen a royal artifact, Flynn had committed crimes against the crown. That amounted to treason and the penalty for treason—was death."
His son sat up quickly, "Death? But he—he can't die. Dad, he can't!"
Eugene nodded, "I know, Thomas, but as a criminal Flynn deserved punishment. However, remember that Maximus had gone to get help."
"What good is a horse going to be?"
"But Max isn't just any horse—Maximus is probably the most intelligent member of the guard. And he knew just where to go to find volunteers. Anyway," Eugene stood up, "this is the part where I'll need your help, Thomas, and we're going to have to step back for a bit so we have enough space."
Thomas joined his father out onto the centermost part of the floor. Eugene smiled, "All right, now while Flynn was marching solemnly down the prison hallway, interesting things were happening in Rapunzel's room back at her tower. After lying down upon her bed, Rapunzel opened her eyes and saw something familiar painted on the ceiling above her. She, of course, had painted it there, but for some reason it looked different.
"Frowning, Rapunzel lifted up the kingdom flag before her eyes and compared its symbol to the flowers painted above her. They were uncannily similar—the exact shape and size. Why, even the number of petals on the flower matched the number of rays on the sunburst. And then she saw that other parts of her ceiling and wall had sunbursts hidden in them. They were everywhere! All around her she could see the crest of the kingdom beaming down at her! And Rapunzel darted to the center of her room, gazing upward at this phenomenon. What did it all mean?
"Suddenly, a memory came to her. It was a strong memory—one of seeing the sun symbol above her. And then she saw a fuzzy outline of a man and a woman that looked like the mosaic of the king and queen she had seen in the marketplace. And the baby girl—the baby princess who had eyes just as green as hers and long blond hair, just like hers. Finally, with a jolt, she remembered trying on the crown of the lost princess. It had fit her head precisely, as if it had been made specifically for her. And then, Rapunzel fell back against her dresser, realizing with absolute conviction that she was the lost princess. She was the one who those lanterns had been sent out for. She was the one—the one that was stolen away from her crib. She was the lost princess!"
Ginger cheered enthusiastically, hugging her sister, "Finally! She finally figured it out!"
Eugene grinned, but Thomas frowned. "Dad, I thought I was supposed to be Flynn—why are you talking about Rapunzel?"
He looked down at his son, "You are Flynn. I just have to say a little bit more before we can start. Now, just as Rapunzel was escaping from Gothel's brainwashing control—Flynn was about to escape from the prison. Led by the guards, Flynn walked down past the cells of other prisoners. His eyes drifted over to one of the cells, and he recognized the pale, red-headed Stabbington brothers lounging on the stone floor. Anger filled him, and he knocked his guards away. Then, jumping up," Eugene leapt upward, "he moved his bound hands from his back to his front and went to the cell. Grabbing Bush-face by his jacket, Flynn slammed him against the bars and barked, 'How did you know about her? Tell me now!' Bush-face stared at him, responding hastily, 'It—it wasn't us! It was the old lady!' Flynn frowned. Old lady… her mother? The guards seized him again and, fighting with them, our thief yelled, 'No! Wait—you don't understand! She's in trouble! Please!' The soldiers continued to push and pull him forward even as he shouted.
"Back in the tower, Gothel had heard the noise of Rapunzel falling against her dresser. She called up to her room, 'Rapunzel, are you all right? What are you doing?' Rapunzel stepped out onto the landing, her eyes wide as she mumbled, 'I'm the lost princess.' Gothel glared at her, 'Speak up, Rapunzel! You know how I hate the mumbling!' Rapunzel straightened and turned to her, retorting, 'I'm the lost princess! Aren't I?' The woman gaped at her—not believing what she had just heard. How had her flower found out? She quickly shook her head, trying to play it off as some silly fantasy Rapunzel had cooked up. But Rapunzel knew better.
"She pushed Gothel away, snapping, 'It was you! It was all you!' Gothel looked down at her seriously, muttering, 'Everything I did was to protect you.' Rapunzel shook her head and stormed down the stairs onto the floor of the tower. She said, getting more upset by the moment, 'I've spent my entire life—hiding from people who would use me for my powers—when I should have been hiding from you!' Rapunzel turned around, staring defiantly at Gothel.
"The witch questioned her, 'Where will you go? To him? He won't be there for you.' Rapunzel's eyes narrowed at this mention of Flynn, and she demanded, 'What did you do to him?' 'That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes.' Gothel answered dismissively. Rapunzel gasped, immediately worried for Flynn's safety. The witch smiled and said calmly, 'Now now, it's all right. Listen to me. Everything,' she raised her hand to set it on Rapunzel's head, 'is as it should be.' 'No!' Rapunzel seized Gothel by the wrist, preventing her from touching her hair. "She shouted, 'You were wrong—about the world! And you were wrong about me!' Gothel tried to break free of Rapunzel's grasp, stunned that the girl was so strong and fighting against her. 'And I will never,' Rapunzel vowed boldly, 'let you use my hair again!' At last, Gothel managed to pull her hand away and accidentally knocked over a standing mirror. It crashed loudly to the floor, shards of glass scattering everywhere. And then Gothel realized that her power over Rapunzel was gone—broken just like the mirror. If she wanted to keep her flower, she would have to do it by force."
Ginger frowned, "No, stop her! Come on Daddy, get Flynn out of jail so he can whack the old rhino lady!"
Eugene looked at his son, "You're a bad influence. Anyway, Thomas, now we can get to Flynn Rider's escape.
Thomas groaned, "Then why did you tell me to stand up before now?"
His father shrugged apologetically, "Um, sorry. I got ahead of myself."
"All right, Dad, what do we do?"
"Well," Eugene knelt and moved behind his son's back, "I'm going to be the guards. I want you to pretend you're trying to escape, and I'll narrate. Whatever I say, you do, all right?"
"Okay… but I'm not acting goofy."
"I'll take over if that part comes up."
His son nodded uncertainly, allowing his father to gently take hold of his arms. Then Eugene began to walk forward, pushing Thomas carefully ahead of him, "The guards continued to lead Flynn forward, and he continued to struggle." Here Thomas began to squirm vigorously, his father still keeping a firm but light grip on his arms. "And then Flynn saw a tiny ceramic unicorn sitting in a niche in the wall."
"I see a unicorn! I see a uni—wait, why is that important?" Thomas looked up at his father.
Eugene smiled, "Remember Vlad from the Snuggly Duckling? Well he collected ceramic unicorns just like your Uncle Vlad does. Flynn knew this was a sign, and, as the Captain of the Guard continued to move forward, the soldiers keeping hold on the thief were suddenly jerked away."
Eugene released his son's arms and mimed being pulled away, making groaning sounds in the process. "Then," he took a spot in front of Thomas, "the doors slammed shut all around the hallway. 'What's going on here?' The captain roared, pounding on the door that led to the execution yard. A small window in the door opened up, and one of the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling asked politely, 'What's the password?' The captain frowned, muttering, 'What?' 'Nope.' Replied the thug. The captain continued to knock furiously on the door, not noticing that his prisoner no longer had guards. Annoyed, he finally turned around and discovered, to his intense confusion, that Flynn Rider was alone. Flynn simply waved at him."
Thomas flapped his hand excitedly at his father.
Eugene grinned and continued to speak, "While gazing angrily at the insolent thief, the captain did not notice the door opening in front of him. With a swift 'clang!' the soldier fell to the ground as the cupcake-baking ruffian knocked him out with his frying pan. And then-."
"What kind of cupcakes, Daddy?" Ginger asked.
"Strawberry. Anyway, Flynn smiled up at the ruffian and said, 'Frying pans, who knew, right?'"
Thomas smiled at him.
"But some soldiers had heard their captain shouting and broke open a door along the hallway. They spilled out in confusion and skidded to a stop as one of the ruffians—I believe his name was Ulf—began to perform mime for them. They stood, baffled, as this strange little fat man pretended he was in an invisible box. Then, from the other end of the hallway, Vladimir growled and charged at them, completely knocking them down as Ulf silently skipped out of the way.
"Big-nose—the one that looks like Uncle Ralph—unlocked Flynn's shackles and led him down a set of stairs into the main yard. He picked Flynn up and set him onto a board balanced on a set of wheels." Eugene easily lifted his son up and put him down some distance away. "An alarm bell went off in the prison and soldiers began to pour down into the inner courtyard. Hook-hand was there, and he gave Flynn a series of instructions: 'Head down.'"
"Head down." Thomas said, ducking down.
"'Arms in.'"
"Arms in."
"'Knees apart.'"
"Knees apart." His son obediently spread his legs apart.
Eugene smiled and suddenly jumped forward, scooping up his son in his arms and raising him high into the air, "With a 'boom!' Vladimir landed onto the other end of the board and his weight sent Flynn flying upward. The thief yelled in fright," Thomas began to holler as his father 'flew' him around the room, though he sounded more excited than upset, "as he ascended into the air. Soldiers on the ground gazed upward at this weird, flying man. Then suddenly, Flynn landed on the wide, strong back of Maximus."
Eugene put his son down and said, panting, "You can sit down now, Thomas."
Thomas tottered dizzily back towards his sisters, a wide grin on his face. He looked at Ginger, announcing, "I'm Flynn Rider and I escaped from prison."
"Shhh! Daddy, what happened next?"
Eugene smiled, "Well, Flynn was surprised to see Maximus there, busting him out of prison when he had just spent the last few days trying to arrest him. The thief stared at the horse, and muttered, 'Maximus? You brought them?' Maximus looked pleased with himself. 'Thank you,' Flynn said gravely, 'no, really thank you. Listen, I know we've had our difference but I think—all this time—we were just misunderstanding each other and-.' Maximus rolled his eyes. Flynn nodded quickly, 'You're right, we should go.'
"The door of the turret behind them burst open and soldiers ran out, shooting their cross bows. Flynn took Maximus's reins as the horse ran forward, ducking the incoming missiles. More guards were approaching from the side, and Flynn realized that soon Maximus would run out of wall to gallop on. He attempted to point this out to the horse: 'Um, Maximus—Max!' The horse leapt off from the end of the wall, soaring over the streets of the city and landing onto a roof. Shingles were flung everywhere as Maximus's hooves plowed along the rooftop—and then the horse jumped again, with Flynn hanging on for dear life and wondering if the animal had gone insane. Landing neatly upon the road below, Maximus began to sprint onward to the city gates.
"Flynn grinned and tightened his hold on the horse's reins, urging him, 'Okay Max, let's see how fast you can run.' With a loud neigh, Maximus reared back and thundered down the last block before racing out of the city gates and onto the bridge. The thief stared ahead as his ride left the bridge and entered the trees of the forest. They dodged left and right, Maximus easily compensating for each turn. Flynn didn't even have to lead him, really, because Maximus knew exactly where he wanted to go.
"And as he rode, Flynn thought about the girl with ridiculously long hair. She was someone he would do anything for, and he knew that her mother—Gothel—would not give her flower up easily. If she had hired the Stabbington brothers, the crazy woman could be capable of much more. He had to make sure Rapunzel was safe. Even if it took everything he had to offer, he was willing to give it all up to save the girl he loved."
"Did he love her, Dad?" Annabelle asked, watching as her father came back to sit between her and her sister.
Eugene nodded, "I think he did—even if he hadn't quite realized it yet."
Ginger smiled, "So he found Rapunzel?"
Her father smiled back, "Darting into the secret passage, Flynn and Maximus emerged into the basin that held the tower. The sky was grey overhead, threatening a summer rainstorm, and the wind cool as Flynn jumped down from the horse and ran to the base of the tower."