A Night To Remember
A bird sat perched on the balcony on the castle of Luna. It chirped for acknowledgement. It wasn't long until a woman came and answered its call. She was a beautiful woman, with long, luscious ebony hair tied into a smooth French braid. Her pale, silky hand reached out for the bird to perch on as she retrieved the note that was attached to its delicate leg.
After she read it, the queen immediately ran to her husband. "Thomas!"
The king was preparing for tonight when his wife ran into their bed chambers. "Veronica, what is it?"
"Look at this."
King Thomas rose a questioning brow as his wife handed him the letter. On His Majesty's personal stationary, King Eugene and Queen Rapunzel explained the sudden disappearance of their eldest son yesterday. The captain of the guards was also AWOL, and their soldiers couldn't find a trace of him. Now they were asking for their help.
"Isn't it awful?" Queen Veronica said.
The king of Luna shook his head. "It's a sad day indeed when another heir of one of the two United Kingdoms is taken away from us. I just don't see how we can help them when we're still in a predicament of our own." He set the letter down on the dresser, very upset. "Our little girl is still missing, not to mention her crown. She's somewhere out there being abused by that miscreant…!" He sat on the bed, covering his face to prevent tears. "What more can we do?"
Queen Veronica sat beside him and put a consoling hand on his back. "We'll find her. I know we will."
Thomas smiled up at his wife. "How did I come to deserve such a wonderful queen?"
Her smile increased into a grin. She kissed her husband tersely before standing. "I know we may not be able to provide any assistance to our fellow kingdom, but the least we can do is send our condolences. They already lost an heir once. Going through it again is not much better."
King Thomas sighed. "Alright." He glanced up at the father clock. "It's almost time."
"We can do it after then. The kingdom is waiting for us."
The king nodded. He offered his arm to his wife, and the royal couple made their way outside to send off the first lupine for their lost princess.
Selena sighed as she, Lupe, and Flynn made their way to the docks. As she stared at Flynn, a sudden feeling began bubbling in her belly. As if sensing her gaze, Flynn looked back at her, and she quickly turned away so he wouldn't see her blush. When he turned back, Selena sighed and continued to look at him dreamily.
Lupe nudged her leg again. "Lupe, no, I can't," she whispered.
She growled a bit. "Because it just wouldn't be right."
The wolf rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that! It's not my fault I'm so confused. I mean, I do have these feelings… Should I really tell him?" Lupe didn't reply this time. Selena sighed. If her best wasn't going to help her, then she really needed to think. And she really needed to get away from Flynn for awhile.
Before they reached the docks, Selena called out to Flynn. "Do you mind if I just… I'll meet you up there later."
"Is everything okay?" Flynn asked, with a hint of concern.
"Y-Yes! Everything's…. Everything's great! I just need to cool off for a second. I can only take so much excitement in one day. You can just go ahead without us."
Flynn didn't seem to believe her but he left the issue alone. She obviously needed some time to herself—with Lupe, apparently. "Okay. Just don't take too long. They're going to send the lupines off soon and I don't want you to miss out on anything."
"We'll be there."
Selena smiled as she watched Flynn's back disappear. Then she sighed, her smile ceasing to a sincere one.
"Well~! I thought he'd never leave!"
Selena's smile disappeared and turned to see an older woman. Lupe growled and backed up when she recognized the woman. They both knew that voice too well. "Ambrose?"
"Hello, dear little sister." She took Selena into her arms.
Selena stiffened in the hug as Ambrose ran her fingers through her hair. "What are you doing here?" was what she really wanted to say, but she already knew her sister would be here, which made her even more embarrassed that she was found out. But she thought Ambrose would already be on her way home by now. She must've known she ran away. Instead, Selena asked, "How'd you find me?"
"Well, it was quite easy. After I found those buttercups you wanted so much for your birthday, I suddenly heard the sweet sounds of utter betrayal and followed that. Now, here I am, with my precious, disobedient, little sister." Ambrose laughed bitterly.
Selena sighed guiltily. "Sis, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"We're going home, Selena," Ambrose said without allowing her to apologize. "Now."
"Sis, you don't understand," Selena said, pulling away from her sister's grasp. "I've been on this incredible journey, and I've seen and learned so much. I even met this guy—"
"Yes, the infamous thief, Flynn Rider. I'm so proud."
Selena frowned at her sarcasm. "He's not who you think he is. There's more to him than you'll ever know."
Ambrose rolled her eyes. Could her sister be more naïve? "I'm sure there is. Now come on." She began dragging Selena away. Lupe barked at her and began to pull Selena back by the end of her skirt.
"Sis, wait." Selena away from her again and rubbed her wrist. "I think… I think he likes me."
"Likes you?" Ambrose laughed. "Please, Selena, that's demented. Do you really think he's impressed by… this?" She gestured at Selena's luscious white waves. "If nothing else, you're just a tool to him."
Selena's mouth was agape. "How could you say that? Flynn would never treat me like that! He's not a hoodlum like the ones you've always told me about, who, by the way, happen to be very nice people! He doesn't need my hair because he has magical hair of his own! In fact, he's not even a thief; he's a prince!"
"A prince?" Ambrose was in a fit of hysterics. She let out one last guffaw before saying, "This is why you never should have left. This whole 'romance' you've invented just proves you're too naïve to be here. Why else would he want to be with you? To get to know you better? You really think this will end in a lovey-dovey relationship like in those ridiculous fairytales you always read?"
"Well, maybe…" Selena looked down, shamefaced. Why did her sister always insist on crushing her dreams?
Ambrose scoffed. "Don't be a dummy and come back home with me." She held out her arms for Selena.
"NO!" Selena shouted. "I won't!" She would not allow her sister to take this away from her. So far, she had already proved her sister's assumption were very wrong. She wasn't going to leave now when she was having so much fun. And she was definitely not going to let her sister get in the way of the only happiness she will possibly have in her life. She was going to stand her ground. Lupe stood happily by her side. She'd never seen this side of her companion, and she was happy to see that Selena was finally taking charge in her life.
"No?" By the look in her eyes, Selena was serious. She had never seen that look in her eyes before. She knew then that she wouldn't be able to convince her sister to leave at this point. She glanced back and forth from her sister to the wolf as she reached her final decision. "Fine. I see how it is. I guess Selena knows best. Selena's mature enough to take care of herself, is she?"
Selena looked at her sister charily. "What are you…?"
"If you're so sure that this boy loves you, then give him this." Ambrose tossed something shiny at Selena.
The younger girl's eyes widened when she saw the crown in her hands. "How did you…"
"This is the reason why he ran off to Luna with you in the first place, Selena. If it wasn't for your hair, I'm sure he would've left a long time ago. Go ahead. Give him the crown and see how fast he'll leave you."
Selena frowned. "I will! Flynn does love me, and I know he won't leave me for this stupid crown! He has no reason to lie to me!"
"Put him to the test if you're so sure." Ambrose tossed the satchel to her as well. "But if he's lying, don't come crying to me."
"Ambrose, wait…!"
Before she could get another word out, the older woman disappeared. That was another quirk about Ambrose Selena hated: the woman was really good at ending the conversation first.
Selena sighed as she looked down at the crown. "What if she's right?" she asked aloud. That was what she feared the most: Ambrose being right for once. Even though her older sister was always wrong—but she'd never admit it if her life depended on it—she was afraid that one day, she could be right.
Lupe nudged her leg and shook her head. She didn't want Selena to listen to her sister. They both knew how bogus Ambrose's claims were—they lived through them. Flynn had no reason to lie to them. They both knew that, and Selena had no reason to doubt him. Maximus, Jerrod, and Pascal were proof of that.
Selena smiled at her and petted her head. "I guess you're right. Let's go to the docks with the others."
As the young woman and her canine companion walked away, Ambrose and the Thieving Brothers watched, waiting for the plot to commence.
"How long is this going to take?" Marty asked.
"Yeah," Robby said. "What about this 'revenge on Rider' thing you were talking? We won't get our prize if we just sit here!"
"Just be patient, boys," Ambrose said. "All goods things come to those who wait…"
Meanwhile, as Flynn walked to the docks, he couldn't stop thinking about a certain hoary-haired girl. Selena was one of a kind. She was so spirited, willing to try new things; he was the girl of his dreams. She was better than all of those girls his mom always tried to set him up with. When their journey was over, maybe he could take her to Corona so she could meet his family.
Flynn face-palmed himself. I can't do that! She needs to go back home! It was part of the deal. Once this is over, I get the crown and we pretend that this never happened.
He sighed sadly. That plan sounded overrated now that they were here. Flynn didn't want to leave Selena when this was over. He didn't want to be away from her, not when they were having so much fun. He knew she was miserable in that quaint hovel. She couldn't go back there; how could she live if she was stuck in that tiny house all day? She had to be with him.
Flynn was so lost in thought, once he arrived at the docks, he didn't even notice Jerrod pounding on him with questions. "So, how'd it go?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Flynn. It's obvious you have a thing for Selena. What'd you guys do?"
"You make it seem like we did nothing but make out with each other." Jerrod's eyebrow quirked suggestively. "We didn't make out! I just showed her around the village. I took her to the library, showed her the garden, we ate a few cupcakes, and then we danced all day long…"
"How was it?"
"It was…" Flynn could only thing of one word that could describe the day he had with Selena. "… magical."
"You're such a sap."
Flynn punched his arm. "Shut up. So how was your day with Maximus and Pascal?"
Hearing his name, Pascal appeared on Jerrod's shoulder. He chirped happily when the young man scratched his chin. "It was pretty nice, actually. Maximus wouldn't keep his eyes off me, but other than that, he, Pascal and I had a lot of fun touring the village together."
"Really?" Flynn never thought the palace horse could actually be in the category of fun. Maybe being outside the walls of Corona loosened him up a bit.
"Hey, where's Selena, anyway?" Jerrod asked. "It's a quarter to midnight."
"She's coming. She wanted to stay behind for a little bit." As if on cue, Selena and Lupe suddenly came into view. "Did you get us a boat?"
"Yeah, it's that one." Jerrod pointed to a fancy rowboat in front of them. "Got it especially for the couple."
Flynn rolled his eyes. "So I'm guessing you and Maximus are going to stay on land and watch."
"Yep. Do you think it's a good idea to bring that wolf and Pascal along?"
"Selena and Lupe can't be separated, and I'm pretty sure if Lupe's on board, then so is Pascal." The chameleon stuck his tongue out. He wasn't going to admit he had a crush on a dog when he was just a tiny lizard. He climbed onto the prince's shoulder pompously.
"Well, have fun." Jerrod patted his other shoulder before going to the horse.
Flynn turned to see Lupe and Selena, who seemed to be standing anxiously about. When he approached them, Flynn put a hand on her shoulder. "Snow White." She didn't respond. He shook her shoulder a bit. "Hey Snow White, you okay?"
When she was focused, Selena backed away a bit. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she put a stray hair behind her ear. "I was just… lost in thought." She turned away from him to see the boat. Her eyes began glowing with giddy again. "Are we riding that?"
"Yep." Flynn took her hand and helped her on the boat. Once they were all comfortably inside, Flynn began to row them away. Before they could get too far, Flynn called out to Maximus. "Hey Max!" He tossed a bag full of apples onto the dock. Maximus glanced at them shadily. "What? I bought them!… Most of them!" Flynn quickly rowed them away before Maximus could dare to jump into the boat.
"Where are we going?" Selena asked.
"Well, best day of your life? I figured you should have the best seat in the house." Flynn gently set Pascal on the knot that held the ropes before he continued to row them further down the lake.
Flynn kept going until they were in the middle of the lake. By that time, the sky was dark, and the lights from the kingdom were the only things illuminating in night. They two propped their arms on the edge of the boat as they waited for the festival to start. Seeing the kingdom began to remind Flynn of home, which made him homesick again.
He tried to stop thinking about his family by turning his attention back to Selena, who seemed to a bit down. "You know, it's really hard to believe you're okay when you're like this. You're not acting yourself, Snow White. What's wrong?"
Selena sighed before answering. "I'm just… confused, and a bit terrified."
"Why?"
"I've been looking out that window for 18 years, dreaming about what it would feel like once I saw those lights rise in the sky and the lupines float down the river. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"
"I thought the same thing before I left Corona. I never imagined I'd be doing what I've done the past two days. It's been crazy," Flynn laughed, "but it's also been amazing—incredible, to say the least." Flynn suddenly took her hand. "Don't worry, Selena. I've seen these lanterns a thousand times. Trust me; it'll be everything you've ever dreamed of and more."
"What if it is? What do I do then?"
Flynn thought for a moment before answering. "That's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Selena grinned at him, blushing a bit. "Thanks for talking me into this."
Flynn smiled back. "You're welcome."
Then the two sat in silence as they waited for the festival to start.
~oxo~
When the clock reached twelve, King Eugene, Queen Rapunzel, and the rest of the Royal Family were outside where the rest of the village was waiting. Sitting on a pedestal were two lanterns. There were supposed to be three, but since the crowned prince was missing, the family decided to save the third one for when he came home. Once he did, they'd send out into the sky the night of his return to signify his homecoming.
Together, Rapunzel and Eugene took their lantern from its post and pushed it to the sky. Victoria, Rosemarie, Teddy and the rest of the village followed their example. Shortly after, the sky was decorated in a blanket of colorful lanterns.
As they flew away into the neighboring kingdom, Rapunzel sighed. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. Eugene saw this and wiped it away. "This is a happy occasion, Punz. Don't worry. Max will find our boy."
"I know." Rapunzel sighed again. "But wherever he is, I hope he finds our lantern and knows how much we love him."
The king wrapped his arm around his queen as they watched the lanterns float away into the night.
~oxo~
King Thomas and Queen Veronica made their way outside to their garden. A river ran downstream towards the lakes outside the kingdom and flowed into the neighboring kingdom. Waiting for them was a lupine sitting on a pillar. This one was white like the magical one they found to cure their princess the night she was born, but it was lacking the same enchanting quality. This one would be the only white lupine sent out among the thousands of lupines that would be flowing in the river so their lost princess could find it and know that her parents were awaiting her return.
Together, the king and queen of Luna took the delicate flower and set it on the riverbed. From there, it began to slowly drift downriver into the lake. Once the villagers saw it, then they'd send out their own lupines.
Once their flower disappeared down the riverbed, the king shed a tear. Queen Veronica saw this and wiped it away before planting a kiss on his cheek. "We'll find her."
King Thomas took her hand away. "I hope so." He went back inside, not bothering to say another word.
Queen Veronica sighed. She knew he was losing hope. It was evident in his eyes. If their little girl wasn't found soon, then there would be no hope left.
~oxo~
The night was still young as Flynn and Selena waited for the lanterns and flowers to appear. As they waited, Selena picked flowers from Flynn's hand and set them in the lake. She had saved some flowers from the garden she arranged earlier that day, and she couldn't think of a better time to use them than at this moment.
When Selena set down a morning glory, she noticed something glinting in the reflection of the water. When she realized it wasn't a star, she looked up at the sky and lanterns were appearing.
All those days, watching from the windows,
All those years, outside looking in,
All that time, never even knowing,
Just how blind I've been
Selena quickly sped to the other side of the boat, making it rock back and forth, to see the parade of lights floating through the sky. She leaned over at the boat, admiring the view. Then she looked back down at the lake and saw that the lupines were already surrounding their boat. It was like a tiny parade of purples, blues, and lavenders. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight,
Now I'm here, suddenly I see,
Standing here, it's, oh, so clear,
I'm where I'm meant to be
Selena was awestricken. For the past 18 years, she had always seen the lights and the flowers floating outside her window, and for years, she always wanted to see them in a closer light. But she never imagined them to be this incredible. Flynn was right; it was everything she ever dreamed of and more. It was truly magical. She was glad she ran away. If she didn't, she would've missed this wonderful sight.
And Selena wasn't the only one who thought so. Lupe and Pascal stared at the sky and waters together. It was the most incredible sight anyone could see on this very special night.
The colors in the sky and waters mixed together to create a beautiful montage of warm and cold colors. Selena was enticed. She couldn't look away.
And at last I see the light,
And it's like the fog has lifted,
And at last I see the light,
And it's like the sky is new,
And it's warm and real and bright,
And the world has somehow shifted…
However, Selena couldn't help notice that something was off. Behind her, she felt something warm glowing on her back. When she turned around, she gasped. In Flynn's hands were two lanterns. "Happy Birthday, Selena."
All at once, everything is different,
Now that I see you
With anticipation, Selena carefully knelt down in the boat. "Flynn, this is… this is just wonderful."
Flynn shrugged. "This is supposed to be the best day of your life. I thought it'd be boring if we just sat back and watched the action."
Selena paused when she remembered something. "I've got something for you, too." From behind her back, she pulled out the dirty satchel with the crown inside. "I… found it in town… I wanted to give it to you before we got on the boat, but… I was afraid you'd leave. But then I asked myself why should I be afraid? You're a prince. You don't need this need. And we both know you're going to have to go back home, anyway. So it seemed ridiculous that you would leave me just for a stupid crown… right?"
Flynn glanced at the bag for a moment before taking it from her, setting it down, and, surprisingly, kissing her on the cheek. When the prince's warm lips pulled away, he smiled at her once again while caressing her cheek. "You don't need to be afraid, Snow White. I'm not going to leave you. No crown or jewels or anything will convince me otherwise." He brush a strand of hair behind her ear before removing his hand.
Selena blushed, putting a hand to the cheek he pecked. She never felt so… warm before. She also never felt so happy. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. "I knew it."
Flynn wiped the tear away before handing her a lantern. Before she could send hers up to the sky, he stopped her and pulled out a pair of lupines. "I thought we could start our own tradition." Flynn took his lupine and put it on top of his lantern using one of its spikes so it could stay on. Selena glanced at his actions curiously. Before she knew it, the lantern was glowing a bright purple and soon, it started changing into other luminescent colors. Even though they weren't magic, the lupines still had magical qualities of their own. Selena happily did the same to her lantern. She ogled it with adoration. "You ready?" Selena nodded.
Together, the two released their lanterns into the sky.
All those days, chasing down a daydream,
All those years, living in a blur,
All that time, never truly seeing,
Things the way they were
Flynn admired the beautiful night sky. It was like being at home again. He remembered when his mother used to do this with him. It was his 8th birthday. They snuck out of the castle and took one of the boats next to the castile. He remembered how it felt doing those things with his mom before everything changed. It almost felt like tonight, only tonight felt a thousands times better for some reason.
It wasn't the flowers, not even the sight of his homeland's lanterns, but something else. And he had a feeling it had something to do with the white-haired girl ogling at the lanterns beside him.
Now she's here, shining in the starlight,
Now she's here, suddenly I know,
If she's here, it's crystal clear,
I'm where I'm meant to go
As they continued to watch the night, Flynn noticed something white floating in the water. It was a lupine, but it was the only white one among the thousands. The flawless color reminded him of Selena. Once it was by the boat, Flynn carefully took the lupine out of the water. He wiped it off a bit before putting behind Selena's ear. When she felt the flower, she smiled at him before glancing at the festival again.
Flynn couldn't take his eyes off of Selena after that. Everything about this girl was just amazing. Her hair, her eyes, her smile, her personality—he could go on. There was nothing he wanted to do more than be with this girl right now.
"Flynn, look!"
He suddenly tore his gaze away to see what she was pointing at. It was a lantern, but it was different from the others. This one had something on the back of it. As it got closer, Selena leaned over the boat and tried to grab it. Once it was in her hands, she began reading what was written on it. She gave to Flynn, a nervous look on her face. "It's for you."
Flynn took the lantern inquisitively on the back of it, he read, "'We're waiting for you, son. We're waiting with open arms and warm smiles. When you return, there will be no scorning, only laughing and crying. Because when you come back, it won't matter that you ran away. What matters is that you're still our son, and no matter what, we will always love you. Love, your beloved King and Queen of Corona." Flynn bit his lip, resisting the urge to cry. Why now?
"It sounds like they really miss you," Selena said.
"Yeah," was his quiet reply. He blew out the lantern and set it down in the boat before wiping his tears away. "I know that I've made them worried sick. I promised I would return and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Selena sighed sadly. "I know." She should've known Flynn wouldn't be able to stick around forever. He was a prince, after all. He had a family and a kingdom to return to. He couldn't keep them waiting any longer. Flynn was truly a trustworthy guy, which made her love him even more. And that made it more painful knowing he would leave her.
"But," Flynn said as he took her hands into his. "I think they'll understand if I come home a little late." Selena looked at him, a little surprised. He smiled at her with pure adoration. Oh, did he look irresistible.
And at last I see the light,
And it's like the fog has lifted,
And at last I see the light,
And it's like the sky is new,
And it's warm and real and bright,
And the world has somehow shifted…
Flynn gazed into her perfect, lavender eyes. He didn't want to see them without that sparkling glint. Selena squeezed his hands. Even though they surrounded by the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, the only things she could look at right now were his chocolate brown eyes. They were going to make this moment last knowing that they were probably never going to see each other again.
From afar, Pascal and Lupe watched the two as they continued to gaze at each. Pascal leaned against the wolf and sighed. Lupe looked down at him and practically smiled. They knew it was only a matter of time before those two finally decided to come out of their shells. They were in love.
The lanterns and flowers surrounding them beamed as the couple came closer together. Flynn brought a hand back up to her cheek and slowly caressed it. Selena leaned forward, closing her eyes and pursing her lips. She wanted to feel that same warm sensation like she did when he kissed her cheek. She wanted Flynn. She wanted to show him how much she loved him.
Flynn looked down at her lips, then back to her lovely face. Seeing her like this, absolutely glowing, made him want her even more. He loved her, and he was going to prove it. Slowly, the prince began to lean in, anticipating the sweet taste of the young maiden's lips.
All at once, everything is different
Now that I see you…
Now that I…
… See you.
Just as Flynn was about to kiss her, he noticed something behind Selena. On the shore on the other side of the kingdom, he could spot two figures. He recognized them as the Thieving Brothers. The bigger man, Robby, was holding a green lantern while the other brother, Marty, had something glinting and almost sharp-looking in his hand. When they made eye contact with the prince, they began walking away and disappeared behind a boulder.
Flynn frowned. He knew why they were waiting there. They wanted their crown back. He knew he had to return it. It wasn't his to keep, but it wasn't theirs to take, either. But if he didn't return it, then they'd be in even more trouble.
"Flynn?" The prince looked from the shore to the young woman's face. "Is everything okay?" She looked back to the shore where he was staring not too long ago.
"Huh?" Flynn smiled nervously at Selena knowing their romantic moment was now broken. "Oh, yes. Everything's fine." He cleared his throat abruptly. "I just…" He glanced at the satchel sitting next to her. He knew what he had to do.
Selena watched him curiously as he took the oars and began rowing the boat to the shore. Once on land, Flynn pulled the boat further up so it wouldn't float away. He took the satchel that had caused all the trouble. "Flynn, where are you going?" Selena asked.
Flynn couldn't stand to see that look in his eye. "Don't worry. I told you everything is fine. I just…" He looked at the satchel. "I just have to take care of something real fast, okay?"
Selena looked unsure at first, but she knew she could trust Flynn. She smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Flynn smiled back. "Do not leave the boat, no matter what. I'll be back shortly."
Selena watched as Flynn began to walk off. As soon as he was gone, Selena looked at her friends. Pascal and Lupe looked up at her with concern. Lupe began whimpering. Pascal climbed onto her shoulder and squeaked. Selena petted both of their heads. "It's okay, you guys. Flynn'll be back soon." Lupe began to climb out of the boat to follow the prince, but Selena grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her back in. "Stay, Lupe. I'm sure he'll be alright by himself."
Meanwhile, Flynn continued to walk down the shore until he spotted one of the brothers. He knew if the other one was missing, then something had to be up. Before he could go back, he bumped into something bulky behind him. He turned to see the other brother, Robby. He grabbed Flynn and threw him in front of his brother.
"Look who I've found, Marty," Robby said. "Flynn Rider."
Marty smirked. "I believe you have something we want, Rider."
Flynn got up and brushed himself off. "I know. You want the crown, right? Here. Take it." He threw the satchel to the ground. The lost princess's crown fell out it. "I never wanted it in the first place." Marty and Robby stared at the bag indifferently. Flynn cleared his throat awkwardly. "Now that you have the crown back, I guess I'll go—"
Before he knew it, he had bumped into Robby's chest again. "You're not running out on us again, Rider," he snarled.
"What?"
"When we heard the infamous Flynn Rider found something much more valuable than the crown," Marty said, "we just had to snatch that opportunity before it could slip away from us, again." Marty threw down his knife and kicked the crown away as he walked towards Flynn. "We want the girl, instead."
Flynn's eyes widened. They knew about Selena, they knew about her power—and she was still alone on the beach. He had to get to her before they could. But before he could make a move, Robby secured his arms.
"No!" he cried. "You can't have her!"
"I believe you don't have a choice in the matter. You took our fortune away once, Rider. We'd be damned if we let that happen again."
Before he could call out to warn her, Marty knocked the prince into unconsciousness.
~oxo~
Even though she promised to stay in the boat, Selena was getting stiff and bored just sitting around in it, so she and Lupe climbed out. She hugged the bow as she waited Flynn to come back. Lupe's ears suddenly perked up when she heard approaching footsteps. Selena noticed this and saw a dark figure approaching. It had to be Flynn.
She sighed in relief. "I was starting to think you ran off with the crown and left me." Suddenly, the figure split into two. Selena's eyes widened. That wasn't Flynn.
Lupe stood protectively in front of her. She could smell a familiar, nasty scent coming from them. When they were closer, Selena saw that they were the thieves. "You…"
"He did," the bigger one answered.
Selena's eyes dilated. "What? No, he wouldn't leave me. He promised."
The brothers smirked at each other. "See for yourself," the smaller one said, gesturing towards the sea.
Selena's eyes slowly followed his gesture. She saw someone sailing a boat back to the kingdom. She gasped when she recognized the blue vest and blonde hair on the figure. "Flynn?" She ran to the edge of the shore. "Flynn!" she called out to him. He didn't even look back. Even Pascal and Lupe couldn't believe it. Selena's eyes became glossy. "No…"
"A fair trade," Marty said. "A crown for the girl with the magic hair."
Selena stiffened. Flynn told them about her hair. How could he betray her like this? How could he look her in the eye and just lie? Now she was going to be sold by these thieves because he wanted money. He really was a backstabbing thief.
"How much do you think someone would pay for eternal youth?" Robby asked.
"Not to mention everlasting health," Marty added.
Selena's eyes widened when she saw Robby take out a sack. "No," she cried as she backed away. "Please don't. No!"
As the thieves advanced towards her, Lupe ran forward and bit Robby's leg. He yelped out in pain. While they tried to pry off the wolf, Selena ran as fast as she could. However, she was soon dragged back by her hair, which was caught on some branches. "No!"
As she tried to pull her hair free, she heard something like a grunt of pain. Then she heard a familiar, distraught voice shouting her name, "Selena!"
"Ambrose?" As soon as her hair was untangled, Selena ran back to the shore to see her sister holding a hefty piece of wood and the two thieves unconscious. Lupe was sitting on the ground licking her paw as if it were injured. "Lupe!" The wolf barked and limped towards her owner. Selena hugged her and held her paw. "You're hurt." When she tried to wrap her hair around it, the wolf backed away and growled. "Lupe?"
"Oh, my precious baby sister! I'm so glad you're safe!" The young girl was suddenly engulfed in a hug by her older sister. She understood why Lupe had backed away now; she never liked Ambrose, and her saving their lives wasn't going to change that.
"Ambrose, I thought you weren't going to come back," Selena said as she pulled away from the hug.
"I was so worried about you. I followed you and then I saw them attack you!" Ambrose embraced her again. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, Selena. You're just my little sister and I will always be there for you." Selena never felt so happy to see her sister at this moment. Even after making disobeying her and making her worry so much, Ambrose still loved her and would never abandon her like a certain Flynn Rider did.
Selena wrapped her arms around her neck. "Thank you, Sis."
"Now let's go before they come to!"
As her sister ran off, Selena looked back at the water where Flynn had sailed off to. On her shoulder, Pascal squeaked sadly. Not only had he lied to her, but he also left his best friend behind.
I was wrong about him.
Selena slowly turned around. Ambrose was waiting for her with open arms. She wasn't mad, she wasn't upset, she didn't even have that gloating look on her face that told Selena she was wrong. She just stood there and smiled with pure love and acceptance. Without hesitation, Selena ran into her arms and cried, letting out all of her sadness, frustration, and other distraught feelings. Slowly, the two sister began walking back to their cozy little hovel in the forest. And as soon as they got home, all Selena wanted to do was crawl into the covers and forget about the man who broke her heart.
Jerrod sat on the edge of the dock as he and Maximus waited for Flynn, Selena, Pascal, and Lupe to come back. He and Maximus were simply dazzled by the display of lanterns and flowers that illuminated the night. Jerrod could almost describe as… magic. And because there were so many lanterns in their way, they lost track of the boat. Now it was only a matter of time before they came back.
"Where do you think they are, Max?" Jerrod asked. The horse nickered, also wondering the same thing. Where could they have gone?
As if their question was answered, the two suddenly heard shouting from afar. "No! Wait, you guys!"
"Flynn?" Jerrod and Maximus looked over to see the prince being confined by the Luna guards. But Selena wasn't with him.
"Selena!" he called out to her. As he struggled against the guards, they began pulling him further away. "Selena!"
Jerrod looked back at the other side of the water. Selena was out there somewhere, and she was in trouble. Flynn was the only one who knew where she was. They had to set him free.
"Come on, Max. We have to save Flynn." Max was way ahead of him. As soon as Jerrod was on his saddle, white stallion ran as fast as the wind to catch up with the guards who had Flynn Rider. If they didn't catch up to them soon, then Prince Flynnigan Fitzherbert would never see the light of day.
Whoa! This chapter took forever to finish. This story is almost over, people. Just two more chapters to go.
R&R!