Here we are with the second half of In Like Flynn.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled. I only own this story idea.
Eugene and Frederic reached Equis within hours, the former using a telescope to survey the area. As Rapunzel said, hundreds of guards were around, from the roof to the grounds below.
Eugene put the spyglass down. "So, Your Majesty," He said, reaching behind him to pull out a scroll. "I've drawn up this map based upon the brilliant way I got into Castle Equis before to show you how this is gonna go down." Frederic emerged from the bushes, leaning over the map as he went on. "All we need to do is borrow a couple of uniforms and waltz right through the front door! Eh?"
"We're not doing that," He denied after looking over.
"We're not?" Eugene asked slowly.
"Eugene, as king, I've received top military training." King Frederic looked at him. "After studying this map, I can say with certainty that what is required here is stealthy ingress." He tapped a spot on the map. "And this is the perfect spot to do it!"
"The northeast tower?" The former thief questioned skeptically. "The heavily guarded, impossibly fortified northeast tower?"
"No one will expect it…" He grinned slyly, moving backward into the bushes.
Eugene didn't reply as he looked back at the castle, unconvinced by this idea.
(Meanwhile)
Back in Corona, Varian stepped into Rapunzel's room while the Princess sat at her window, still unhappy about being left out. She huffed before hugging her knees. "What's so fun about pranks, anyway?" She asked as Cass went around the room, watering her plants.
"Mostly, the look on the other person's face when they realize what's happening," The lady-in-waiting stepped up to her.
"Sooo, it's supposed to surprise people?" Rapunzel asked, perking up since she liked surprises.
"Well, it's more like a joke," She explained as the Princess rose. "But only the person responsible for it thinks it's funny."
"Like King Trevor," Varian rolled his eyes.
"Oh. So, like the jokes my dad tells," Rapunzel looked over at Cass.
"Noooo," She rolled her eyes, almost laughing at how bad the King's jokes were. "There's more to it than that. You need to get somebody to expect one thing and then do something unexpected instead. It's basically entertainment for morons."
"Or people who think they have too much time on their hands," Varian remarked. "Seriously, adults are allowed to prank, but you would think a king would have more self-respect."
"Yeah, and he wonders why he's the laughingstock of the Seven Kingdoms," Cass agreed.
"Say, while we're on this topic, do you girls know where Eugene and the King are off to? I saw them leaving the castle earlier, and the King was wearing all black."
"Oh, my dad wanted Eugene to steal the Royal Seal of Equis, so he must have gone with him," Rapunzel said.
Varian's eyes widened in shock. "… They're doing what?!"
Cass nearly dropped her watering can in surprise.
"Eugene said it was the official royal prank, so he said it was… mostly legal," The Princess continued, wondering why her friends seemed worried.
"No, it's not," Varian shook his head.
"Okay," Cassandra chuckled nervously as she put the can down. "This is taking the whole thing a bridge too far."
"That's the understatement of the year, Cass," The alchemist added. "Sneaking into another kingdom to vandalize a statue is one thing, but the Seal…"
"So, this is a bad prank?" The Princess surmised from their reactions.
"It's worse than that. King Trevor's so protective of that seal he'd declare war with Corona to get it back." The alchemist explained.
Rapunzel grimaced. "Okay, yeah, that's bad."
"I can't believe Eugene's going along with this…" Varian facepalmed.
"Well, he really wanted to impress my dad…" The Princess said.
"He's going to end up in Equis prison, along with your dad. Trevor's an overgrown child, but he's not an idiot."
"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do now," Cass said. "By now, they're probably within Equis's borders, so we can't reach them without calling attention to King Trevor."
"There has to be something!" Rapunzel stressed, worried about her dad and boyfriend.
"Okay, let's go tell your mom what's going on. Maybe she'll know what to do," Her handmaiden assured her before leading the Princess out of the room.
Varian watched them go before looking out the window. The sun was going down, so it would be dark soon. Knowing the girls would be distracted, he decided this would be a good chance for the Phantom to visit Equis…
(Back in Equis)
A group of guards walked past two bushes, where Frederic popped his head up moments later. "All is clear," he whispered, Eugene looking up in response. "Just follow my lead." The King hid again and picked up the bush before walking behind the guards. Eugene reluctantly followed him, having serious doubts about this plan. He then noticed an outhouse up ahead.
"Your Highness," He called out, but Frederic didn't hear as the former thief stopped before the door opened to reveal a guard. Fanning himself, the guard's eyes widened when he saw a bush move in front of him. Suspicious, he put his hat on and grabbed his halberd before following it. Acting quickly, Eugene snuck up behind him and pulled the guard into the bush, knocking him out. The former thief stepped out of the bush, wearing the guard's uniform.
Gathering himself, Eugene looked up and spotted more guards. They didn't see anything unusual but were also heading in their direction. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He ran to where the King was still moving, trying to hide him. "Oh, boy," Looking around, he ran over and pulled a horse in front of the bush, leaning on him casually as he fed the steed a carrot. "Heh, heh, heh… hello, guards." Eugene waved as they walked by, looking in his direction but not thinking it was noteworthy.
King Frederic soon reached the wall, bursting out of his disguise. "Yes! There. See? Easy," He turned around and saw Eugene's outfit. "Eugene, I thought I said the guard uniforms were unnecessary," He remarked, hands on his hips. "Come on!" He jumped out of the bush and scooched along the wall as if camouflaged.
"Oh, yeah, no, don't mind me," Eugene smiled broadly as he removed his hat. "I'm just gonna scream into this for a little bit." He screamed in frustration into his hat, startling the horse enough to stop chewing. Eugene then put his hat back on and left, the horse watching him go with wide eyes as he resumed eating his carrot.
(Later that night)
The two climbed up the tower, some rocks falling onto the former thief courtesy of the King, causing him to cry out in pain. "Quiet, Eugene!" He continued climbing, slamming Eugene into the bricks before dragging him the rest of the way as the younger male groaned.
Soon, they found a way inside. Frederic dusted himself off as Eugene descended a flight of stairs, holding his cheek before checking the hall. Peeking around the corner, he saw two guards heading their way. He cringed as they turned and walked through a doorway.
"Okay, follow my le–" he started to say when he turned to Frederic. His eyes widened in dismay as the King began rolling on the floor, unsubtly thanks to the grunt he let when he failed before running off. "Really?" Eugene deadpanned.
"What was that?" The guards peeked out the door, getting the former thief's attention.
"Better check it out."
Eugene quickly dug into his pockets, taking out two gold coins. He threw them over the guards' heads, causing them to think it was in the opposite direction. "This way!" They turned and followed the sound, leaving the intruders alone.
Eugene looked to see Frederic on the floor in a different entryway. When he realized the guards were gone, he gave the younger man a thumbs up. "They didn't spot me," He said as he got up before going down the stairs behind him. "Aha! Let's move out."
Eugene watched him go before groaning into his hands as he followed him. "You love Rapunzel, you love Rapunzel, you love Rapunzel…"
(Outside)
In the woods around Equis Castle, a group of wolves darted through the trees, approaching the castle. A familiar black wolf with blue eyes soon stopped at a ledge overlooking the stronghold, and a white wolf stopped beside him. In a fluid motion, the wolf turned into Varian, now dressed in a dark blue version of his old shirt, a black vest, black pants, and black traveling boots. His gloves and goggles remained, and he carried his satchel over his shoulder.
"Thank you for the escort, Whitefang," He smiled at the wolf. "I'll be fine from here." Whitefang nodded as he said something else to Varian that only he could understand. "I will, and congratulations on your first litter." Whitefang nodded, eyes sparkling at the thought of his pups before he and his wolves retreated into the darkness.
Now alone, Varian slid down the incline to a ledge below, crouching down as he took a telescope from his bag to observe the grounds below. "Whoa…" He murmured as he saw the guards around. "They weren't kidding about Trevor's guards…" He lowered the scope and glanced at his bag. "I hope I brought enough knockout gas."
Thinking over his options, Varian contemplated his next move. While he remembered Eugene's last heist, which involved dressing up a guard and walking inside, there's a chance they didn't use that since King Trevor would've been expecting it again. Besides, Frederic was recognizable, so stealth would've been critical.
That led to the next problem: How did they enter the castle? Any path to the Seal would take them past hundreds of guards… Varian's eyes widened as he slowly looked toward the northeast tower, his hair stripe and eyes glowing as a vision came to his mind. He saw the King and Eugene climbing up the building and threw the window at the top.
Varian blinked, and the glowing stopped along with the vision. "So, that's what he meant…" He muttered, remembering Whitefang told him to 'listen to the moon.' "Anyway, how to get in there without being seen…"
His regular phantom costume would stand out too much because of the cloak. He needed something that would thoroughly blend in with the shadows. Getting an idea, he focused on his powers and envisioned the concept of light-weight, all-black armor that completely covered his body with slits in the helmet for him to see. His rocks spread over him as he imagined the armor forming precisely as he wanted. "Hmm," Varian hummed, wiggling his fingers to test the armor. "This will work."
With that, he headed out into the cover of darkness, heading for the tower. Varian put his new armor to the test when he reached the courtyard. Guards walked by, and Varian stood perfectly still, grinning under his helmet as they walked past him. He moved across the garden (Varian stopped curiously when he saw some bushes out of place, especially since there was a naked guard in one of them), and every time a guard passed, he froze and passed unseen.
When he reached the tower, Varian considered how he would get inside. He could use his moonlight abilities but didn't want the guards to see him. Deciding to get physical, Varian placed his hands on the wall and created a ladder of black rocks up the side of the building. Once done, he climbed up, noting in surprise that he seemed faster than usual. Soon, Varian climbed through a window and into the tower. He then retracted the rocks back into the stone like they were never there.
He descended the stairs to the hall where the King and Eugene had been. He looked around the corner and saw two guards walking down the hall. Watching them closely, the moment the guards looked away, he dashed across the hall just before the guards looked behind them. Sighing in relief when they didn't come looking, Varian went down another set of stairs, knowing instinctively where Eugene and King Frederic were.
(With Eugene and the King)
Frederic and Eugene had finally reached the doors they were looking for. The King sighed, relishing the moment. "Ah… the royal seal room. How do you like that, Eugene?" He turned to the other as he walked up. "Told ya," He slapped Eugene on the back, startling him as he knocked his hat off, revealing twigs and leaves in his hair. "Flawless plan."
Still annoyed, Eugene silently removed the twig, using it to pick the lock. He opened it with ease, and they stepped into the room. It mainly was paintings of King Trevor, but something was covered at the end of the room.
Eugene cringed nervously as Frederic sighed in happiness. "Ahh… Behind that curtain lies the Royal Seal of Equis," He said as his shadow fell over the curtains. Eugene watched nervously as King Frederic pulled the shade aside, chortling. "Oh-ho-ho, sweet revenge!"
Eugene opened his mouth in shock… to find an actual seal wearing a crown and collar lying on soft, plushy pillows in front of them. It let out a sleepy bark at them, but not loud enough to alert the guards.
"It's a seal…" He said in disbelief.
"Indeed," Frederic smiled, hands on his hips. "The Royal Seal… of Equis!"
The seal barked again as if responding to the title.
"It's a seal seal!" Eugene said in exasperation. "Not a royal seal!"
"It is a seal seal owned by a king!" King Frederic defended sternly. "Thus, a royal seal." He stepped up to the sea animal, who just barked as the King gestured to him with a hum. "Hm?"
"You have got be kidd–" He said in disbelief before pinching the bridge of his nose, completely done with all of this. "You know what? You know what? At this point, never mind!" The King and the seal glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, wondering what his problem was. "Just grab your end, and let's get out of here!" He said as he moved behind the seal to pick it up.
"I take it this prank isn't going well."
Everyone jumped in surprise as they whipped around to the door, now closed and barricaded with a long black pole. Leaning against it with their arms crossed as a figure covered from head to toe in black except for their eyes.
"Who are you?!" The King demanded, seeing they were trapped.
"Perhaps this will clear things up," They stepped away from the door, standing in the light of the windows before he transformed. Within seconds, his black attire transformed into the familiar costume of the Moonlight Phantom.
"Phantom." Frederic glared at the vigilante.
"Your Majesty." Moonlight looked back at him, unimpressed.
"What are you doing here?" The King questioned.
"Believe it or not, I'm here to help you."
"Help me?" Frederic raised an eyebrow doubtfully.
"Let's just say your daughter got greatly concerned when she found out you decided to commit a war crime for a prank!" The vigilante explained, blunt and irritated.
"War crime's a bit strong, don't ya think?" Eugene asked, becoming nervous.
"Given how protective Trevor is of that seal, no, war crime fits perfectly!" The Phantom retorted before looking back at the King. "Honestly, what were you thinking?! Vandalizing statues was one thing, but this is too much!"
"This is a matter of national pride! I cannot allow Trevor to continue making a fool of Corona!" King Frederic argued.
"You could've been the bigger person and let him keep embarrassing himself! No one takes him seriously anyway!" Moonlight argued before turning to Eugene. "And I'm amazed you went along with this! I thought Flynn Rider doesn't do kidnappings?"
"Okay, first of all, I didn't even know the Seal was literally a seal! I thought it was a pin or plague!" Eugene defended himself.
"And you've been to Equis before?" He threw up his hands in exasperation.
"I wasn't after the Seal that time! Even as a thief, I knew better than to go after it!"
"Wait a minute," Frederic held up his hands, looking at Eugene. "If you didn't want to go after the Seal, why did you agree to the task?"
"One, you're the king. No one says no to the king," Moonlight held up his fingers to count off. "Two, you're the father of his girlfriend and someone he wants to be in the good graces of, and he thinks you don't take him seriously."
Frederic was about to say something when the younger male's words registered. "Wha–" He looked at Eugene, who turned away from the King. "Eugene, son, is that true?"
The former thief sighed tiredly, not facing the man. "Cass told me what your 'take it under advisement' answer means. I thought this prank could be my chance for you to take me seriously, and I was starting to get frustrated when I wasn't able to do that…" Eugene explained as he walked over and dropped to the floor beside the seal. "I know, it was dumb."
Realizing something, Frederic walked over and put his hand on the disappointed man's shoulder as he sat down. "You know, there are many things I fail to take seriously. Eugene, Son…" He turned to the younger man. "You brought my daughter home after eighteen long years." Eugene was quiet, as Frederic stated thoughtfully, "If there's one man in the whole world I take very seriously… it's you."
His face brightened up in surprise. "… Wow. Thanks… Your Majesty," Eugene smiled, feeling slightly better before asking. "Can I ask then why-why didn't you listen to my ideas?"
"You know, I suppose sometimes I let good ones slip through the cracks," He admitted sheepishly. "I should've given your plan more consideration." They smiled at each other.
"What you should've done is stay in Corona, but that's not the point now," the Moonlight Phantom said as he listened through the door for any signs of guards.
"Phantom, we're having a moment," Eugene deadpanned.
"We're also neck deep in someone else's castle," He retorted, looking back at them.
"As much as I hate to say it, the Phantom's right," Frederic agreed begrudgingly as they got up. "We should get out of here before we're seen."
"What about the Seal?" Eugene asked, looking to see that the seal had climbed out of its bed.
The Phantom sighed heavily after a minute before returning to the other two. "Alright, if you insist on this prank… I have a different idea that doesn't involve this poor creature becoming your collateral." He gestured to the Royal Seal, who barked quietly as it waddled up to him.
"Are you sure?" Eugene looked at him in surprise.
"If it means shutting Trevor up."
"Hm…" King Frederic thought it over. "What do you have in mind?"
They could almost see the smirk under his mask.
(A short time later)
A couple of guards walked past the door to the seal room. "Please, listen, Your Majesty! This plan will not work!" They heard Eugene call out. The guards ran to the door and burst into the room, which was no longer barricaded, but all they found was the Seal in its bed, not realizing it was faking sleep.
As the guards looked around, they didn't realize Frederic, Eugene, and the Moonlight Phantom (Now back in his black disguise) were hiding in the chandelier overhead. The vigilante watched closely, summoning a pink orb in his hand.
Frederic turned to the rogue. "Alright, what now?"
"Follow my lead," He replied. Looking at the guards below, seeing six now, he dropped the pink orb onto them. Pink smoke billowed up as they yelped in shock when they were encased in pink goo.
"What is this stuff?!"
"Where did it come from?!"
"We need back-up in here!"
"Care to tell us why we are drawing their attention?" Eugene whispered frantically.
"Wait for it." He whispered back.
More guards came running in, and the vigilante dropped another goo bomb, trapping them. He kept it up at least three more times as Eugene and Frederic watched guards become trapped and disoriented. By that point, there were enough guards to form a battalion, all still calling for help and answers to what was happening.
"Still waiting for the plan, kid," Eugene commented.
"Any minute now…" He whispered.
"What is the meaning of this?!" The Moonlight Phantom grinned as a pompous man dressed in elaborate robes and jewelry entered.
"Trevor." Frederic sneered quietly.
"Now we get down to business," The Phantom said, summoning a small platform of moonlight beside him.
"What are you all doing?!" King Trevor demanded before he poked at the pink goo. "And what is this?!"
"We don't know! It just came from nowhere!" A guard responded.
Moonlight set three knockout orbs on the platform before turning to the other males. "When I say three, hold your breath." He whispered before paying attention to the commotion below. "One… two… three."
At three, he made the platform disappear, and the orbs dropped onto the group below. Before the pompous man could realize what was happening, the room became engulfed in green smoke. They heard several people collapse, and once the smoke cleared, Moonlight glowed as he hovered down and went to secure the doors.
Eugene and King Frederic climbed down the grappling hook rope and looked around in awe. King Trevor and all the guards in the room were sound asleep. Even the seal came out of its nest to look at the unconscious humans curiously.
"Okay…" Eugene turned to the magic teen. "What now?"
He gestured to the King, "Go crazy, Your Majesty."
King Frederic's eyes widened before shining with possibilities. Oh, this was going to be fun…
(Later)
After some consideration, Frederic chose to have the guards stripped down to their underwear and locked in the dungeon. They also painted the portrait in the Royal Seal room with Corona Suns, wrote "CORONA RULES!" on the wall, and left a sign on the seal's (called Trevor Jr on the collar) bed that said "out to lunch" before leading him out of the room with them. Any guards they didn't catch, the trio worked together to either lock them in a room or knock them out. As for King Trevor, he was given the same treatment as his men, with the added insult of a jester's hat, before they tied him to his own statue outside. After adding a sign that said "CORONA RULES!" around his neck and letting Trevor Jr. out at the ocean, they all fled into the night.
The older men stifled their laughter until they were far from the castle. Once alone, they burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support as they shook. "That was… an excellent prank!" King Frederic managed between laughter.
"Oh man!" Eugene laughed harder. "I wish we could see the looks on his face! What do you think, kid–?" He turned to the Phantom, only to stop when they realized their third person was gone. "Man, how does he do that?"
"I have no idea," Frederic said before sighing. "Well, as much as I would like to see Trevor's humiliation, and I truly do, I don't think we should leave Rapunzel to worry all night."
"I agree, Your Majesty," Eugene nodded. "If we leave now, we should get back by morning."
"Then, let's not dawdle." Frederic agreed as they began the long walk home. "Despite the rough start, I would call this heist successful, wouldn't you?"
"I would, Your Majesty. I would," Eugene agreed. They were silent for a minute before the former thief spoke up. "Your Majesty, if I may ask, this business with the Moonlight Phantom? What do you think of him?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I know he's a wanted man back in Corona, but I don't think he's such a bad guy. I mean, he helped us when Lady Caine attacked the coronation, he helped us catch an art thief, and he saved Cass and me from the Stabbingtons. He even helped Rapunzel when she and Monty were having a feud."
"Really?" Frederic's eyes widened, having not known about the last one with Rapunzel.
"All I'm saying is, maybe he's not as bad as you think." Eugene summarized.
The King was silent for a minute, humming as he thought over his words. "Perhaps… you're right, Eugene. Tonight has definitely given me something to think about." His response made Eugene smile slightly, knowing this was a step forward for both parties.
As they left, they didn't see Varian hang back and watch them go. He smiled gratefully at Eugene for standing up for him before sinking silently into the ground.
(The Next Morning)
They returned to Corona with smug smiles. Frederic clapped the former thief on the back, making him stumble a bit before smiling at him.
When they reached the castle, though, they stopped short… the archway was decorated with graffiti of animals, leaves, birds, and everything in between, and it all suspiciously looked like Rapunzel's art style. "Oh my…" Eugene murmured.
Rapunzel suddenly ran out. "Dad! Eugene!" She cried, catching them both in a surprise hug. "Thank goodness, I was so worried about you two!"
"Welcome back safe and sound!" Varian greeted them back in his nice day clothes.
"Yes, thank you," Frederic nodded to the boy before focusing on his daughter. "I'm sorry I worried you, darling."
"Me, too, Blondie," Eugene agreed as she pulled back.
"It's okay, just… next time, think a prank through before you do it," Rapunzel requested.
"You got it, Sunshine," Eugene promised.
"Of course, Rapunzel," Frederic smiled at his daughter before looking at the archway. "And what is this…?"
"Oh!" Rapunzel gasped. "I was worried about you two, and Cass thought I needed a distraction. So, she was teaching me about pranks. This was my recent try," She explained. "What do you think?"
Her father shrugged. "Well, I was surprised when I saw the artwork."
"If I may say, Your Majesty?" Varian spoke up. "I think we should keep it. It doesn't affect structural integrity, isn't too disruptive, and embodies the grace Corona is known for."
"I agree with Varian," Eugene smiled. "I know the archway is supposed to convey strength and security, but I don't see why it can't have a touch of color. And this adds a nice Rapunzel touch, don't you think?"
"Besides, if Equis can be intimidating with a green and gold castle, we can certainly add flair to the archway." The alchemist added.
King Frederic looked over the drawings thoughtfully. "You know… they're right," He smiled at Rapunzel, who smiled back in surprise. "Let's keep it." He patted her shoulder and walked inside, Cass bowing her head slightly as he passed her.
"Wow… Thank you, Dad!" Rapunzel smiled. She then kissed her boyfriend on the cheek before hugging Varian. "Thanks, guys!" The Princess then ran after her dad, Cassandra following behind her.
"Hey, thanks for the save, kid…" Eugene walked over to Varian. "Again."
Varian smiled at him. "No more heists?"
"Can't make promises, but I'll try," Eugene agreed as they walked inside.
Varian chuckled. "Looks like her dad likes you now."
"Yup."
"And I'm glad the 'abduction' didn't happen," Varian added. "Is that personal or just one of Flynn Rider's rules?"
"Hm, I little bit of both…" Eugene sighed. "When you grow up in an orphanage… I dunno, the thought of putting people in danger like that, especially kids…"
"… Tell me more?" Varian asked after a minute.
Eugene blinked. "More of what?"
"Your past. I know a lot about the Flynn Rider character and your past as Flynn Rider, but I'd like to learn more about Eugene Fitzherbert." Varian smiled.
Eugene chuckled a bit as he put his arm around the younger male's shoulders. "Well, I guess I can give you some backstory. I was brought to an orphanage before I was old enough to crawl…" He began to tell his story, Varian listening intently.
(Meanwhile)
Frederic walked into his chambers with a thoughtful look on his face. As he sat down, he couldn't help thinking over something from last night.
The Moonlight Phantom has used alchemy back in Equis, and the only alchemist around… King Frederic shook his head at the thought. Alchemy wasn't definitive proof. Just because Varian is an alchemist doesn't make him the Phantom. There were others out there, and there may be more in Corona who are more guarded about their practice.
Besides, Arianna had asked him a moment ago if he had taken any of Varian's alchemy for the prank. Apparently, the lad had noticed some of his goo bombs were missing when he checked his lab this morning. Then again, why the Phantom would need alchemy with his powers was…
Frederic hummed quietly as he looked out the window, fatigue setting in from being up all night. "I'll sleep on it for now…"
And that's the end of this chapter. Next up, it'll be time for the Great Expotation chapters.