I See The Light (A Rapunzel Story)

The Snuggly Duckling

*A week ago*

The young boy and his father, the captain of the guard walked down the halls of the castle. Their footsteps heard from the servants and other guards in the castle.

The captain stopped at the door and knelt down in front of the boy,

"Flynn, I want to make sure you know that I love you." The captain told his son, knowing that this day would change his sweet, loving son. Flynn nodded and looked at his dad. He didn't want to let his father know that he wanted revenge on the King already.

"We are going to get my horse." Flynn heard his father whisper in his ear. Flynn nodded again and they started walking the hall again, everyone avoiding they're former captain of the guard and the young boy that everyone loved.

Once they were out of the doors that led to the stable they quickly walked past the stable boys and to Maximus's stable. The horse looked at them anxiously and stomped his foot quietly. Flynn wondered why they had to be so secret about taking his dad's horse.

The stable boy watched the other horses in the pasture, not knowing that behind him, Maximus, Flynn and his father were riding away from the castle, to a new life.

They rode for a day and a half and ended up finding what Flynn's father was looking for. His father knew that he could not stay with his son knowing that, since they were fired, they had no place to live. Here, at the Snuggly Duckling, a pub where the kingdom's thieves and ruffians hung out or lived.

"Dad, what is this place?" Flynn asked, examining the run down building, built between the trees. The roof looked to be hanging down, which made the walls lean in to each other a little to much.

"This is going to be your new home." His father said sadly getting off of Maximus.

"My new home? What about you?" Flynn grew worried, he was only five! Five!

"I can't stay here son. I'm sorry, but I need to find a job and then I'll come back for you okay." The captain hugged his son one last time and stepped backwards heading towards the forest.

That's the last Flynn saw of his father. That's when him and Maximus walked up to the building that called itself "The Snuggly Duckling".

*Now*

A month had passed since the funeral and Flynn had not intended the Queen's funeral inside the castle instead he stayed outside where people mourned their queen and talked in small groups, the air even seemed sad. He stayed in the shadows and would walk by strangers with patched clothes he had stolen from "The Snuggly Duckling's" blinds. His hands would sneak all kinds of the Queen's favorite food and strangers bracelets and watches.

After the day was done he had returned to his now home and emptied out his treasures. He had gotten praised of course but he still didn't think it did him justice to the thoughts in his head.

Still being five he wasn't sure what to do with his life. The people at The Snuggly Duckling enjoyed his and Maximus will to live there. Flynn brought in goodies and food and Maximus added horse power. They're defiantly groups of people that had established themselves over the years. Flynn had allowed himself to stick with a group of three ruffians.

There was Joseph, who was short and heavier set, with a hook for a hand, Felix the mime, he was kind of weird and didn't say anything, then there was Andy, he was a tall man with a dream to find someone to love him. He always talked about the group of ladies that also stole but from richer people. Flynn preferably liked Joseph better because he played piano with one hand!

They had taught him a lot over the past month and he was just thankful he had food and a bed to sleep in. But he also liked having his dad's horse, which on nights he was feeling blue, couldn't sleep or missed his dad, he would lay with Maximus in the little fences in area that he had built in the back of the building he now called home.

Now Flynn had grown a little popularity in the pub, the older ladies who stayed their would brush his hair and made sure he bathed. His brown hair was getting long and he needed it cut. He didn't like it itching at the back of his neck.

He sat at the edge of the cliff staring over the ridge that dropped down to a deathly drop. There was a tree that he wasn't strong enough to push down yet, when he was he would knock it down over the cliff and walk over it and get away from the kingdom. His memories. Maximus lay beside him, his long white horse tail making the flies fly away.

"Do you think we will ever get away Maximus?" Flynn asked his horse. The horse twitched his ears and blinked. "I hope so to buddy." Flynn knee his dad's horse listened to him, because Maximus also lost Flynn's father.

*Five years later*

The Snuggly Duckling family had gotten smaller and some of the people either left or got taken to jail, the king was changing the kingdom, making it harder for some people to stay.

Flynn was now ten and was teaching the three other kids on a quick lesson on "now not to get caught". The three kids were younger than Flynn.

Rose was a short red headed girl, she was 8. Adam was 6, his black hair and tall legs, helped him sneak in the shadows. Then there was Gabby, she was beautiful, she was also a month younger than Flynn, and Flynn would always remind her of that. All three of their parents had come to the Snuggly Duckling to live out their stealing dreams. 

The three kids listened to Flynn because they didn't have a choice really. Flynn was a good leader, and he could make his voice sound like his dad when he had barked orders to the other guards.

"Remember you can't get caught again, it's been a long time since we've had guards come along wanting a drink and the last thing we want is for someone to recognize you." Flynn looked in each one of the other kids eyes, winking at Gabby, what could he say, he had become a big flirt over the last five years. Gabby rolled her blue eyes and tightened her blonde hair ponytail.

"Don't let me remind you of what happened to poor Joseph's hand" Joseph says, walking over to the group, patting Flynn on the back, "Andy, wants you." Joseph tells Flynn, "I'll take it from here." Flynn nods and walks away heading towards Andy's group. The kids all repeated what Joseph had told them after Flynn had left.

"Where are we at?"
"The Snuggly Duckling!"