"Why can't you climb down yourself?" Flynn asked as he made his way down, Jaylyn holding tightly to his legs.

"Don't like heights. Hurry up."

He let out a heavy sigh, grunting as he tried to pull out of the tower.

Glancing upward, she called, "You comin', Blondie?"

Richie took a few steps out, gripping tightly to the hair that was hooked over. He looked down at the grass beneath him, taking in a deep breath.

Richie:
Look at the world, so close and I'm halfway to it
Look at it all, so big, do I even dare?
Look at me there at last, I just have to do it

"Should I? No."

Richie:
Here I go

He took his hair and threw it out over the two's heads. Flynn looked down at it, then back up, letting out a cry as he ducked just as Richie flew down, grinning as he rode. When he saw just how close the ground was, he stopped, eyes wide. Slowly, carefully, he touched the grass with his toes, then put his whole foot down. Laughing with relief and joy, he put the other one down.

Richie:
Just smell the grass, the dirt, just like I dreamed they'd be

He lied down, rubbing himself against it. Looking up, he saw a dandelion blow in the breeze.

Richie:
Just feel that summer breeze; the way it's calling me

He got up to chase the wisps, startled when he dropped suddenly. Looking down, he saw that he had stepped on a stream.

Richie:
For the first time ever, I'm completely free!

He cupped the water in his hands and threw it up into the air, letting it dampen him.

Richie:
I could go running
And racing
And dancing
And chasing
And leaping
And bounding
Hair flying
Heart pounding
And splashing
And reeling
And finally feeling
Now's when my life
Be
Gins!

"I can't believe I did this!" he cheered, bouncing. "I can't believe I did this. I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS!" He stopped, grabbing his head in realization. "Mother would be so furious."

-

He looked at the fawna he had in his hands. "That's okay, though. What she doesn't know won't kill her, right?"

-

"Oh my gosh, this will kill her..." His knees were being hugged to his chest as he moaned.

-

"THIS IS SO FUN!" He kicked up a pile of leaves in Jaylyn's face by accident. Not noticing, he kept running around.

-

His head pressed against a tree, he mumbled, "I am a horrible son. I'm going back."

-

"I AM NEVER GOING BACK!" He rolled down the hill, giggling, wrapped up in his hair.

-

"I AM A DESPICABLE HUMAN BEING."

Jaylyn rolled her eyes as she glanced at Richie facedown in the grass.

-

"WHOOOOO! BEST! DAY! EVER!"

Flynn had his arms crossed by the tree as Richie swung around, Jaylyn on one of the branches, watching him.

-

Richie had his face buried in his hands as he cried softly, not realizing Flynn and Jaylyn were watching. Glancing at each other, they kept trying to push the other in his direction until Flynn finally pressed his hands against her back and ran as he pushed, then ran away quickly. Groaning and silently vowing revenge, she awkwardly cleared her throat and stated, "You know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here."

He looked up at her, sniffling, big, green eyes glassy. "Really...?"

"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces: overprotective mother, forgotten road trip, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscious. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure? That's good. Healthy, even." Not taking her eyes off of Richie, Jaylyn casually flicked Pascal off of her shoulder.

He tried to laugh it off. "You think...?"

"I know." She leaned in closer to him, trying to use her charm again. "She's hot mother deserve it? No. Will this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course. But you just gotta do it."

Guilt on his face, he gripped his hair. "Break her heart...?"

Jaylyn picked a berry off of a bush. "In half."

"Crush her soul...?"

Smushing it between her fingers, "Like a grape."

He ignored her smartass remarks. "She would be heartbroken, wouldn't she...? You're right."

"I am, aren't I?" she sighed, pretending to feel as guilty as he did. Finally, "Oh, bother, alright. I can't believe I'm saying this, but...we're letting you out of the deal."

"What?" Richie and Flynn demanded.

"We need that satchel!" Flynn snapped at her.

"I know, I know." She wrapped her arm around Richie as if you protect him. "And he'll give it to us. Let's just turn around and get this little sucker home. Here's your pen, your frog." She handed them both to him, Pascal groaning at being called a frog. "We get back out satchel, you get back a mother/son relationship based on unlikely trust and voilá! We part as unlikely friends."

"No!" He got out of her grasp, demanding, "I am seeing those lanterns!"

Angered, she yelled back, "Oh, come on! What's it gonna take to get my satchel back!"

Pointing the frying pan at her, Richie threatened, "I will use this."

Something moved in the bushes. Jumping behind Jaylyn, he grabbed onto her shoulders and held out his frying pan. "Is it ruffians?! Thugs?! Have they come for me?!"

While he shook behind her, tense, a bunny jumped out.

With an unamused look, Jaylyn deadpanned, "Stay calm. It can probably smell fear."

Richie stepped back, trying to laugh it off. "Sorry. Getting just a little bit...jumpy..."

Jaylyn smiled back at him. "Probably best if we avoid ruffians and thugs, though."

"Yeah," he agreed. "That's probably best."

But the moment was interrupted when she heard Flynn ask, "Are you hungry? I know a great place for lunch."

"Where?"

"Oh, don't worry. You'll know it when you smell it," he promised as he pushed the blond along, winking at Jaylyn.

-

Mother Gothel gasped when a horse stopped in front of her suddenly, letting out an annoyed sigh when she realized what it was. "Oh, a Palace Horse," she scoffed before her grey eyes got wide. "Where's your rider...? Richie!"

She ran off, the horse tilting his head in a, "Who?" expression.

Gothel sprinted back to the tower, her cape trailing behind her. Once she got to the foot, she called out as cheerfully as she could, "Richie, let down your hair!"

Nobody answered.

"Richie?!" Her smile became strained, dropping completely soon after as she ran around the side, clawing at the stones, forcing her way in, running up the tower to the top floor. "RICHIE?! RICHARD?!"

She stopped when she came to terms with the fact that Richie was not there. She got ready to slaughter half the Kingdom of Corona, if so must, but stopped when she saw a satchel. Opening it, did found a crown in it, flinging it away as she remembered her sins of the past. Next, she took out the wanted poster of Jaylyn and Flynn, her eyes narrowing.

-

"I know it's around here somewhere...ah! There it is!" Flynn pointed out a large shack with a sign with a ducking on it. "The Snuggly Duckling. Don't worry, very quiet place, perfect for you. Don't want you scared and giving up on the endeavor, now, do we?"

"Oh, boy..." Jaylyn facepalmed, Richie not noticing.

Instead, he cradled his hands to his chest and said with nervous excitement, "Well...I do like ducklings." [Getting flashbacks to my Frozen fanfics.]

"Yay!"

Flynn swung the door open and called out, "Garçon, your finest table, please!"

Richie's smile gasped and was replaced with a horrified gasp when he saw that it was full of what seemed to be thugs.

"I'd like to apologize..." Jaylyn said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as they walked in, her putting her hand on his shoulder somewhat productively. He had no idea what was going on! He was locked up in a tower all his life, after all!

"You smell that?" Flynn kept going as Richie held his pan out. "Take a deep breath through the nose. Really let the seep in. What are you getting? Because you me, it's part man smell and the other part is just really bad man smell. I don't know why, but overall, it smells like the color brown. Your thoughts? Jaylyn?"

"I think you're a dickhead," she said flatly as she noticed the thugs glaring Richie down. "Try not to make the contact," she whispered.

One of them had his hair running through his fingers, saying in a monotonous voice, "That's a lotta hair."

"He's growing it out," Jaylyn said quickly, continuing to push him along.

Flynn, pointing at him, suddenly yelled out, "Is that blood in your mustache? Goldie, Jay, look at this! Look at all the blood in his mustache! Good sir, that's a lot of blood!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Jaylyn mumbled, putting her hand over her mouth while Richie hyperventilated by the wall.

Coming back over and noticing how pale the blond had gotten, Flynn suggested, "Hey, you don't look so good, Blondie. Maybe we should get you home home. Call it a day. Probably better off." Gently, he guided him away, his eyes still big and darting. "After all, this is a five-star joint, after all, and if you can't handle this place, well, maybe you should be back in your tower."

They got to the door, but a hand was slammed against it with a piece of paper. "Is this you?" the man asked, removing his finger to show Flynn with an even more comical nose.

"Ugh, now they're just being mean."

"Hey, look, girly's a criminal, too!"

"Oh, it's them, alright! Greno, go find some guards! That reward is gonna buy me a new hook..."

Flynn was jerked to another guy. "I can use the money!"

"What about me?! I'm broke!"

"Take the girl! You can have her reward!"

The man with the hook grabbed onto her, throwing her over with Flynn.

"This isn't really how I pictured my Sunday," she said a little nervously.

"Please, stop!" Richie begged.

"We can work this out," Flynn promised once he saw another man trying to pull at Jaylyn.

"Hey, leave them alone!" Richie yelled at them again. "Give me back my guides! Ruffians!"

"Not the nose, not the nose, not the nose!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

Finally, Richie, threatening to hit one of them with his pan, screamed, "PUT THEM DOWN!"

Surprisingly, they obeyed, but now we'll eyes were on the boy with long hair.

"Okay, I don't know where I am and I need them to take me to see the lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! Find your humanity! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?!"

The man with the hook dropped Jaylyn, left Flynn hanging by his shirt, and menacingly walked over to Richie with an axe in hand. Their faces nearly touching, he admitted, "I had a dream once." He threw the axe and a guy began playing an accordion.

Hook Handed Thug:
I'm malicious, mean, and scary
My sneer could curdle dairy
And, violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest
But, despite my evil look
And my temper and my hook,
I've always yearned to be a concert pianist

He sat at the piano on the stage, playing, despite his hook.

Hook Handed Thug:
Can't cha see me on the stage performin' Mozart?
Ticklin' the ivories 'till they gleam?

The keys flew off, Richie shielding himself with the pan.

Hook Handed Thug:
Yep, I'd rather be called deadly
For my killer showtune medley

He played a little solo. "Thank you!"

Hook Handed Thug:
'Cause way down deep inside, I've got a dream

The rest of the group danced while Flynn and Jaylyn looked at each other, confused.

Thugs:
He's got a dream!
He's got a dream!

Hook Handed Thug:
See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem

'Though I go like breaking femurs,
You can count me with the dreamers
Like everybody else, I've got a dream!

-

Mother Gothel stopped when she heard singing, slowly waking closer.

Thugs:
La la la la la la la la la la la la!

-

Big Nosed Thug:
I've got scars and bumps and bruises
And something here that oozes
And let's not even mention my complexion
But despite my extra toes
And my goiter and my nose,
I really wanna make a love connection

Shyly, he handed Jaylyn a small flower. In return, she gave him an equally small smile.

The thug got into a boat with a drunk old man, pretending to be a girl with an umbrella.

Big Nosed Thug:
Can't you see me with a special little lady?
Rowin' in a rowboat down a stream?
'Though I'm one disgusting blighter,
I'm a lover, not a fighter
'Cause way down deep inside, I've got a dream

The old man, miss dressed as Cupid, flew around the room.

Big Nosed Thug:
I've got a dream!

Thugs:
[He's got a dream!]

Big Nosed Thug:
I've got a dream!

Thugs:
[He's got a dream!]

Big Nosed Thug:
And I know, one day, romance will reign supreme

'Though my face leaves people screaming,
There's a child behind it dreaming
Like everybody else, I've got a dream

Thug 1:
Tor would like to quit and be a florist

Thug 2:
Gunther does interior design

Thug 3:
Ulf is into mime

Thug 4:
Attila's cupcakes are sublime

Thugs:
Bruiser knits
Killer sews
Fang does little puppet shows

Hook Handed Thug:
And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns

Vladimir clinked two of the unicorns together. Although his face still looked murderous, his joy was all in his smile.

"What about you?" one demanded from Flynn and Jaylyn.

"Yeah, what's your dream?"

"Sorry, fellas. We don't sing," Flynn replied before a bunch of swords got pointed at them.

-

Jaylyn:
We have dreams like you, no, really
Just much less touchy-feely
They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny

"Flynn, help me out," Jaylyn whispered, while strained as she danced around.

Flynn took the unicorns from Vladimir and placed them each on their own mount of sand.

Flynn:
On an island that we own
Tanned and rested and alone...

The thugs grabbed Flynn from all angles.

Flynn:
Surrounded by enormous piles of money -

They threw him as Richie pulled Jaylyn up and began to sing.

Richie:
I've got a dream!

Thugs:
[He's got a dream!]

Richie:
I've got a dream!

Thugs:
[He's got a dream!]

Richie:
I just wanna see those floating lanterns gleam

Thugs:
[Yeah!]

He twirled Jaylyn around, who, not used to it, almost fell off the stage. Little did he know Mother Bitch was watching him...

Richie:
And with every passing hour,
I'm so glad I left my tower
Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream

Thugs:
She's got a dream!
He's got a dream!
They've got a dream!
We've got a dream!
So our differences ain't really that extreme
We're one big team...

They threw Flynn up and tossed him onto a barrel, making him avoid fire and psycho thugs.

Thug 5:
Call us brutal

Thug 6:
Sick

Hook Handed Thug:
Sadistic

Big Nosed Thug:
And grotesquely optimistic

Thugs:
'Cause way down deep inside, we have a dream

Thug 7:
I've got a dream!

Thug 8:
I've got a dream!

Jaylyn:
I've got a dream!

Richie:
I've got a dream!

Ulf:
Whoo hoo hoo hoo!

Flynn cringed back.

All:
Yes, way down deep inside, I've got a dream!
Yeah!