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Chapter Text

My name is (yn). Princess (yn) of Corona.

My name was a secret to the kingdom of Corona for fourteen years. Nobody knew that there was a princess hidden inside the palace. My parents never let me leave, and told me that I was forbidden to step outside of the palace walls.

Why?

Because my mom and dad weren't willing to risk losing another child.

Before I was born, my mom gave birth to her first child, a beautiful, golden-haired, baby named Rapunzel. My very joyful parents announced the birth of the new princess to the entire kingdom by launching floating lanterns into the sky. Everything was perfect until a cloaked woman kidnapped Rapunzel late in the night. My frantic parents sent guards out immediately in search of the princess...but she was never found. The kingdom was devastated, but nobody's sadness compared to that of the king and queen.

A few years later, my parents gave birth to another child. A baby girl who had (hc) hair with a single golden streak running through it. Me, Princess (yn). When I was born, my parents never told anyone that I existed. They didn't want to risk losing me like they had already lost Rapunzel. I was locked within the castle walls, never to be seen by anyone except for a select number of servants and guards.

I never had any friends growing up, except for one. A blue-eyed, freckled boy named Varian. Varian's father just so happened to be Old Corona's leader, so he'd bring Varian to the palace whenever he had to meet with my dad. Not that I complained. Varian and I instantly became friends, and we both looked forward to when our fathers had to meet.

We got along very well, and no matter how many fights we got into, we always made up and became friends again.

The only downside to our friendship was that since I could never leave the castle, I only got to see Varian once a month when our dads had meetings. We still made the friendship work, though. Varian told me that he wasn't making friends with the village kids. He said that the kids thought he was weird because of his blue hair stripe.

"It doesn't matter, though. I have you." He would say.

I may not have been allowed to leave the palace, but that never stopped me from having fun. As a little kid I would always play pranks on the castle guards and my tutors. No matter how many times I was scolded by my parents however, I never quit. I would play pranks, but my favorite pastime of all was singing. My parents told me that I have the most beautiful voice they've ever heard. I love to sing, and will let melodious tunes flow from my mouth as I walk about the castle, get dressed, comb my hair, the list goes on!

My life was the same every day. Every day I had the same routine.

Every day I knew exactly what would happen.

Until Rapunzel came home.

Then everything changed.

Chapter Text

~•~

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓞𝓷𝓮: 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼

~•~

I sat on a plush red sofa in the study, reading a book about the birds of the Seven Kingdoms when a maid rushed into the room.

"Your majesty," she said with a curtsy. "Your sister...she has returned."

I instantly jump up from my seat and lift my long (fc) gown, and dart past the maid. I try my hardest not to trip over my lengthy, poufy, dress, but it takes quite a bit of effort. When I reach the throne room I stand outside of its great wooden door for a moment, just staring at the golden doorknobs.

Alright (yn), this is it. You're about to meet your long-lost sister for the first time. First impressions are everything. No pressure. I nervously think. After smoothing out my dress and fixing my hair, I slowly open the doors to the throne room and gracefully walk in, just as I was taught by my etiquette tutor. I tried to make my strong dislike of princess etiquette unknown, and it took every fiber of my being to not break character. I finally reach my parents and curtsy. I then turn to my sister and give her a curtsy as well. "It's a pleasure to meet—YOU!!" I let out a small yelp when Rapunzel engulfs me in a bear hug.

"My name's Rapunzel! I'm so happy to meet you! I've always wanted a sister!!" She exclaims.

I hug her back. "It's great to meet you Rapunzel. I'm so glad that you're finally home."

When we part, I take a long look at the princess. Rapunzel had my mother's face and emerald green eyes. Her brown hair was cut in a short bob, and she wasn't wearing shoes? To her side is a man, who had brown hair and brown eyes. "Who's this?" I ask, gesturing to the man.

"This is Eugene. He helped me escape the tower I was trapped in."

"You were trapped in a tower?!" I ask in awe. "Yeah, for eighteen years."

"No way..." I gasp. "What did you do the whole time? Why did you leave? Who kidnapped you?"

"Now, now (Yn). Let's let Rapunzel get settled. I'm sure she's very overwhelmed by all of this. Ethel, could you show Rapunzel to her room and send Eugene to one of the spare rooms?" King Fredrick asks.

Rapunzel waves goodbye to me before being led out of the throne room, Eugene close behind."(Yn), today I want to allow Rapunzel to adjust to the palace, but tomorrow I would like you to aid Cassandra in teaching Rapunzel how to be a proper princess," Dad says, turning to me.

"Cassandra?" I ask.

"I'm appointing Cassandra to be Rapunzel's handmaiden."

"Oh." I felt a bit sorry for Cass. She had always been like a sister to me, so I knew how badly she wanted to be on the royal guard, not cleaning as a maid. "Of course dad," I say, before leaving the room.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I collapse on my bed with a groan. Rapunzel had only been in the castle for a week, and to put it bluntly, she was horrible at the whole princess gig. Cassandra and I tried to teach her what she needed to know, but she wasn't picking any of it up. She couldn't curtsy without tripping over her gown, there was always something painted on the castle walls, she didn't understand the concept of "personal space" around nobles, and she could never stay in a pair of shoes for more than five minutes.

It was an absolute disaster.

Rapunzel and I were slowly becoming friends, but I found her nonstop enthusiasm stressful. I had been in the palace for thirteen years, so I was raised around people who always acted properly.

Cassandra was a whole other matter. She hated being Rapunzel's handmaiden. Cass and Rapunzel were polar opposites. Rapunzel was extroverted and imaginative, and Cass was introverted and practical. As hard as she tried, Rapunzel couldn't get Cassandra to be her friend. I did feel kind of bad when I saw how hard Rapunzel tried only to be ignored.

I look over at my pet rabbit, Dandelion. "What am I supposed to do?" I ask, staring into her little black eyes. The red lopped bunny stares at me and tilts her head, and I pet her noggin. "You're no help," I tell her with a little smile. I suddenly hear a small knock, I quickly sit up, and Dandelion hops into my lap. "Come in!"

I'm surprised to see Rapunzel peek her head into the room and step inside. She walks over to my bed. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead."

Rapunzel sits down and crosses her legs. "I didn't know you had a bunny." She says with a small grin.

"Heh, this is Dandelion," I say with a smile. "A close friend gave her to me so I could have a friend when he wasn't around." I stroke the rabbit's fur. "I've never been able to leave the palace, so Dandelion is the only real woodland creature I've seen."

"You've never been able to leave the palace? Why?"

"Mom and dad say that after you were taken, they didn't want to risk losing me too. They never told the kingdom about my birth and locked me away in the palace. They figured that nothing could happen to me if I didn't exist in the eyes of the world." I say with a frown. I always knew there was so much more I could do for my people, but I was never even given a chance. I look down at my rabbit who was staring at me with sad eyes.

"That's horrible. Y'know, my 'mother' never let me leave the tower either. I had seventy feet of magic, golden hair, that had healing powers. Gothel locked me away so she could keep my hair and stay young. She told me the world was dangerous and evil and that I was only safe with her, and the worst part is...I believed her. I was trapped for so long, well, until Eugene showed up and I hit him in the head with a frying pan."

Dandelion hops out of my lap and approaches Rapunzel, who pats the little orange bunny's head.

"You hit him with a frying pan?"

"It's a long story. The point is, I know what you're going through." She softly smiles at me. "Also, I'm sorry it's taking me such a long time to figure out this whole 'being a princess' thing. I know it must be hard and frustrating for you and Cassandra to deal with. You don't have to keep training me if you don't want to."

I smile at Rapunzel. "Thanks, but I think I'll keep helping you. It gives me more of a chance to hang out with you. I've missed out on fourteen years of sister time, and I'm not about to miss even more." I hug Rapunzel, and she hugs me back. "Besides," I say. "I'm pretty sure Cassandra would murder me if I left her to train you alone." I giggle.

"Thanks, (yn)."

Chapter Text

-:Six Months Later:-

It was finally the weekend of Rapunzel's and my official coronation as princesses. A couple of months ago I was finally able to convince mom and dad to allow me to come out of hiding and become an official princess of Corona, so Rapunzel and I were going to be crowned together. I still had yet to be allowed to explore outside of the palace walls, but at least now I could attend royal banquets and make appearances to the public. It was amazing to actually be acknowledged as a real royal instead of just being locked away, not to mention the fact that I'd finally be allowed to explore the town with Rapunzel tomorrow morning!

I smile and let out a happy squeal. Things were finally looking up! I step out onto my balcony and look out onto the courtyard. I could see the guards escorting Rapunzel and Eugene through the front gates, and Cassandra nervously pacing. I knew how nervous she was about the coronation. Cass quickly grabs Rapunzel's arm and drags her off, most likely to get her ready to greet some of the most important people in the world to the coronation.

Speaking of which... I look back into my room where my gown was waiting for me. I sigh as I take it off of the mannequin and begin to change. It was a yellow and white dress, with some light purple accents. It was beautiful but horribly uncomfortable. I knew how upset dad would be if I didn't wear the special banquet dress he had tailored for me, so I would have to put up with it.

A few maids suddenly rush into my room and sit me down at my vanity, where they began to do my hair and makeup. They pull my hair into a type of half-up, half-down style, similar to the way mom wore hers. The only difference was that they weaved white flowers into my hair. One maid put a golden necklace around my neck, and two matching earrings with purple gems in my ears. I have to admit, they really seemed to know what they were doing.

Almost as quickly as they came in, they exited the room, leaving me alone in front of the vanity. "I really do look like a princess." I softly say. "What do you think, Dandelion?" I ask turning to the rabbit.

Dandelion sits up in her bed and nods her head in approval. I smile. "Thanks, girl."

I suddenly hear a knock on my door. "Come in!" I call.

The door opens and my mom steps in, looking as stunning as ever. She walks over to my seat and kneels down in front of me. "Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?" She asks.

"I'm alright mom. Just a bit worried...I've never had to be around so many people before...not to mention the fact that they're royals..." I say with a nervous chuckle.

"I understand. But I know that you'll do amazing. I'm sorry that your social skills have suffered so much these years that you were locked away. I loved exploring the world and helping others when I was your age. I'm only sorry that you couldn't grow up the same way."

"It's alright. At least now I finally get to explore my kingdom."

"I...I wanted to give you this." Mom says, taking a small blue parcel from her dress pocket. "I know I can't make up for the time you've lost, but I'm hoping that it can help." She states, handing me the box.

I slowly open it up. Inside was a silver compass with a Corona sun pressed into its lid. "It's beautiful...but what's this for?"

"You'll find out when the time is right. Use it wisely, (yn)."

I stare at the compass. "I don't understand."

Mom smiles at me. "You will."

She stands up and walks to the door. "You'll do great tonight, sweetie."

"Thanks, mom."

I open the watch and gaze at the red arrow as it points north. I close the lid, set the compass on my vanity, and exit my room.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The next morning Rapunzel and I were permitted to go into the town to get some downtime from all of the royal stuff. I was absolutely ecstatic to finally be allowed outside of the palace walls. I would finally be able to explore the kingdom!!

But let's just say, the morning didn't go as planned. Dad had sent a dozen guards with us, who constantly hovered over our heads. Everything that we did had to be deemed 'safe', and even that included shaking hands with the citizens of Corona. Cupcakes were smashed, we couldn't even say hi to kids, and the guards would straight-up attack anyone who even looked the slightest bit suspicious. By the time the morning was over, both Rapunzel and I were absolutely exhausted and extremely frustrated.

When we arrived back at the castle, Cass could tell that things didn't go too great. "Let me guess." She begins. "Big day on the town wasn't what you hoped it'd be?"

"Well, it was...interesting..." Rapunzel says in an effort to be positive.

I sigh and flop onto Rapunzel's bed. "What's the point in finally being allowed to leave the castle if I can't even get three seconds alone without guards trailing behind me!?"

"I'm really sorry about that, girls," Cass says apologetically.

"It's not your fault..." I sadly say.

"Maybe you should go get dressed for the banquet, (yn). I need to start getting Rap's dress ready, anyways." Cassandra suggests.

"I guess you're right," I say with a sigh. I wasn't in the mood to go to a banquet right now. I roll off of the bed and exit the room.

"Y'know...I could.." I hear Cassandra begin talking to Rapunzel, but I'm already too far away before I can hear what she says.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

After hours of preparation, it was finally time for the royal banquet. Mom, dad, Rapunzel, and I were seated at a long four-person table, at the head of the room. I was seated in between Rapunzel and dad, with who I was still pretty angry.

"Why did so many guards have to come with us when we went into town today?" I ask dad, stabbing my fork into a piece of chicken.

"Because you are royalty."

"That doesn't mean half of the royal guard has to supervise us," Rapunzel says with an edge to her voice.

"Yeah! We can handle ourselves, dad."

Suddenly, Eugene steps out into the middle of the room and calls Rapunzel over to join him. He takes her hand in his. "Tonight we celebrate our love for the princesses. I can think of..."

I curiously glance over at Cassandra, wondering if she knew something about what Eugene was doing, but she gives me the same confused glance I was giving her.

Eugene gets down on one knee. Oh my gosh...he's proposing!!

"Oh! Eugene, did you drop something?" Rapunzel asks, looking around her.

I mentally facepalm.

"No, Rapunzel..." Eugene pulls out a red box and opens it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. The entire room stares at the couple with wide eyes, and dad stands up. Rapunzel gasps in awe, and smiles. "Rapunzel," Eugene begins. "From the moment I first met you and you knocked me out with that frying pan, I knew it was love. You're my light, you're my best friend, and I want to be your partner in all things. I can't wait to laugh with you and share with you. I see us raising our children here, and our children's children and celebrating banquets of our own in this very hall for many, many, many, many years to come. I want to ride our horses out to the Corona wall each and every morning together until we're both very, very, very old and gray..."

I look at Rapunzel whose smiling face suddenly falls. Uh oh.

"...and I want to spend the rest of our lives here, together," Eugene says, finishing his speech.

"Here...in this castle...forever??" Rapunzel asks with a worried expression.

I look over at Cass who has an extremely tense look resting on her face. We could both tell that this wasn't going to end well.

Rapunzel nervously glances around the room, at Eugene, then dad, then me, and then the guards.

Rapunzel finally responds. "Uhh...I...wow...I love you Eugene...but I can't. Just...not now."

I quickly stand up. I could tell Rapunzel was about to crack under the pressure.

Rapunzel speaks up. "Uh...I need some air..." she then darts from the room, and the room is filled with a choir of gasps and whispers. Cassandra glares at Eugene who sadly closes the ring box. I ran out after Rapunzel, but I'm stopped by dad who grabbed a hold of my wrist.

"Not now, (yn). Give Rapunzel some space." He says.

I sigh and trudge back to my seat, and sit down.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I lay on my bed in my nightdress, stroking Dandelion's fur while softly singing to myself. The whole banquet felt like a disaster, but I knew that Rapunzel was probably more stressed than I was. A little while earlier, I tried to get into her room to check on her, but the guards, Pete and Stan, told me that Rapunzel wasn't in the mood for company.

My door suddenly flies open. "Rapunzel? You in here?"

I look up to see Eugene with Pascal on his shoulder peering into the room.

"Why would Rapunzel be in here?" I ask.

"Uhhh...no reason!!" Eugene says with a chuckle.

"Eugene, what's going on? Where's Rapunzel?"

"Alright, fine." Eugene sighs and stares right at me. "Rapunzel's missing."

Chapter Text

"What do you mean Rapunzel's gone?" I ask in horror.

"Rapunzel's not in her room and I can't find her!"

"Well, we'd better find her then! The coronation is tomorrow!"

"What do you mean we?" Eugene skeptically asks.

"I'm going to help you look for her. Besides, we'll have a better chance at finding her if we split up."

"Alright, fine. Let's get going then."

I hop up from my bed, grab my night robe, and follow Eugene out of my room. He quickly checks the halls to make sure the coast is clear, and then we sneak out.

"Where to first?" I whisper, making sure nobody could hear us.

"I'll take the eastern hall, you take the southern hall. Let's meet back here in an hour."

"Got it." I run off, and slowly open each door, peek inside, and then call for Rapunzel. The hallways of the castle were incredibly long, and all of the doors looked the exact same. But even with all that, I still had every hallway, statue, and painting memorized, so it wasn't too hard to find my way around.

I open one of the doors and call out for Rapunzel. One of the guards walks up to me. "Princess (yn)? What are you doing out this late?"

"Ohh uh...my rabbit got hungry and I...I uh...was hoping to find some treats for her!! Yup! Treats!"

"Oh! Why don't you check the kitchen?"

"Ah haha! The kitchen! Of course! Silly me!" I chuckle, darting off.

:-:-:-:-:-:

"Have you found her?" I frantically ask, running up to Eugene.

"No, I have not! I have no idea where she is, have you found her?!" Eugene asks, shaking my shoulders.

"No! If I found her I wouldn't be asking you if you found her!" I nervously whisper.

"Alright, I'll keep looking, and you go wait in her room to see if she comes back," Eugene says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Got it," I say, darting off to Rapunzel's room.

As I approach Pete and Stan(who were arguing as usual) I straighten my back and try to look intimidating.

Pete glances at me. "Princess (yn)? What are you doing here?"

"My sister left one of her jars of paint in my room. I just know how she likes to paint when she's upset. It would be a real shame if I wasn't allowed in and Rapunzel only became sadder because she didn't have access to all of her paints..." I say, holding out a jar of paint.

"Uh, you can enter," Stan says, stepping to the side.

"Thank you."

The two guards open the doors and I walk into the dark bedroom. I sit down on Rapunzel's bed and wait. And fall asleep shortly after.

....

"Just cut it!"

"Alright alright....uh oh."

"What do you mean 'uh oh?' There shouldn't be any 'uh ohs.'"

My eyes flutter open and I sit up in the bed. The morning sunlight was shining through the windows, and I could hear birds chirping outside. Shoot... I think to myself. I totally fell asleep...

I look around the room and my jaw drops. I quickly rub my eyes but I still see the same thing. Rapunzel was standing in the room, with seventy feet of long blonde hair. Cassandra was rapidly trying to cut it, but every tool she used only broke.

"What happened?!" I gasp, getting up from the bed.

"(Yn)! What are you doing in my room?" Rapunzel asks, clearly horrified.

"I was waiting for you! What's up with your hair?!!" I demand, walking over and picking up a chunk of it off of the floor.

Cassandra sighs. "Alright...I'll tell you because I trust you (yn), but you can't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Got it."

"Last night I snuck Rapunzel out to get some fresh air and clear her head. I took her to the spot where the magical flower that healed your mom once stood, where these strange black rocks had appeared. Rapunzel touched one, and the rocks started...chasing...us. In all of the confusion Raps hair grew back and now it seems to be unbreakable." Cassandra quickly explains.

"Rocks chased you?"

"I know it sounds crazy...but it's true, (yn)," Rapunzel says.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Rapunzel? You in there? It's me, Eugene."

"Uh oh...Eugene has been looking for you all night! You have to let him know you're okay!" I tell Rapunzel.

"No! Raps, you can't tell Eugene about this. I don't trust him." Cassandra buts in.

"But he's my boyfriend!"

"Please Raps?" Cass looks at Rapunzel with pleasing eyes.

"Fine. We'd better hide my hair."

After Eugene inevitably found out about Rapunzel's hair, we managed to hide it in a humongous white wig, and just in time for the coronation.

"You two ready?" Cass asks, after shoving the last bit of blonde hair into Rapunzel's wig.

"Ready as I'll ever be..." I nervously chuckle, smoothing out my blue and cream-colored dress.

"I think so." Rapunzel joins my nervous chuckling.

"Well good luck you two. You'd better get out there."

We walk to the doors and I take Rapunzel's hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. She squeezes it back and lets it go. The doors open, and the music begins playing to announce our arrival. We begin walking in, and I pick up my skirt in an effort to not trip on it, or my heeled shoes. We arrive at the front of the room, and take our places on the platform, just as we'd rehearsed.

The deacon clears his throat and begins the ceremony. "The wearers of these crowns are shining examples of the promise that is Corona. They are ambassadors for those visiting from afar, and an inspiration to those fortunate enough to live within their borders. But above all, the chief responsibility of the wearers of these crowns is to keep Corona safe."

I look over at Cassandra, who is glancing around the room with a calm, but a serious expression. I shrug it off. Typical Cass.

"Attention please." We all turn to see a woman with a pink dress and heavy makeup who has come out from the crowd.

Dad steps forward. "Lady Caine..."

"What's the matter, Fred? Am I ruining your little girl's perfect day?"

"The duchess?" Rapunzel asks.

"Oh honey, I am no duchess."

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"This is all Rapunzel's fault." She says with a devious grin as she slowly approaches me. "You see, after your sister's untimely disappearance, your father rounded up every criminal in the kingdom, including a simple, petty, thief. My father. I saw him thrown into a cage and hauled off like some animal. Never to be seen again. So I thought I'd come back and return the favor." She says, holding a knife out to Rapunzel's face. "Load 'em up, boys!"

As the guests are loaded into a prison wagon, Lady Caine turns to face us. "Your turn, your majesties." She states with a smug grin. We all nervously stare at her. "Oh come now, you didn't think we'd leave our prize pig in the pen?"

Two men grab ahold of dad and drag him away. "DAD!!" I yell.

"Girls, stay back." He orders.

"But, dad!" Rapunzel pleads.

"There's nothing you can do. As your father and your king, I command you to stay put." He crossly states.

I feel someone grab my arms and hold them behind me as they begin walking me towards the prison wagon. "Let..go of...me!" I grunt, trying to free myself from the man's grasp. I quickly bring up my foot and slam my raised heel down onto his boot. The man lets go of me as he grabs his foot and cries out in pain, and I run back over to Rapunzel.

"Just leave her. What good can a little girl do anyways?" Lady Caine sneers.

As the door to the wagon is closed, Eugene, Cassandra, and Rapunzel all exchange glances. "Sorry dad, but I can't stay put," Rapunzel says, kicking off her shoes and removing her wing, revealing her long, golden hair.

"Let. Them. Go." She orders.

I smile. "All right!!"

Lady Caine chuckles. "It's amazing what you can hide under those wigs...princess." She says, hopping onto the carriage. "C'mon, let's move out!"

Rapunzel swings her hair and latches it into the doorknob of the carriage, pulling it off.

"Now you're just making me angry." Lady Caine growls.

Rapunzel pulls her hair back.

"Good. 'Cause I'm just getting started."

"Well, that's my cue," Eugene says, banging two guards' heads together and stealing a sword.

I look around and unlatch a flag hanger, grabbing ahold of the golden beam. I hold it defensively as two of Lady Caine's men approach me, both holding weapons. "Stand back! I have a flag holder, and I'm not afraid to use it!!" I threaten.

One of the men laughs. "That's cute. Now just drop the pole before you break a nail, princess."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"You're going to wish you hadn't said that," I say with anger in my voice. I raise the pole in the air and run at the man. I swung the pole and hit him right in the head, making a very unpleasant noise and causing him to fall to the ground.

The other man runs towards me, swinging his sword. I quickly hold the pole up and block him from hitting me in the face. "Is that all you got?" He taunts.

I eye him up and down, looking for some type of weakness. I suddenly smirk. As he begins pushing the sword down harder against the pole and pushing me down with it, I kick my leg up and slam it into his groin.

He yelps out and drops his sword. He falls to his knees and begins swearing.

I swing the pole back and rest it on my shoulder. "To answer your question from before, no, that's not 'all I got," I smirk.

I notice a man grab ahold of Rapunzel's hair and begin yanking it back. I run over to him, jump on his back, and bring the pole over his head onto his neck. "Let. Go. Of my SISTER!!" I yell, pulling the poll back.

The man lets go of her hair and I jump off of his back. Rapunzel approaches me. "Nice work." She says with a smile.

"Thanks!"

"Now let's finish these guys off."

We run towards more of Lady Caine's men and begin fighting them along with the help of Cass and Eugene.

Lady Caine runs at me and kicks the golden beam from my hands. "Well well well...looks like the secret princess isn't so powerful anymore...huh?" She smirks and pulls out her knife.

I swallow the lump in my throat. This wasn't good. "I-I'm warning you...back off!" I stutter.

"Or what?"

"Or this!!" Eugene says, smacking her in the head with a frying pan.

Lady Caine passes out and falls to the ground. Cassandra quickly removes the halberd holding the main door closed, and the royal guard floods into the room, seizing many of Caine's men that weren't already knocked out.

I walk over to Eugene who was helping the captain load up the criminals. I wave him over.

"Hey, Eugene? Thanks for saving me back there." I say.

"It was no problem, (yn)."

Mom suddenly runs up to me and throws her arms around my body. "Oh, sweetheart...thank goodness you're alright!"

"Mom, I'm fine! Promise!" I reassure. I didn't need mom thinking that I wasn't ready to be allowed out of the castle again.

She hugs me tighter, and whispers into my ear, "I'm so proud of you, (yn)"

-:-:-:-

As I helped Cassandra clean up the throne room the next day, she glances over at me and speaks up. "Ya know, (yn), I saw you fight yesterday."

I stop sweeping and look at her. "Oh, yeah...heh." I scratch the back of my neck.

"I actually think you did well. I never expected you to know how to defend yourself."

"I just kinda reacted. I honestly didn't know what I was doing." I chuckle.

"I could teach you a thing or two about combat if you're interested. Who knows? Maybe it'd help your dad feel better about you going out on your own if you could defend yourself."

I smile and grip the broom handle in excitement. "You mean it, Cass?"

"Yeah. Could be fun."

Chapter Text

It was an early morning about a week after the coronation, and just about the entire kingdom knew about Rapunzel's hair, although we still had no idea why it was back. I decided to have Cassandra and Rapunzel meet me in the garden, so I could tell them about my plan to get data on Rapunzel's hair.

"So, why'd you call us here so early in the morning?" Rapunzel asks, sitting down on the steps of the gazebo.

"I think I know someone who can help us get some more information on your hair," I say.

"What? Who?"

"It's my friend Varian." I smile.

"Isn't he that wizard from Old Corona?" Cass asks.

"Oh no...he's not a wizard. He's an alchemist." I quickly correct her. I knew how much Varian hates to be called a magician or wizard. Basically, he doesn't like to be called anything that has to do with magic.

"I think it's worth a shot to go see him," Rapunzel says.

"Yeah, alright." Cassandra crosses her arms over her chest. "But we have to be discreet. Nobody can find out that I snuck you out, Raps."

"Nobody will find out, Cassandra." She reassures.

"Well if we're going to do this, we'd better get going. This might be a long trip."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I look at myself in the mirror and question my outfit choice. When Cassandra first heard that I'd be allowed out of the castle, she took it upon herself to find me a casual outfit that was like what the people of Corona wear. I've never worn anything that wasn't a fancy princess gown that reached the floor, so I was surprised when she brought me something so...normal.

My outfit consisted of a white short-sleeved blouse and (fc) skirt that reached my knees. A black corset with silver buttons wrapped around my torso and I was also given a pair of matching boots. A belt with a small bag attached to the side loosely hung down from my waist. I just left my hair down and slipped the pocket watch from mom into the small bag.

I smile at myself in the mirror. This was the me that could go out and explore the world. The me that wasn't trapped in the castle. The me I want to be. I look over at Dandelion. "You want to come? I know that you must be tired of this castle, too."

Dandelion happily nods and hops into my arms. She nuzzles my cheek, and I kiss her furry head. "Glad to hear it. Let's go meet up with Cassandra and Rapunzel."

:-:-:-:-:-:

As Cass, Rapunzel, and I rode up to Varian's house, Rapunzel shivered in worry.

"So this is where Varian lives. It seems cozy! In an 'I wish I would've said goodbye to my loved ones before I left' kind of way." She says as we walk up the front steps.

A strange green smoke leaked from underneath the doorway. I slowly open the large wooden door and walk inside to a dark room where a single door with purple gas leaking from inside, stood. We walk towards the door and Rapunzel steps on a tripwire, which triggers a machine to throw a strange pink ball at us, which explodes and covers our feet with some type of goo.

"What is this stuff?!" I gasp, trying to pull my feet free.

"I have no idea!!"

Suddenly, from the shadows, steps a big, bulky, figure with some type of mask. "What do you want?!" It demands in a deep, echoey voice.

"Uh hi, sorry to disturb you, but we were hoping you could help me with my hair?" Rapunzel meekly asks.

"Wait a minute..." the figure mumbles, approaching me. He removes his mask and reveals himself. "(Yn)?"

I smile. "Varian?"

"This is Varian? The person who can help us?" Cassandra asks, putting her hands on her hips.

"Rapunzel, Cass, I'd like to introduce you to my good friend, Varian."

"Great, can we move along to the part where he releases us from this goo?"

"What is this anyway?" Rapunzel asks.

"Oh! It's-It's a chemical compound of, uh, my own design, thankyou." Varian says, taking off his coat. "Uh, see, we have a bit of a critter problem here, and, through the miracle of modern alchemy, I have found a humane way to solve the problem." He takes out a vial and sprinkles the compound onto the goo, and frees a raccoon that wandered into the lab.

I smile to myself as I watch how excited Varian became as he talked about alchemy.

"This is riveting, but could you get us out of here?" Cass asks, clearly sounding annoyed.

Varian pats his apron trying to find the vial as he talks to himself. "Ha, where is that neutralizing parti-OH! Get outta here!" He exclaims, removing the raccoon from his lab once again, right as Dandelion hops into the room. "Wait, what are you doing here?" He asks the rabbit.

"I brought her along. I hope that's okay." I nervously say.

"She's welcome here. I'm just not okay with certain animals who steal all my food!" Varian says, shouting the last part at the raccoon, who was already trying to climb in through an open window. Varian sighs and walks over to us. He sprinkles the particle on the goo, causing it to evaporate and free us.

Varian nervously chuckles. "I am so sorry, Your highness." He says clumsily bowing to Rapunzel.

I giggle. "Varian, you don't need to be so formal!"

"(Yn)'s right. Just 'Rapunzel' is fine." Rapunzel smiles.

"Wow. Really? Okay. So fantastical stories of your hair returning have spread throughout Corona. Yeah, people say it's magic, but personally, I don't really believe that. Now as (yn) had probably mentioned I am a man of science, specifically, Al-"

"Alchemy. We know and now listen kid, we need your help but let me make something clear: what happens here stays here. You got it?" Cassandra says, grabbing Varian by his shirt collar.

"Cass! Don't be so rude! We can trust Varian. Right?" I turn to face him.

"You can trust me."

"Great!" I run over to Varian and wrap my arms around him. "I've missed you so much, Var. It's been forever since you've been to the castle!"

"Yeah! I'm not really sure why my dad hasn't been having his usual meetings with the king. He never mentioned anything to me."

"Really? I thought he told you everything."

"So did I."

Cassandra clears her throat.

"Oh! right!" Varian chuckles. "Let's head to my examination table. Right this way, your high—Rapunzel."

Varian leads us deeper into the lab and has Rapunzel lay down on a long wooden table. Varian takes out a large magnifying glass and studies her hair. I sit on the edge of the table watching Varian work, and Dandelion sits next to me, curiously observing the young alchemist.

"Oh, yes. This is...it's very...long." Varian says, moving the magnifying glass along Rapunzel's hair. "Oh no, don't worry, your highness—Rapunzel. I am sure that I, Varian, can unlock the mystery of your hair with the power of science!!" Varian heroically points a hand to the sky, right as the magnifying glass swings around and bonks him in the back of the head. "Ow!!" He rubs the spot.

I cringe. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah yeah...no sweat, it's just a little..." Varian looks at his hand where blood from his head sat. His eyes widen and he instantly faints.

"What happened to him?" Rapunzel quickly asks, sitting up.

"Varian has a hemophobia. Basically, he can't stand the sight of blood." I explain, quickly sitting up and running over to where he fell.

"Ooh...Maybe I can heal his head with my hair?" Rapunzel suggests. "If it's back it must still have healing properties."

"That could work. Let's move Varian off the floor first." I say, kneeling down and trying to drag him over to a chair. Cassandra sees me struggling, picks up Varian in her arms, and sets him in a chair. I rub the back of my neck, embarrassed. "T-That works too."

Cass and I wrap Rapunzel's hair around Varian's head, and Rapunzel starts singing some sort of healing incantation. Varian slowly wakes up and looks at the golden hair on his head. He glances at me with worry, but I give him a reassuring smile.

"Better?" Rapunzel asks as she finishes the song.

"Oh, yea—NOO!" He cringes when he sees his blood on his hand.

"Huh...doesn't that usually work?" I ask.

"Yeah." Rapunzel examines a strand of her hair.

"Well, silver lining, we've acquired some critical data about your hair: It no longer possesses its legendary healing power." Varian stands and holds Rapunzel's hair up. "Progress!" He says with a smile. "Now, let's figure out exactly what this hair is made of."

Varian leads us to another machine. "This machine can analyze any substance for chemical makeup by topic, composition, and structural integrity."

I walk up to the machine and run my hand along its wooden side in awe. "This is amazing! Where'd you get this, Var?"

"Thanks, but I built it myself." Varian proudly places his hands on his hips.

"Nice!" Rapunzel exclaims.

Varian steps off the platform and walks to a controller. "If I'm right, this should tell us all there is to know about your hair." The alchemist then turns to me. "(Yn), can you please make sure that Rapunzel gets safely strapped in?"

"I can do that, but Varian, are you sure this machine is safe?"

"Of course. I'm an expert. Everything will be fine." He reassures me.

"Oh phew. I was worried for a second there..." I chuckle.

"Raps, are you sure you want to-Rapunzel?!" Cassandra quickly looks around until her eyes land on Rapunzel, who I've already strapped into the machine.

"Let's do this."

Varian grabs ahold of the levers to control the machine. "Okay! Rapunzel, now um, this may get a little..."

Rapunzel finishes for him. "...Exiting?!"

Varian and I exchange a nervous glance when I look up at the sharp tools attached to the machine. "Um sure...yeah...that's a good word for it..."

I check Rapunzel's straps one more time and send Varian a thumbs-up, who then pushes the levers forward, starting the machine. I quickly pick up Dandelion and dart off of the platform over to where Varian was standing.

The machine begins shaking and spinning around, pulling Rapunzel's hair in every which way. "Woah!!" Rapunzel exclaims as she's tipped upside-down. Then, just as quickly as it started, the machine stops and a little bell dings on a modified clock.

"And there we are! Done!" Varian announces.

Rapunzel wearily glances at the clock. "All right, not super-fun, but it's over." She says, sounding relieved.

Varian sheepishly chuckles. "Oh...sorry...yeah I meant done with the first test...but don't worry! Only eighty-six more to go!" He nervously glances over at me and smiles, pushing another lever forward.

"Eighty-six tests?" I ask.

"Heh, yeah. There was no possible way to gather all of the necessary data without splitting up the tests into so many parts." Varian shrugs.

"So the machine can analyze anything?"

"Yup. Wait, why?"

"Well, my mom gave me this compass and she said something about it helping me..."

"Release her, hair stripe!!" Eugene exclaims, kicking the door open and pointing at Varian.

We all look at Eugene. I awkwardly smile, and Rapunzel does the same. "Eugene!" She worriedly says. "Hey...."

"Blondie, you're okay!" He says, sounding relieved. Eugene's expression suddenly becomes cross. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

Rapunzel looks at Cassandra and me for help, but we only shrug. I was as lost as her. None of us were expecting Eugene to follow us.

"Wait a minute...even (yn) knows your secret?! You're trusting a fourteen-year-old over me?!" Eugene scowls when he sees me standing beside Varian.

"Eugene, it's not like that!"

"You know what? I don't care, I'm getting you out of there!" Eugene comes marching over.

Varian's face suddenly lights up. "Hey!! You're Flynn Rider!!"

I grin. Varian had looked up to Flynn since he was a little boy. He would bring Flynn Rider books to the palace so we could read them together, and he would always talk about them. We would even re-enact some of the scenes from the books! Flynn Rider was Varian's hero growing up.

"No. You don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen you before in my life. You can't prove anything!" Eugene defensively crosses his arms over his chest.

Varian lets out a dorky giggle. "Heh heh, I'm your biggest fan!!" He runs over to a green curtain placed against the wall. He opens it, revealing all of the Flynn Rider books he would bring to the castle when we were kids, and several wanted posters. "See?"

We all stare at him for a moment. "Hey now, Flynn Rider, nice to be met." Eugene smugly says.

"I used to see your wanted posters all the time! You're my hero!!" Varian happily squeals again. I smile and walk over to him, as I place my hand on his back to try and calm him down. "(Yn)! You never told me you knew the Flynn Rider! You've been holding out on me!" Varian gasps.

"It never came up," I say with a chuckle.

Varian gathers all of his books and walks over to Eugene. "I've read every single book about you!" Varian then accidentally runs into Eugene, knocking all of the books everywhere.

Eugene takes one off of his head. "Oh...well, um...you see...that's not actually me. I just took the name from the book.."

"Hey!" Varian says holding up a book and some type of energy sword. "Remember the time you beat that evil knight, Blind Fool?" Varian begins swinging around the sword, knocking various items off of shelves and tables, as Eugene tries to explain that he isn't actually Flynn Rider.

Without thinking I run up and grab Varian's gloved hand. "Varian, wait!" I quickly say. "You're gonna hurt someone!"

Varian glances over at me. "Oh, sorry." He nervously chuckles, hiding the sword behind his back. His eyes slowly wander to my gloved hand that was still tightly gripped onto his. In sync, our cheeks turn pink and we quickly separate our hands.

"Someone please explain to me who this child is."

"I'm Varian!" He says, turning to face Eugene and in the process bumping a beaker filled with pink liquid with his sword. The beaker falls over and blows up, sending pink gas into the air.

"Are you three okay?" Cassandra asks, rushing over.

I let out a cough and nodded. "Yeah, we're fine."

Just then, the entire room begins rumbling, almost like a miniature earthquake. Almost as quickly as it started, it stopped.

"What was that trembling?" Eugene asks, walking up to Varian.

"Trembling? I didn't notice any trembling." Varian quickly says, looking away from Eugene. "Oh! I almost forgot to get the spectrum metric press. It's the only way I can read the results of the test. Flynn Rider, wanna come with?"

"Oh no." He says, crossing his arms.

I elbow Eugene in the arm.

"Ow!"

"Hey, if-if you come, I can show you something really special, but um, you've got to keep it a secret," Varian says. I smile to myself at Varian's efforts to impress 'Flynn Rider'. He's such a dork.

"You want to tell me a secret?" Eugene asks, clearly excited to be trusted with private information. "Did you hear that everyone? Varitas..."

"Varian!!" Varian says, sticking his head back through the door.

"Varian, a complete stranger, wants to tell me a secret!" Eugene exclaims, waltzing out of the room.

I roll my eyes and walk up next to Cassandra and Rapunzel.

"How many tests do you have left?" I ask Rapunzel, sitting down on the platform.

"Fifty-two." She says with a sigh, right as the machine begins picking up chunks of her hair and twisting them around. "Well, we have time to kill. So how did you even meet Varian, (yn)?"

Chapter Text

"Fifty-two." She says with a sigh, right as the machine begins picking up chunks of her hair and twisting them around. "Well, we have time to kill. So how did you even meet Varian, (yn)?"

"Well, before Varian was born, Varian's father, Quirin, moved to Corona from some distant kingdom. He came to dad and asked for a place to stay, as Dad and Quirin go way back as great friends. Quirin became the village leader and often came to the palace to meet with dad about kingdom affairs. Varian's mother passed away when he was only a toddler, so Quirin would bring Varian to his meetings since he couldn't leave Varian alone. Dad originally planned for me to not even meet Varian, but...apparently, I had other plans." I smile as I fondly remember the day.

I sighed as I sat in the palace study with my tutor, Miss Harding. She was a wrinkly old woman, who was slender and bony. Miss Harding impatiently tapped her long, overgrown, fingernails on the wooden table, waiting for me to finish my assignment. I was only seven, but I already hated my lessons. I threw my arms up and slumped back into the chair. "Ughhhh, why can't I do something else?!" I whined.

"Because you need to learn proper etiquette." She said for the tenth time.

"I don't wanna!" I shout, crossing my arms over my chest.

Miss Harding groaned and rubbed her temples "(Yn), I don't want to fight with you."

"Then don't," I said, hopping up from my seat and running out of the library. I ran down the halls, dodging the staff and ignoring Miss Harding's pleas for me to come back. I ran into one of the lounge rooms and slammed the door behind me. "Phew...that was close..." I say with a sigh under my breath.

"Who are you?"

I look up to see a young boy with messy black hair, and a blue-eyed, freckle-filled face sitting on the couch holding a book and staring at me.

"Who am I? Who are you?!" I asked, pointing a finger at him.

"My name's Varian! My daddy told me to wait here until he was done talking to the king. Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Princess (yn)," I said, curtsying.

"Princess? But I thought the princess was kidnapped."

"She was, but then I was born. Mommy and Daddy say I'm not allowed to leave the castle so that I stay safe from the people who live outside the palace walls." I looked at the boy. "Wait...you're from outside the palace walls! Are you gonna hurt me?!" I asked, quickly hiding behind a table with a blue vase on top.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Varian said, hopping down from the couch. "I promise!"

"Really?"

Varian nods his head.

I slowly creeped out from behind the table and approached the boy. "Do y-you want to be friends?"

"I've never had a friend before..."

"Me neither! We can be each other's first friend!" I happily suggested.

"Okay!"

The door suddenly barges open. "(Yn)!! Why aren't you in your lesson?" My father demanded. I noticed that there was another middle-aged man behind him.

"I...uh..." I nervously looked down at my shoes and traced my foot along the ornate design on the carpet.

Varian ran up to my dad. "Please, your majesty! Don't punish, (yn)! She just wanted to make a friend! What's so wrong with that?"

"Frederic, forgive my son..." the man behind dad said.

Dad sighed and shook his head. "It's alright, Quirin. Our children have already met each other. There's nothing we can do. But who knows? It may be good for them to become friends."

Varian and I happily cheered and hugged each other.

"Awe, that's so sweet!"

"Yeah, Varian's my best friend...and at the moment...one of my only friends..." I sheepishly scratch the back of my neck.

The door opens up. "Team Awesome is back~" Varian sings, skipping into the room holding a typewriter of some kind. He hops up onto the platform, waking up Dandelion, who had fallen asleep next to me. "Now, Rapunzel, I know my tests have been a pain in the..." he nervously laughs.

"Oh, I wouldn't say 'pain'..."

Large bolts of lightning shock Rapunzel's hair and light up the room with teal energy. "...now I would." She says.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yup! Trust me, it'll take a lot more than lighting to keep me from finishing these tests," Rapunzel says.

Varian hooks up the typewriter to the machine Rapunzel was strapped to. "In a moment, this little guy will give us all the answers we want." He proudly says.

Rapunzel cheers.

As Varian begins explaining the machine to me, the building once again begins to shake with a tremor. Dandelion quickly hops over to me and jumps into my arms. I begin stroking her fur in comfort.

"Is it just me, or was that tremor worse than the other one?" I worriedly ask.

"Look Raps, I think it's time to go, now," Eugene says.

"Now? You're kidding, right? This is almost finished." Rapunzel says as the bell rings again, revealing only eight tests left.

Eugene scoots over to Varian and me. "Can we talk?" He says to Varian through his teeth.

This is getting weird...I think to myself as Eugene drags Varian from the room. I slowly follow them outside and discreetly hide behind a bush to eavesdrop.

"-And you got great intentions, but I'm asking you-pleading with you-for the love of my life and your entire village to please shut off those machines until a quakematologist can come to inspect them." Eugene grabs Varian by the shoulders. "Please. Do it for team awesome?"

The ground shakes again and I fall out from my hiding place.

"(Yn)?!" Both the guys ask in unison.

"H-Hey...fancy meeting you here." I nervously chuckle, standing up and brushing the leaves from my skirt. "Varian, are you the one causing these tremors?"

"I-I..."

"Yes, and the machines that are causing them are unstable! Varian, please shut the machines down." Eugene says.

"But I..."

I run up to Varian and grab both of his hands in my own. "Varian, please. If there is even the slightest chance these machines could hurt someone, please shut them down. I believe in you, I really do, but these machines clearly aren't ready."

Varian stares into my (ec) eyes and sighs. "Okay. But I'll need your help." He grabs my hand and leads me over to a trapdoor. "The machines are down here, I'll show you how to shut them down." He says, helping me down the ladder.

A red light illuminates our faces as we run towards a huge metal machine, with steam blowing out of every crack inside of it. Varian hops up onto a table. "(Yn), hand me that wrench!"

I grab the wrench and toss it to him, and he quickly begins loosening bolts. With only a single bolt to go, he bumps over a beaker of green liquid, and it spills onto the ground. "Oh no, the Flynnolium!!"

"Varian! What do we do?" I frantically ask as the Flynnolium begins to foam.

"CLEAN!!" He throws me a rag and we begin scrubbing.

"IT'S NOT WORKING!!" I yell.

"WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" Varian exclaims, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the ladder.

"What about the Flynnolium?!"

"There's no time! I still have four more machines to shut down!!"

We quickly climb out of the underground cavern, right as huge explosions begin coming out of the earth. I fall onto my knees and Varian helps me up.

"(Yn), get out of here. I don't want you to get hurt!" Varian says.

"I'm not leaving you, Varian!" I shoot back.

Varian sighs. "Look, (yn). You're my best friend. If something happened to you because of one of my machines, I would never forgive myself." Varian looks at me with pleading eyes. "Please. Do it for me?"

"Fine. But you'd better not die. If you do, I'll never forgive you." I warn.

"Ugh but that doesn't even-Ah! Just-Quick! Get out of here!" Varian shouts.

I nod and rush off to the forest. Buildings begin collapsing around me as I safely (more less) reach Max and Fidella, who were for some reason stuck to Varian's purple goo. "Are you guys okay?!" I quickly ask, running over to Max and stroking his fur. Max whinnies, and I look back out towards Old Corona, hoping to see Varian.

The tremors finally cease, and I quickly run back into town to find Varian. "Varian?!" I call out. I let out a sigh of relief as I see Cassandra helping Varian out of an iron tube they must've hid in to stay safe. I dart over to Varian and quickly throw my arms around him. "Varian, thank goodness you're alright!!" I exclaim, nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck.

He hugs me back, breathing a sigh of relief. "(Yn), I-I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get caught up in..well...all of this." He mumbles.

"Varian, are you kidding? Sure, the near-death experience was scary, but today was the best day of my life. I've finally been able to experience life outside of the castle, and it was amazing! But the best part about it all was that I got to spend it with you"

We pull out of the hug and Varian looks at me with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Of course! You're my best friend, Var. It'll take a lot more than out of control water machines to scare me off." I say with a smile.

"Thanks (yn). I'm glad you're my friend." Varian gently says.

"Varian?!" We both look over to see Quirin frantically running around searching for Varian. He smiles when he sees us safe and sound. "Are you okay?!" He asks rushing over and kneeling down in front of Varian. "What happened?"

"Dad...I'm sorry..." Varian says, looking at the ground in shame.

My heart breaks for Varian as his dad sighs in disappointment. "Not again, Varian..." he says, shaking his head.

Cassandra nudges me. "We'd better go if we want to make it back to the palace before nightfall." She says.

"Yeah..." I say, sadly looking back towards Varian. I wish that I didn't have to go back to the palace so soon. I had only spent one day in the real world and I already never wanted to go back to the way things were before. I walk over to the alchemist. "I need to go."

"Oh..."

"Do you think I can visit you again soon?" I ask.

Varian's eyes light up. "Really? Of course! That'd be amazing!" He says with a smile.

"I'm sorry about your dad." I softly say. "I wish there was something I could do."

"It's fine." Varian looks back at his village who are all giving him collected disapproving looks. He sighs. "One day I'll prove myself. Then they'll see that there's more in me."

Chapter Text

Rapunzel and I walked out into the royal courtyard, where dozens of booths were set up, each one with a unique invention inside. "This is so exciting! I've never been to a science expo before!" Rapunzel happily says.

"Yeah, it's really cool to see the inventions the people of Corona make. This has always been one of my favorite events that the palace holds." I explain, glancing around at this year's turnout. My face lights up as I see a familiar blue-eyed alchemist wheeling a cart into the courtyard.

"Varian!" I exclaimed, running over to him.

The freckled boy smiles at me. "(Yn)! Are you ready to be amazed by the power of science?" Varian gestures to the...thing on his cart, covered by a dirty white blanket.

"Of course!" I eagerly respond.

"I present to you, the elemental remogrifier!" He announces, pulling away the white blanket. "You pour sand into this hole here and pull back this lever to activate the crank. It then begins to spin, creating friction, which leads to particle compression. When operated in just the right way, it can create new elements!"

"Varian it's amazing, but...it's safe, right?"

"Yes, I double-checked it this morning. It's harmless." Varian assures me.

"Your last invention was 'harmless', too."

We turn around to see Eugene standing behind us, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't worry, Eugene," I say. "If Varian says it's harmless, I trust him." I put my hand on the alchemist's shoulder.

Eugene sighs, realizing there's nothing he can do to change our minds. "Okay, just be safe, alright?"

We both nod.

As Eugene walks off I turn to ask Varian more about his entry for the fair, but I notice him gazing off into the distance with rosy cheeks. I follow his gaze to see him staring at Cassandra, who was hanging up a sign for the fair. I feel an unfamiliar pang in my chest but quickly dismiss it.

"Isn't she amazing?" Varian sighs. I could practically see the hearts floating around his head.

The pang in my chest returns. "Isn't she completely out of your age range?" I tease, trying to push away the odd pang once again.

"Well I guess...but I'll grow," Varian says with determination.

"(Yn), can you help set me up with Cass?"

My heart shatters. Varian has a crush on Cassandra. I didn't even know why I felt this way. I don't have a crush on Varian. We're just friends. Even though every part of me wanted to do anything but help Varian, a small 'yes' still escapes my lips.

"Thanks, (Yn)! You're the best!" Varian happily exclaims, hugging me tightly. "So what should I do?"

"You, uh...could help her...?" I suggest, looking at Cassandra who was struggling to tie a secure knot on the sign. "She seems to be having some trouble."

"Great idea!" Varian rushes off to Cass, pulling his cart behind him.

My plastered-on smile fades as I watch Varian leave. I sigh and I feel a hand placed on my shoulder.

"(Yn), you gotta see this cool—what's wrong?"

Pascal hops onto my other shoulder and stares at me with sad eyes. I glance at Rapunzel, who's looking at me with a concerned expression.

"I-I don't know...It turns out Varian's crushing on Cass, and for some reason, I feel...jealous? But I'm Varian's friend! Shouldn't I be happy for him?"

Rapunzel sits me down on a nearby bench. "Do you think he's more than a friend?" She gently asks.

"No! We're just good friends!" I quickly say, my cheeks heating up.

Rapunzel doesn't seem to believe me, but she doesn't push the topic any further. "Well, you could always tell him how you feel."

"I am not doing that."

"Look, (Yn), what you've got to realize is that Varian is one of your best friends. Nothing could change that. And if it did, then I think that would tell you a lot about your 'friendship'." Rapunzel says, looking up at the clouds.

"I guess you're right...thanks for the advice, Sis." I smile and hug her. "I'm going to go feed Dandelion." I slowly stand up and head back towards the castle, not really feeling like looking around the expo anymore.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I lay on my bed and watch a small fly buzz around my room. Dandelion sits next to me, and nibbles on a bit of kale. I sigh and roll over onto my stomach. As I begin picking at one of my nails, I hear a knock on my door. I quickly sit up and smooth out my hair, assuming it would be my father coming to ask me to come back down to the expo.

"Come in."

The door slowly creaked open, and Varian peeks his head through the door. "H-hey. Sorry to bug you, but do you want your sheets changed?"

"My sheets changed? Uh, No, but why do you care if my sheets need to be changed?" I ask with genuine confusion.

"I am doing some of Cassie's chores so she can pull guard duty." Varian proudly says.

Cassie? I think feeling the jealousy creep back in. "But aren't you presenting to the judge soon?"

"I suppose, but now Cass agreed to help me with my presentation!"

"How is she going to be able to help you if she's doing guard duty?" I worriedly ask.

"My presentation will only take a couple of minutes. She'll be able to help. I know she will." Varian says, as though he's trying to reassure himself. "Anyways, I'd better finish these rooms. See ya later, (Yn)!" Varian closes the door and saunters off.

I sigh again and Dandelion hops into my lap and looks up at me with worried eyes. "I don't know what to do...I mean, how could he possibly have a crush on Cassandra when he's only known her for a few weeks compared to knowing me for..." I count the years in my head. "...basically forever?! What am I saying? It's not like I have a crush on Varian. Who cares if he has a crush on Cass?"

Dandelion slightly tilts her head to the side.

My eyes widen. "Maybe I do have a crush on Varian..." I mutter under my breath. I stand up and pace around my room, holding my small rabbit in my arms. I mumble bits of denial about having a crush on Varian as I walk to one of my windows. I look outside and see some of the contestants showing off their inventions to the judge on the stage below. "Friend...crush...whatever, I need to go down there and be there to support Varian!" I conclude, looking at Dandelion with determination. I set the rabbit down on my bed and run out my door, slipping and sliding down the slick hallways as I make my way outside.

I run up to Varian backstage, who's peeking through the curtain worriedly. "Varian? Are you okay?" I ask.

Varian jumps back, clearly startled. "Oh! (Yn), I didn't see you there." He says with a small chuckle. "But no, I'm not okay. Cassandra can't be my assistant because she has to guard the judge. The only person I could find to help me was Shorty...but I don't think he's going to be much help" Varian and I glance over to Shorty, who was stumbling around singing a nursery rhyme.

"Y'know, I'm not doing anything in the next five minutes. I could help you with your presentation..." I smirk.

Varian's face lights up. "Really? Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me." He exclaims with joy as he throws his arms around me.

I hug the alchemist back and smile. "That's what friends are for!"

When the yellow curtain opens, some of the people in the crowd sigh and gasp in horror when they see Varian. They must already know him....or at least his reputation...

Varian ignores them and gestures to the curtain which is still hiding the elemental remogrifier and me. "Behold, the power of alchemy!!" The freckled boy announces.

I step out from behind the curtain and pull back the curtain to reveal Varian's invention. "The elemental remogrifier!" I exclaim, pushing the machine forward.

The crowd 'oohs' and 'awes'

"Assistant?" Varian smiles at me.

I give the alchemist a thumbs up and pick up the sack of sand. I pour the bag into the machine.

"Here we go..." Varian mutters to himself, pulling back the crank.

I give him a reassuring smile. "You got this, Varian."

He gratefully smiles back. "The rotation causes friction, which heats the sand!" Varian tells the crowd, trying to speak over the whirring of the machine. "The counter-centrifugal force promotes particle compression. The end result? Fifty pounds of sand turns into..." the crowd leans closer to the stage to get a closer look while Varian reaches into the remogrifier to grab a small, purple rock. "...this. I call this new element...Cass~" Varian trails off and looks over at Cassandra, then back at me, and then the purple rock. "I call this new element, '(Yn)ruim"

My eyes widen as Varian looks over at me and winks. I walk over to Varian, take his hand in my own, and pull him down into a bow. The crowd applauds, and I see Varian smiling from ear to ear. My heart fills with pride at the sight of Varian so happy, and at him finally proving that he could do more than make things a mess.

Suddenly, I hear a goat cry out, a man yelling, and then a knife goes flying towards the judge's face. Cassandra catches the knife mid-air, right before it cuts into his nose.

The judge looks at Varian and me in horror and then scowls. "Despite its lack of flair and panache, I was almost inclined to give your device a mediocre assessment."

Varian scoffs. "Flair? What does that have to do with~"

"However, considering that your assistant nearly lanced my nasal cavity, I have no choice but to disqualify you." The judge says remorselessly.

My jaw drops. "What are you talking about?! I had nothing to do with that knife coming at you!" I shout, stomping towards the judge. Sure, the goat made a fuss right as I walked to Varian, but that didn't mean I caused it!

"Can you prove that?"

"I was bowing when the knife came at you!" I shout.

The judge glances over at Varian. "Even if what your assistant is saying were true, the fact that she raised her voice at me and addressed me in such a rude manner, leaves me questioning the professionalism of your entry. A proper lady would never speak in such a fashion."

I gasp. "You can't kick Varian out because of me! Please, sir!" I beg.

Varian stops me. "No."

I turn around and meet Varian's gaze. "But, Varian...you worked so hard! I won't let your big chance go to waste."

Varian puts his hands on my shoulders. "No, (Yn). That guy just disrespected you, and that's not okay. I refuse to let him-or anyone-talk about you that way, just because you were standing up for me. Besides, I don't want a ribbon from a guy like that anyways." Varian firmly says. "Cmon, let's get outta here."

I softly smile as Varian grabs his cart holding the Elemental remogrifier, and wheels it offstage.

As the two of us walk out of the courtyard leaving an incredibly shocked judge, I look over to Varian, who's staring down at the brick road.

"Varian, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. As important as science is to me, you are much much more important to me. You're my best friend, and you've always trusted and been there for me, so I'll trust and be here for you." Varian smiles at me.

I feel my cheeks slightly heat up. "Thanks, Varian." We walk in silence for a while before I speak up. "You wanna go to Uncle Monty's?"

"Sounds good to me!"

:-:-:-:-:

Varian and I sit on a bench outside the sweet shop, munching on chewy taffy, and creamy chocolate.

"Here." Varian holds out a necklace to me with a small, purple gem on it. "I want you to have it."

I quickly lick a bit of chocolate off of my lip. "The (Yn)rium?" I ask.

"Yeah." Varian smiles and puts the necklace around my neck.

I touch the gem and blush. "Thank you, Varian. It's beautiful." I say, hugging him.

Varian's cheeks heat up ever so slightly as he hugs me back. "Y-y'know, I actually came up with the idea for the elemental remogrifier when I saw this weird cluster of black rocks on the outskirts of my village."

My mind begins racing at the mention of black rocks. Black rocks? Where have I heard that bef- "Rapunzel."

"Wha~"

I quickly stand up. "Those black rocks...Varian, we need to tell Rapunzel."

Chapter Text

It was a dark and gloomy day in the usually sunny kingdom of Corona. Rapunzel and I had gone to the village library with Varian in hopes of finding information about the black rocks. I had never been to the library before, and it was honestly a bit overwhelming. There were shelves with books, upon, books, upon books! Not to mention the fact that the village library had books with tons more variety than what the palace library has. There were mystery books, fantasy books, and even poetry. The only books the palace has are science and history books. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a high-pitched squeal a few rows of books down.

I find Varian looking excitedly at a row of books. "Did you find anything on strange, black rocks?" I eagerly ask.

Varian turns to face me. "Well, no...but I did find The Tales of Flynnigan Rider: Book 4!" He announces, tightly hugging the book against his chest.

"Book 4? I thought you had all the Flynn Rider books." I question, leaning against one of the shelves.

"Well...heh.." Varian nervously chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "I did have it, but I kinda...accidentally spilled a mug of hot cider on it last winter..."

I giggle. Only Varian... I think to myself.

Rapunzel quickly runs up to us. "We have to go," she says, pushing us towards the exit.

"What? Why?"

"We just got here!"

"I think we're being watched," Rapunzel whispers to us.

Varian and I nervously glance at each other, but we exit the library with no more protests.

We get outside and look around. "Did we lose them?" I ask.

"I don't think so...look!" Rapunzel points to a tower where a Royal Guard was peering at us through a pair of binoculars.

"There's one over there!" Varian says, pointing at a guard watching us in a crowd of people.

"Do you think dad sent them, Raps?" I question, looking at my older sister.

Rapunzel worriedly looks around. "I'm not sure, but I don't want to stick around and find out. Let's go!"

Rapunzel, Varian, and I run through the town, but the guards keep following us no matter how hard we try to shake them from our trail.

"Over there!" Varian exclaims, pointing at a cart full of pumpkins.

"Good idea!"

We run to the cart and hop in, right before the guards can catch us.

The three of us watch them get smaller and smaller on the horizon, and Rapunzel waves goodbye to them. "That was close..." I say with a sigh, leaning back into the pile of pumpkins.

We ride on the wagon for a little while, before we pass in front of a crooked old building in the woods. I read the sign hanging by the road. The Snuggly Duckling. "Let's get off here," Rapunzel suggests, securing Pascal in her hands before jumping off the wagon. Varian and I follow her lead and hop onto the side of the road. "We showed them!" Rapunzel says with a chuckle, looking at us proudly. "But now there's a slight chance we'll get stuck in this rain..."

Thunder crashes around us and within an instant, it's pouring.

Varian raises an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Okay, yeah, a huge chance." She nervously smiles. "C'mon, let's get out of this rain." Rapunzel leads us to the strange building, and we walk inside.

I gasp when I see the only people in this building are thugs who look like they could be wanted for murder. "Are you sure these people are safe, Rapunzel? 'Cause I think I'd rather take my chances in that thunderstorm." I hide behind Rapunzel.

The thugs turn around and scream when they see us.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT US!" I cry out, pulling Varian behind Rapunzel with me.

"Guys, it's okay. I know them!" Rapunzel says comfortingly. "(yn), Varian, I'd like for you to meet Big Nose, Hookfoot, Shorty, Attila, and Ulf. Guys, this is my sister, (yn), and my friend, Varian."

Varian and I nervously smile and wave.

"Are you guys telling ghost stories?" Rapunzel eagerly asks, trying to get the awkward meet and greet out of the way.

"Nah, Big Nose here was just tellin' us about his date last week," Hookfoot says with a grin. "So what are you doing out in this lousy weather, Rapunzel?"

"Good question. I thought my dad was done being overprotective, but for some reason, it seemed like guards were following us everywhere today." Rapunzel explains, sitting down at one of the tables.

Varian and I join her, not really knowing what else to do. Attila walks over to us, holding a tray in his hands. "Hot cocoa? Just made a fresh batch." He offers, holding down a tray of the chocolatey drink. The two of us take a cup and drink a big drink. My eyes widen. It was really good! I look over at Varian, and with the whipped creme mustache above his lip, I could tell he felt the same way.

"C'mon Raps! This is Corona!" Hookfoot crosses his arms over his chest. "Guards are like cockroaches in this kingdom."

Big Nose chimes in and sits down on the stage. "Hookfoot's right. No one's following you. This storm has just put everyone ill at ease, and you're probably just imagining things."

"But she isn't imagining things. The three of us all saw guards following us." I say, wiping off my chocolate mustache with the back of my hand.

The door slams open and we all gasp when we see Cassandra's dad, the captain of the guards, in the doorway of the pub. "Hello, Fellas." He says with a smirk.

The thugs all point at one another. "He did it!" they quickly say.

The Captain walks into the pub and approaches our table. "I was just wandering by and--" He fakes a gasp. "-Princesses? What a surprise to find you here!

Rapunzel and I exchange a smirk. "Uh huh. Hi, Captain." Rupunzel grins.

"Huh! Funny seeing you here." I wittily say, resting my head on my propped-up hand.

"Funny? Why the-there's nothing funny about it!" The Captain quickly says "I come here all the time to...shoot the breeze with my old...chums....Hook toes, hornswoggle, and...that guy..." he says, pointing at Ulf. "Isn't that right, fellas?"

Nobody answers.

"Yep, nothing I love more than wetting my old whistle at the ol' Cozy Quaker." the captain chuckles. I couldn't tell if he was chuckling because he was trying to make it seem like he was actually friends with the thugs, or if he was laughing because of how ridiculous he sounded.

Attila walks up to the captain with a large mug in his hand. "Specialty of the house...slop." He slides the 'drink' over to the captain. The captain looks at his beverage with disgust and looks over at Varian's drink in comparison to his own. The captain actually looks like he's about to drink it, until a rat pokes his head out of the cup, and eats the slop instead.

The captain quickly stands up. "Well, this has been fun princesses! Uhh, let's say I escort you back to the castle."

Rapunzel sighs and rolls her eyes.

Without warning, a huge crash of thunder can be heard, with lighting following close behind. Varian jumps in his seat, and the hot cocoa in his mug showers down onto his lap. He yelps and quickly stands up. "HOT HOT HOT HOT!" He grabs a rag from the counter and begins frantically rubbing it against his apron.

The captain clears his throat. "I really think we'd better go."

One of the pub thugs barges into the room, soaked from the rain. "No one's goin' anywhere." He glances around the room. "The roads are all flooded."

The captain sits back down. "Fantastic. We'll just have to wait out the storm." He stands back up and walks over to the fireplace. "And by the way, it's absolutely freezing here."

"Beats being burned," Varian mutters, taking off his soaked apron. His eyes light up when he finds that the cocoa didn't seep through his apron so his clothes were dry.

"Don't you people know how to keep a fire goin'?" The captain reaches for a piece of wood resting next to the fireplace.

"NOOOO!" Hook Foot screams.

Attila chimes in, "That's off-limits!!"

"'Off-limits?'" I skeptically ask.

"That club belonged to her," Attila says.

The captain takes the wood off its hanger and approaches the fire.

The wind begins to howl as a cackling noise fills the air. The captain drops the wood in shock, and it falls to the floor with a loud 'thud'. Hook Foot swoops in and picks up the wood, and returns it to its rightful spot. "That club is never to be disturbed." He angrily says.

We all approach him. "Why? What's so special about it?" Rapunzel asks.

"It's just a club," I add on.

"Don't say that! She'll hear you." Attila quickly says.

One of the thugs shakes his head. "It's not special. More like spooky."

"Aha," Varian says with a sarcastic nod. "It's a hunk of wood."

The thug ignores Varian's comment. "It belonged to the Duckling's first owner, Ruthless Ruth."

I feel shivers run up my spine as an eerie laugh echoes throughout the room. It sounded like a warning. I suddenly feel a hand tightly grab my own. I looked to my side and there Varian was, holding my hand as though his life depended on it. He doesn't look at me and only nervously glances around the pub.

One of the thugs adds another log to the fireplace; the flames hungrily swallow it up as he continues his story. "Ruth was the meanest pub thug to ever live. She used that club to intimidate her customers."

"They called it her 'listen up club.'" Hook Foot chimes in. "And legend has it that whoever disturbs it will incur the wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith!"

Thunder clashes outside, and everyone in the pub flinches.

"'The wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith?'" Rapunzel worriedly asks.

More Thunder angrily crashes outside, and bright flashes of lighting follow close behind.

"'The wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith!'" Big Nose exclaims.

Even more thunder can be heard outside, and I once again flinch. Varian squeezes my hand and I squeeze back. I feel a small bit of comfort from his touch.

"Could everyone just stop saying 'the wrath of Ruthless Ruth's wraith?'" The captain says with a hit of annoyance. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he thought Ruth was just some ridiculous legend.

Everyone glances around the room, expecting more thunder and lighting to come, but nothing can be heard except for the hard pattering of rain outside. The captain clears his throat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather take my chances out in the rain than spend one more minute listening to you buffoons and your silly ghost story!!" He says, already heading to the door.

The loudest, and harshest thunder yet rolls across the clouds as lightning flashes across the sky. The window shutters flap open and closed and the candles blow out leaving a dark room behind. A gasp escapes my lips as I nervously look around. Varian's worried blue eyes meet my own, so I try to give him a reassuring smile. I could only hope my smile was more convincing than it felt.

The fireplace suddenly roars to life, becoming as large and bright as a bonfire. The thugs cry out in horror and bolt away from the flames and towards the door. "Whoa! Let's get outta here!" One exclaims

Big Nose desperately pulls on the door handle, but to no avail. "It's stuck!"

"We're all going to die here!!!" Varian wails, tightly gripping onto my body.

"AAAHHH!! We're trapped in the pub!!" Hook Foot shrieks, pulling on what little hair covers his head. "It's the wrath of Ruthless Ruth!!"

Attila points an angry finger at the captain. "This is all your fault!"

The captain rolls his eyes. "Oh please. You don't honestly think Ruthless Ruth is behind this?"

Varian crosses his arms. "Ghosts don't exist. It isn't scientifically possible. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for all of this."

I nod in agreement. "Varian's right you guys. We can't let our imaginations get the better of us if we want to figure this out." Varian smiles at me. "I'm sure there is no ghos-"

I stop talking when another ominous laugh filled the pub. "Wait, where's Shorty?" Rapunzel nervously asks.

We all slowly turn around to the source of the laughter. Shorty was levitated off of the ground, staring at us with bright green eyes as though he was possessed. "You have disturbed my slumber!" He angrily says, his ghostly voice echoing throughout the room. "If you don't listen up and note my words by dawn, you will all be trapped in here with me forever!"

Chapter Text

We all slowly turn around to the source of the laughter. Shorty was levitated off of the ground, staring at us with bright green eyes as though he was possessed. "You have disturbed my slumber!" He angrily says, his ghostly voice echoing throughout the room. "If you don't listen up and note my words by dawn, you will all be trapped in here with me forever!"

Varian nervously runs his gloved fingers through his black hair. "There's no such thing as ghosts...there's no such thing as ghosts..." He keeps muttering to himself. I had a feeling Varian was about to reach his breaking point.

I quickly take hold of his hands inside of my own and try to speak in the most reassuring voice I can muster. "Varian, look at me." My voice wavers and Varian's terrified blue eyes meet my own. "We are going to get through this. I won't let anything happen to you. But I need you to calm down so we can figure this out, okay?"

He nods. "Okay, (yn)."

Rapunzel steps in front of Varian and me and defensively eyes the ghost. "Shorty, Ruth–Whoever you are, what do you want?"

"...I want..."

"Yes?"

"...I want..."

"Yes?"

Shorty suddenly drops to the floor with a loud thud. He raises his arm in the air. "A sardine sammy and a jug of pickle brine." He says in his normal, tipsy, voice.

Everyone lets out a collective sigh of annoyance. "At least he isn't possessed anymore?" I nervously chuckle, trying to mask my fear with optimism.

"Enough of this nonsense!!" The captain shouts, walking away from the small huddle of thugs.

"Captain, didn't you hear?" Rapunzel asks, running her fingers through her golden hair. I was beginning to notice my sister did that when she was worried. "He says we have until dawn to figure out what Ruth wants or else we're gonna be trapped in here forever!"

"You're gonna listen to him?!" The captain shoots back. "You realize he eats cheese off the floor?"

We all look over to Shorty and he smiles at us with a toothless grin. "One man's floor is another man's plate. Clink!" He slurs out, clinking the cheese he had found with the cheese a rat was munching on. The bearded man happily gobbles down the cheese.

Varian shudders. "Gross."

I gag. "Tell me about it."

"The priority is to get the princesses out of this pub and back to the castle as quickly as possible." the captain declares, marching over to the door. He begins to slam his body against the wooden exit.

I clear my throat. "Uh, Captain? I don't think that's going to work."

The captain clutches his arm. "Is there anything we can use as a battering ram?" he asks, completely ignoring me.

"A battering ram isn't the answer." Rapunzel sighs with exasperation. "We need to know more about Ruth and the Listen Up Club."

Big Nose strikes a match against the wall. A small flame sparks to life as he begins to tell us the tale. "Well, they say she lived to terrify those around her. Legend has it that people's screams were music to her ears."

I nervously clutch onto Varian as Big Nose continues his tale. "And she-she would go on terrible rampages, storming through the streets of Corona."

Hookfoot grins sinisterly. "All they knew was she would disappear from the pub, and when she did, no man, beast, or building foundation was safe from the swing of her fearsome club."

"I-I don't like this story..." Varian meekly says, hugging me tightly. I hug him back and gently run my fingers down his back in an attempt to comfort him.

"-Afterward, she'd come back to the pub, and etch a notch on her club for every unlucky creature she'd destroyed in her path." Big Nose says in a haunting voice.

Hookfoot holds up a candle. "Then she'd have dinner, a bowl of putrid, slimy, slugs."

Big Nose snatches the candle from Hookfoot. "I heard it was spiders."

"I heard it was both!" Hookfoot, exclaims, grabbing the candle back. "And she'd eat them alive!"

"And she didn't chew!"

"She had horrible table manners."

"Yeah, and they say all of Corona lived in fear of the mighty barbarian until the day she died."

"And the only way to appease her is to figure out how to 'listen up.'" Rapunzel says.

Big Nose relights the fire, once again filling the pub with a rosy glow. "Or we're gonna be stuck here forever."

"I don't wanna be stuck here forever." Hookfoot whines. "There's only one slice of pie left!"

"I think we have more important things to worry about, man." Varian insensitively says.

"Pie is important to me okay?"

An eerie tune begins to play. I shush the pub thugs. "Do you guys hear that? It sounds like a violin." We all turn to the source of the music and see a violin levitating off the ground, playing all by itself.

"There's something you don't see every day," Varian says.

Rapunzel points to the stage. "Um, guys?"

Everyone gasps as the instruments on the stage begin playing by themselves and rising into the air. I begin to subconsciously hum along to the beat. When you're trapped in a castle for fourteen years, you have nothing better to do than to perfect your hobbies. And for me, that hobby was music. "It's actually really catchy."

"Are you insane?" The captain snaps. "We've gotta get out of here, now!" He and the other thugs begin slamming against the door again, and I sigh.

"Ruth, please. All we're trying to do is figure out what you want!" Rapunzel pleads.

I look around at the floating instruments. "Does it have something to do with this music?"

Suddenly all of the instruments fall to the floor with a loud crash. A blue mist flows out of the piano and circles Rapunzel, Varian, and me. "Listen up..."

"W-Who said that?" Rapunzel asks.

I notice Varian pulls a small, empty, vial out of his pocket and holds it to the mist. "Varian? What are you doing?" I whisper.

Varian smiles. "I've never seen this substance before. I'm going to take some back to study."

"Now isn't the time for alchemy! You'll never get to study it if we don't find out how to get out of here!" I softly scold.

Varian closes and puts a cork into the blue mist-filled vial. "Fair point." He nervously chuckles.

"Listen up..."

I tremble as chills run throughout my body.

The blue mist knocks the Listen Up club off of its hook. It clatters against the floor and Rapunzel slowly walks over to it. "Wow, look at this." She says, running her fingers along the small wooden 'X's in the club.

I carefully pick up the club's metal hook to secure it back into the wall, but I stop for a moment. "Wait a second.."

"What is it?" Varian asks, crouching beside me.

"This isn't just a hook, it's a tuning fork!" I exclaim, flicking my finger on it. It begins to let out small vibration waves.

Varian gasps. "Wait, hit it again."

"What?"

"Hit it again, I think I saw something!"

I obey and hit the tuning fork. Varian points to a spot on the wall, where goop the same shade as the blue mist is leaking out of a crack. Varian holds out his palm for the fork, and I hand it to him. He slowly inserts the tuning fork into a small keyhole in the wall and turns it. We gasp as it triggers a trapdoor to open up.

"Raps, you gotta see this!" I called.

Rapunzel runs over to us, still holding the cub. "Whoa...How many secret passages does this place have?"

We slowly walk into the secret tunnel and enter a small cavern.

"Um, Ruth? Are you here?" Rapunzel calls out into the darkness.

I notice more tuning forks hanging from the cave ceiling, and I gently run my fingers across them, creating a small choir of chimes.

"Guys, look." Varian points to a music book.

Rapunzel and I exchange a glance before walking to the book to examine it. I run my fingers along its dusty pages. "I don't think anyone's been here for a really long time..."

A cold breeze flows through the room, causing some of the tuning forks to chime together. I shiver a bit. "How is there a breeze in here?" Varian worriedly asks. "There's no airflow."

"I think we should go," I suggest, feeling officially spooked. I begin to walk away and walk right through more blue mist. My heart stops. I slowly turn around and come face-to-face with the ghost of Ruthless Ruth. "You're...R-R-Ruthless Ru-Ruth..." I say just above a whisper. I feel my heartbeat quicken.

I gasp as Varian quickly leaps in between the ghost and me, and spreads his arms out in front of me. He tries to create a defensive stance, and eyes down Ruth. "Don't even think about hurting her!" He warns. "If you take another step-er-float any closer, y-you'll be sorry!"

I place my hand on Varian's shoulder. "Var, what are you doing?" I whisper.

"You didn't think I'd ditch you, did you? You're my best friend, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Varian gives me a small smile.

I feel my cheeks grow a bit pink. I can't believe he'd risk his life for my own sake...

Rapunzel worriedly glances around the small cave. "Ruth, w-we want to help-"

The ghost puts her hands on her hips. "Listen up!" She demands, floating away in a wave of blue mist. The mist makes its way over to the music book, and pages of notes begin flying out of the book. "The legend is wrong. We all have dreams." Ruth floats over to us and scowls. "All I wanted was for them to hear my song."

My eyes light up. "You write music?"

"So you're not a barbarian?" Rapunzel hopefully asks.

"Oh no, I was a barbarian," Ruth proudly states. "But I never disappeared to go on rampages. I was just hiding away in here, practicing my music."

"I can't believe you were a musician!" I exclaim.

Ruth sadly sighs. "That's where you're wrong, (yn). Sure, I wanted to be a musician and sing for crowds, but I never actually became one."

"Why not?" I ask.

"My only dream was to write a rabble-rousing chantey, and sing it aloud around the pub! Oh, but-but I was afraid no one would listen." She sadly says.

I frown. "That's horrible..."

Rapunzel paces back and forth. "'Listen Up' means listen to your song."

"It ain't just a club, Rapunzel." Ruth softly says.

We all suddenly hear a loud crash come from inside the pub. Rapunzel and Varian run out, and I begin to follow before a small swirl of mist circles me.

"Listen up (yn)...I know you can do it."

I nod. "I'll make sure they hear you," I say before running after my sister.

I run out and gasp at what I see. Possessed items were terrorizing the pub thugs and chasing them around the room. I quickly dart over to the club on the floor. "How didn't I see it sooner? The carvings are musical notes!" I exclaim, picking up the club. I hop up onto one of the tables. "Guys! Her song! We need to play Ruthless Ruth's song!!" I shout. "We have to free Ruth!"

"Are you absurd?!" The Captain shouts as his sword fights against a possessed piece of furniture.

Rapunzel nods. "She's right! It's her secret song, but she was too afraid to share it!" Rapunzel runs to the stage and picks up a guitar. "(Yn), Varian go to the piano and start playing!"

Varian and I look at each other and smile. "Just like old times, huh?" I ask as we sit down at the piano.

Varian chuckles. "You mean when we put on concerts for our parents?"

"Uh, yeah! The dynamic duo of Varian and (yn)!" I say as though I was about to address a crowd.

Varian grins at me and begins to play the notes. I join him, and Rapunzel quickly begins to strum her guitar to the rhythm. The possessed weapons that were fighting against the pub thugs begin to settle down and stop attacking them. "It's working!!" I exclaim.

"We're gonna be free!" Varian happily announces.

I look up and see Ruth watching us, smiling proudly. She winks at me before making instruments magically appear for the thugs. They begin to play, and before long the upbeat notes of our band fill the Snuggly Duckling. Suddenly the Captain snatches the club and snaps it in half. "Hah! Take that Ruth!!" He sneers, tossing the pieces of wood into the fire.

I stand up. "Why would you do that? All Ruth wants is for her song to be played! She's a songwriter, why is that such a problem?!" I shout. What was with this guy?!

Ruth appears in front of all of us. "Now I'll never have the chance for my song to be heard! And none of you will ever see the light of day again!"

"What were you thinking?" Rapunzel angrily asks.

The captain places his hand on the mantle above the fireplace. "You don't stop an evil ghost with a song! You stop it with force!"

"Didn't you hear her?" Varian asks with an annoyed tone. "Ruth's not evil. The club was just her song!"

The captain looks down. "Well, I-I did have a moose stuck on my head..." He sheepishly admits.

"Captain, having someone play her song was Ruth's dream!" Rapunzel explains.

"Oh...Sorry." The Captain nervously says.

The crashing sound of thunder and lighting can be heard, and Ruth's voice slowly enters the room. "You've crushed my dreams, and now I'll crush you!" She declares, her normally blue mist turning to a raging red.

I head up to the ghost. "Ruth, wait! There's a little time left. We can still play your song!"

"No, we can't! That hothead with the misplaced eyebrow burned my music! The new day is nearly upon us, and I'll be relegated back to the depths of my chamber!" She cries.

"You don't need a piece of wood to play your music," I say. "You're a musician, no amount of fire can burn that away. The song is still in your heart!"

She slowly places her hands over her heart. "But...I can't do this alone, (YN)."

"You won't have to. I'll help you."

Rapunzel slowly walks up. "So will I."

Varian smiles at Ruth. "Me too."

Ruth's mist fades back to blue. "You really think I should sing it?"

Varian and I sit down at the piano once again. "You need to face your fear, Ruth. We'll all be here for you." Varian says in an attempt to comfort the ghost.

I begin to play a riff on the piano, and Varian joins in. I proudly smile as Ruth begins to sing her song.

Ruth: Since I was a lassie,

just a sweet young thing,

all I truly longed to do

was make up songs to sing

Sure my voice was rotten

And had a pity twang

But I had dreams, and in my dreams

this is what I sang

Listen up, all you goons

Listen up and hear my tunes

Every line, boys, is mine

So listen up

Ruth smiles at me and I wink at her.

(Yn): Catchy.

The rest of the pub begins to join in with their instruments and play to the beat.

Ruth: How I yearned to sing it

Still, I was afraid

Guess I feared

they call me weird

And mocked the songs I made

So I shut my pie hole

And hid my work away

Rapunzel: But you had dreams

Ruth: And in my dreams

this is what I played

Listen up, if you please

Listen to my melodies

(Yn): Folks she wrote

every note

Both: So listen up

Ruth: I kept my song a secret

But carved it on this club

Waiting till the perfect moment came

At last, I worked the nerve up

And stood before the pub

I let one note

come through my throat

And then I died of shame

Big Nose: Died?

Attila: Died?

Ruth: DEAD!

And now I haunt this tavern

suffering for my art

Years and years

of doubts and fears

(Yn): It's time to heed your heart

Varian and I levitated into the air. We begin floating around the pub, and Varian tightly grips my hands. "Is this safe?!"

I laugh and spin him in a circle. "YES!"

We begin dancing through the air as Ruth continues her song.

Ruth: I can end this curse now

If I can end the song

Varian: Like in your dreams

Ruth: But in my dreams

You ALL must sing along

Listen up, all you thugs

lift your voices and your mugs

Don't be shy,

let it fly!

Thugs: Listen up

We all begin dancing to the beat and singing in harmony. Ruth's notes fill the pub, and she beams with joy.

Ruth: Ha! That's it!

Varian: Listen up

Attila: Listen here

Hook Foot: Raise the roof

Shorty: And rock the house!

Thugs: Make it loud,

sing it proud, listen...

Ruth: WAIT!

Rapunzel: What's wrong?

Ruth: Him!

Ruth points an angry finger at the Captain, who wasn't singing.

Rapunzel: Come on, everyone needs to sing!

Captain: I... I haven't sung in quite some time. What if I'm rusty?

Shorty: Your name's not Rusty as Captain, and I'm Susan.

Rapunzel: Captain, please, it's almost midnight! We have to free Ruth!

Captain: Listen up, listen close

You're disgusting, old, and gross!

But your song

is quite strong

Listen up!

All: Listen up, listen up

Everybody raise your cup

Here's to Ruth,

that's the truth

Listen up!

Ruth: Listen up

All: Listen up

Ruth: Listen up!

All: Listen up!

"That was great!!" Rapunzel cheers.

I smile at the ghost. "Take a bow, Ruth! You've earned it!"

She nervously bows and the pub erupts into applause. Ruth looks at me and beams.

:-:-:-:-:

Sunlight pours through the windows of the Snuggly Duckling. My eyelids flutter open and I realize I must've fallen asleep after the night I had. I glance around me and suddenly gasp. I was laying on a couch with Varian. He had his arms protectively wrapped around me, and my head was nuzzled into his chest. Varian's chest was gently rising and falling, and I could feel his heart beating against me. I smile a teeny bit, secretly enjoying being in his arms; the way he held my body close to his.

I look at his face. I loved everything about it: his rosy freckled cheeks, his cute little nose, and those wide baby-blue eyes. Varian's eyes slowly begin to open and panic fills my mind. What will he think when he sees that I was snuggling into him? This is so embarrassing...

Varian's eyes meet mine, and we stare into each other's eyes. I could almost see the sky in his eyes, so vast, but at the same time so innocent. Varian softly smiles at me. "Hey," he whispers.

"H-Hey..."

Suddenly Varains eyes widen, and I know that he has realized the situation we are in. His cheeks turn as red as tomatoes, and he quickly sits up. "(Yn)..I-I am so so sorry. I don't know what happened..."

I let out a small chuckle. "It's okay Var. Neither one of us realized what we were doing."

The alchemist nods. " Let's just forget that this ever happened."

"Y-Yeah...forget"

Forgive and forget.

Why was it that I didn't want to forget?

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I slowly exit the pub and bathe in the sunlight. It's only been a day since I've seen the sun, but it felt like a lifetime. I was glad to have it back. My eyes suddenly notice Ruthless Ruth floating out the door of the pub. I stopped her. "Excuse me? Ruth? If you don't mind me asking, why did you wait this long to find someone to play your song? And why did you choose me of all people to play it?" I ask.

Ruth smiles and places her hands on my shoulders. "Because I knew you were the only person who would understand me. I could sense from the moment you entered the pub that you were a lover of music. You are a very special young woman, (yn)." She gently says. "Just continue to follow your heart and you'll do amazing things." Ruth begins to float away but stops and looks over her shoulder back to me. "By the way, when it comes to dreams, you might wanna take your own advice."

Chapter Text

I fall to the ground with a loud thud. "Aghhhh!" I groan.

"C'mon, that was not that hard of a hit."

"Maybe to you." I scowl, sitting up in the grass. I glare at Cassandra, who was towering above me, hands on her hips.

"Look, (yn), nobody said that training would be easy. If it wasn't hard then it would mean that you're not learning anything." Cass says.

I sigh, slightly regretting my choice to let Cassandra train me. Deep down I knew she was right, but I also knew that I'd be sore all over tomorrow from how hard this is. "Yeah...but still, would it hurt to cut me a little bit of slack?"

"Nothing in life ever comes easy. As soon as you learn that, the better off you'll be." Cass says, crossing her arms.

I take a deep breath and stand to my feet. "Alright. Hit me with your best shot." I say, getting into a defensive position.

Cassandra swings her fist at me, and I quickly duck underneath it, smiling to myself. Cass runs towards me, swinging both her fists in sync. I run backward, holding my forearms over my face to avoid being hit. I suddenly run into a wall behind me, and Cassandra grins. She raises her hands to pin me, but I quickly drop to my knees and somersault through the gap in her feet, barely escaping defeat. I jump to my feet and grab Cassandra's shoulders from behind so I could pin her to the wall, but before I can, Cass grabs my hands from behind her and swings me to the ground, pinning me anyways. "OW!" I yell out.

Cassandra helps me to my feet. "Y'know, that was actually your best fight yet." She proudly states.

"Wait, really? But I still lost."

"Just because you didn't pin me doesn't mean that you didn't fight well. You were fast on your feet and it showed." Cass places a hand on my shoulder. "I'm proud of you (Nn)."

"Thanks, Cass."

"Well, that's all the time I have today. Rapunzel has a meeting with a duke this afternoon and I need to help her get ready." Cassandra says.

"Alright! Thanks for the help."

"No prob." And with that, Cassandra begins running off to the palace.

I look around the empty lawn and wipe beads of sweat from my forehead. I head back to the castle and up to my room. After changing out of my sweaty training clothes, I head to Eugene's room and knock on his door.

I hear footsteps coming to the door. "Cassandra, I swear if your here to say that you're better than me again, I'll have you know that I'm not buyin' it." He says opening the door and looking surprised when he sees me. "(Yn)? What are you doing here?"

"Hey, can I ask you for a favor?" I quickly say.

"It depends on the favor. If Cassandra is involved then the answer is no." Eugene crosses his arms.

"Could you please take me out to Old Corona so I can visit Varian?"

"You mean the Varian who almost got us killed?"

I nod.

"Nope." Eugene bluntly says, slamming his door shut.

"Oh come on! Please?"

No response.

I let out a sigh when an idea suddenly pops into my head. "Well," I begin. "I guess that if you can't take me, I'll have to ask Cassandra. I can count on her to take me because she's extremely brave." I say in a loud enough voice that Eugene can hear.

The door suddenly flies open, and Eugene steps out. "Woah, Woah, Woah. Let's not make rash decisions here, (yn). I can take you!"

"Great! Thank You!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Eugene and I soon arrived in Old Corona on the back of Max. As Max trotted up towards Varian's lab, I nervously clutched the compass in my pocket. As far as I knew, Varian was the only one who could help me figure out the secrets of this compass.

Eugene and I walk up the steps to Varian's lab. I knock my fist against the door. "Varian? You home?" I call. A loud crash comes from inside the lab. Eugene and I exchange glances. "You know what, I think I'll go find some water for Max. I bet he's absolutely parched after a journey like that!" Eugene says, already walking away.

I shake my head with a smile, pull the door open, and walk inside the lab.

I hear another crash and trip over Ruddiger, who has zoomed in front of me, carrying some sort of beaker in his mouth. I fall to the ground, and my compass slips out of my pocket and rolls across the chemical-stained floor of the lab.

"RUDDIGER! GET YOUR BUSHY TAIL BACK HERE!" Varian shouts, running after Ruddiger. He notices me on the floor and comes over to where I was laying. "(Yn)? What happened to you?" He asks, crouching down and reaching his hand out to me.

"Ruddiger," I say with a sigh. "What's up with him anyway?" I ask, taking Varian's hand.

Varian pulls me up. "I've been creating a machine that can harvest crops faster, but every time I try to test run it in the yard, Ruddiger steals the Flynnolium I need to power it." Varian sighs as I dust myself off. "But anyway, what brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you about my compass." I reach into my pocket where I put the compass but gasp in horror when I realize it isn't there. "My compass. It's gone!"

Both Varian's and my eyes drift over to the chattering of Ruddiger, who has noticed the silver compass on the floor.

"Oh no..." I mutter.

"Is that..?" Varian points.

"Yup."

"ruDdIGEr YOu bRInG tHaT BaCk!" Varian shrieks, running over to Ruddiger.

Ruddiger picks up the compass and sticks it into his mouth, right before he darts away.

"Ruddiger, no!" I yell, chasing after the raccoon.

Varian and I trip over each other as we try to catch Ruddiger. As Ruddiger runs on the other side of Varian's lab table, I point in opposite directions, signaling Varian to take one way and I the other so we could block him. Varian nods and we slowly stand up. We inch closer and closer to the raccoon, who was sniffing the compass as though questioning if it could be eaten. Varian holds up three fingers and counts them down. 3...2...1 he mouths.

The two of us run towards Ruddiger, and he quickly scampers away before we can catch him. Varian's goggles fall over his eyes as we run closer to each other and he stumbles, tumbling and knocking me over in the process. Varian lands on top of me, his face inches from mine. Our cheeks both turn equally red, and Varian quickly stands up.

"I-I'm so so s-sorry (Yn)!" He stutters, pulling his goggles back onto his head. He holds out his hand to help me up.

I take it and he pulls me up. "It's a-alright!" I quickly say. We awkwardly look away from each other, and I rock back and forth on my heels.

I glance over at Varian, who's covering his face in an attempt to hide his rosy cheeks. I notice his lopsided goggles on his head. "Uh, your goggles.." I say, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

Varian tries to straighten them but only makes them more crooked. "Here, let me help," I say, reaching up to straighten them out myself.

"T-Thanks..." Varian stutters.

We awkwardly laugh like idiots until we're interrupted by Ruddiger's chattering. Varian glares at the raccoon before his eyes light up. "Wait, I have an idea!" He announces. "What if we give him something else he really likes? Like a-a Apple, or..." He trails off while glancing around. I begin looking around as well, and our eyes land on the same item.

We gasp in sync. "...the Flynnolium!"

Varian grabs the glass beaker of Flynnolium and slowly approaches Ruddiger. "Ruddiger! Hey...buddy? You see this?" Varian holds up the beaker and gently shakes it. "Do you want it? Look at how shiny~"

Ruddiger's eyes light up as he stares at the Flynnolium. He quickly nods.

"Then all I need from you is that boring old compass. How does that sound? The shiny and pretty Flynnolium for the dull old compass?" Varian adds a gagging noise for good measure.

I giggle at Varian's attempt.

Ruddiger smiles and hands the compass to Varian, and the alchemist hands him the beaker of Flynnolium.

"The compass is safe." Varian cockily says, holding up the silver item. Ruddiger scurries in front of the boy. Varian trips over the raccoon and tumbles to the ground. The compass flies out of his hand and goes bouncing across the floor until it lands in the doorway.

"Varian!" I run over to him as he lands on the ground. "Are you alright?!" I ask, extending my hand out to him.

"...yeah." He groans. "Sorry (Yn)." He takes my hand and I pull him up. "Your compass didn't break, did it?"

"(Yn) we should probably head back now..." The front door flies open and Eugene walks in.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT~" Varian and I yell, waving our hands in the air.

CRUNCH

"Oooooohhhh...yikes. Please tell me that wasn't important." Eugene says, looking at the crushed metal below his boot.

Varian cringes. I run over to the compass and gently pick it up. "No no no no no..." I nervously mumble.

I examine the compass and notice a small, broken groove on the bottom. A little, silver key is poking out of the groove, and I ever so gently open the latch with my nail and remove the key. "No way..." I whisper.

"(Yn) I'm so sorry about the compass." Eugene apologizes.

"No...there's a key inside of my compass. I had no idea!" I exclaim, examining the silver key.

"Whoa, really?" Varian asks in awe, running over to me. "I wonder what it opens."

"I don't know..."

"Judging by the small chips in the key, I'd say it's been used quite a bit," Varian says, looking at the key through a magnifying glass.

"But what would the owner store it in a compass?" Eugene asks, scratching his head.

"They must not have wanted anyone to know they had it," I suggest.

Varian walks over to a shelf and grabs a roll of string. He loops the string through the handle of the key and ties it together. He hands me the key. "You should keep this with you. It might be more capable than what you think."

I put the string around my neck, and admire the necklace Varian created. "Thanks, Varian," I say with a smile.

"N-no problem. Y'know, I could fix your compass if you'd like." Varian suggests, looking at the broken piece of silver in my hands.

"Really? That'd be amazing! Thank You so much!" I exclaim, carefully handing the watch to the alchemist.

"Y-You're welcome," Varian says with a new shade of pink forming in his cheeks.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

As the sun dips into the pink and orange horizon, I don't watch the sunset, but instead, stare at the key in the palm of my hand. I clutch the key in my hand and glance at Dandelion, who's staring at me with wide eyes.

"One day, girl. I promise."

Chapter Text

I walk down the palace hallway with Dandelion hopping along beside me. Dad had said to come to the throne room as he had some 'big news' to tell me. I stop as I notice Qurin walking out of the throne room with Varian following him from close behind.

"Dad, none of that was true! Old Corona's being destroyed!" Varian exclaims, running in front of his father's path.

"Old Corona will endure," Qurin says, pushing past his son. "You'll have to trust that I can handle this.

"H-how can I trust anything when my own father just lied to the king's face?"

"That is enough, Varian," Qurin says through gritted teeth.

"Yes sir." Varian whispers.

Qurin stomps away leaving a very upset-looking Varian behind. I quickly run up to him. "Varian? What's going on?"

"Those black rocks...they're destroying our village and my dad isn't even doing anything about it!" Varian explains, running his fingers through his black hair.

"Why wouldn't he tell my dad? I'm sure he would do something to help."

"I-I don't know. I don't know, (yn)."

Just then, Rapunzel pokes her head out of the throne room's door. "Varian? (Yn)? Is everything okay?"

"No!" Varian's voice wavers. "No, it's not...Rapunzel, we came to see your dad about the rocks in Old Corona."

Rapunzel looks confused. "Yeah but your dad just said-"

"Raps, Qurin lied," I say, looking at my sister with worried eyes.

"Things have gotten worse." Varian looks away.

"How much worse?"

Varian shuts his eyes and looks down. I notice his lip quivering. "A lot worse." he barely whispers.

I wrap my arms around Varian and pull him into a hug. He hugs me tightly and nuzzles into the crook of my neck.

"Don't worry, Varian." Rapunzel gently says. "I haven't forgotten about our agreement. We're gonna figure out the mystery behind these rocks. Together." Rapunzel puts her hands on Varian and I's shoulder. "Just give me until our father returns. Everything is gonna be okay. I promise." Rapunzel says with a smile.

Varian looks at Rapunzel with hopeful eyes and smiles.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"We hope to make it to the mountain retreat by noon." Our mother says with a smile.

"I am so excited for you guys!" Rapunzel exclaims, wrapping her arms around mom.

I nod. "You guys deserve this trip. We'll keep things in order here."

Mom hugs me. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"Take good care of them, Max!"

The horse whinnies in reply. I stroke his fur and give him an apple. "Good boy."

Eugene walks up to us. "You two kids have fun now." He says with a chuckle.

Dad still looks very nervous as he walks out from behind the carriage. He looks at the group of pub thugs who had come to bid the king and queen goodbye with worry. "Are you sure you two will be alright? Your mom and I can always stay. We have plenty of anniversaries to come, you know."

"Dad, we'll be fine. It's just two days. What could possibly happen?" I grin.

Mom nudges dad. "She's right, Fredric."

Eugene's old friend, Lance walks up to us. "Don't worry, your majesty." He puts his hands on Eugene's and Rapunzel's shoulders. "We've totally got everything under control."

I giggle as Pascal nervously shakes his head.

As we bid our final farewells to our parents Lance triumphantly throws his hands in the air as the royal carriage exits the courtyard. "KITCHEN RADE!!" He exclaims, already running back into the palace.

The rest of the thugs follow behind him and Cassandra quickly pulls out a sword and begins to chase after them. Eugene and I exchange a glance before chasing after the angry handmaiden. "Cass WAIT!!!"

"MAKE GOOD CHOICES MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!"

:-:-:-:-:

"I was so darn certain that I'd got this...but I'm not this...not yet..."

I walk through the halls petting the fur of one of the kittens that had overrun the kingdom and stop when I see Rapunzel standing in front of our family portrait, looking completely dejected. "Raps? Is something wrong?" I quietly ask.

Rapunzel looks at me with sad eyes. "(yn), how am I ever going to be queen?"

"What are you talking about?" I sit down against the wall and pat the spot next to me for Rapunzel to sit.

She sighs and sits. "Today was a disaster! All of those people came to me for help and I only made things worse!"

I set the small kitten in Rap's lap. Rapunzel gently strokes his white fur and slightly smiles. "What's this for?"

I shrug. "You looked like you could use a kitty." I place a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Raps, nobody is expecting you to be the perfect queen on your first day. You're bound to make mistakes, and that's okay. The important thing is that you learn from them."

Rapunzel pulls me into an embrace and I grin. "Thanks (yn)." She softly says. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I snuggle deeper into my blankets and the story from the book I had borrowed from the library captivates me more and more with each word. I was still amazed at how exciting fantasy was! I let out a happy sigh. Today all I'm going to do is read my book, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me.

The door to the study flies open and Rapunzel is beaming at me. "(YN)!"

"Rapunzel? What's tangled your hair?" I joke.

"(Yn), look! It's snowing!" She happily spins around and points to the window. "Isn't it amazing?"

I chuckle. "Haven't you seen snow before?"

"Well, yeah. But I've never actually gotten to be outside in it! Will you come outside with me? I have to make a snowman."

I sigh. "But my book..."

"...will still be here when we're done." Rapunzel finishes for me.

"Fine." I smile and stand up to grab my snow gear.

After Rapunzel and I have changed, we head to the courtyard where a decent amount of snow and the people of Corona have accumulated. "Loyal subjects of Corona, as your temporary queen, I officially declare today..." Rapunzel pauses for dramatic effect before throwing her arms into the air. "A snow day!!"

The people cheer and Eugene clears his throat. "And as your temporary king, I-" The former thief is cut off when I throw a snowball and hit his face. I laugh and Eugene sarcastically chuckles. "Ha ha ha...nice shot..." He mutters.

We play together in the snow for the rest of the day, until the sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting a silvery golden glow on the courtyard. Cassandra and I set up a small bonfire, and the kingdom's blacksmith, Xavier, joins us to tell stories of long ago. The children gather around and nestle close to me as I pass out marshmallows and roasting sticks for them.

"Has it always snowed this much?" Rapunzel asks as she and Eugene join us by the fire.

"Only once, at least, according to legend," Xavier says with a mischievous grin.

"Legend?"

"The legend of Zahn Tiri." Xavier announces, throwing another log into the fire and causing it to roar to life. "Eons ago, an evil warlock had a deep hatred for Corona and cast a spell which caused a blizzard to sweep across the land. The storm destroyed everything in its path. All would have been lost, had it not been for the ancient engineer and inventor, Lord Demanitus."

"Oh, I know him! I've read about Demanitus in the castle's books." I say.

Xavier nods. "He is still as famous as he was back then. Demanitus was a revolutionary inventor. Using both magic and science, Demanitus built a massive subterranean machine deep in the Corona mountains. This mighty device had the ability to change direction of the wind, and pushed the flurries out to sea." Xavier smiles. "The day was saved. Zhan Tiri had, indeed, been defeated. But some say the curse of the storm lives on and is simply waiting to strike again.

"Waiting?" Rapunzel asks. "For what?"

"For Corona to be at its weakest." Xavier hisses.

"'For Corona to be at its weakest?'" She skeptically asks. "But it is only a legend, right, Xavier?"

Xavier chuckles. "My dear, every legend is born of truth."

I stare at Xavier with wide eyes, mesmerized by his tale.

Eugene sighs. "Wow, bravo. Way to keep the party going as always Xavier."

The wind harshly blows, and everyone stumbles back from the strong force. The icy chill of the cold nips at my exposed nose and cheeks.

"Okay, um, I think for everyone's safety we should all head indoors!" Rapunzel announces.

We begin to usher everyone inside of the castle as we hear the familiar sound of horse whinnies. "Max?" I called.

I gasp as Maximus enters the courtyard, struggling to make his way through the harsh winter snow. The horse wasn't pulling the royal carriage.

He was alone.

Chapter Text

Rapunzel and I rush over to the horse.

"Maximus! What happened? Are you okay?" Rapunzel asks, stroking the bridge of his nose.

"Max... Where are our parents?" I suck in a big breath, not entirely sure if I wanted to know the answer.

Max hangs his head down sadly. The captain holds up a broken strap on the horse's saddle. "It looks like there was an accident up on the mountain." he solemnly concludes.

Raps darts over to him. "Accident?"

The captain sighs. "Rapunzel, I think your parents are in grave danger."

:-:-:-:

The wind harshly blows outside. The icy breath of the blizzard swirls around our kingdom, making the small island a wasteland of ice and snow. The people of Corona fled to the castle, seeking a warm shelter. As Cassandra tends to the fire, Pascal and I pass out warm tea to the villagers.

I stop when I feel a little tug on my coat. I glance down and see a small girl looking up at me with worry. "Princess? Will the snow go away soon?" She sniffles. "I miss the sunshine."

I kneel beside her so I can meet her eye level. "It'll get better soon. The snow can't last forever." I give her a reassuring smile. It can't last forever...right?

"You can't go!!"

I glance over to the voice and see Rapunzel and Nigel discussing something. I stand up and hand the little girl a blanket before joining my sister.

Eugene suddenly enters the room followed by Lance and the pub thugs. "He's right, Rapunzel. You can't, but we can." He says, gesturing to the small group of men behind him.

Rapunzel walks up to Eugene. "But you just heard Nigel. It's a death trap."

"Look at us, princess. If the rest of the world had its way, each and every one of us would either be on the run or locked up somewhere." Lance calmly says.

Big Nose smiles. "But your parents had the heart to give us a second chance. A chance to prove ourselves and go straight."

"The least we can do is give them a second chance of their own," says Attila.

Rapunzel looks down with worry. I gently took hold of her hand and squeezed it. I could tell she wasn't ready to risk any more lives in this storm. "There isn't another option, Raps."

"She's right," Eugene says, placing his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "The mountains made for a great hideout back in the day. I know those roads better than anyone." He grins. "Face it. We're the men for this job. Besides, even a make-believe king has gotta make himself useful."

The captain walks up to us. "Your highness, the guards should really be the ones to go."

"If this storm keeps up, things could get ugly, and this kingdom will need its guards."

The captain looks down at Rapunzel. "Your Highness, it's your call."

Rapunzel looks at Eugene, and then down at me. Her lip was quivering. I give her a small, reassuring nod. She sighs and looks back up at her love. "Go."

Eugene pulls her into a tight embrace and gently kisses her forehead. "We'll be back. I promise."

Eugene leaves and his search party follows close behind. I give my sister a small smile. "Don't worry. If anyone can find your parents, it's them."

:-:-:-:-:

I look at Cass with worried eyes as she stares out the window. "He isn't back yet?" I ask.

She shakes her head, right as Owl flies up to the window. I quickly open the window and slam it shut once Owl makes it inside the warm castle. Rapunzel stops her pacing and runs over to us. "Cass, what is it?" She asks.

Cassandra sighs. "The worst of the storm is yet to come."

I gasp and clutch my blanket close to my chest. "What are we going to do? At this rate, the storm could destroy our kingdom."

Nigel nods. "She's right, Rapunzel. If we don't do something soon the whole island will be buried. Our only hope is to call a state of emergency, evacuate to the shelters on the mainland, and pray this storm blows over."

"We'll never be able to get everyone to safety in time." Rapunzel sighs. "That can't be the only way." She rubs her forehead and begins to pace again. "What about Xavier?"

"Your highness!" Nigel gasps. "With all due respect, lives are at stake here. We can't go chasing after fairy tales in our darkest hour!"

My attention is turned away from the argument as I hear a familiar voice calling down the hall. "(YN)!! Princess Rapunzel!!!"

"Varin?"

Varian darts into the room in a panic, and runs up to me. Pete and Stan run into the room after him. "Sorry princesses. He ran right past-"

The captain of the guards grabs Varian and stops him in his tracks.

"Wait! Don't hurt him!" I quickly say. "He won't harm us."

The captain releases Varian. The boy turns to my sister. "Rapunzel! My dad's in danger!! You have to help. Please!" He begs. "You have to come to Old Corona with me! Now."

"Qurin's in trouble?" I ask with worry.

Rapunzel leads us into the hall. Once we're alone, she looks Varian in the eyes. "Varian, what's wrong?"

"Please. Please, the rocks. They're encasing my dad." He chokes out.

"Encasing? Wh-what are you saying?"

Varian tugs her hand. "Come! Come see for yourself!" He tries to pull her down the hall. "You can help, I know you can! You have a connection to these rocks!"

I ran after Varian. I was fully prepared to hike through the snow if it meant helping Varian's dad. Qurin was one of our family's closest friends, and I didn't want to let him get hurt. I expect to see Rapunzel following us, but when I look over my shoulder she was still standing in the doorway. "Varian, it's a state of emergency here. I'm sorry. We, we can't help you! Not right now."

Varian and I stop in our tracks. "No! No, no, no, no!" The boy runs back over to Rapunzel. "Listen to me. My dad doesn't have much time. You two are the only ones who can help."

I walk up to my sister. "We can't just leave him! Varian needs our help! Please!"

"Your Majesty, please." Nigel enters the hall. "Whatever the boy's problem, it must be set aside. The storm's growing stronger by the second. We need you to make a decision!"

Varian's hopeful blue eyes begin to fill with tears. It breaks my heart. After all those years of knowing him, I've never seen him so sad, so broken...so scared. I couldn't stand to see Varian, my best friend, my other half, so upset.

"Please! Princess, you...you promised you'd help me!" Varian grabs Rapunzel's arms. "You promised!"

Pete and Stan suddenly come up from behind, grab hold of Varian, and drag him away. I dart after them. "Hey!! Put him down!!" I ordered. I grab onto the boy's gloved hand. "Varian!!!"

He grips my hand back and I blush ever-so-slightly. "(Yn)!!"

Before I can do anything else, the captain grabs my arms and holds them behind my back. "What are you doing?!? Let go of me!" I try to break out of his grasp, but fail.

Tears fill my eyes as Varian is pulled away. "Please! My dad needs help!" He pleads.

"Don't hurt him!" Rapunzel quickly says.

"Varian!" I call out, still trying to break free.

Varian's blue eyes meet my own. We stare into each other's tear-filled eyes. Varian manages to let out one final plea. "(yn), please..."

The tears finally free themselves as Varian disappears around the corner.

The captain lets go of me and I fall to the floor, sobbing. I cover my face with my hands as big fat tears roll down my cheeks. I hear footsteps walking away, signaling to me that I was alone.

I'm so sorry...

:-:-:-:-:

"(Yn)?" I hear a knock on my door. "May I come in?"

I let out a half-hearted 'yes' and mom walks in. Ever since Rapunzel and Cassandra were able to stop the blizzard, I haven't been in the mood to leave my room. Even though I was glad my parents were home and glad that my kingdom was safe, I still felt guilty about the whole situation with Varian. Mom doesn't say anything as she sits down beside me. She gently wraps her arms around me. "What's wrong sweetie? I thought you'd be happy that everything's alright."

"But they aren't." I choke out. My throat began to feel dry as a few tears rolled down my cheeks. "Varian needed help and...and...Rapunzel turned him away..."

"(Yn)..."

"No! Varian's my best friend! We said we'd always be there for each other!" I let out a weak sob. "W-We were s-supposed to be there for each other..." My head began to throb from crying.

"(Yn) listen to me. The blizzard took a toll on everyone. I'm sure Varian will understand...everything will work out in the end." Mom comfortingly says, wiping a tear off of my cheek.

I gently push her away. I knew she had no idea how dire the circumstances were. "Thanks...but I think I need to be alone for a little bit."

Mom nods and exits the room without another word.

I slowly stand up and walk to the window. The tips of my fingers touch the frigid glass, and I look out to the horizon. "I'll help you, Varian...I promise."

Chapter Text

"What do you mean I can't go to Old Corona?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

Dad sighs as he rubs his temple. "It's too dangerous. Why would you want to go out there if Varian attacked Rapunzel!?"

"He didn't attack her!! Come on, you know Nigel exaggerates, dad."

"I'm not letting you go to Old Corona." Dad firmly states. His voice was laced with ice. His cold tone served as a warning.

Despite my better judgment, I press on. "But dad-"

I'm cut off as dad slams his hand on his desk. "(Yn). Enough." His warm blue eyes had become cold and threatening. This conversation was over.

I let out a huff as I exited the king's office. It had been a week since Varian came to the palace for help, and I still wasn't allowed to visit him. It seemed like I was the only person in the entire kingdom who cared! Even Rapunzel was putting forth no effort to help Varian because of the Griffin of Pittsford's upcoming visit.

I stomp into my bedroom and Dandelion hops over to me, holding the (Yn)rium necklace in her mouth. She tilts her head and her small black eyes twinkled. I slightly chuckle as I kneel beside the rabbit. "What are you doing with this?" I ask, scratching behind one of her ears. The bunny leans her head into my hand and closes her eyes in contentment. I stare down at the necklace in my hand. I smile at the fond memories that flood my brain from the science expo.

The crowd leans closer to the stage to get a closer look while Varian reaches into the remogrifier to grab a small, purple rock. "...this. I call this new element...Cass~" Varian trails off and looks over at Cassandra, then back at me, and then the purple rock. "I call this new element, '(Yn)ruim"

My eyes widen as Varian looks over at me and winks. I walk over to Varian, take his hand in my own, and pull him down into a bow. The crowd applauds, and I see Varian smiling from ear to ear. My heart fills with pride at the sight of Varian so happy, and at him finally proving that he could do more than make things a mess.

Even when he could've won the science expo, he stayed by my side when the judge was unfair to me. He gave up his chance to prove himself to the entire kingdom for me.

I put my hands on my cheeks as my face flushes pink from the thought.

Feeling a new sense of determination, I quickly stand up. "Y'know what, Dandelion? I don't care what dad says. Varian is my best friend. He's always been there for me, so I'll be there for him. I'm going to Old Corona, and there's nothing he can do to stop me."

I march over to my closet and swing it open. I change into the outfit Cassandra gave to me and grab a satchel. After filling it with a few necessities, I head to the door, ready to start my quest.

As I place my hand on the golden doorknob, I quickly pause as the realization washes over me. I can't just walk out the front door...Someone will see me leaving for sure...

"I need a way out of here..." I mutter, glancing around the room. My (ec) eyes scan my bedroom, looking for some way to escape. A strange glimmer of light catches my attention, and I slowly approach it.

A silver Corona sun forms in the frame of my full-sized mirror as though it were magic. I gasp at the sight. "No way..." I suddenly noticed a small hole in the center of the sun that was emitting a soft golden glow. As if on cue, the silver key strung around my neck that I had found inside my compass began to shine the same golden color. The glimmering light filled my senses as I slowly removed the key from my necklace and slid it into the hole in the mirror frame.

Click.

It was a keyhole.

I can only gaze in awe as the glass inside the mirror frame slides away, revealing a secret passage. "This must've been what mom meant," I say, glancing over to a very confused-looking Dandelion. "When she said the compass could help make up for lost time. The time I was trapped in the castle!" I grin as I realize I had finally figured out the true purpose behind mom's coronation gift.

I hesitated a moment, wondering if this passage was safe. It looked like it could be hundreds of years old, and I really didn't want to be inside if it was dangerous. I quickly shake my head. I couldn't back out now. Varian needed me.

I carefully step through the mirror frame.

No turning back now.

:-:-:-:-:

The moon had begun to rise into the dark sky by the time I reached Old Corona. Silvery shadows were cast along the mysterious black rocks. If they weren't so deadly, they almost would've looked pretty.

I let out a small yawn; It had been a long day of walking.

Finding my way out of the secret passage was surprisingly easy. The hard part of my journey was finding my way through the thick forests to reach Varian's village. I gaze up at the moon and I feel a small pang of guilt in my chest. Mom and dad would be worried sick that I wasn't at dinner. Had they sent out a search party yet? What would they do if they found me? Will they lock me back in the palace forever? I wonder with worry.

I'm ripped away from my thoughts as I step into Old Corona. I gasp at the horrible sight. The once peaceful town looked like something out of a nightmare. Black rocks had torn through people's homes and the roads. The rocks loomed out of the ground as if they were gravestones, killing anything in their path like the plague.

I try to hold back tears. How could dad not be worried about this? Why wasn't he trying to help? He said the rocks had been removed.

The realization hits me. The king had been lying to the people of Corona. My own father had been lying to me. I quickly ran to Varian's house. There was no time to waste.

As I dash up the stone steps, I let out a small sigh of relief to see that no severe damage had come to Varian's home. I knock on the door.

No response.

I knock again. "Varian?" I call.

I wait a few moments. My heartbeat quickens as I start to imagine the worst. I don't wait to knock again, and I instead slowly push the door open. "Varian?!"

Please be okay...

Panic sends shots of adrenaline through my body as I run into Varian's lab. I frantically look around and a wave of relief washes over me when I see a familiar black-haired boy hunched over his desk. "Oh, thank the stars you're okay!" I rush over to him. "Varian, why didn't you respond when I called you?" I gently place a hand on the alchemist's shoulder.

I gasp in horror when Varian jerks around to face me. He looked horrible. His goggles were lopsidedly resting in his matted black hair and his clothes were burnt and covered by different chemicals. But the worst was his face. The lively, carefree, Varian I knew and loved was replaced by a stranger. The boy's rosy freckled cheeks were stained with tears and dirt. His eyes were puffy and red from crying, and dark circles from what I could only assume were from lack of sleep rested underneath them.

"Varian? What happened to you?" I whisper. Guilt swells up inside me the longer I stare at the poor boy. I did this to him.

"(Yn)?" Varian chokes out. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you." I try to hold back tears. "I've been trying to get to you, but dad wouldn't let me leave. I-I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." Mixed feelings blow around me like a hurricane. Relief, guilt, sadness, joy, worry...

Varian shakes his head. "No...don't be. I'm just happy to see you. I thought...I thought you didn't care...that you'd leave me." He softly chuckles. "Just like everyone else..."

"I'll never leave you, Varian." I softly smile at him. "You mean too much to me." I pause for a moment. "Why are you hiding away in here? Where's your dad?"

Varian's eyes widen. A single tear falls down his cheek.

"Varian?"

He slowly points behind me.

I turn around.

Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw.

Quirin.

Sealed away in solid amber.

I stared at the sight in disbelief before turning back to Varian. I don't say anything and only pull him into a hug.

We cry in each other's arms.

Chapter Text

:-:Five Years Ago:-:

"(yn) (yn)!!"

I glance up from my book as Varian bursts through the doors of the study. I smile as I see my best friend. "Varian!" I happily exclaim. I quickly set my book down and run over to the village boy.

"You'll never believe what I was able to do!" Varian reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bouquet of forget-me-nots. "Normally these flowers die at the start of fall, but I was able to bring them back in the middle of winter!" He proudly states.

I gaze at the tiny blue flowers in awe. "Woah...was it magic?"

Varian crosses his small arms over his chest. "Nu-uh! It was the power of alchemy!!"

"Really? How'd you do it? You have to teach me sometime."

Varian's blue eyes light up. "You want to know about alchemy?"

I tilt my head, confused. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"The other kids think science is weird. They don't talk to me because they think I'm a freak." The boy sadly admits.

I gaze at my friend sadly, feeling bad that nobody wanted to be his friend. What's not to love about a smart, freckled alchemist? I quickly hug Varian to try and cheer him up. "Don't listen to them, Var. They're probably just jealous of your natural genius." I smile at him. "Besides, I think alchemy is amazing! Just look at those flowers you brought to life! They're beautiful!"

Varian blushes and he smiles.

"Varian," Qurin says, poking his head through the door. "We have to go. A snowstorm is blowing in and we have to get home before it hits."

Varian nods. "Okay, dad!"

Once his father leaves Varian looks back at me. He holds the forget-me-nots. "Here."

I gasp. "You want me to have them?"

"Yeah, so you don't forget me." Varian giggles. "Pun not intended. One day you'll get to leave this castle, and when you do, I'll teach you alchemy and we'll go on amazing adventures together. You and me." He smiles.

I smile back and take the flowers. "I can't wait."

"Varian, come on!" Qurin calls from down the hall.

Varian clumsily bows to me. "Until we meet again, m'lady." He says before putting on his coat and dashing out the door.

A tiny bit of pink spreads across my cheeks as I watch him leave. I look down at the forget-me-nots in my hand and place them inside my book.

I gently close the cover.

:-:Present Day:-:

"IS IT WORKING?!?"

"WHAT?!?"

Varian turns off the drill we had built to free Quirin and pulls up his goggles. He rubs his eyes. "Is the drill working?" I could see the desperate look in his expression.

Since coming to Old Corona a week ago, I could tell Varian was slowly coming undone. He had become impatient, irritable, and exhausted. While Varian normally got excited over his alchemy and found joy in his hobby, now it was only a job. A job to fix his mistake. Varian was either going to get results or meet his breaking point. I was beginning to discover that there was no in-between.

I sigh. "No." I run my gloved hand along the unscathed amber. "It's like this amber is indestructible. Just like those rocks."

Varian steps over to the amber. "Why isn't it working?!" He huffs. The boy slams his fist against the amber and quickly recoils in pain. "Why did I do that?"

I put my hand on Varian's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Let's just take a break."

Varian shakes his head. "No. I can't just sit back while my dad is stuck in that amber." He runs his gloved fingers through his tangled black hair.

"Varian, this isn't healthy. You'll work yourself to death." I turn the alchemist to face me, and I gently smile at him. "Do it for me? I'll make ham sandwiches~"

Varian looks at me, and then back at his father. He lets out a small sigh. "Okay."

:-:-:-:-:

I giggle as Varian hungrily munches down his third ham sandwich. "When was the last time you ate?" I ask, laying down on my stomach and resting my head on my hands.

Varian shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I just forgot over time, heh heh." he sheepishly admits.

I shake my head and sigh. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, Var. I know you want to free your dad, but you can't sacrifice your own mental and physical health in the process. I hate seeing you like this."

Varian doesn't even glance at me. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me, (yn). Look at us. You're the princess of Corona. You're amazing, perfect even. What am I? I'm the hazard to Old Corona who finally screwed up and proved himself to be the danger everyone thought he was. My father was right to be ashamed of me. I try to make things better but I only change them for the worse."

I don't say anything and only look at Varian. I roll over onto my back and pull Varian down beside me. I gaze at the puffy white clouds that littered the bright blue sky. "Tell me what you see."

"...the sky?"

I softly smile. "When I was stuck in the palace, I would sit in my window and stare at the sky. I wondered how far it went, and what adventures waited for me beyond the horizon. I only thought of those feelings as silly little daydreams. Things that would never happen. But when you would come to the palace, you made me believe in a world where I could go anywhere, and see anything." I glanced over to Varian, who was staring at the sky with wide eyes. "I've done crazy things with you. Things I never would've done if I hadn't met you. I guess...I guess what I'm trying to say is that you've changed my life for the better."

The boy's cheeks turned bright pink and for the first time since the amber, I saw Varian smile.

:-:-:-:-:

"I've got it!!" Varian announces, barging into the room.

I jolt awake and groggily sit up on the couch I was sleeping on. "Var?" I rub my tired eyes. "It's still dark out."

"I was thinking, those rocks are unbreakable, right?" The alchemist paces back and forth.

"Right...?"

"Well, what other substance is unbreakable?"

"I don't have the mental capacity for this, Varian. I'm tired~" I whine.

Varian ignores me. "Rapunzel's hair!!"

That wakes me up. "Rapunzel? What are you saying?"

"Rapunzel got her hair from the sun drop flower that healed your mom. If I can get my hands on that flower, its power could free my dad!!" Varian beams. "It's genius!!"

I let out a sigh of relief. I was glad Varian wasn't going to get my sister involved. Of course he wouldn't. Varian would never hurt someone...intentionally. I quickly tell myself.

Varian looks at me. "What do you think?"

"One problem: my dad isn't just going to give us the flower."

"Oh, I know he won't. That's why we have to steal it."

I gasp. "Steal? Varian, we can't steal from the king!"

Varian shakes his head. "It's not stealing. It's...recycling! Nobody's using it anyway."

"I guess not..."

"And besides, it's for the good of Corona. Once we free my dad we can use the sundrops power to destroy the rocks that are decimating the kingdom!" Varian smiles. "It's a win-win!"

I hug my knees to my chest. "I don't know..."

Varian looks at me with pleading eyes. "Please? We'll take one petal. Nobody will be able to tell the difference."

I sigh. "How are we even going to sneak back in? If my parents see me I'll end up locked in my room for the rest of my life."

Varian holds up a small vial of purple liquid. "With this."

:-:-:-:

The sun had begun to rise into the cloudy sky by the time Varian and I had finished transferring the truth serum into cookies. After determining that the effects of the serum were pretty much harmless, I felt a bit less guilty about what Varian and I were going to do.

I knew this was wrong, but at this point, I wasn't sure what was even right. Dad had been lying to the kingdom, and clearly had no intention of stopping these rocks, so wasn't I helping Corona by stealing the flower? The morals behind it were getting more and more confusing. The clear black and white lines I had once known were beginning to fade.

I'm yanked from my thoughts as Varian dashes into the kitchen. "Are the cookies done?!" He quickly asks.

"The last batch just came out of the oven. Why?"

"Ruddiger spotted Rapunzel, Cass, and Eugene in the woods. They're on their way here." Varian quickly informs me.

"They are?"

"I think they're looking for you."

I quickly toss the cookies into a bag and stuff it inside my satchel. "We need to go. If they find me this plan will be ruined."

"But we aren't ready! I haven't mapped out a way to get into the castle yet!" Varian exclaims.

"There's no time!! We'll just have to figure it out on the way." I conclude.

Varian sighs and looks at me. I could tell he knew I was right. "Okay. Let's go."

We quietly sneak out the back door and dash into the woods.

While the bright and sunny woodlands of Corona usually brought me a sense of freedom and joy, now they only served as a reminder of just how dire the circumstances were. The dark clouds loomed over the trees, casting eerie shadows onto black rocks that had pierced through the forest floor. Shivers run up my spine from the sight. I wish I could look away, but the view was completely blocked by the harsh reality known as the black rocks.

"(Yn)? Are you okay?"

I'm snapped from my trance by Varian's gentle voice. My (ec) eyes meet his blue ones. "Y-Yeah...just..." I sigh. "This is really bad, Var. What if the flower doesn't fix all of this?"

"It'll work." Varian doesn't look at me. "It-it has to."

"I didn't realize just how bad things were out here. My dad...he said the rocks weren't a threat anymore." I swallow the lump that had formed in my throat.

"He lied to me."

Varian kicks a small stone across the dirt path. "That sounds familiar."

The tears I had been trying to hide well up in my eyes. "I'm so scared."

The boy to my side doesn't say anything. Varian only pulls me into a tight hug. I'm a bit surprised at first, but I quickly return the action. I nuzzle into Varian as he comfortingly rubs slow circles on my back. Something about being in Varian's arms like this made me truly believe that everything would work out.

As we part, he looks at his surroundings and notices something on the ground. Varian slowly kneels down to pick it up and turns to face me. "Close your eyes."

I giggle a little bit but obey.

Varian gently takes hold of my hand and raises it up. Butterflies begin to flutter around inside my stomach and I can feel my cheeks growing warm. The alchemist sets something in the palm of my hand. "You can open your eyes now."

I open my eyes and look at Varian. His freckled cheeks were bright red and he looked at me with the same adorkable grin that made me love him. I hadn't seen it in a while. My gaze slowly trails down to my hand. I smile at the sight.

Forget-me-nots.

Chapter Text

I quietly sneak through the bushes and approach the side of the castle.

Varian lets out a sigh from behind me. "Are you sure this is the most efficient way to get back into the castle?" He asks, pulling a leaf out of his hair.

"If we don't want to be noticed, yes." I slowly scan the mossy bricks of the palace until the one I'm looking for catches my eye. I point to a brick that has a Corona sun engraved in it, just like my mirror. "We're here."

"What are you talking about? Where's here?" Varian asks.

I only shake my head and smile. My fingers grasp the key around my neck and I carefully insert it into the keyhole in the brick.

Varian's eyes widen with wonder as a small passageway opens within the brick wall. "This is incredible!"

I begin to climb into the passage and gesture for Varian to follow me. Varian trips on his way in and falls to the ground with a loud 'thud'. I help him to his feet as the door to the passage closes, and the two of us are left in pitch-black. I hear the alchemist rummage through his back. "Hang on." He softly says. Suddenly, a green and purple glow illuminates the small tunnel.

My eyes light up and Varian winks at me. "The power of alchemy~" He dramatically says.

I giggle and Varian smiles. "Let's get going," I say, leading Varian down the hall.

After a little while of walking, we finally reach my bedroom successfully, and I exhale a sigh of relief. Dandelion's ears perk up when she sees me, and she happily hops over to welcome me home. I pick her up and snuggle her close to my chest. "Awe, I missed you too!"

Varian quickly shushes me. "We have to be quiet or else we'll get caught!" He whispers.

I nod, realizing he was right. "Right...sorry." I nervously chuckle. "Let's get going."

I carefully opened the door up a crack, just to make sure the coast was clear, and wave to signal that it was safe to exit the room. As we sneak through the empty halls, Varian chuckles to himself. "What's so funny?"

He smirks at me. "Those cookies are working better than I thought."

A dagger of guilt pierces into me. I try to push the feelings deep down inside. It's okay... I try to reassure myself. It's for the good of the kingdom...right?

Varian suddenly grabs my hand and pulls me into a small cleaning supply closet. "Varian? What are you-"

I'm cut off by Varian putting a finger to my lips. My breath hitches as I hear the loud stomping of guards walking by. I focus my attention on Varian's large blue eyes and feel a bit calm. As the footsteps begin to fade, the boy takes his finger off of my lips and nervously chuckles. "Sorry about that."

I smile. "It's okay."

I suddenly noticed that Varian's and my bodies were pushed together from the small size of the closet. Varian seemed to notice this too, as both of our faces turned bright red in sync. We both awkwardly reach for the doorknob and our foreheads bump into one another.

"Heh, sorry." I quickly pull my hand away. "After you."

Varian opens the door and we sneak out. I glance over to Varian, who's trying to hide his rosy cheeks, and smile a teeny bit.

He's so cute~

As we approach the room I was headed for, Varian frowns. "What are we doing here? The flower would most likely be in the royal vault and that's on the other side of the castle." He whispers.

"I know, I know. But if we don't want anyone to catch us, our only option is to sneak through the underground tunnels." I explain.

"So?" Varian looks at me with a confused expression.

"So, if we're going to safely navigate the tunnels we'll need a map. Hertz Der Sonnes' journal has maps of the entire castle." I slowly creek open the door and sneak inside. I try to avoid looking into the disapproving eyes of a painting of my father as I snatch the journal. I feel even more guilt swell up inside me the longer I stare at the painting. I finally had processed just how serious this all is. I'm stealing from my father. I'm stealing from the king.

"(Yn), what's the matter? You got what we came for; let's go." Varian nervously whispers as he enters the room.

I look at him, and then back at the painting. "Varian...taking the journal...stealing the flower...these are all acts of treason."

"(Yn), this is my dad's only hope. This may be Corona's only hope. (Yn), Corona needs our help!" Varian pleads, putting his hands on my shoulders.

I only nod.

For Corona...

:-:-:-:-:

As Varian and I make our way through the winding tunnels, both of us feel extremely on edge. As I read the text of the journal, I let out a small gasp.

Varian quickly rushes over to me. "(Yn)? Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah...yeah I'm fine...it just says here that these tunnels are filled with booby traps." I nervously say.

Varian lets out a small but anxious chuckle. "As you may recall, I know a thing or two about booby traps-" Varian suddenly steps on a stone that sets off a trap and shoots arrows in his direction.

"Varian, look out!" I shout running towards the boy and pushing him to the ground. I land directly on top of him and we look at each other awkwardly.

"T-Thanks..." Varian stutters, looking at me with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

I quickly stand up and help Varian to his feet. "Heh..No prob.."

We make our way into the next room without setting off any more traps. I let out a sigh of relief. "That wasn't so bad..."

The stone doors on both sides of the room slam shut, trapping Varian and me. I facepalm for jinxing it.

Varian crosses his arms. "You were saying?"

The loud sound of gears creaking fills the room and the walls begin closing in on us. I drop the journal and run to the wall and begin pushing against it with all my might, Dandelion joins me, and Varian follows suit. "We're gonna get squished!!" He panics.

I glance around for anything that may help, and a bone catches my eye. I look over at Ruddiger who was running in circles chattering in fear. "Ruddiger, if I lift you up on Varian's staff can you wedge that bone in the axle?" I quickly ask.

Ruddiger nods and swiftly dashes over to me. He grabs the bone in his mouth and clubs up Varian's staff. He tosses the bone and it surprisingly manages to land on the gears and stop them from turning.

The walls came to halt and I let out the breath I had been holding. "Yes! Great Job!"

Varian rushes over. "Can you see if there's some sort of release mechanism, buddy?"

Ruddiger gives him a thumbs up and Varian smiles.

The bone shatters from the pressure and Varian and I gasp in horror. We quickly run back to the walls to try and slow them down to buy Ruddiger time, but they're moving too quickly.

"We're gonna die here!!!" I shout. Thoughts of all the things I'd never get to do flood my brain. I'll never be able to travel the world, sing for a crowd, save Corona, tell Varian I love him...

Wait...what?

I looked over at Varian who was still pushing against the wall and I realized it. I actually do have a crush on Varian. My cheeks turn red as time seems to slow down. Varian looks over his shoulder at me and our eyes lock on one another. Varian runs over to me. "(yn)... I-I.." He reaches a hand out as though he wanted to hold mine, but hesitates.

I gaze at him with tear-filled eyes. Without thinking, I grab either side of his face and kiss him. Varian's eyes widen but he kisses me back in contentment. The boy holds me close to him as though he never wanted to let me go. I felt my heartbeat quicken but I knew it wasn't out of fear. Even as the walls push up against our bodies, our lips never part.

The walls suddenly freeze and begin to slowly recoil back. Varian and I fall backward and look at each other with wide eyes. Varian touches his lips with his fingers. "Mother of Demanitus..." He mutters under his breath in shock.

I gasp as I realize what I've just done. "Oh my gosh...Varian! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!" I try to cover my flaming red cheeks with my hands.

Varian comes over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Hey...It's okay."

"Are you kidding? I just kissed you! You should be furious at me!"

"I'm not upset." Varian nervously chuckles. "The truth is...I like you too." he sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. "I've actually liked you for a while now."

"You have?"

Varian blushes. "Yeah...I've just been too scared to tell you. Why would a princess be in love with the dangerous alchemist? That's crazy!"

"Then call me crazy," I say with a wink.

Varian smiles.

We're interrupted by Ruddiger scurrying over to Varian, chattering excitedly. Varian grins at his furry friend. "Great job buddy!" He exclaims, scratching the top of his head. Varian looks back over at me and holds out his hand. "Shall we?"

I take it. "We shall."

Chapter Text

After barely surviving several more booby traps, Varian and I finally reach the room right below the royal vault. Seven large pillars circle the grand room, and a hatch that leads to the vault is placed in the middle of the ceiling.

"That's our way in," I say, pointing to the ceiling.

Varian frowns. "How are we going to get up there?

I slowly look around and notice a large Corona sun painted on the floor. In the middle were seven smaller pillars. "Seven pillars..." I mutter to myself.

"Like the seven kingdoms?" Varian suggests.

I shrug. "Maybe. But Corona hardly associates with the other kingdoms-unless you want to count the Contest of Crowns- it doesn't make sense." I pull one of the little pillars and it begins to move. "Can you help me turn this?!" I grunt.

Varian nods and runs over to join me. I smile with delight as the hatch in the ceiling opens and a ladder is revealed. "How do we get up there?" He asks.

I suddenly notice a bright green light shining behind me. I turn around and gasp. A large metal machine was standing there. "What the heck is that thing?!" I shout in fear.

Varian gazes at the machine in awe. "Fascinating...I believe this is an automation!" He looks at me with sparkling eyes. "A marvel of ancient technology, really. I've heard about them but to see one in person-"

I notice the automation raises its metal fist in the air, ready to crush Varian. "VARIAN, WATCH OUT!!" I shout, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the way.

We hide behind one of the pillars and Varian grins at me. "Don't worry, (yn). I've got this." Varian reaches into his pocket and pulls out a couple of multi-colored vials as he runs towards the metal monster.

Varian chucks the vials at the automation causing huge explosions to erupt on the beast. "Way to go Var!" I cheer. Varian hits it with another explosion, and the automation falls back into one of the pillars. Cracks form in the pillar and I notice it's only moments away from crumbling onto Varian. I quickly run over to him and push him out of the way. I'm able to dodge the falling debris, but unfortunately, so is the monster.

The automation stands up and swings its arm at Varian, sending the boy flying across the room. I cringe as Varian smacks into a pillar and I darted over to him. "Are you okay?!"

Varian slowly sits up. "Despite the excruciating pain and the fact that I'm about to pass out, the science at work here is spellbinding!!" Varian exclaims with stars in his eyes.

I try to hold back a laugh as I help him up. "We need a plan if we're going to stop this thing," I say.

"Like what?"

I look around and an idea hits me. "I'll lead it in between those two pillars. Once I'm out of the way, use your alchemy to blow them both up. The force of both falling on it should be enough to take the automation out."

"Got it." Varian nods and darts away.

I wave at the automation to get its attention. "Hey, bolts-for-brains!!" I run over to it and dash in between its legs. "Over here!" I lead the metal monster towards Varian. Once I'm out of the way Varian sets off the explosions, causing the pillars to collapse onto the automation.

"Do you think it worked?" I nervously ask, not taking my eyes off the pile of rubble.

When nothing happens, Varian speaks up. "I think it's destroyed. Sad to see such a beautiful piece of science destroyed though..." He sighs.

I shoot the alchemist a glare.

"I was joking!" He quickly says, not making eye contact. "(yn), Look!" He points to the ladder, which has lowered down to the floor.

"How did that happen?"

"It must've been since we defeated the automation."

We both walk to the ladder and climb up. I gasp in awe as we step into the grand royal vault. "It's beautiful!"

In the center of the vault is a small terrarium that's holding the now withered sun drop flower. In my fourteen years of living in the palace, I had never seen the flower with my own two eyes. I gaze at its beauty. This was the flower that saved my mom...that saved my sister. I feel a strange pull to it, as though I was connected to it as well.

I'm snapped from my thoughts as Varian snatches the flower and shoves it into his bag. I feel a bit taken aback. "Varian!"

"What difference does it make? It's just sitting here rotting anyways!" He says walking away.

I cross my arms. "Would it kill you to have a little respect?"

Varian sighs. "Look, I'm sorry. Can we just get out of here?"

I look down at the ground. This kept feeling more and more wrong. Wasn't this what was right? I couldn't back out now, I told Varian I would help him. He needs me. I feel a pang in my chest. My family needed me, too. But what about my kingdom? Isn't it my job as a princess to look out for my subjects? What's even the right choice anymore?

A loud banging can suddenly be heard from outside the doors to the vault, and Varian looks at me with panic in his eyes. "They've found us!"

Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cass barge into the room. "There he is!" Eugene shouts, pointing at Varian.

Rapunzel makes eye contact with me and gasps. "(yn)?"

"He's the one that kidnapped her!" Cassandra scowls. "Let her go, Varian."

Varian looks at me, and then at my sister. He tightly wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. I look at Rapunzel who was staring at me with tears in her emerald green eyes. I could tell how worried she had been about me.

Varian throws a pink smoke bomb onto the ground, and we make our getaway.

I'm sorry, sis.

:-:-:-:

I slowly grind up one of the petals of the sun drop flower and hand the bowl of burnt-yellow liquid to Varian. I kept trying to reassure myself that everything would turn out fine and that the old Varian would come back to me once his dad was free. I knew the Varian I fell in love with was still there somewhere...he had to be.

Varian laces the metal drill with the ground-up flower. He doesn't say anything as he pulls his goggles over his eyes and activates the drill.

Please let this work... I silently beg.

The drill makes contact with the amber and lets out an ear-shattering screech. "Work...work...please work..." Varian mutters under his breath, not looking away for even a second.

The tip of the drill suddenly shatters, and Varian turns off the machine.

I quickly rush over to him to see if he's alright. "Var...?"

The alchemist only stares at the broken drill and doesn't even look at me. Almost like I wasn't even there. "No...no...no...NO!!!" He shouts, shoving the drill to the side. He storms over to his desk and throws his papers and books in the air with one fell swoop of his hand. "THIS IS USELESS!!"

I flinch and back away from the boy, as he continues to break down.

"It's like it no longer holds the sundrops power!" He exclaims, staring at what remained of the precious flower. Varian stares at his desk in silence for a moment, clearly deep in thought. I slowly approach him as he picks up the flower. "The sundrop isn't the flower anymore..." He crushes the flower in his hand and lets the dust of the plant sift through his fingers and onto the table. "...It's Rapunzel."

I gasp and place my hand over my mouth in horror. "No...no...Varian, you don't mean..."

He looks at me and chuckles. "Oh, I do."

I shake my head. "You can drag me into your plans, convince me to steal from the king, but you cannot hurt anyone."

"And why not? This kingdom turned its back on me! Rapunzel turned her back on me!"

"I won't let you do this."

Varian grins. "And just how are you planning on doing that?"

"I'll warn Rapunzel; the royal guard will put a stop to your plans." I soften my tone as I look back at Quirin inside of the amber. "Look, Varian, we'll free your father, but hurting innocent people isn't the way to do it. Try to understand-"

The boy slams his fist on the table and I flinch. "It's you who doesn't understand! If Rapunzel cared about helping my father, she would've done so a long time ago! I'm going through with this plan, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Varian yells.

I cower away from Varian. For the first time in all my years of knowing him, he had scared me. It didn't take some crazy machine he invented to do it as he feared, it only took himself.

That's what scared me more than anything.

I look at Varian with sad eyes. I had finally reached my own breaking point. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

I begin to head to the door as Varian rushes over to me. "Wait! (Yn)!" He gazes at me with his blue eyes, and I could almost see the blue eyes I had come to know and love tucked away and hidden from view. He looked sad...broken...hopeless. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

I gasp as Varian blows a green powder into my face. A wave of drowsiness floods my senses as I inhale the substance. I slowly fall to the ground, feeling my body go limp with exhaustion.

The last thing I see is Varian leaning over top of me, watching as I fall asleep against my own will.

Chapter Text

I grunt as I pull my wrists against the ice-cold handcuffs that were chained to the floor. No matter how hard I yanked, the chains weren't budging. The only dent I was able to make was the purple bruises on my wrists from pulling so hard. I collapse on the floor and sigh.

When I woke up about an hour ago, Varian was nowhere to be found. I was able to piece together relatively quickly that the green powder he threw in my face was some sort of sleep-inducing mist, and that he chained me up so I wouldn't be able to escape when I awoke.

I let out a sigh when I saw Varian had also managed to trap Dandelion inside of a metal crate. The small rabbit looks at me with wide eyes, and her nose twitches in fear. "It's okay, Dandelion. We'll get out of here, I promise!" I tried to put on a confident face even though I had no idea how to escape.

Suddenly the door to Varian's lab opens, and Varian strolls in with a proud smug look on his face. His eyes land on me. "Oh good, you're up."

I stand up and try to get as close to Varian as my restraints would allow. "What the heck, Varian? Why are you doing this?"

"I couldn't just let you go." Varian laughs. "You would've told Rapunzel and my plan would be ruined!" He slowly walks over to me and places his index finger underneath my chin. He lifted my head so I was making eye contact with him. "Besides, someone had to be bait."

My eyes widen in horror. I yank against the chains. "No! I refuse to be some pawn in your game!"

Varian fake pouts. "Aww, don't be like that, darling. I thought you wanted to help me. You did say you would never leave."

Tears fill my eyes and I jerk my head out of Varian's hand. "I said that to the old Varian! The sweet, caring, selfless Varian I know and love. You've changed Var...I miss the old you."

"The old me was a fool!" Varian stomps his foot on the floor. "I tried doing things the civil way and believed this kingdom would come to help in my time of need. Now if I have to use force to get what I want, so be it."

I turn away from him. I try to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through any moment now. I will not let Varian see me cry.

Varian's tone softens as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and rests his head on my shoulder. "Don't worry about anything. Once this is all over, we can finally be together; just like we always wanted."

I jab Varian with my elbow and walk away from him. "I never wanted this."

"Fine." Varian coldly says. "Leave me. Just like everyone else."

:-:-:-:

The sun had begun to set when Varian left his lab again. When he returned the moon was high in the sky.

"Where did you run off to?" I ask, not making eye contact with my captor.

"I was just delivering a message to the dear people of Corona."

I didn't need to ask Varian to elaborate. I knew exactly what he had done. He told Rapunzel that if she didn't come and follow his orders, she would never see me again. I hated feeling so helpless. My whole world is falling apart and there's nothing I can do to stop it!

"Don't look so sad," Varian says, glazing over at me. "You had your chance."

I ignore his comment. "So you free your father...then what?"

"Oh...well I'm afraid Corona will pay for turning their backs on me. And that's when you should start worrying."

I gasp and stand up. "Varian, please! Don't do this! This isn't right!"

"It's too late for reasoning, (yn)." The alchemist says while he slides a metal mask over his face and begins to assemble a machine of some kind.

V: "Believe me I know, I've sunk pretty low,

But whatever I've done, you deserved."

I try to walk to the boy despite my chains.

(Yn): "Varian!"

V: "Quiet!"

Varian strolls over to his desk and grabs more tools for his machine. Even now, I could tell that deep down he didn't want it to have come to this.

V: "I'm the bad guy that's fine.

It's no fault of mine and some justice, at last, will be served."

(Yn): "Please listen!"

V: "Now it's time to step up or it's time to back down

And there's only one answer for me.

And I'll stand up and fight 'cause I know that I'm right.

And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready~

Ready as I'll ever be."

I continue to pull against the chains but to no avail. As Varian keeps working on his machine, I'm finally able to tell what it is: A giant automation. I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach, and I walk over to a small window.

"Please hurry, Raps..." I whisper.

:-:-:-:-:

I know Rapunzel and the rest of the guards have arrived when I hear Varian chuckle menacingly. "What a happy family reunion this will be..." Varian looks at me with a smirk. "...For both of us."

I try to appear tougher than I was. "You won't get away with this. Rapunzel will defeat you."

Varian rolls his eyes. "Honestly, this is getting annoying."

"You just can't stand to hear the truth." I give Varian a mischievous grin and he looks taken aback.

He walks over to his desk and grabs a white cloth. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice." He steps closer to me and I try to back away from him to the best of my ability.

Varian simply grabs the chains bolted to the floor and yanks me towards him. I stumble forward a bit and fall to my knees. Varian takes his opportunity to tie the cloth around my mouth and gag me. I shoot him a dirty look but Varian only smirks. "I couldn't have you ruining the surprise, Now could I?"

As if on cue, we hear quiet whispering and banging on the trapdoor that leads into Varian's lab. Varian stands up. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a kingdom to destroy." He says, sliding a curtain in front of me.

I can only listen as I hear Rapunzel and both of my parents fall right into Varian's trap. I frantically try to spit out the gag to warn them, to let them know I'm okay-anything. The alchemist only chuckles. "Welcome back, Rapunzel."

I hear my father speak up. "Varian, I demand you release us, and tell me when my daughter is!"

Varian coos. "Your Majesty, I know it's hard for you, but for the first time in your life, you are in no position to demand anything! But, in the spirit of compromise, how about I meet you halfway?"

Varian pulls back the curtain, revealing me like I was nothing more than a party trick.

Rapunzel gasps and tries to lunge towards me. "(yn)!"

The king shoots Varian a death glare. "Varian if you did so much as lay a finger on my daughter-"

I manage to spit my gag out of my mouth. "I'm okay!"

"Let her go, Varian!" Rapunzel demands. A new look I had never seen before fills Rapunzel's eyes. It looked like a mix of fear, sadness, rage, and desperation. "Please! I just got a sister, please don't hurt her!"

Varian puts a hand on my shoulder. "First, I want you to do something for me."

"What do you want?" My dad hisses.

Varian rolls his eyes. "Oh, so now you care about what I want." he chuckles and runs his finger down my cheek. "All it took was threatening the things you love the most."

A horrified look washes over my family's faces as Varian walks over to the tarp that was covering his new and improved drill. More guilt floods my conscious.

I had helped him build that.

"What are you going to do, Varian?" My mother asks with a worried expression.

"Yeah, I'll spare you the details about the sundrop and darkness, blah blah blah, and get to the good stuff." Varian grins and reveals the drill. He walks over to a black rock and taps his finger on it. "Unbreakable," He moves to Rapunzel and picks up her hair. "Unbreakable. To put it plainly, with assistance from my drill, Rapunzel's hair should be able to shatter the amber and free my father."

"What do you mean 'should?'" the king demands.

Varian taps his chin. "Wellllll...I suppose it's just as likely the amber shatters Rapunzel...the properties-"

My dad pulls out his sword. "Absolutely not!"

Rapunzel looks down. "It's not your choice, dad..."

Varian gives my dad a smug grin. "She's right, 'Dad.'" The boy frees my mother from the goop she was trapped in and leads her to another set of chains, to which he shackles her ankle to. "And by the way, we're kinda on a time crunch here so I need to move things along." He pulls a small vial of a yellow substance out of his pocket.

I gasp. "Varian, don't hurt her! Do me instead, just don't hurt her!"

Varian ignores me and pours the substance on a black rock near my mother's feet. Yellow amber begins sprouting up and hungrily grows towards my mom. Mom gasps in pure terror.

"Varian, Stop!" Rapunzel shouts.

Varian only smiles and neutralizes the goo that had Rapunzel trapped. "Well...shall we get started?"

Chapter Text

:-:Eight Years Ago:-:

I scream in pure terror as I dash through the library on jump on the couch. Varian watches me with concern and blinks his large blue eyes at me. "(Yn)? What's wrong?"

I quickly crawl over to Varian's end of the couch and crouch behind him. "T-There was an s-spider! A really b-big one!" I say, tightly clutching onto Varian's shirt.

"I don't see a spider," Varian says, scanning the floor to double-check.

I let out another shriek when I see it. The spider was only about the size of a coin, but its long black legs and overall creepiness were enough to convince me that the thing might as well have been pure evil. "THERE! THERE!" I yell, pointing it out to Varian.

The little boy's eyes widen when he sees it. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"KILL IT! PLEASE!"

Varian stands up and positions his hands on his hips with a newfound sense of determination. "Don't worry, (yn)! I'll protect you!"

I nervously watch as Varian steps out of the safety known as the couch and heads towards the spider. "Be careful, Var!" I call. "That spider could be a venomous bug!"

Varian laughs. "Spiders are arachnids, silly!"

I cross my arms over my chest and pout. "I knew that," I mumble, feeling my cheeks grow warm from embarrassment.

Varian grabs a small bowl full of apples off of the coffee table. He gently rolls the fruit out of the bowl and approaches the spider.

I bite my bottom lip with worry as I hold my breath.

Varian inches toward the spider, and ever-so-carefully set the bowl on top of it.

I let out a sigh of relief before hopping off the couch and running over to Varian. I throw my arms around him and smile. "You did it, Varian!! I knew you could save me! You're a hero!"

A small blush grows across Varian's cheeks as he grins. He hugs me back.

:-:Present Day:-:

As Varian weaves Rapunzel's hair through the drill, I try to pull on my chains and get close to Varian. "Varian, Please don't do this! I know you're angry, but hurting people-"

"Quiet!" Varian cuts me off.

"Varian," Rapunzel begins, "if this doesn't work and something happens to me, please...please let (yn) and my mom go."

Varian pulls his goggles over his eyes. "I can't make any promises, princess."

The drill starts and lets out a horrible screeching sound when it makes contact with the amber. Rapunzel cries out in pain as her hair is pulled forward, and glows as bright as the sun. Golden waves of light flash across the amber, but nothing happens regardless.

Varian pulls his goggles back onto his head and stops the drill. "What?! WHY?!" He shouts, before continuing to try and drill into the amber.

Rapunzel collapses to the ground from exhaustion and my eyes widen in fear and concern for my sister. "VARIAN STOP!! THIS ISN'T GOING TO WORK!!" I try to yell over the screeching of the drill, but either he doesn't hear me, or he doesn't want to hear me.

"Stop! She can't take it anymore!!" My dad cries. I could only imagine how hard this was for him. Rapunzel was gone for eighteen years, and now that she was finally back, she was going to be taken from him all over again. His entire family was in danger, and he had no way to save them.

Tears begin streaming down my cheeks as I lock eyes with Varian. No words are said. He stares at me with wide eyes. Slowly, he stops the drill and looks at the amber. "I-I-I d-don't understand!!" Varian chokes out. "W-Why won't it-" The boy runs to the amber and places his hands on it. He looks at his father with desperate eyes. "Her hair should've cut through it!! Why didn't it work!?!"

Even after everything Varian had done, I still pitied the boy. I could remember the days when our lives were carefree and nothing mattered. The days when he had a father, a family, a best friend. Now, he has nothing.

How did things go so wrong?

"Arianna!" My dad's voice echoes through the room and he throws his sword at mom. She catches it and cuts herself free from the chains. Mom then runs to where I was being held and cuts me free.

She wraps her arms around my torso and pulls me into her loving embrace. "Oh, (yn), I was so worried about you!" Mom quickly checks me over. "Are you hurt?"

I smile and laugh. "Mom! I'm fine! I missed you too."

Rapunzel wearily walks over to me, shooing dad away who was trying to help her walk. "(YN)!"

I beam and run to my sister. "Raps! I'm so glad to see you! Are you okay?"

Rapunzel smiles at me. "I'll be amazing now that we're all together again."

Dad wraps us all into a family hug, but I quickly step out of it. "Wait, where'd Varian go?" I ask nobody in particular.

Anxiety washes over Rapunzel's face. "Oh no.."

"We have to find him!" The king urgently says.

The ground suddenly rumbles and Varian busts through the floor in a mega-automation. "Sorry, princess, we were in this together, but if I can't have a happy ending, then neither can you!" Varian's voice echoes through the room as he slams the automation's metal fists on the ground. Cracks travel across the floor, and I gasp in horror when I see a crack growing straight towards my rabbit, who was still trapped in a cage.

I quickly dash over to her, dodging bits of the crumbling floor, black rocks, and other miscellaneous items. I breathe a sigh of relief when I reach Dandelion, and quickly free her. "Get out of here, girl," I say, petting her head. "it's too dangerous for you."

Dandelion looks at me with concerned eyes, but I send her off regardless.

I glance around the room and realize that I'm alone. I gasp when I see a gigantic hole in the wall, and quickly realize that it had to have been caused by Varian's automation.

As I dart outside, I look around in horror at the sight before me. Varian's automaton had a death grip on mom and Cassandra, and Rapunzel was about ready to have a face-off with the alchemist. I feel myself beginning to panic. "They're going to kill each other..." I mutter under my breath.

Suddenly, rows upon rows of black rocks sprout out of the ground and head towards Rapunzel. The rocks form a small cage around her, and silence befalls the land.

Eugene frantically runs to his girlfriend. "Rapunzel!!" He exclaims.

Just as quickly as they appeared, the rocks sink back into the ground, and I gasp as I realized Rapunzel's hair was touching them.

Rapunzel slowly extends her hand out to two of the rocks as Varian's machine steps closer to her.

A giant blue wave of energy explodes from Rapunzel as her hands make contact with the rocks. Varian and his automaton go flying back, as well as anyone within a twenty-foot radius of her.

As Varian slowly pulls his automaton back to its feet he quickly dashes back towards Rapunzel. I realize that Varian and Rapunzel could keep going back and forth forever. My heart pounds in my chest as time seems to slow down. The two people I love most were moments away from completely annihilating each other.

I'm running.

Before I can even process what my body is doing, I'm racing faster than I possibly can right into the middle of Varian and Rapunzel's battle. I ignore the shouts and pleas of Eugene, Cass, my parents, and pretty much everyone else who's begging me to stop, and I keep running.

I slide into Varian's path and his automaton comes screeching to a stop. "VARIAN, STOP!! THIS ISN'T THE WAY!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, hoping, begging, praying that he could hear me.

Varian's face was filled with the rage of a charging bull. Varian looks at me, then at Rapunzel, and suddenly gasps. "(YN) LOOK OUT!!" The automaton runs forward and shoves me to the side right as a giant black rock pierces through the exact spot I was previously standing.

My heart pounds through my chest as I stare at the rock that was moments away from killing me. I look up at Varian. He saved my life...

Out of nowhere, another black rock sprouts out of the earth and completely impales Varian's automaton. Varian cries out in defeat and slams his fists on the control panel of the automaton.

As Rapunzel lets go of the rocks, they begin to shine a bright blue and point towards the wall of Corona. They break through the brick structure with ease, opening up the horizon and the sunrise. The gap in the wall leaks a golden glow of the morning sunshine on Old Corona.

The battle was finally over.

Rapunzel runs over to me and wraps me in one of her signature bear hugs. "I'm so sorry! I'm so glad you're safe! I had no ideas you had run into my path and-"

I don't know if it's from almost dying or pure joy, but I laugh. "It's okay! I'm okay. Varian saved me." The realization hits me. "Varian." I pull out of Rapunzel's arms and rush over to the automaton.

Pete and Stan are putting metal handcuffs around Varian's wrists as I approach them. An angry look is resting on the alchemist's face.

"May I have a word with the prisoner?" I ask in my most royal-sounding voice.

Pete and Stan exchange a look. "I don't know your highness..." Stan says, wearily.

"This kid literally just kidnapped you," Pete adds.

"It'll be quick. Please?" I look at the guards with big baby doll eyes.

Pete is the first to break down. "Okay, fine. You have one minute."

As the two walk away, I turn to Varian. "Hey..." I awkwardly begin.

Varian looks at his feet and kicks a rock with his shoe. "Hey."

"Look...what you did back there...when you saved me..." I stare at the boy with grateful eyes. "Thank you."

Varian looks up at me. He doesn't say anything at first, but his stern look softens ever-so-slightly. "Don't mention it." The alchemist looks back down at his feet and his eyes widen. He slowly bends down and picks something off of the ground. He holds out a small blue flower to me.

I hesitantly take it, but my eyes immediately recognize the flower. "It's a forget-me-not."

"Yeah. Look, (Yn)-"

Varian is cut off as Pete and Stan return and take hold of his forearms. They lead him to the prison cart and I watch with sad eyes as the wooden door slams shut. Varian shoots a death glare at the guards as the cart pulls away.

My dad walks up beside me and watches as the cart leaves. "Are you alright?"

I twirl the small flower around in my fingers. "Don't go too hard on Varian, dad." I look into my father's eyes. "He's still my friend."

Dad places a hand on my shoulder. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure he gets the help he needs. As for Quirin, I will not give up until I find a way to free him."

As dad walks away, Dandelion and Ruddiger hop over to me. The raccoon looks at me with wide eyes and I realize that he's all alone now that Varian is gone. I kneel down and pat Ruddiger's head. "Don't worry, Buddy. I'll make sure we get you back to Varian."

:-:-:-:

I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I'm still twirling the flower in my hand and the only thing on my mind is the boy who gifted it to me. I knew there was still a lot of mending that needed to be done on our relationship, but if today had taught me anything, it's that Varian still cares about me.

And that's enough to give me hope for us.

Chapter Text

~•~

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓣𝔀𝓸: 𝓢𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓼

~•~

As I lay on Rapunzel's bedspread, I feel worry swelling up inside me. I look at my sister as she packs a trunk with several different outfits. "Do you have to go?" I ask. After the battle of Old Corona, Rapunzel decided to follow the black rocks to find a way to stop them from destroying the kingdom. I still didn't like the idea of my sister running off to who-knows-where on a dangerous quest without me.

Rapunzel gives me a small smile. "I have to find out where those rocks go, (Yn). This may be my only chance to find my destiny and a way to stop these black rocks for good."

"I know...it's just...what if you get hurt?" I hug my knees close to my chest. "How will I know that you're okay?"

My sister sits on the bed beside me. "How about this: Every week, I'll write you a letter. Then it'll be sent to you, and you'll know that I'm safe and sound."

I slowly nod. I didn't feel entirely satisfied, but I suppose it's better than nothing. I hug Rapunzel. "Please be safe and make sure everyone gets home, okay?"

She nods and hugs me back. "I promise."

An idea suddenly comes to me. "Raps? Can I ask you one more favor?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think you could try and find a cure for Varian's father?" The thought of Varian makes me feel queasy. I couldn't tell if I was mad at him, scared of him, or just sad. The only thing I was sure of is that I miss him.

Rapunzel must've been able to tell how upset I was because she spoke up. "Still thinking about Varian?"

I nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I look into my sister's emerald green eyes. "I-I just miss him. I miss him so much..." my throat begins to feel dry. "I know I should be mad at him for what he's done, b-but at this point I just want my friend back. I wish things were the way they used to be, before that snowstorm."

Rapunzel sighs. "Well, if life has taught me anything, it's that nothing worth having ever comes easy." She gently wraps her arm around my shoulder. "I know how close you and Varian are, and I know that this incident has put a serious strain on your friendship. How do you know that he hasn't changed for good?"

I tightly clutched the hem of my skirt. "He saved my life during the battle. He could've let me get killed by the black rocks...but he didn't. That's why his automaton got destroyed. He risked his entire plan for me- his enemy." I repeat the words that had been nagging my brain since that night.

"I had no idea."

We sit in silence for a few moments before Rapunzel speaks up again. "Well, I think that's a pretty good sign."

"Sign of what?"

"That there's still good in him after all.

I feel my stomach roll into knots. "How do I know if I'll ever be able to trust him again?"

"You never really know if you can trust anyone. I trusted the woman I thought was my mother for eighteen years, and she turned out to not be the person I thought she was. But, I also trusted a thief." Rapunzel smiles thoughtfully. "And it turned out that that thief became the love of my life."

"Gross." I tease, gently elbowing my sister.

Rapunzel chuckles. "My point is, if you don't trust anyone, then you can never get hurt. But, if you open up your heart to people," She gently takes hold of my hands. "You could be opening yourself up to life's greatest gifts."

:-:-:-:

As the last of the trunks are loaded onto Rapunzel's caravan, I pull Cassandra to the side. Before she can object, I pull her into a hug. The young woman looks surprised at first but quickly returns the action. "Don't forget to practice your fighting skills while I'm gone." She says with a chuckle.

I nod. "Of course. Maybe I'll be able to beat you by the time you get back." I tease.

Cassandra ruffles my hair. "Don't get ahead of yourself, (nn)."

I smile up at Cass. "Be safe."

She pats the leather strap that secured her sword. "Always am."

"C'mon Cassandra! Can't have you slowing us down so soon!" Eugene teases from atop the caravan, making sure to put extra emphasis on the fact he was pronouncing Cassandra's name wrong.

Cass reaches for her sword. "I may need to use this sooner than I thought."

"Cass, NO!"

:-Two Weeks Later-:

Ruddiger happily chatters as we walk down the quiet halls. I quickly shush the raccoon; if he were to wake anyone, the plan would be ruined. I suppose I couldn't blame him, however. After all, he hadn't seen his best friend since...the incident.

I knew the trouble I would be in if I was caught sneaking into the dungeon at one in the morning, but I knew it was now or never. My dad had refused to let me speak with Varian, so it was time to take matters into my own hands. After my talk with Rapunzel, I knew I had to make things right with him, or at least try.

I take a deep breath as I approach the door to the dungeon. Two guards were on duty, both desperately trying to stay awake. I feel a bit relieved. If they were already tired, it may be easier to sneak in than I first thought. I give Dandelion her signal, and she nods. The red rabbit dashes across the hall, holding my tiara in her mouth. The guards gasp in horror when they see one of the kingdom's most valuable treasures being carried off by a bunny, and quickly follow after her.

I giggle a bit and seize my opportunity to sneak into the dungeon. I quickly grab the keys on my way in and secure them in my pocket. I shiver a bit as I feel the scowls and angry looks of the prisoners on me, and quickly cover my head with the hood of my cloak. Even though I was perfectly safe from the criminals, I still felt on edge. I let out a sigh as I finally reach the cell I was looking for.

"Varian."

I gaze at the boy. Varian was a hollow shell of the cheerful, carefree boy he once was. His blue eyes had dark circles underneath them, and his already scrawny body was thin and frail. The untouched meal tray in the corner of the cold cell gave me enough evidence as to why. "You should really eat something."

Varian glances at me. "Don't talk to me as though you have some kind of authority over me." He spat.

I'm taken aback. "I-I wasn't...I'm not trying to do that!" A few prisoners glance our way when they hear my volume go up. I lower my voice. "Varian. I just want to talk. Please."

Varian's hard stare softens, and he hugs his knees close to his chest. I hesitantly pull the keys out of my pocket and slowly open the cell door before stepping inside. Varian looks surprised by my actions. "Why are you coming in here? Aren't you afraid of me?"

I shake my head. "I know you won't try to hurt me. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. But before that, I have something for you." I give Varian a small smile and open the cell door a crack.

Ruddiger happily scurries inside, and Varian's face lights up. "Ruddiger!!" The raccoon hops into the boy's lap, and Varian gently strokes his fur.

I close the cell door and sit on the bench across from Varian's.

"Why would you do something so nice for me? What's the catch?" The alchemist skeptically asks.

"There is no catch. I'm only asking that you hear me out."

"Fine."

I take a deep breath and ask the question that has been on my mind since the battle of Old Corona. "Why did you save me?"

"What?"

"You could've let me get killed by the black rocks during the battle. It certainly would've distracted everyone long enough for you to escape...but you didn't. You risked your entire plan to save my life. Why?"

Varian looks away. "...I-I didn't want to lose another person I care about."

I felt speechless. I knew Varian missed his father, but I had no idea that he cared about me so much. On one hand, I wanted to hug him and tell him I still care about him too, but on the other, I knew that we still had a long road ahead of us. I may still see the good in Varian, but that doesn't mean that there isn't still bad in him too. He tried to kill my family and take over the kingdom. That isn't something he can be easily forgiven for.

But even after everything we've been through, I know that deep down, he's a boy who misses his father. Varian had just lost his way.

"Look, Varian..." I sigh, not even knowing where to begin.

"There's the princess!!"

Varian and I look up as the two guards burst into the dungeon, and head our way. I quickly stand up and step out of the cell as they rush to my side. "What were you doing in there your highness? If your father found out-"

The guard who was speaking is cut off by a large, booming voice. "I already know."

Everyone gasps when they see the king standing in the doorway, an angry look on his face.

I swallow the lump in my throat.

:-:-:-:-:

"I can't believe you would act so irresponsibly!"

I sigh and mentally note that that was the ninth time my dad had told me I was irresponsible since calling this "emergency family meeting."

"I don't know why you're so upset, dad," I say while crossing my arms over my chest. "You were never going to let me talk to Varian if you had your way."

"Because he tried to kill you!" the king shouts.

Mom nods. "I have to agree with your father on this one, (yn). Varian is dangerous."

"Listen, I know Varian has done horrible things, but he still saved my life. I was going to get impaled by one of those black rocks during the battle if it wasn't for him. He risked his own plan and objective for my sake." I look my dad square in the eyes. "If he was willing to do that for me, I don't think that Varian is truly evil."

"That doesn't change the fact that he has committed several crimes against the kingdom." Dad firmly states. "He's a criminal."

"We're only looking out for your best interests." Mom gently says.

"If you were really looking out for my best interests, you'd actually listen and try to understand where I'm coming from!" I sigh. "Varian was my best and only friend. I don't want to lose that if I can help it. He's never given up on me, so I won't give up on him."

Mom walks over and hugs me. "I know this is hard for you, but we can't just free Varian after everything he's done. That boy is a threat."

I push myself away from the queen. "I'm not asking you to free him. Heck, I'm not even asking you to forgive him! All I'm asking is that you trust me. Please."

Dad stands up. "What did you have in mind?"

Chapter Text

Dear (Yn),

Today was our last day in the city of Vardaros. I really think that we helped make a difference in this town! It was hard work, but it was so rewarding. Of course, I don't think we would've been able to do it without the help of Captain Quaid and his deputy, Vex. I think you two would be friends! You'd really like her; she's strong and not afraid to speak her mind. Gosh! It makes me miss you even more!

But in other news, we hosted a Goodwill Festival for the people of Vardaros yesterday! I tried to hold some of the same activities we do in Corona, but I guess a city of thugs has a different idea of fun...who knew? Cassandra had a lot of game ideas, and luckily, they were a huge success! Well...except for the gopher grab. That was a disaster. If the whole ordeal taught me anything, it's that I should never leave Eugene to do the painting on a mission.

How have you been? I hope that things have been going well with Varian. I think that you'll find a way to make things right. You always seem to work things out.

Love,

Rapunzel

~•~

The late spring air blows a sweet, flowery, scent through the open window. Puffy white clouds dotted the crystal blue sky, making it look like a painting Rapunzel had done. I had hoped that the sound of birds chirping and the fresh air would help put me at ease, but I had come to accept that nothing could calm me down for what was about to happen.

I'm pacing back and forth in the study when I hear a knock on the door. I quickly straighten my posture. "Come in," I say.

The doors open and Pete and Stan walk in, Varian in between them. The chains around Varian's wrists fill the quiet room with the echoes of clanging. The sound instantly brings me back to the time I was the one in the chains, being held captive as Varian's prisoner. I quickly try to suppress the memory. It's okay...he can't do anything to you. I reassure myself.

Stan and Pete walk Varian to a chair seated at the desk and sit him down.

"Let us know if he gives you any trouble, your highness," Stan says with a nod.

"Thanks." I weakly say.

As Pete and Stan leave the room, I turn to Varian. He doesn't say anything as I slowly approach him.

"Hey."

Varian's blue eyes meet my own. "Hey."

I try to think of something to say. "Have you been eating?"

Varian raises an eyebrow. "Who are you, my mom?"

"Look, I'm just worried about you. Which is a lot more than anyone in this kingdom feels about you at the moment." I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

Varian looks genuinely surprised. "You're worried about me? After everything I did to you? You should hate me."

"I don't hate you! I won't say that I approve of everything you did, and I'm certainly upset that you tried to hurt people, but I don't hate you." I sigh and sit in the seat across from Varian. "Look, after everything we've been through, I know that deep down you never wanted to hurt anyone. Think about the countless hours you've spent trying to help others: trying to bring hot water to your village, helping Rapunzel with her hair, even just being my friend...deep down you have a good heart."

"How do you know that I haven't changed for the worse?" Varian asks, still looking at me confused.

"Because you saved me."

Varian blushes and quickly looks away. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I know that there's still good in you. We can't change the past, but we can still change the future for the better. I don't want to lose my best friend, and deep down, I know that you don't want that either." I take a deep breath and hold my hand out for Varian to shake. "So what do you say? Do you want to try and start again?"

I hold my breath, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

Varian looks at my hand and then up at me. He slowly extends his arm out and shakes my hand. "I-I want to try."

I smile at his words, and Varian gives me a nervous grin in return. I could tell that both of us were still unsure about this. Could we really do this? Can I even trust Varian? Maybe this was a mistake...

"(Yn)?"

I'm snapped from my thoughts by Varian's nervous and quiet voice.

"T-Thank you...for not giving up on me."

I'm silent for a moment. I could hear the genuine gratitude in his voice. "That's what friends are for." I softly say.

:-:-:-:

As I snuggle under the covers of my bed I also burrow myself deeper and deeper into the story I was reading. With only the light of a candle illuminating my room, it gave off a cozy atmosphere.

I look up from my book when I hear a knock on the door. My mom slowly pokes her head in and smiles at me. "Hey, sweetie."

I set my book to the side as mom enters my room and sits on the edge of my bed. "Hi, mom."

"How did things go with Varian? You seemed to be in a better mood at dinner."

"I still see the good in him. I'm hoping that I can try and bring him back on the right track just by being a friend to him." I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I know that you guys still don't trust him, but I think that if we're ever going to help him-"

Mom holds her hand up. "(Yn), I admire that you try to see the good in people, but are you sure that Varian can be redeemed?" Mom looks straight into my eyes. "He committed acts of treason. That isn't something to be taken lightly."

"I know it isn't, but that's why I think we should help him. I'm the princess of Corona. I must help my subjects live fulfilling and content lives. Varian is just a boy, he shouldn't have to spend his life in prison because of one mistake he made at a time when his emotions got the better of him. He only wanted to free his father, and you and dad weren't ever going to help him. It's time for me to mend the wounds." I firmly say.

Mom places her hand over my own. "But you still don't know if you can trust him."

I sigh. "I don't know if I can trust you or dad either. Dad lied to Rapunzel and me about the rocks. He can't just keep life-altering secrets like that from his daughters."

Mom looks like she's about to object, but I can tell from the look in her eyes that she knows I have a point. "I can't say that I agree with this idea or yours, but I can't deny that you have the right to make your own choices. All that I ask is that you be safe."

I nod. "I can do that."

Chapter Text

Dear (Yn),

You're never going to guess what happened to us today. Cassandra and I went out into the forest to escape the guys, and we found a cottage hidden away in the forest. Believe it or not, we met a man there who offered us magic tea, and we turned into birds!!!

How crazy is that?

Cass and I had an hour to be birds before we would go "bird-brain" and be stuck forever. When we returned to the man so he could turn us back, he kidnapped (or is it 'bird-napped?') us so he could add us to his bird collection! Long story short, it was a bad time. Thankfully, we were able to escape him in time and made it back to the caravan safe and sound.

Just don't tell dad about this, okay?

Love,

Rapunzel

~•~

"Community service?"

I quickly nod while smiling at Varian. "Think about it! It's the perfect way to take a bit of time off of your sentence while proving that you aren't all bad."

"I don't know...I'm pretty sure that nobody in this kingdom wants to see me outside of a cell." Varian looks down at his feet. "Are you sure that this isn't too soon?"

"What do you mean?"

He sighs. "Well, I'm just still amazed that you don't hate me. I don't think the rest of Corona is as forgiving as you are."

Forgive. My thoughts stop for a brief moment. I forgive Varian...right? I've moved on. It's in the past. So then why does it still hurt to think about what he's done? I just want my friend back. Surly I can brush one mistake under the rug, right? Right?

"It's okay," I say in a wavering voice. I couldn't tell if my tone was more of an attempt to ease Varian's worries or my own. "We'll make it work."

:-:-:-:-:

I'm standing on the road of Old Corona. A familiar feeling of metal on my skin reveals that my wrists are chained. I look around my surroundings as eerie fog rolls into view. Black rocks are scattered around me, and a familiar voice cuts through the silence like a knife.

"(Yn)~"

I quickly jerk my head around and see Varian appearing through the fog. I suddenly gasp. The blue streak in his hair was illuminated by a bright blue. It was glowing.

"Varian?" I try to approach him but the chains hold me back. "Your hair..."

Varian smirks. "I should say the same to you~"

I gasp as the gold streak in my hair brightly gives off a golden glow. It was like the sunshine of a summer's day.

He ignores my surprise and glances down at the chains bolted to the ground. "I knew you haven't moved on." His eyes meet mine. "You're still haunted by the past. By me."

"No...I-I moved on! We're friends! Friends make mistakes all the time!" I nervously laugh. "Sure, maybe I still can't seem to move on from being held captive by you, but I'll work through it. I can fix things! We can start again."

My hair glows brighter, as does Varian's. With every step we take closer to one another, our hair becomes brighter. I slowly extend my hand out to Varian. He mirrors me, and our fingers touch.

A blinding light explodes out from the contact.

...

I quickly sit up in a cold sweat. I take a few quick breaths as I look around. It was pitch black outside my window; not even the moon could illuminate the sky. I breathed a sigh of relief when I check my hair and see the gold streak wasn't glowing.

I hug my bed covers close to my chest.

What was that?

:-:-:-:

It had been a couple of weeks of Varian doing community service around the castle. The king was still hesitant to let him out of the palace walls, so for now, Varian was stuck mopping floors. Not that he was complaining. He was willing to take just about any job he could find.

After I told him that Rapunzel was looking for a cure for his father, he was much more eager to help and get his prison sentence over with.

As I helped Varian with the floors, I still couldn't get the strange dream out of my head. Had I really not moved on? I stop mopping "Hey...Varian?"

He looks over at me. "Yeah?"

"Are you...sorry...for what you've done?" I hesitantly ask.

Varian stops mopping. "Well...I'm sorry that I said I wanted to make the people of Corona pay. Looking back a lot of the people of Corona never did anything to me. I'm glad I didn't hurt them."

I take a shaky breath. "W-What about my family?"

"I..." Varian sighs. "I've had a lot of time to think in that cell...and I know that I sunk pretty low. I'm not proud of what I did. But your family isn't innocent either. Even when Rapunzel had turned me away during that snowstorm, nobody once came to check on me. You were the only one." The boy's eyes water. "Once you said you'd leave...I-I realized I had nothing left to lose. All I ever wanted was to make my father proud, but I think if he was here now, and saw everything I've done...I think he'd just be ashamed." A few tears drip down his face. "I just wish that I could erase the past. I never wanted this."

I walk over and hug him. "We can't erase the past, but we can still write the future." I gently say.

Varian nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck and I softly smile. I rub small circles on his back as the boy quietly sobs. "I'm s-sorry...I'm so sorry."

:-:-:-:

I skip down the hall, feeling better than I had since the Battle of Old Corona. Varian's genuine apology eased my nerves and convinced me that giving him a second chance was the right thing to do.

As I enter the prison and head to Varian's cell, any positive feelings I had once felt vanished. Varian was still in his cell, but he wasn't alone.

A lanky, brown-haired man wearing a fur vest sat on the bench across from Varian's.

I scowl.

"Andrew."

Chapter Text

:-:Four Years Ago:-:

I smile with delight as I see the royal carriage transporting Varian and his father pull in front of the castle. As my father steps towards the royal carriage and greets Quirin and his son, I quickly hopped out of the window seat to meet Varian at the front doors. I could hardly wait to see my best (and technically only) friend again!

As they entered the palace, I run up to Varian and grinned. "Hey, Var!!" I greet.

Varian's sigh was the first signal to me that something was wrong. Usually, Varian was super excited for our visits, but today something seemed...off. I don't say anything else, and simply grab his hand and drag him to my bedroom. We sit down on my (fc) bedspread, and I look at Varian with sad eyes. "What's wrong?"

Varian crosses his arms and looks away. He sniffs as a couple of tears trickle down his freckled cheeks. "The village kids made fun of me again. They said nobody in their right mind would be friends with a dangerous freak like me."

I frown. "You can't let them get to you, Varian. They're a bunch of jerks. Besides, you have me. We're best friends!" I quickly hug him as though to prove my point.

The boy pushes out of my embrace. Varian takes off one of his black gloves and wipes the tears from his cheeks. "You're just my friend because I'm your only option."

I feel a bit taken aback. Technically Varian's words were true, but they also weren't. I genuinely enjoyed his company and I always thought that I would still be Varian's friend even if I was allowed out of the castle. "Varian..."

He cuts me off. "It's true!!"

"No, it's not!! I love spending time with you! You're sweet, considerate, and smart. Nobody in their right mind wouldn't want to be friends with you."

Varian shows the slightest smile. "You mean it?"

"Of course!! We'll always be best friends, regardless of whether or not I'm trapped in some stupid castle." I say.

Varian's blue eyes light up with joy. He extends his pinky out to me. "Promise?"

I hold out my own and we lock pinkies. "Promise."

:-:Present Day:-:

A lanky, brown-haired man wearing a fur vest sat on the bench across from Varians.

I scowl.

"Andrew."

The man glances over at me, and a devious smirk spreads across his cheeks. "Ah, princess (Yn). To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

I glare at him, knowing his polite demeanor was just an act. After he tried to steal Hertz Der Sonnes' journal about a year ago, everyone knew that Andrew was nothing but a petty thief.

"I'm not here to see you."

"Ah, I see." Andrew's eyes glance at me, and then at Varian. "You must be here to see your boyfriend then~"

My cheeks turn a bright shade of pink and I quickly turn away. "He is not my boyfriend."

Andrew chuckles. "My mistake, princess."

I ignore him and release Varian from his cell, dragging the alchemist out of the dungeon. As we enter palace halls, I turn to the boy. "Why in the world are you in the same cell as Andrew?"

Varian shrugs. "The guards moved him in with me last night. Something about running out of space for inmates?"

I sigh. "Okay, whatever Andrew tells you, don't believe it. That man lies and cheats his way through everything. He's a member of the Separatists of Saporia."

"Isn't that the group of Saporians who have it in for Corona?"

I nod. "Andrew almost got away with stealing one of the most valuable possessions in the land for who-knows-what. You can't trust him."

"(yn)?" Varian looks at me with worried eyes. "Andrew said something to me...he told me that this kingdom w-will never forgive me for what I've done."

I stop in my tracks. My blood was beginning to boil. I couldn't believe Andrew was saying such cruel things to Varian. Wasn't losing his father enough? "Varian...that isn't true-"

Varian cuts me off. "No! It is true!" He looks down at his hands. "Y-You can try and redeem me, but at the end of the day, the people of Corona will only see me as a dangerous criminal." His voice wavers. "How could anyone forgive me? I-I attacked their princess, destroyed Old Corona, heck, I kidnaped you, (yn)!" Varian looks at me with eyes filled with tears. "You should be scared of me, or mad, or...or-"

I quickly grab ahold of Varian's hands. "Varian, I forgive you."

I don't even process those words as they escape my lips. I think them over and realize something: It's the truth. I do forgive Varian. Even with all of his flaws and mistakes, Varian's apology allowed me to see him as my old friend again. I was finally ready to let go of the past.

A couple of stray tears leak out of Varian's blue eyes. "Y-You do?"

I nod. "Your apology gave me the strength to forgive you. I know Andrew's words seem true, but you have to believe me when I say that they aren't. It won't be easy, but I know that we can figure this out." I gently smile at Varian. "Together. Do you trust me?"

Varian grins and wipes a tear from his cheek. "Always."

:-:-:-:

I poke at my dinner with a fork, not feeling in the mood to eat mashed potatoes. I haven't been in the mood to eat at all with everything on my mind. Figuring out a way to help Varian, trying to stop Andrew from being manipulative, and worrying about Rapunzel, Cass, and my other friends while they were on a journey to who-knows-where was really taking its toll on my health.

"(Yn), is everything alright?" My mom asks, worry filling her emerald green eyes.

"I'm fine. My plate is just really full." I look down at my untouched dinner and slightly chuckle. "Literally and figuratively."

Dad smiles. "I know-"

The door to the dining room opens, and a messenger enters holding a floating lantern with the Coronian Crest painted on the side. I could easily recognize the lantern anywhere; it was one of the dozens of lanterns my parents sent out over the years for Rapunzel. I still have vivid memories of watching the king and queen outside of my bedroom window, sending lanterns into the night sky. I, obviously, was never allowed to participate in the ceremony, as it was too dangerous, so I would always handcraft my own lantern and release it into the sky once everyone else had let the wind carry theirs away. It had become a tradition of my own.

"Who could've sent us a lantern?" Dad asks nobody in particular.

The messenger grins and pulls a rolled-up scroll off of the lantern. "I think it's from the princess." He says, handing the scroll to the king.

Dad smiles brighter than I had seen him smile in a while. I couldn't blame him; I was elated to hear from my sister.

The excitement bubbles inside of me as my father opens the message and begins to read.

"I'm still sad to be so far from home, and there's nothing wrong with that. I can be independent, and see the world, and still miss home. That's just part of life; nobody can be happy all the time. If I'm sad, it's a reminder that I love my family. And when I miss you most, I'll have my friends to lean on.

Until I see you again, you are always in my heart.

Love,

Rapunzel"

As dad finishes reading the letter, he wipes a couple of tears from his eyes. I walk up to him and snatch the letter from his hand to read it myself.

I smile and hug the piece of paper close to my chest. Rapunzel's words really helped to lift my spirits and give me the advice I needed. "When I miss you most, I'll have my friends to lean on." I couldn't help but feel that those words were written for me.

Chapter Text

Dear (Yn),

I'm not quite sure when you'll be receiving this, so I sent this letter early to make sure it gets to you in time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I can't believe that you're fifteen! Even though I've only known you for a short amount of time, you are truly the best sister I could've ever hoped for. When I arrived at the castle for the first time and found out that I not only had parents but a sister too, I couldn't even believe my luck. Even then, I knew you would be one of my dearest friends.

I can only wish that I could spend your birthday at home with you.

Love,

Rapunzel

~•~

My dad warmly smiles at me as we eat breakfast outside in the gazebo. "So, (Yn). Is there anything you'd like to do for your birthday?"

I take a bite of my food and ponder the idea for a moment. Typically, it was Coronian tradition for a member of the royal family to have a big gala on their birthday. All of the citizens would come to the castle for a night of festivities. Since nobody knew about my existence until about a year ago, I was never allowed to participate in the tradition. To make the situation a little bit better, mom would always send a carriage to Old Corona to pick up Varian and bring him to the palace so we could celebrate together. Those birthdays were some of my fondest childhood memories.

"(Yn)?"

I'm quickly snapped from my thoughts and turned my head to look at dad. "Sorry, I was just thinking..." I take a deep breath and cross my fingers. "Could I have a birthday gala this year?"

Mom smiles. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

"You could meet some new people your age as well." My dad adds. "It'll be good for you."

I nervously laugh. "Yeah...about that..." I nervously play with a strand of my hair and avoid my dad's eyes.

"What is it?"

I bite my lip, feeling unsure about it all. After a few moments, I finally spit it out. "...could I invite Varian?"

The king chokes on a bite of eggs, and his wife quickly pats his back. "(Yn)...are you..." he coughs and clears his throat. "sure about this?"

I nod. "Varian has always been here for my previous birthdays, and I don't want this one to be any different."

"But bringing him to a Royal ball?" My dad shakes his head as though the very thought of it was blasphemous. "The guests would be horrified!"

"That's why inviting Varian is so important! This could be the perfect opportunity to prove that he isn't a threat anymore!" I counter.

"We don't even know if he's not a threat anymore! It'd be risking too many lives!!" Dad says.

"You never listen!!" I blurt. I quickly cover my mouth with my hands, not meaning to become so loud. "Dad, the last time you didn't trust me about Varian, he kidnapped me and almost destroyed the kingdom. It's time to make things right with Varian."

Mom places her hand on her husband's arm and gives him a knowing look. "Fredrick, I think we should trust (Yn). She's almost fifteen; she's not a little girl anymore."

Dad sighs once he realizes that mom is right. "(Yn), if you're sure that you can take this on, then I'll allow Varian to come."

I quickly hop up from my seat and rush to my father. I throw my arms around him and smile. "Thank you, dad!! I won't let you down, I promise!"

Varian's gonna love this!

:-:-:

"WHAT?!"

I happily smile. "Isn't it great? This is the opportunity we've been waiting for!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!!!" Varian nervously runs his fingers through his black hair. "This is like throwing a lamb to a bunch of hungry wolves!!!"

"I don't follow-"

Varian cuts me off. "I'M THE LAMB, (YN)! I'M THE LAMB!!" He wails, frantically shaking my shoulders.

"Varian, what are you even talking about?" I shake my head.

"The people coming to this gala don't want to see me there! They'll be watching my every move; waiting for me to screw up!" He sighs. "The people of this kingdom saw me as a danger long before I tried to attack their princess. The battle of Old Corona only further proved that I'm a hazard to everything and everyone around me..." Varian begins to pace. "Not that I blame them..."

"That's all the more reason for you to do this Var." I try to reassure him. "You need to prove to everyone that you aren't that person anymore."

The boy looks me square in the eyes. "How am I supposed to do that?"

I tap my finger against my chin, pondering over the options. "What if..." it hits me. "What if you put on a show?"

"Excuse me?"

"You could show off some of your alchemy! Maybe create fireworks, or bring flowers back to life, something like that." I grin. "If you demonstrate that your alchemy can be used for good, maybe the guests will start to see you as good too."

Varian looks at me with a slightly annoyed expression. "(Yn), alchemy is meant to be taken seriously, not used as a stage show. I'm a man of science, not a performer!"

"This might be our only chance. This is the best way to prove that you can be trusted." I sigh. "Look, all you'll have to do is come up with a couple of small party tricks that won't cause any damage. We'll set aside a couple of minutes after dinner for you to show the people what you got, everyone will see that your alchemy isn't a threat, and you'll be one step closer to mending the damage from the battle Old Corona."

Varian ponders the idea. "Where am I going to get the supplies that I'll need to create my alchemical compounds?"

"Ugh, I haven't thought about that yet," I say with a groan. "I don't think my parents will be on board with the idea of you having access to anything involving alchemy anytime soon, but maybe I could smuggle a few of the necessities to you from your lab?"

Varian looks at me as though I had a snake growing out of my head. "You'd bring me stuff from my lab? Really? Aren't you afraid that I'll try and break out or something?"

I don't respond at first. Of course, I was worried about what Varian could do if he had access to even the smallest amount of his equipment, but something deep inside was telling me that Varian wasn't going to do that. I could tell that he wanted to try and patch up his mistakes and finally leave his reputation of being a menace to the kingdom behind. "Can I trust you?"

"You can trust me, (Yn)," Varian says, giving me a look that told me he was telling the truth. "I promise."

Chapter Text

Dear (Yn),

Wow...I honestly don't even know where to begin.
Yesterday, we encountered the great tree, which is an place of ancient magic.
You remember the healing incantation, right? Well, while we were inside, we discovered a new incantation: the decay incantation. It's extremely powerful. When recited, it can destroy anything and everything in its path.
It may even be powerful enough to free Quirin.
I still can't figure out how to control it, and that caused me to wither Cassandra's arm by accident. I feel horrible about it. This trip has really taken a toll on our relationship. I just hope I can fix it.

Love,
Rapunzel

~•~

Bright green fireworks shoot into the sky as Varian finishes his show. I stand up and applaud, a big smile on my face. "Varian, that was incredible!"

The alchemist sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. "Really? Y-You think so?"

"Of course!! If you shoot off those fireworks during the party, there's no way that people wouldn't believe that you're starting to change!" I happily say.

"I hope you're right, (Yn)." Varian sneaks the couple of vials I gave him into his apron. "If this goes wrong, I might end up trapped in the dungeons for the rest of my life."

I put my hands on Varian's shoulders. "Don't worry, Var. You're the best alchemist that I know!"

"I'm the only alchemist you kno-"

I quickly shush him. "That's not the point. The point is that you're amazing!"

The slightest bit of red forms on Varian's cheeks. "T-Thanks."

Our sweet moment is interrupted when the doors to the throne room open, and the king followed by Stan and Pete enter. Varian quickly picks up his mop, and hurriedly rubs it against the floor, as though he was mopping the whole time.

I smooth out my dress as my father comes closer.

"Hi, dad." I softly say.

Dad smiles at me. "(Yn), the Royal seamstress has come for a fitting."

"'A fitting?'" I ask.

"For your ballgown." Dad chuckles a bit. "You must look your very best for your birthday."

I look over to Varian. He was staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the king. I couldn't tell if he wasn't looking at my dad because he felt ashamed, or because he was still upset with him. My mind concluded that it was probably a little bit of both.

I nod. "Alright. What about Varian?"

Dad briefly glances at Varian and looks away. "Oh...right." He sighs. "Pete and Stan will be escorting him back into his cell."

"That isn't necessary. I can just walk him back." I say. I knew that Varian didn't enjoy constantly being watched by guards. Plus, I still wanted to talk to him about the ball.

Dad shakes his head. "There isn't time for that. It is important for a princess to be punctual, not late."

I let out a soft grumble, knowing that trying to convince the king otherwise would be useless. As dad leads me out of the room, I look back over my shoulder at my friend. I give Varian a small wave, and he returns it.

:-:Two Weeks Later:-:

I suck in a breath as one of the maids tightens my corset. Despite my best efforts, I let out a small yelp each time she pulls it tighter. It was times like these when I really missed Cassandra. She always helped me get ready for formal events, and since she hated wearing corsets herself, she never forced me to wear one if I didn't want to. But since Cass wasn't here, I was stuck with a different maid to help me get ready.

By the time the maid had finished squeezing all of the air flow out of me, I couldn't even breath a sigh of relief to be done putting the corset on. As the maid walks to my wardrobe to fetch my gown, I quickly scurried over to my vanity and picked up a small pair of sewing scissors. When I was sure she wasn't looking, I cut one of the strings that held the corset in place in half, releasing the tight pressure from my body. I take in a generously deep breath as the strings unravel and smile to myself. It feels good to breathe again...

The maid slides the gown over my head and buttons up the back. The gown was one of the nicest pieces of clothing I had ever worn, which was saying a lot considering my social status.
The gown was a light shade of (fc), with white lace ruffles. The golden embroidery on the trim brought out the gold streak running through my hair. I was wearing golden shoes, jewelry, and a tiara to match.

I twirl in front of the mirror, admiring the gorgeous dress.

The maid smiles, her brown eyes sparkling. "You look lovely, your highness."

"Thank you." I return. "And thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it." I quickly add.

There's a knock on the door. The maid curtsy's as the queen enters my bedroom. Mom brightly smiles when she sees me. "Oh, sweetheart...you look beautiful."

I beam as she embraces me. "Thanks, mom."

"You've grown up so fast..." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was fighting to hold back tears. "(Yn), you are growing into a stunning young woman; on the inside...and the outside."

"Thanks mom."

As our hug ends, mom placed her hands on my shoulders. "Are you ready?"

Those three words made my blood run cold.

Ready as I'll ever be.

My mind is instantly drawn back to Old Corona. The memories of the battle, my family in danger, and losing Varian flood my brain. I almost lost everything that night. I feel myself being pulled down the slippery slope of doubt. What if Varian was right? What if the people in Corona never move on? What if my parents never move on?

I quickly shake my head. I couldn't think things like that now. This night might be my only chance.

Varian's only chance.

If I ever want things to go back to normal, I'll need to make sure this night is flawless.

I look back at my mom. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

"Presenting...Princess (Yn) of Corona!"

The doors to the throne room fly open, and the room full of guests stop what they're doing and gasp at the sight of me. I nervously wave and feel a rush of nerves overflow me at the sight of so many people.

As the trumpets sound off my arrival, I gracefully walk into the room. My eyes survey the crowd, and I quickly realize that I hardly know any of the guests at all. After years of staying hidden from people, I had never socialized with or even seen anyone besides my family and some of the palace staff, yet all of these strangers came to a party to celebrate me. Somehow, this room full of people makes me feel lonelier than I ever had felt before. Shouldn't I be happy to know that so many people showed up to celebrate my birthday?

I think back to the coronation. Why wasn't it so formidable then? A couple of tears well up in my eyes as the realization hits me: Rapunzel was by my side during the coronation. I miss her so much...

I suppress the thoughts and continue walking.

As I approach the thrones my parents smile at me. Dad places a hand on my shoulder as he looks out to the room of guests. "I'd personally like to thank all of you for coming here to celebrate the princess." He smiles. "For fourteen years I hid her away out of fear, but a year ago princess (Yn) finally spread her wings and emerged from the castle walls. It has brought me great joy to watch how much she has grown and accomplished in that time. I am so proud to call this talented, strong, and wonderful young woman my daughter." My dad looks down at me and smiles before turning back to the crowd. "Tonight, for the first time in fifteen years, we'll finally celebrate princess (Yn) and her bright future."

The crowd applauds as the king finishes his speech. I hug my dad and grin. "Thanks, dad."

As we part, dad smiles at me. "Now enjoy your party, my dear."

I nod and slowly make my way into the crowd. The guests begin to swarm me, all wanting to socialize and mingle. I feel my heartbeat quicken from the number of people; I nervously fidget with a strand of my hair. A boy about my age with a charming grin plastered on his face approaches me and bows.

"Princess (Yn), my name is Prince Edward of the Southern Isles. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I return his bow with a curtsy and a nervous smile. "Uh yeah... thank you. It's nice to meet you too." I glance around the room. The guests were all staring at me and Edward expectingly, and I could feel their judgmental faces watching my every move.

Edward gently takes hold of my gloved hand and slowly kisses it. I just stand there, wishing I could run away from it all. Even though Edward's lips have left my hand, he doesn't let go of my palm. "Shall we dance?" His voice comes out as smooth and slick as an eel.

I nonchalantly nod but inside I cringe. I did not want to dance with this guy.

Right as Edward begins to navigate me to the dance floor, I notice the doors to the throne room opening. I smile brightly when Varian is led in by two guards, dressed in a long black trench coat with red trim. I quickly speed away from my dance partner, shamelessly leaving him behind. Varian softly smiles when he sees me pushing through the crowd to get to him. "H-hey, (Yn)." He nervously waves, trying to avoid the stern gaze the guards were showing him.

For the first time all night, I feel relieved. I finally knew someone in this room of strangers. "Hi, Varian!" I throw my arms around the boy, oblivious to the light pink color that began to form on his cheeks. "I'm so glad you could make it."

Varian smiles as we part from our hug. "So am I!" Varian's blue eyes slowly look me up and down, and I begin to blush and look away. "Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable...it's just...you-you look b-beautiful, (Yn)." He nervously admits.

The pink in my cheeks quickly morphs into dark red, and I turn away. Now is not the time, (Yn)! Get ahold of yourself!! I mentally scold myself. "...Thank you. You look great too! I love that coat; where did you get it?"

Varian shrugs. "One of the guards found it for me. He said and I quote: 'needed something nice to wear.'"

I grin. "Well, I think it makes you look dashing," I say with a wink.

Varian sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. "Y-you think so?"

"Of course!" I quickly grab Varian's hand and pull him close to me. Our faces are only mere inches apart, and I ignore Varian's blush as I reduce my voice to a whisper. "Are you prepared for tonight?"

Varian nods. "Are you sure about this, (Yn)? I mean, what if something goes wrong?"

I try to give Varian my most reassuring smile. I was still pretty unsure of this whole thing myself. If Varian's alchemy didn't work, it could get him in even more trouble with the kingdom. But then again, this could be his only chance to turn things back to normal. "Nothing will go wrong. You have everything you need, and you'll no doubt be able to pull this off." I say in the most convincing tone I could muster.

Varian gently smiles. "Okay."

:-:-:-:

As the last bite of the birthday cake is finished, the King stands up and clears his throat. "For the next-"

I quickly stand up and cut him off.

"Dad, I actually have something special planned for the next part of the night. Could I have ten minutes?"

Dad raises an eyebrow but looks intrigued nonetheless. "Oh, well, I suppose that's alright. What do you have planned?"

"It's a surprise." I wink at him.

The king nods and sits back down. I slowly make my way to the center of the room. "Now, for this next activity, I'll need everyone to take a few steps back so I have space," I announce.

A few confused murmurs travel around the room, but the guests follow my instructions regardless.

I take a deep breath. It was now or never. "As many of you already know, several months ago our kingdom was attacked by a boy named Varian. Throughout his life, he's been known as many things: the son of Old Corona's leader, a danger to Corona, a wizard...this list goes on. But through my whole life, I've only known Varian as my best friend."

A wave of surprised gasps echoes throughout the room. Dad rises to his feet and walks over to me. "(Yn), I don't think that now is a good time..."

"Dad, I need to make things right. Please." I plead.

The king lets out a sigh of defeat.

I realize that I'll need to cut my speech short if I'm going to hold the audience's attention long enough for Varian to perform. I speak up once again. "After the...uh...events at Old Corona, I began visiting with Varian because I believed that there was still some good in him." I ignore the scoffs the crowd lets out. "...Because during the battle Varian saved my life."

More gasps fill the room.

"If it wasn't for him, I would've been impaled by one of the black rocks. I would be dead right now if it wasn't for Varian. That proved to me that Varian still had good inside of him!" I glance around at the faces in the crowds. "Tonight, Varian is going to prove that to the rest of you."

Small murmurs escape the lips of the guests. I suck in a breath and gesture for Varian to join me. He nervously approaches me. As he weaves through the crowd, people cautiously step away from him as though he were a wild animal. I let out a sigh. This may be harder than I thought...

Varian steps next to me and gives me a worried look. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" He whispers.

I nod. "This might be our only chance, Var."

Varian runs his gloved fingers through his hair. "Okay." He pulls a vial of green liquid out of his pocket, and the crowd gasps in alarm.

"It's alright!!" I quickly say. "Varian is going to give us a little demonstration of the good his alchemy can do!"

I notice my parents standing up and giving me confused looks.

Varian steps forward. "L-Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you...the power of science!!" He opens up the vial and holds it up in the air. "This chemical is one of my very own creations, called Flynnolium. It's a very powerful chemical, and when combined with the right compounds it can cause several reactions." Varian pulls a vial of purple liquid out of his pocket. "This is another chemical of my invention, called illumition. When shaken, illumition will light up." The boy shakes the vial to prove his point and smiles. A soft purple glow emits from the chemical.

I smile to myself, I haven't seen Varian this proud of his alchemy since the expo. He had a look of genuine happiness on his face; it was becoming rarer and rarer these days. I notice the audience also seemed a little less tense. So far so good.

Varian lifts the two vials. "While the two of them are strong chemicals on their own, imagine the power the two can create when they work together!" Varian slowly pours a couple of drops of illumition into the Flynnolium. "When combined they create-"

Varian is cut off when a giant explosion is released from the mixed vials. Everyone begins screaming. As a cloud of purple and green smoke shoots into the air, the explosion sends several guests backward onto the floor. Varian flies to the ground, covered in purple and green ash. I gasp in horror as a rush over to him. "Varian, are you okay?!?" I frantically ask, checking him over.

Varian slowly sits up and lets out a groan. "I'm o-okay..." he looks around at all of the damage he caused. "Oh no...oh no..." he runs his fingers through his now green, purple, and black hair. "No no no no no..." tears well up in Varian's blue eyes.

My heart breaks for him. After everything, Varian's only chance went up in flames...literally. I knew how hard he had worked for this...how desperately he tried to fix his mistakes.

I slowly help my friend to his feet.

Every set of eyes is on us.

Prince Edward points a finger at Varian. "He tried to attack us!!!"

Varian shakes his hands. "No! It's not like that! I-I don't know what happened!!!" He tries to wipe the tears from his eyes.

The guests shoot mixes of dirty, scared, and angry looks at Varian.

"He can't be trusted!!!"

"That boy is a menace!"

"He's an evil wizard!!"

"Step back before he hurts us!!"

My mouth feels dry and a giant lump forms in my throat. Thoughts buzzed around in my head. This can't be happening...we tried so hard...what went wrong?!

Tears begin to flow down Varian's cheeks.

"This isn't Varian's fault!!" I quickly say. "Please, give him another chance!"

Dad walks up to me. He places his hand on my shoulder. I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Dad, please..." My eyes fill with tears.

The king shakes his head. "I think you've done enough."

Varian dashes out of the room without another word. The king nods at his guards and they go running after him.

Tears run down my cheeks.

I only made things worse.

Chapter Text

Dear (Yn),
You remember Andrew that Saporian guy, right? Well, yesterday Cassandra and I found this really old Saporian artifact called the Wand of Oblivium. It turns out that the wand has the power to erase memories and cause amnesia.
If this journey has taught me anything, it's that the lands outside of the Corona walls are both wondrous and dangerous. There is so much to be discovered! I know how much you would love it. As much as I wish you were here, I'm also a teeny bit relieved that you're still home. After all, someone needs to look after the kingdom.
There is more in you, (Yn).
Love,
Rapunzel.

~•~

It's been two weeks and I still haven't left the safety of my bedroom. My parents refused to let me see Varian after he "attacked us," so in return, I was refusing to see them. I knew deep down that I didn't want to evade my parents forever, but I was too resentful to care.
Finally, mom poked her head into my room.
"Go away." I huff.
Mom ignores me and steps into my bedroom. She crosses her arms and gives me a firm look. "(Yn), your father and I would like to speak with you."
"Well, I'm not in the mood."
The quiet room is filled with the sounds of my mother's shoe tapping against the floor. "(Yn)-"
I cut her off. "Look, I understand that you're upset with me for giving Varian access to some of his chemical compounds, but I only did it because I knew that there was no other way to help the kingdom see he isn't as bad as everyone thinks he is!"
Mom raises her hand in the air and I stop talking. "(Yn), let's take this talk to the throne room."

:-:-:-:

I stand before my parents who were both seated in their ornate thrones. The kingdom of Corona truly lives up to its name when I look out the windows. The setting sun generously pours into the quiet room, casting golden rays onto everything within its reach. I'd normally be admiring how stunning it looked, but I was too nervous. I suck in a shaky breath. As my father stares at me with his cold, blue, eyes, I feel even more anxiety creep inside of me.
The king sighs as he stares at me. "(Yn), not only did you did you disobey me, but you put all of those guests in danger by giving Varian access to those...those...magic potions!!"

I open my mouth to correct my father's mistake but quickly close it as the king begins talking.

"-How could you have been so irresponsible?! Your mother and I have raised you to be a proper lady and this is how you behave?" He sighs and rubs his temple. "You're a princess, (Yn). You can't just do whatever you want without considering the consequences."

I feel my blood boil. "You think I haven't thought about the consequences?! Varian-"

My father cuts me off. "Enough about that boy! All he's ever done is cause trouble!! Ever since you started visiting him in Old Corona he's only dragged you into dangerous situations! He's caused earthquakes, attacked Rapunzel, kidnapped you, stole the sundrop flower, and tried to take over the kingdom!!"

My face turns red with anger. I could put up with a lot from my father, but I would not tolerate him talking about Varian like he's a villain and my dad is some saint. "The only reason any of that happened was that he was trying to fix things!" I list them off on my fingers. "Varian accidentally created earthquakes because he was trying to bring hot running water to old Corona, he only stole the flower to free his father peacefully, and the only reason he tried to take over the kingdom was that he had no other way to free his father. Do you know why he had no other way to free his father, dad? Because of you." I stare at my father with stern eyes. "He tried to ask for help but Rapunzel turned him away. Even after that blizzard went away you never once let me go and check on him. We could've found a way to free his father peacefully, but instead, you ignored a fourteen-year-old boy in his time of need. You left him alone." I sigh. "You want to accuse me of being irresponsible? At least I'm trying to help our subjects instead of ignoring their problems!"

Mom lets out a small gasp at my confrontation. The king's strong gaze melts away and is replaced by surprise. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again, clearly at a loss for words. He repeats the motion a couple more times like a fish. "(Yn), I-"

The doors to the throne room fly open. I quickly jolt around and gasp in horror.

"Well well well...you're just the royals I was looking for."

A pit fell into my stomach when I see none other than Andrew standing in the doorway surrounded by a group of Saporians. Andrew mockingly bows to my father. "How lovely to see you again, your highness."

I growl. "Andrew..."

The king quickly points a finger at the group. "Guards!! Seize them!!" His deep and powerful voice echoes throughout the room.

Andrew only chuckles. "I'm afraid your guards won't be of much help..."

"What are you talking about?"

One of the Saporian women kicks the throne room doors open a little bit wider, revealing a pile of guards who were out cold. She laughs at the sight. "It was almost too easy."

Mom gravitates closer to her husband and he holds her close. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much." Andrew glances at his gang and they chuckle lowly. "Just the entire kingdom."

I quickly get into one of the fighting stances Cassandra taught me. "I won't let you do that."

The Saporians burst into a fit of laughter. "You? A little princess? What are you gonna do to stop us?"

"Just watch and find out," I mutter under my breath, already clenching my hands into fists.

Before I can do anything, a muscular Separatist covered in tattoos grabs me and holds my hands behind my back. I attempt to wiggle out of his strong grasp but fail. He slyly smirks at me. "Nice try, princess."

Andrew steps towards my parents. "Let me enlighten you with a brief history lesson. After our leader betrayed us and fell in love with the enemy, many of the Saporians still believed Corona rightfully belonged to Saporia. Thus, the Separatists of Saporia were formed. We've waited in the shadows for centuries waiting for the perfect moment. As it turns out, we were only missing one thing."

A puff of pink smoke explodes in the doorframe, and Varian emerges, wearing the long black coat from the ball. He was clad in leather gloves, and boots and a red bandanna hung around his neck. The only article of clothing that was the same was the goggles his mom gave him.

I let out a small gasp, not fully believing what my eyes were showing me. "Varian..? You...you're working with them?" Tears prick the corners of my eyes. After everything we've been through, all of these months trying to repair the battle wounds of Old Corona, Varian still chose evil. I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe that he changed. The real Varian is gone forever...

Varian notices my tears. For a split second, I notice something flash across his eyes. Guilt, sadness, regret. I couldn't tell. He quickly shakes it off. "I had no choice. You saw what happened at the ball, (Yn)! The people of Corona will never...they'll never forgive me."

Andrew wraps his arm around Varian's shoulder. "Varian here was the missing piece. With his help, we were able to perfect our takeover plan. This kingdom didn't see his potential or worth, but we do." Andrew pats Varian on the back. Varian smiles ever-so-slightly at Andrew's approval. My heart breaks at this. Varian was so desperate for the approval and recognition of others that he was willing to side with villains if that's what it would take to get it.

"You won't get away with this! We'll stop you!" The king warns.

Andrew laughs. "I doubt it." He snaps his fingers and a short old woman wearing an ugly blue beanie pulls a wand out of her sleeve. She aims it at my parents, and in one fell swoop, red energy shoots from the wand and at the king and queen's heads. They fall backward with an ugly-sounding thud. I gasp in horror.
I can only helplessly watch as my parents are zapped with who knows what. I kick my legs at the Saporian who was holding me in a fit of rage and panic. "STOP!!! LET ME GO!!" The tears break free and pour out of my (ec) eyes. "What did you do to them?!?" I demand.

The old woman chuckles. "Oh, nothing much. I simply erased their memories."

I gasp. The Wand of Oblivium...my memories flash to one of the letters Rapunzel sent me about the ancient Saporian artifact that could alter or erase memories. I feel a bad feeling sink into the pit of my stomach. "No...no...why...why would you do this?"

"Now that your precious parents can't remember anything, they'll be the perfect pawns in our game." The woman sneers. "Control the leaders, control the people." She traces her fingers along the wooden wand as she speaks. "The only thing we have to take care of now is you."
My heart stops as she raises the wand in the air. No no no no no..this can't be the end...can it? I don't want to forget everything...not my parents, not Rapunzel, not...Varian. I look at Varian with desperate eyes.

Our eyes lock.

Before my mind can be wiped, Varian quickly dashes in between me and the wand, spreading his arms out wide.
My thoughts flash back to the Snuggly Duckling.

(I gasp as Varian quickly leaps in between the ghost and me and spreads his arms out in front of me. He tries to create a defensive stance, and eyes down Ruth. "Don't even think about hurting her!" He warns. "If you take another step-er-float any closer, y-you'll be sorry!"
I place my hand on Varian's shoulder. "Var, what are you doing?" I whisper.
"You didn't think I'd ditch you, did you? You're my best friend, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Varian gives me a small smile.)

"CLEMENTINE, WAIT!!"

The woman-or I suppose "Clementine"-lowers her wand when she sees Varian in her way. "What are you doing, boy?"

"You..uh...you can't hit her!!"

Clementine's wrinkly eyes narrow. "Why not?"

"B-Because...she can still...be of use to us!!" Varian quickly exclaims. "Think about it, (Yn)'s been trapped in this castle her whole life! She knows all of its secrets better than anyone! If you erase her memories...we won't have access to the secret passages and escapes hidden in these walls!"

I feel confusion well up inside me, but I don't say anything. Why would Varian be trying to save me? It doesn't make any sense...

Clementine looks to Andrew for his response and he strokes his beard thoughtfully. "The kid makes a good point. Secret passages aren't a bad idea." He looks at me, then Varian, and then Clementine. "Spare her. But lock her in the dungeons. I don't need some pesky princess getting in my way."

Varian and I breathe a joined sigh of relief.

Andrew nods at my captor. "Take her away."

Chapter Text

The cold and damp air of the dungeon engulfs me like a wave crashing on the seashore. I shiver. I'm not quite sure if it's from the sudden drop in temperature or if it's my nerves. My kingdom was being taken over and I couldn't do anything about it. I was helpless. Again.

I think about my parents and our fight. I've never fought like that with them. Before Rapunzel showed up, I would always keep my mouth shut and go along with whatever my parents told me. Now I'm speaking my mind and standing up for what I believe in. A chuckle almost escapes my lips. You're such a bad influence Raps.

Guilt floods my conscience. My parent's minds were erased. Will they really not remember a thing? All of the good times we had together...those moments were wiped. Their last memory of their daughter before they were spelled was her yelling at them. My eyes become misty at the thought and I scold myself. No! Do not let anyone see you cry. You are not weak!

I grunt as the man who had captured me roughly shoves me into a cell. I fall to the chilly stone floor with a thud.

As the man locks the cell door, he glares at me. "Don't cause any trouble if you know what's good for you."

As he stomps away I pull myself off the floor and sit on the bench. I hug my legs to my chest and examine my now scraped knees. I take a deep breath and look out the small dungeon window. The stars twinkle down at me from the night sky.

Please come home soon, Rapunzel.

:-:-:-:

It's been several days since the kingdom was taken over when I see a familiar alchemist approach my cell.

I've tried to banish Varian from my thoughts because it was his fault we were in this mess, but I couldn't banish him from reality. Especially not when I was the one behind bars.

"Don't you have a kingdom to govern with your new 'friends?'" I say, lacing my voice with venom.

"What? N-No!" Varian shakes his hands. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. "I can help you but I need you to trust me."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Yeah, because trusting you did me a whole lot of good last time." I sarcastically say.

"(Yn), we don't have much time." Varian unlocks the cell door and opens it. He holds out his gloved hand to me. "Do you trust me?"

Despite my better judgment, I take it. Not that I had any better options. "Okay."

Varian slightly smiles. "Do you have your silver key?" He urgently asks, already leading me down the dungeon hall.

I clutch the key hanging around my neck. "I have it. Why?"

Varian looks back at me. "That's your ticket out of here. If I can get you back to your bedroom, you can sneak out unnoticed."

"Of course!!" I smile, feeling a sliver of hope for escape. "That's perfect, Var!"

A small blush creeps across his cheeks and he quickly looks forward. "Y-You used my nickname."

I haven't even realized I called him "Var." My cheeks turn pink and I scold myself. I'm supposed to be mad at him. I quickly change the subject. "I don't get you. First, you try to take over the kingdom, then you try to redeem yourself, then you team up with a bunch of Saporian anarchists, and now you're helping me escape. What's up with you?"

Varian stops and lowers his voice. "I never teamed up with the Saporians."

I scoff. "I saw you take over with them. I'm not blind."

"I know what it looked like, but I'm really not on their side. I've been going undercover." Varian smirks at me. "I'm only working with them to gather information so the resistance and I can take them down from the inside out."

"Resistance?"

"Xavier has formed a resistance underneath the blacksmith shop with some other townspeople. While I gather info and send it to Xavier, he gathers the manpower for the revolution." The alchemist explains.

I gasp. I could hardly imagine the sweet people of Corona fighting back against Saporians. "Revolution? When?"

"In roughly six months the Saporians are going to drop a gas made from the wand's power onto Corona that will erase everyone's memories for good. What they don't know is that Ruddiger and Dandelion have been delivering all of the plans to Xavier so he can stay one step ahead."

I couldn't believe my ears. Varian wasn't evil? It sounded too good to be true. "How do I know you're telling the truth? What if you're lying to me?"

"Look, I know I haven't been the most trustworthy person lately, but this time I want to prove everyone wrong. I'm going to finally be the hero instead of the villain, and I'm going to make this kingdom proud. I'm going to make my dad proud." Varian hopefully smiles. "I'm going to make you proud, (Yn)."

I couldn't help but distrust the alchemist. After everything that's happened, Varian could very well be lying. Then again, something in his eyes was telling me he genuinely wanted to fix things. I could see the old Varian again. I extend a pinkie out to him. "Do you promise that I can trust you?"

Varian looks at my hand and then his blue eyes travel up to my face. He holds up his gloved hand and we lock pinkies. "I promise."

I scan his eyes for any hint of dishonesty but I don't see it. I gently smile and engulf him in a hug. "I'm glad you're back, Varian."

He tightly hugs me back. "So am I."

:-:-:-:-:

"This is it." Varian grins as we finally reach my room. He carefully turns the doorknob and peeks his head in. Varian suddenly gasps. "ANDREW!! Hey!! What-What are you doing in here?"

My breath hitches. I was completely out in the open in the hallway, and if Andrew was in my room, I had nowhere to hide if one of the Saporians were to show up.  I nervously hold my breath as I listen to Varian and Andrew's conversation.

I hear Andrew's voice. "I figured I'd check some of these rooms for loot. Maybe sell some of it for materials."

Varian casually leans against the doorframe. "Ohhhh...yeah...g-good idea."

"Well, it would be a good idea if the royals actually had valuables in their rooms." Andrew scoffs. "All I've found in the princess' room is a bunch of useless junk."

I feel my cheeks turn a bit red from anger. Not only is a creepy dude with a man-bun snooping around in my room, but he's also calling my stuff 'junk!'

"'Junk?' Uhhh...Like what?" Varian nervously chuckles.

"This plush rabbit, a music box..." I hear a 'thud' followed by each item listed, telling me that he was tossing my things around. I have to fight back the urge to march into my room and smack him across the face. "Paintings, books...it's all useless! There isn't even any valuable jewelry in here! The closest thing I found was this tacky necklace."

Varian lets out a small gasp as the necklace hits the floor. "Hey!"

"Hm?"

Varian chuckles. "H-Hey! Look on the bright side...it doesn't matter if this is all junk because we already have the people mining those crystals! We'll have plenty of money for materials."

"That's a good point," Andrew says. I suddenly hear footsteps approaching, and I quickly dash into a nearby closet. I hold my breath as Andrew walks by. "It's a good thing I made you second in command, boy." He says.

After a few moments, I hear a soft knock on the door. "(Yn)? He's gone; you can come out."

I slowly open up the door and we quickly rush back to my room. As I step into my bedroom, I feel my blood boil at the sight in front of me. Books, gowns, and other random items were thrown around the room, almost as though a tornado came through. I was beginning to think Andrew was this messy on purpose.

I notice Varian makes his way toward my desk, where a small item was laying on the floor. He slowly bends down and picks it up. Varian's blue eyes examine the item carefully.

I walk over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Varian gently takes hold of my hand and places the object on my palm. I look down at it. The (Yn)rium.

"I can't believe you kept it," Varian says in a hushed voice.

"Why wouldn't I? It was a gift from you."

"I guess I just figured you would've thrown it away after everything I've done."

I run my fingers over the shiny blue gem. "I think I always knew deep down that you weren't evil. You were just lost."

I flinch as I hear footsteps walk towards, and then past my room.

"You'd better get going. It won't be long till they realize you're gone." Varian quickly says.

I nod and walk towards the mirror. I hold up the key. "Mirror? It's me again. I could really use your help."

As if on cue, the Corona sun forms on the mirror frame and emits a golden glow. My key lights up and I insert it into the keyhole.

Click.

I smile as the glass inside of the frame slides away and a passage is revealed. "That never gets old." I softly mutter.

I hesitantly step into the secret passageway and look back at Varian. His blue eyes are full of worry. "Be careful, okay?

I smile at him and nod. "Only if you promise to be careful too."

Varian gives me a small smile in return. "Promise."

My heart aches. I didn't want to say goodbye to Varian, especially not after everything that's happened. It was supposed to be the two of us against the world. As I look at Varian something tells me he feels the same way. I pull the alchemist into a hug. I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck as Varian and I embrace on either side of the mirror. As we part, I place the (yn)rium necklace around Varian's neck.

"Take care of this for me. A very special person gave it to me." I gently say.

Varian's cheeks turn bright pink. "O-Of course." He takes off the red bandanna from around his neck and lifts my hand. He ties the piece of fabric around my wrist and smirks. "Until we meet again, M'lady." He says, kissing the back of my hand.

I giggle a bit at his attempt to make light of the situation. "I shall count the seconds~," I say in an overly proper voice.

As the glass in the mirror begins to close, I steal one last look at Varian before making my way through the passageway.

Chapter Text

:-:Six Months Later:-:

I fidget with Varian's bandanna while I wait for Xavier to return. It had become a nervous habit of mine because it reminded me of Varian whenever I touched it. The piece of fabric brought me a small sense of comfort, as though a little part of him was always with me.

A lot has changed in the past few months. For one, I had been living in Xavier's secret bunker underneath his blacksmith shop with the rest of the resistance ever since I had escaped the palace. It was a small group of Coronians who were brave enough to defy orders from the king: Xavier, uncle Monty, Ulf, Big Nose, and a few other stragglers, so they welcomed me with open arms. The resistance had become a second family to me.

The pub thugs had taken over Cassandra's role of training me in self-defense, and before long I had become a skilled fighter. Xavier was so proud of my progress that he made me a weapon of my own: a beautiful hand-carved bow and a leather quiver full of arrows. The bow was created from the strongest wood found in Corona, so it could not only shoot arrows but also block oncoming attacks from swords and other blades. I had even etched music notes into its surface, inspired by ruthless Ruth's club.

Xavier taught me how to properly aim and shoot. With him as my mentor, I not only became an archer, but I also came to see him as a good friend. I loved listening to his legends and stories around the fire late into the night, and he always had a way of raising my spirits when I was feeling down.

I hadn't seen Varian since he helped me escape a few months ago. I worry about him constantly; I knew the risks he was taking by working undercover for the Saporians.

Lately, every day is filled with worry. I worry for my parents, the resistance, Rapunzel, and most of all, Varian. The anxiety has taken over my body, and the longer the Saporians are in charge, the worse it gets. Each day gets harder; I've even begun to get panic attacks. I long for Varian's comforting embrace and Rapunzel's words of encouragement, but I can't reach either of them.

I look down at the bandana in my hands and pull my hair into a high ponytail, securing it with the piece of fabric.

After months of planning and hundreds of letters to Varian, our team had finally concluded that the only way to take our kingdom back was with Rapunzel. We were trying our best, but it's no secret that Rapunzel can rally people together better than anyone. The number of resistance fighters was small, but it was becoming even more so as people were ordered by the king to mine for crystals.
Ulf had volunteered to take a balloon and follow the rocks until he found Rapunzel, and he had already been gone a month. We were all worried sick about him, and his absence only added to my stress.

Only two things helped to calm my nerves. The first was the letters from Varian. The second was singing. My songs not only lifted my spirits, but they seemed to infuse the rest of the resistance with hope. It filled me with great pride to know that my musical talent could fill so many people with joy.

I catch myself softly humming and tapping my black boot on the stone floor in an attempt to keep a beat. I quickly stop so I don't wake the others. It was late into the night and I was the only one whose eyes were still open. I would normally try to get some sleep, but I couldn't seem to get my mind off of Varian and Xavier. Even though Ruddiger and Dandelion were the ones who carried letters back and forth, it was still a huge risk for Xavier to be out after dark. The Saporians had established a strict curfew to keep troublemakers off the street at night, and those who defied their orders were severely punished. I shudder at the thought of sweet Xavier, a man who was like a big soft marshmallow, getting thrown in a cold cell...or worse.

I try to take my mind off of the thought. Worrying wouldn't solve anything. I focus on the things around me. The only sound to be heard is the soft crackling of the fire that had begun to die out. A faint silvery light from the outside shined in through a small crack at the top of the wall. The pub thugs are lying in their hammocks sound asleep while letting out the occasional snore.

I jolt up as I hear a soft tapping noise come from the door. I dash up the old stone steps and meet Xavier at the door. The old man lets out a hearty chuckle when he sees me. "My, aren't you eager tonight, princess." He smiles at me. "I have a marvelous surprise for you."

"Is it a letter from Varian?" I quickly ask.

"Not exactly..." Xavier steps to the side, revealing someone I hadn't seen in over a year.

Tears well up in my eyes.

"Rapunzel?"

My sister's emerald green eyes light up when she sees me. "(Yn)?!" She quickly runs over to me and engulfs me in one of her signature bear hugs. "Oh, I missed you so much!! I'm so happy you're safe!!"

I smile in her arms. "I can't believe you're finally back! I-I-I...I thought you would never get home in time..." wet tears run down my cheeks.

"In time?" Rapunzel asks. "What do you mean?"

"Every day the Saporians grow stronger," Xavier explains, gently stroking his white beard. "But enough with the solemn news. The others will be excited to see you again!"

"The others?"

I take Rapunzel's hand and lead her down the steps and into the bunker. "C'mon!"

I quickly run to the pub thugs' hammocks and shake them awake. "Guys!! Wake up!!"

The men quickly jolt awake and topple out of their beds and into a heap on the floor. Big Nose groans. "I think you just broke my nose..."

Attila climbs off of the pile and sighs. "We really need a ladder." As he looks up he gasps and claps his hands together in excitement. "Princess! You're back!!"

"It is so so so good to see all of you!" Rapunzel laughs with joy as she hugs everyone. "Even you, Monty." She says with a smile.
Monty gives her a small smile in return.

"I knew those two would start to get along eventually!" Eugene says with a grin.

I smile up at the former thief. "Nice to have you back, Eugene."

He smirks. "Nice to be back, (nn)."

I glance around the room, remembering someone else that I wanted to see, but she was nowhere to be found. I fiddle with a strand of my hair. "Hey...where's Cass?"

Eugene stiffens and Lance's eyes grow wide as he watches the two of us. That's weird... I think to myself.

Eugene laughs loudly and puts his hands on his hips. His brown eyes dart around the room, looking at anything but me. "O-Oh! Xavier's saying something!" He quickly announces, already strutting over to meet with the others.

Well, that was odd... my mind begins to wander as I wonder why in the world Eugene was acting so...different.

Xavier clears his throat as he approaches the small campfire in the middle of the room. "We stay hidden. Everyone in Corona lives in fear, spending their days mining the Saporian's minerals."

Rapunzel frowns. "What? The people of Corona are so brave...why wouldn't they stand up?"

"They cannot defy orders from the king and queen. Any act of aggression against them is treason." Xavier grins. "Now that you have returned, the game has changed." The old blacksmith bows to Rapunzel, and the rest of the rebellion follows.

"We've been waiting for you, princess." Big Nose says.

"Me?" Rapunzel softly gasps.

"The only way we have any chance against the Saporians is with you."

I grin as I cross my arms. "We're right behind you sis."

:-:-:-:

My eyelids flutter open when I hear a soft rustling sound. I slowly sit up in my hammock and look around the dimly lit bunker. I notice the silhouette of someone rummaging through our supplies, and my heartbeat quickens.

I instinctively reach for my bow, and I silently make my way toward the mystery figure.
Upon closer inspection, I realize that the figure was Rapunzel. I exhale the breath I didn't know I was holding. "Raps? What in the name of Demanitus are you doing?" I ask in a hushed voice. "We should be asleep!"

Rapunzel's body jolts when she hears me. "Oh! (Yn)...how's it going?" She nervously asks.

I look at her with skepticism. "Why are you acting so weird?"

The blonde nervously chuckles. "Weird? Who said anything about weird? I'm not being weird...I'm just...getting a late-night snack!"

I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest. "You're sneaking out to take back the kingdom aren't you?"

Rapunzel laughs. "What?! Noooo..."

I don't say anything as I grab my quiver full of arrows and strap it around my torso. "I'm coming with you."

Chapter Text

My boots click across the stone streets of Corona as Rapunzel and I dash through the shadows. I pull my hood farther up, as to cover as much of my facial features as possible. I am considered an outlaw by the Saporians, and the kingdom is ordered to report me on the spot if I am found. All of Corona was fast asleep by now, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Rapunzel waves me over to a small metal sewer grate. "We can get into the palace through here." She whispers.

I slightly tilt my head. "How do you know that?"

"This is the same exit that Cassandra..." Her voice trails off and she looks away. "Cassandra snuck me out of the palace through here the night my hair came back."

I stare at my sister, who still wasn't making full eye contact with me. "Raps, are you okay? You know that you can talk to me-"

Rapunzel shakes her head and rubs her misty eyes as she cuts me off. "I'm fine. We'd better get going."

I sigh but follow her through the sewer grate. I knew she was lying to me, but I also knew that now wasn't the best time to confront her about it. I make a mental note to ask her about it once we save the kingdom.

As the two of us carefully trek through the damp underground tunnels, butterflies flutter around inside my stomach. I was terrified, to say the least. The palace was the last place a runaway princess/prisoner should go, and I knew the guards would be on high alert for me. I nervously cross my arms over my chest as I try to distract myself. I look ahead at my sister who looked a bit lost. "Raps? Are you sure you know where we're going?"

She forces out a chuckle. "Y-Yeah! Just a teeny bit confused. Usually, it was Cass who lead the way through these tunnels."

I try to push the uneasiness out of my voice. "Does anything look familiar? Maybe you can retrace your steps."

Rapunzel looks around. "I-I don't know." She places her hands on the side of her face. "I don't know."

I suddenly hear something that makes my blood run cold.

Footsteps.

"Hide." Is the only thing I manage to say.

Rapunzel's emerald green eyes widen as she swiftly drags me behind an old wine barrel that was hidden in the shadows. I hold my breath as the footsteps get louder. I notice a fuzzy ball of fur approach us, and as the figure gets closer, I realize that it's Ruddiger.

I let out my breath with relief as I open my arms wide and smiled. "Ruddiger!! I'm so glad it's you!!" I exclaim.

The fuzzy raccoon scurries into my arms and snuggles against my chest as I hug him.

Rapunzel looks at me and then at Ruddiger. "Wait...if Ruddiger is here, then that must mean-"

I cut her off when I see an all too familiar alchemist making his way through the tunnels while holding an illuminated compound. "Varian!!"

Varian's eyes light up brighter than flynnoliumn when he sees me, and a giant grin spreads across his face, showing off his adorable buck teeth. Upon seeing his friend, Ruddiger scampers out of my arms toward the boy.

I quickly stand up and rush to Varian, throwing my arms around him. "Oh, Var, I missed you so much!"

"(yn)! Thank Demanitus you're safe." Varian quickly returns the hug, wrapping his arms around my torso and lifting me a couple of inches off of the ground while spinning me in circles.

"Varian! Ah! You're going to drop me!" A giggle escapes my lips.

Varian laughs as he sets me back down. "You really think I'd drop you after not seeing you for half a year?" He teases.

I cross my arms and smirk. "I don't know...would you?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, angel." He mischievously grins.

Varian's nickname makes my eyes widen and my face flush pink. "A-angel...?" I think, feeling my heartbeat quicken. Varian had never called me that before...not that I was opposed to the nickname.

"Varian?"

We both turn to face Rapunzel, who was slowly approaching us while fidgeting with her long gold hair. She stares at Varian with wide eyes, as though he was an unpredictable animal who could attack at any moment. Varian hesitantly backs away from Rapunzel, crossing his arms over his chest. He avoids her gaze.

I nervously glance from Rapunzel to Varian, knowing that I'd have to ease the tension if we were ever going to take back the kingdom.

"Rapunzel...I know this might sound crazy, but Varian's on our side." I gently say.

My sister looks at me as though I was insane. "(Yn), what are you talking about? He attacked us less than twelve hours ago! He's working with the Saporians and he's going to erase the kingdom's memories!"

I take hold of Rapunzel's hands and look her in the eyes. "Raps, he's good. Varian's been working undercover and sending information to the rebellion; I have his letters to prove it. He helped me escape the palace after the Saporians took over...I wouldn't even have my memories if it wasn't for him."

Rapunzel looks at me, an expression of shock in her gaze.

I take a deep breath and walk over to Varian. I place a gentle hand on his shoulder as our eyes meet. The boy's blue eyes widen with fear. "I can't do this (yn)...she'll never forgive me." his voice barely goes above a whisper.

I give Varian the most reassuring smile I could muster. "I know that it won't be easy, but sometimes you have to be the one to take the first step. Just like I did."

Varian nods and looks over to Rapunzel. "Rap-er-your highness...I'm so sorry. I never should've done what I did...but I just felt so helpless and I was scared." He slowly walks over to Rapunzel, looking at her with eyes full of guilt. "I wasn't thinking clearly, and I did things I shouldn't have. I regret that." Varian stares down at his gloved hands before once again meeting Rapunzel's gaze. "I know that I don't deserve it, but I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

Varian then does something I never would have expected: He bows to the princess. Not clumsily like the first time they met, he bowed regally as though she was a queen. "I'm so sorry."

Rapunzel's eyes fill with tears as she looks at Varian, then me, and then at Varian again. "Varian..."

The boy quickly stands up and looks at her.

"Thank you for keeping my sister safe." She gently smiles at him. "Thank you so much."

Varian nods. "O-of course...your highness."

"Call me 'Rapunzel.'"

Chapter Text

As Varian leads Rapunzel and me through the palace, I can feel my heart beating through my chest. The worry inside of me was growing stronger by the second. After all, I haven't been home since...the incident. What if we got caught?

Maybe we should've waited for the rest of the rebellion instead of rushing into things...

The dark halls of the castle are empty. Even when it was late at night, these hallways were always bustling with guards and servants. Now there was no one. I shiver at the sight.

I try to avoid thinking about what happened to them and keep my chin up.

The three of us slowly make our way through the servants' quarters, the only sound to be heard was the soft tapping of our shoes against the floor. The dimly lit candles that lined the halls cast our shadows onto the walls, creating an eerie sight.

I gasp as I hear a door open and stop walking. My eyes dart over to Varian, and he returns my worried gaze. My heartbeat quickens as I realize that Rapunzel was nowhere to be found. Where is she? Why isn't she here?! What if she was caught?! My thoughts race around my head.

Suddenly, I hear the soft sound of crying coming from one of the rooms. As I walk closer to the noise, my heart falls. The crying was coming from Cassandra's bedroom. I slowly peek my head into the room, only to find Rapunzel sitting on the edge of Cass's bed, holding her blue handmaiden gown in her lap. Tears are flowing down my sister's cheeks as she longingly gazes at the article of clothing.

I meekly enter the room and sit down beside Rapunzel. She doesn't look at me as I place my hand on her shoulder. "Raps? What's going on? Please tell me."

Rapunzel finally meets my eyes. Her bottom lip quivers as she looks at me. "(Yn)...Cassandra...s-she isn't coming home."

I could practically hear my heart shatter. "W-What do you mean?" I didn't want to know the answer.

"Cass betrayed us...she s-stole the moonstone." More tears fall from her green eyes.

"She what?" I feel tears prick the corners of my eyes, as I try to swallow the lump in my throat. "No...no, no, no. Not Cass. She wouldn't do something like that..." I choke out, trying to convince myself that what I was hearing wasn't true.

Rapunzel pulls me into a hug. Not one of her signature joyful hugs, but a hug that was expressing a shared pain. "I'm so sorry, (yn)."

The tears finally break free, and I begin to sob. I just got Varian back, and now I've lost Cassandra-The same Cassandra who would smuggle me second helpings of dessert, secretly stitch up my gowns after I tore holes into them, so my father didn't find out, trained me to fight, and listened to my deepest secrets. She was gone. I was betrayed...again.

If my own father could lie to me...if my best friend could try to take over my kingdom...and if the woman I saw as a sister could betray me...who can I even trust anymore?

Varian suddenly runs into the room. "You guys have to get out of here! They're coming!" He frantically exclaims, breaking Rapunzel's and my sisterly moment.

Rapunzel looks at Varian with worried eyes as we stand up.

Before we can do anything, the sound of heavy footsteps fills the room. "Well, well, well..."

We turn around and gasp when we see the Saporians standing there, blocking the doorway and our only way to escape. Clementine smirks. "It looks like our little alchemist found a couple of revolutionaries."

:-:-:-:-:

Rapunzel scowls as she grips the metal bars of the cell we were thrown into. "How could you do this?!"

"I want you to know that I wish it didn't have to come to this," Varian says, tapping the bars of the cell with his knuckles. I knew that this was all a part of Varian's act, so he didn't blow his cover, but it still hurt a little bit to see him like this.

"What? Erasing everyone's memories?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

Rapunzel looks at Varian with pleading eyes. "None of these people did anything to you!"

"It's not what they did to me...it's what I did to them..." Varian turns away. "And there...there is no way they will ever forgive me."

My heart breaks for the alchemist. Even if his pretending to want to erase everyone's memories was all an act, I knew he believed those words were the truth.

"How do you know if you don't give them a chance?" my sister asks.

Varian is silent for a moment before listing the reasons. "I kidnapped their princess, I almost killed their queen, I threatened their future queen, I put them in danger at (yn)'s birthday ball, I helped these guys take over their kingdom...you think anyone's gonna give me a second chance?" Varian's voice breaks. "I-I don't think so." He says, walking back over to our cell. "Making them forget is the only way to fix what I've done."

Varian looks at me with hollow eyes. I'm sorry. he mouths.

Andrew suddenly breaks the silence as he places his hands on Varian's shoulders. "Yeah...there's been a slight change of plans buddy." He sneers, leading Varian away from our cell. "Now that she's back, we don't have time to wait for you to get your memory formula right."

"We are still using the formula you curated;" Clementine pipes up. "Qurinian explodes! It will turn Corona to ashes."

"wha-no, NO! We agreed nobody would be harmed!!" Varian exclaims, pointing an angry finger at Andrew.

Andrew rolls his eyes. "Relax, Varian...you don't wanna end up on the wrong side of history." He grins as he nudges Varian with his elbow. "You understand, don't you?"

I grab onto the cell bars, feeling the anger and rage bubble up inside of me. "The only one who's going to end up on the wrong side of history is you and your goons! You're never going to get away with this!"

Andrew laughs as he approaches me. "Well...if it isn't our little runaway princess. I've been wondering how you got away." He glares at me. "Why don't you shut up that pretty little mouth of yours before it gets you in even more trouble." Andrew pulls a dagger off of his belt and holds it up to the cell bars "...Unless you wanna be the first casualty of Corona's destruction."

"Don't you even think about it!" Varian warns, reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his alchemy spheres. He holds it out and slowly walks towards the Saporians, forcing them to back up towards a cell.

"Are you betraying us boy?" Clementine grins, looking amused by the whole situation.

"I'm getting on the right side of history." Varian looks over his shoulder at me and winks.

"TAKE HIM OUT!"

Varian quickly throws the sphere at them, and it explodes in a puff of blue smoke. As dozens of bubbles float up from the smoke, Varian nervously chuckles. "Ooooohhhhh...sorry guys...that was a... yeah that was a bath bomb..."

The Saporians quickly grab Varian and shove him into the cell with Raps and me.

Andrew scowls. "He's made his choice. Let's move. We launch the airship in twenty." He announces, leading the Saporians out of the dungeon.

Varian sighs as he sits down next to me. "I can't believe it. I finally get my chance to stand up to them and prove that you guys can trust me, and I screwed it all up...just like I always do."

"You don't always screw things up, Var." I place a comforting hand on Varian's shoulder. "Look at what you've done so far. You just stood up to Andrew! That was amazing!"

A hint of a smile appears on Varian's face. "Y-You think so?"

I nod. "Just because you messed up, it doesn't make you a failure. Our mistakes make us human."

Rapunzel hugs her knees close to her chest. "She's right, Varian. What you did back there was really brave and selfless. I don't know what happened while I was gone, but you aren't the same Varian I fought during the battle. You've more than proved yourself."

Varian softly smiles, and Rapunzel returns it. I beam at the sight.

"Okay, this is very sweet, but honestly I'm offended."

We all look at the cell door to see Eugene and Lance standing there with smug grins on their faces.

Eugene smirks as he unlocks the cell. "I can't believe you were going to break into something, and you didn't even ask me. It's kinda my thing."

Rapunzel runs into her boyfriend's arms as the door swings open. "Thank goodness your here!" She happily exclaims.

Varian and I stand up to leave the cell. As we walk past Lance, he quickly blocks Varian's path. "And where do you think you're going, little man?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Varian looks up at Lance with a hurt expression.

"Guys," Rapunzel speaks up. "We're going to have to trust him."

Eugene scowls as he enters the cell to free Pascal. "After everything hair-stripe here has done, you're going to trust him?"

Varian winces at Eugene's words. After looking up to "Flynn Rider" all those years, hearing such harsh words from his hero must've felt like a dagger in his chest

"Yes. He's the one who made the formula that the Saporians are about to drop in Corona." Rapunzel places her hands on Varian's shoulders and smiles at him. "We need him."

Lance lets out an exasperated sigh and I glare at him. "He's coming with us."

Varian smiles at me and I wink at him. "Do you have it?" He asks with a cheeky grin.

I pull a small vial of liquid out of my pocket and hold it up with a smirk. "You bet."

Eugene looks from Varian to me. "What is that?"

"It's the neutralizing compound for the Qurinian." Varian explains. "I gave (Yn) the recipe so she could create it when the time was right."

I grin. "It's what's going to take back our kingdom."

Chapter Text

"So what's the plan, again?" Lance asks.

I don't make eye contact with him as I peek over the stack of barrels we were hiding behind, watching as the Saporians load their hot air balloon ship with the Qurinian Varian created. "Varian, Rapunzel, and I are going to sneak onto that ship, and we're going to neutralize the Qurinian using the compound Varian created."

"There's enough Qurinian on that ship to destroy Corona ten times over." Varian nervously says.

"Oh no..." Rapunzel gasps.

I follow her worried gaze to Andrew loading our blissfully ignorant parents into a carriage. Once they are inside, Andrew locks them up and turns to the muscular Saporian whose arms are covered by tattoos. "Take them to the outskirts of Corona to watch their kingdom fall." He smirks, tossing him the key. Andrew then hops onto a stack of barrels that are being lifted onto the ship by a crane. "Once it's done, get rid of them."

The Saporian nods and snaps the reins on the horse pulling the carriage. "Now fly, mighty steed!"

As the carriage takes off, Rapunzel's head snaps over to Eugene. "Eugene, I need you guys to free my parents.

Eugene exchanges a look with Lance and they both smirk. "You heard her boys, let's go."

Lance, Eugene, and Max begin running after the carriage, right as Andrew cuts the tether holding the ship to the ground and sets it free. "For Saporia!!" He cries.

"We've got to get on that ship!" Rapunzel exclaims.

I grin at her. "Leave it to me, sis," I say, grabbing my wooden bow and an arrow from the quiver on my back. I quickly snatch a nearby rope and wrap it around the arrow. Without hesitation, I shoot the arrow into the night sky, and it pernitrates the wooden base of the ship. "Everyone grab ahold of the rope!" I command.

Varian and Rapunzel follow my order, and within seconds we were being pulled into the air with the ship. We slowly begin climbing up the rope, when suddenly, the first barrel of Qurinian goes flying over the side of the ship. Rapunzel swiftly lassos it with her hair, stopping it from falling onto the kingdom below. Varian and I let out a collective sigh of relief and we continue climbing. The three of us hoisted ourselves onto the ship and then pulled the barrel up with us. We smirked at one another when we saw the Saporians staring over the side of the ship with dumbfounded expressions, wondering why the Qurinian hadn't set off an explosion yet.

"You dropped something?" Rupunzel asked with a cocky grin.

The Saporians snapped around and sent us death glares. "You..." Andrew said with a scowl.

They slowly began approaching us, closing us in as they did so. "Varian, grab the neutralizing particle from (yn) and neutralize the Coronion-"

I sigh as Rapunzel mispronounced the name of the Qurinian, knowing all too well how Varian would react. Here we go...

"Qurinian, Rapunzel." Varian corrects. "Say it with me. Qur-in-"

Varian is cut off as one of the Saprorians throws a punch at him, which he quickly dodges. As Varian dashes away, I block the Saporian so he couldn't go after him. He chuckles at me as I get into a fighting stance. "Back down while you have the chance, princess." He sneers.

I only roll my eyes. "When will you men ever learn?" I scoff as the Saporian charges at me, only for me to block his punch and swiftly kick my leg right into his stomach, knocking the air out of him. "That's for taking over my kingdom!" As he falls backward, I grab ahold of his long gray beard, and slam my fist into his face, knocking him out cold. "And that's for trying to hurt my friend."

As Rapunzel and I continue to fight off the Saporians, Andrew comes out of nowhere, his sword high in the air as he leaped toward us. "This is the last time you-"

Suddenly, a green alchemy orb flies through the air and hits the blade of Andrew's sword, completely disintegrating it. Varian strolls over to us, spinning one of the orbs on the tip of his finger. "Not bad for an alchemist, eh?" He smugly says.

"Yeah, Varian!!" I cheer.

Seconds later, Varian cockily begins dribbling the alchemy orbs against the wooden surface of the ship. As he chuckles, one of the orbs ricochets back into the air and smacks into Varian's jaw, causing him to stumble back. In any other circumstance, I would've laughed at how Varian's attempt at showing off completely failed. Varian loses control of his alchemy spheres and they go flying everywhere. "Oh, my fault!!" He quickly exclaims, dashing after the balls as they rolled around the ship. One blue orb pops near Rapunzel, encasing her bare foot in a bubble. Varian winces as her foot begins rising into the sky. "That's on me!!"

One of the orbs hits me in the face and explodes on impact, and a bright flash of purple follows. I cough out a puff of purple smoke, and one of the Saporians begins laughing at me. Varian's eyes widen when he notices me. "Oh boy..."

I nervously look at him. "What? What is it?!" I glance at my reflection in one of the bubbles floating by, and a loud groan escapes my lips. "Oh, come on!! Purple?? Really?"

I shoot Varian a glare and he worriedly chuckles. "D-Don't worry! You look g-great with purple hair!" He forces out.

I sigh as I stare at my bright, purple hair. "I don't have time for this..."

Suddenly, Andrew grabs the collar of Varian's coat. "I should've done this a long time ago." He drags him to the side of the ship and holds him over the edge, thousands of feet over Corona.

Varian nervously grips Andrew's forearm, staring at him with frantic eyes. "No! Ah!!" He cries.

"Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives," Andrew says with a menacing look.

My eyes widen with fear as I stare at the two of them. Varian's life was literally at the hands of Andrew. Without warning, my fear of losing Varian morphs into rage toward Andrew. I did not just spend all of these months trying to get my best friend back only for him to be taken away from me again. My jaw clenches and I ball my hands into fists, feeling my knuckles go white. I began running over to them, and the closer I get to Varian the more power I feel within me.

Suddenly, I feel an odd flickering sensation within me, as though a match was struck inside my heart. A golden glow illuminates my hair, and I realize that my hair was back to its usual (hc) color. Varian's jaw drops when he sees me. That's when I notice it.

The golden streak in my hair was glowing.

Just like in my dream.

I gasp upon the realization that the blue streak in Varian's hair was now glowing as well. We stare at each other for a few moments, completely forgetting about the situation we're in. We're snapped out of our daze as Andrew's grip on Varian begins to falter, slowly letting him go. Varian shoots me a terrified look, and I feel my heartbeat quicken in fear for him. With a newfound power from within, I dash toward Andrew. "LEAVE. HIM. ALONE!!!" I shout, using this new strength to kick Andrew to the ground, causing him to roll across the deck and pull Varian back onboard with him.

I quickly rush to Varian's aid and help him to his feet. He stares at me with wide eyes as he stares at my glowing hair streak blowing in the wind. "Angel...y-your hair..."

I stare back and examine his hair. His black locks were being ruffled by the wind, causing his glowing blue hair stripe to dace between them. "Y-you too..."

Varian quickly grabs his glowing hair and looks at it with shocked eyes. "What in the name of alchemy...?"

Suddenly, just as quickly as it appeared, the glow in my hair fades and took my newfound strength with it. I collapse to the ground from exhaustion, and Varian is kneeling beside me for seconds, frantically watching me. "(Yn)? Oh my goodness, (yn)..." He grabs ahold of my shoulders and shakes them a little bit, worry filling his eyes as I fade in and out of consciousness.

"(Yn)!?"

"(YN)!!"

:-:-:-:-:

As my eyelids flutter open, I groggily take in my surroundings. I'm sitting in my bed in my bedroom, wearing an (fc) lace nightgown.

Why was I back home? Oh no...the Saporians...what happened?

Then I see him. Varian sitting at my bedside, his head resting on my bed, fast asleep. I let out a sigh of relief when I see that he is safe. I slowly extend my hand out and tap him on the shoulder. "Varian?" I gently say. "Var?"

Varian jolts awake. "I'm up!! I'm up!!" He makes eye contact with me and smiles. "Oh, hey, (Yn)." His blue eyes widen in realization. "Wait. (Yn)?! You're awake!" Varian beams like a little kid and tackles me into a hug. "Thank Demanitus your safe..." He says, tightly hugging me.

I smile as Varian burrows his head into the crook of my neck. My arms wrap around him, and I rub small circles on his back. "I'm okay, Var. Really." I chuckle a bit.

Suddenly, my bedroom door opens and Rapunzel, Eugene, Max, and Lance enter the room. "What's with all the noise in here?" Lance asks.

"(Yn)'s awake!" Varian announces, standing up.

Rapunzel smiles brightly and rushes over to me, wrapping me in one of her signature bear hugs. "Oh my gosh! We were all so worried about you, (Yn)!" She exclaims.

I feel my air circulation being cut off by her hug, and I gasp for air. "T-Thanks...I-I... can't b-..breathe!"

Rapunzel lets me go and sheepishly smiles. "Heh, sorry."

As I glance around the room and look at everyone, I spit out the question that's been lingering in my mind. "What happened after I passed out?"

"After you passed out I managed to take out the Saporians while Varian protected you. I was able to use my hair and lower you and Varian onto the roof of one of the buildings below the ship. From there, I got the ship high enough in the sky and used the neutralizing particle on the Qurinian to nullify it." Rapunzel explains.

"So Corona's safe?" I ask.

Eugene nods. "The kingdom is completely safe, kiddo." He ruffles my hair a bit. "So are your parents by the way. Lance and I were able to stop the carriage and free them."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Eugene." My eyes dart over to Varian. "How long was I out for?"

"Four days." The alchemist replies.

I sigh and hold my head in my hands. How could I have been asleep for that long?

"Varian hasn't left your side since." Rapunzel comments, placeing a hand on Varian's shoulder. "He didn't even want to leave when I offered to go to Old Corona with him to free Quirin."

Varian's freckled cheeks flush pink and he quickly turns his head away from us.

My eyes widen in surprise. Varian wouldn't leave my side even to free his dad? I look at Rapunzel for a moment. "Could you please give us a minute?"

She nods and shoos Eugene and Lance out of my bedroom. Once Varian and I are alone, I take one of his gloved hands in my own. "Is it true? Why wouldn't you go free your Dad with Rapunzel? After all this time?"

Varian hides his rosy cheeks in the collar of his black trench coat and doesn't make eye contact with me. "I...I couldn't l-leave you." He softly says. "Through it all, you never left my side. I wasn't about to leave you, even if it meant freeing my dad." Finally, his blue eyes make contact with my (ec) ones. "I care about you too much."

My cheeks turn bright red as I stare at the alchemist. "Var...thank you." I gently smile at him. "I missed you."

Varian softly grins. "I missed you too, Angel."

I notice that I was still holding his hand, and my face burns red. I begin to remove my hand from Varian's, not wanting to make this awkward, but he gently takes my hand back and intertwines our fingers. His pink cheeks are brighter than ever. "C-Can we just stay like this? P-Please?"

I smile at him, feeling overwhelmed by his cuteness. "I-I would love to."

We sit in silence for a few moments, comfortably taking in one another's company. Suddenly, Varian speaks up. "(Yn)?...what happened to you on that ship?"

Chapter Text

~•~

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮: 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓲𝓽 𝓐𝓵𝓵

~•~

"Thanks, Lance!!" Rapunzel's cheery voice happily calls, waving to Lance as we hop out of the carriage.

Lance smiles. "Anytime, princess." He nods. His eyes slowly make their way to Varian, and Lance offers the boy a reassuring grin. "Good luck, little man."

Varian returns the gesture with a weak smile. "T-Thanks." He softly replies.

Lance snaps the reins of the carriage he had used to take us to Old Corona and takes off down the dusty road that was plagued with black rocks.

As I look at my Varian, I can still see the guilt that haunted the alchemist. It breaks my heart.

Varian's blue eyes examine what is left of Old Corona, and his face becomes pale. Tears come to his eyes as he gazed at the infamous black rocks that had pierced through the rubble of what used to be cottages. The homes are empty; everyone has already fled from the town. He scans the barren wasteland.

This is the first time that he had been home since...the battle.

The black rocks are just as prevalent as before, and anything that dared to stand in their path was destroyed. What used to be the home of so many, including Varian, was destroyed. It was all gone. Even the trees and flowers that once decorated the small town had ceased to grow.

Varian notices the massive automaton that he had built, and after gazing at it for a long moment, he begins to weep. The automaton is now covered in rust and moss from the elements thanks to not being used for a couple of years; it still looks as ominous as ever. Varian eventually collapses to his knees as he stares at the monster he had created. Tears stream down his freckled cheeks. I know that these tears are all too common for the young alchemist. I can't help but feel myself breaking just from seeing how broken the boy is.

I offer my hand to Varian, and he slowly takes it. His eyes never stray from the automaton. "You're not that person anymore." I softly say.

Rapunzel approaches us and kneels beside Varian. "We all forgive you, Varian."

Varian's lips curl into a small smile. "Thank you, guys." He says as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

I never remove my hand from Varian's. "Let's go free your father."

Varian nods in agreement, and I help him to his feet. The three of us slowly approach Varian's old lab/home, and Varian hesitates as his free hand lingers on the doorknob. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. The young alchemist gently opens the door to his former home, taking a deep breath as he did so. He's shaking like a leaf as we walk inside; I can practically see the guilt and worry oozing from his pores. It didn't take a genius to tell how hard this visit is for him.

As we enter the room where Quirin was still sealed away in the amber, chills run down my spine. I hadn't been here in so long; all of it felt surreal. Rapunzel approaches the amber and begins wrapping her long hair around it. "Can you two go and get a pail of water from the well?" She gently asks, snapping us from our daze.

"Y-Yeah." Varian stutters, swiftly exiting the room.

I quickly follow after him, calling his name. Varian ignores me and keeps running toward the well. When he finally reaches it, he slumps down beside it and buries his head in his hands. "Varian!" I pant, finally catching up to him. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I-I...I can't do this, (yn)." Varian worriedly speaks, running his hand through his black hair. One of his fingers gets caught in his goggles, and he slowly removes them from his head. Varian's blue eyes examine the bronze goggles; still bearing the scratches and dents that had accumulated through their years of use. "My mother..." He pauses for a moment, as though he was trying to find the words.

I gently place my hand on his shoulder; Varian had never spoken to me of his mother before. The only knowledge I had of her was from Quirin. He told me that she passed away from illness when Varian was very young. Apparently, she died because a blizzard had come when she fell ill, and Quirin couldn't get to a doctor in time. "Var...you don't have to tell me anything. I know that you don't like to talk about...her..."

Varian shakes his head. "N-No...it's okay." He takes a deep breath. "When momma gave me these goggles, she told me: 'Varian, I know that you'll do amazing things. You'll make the world a better place, and improve the lives of so many people. Even though I won't be with you much longer...'" Varian stops to wipe the tears from his eyes. His voice breaks. "'I-I love you so much, and I'm....I'm so proud of you.'" Tears stream down Varian's cheeks. "She believed in me...and how do I prove myself to her? I destroy her home and screw up so bad that I get her husband trapped in amber. If she saw me now, she...she would be so disappointed. Even if we do free my father, that doesn't make up for all the pain I've caused. He's going to hate me. I'm not ready to face him."

Without saying anything, I wrap my arms around Varian and pull him into a tight embrace. As I tightly hug him, I attempt to send as much love to Varian through the action as I can. "Varian, he could never hate you. You're his son, and he loves you so so much. I don't think he or your mother could ever be disappointed in you. If anything, I think they'd be proud of you. Sure, you've made mistakes, but what matters is that you've tried to fix them. You've grown so much since the battle. Despite everything that's happened, you're still the same, kind, smart, and lovable Varian I met all those years ago, and I couldn't be prouder of you."

The boy hugs me back for a few moments longer before he slowly looks at me. I gently cup his face in my hands and wipe away his tears with my thumb. It breaks my heart to see him so upset. Varian gives me the faintest hint of a smile. "Thank you, Angel. Thank you so much."

A small rosy glow spreads across my cheeks. I rise to my feet and hold a hand out to him. Varian takes it, and I pull him up. "Are you ready?" I softly ask.

Varian lowers the pail into the well. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

:-:-:-:-:

Varian tightly grasps my hand as we watch Rapunzel wrap the last of her hair around the amber that encased Quirin. I glance over to the boy and stare at his worried blue eyes. He notices me staring, and we both quickly look away, feeling our cheeks becoming warm.

"What if it doesn't work?" Varian softly asks, looking down at his black boots.

I take a deep breath. "Then we'll stand by your side until we find a way to free him. You aren't alone."

Varian gives me a grateful smile and I instantly know how much my words mean to him.

Rapunzel begins to walk towards us, holding the pail of water between her hands. "Once I start this incantation, I won't be able to stop it." She begins. "And it could seriously harm you, (yn), and your father, so I'm trusting you to snap me out of it once your father is free." She nervously explains, placing her hands on Varian's shoulders after placing the pail in his hands.

The boy stares at the water a moment, before meeting my sister's gaze. "You can trust me, Rapunzel." He grins at her.

"Be careful, sis," I speak.

Rapunzel nods and takes a couple of steps away from us, her bare feet tapping against the stone floor. Her hands pick up a chunk of her golden hair, and she clutches it tightly. "Wither and decay. End this destiny." She begins chanting. I gasp when I notice her hair quickly turning a deep shade of black as she recites the incantation. "Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free." Her arms go limp and she drops her hair. Her eyes open, revealing her scleras, irises, and pupils to be pitch black.

Varian watches the amber intently waiting for something to happen when his jaw suddenly drops. The amber was melting. "It's working..." He mutters, completely overcome with shock.

Varian and I look at each other in pure disbelief. "It's working!!" We exclaim in unison.

Rapunzel's chanting begins to morph into an eerie singing. It isn't like the sweet upbeat songs that usually come from her lips, it sounds haunted...almost like she's possessed by some great evil.

"Whiter and decay...

End this destiny...

Break these earthly chains...

And set the spirit free...

The spirit free..."

Varian begins rushing over to his father but stops in his tracks when he remembers Rapunzel. He tosses the pail of water onto my sister, but it simply evaporates once it hits her. Varian and dart over to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel! Wake up!!" I plead, desperateness flooding my voice.

"Wake up!" Varian cries, grabbing onto her shoulders. He quickly recoils his arms when he hears a sizzling noise coming from his gloves. Suddenly, his black gloves disintegrate from his hands. "Rapunzel! Snap out of it!" He begs.

"Varian!!" I exclaim, taking his hands in my own out of worry for the boy. "Are you okay?!"

He nods. "I'm fine, but we need to wake up Rapunzel! If she doesn't snap out of it soon, who knows what will happen!?" His eyes fill with worry and his face darkens. "I don't want you to get hurt, (yn)."

A blush begins to creep across my cheeks and I quickly shake my head. Not the time, (Yn)! I mentally scold myself. I turn my attention back to my sister. "Rapunzel? Rapunzel!"

Varian's hand reaches for her as though he wanted to offer he a comforting hand, but he keeps his hand just far enough away so that he can't get hurt. It was like an invisible force kept them separated. "You didn't give up on me...I'm not giving up on you." He speaks.

Suddenly, Rapunzel gasps and her hair and eyes turn back to normal. Rapunzel collapses to her knees and takes a couple of slow breaths. She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stares at Varian and me with her emerald green irises. Varian and I tackle her into a hug once we see that she is alright, and we all beam from ear to ear.

"Thank you..." Varian genuinely says before he runs faster than the wind to meet his father once again. "Dad! Dad! You're alive!!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around his father. I hear him sniffle for a moment, soaking up every second of his reunion with his father.

Quirin smiles down at Varian, his wrinkles curving upward. "Oh, son..."

Varian suddenly notices the note Quirin had addressed to him, being dissolved by the now liquid amber. "Dad, the note! Well, wha-what did it say!? I need to know!"

Quirin cups Varian's cheek in his large hand. "All it said was: 'I'm so proud of you, Varian. I always have been.'"

Varian beams and embraces his father again. "I love you, Dad." He mumbles into Quirin's fur vest.

"I love you too, son."

Rapunzel and I smile and the sight, and I wrap my arm around her. "Thank you, Raps."

"You're welcome."

As I watch Varian achieve what he had spent his whole life working for, I feel nothing but joy for him.

Chapter Text

I wish I could say that things magically got better after Quirin was saved, but that's just wishful thinking. Just because Quirin was free from the amber, it by no means solved all of my problems. For one, the entire throne room is practically in shambles due to the battle Rapunzel and her crew had against the Saporians. My parents also still have their memories wiped, no thanks to Clementine and the Wand of Oblivium, so now Rapunzel is running the kingdom in their place since they can hardly remember how to rule. Also, Cassandra is doing who knows what with one of the most powerful artifacts on the planet, not to even mention the fact that I have absolutely no idea what caused Varian and my hair streaks to glow when we were fighting the Saporians.

On top of all that, I don't get to see Varian nearly as much as I would like to. Since Quirin was free now, Varian got to live with his dad in Old Corona again. Of course, I'm overjoyed that Varian's life gets to return to some form of normalcy, but it's displeasing to not get to see him as often. I miss him a lot.

That's why I've been so excited for today. After the Battle basically destroyed Old Corona, all of the citizens fled to the city to find shelter. Without Quirin to guide and protect them, they saw no other choice but to leave. Of course, the people were welcome in the city, but the island wasn't prepared for a surge of homeless Coronians, and the number of people was beginning to cause issues. Once Quirin was freed, he wanted to try and rebuild the town so the people could return to their homes.

So today, Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, dozens of Coronians, and I are headed to Old Corona to try and help reconstruct it. After all, we knew that if we all pitched in, we could have the town rebuilt in no time.

As we stroll into the town, a bright smile spreads across Rapunzel's features when she sees the progress that has already been made, and all of the people who came to help. "I love seeing the people of Corona coming together like this!" Rapunzel happily exclaims, twirling in a circle while she walks.

"Old...er...New Corona looks amazing already!! Wait is it still called 'Old Corona?' Or is it called 'New Corona?' Oooh! Maybe 'New Old Corona?!'" Lance suggests, listening as the words roll off his tongue. "It seems kinda strange for a town that's brand new, don't you think?"

I notice Quirin standing in the center of the town, directing people as they worked. The four of us walk over to him, and he smiles when he sees us. "Let me tell you, this place is looking better already!" Eugene compliments.

Quirin nods his head gratefully. "Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. None of this would be possible without the good people of Corona." He turns to my sister. "Thank you for rallying the people together for this, your highness."

Rapunzel grins. "Oh, it was my pleasure. Anything to help a friend."

"Speaking of friends," I pipe up. "Quirin, do you know where Varian is?"

He smiles at me. "He's at the edge of town bringing supplies from our shipments to the workers. Maybe you could give him a hand?"

"I would love to!" I happily say. "Thank you, Quirin!"

"Of course, princess."

I dash off to find Varian, eager to see him again. As I weave around people, I keep my eyes peeled for the freckled alchemist. Suddenly, my eyes catch sight of him, loading paint buckets into a wheelbarrow along with Ruddiger. I dart over to him as quickly as my legs can carry me. "Varian!!" I call.

Varian glances up from his work when he hears my voice, and his blue eyes begin searching for me. His lips curl into a big buck-toothed smile when he sees me. "(Yn)!!" He exclaims, running over to meet me. He quickly pulls me into a loving embrace, and I happily hug him back. "I've missed you, Angel." Varian softly says.

"I've missed you too!" I reply. "I wish you were closer to the castle so I could see you more often." I sigh.

"It's weird to not be in the castle anymore. I honestly kinda prefer being there than here." He says the second part a bit softer.

I pull out of our hug and stare at him. "What? Aren't you happy to be here with your Dad?"

"Of course I am!" Varian quickly speaks. "I'm glad to be home...I just don't think that anyone else is." He sheepishly scratches the back of his neck.

"Oh..." I frown. "They still aren't over the whole battle thing, are they?"

Varian shakes his head. "I also just miss you a lot. I like having you around...you make me feel like I'm more than my mistakes."

I gaze at Varian with a sympathetic look. Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, Quirin, and I all know that Varian has a good heart, but I suppose I can't say the same for the rest of the kingdom. I can't seem to find the right words for him; my mind can't come up with any ideas to fix this problem. I suck in a breath. "Well, I'm here now." I offer with a faint smile. "How about we ignore all the people who are still stuck in the past and just enjoy ourselves? Let's not let their resentment ruin our time together."

Varian smiles at me and nods. "I-I'd like that."

I beam at him, and I suddenly realize something was different about Varian. Instead of his usual teal shirt and dark brown apron, he is now clothed in a long-sleeved crème colored shirt and a burgundy vest with gold buttons. A leather belt, boots, and gloves adorned his body, and his signature goggles rested on his head. I blush a bit. I feel taken aback by his new look, and I can't help but find Varian handsome. I quickly try to suppress the feelings. "Wow, Var. You look great! I love the new outfit."

Varian's lips form into a dorky grin and he chuckles. "Heh...thanks. My dad gave it to me." He then notices my new outfit, and his freckled cheeks turn bright red. "Y-You too."

Rapunzel gifted me with an outfit she bought for me while she was on her journey, and I love it. I am now wearing an off-shoulder (fc) blouse with long flowing sleeves, topped with a leather under-bust corset that gently hugs my figure. The corset is being held up with two buckled leather straps that loop over my bare shoulders. I wear a matching pair of high boots decorated with buckles, along with a (feel free to choose a skirt or a pair of pants :)). To top it all off, I had my necklace with the key from my compass around my neck, my quiver of arrows and my wooden bow, and Varian's red bandanna pulling my hair into a ponytail.

"Sweet mother of Demanitus..." Varian mutters under his breath, staring at me in awe. "Y-You look amazing." His cheeks grow redder by the second, and my cheeks quickly become pink as well.

"Thanks..." I softly say, trying to hide my blush. I quickly change the subject. "So what can I do to help?"

:-:-:-:-:

Varian and I had only been working for about a half hour before Rapunzel runs up to us as though she was being chased by a wild animal. "(Yn), we have to go."

"What? Why?" I frown. I wasn't ready to leave yet! I hardly got to spend any time with Varian.

Rapunzel's eyes fill with worry. "There's a werewolf on the loose."

Varian looks at my sister like she is absurd and saves his hand, dismissing her claim. "Psssh, werewolves aren't real, Rapunzel. As a man of science, I can say with 100% certainty that it's impossible."

I cross my arms over my chest. "That's what you said about ghosts, too." I look at my sister. "How do you know there's a werewolf?"

"It's been terrorizing local farmers, we found giant paw prints that are way too big to be from any other creature, and even a beast hunter has showed up claiming that there's a werewolf on the loose." Rapunzel lists off on her fingers. "We need to get back to the castle to come up with a strategy to trap it."

I sigh, feeling annoyed that a werewolf decided to show up right when I finally get to spend some time with Varian, but reluctantly agree nonetheless.

"What's this I hear about a werewolf?" Quirin asks, approaching us.

"We think there's a werewolf on the outskirts of town," Rapunzel replies. "But don't worry, I'm going to take (Yn), Eugene, and Lance back to the castle so we can come up with a plan of some kind to trap it as soon as possible." She quickly assures him. "Would you like to come along? I'm sure we could use your help."

Quirin shakes his head. "If what you're saying is true, I want to be here for my people. If you don't mind, however, would you please take Varian back to the castle with you? I'd like to keep him as far away from this threat as possible."

Rapunzel smiles. "Of course. He'll be safe with us."

Chapter Text

As we watch Captain Creighton the beast hunter sloppily eat the food the castle staff had provided, we all wince in pure disgust. Creighton may be a short and stout woman, but she eats like there's no tomorrow. While she loudly chews with her mouth open, Varian mutters: "I think this is the grossest thing I've ever seen in my entire life."

Creighton opens her mouth wide and guzzles down gravy from the gravy boat as Lance speaks up. "Should we be impressed or disgusted?" When Creighton lets out a huge belch he nods. "Disgusted it is."

"Good call," I say in agreement.

"So, uh, Captain," Rapunzel begins, obviously trying to stop herself from gagging, "Why are you tracking a werewolf in Corona?"

She scoffs in reply. "Uh, because it's been terrorizing your sheep? Now, who do I gotta slug to get a glass of water around here, huh?"

Varian puts his hands on his hips. "How do you know it's a werewolf? What proof do you have?"

Creighton reaches behind her and grabs a thick baby blue book that must've been decades old and slams it onto the dining table. "It's all right here in this book." She taps the cover with her index finger. "What we are dealing with here is Maledicta Lupus, the wolf's curse. But, for you laymen, a werewolf."

Everyone audibly gasps except for Varian, who only rolls his eyes.

"The wolf's curse travels the globe in search of host bodies. It feeds on untapped rage, so its ideal host is someone who harbors deep-seated anger." She speaks as though she were telling a scary story around a campfire. "It inhabits his body and causes him to turn into a raging werewolf every full moon for the rest of his life!!" Creighton slams the book shut. "And here's where it gets interesting...the wolf has found a new home here in Corona."

"W-Who is it?" Lance nervously asks, hiding behind the table.

"'W-Who is it?'" Creighton mocks. "If I knew that you think I'd be wasting my time with you milksops? The wolf can be anybody!" She exclaims, slamming her fist on the cover of the book. "But the good news is, I'm not just tracking this thing..." She grabs her crossbow and holds it menacingly. "I'm not leaving Corona until I've destroyed it."

A small gasp escapes my lips. Destroy? I ask myself. "You can't do that!" I quickly speak up. "If you did that you'd be killing one of our subjects!"

Creighton scoffs. "And? Look kid, I don't really care. I'm just doing my job."

"Hey! Don't talk to her that way!" Varian quickly says, jumping to my defense.

Beside me, Rapunzel's brows furrow together. She takes a small breath and struts over to Creighton with a smug grin on her face. She smacks Creighton's feet off of the table and sends a cold glare her way. "Let me be clear, Captain. You will not speak to my sister like that, and you will not be destroying anything in my kingdom."

Creighton chuckles a bit. "Oh, I'm not so sure you can stop me."

Eugene notices the look on Rapunzel's face. "Oh, boy... " He mutters. "This is not going to end well.

Rapunzel grabs Creighton by the collar of her shirt and drags her out of the dining room and out of the castle. As she slams the front door, she turns around to face us.

"You don't actually think there's a werewolf on the loose, do you?" Varian skeptically asks.

"You heard the captain!!" Lance quickly says. "Of course, there's a rabid werewolf on the loose!"

Rapunzel sighs and approaches Varian. "Varian, I've seen a lot of crazy things since I left my tower. In a world where ghosts, healing flowers, mermaids, tiny leaf people, and magic moonstones exist, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to believe that werewolves are real, too. As crazy as it sounds, I'm just going to need you to trust me on this one."

Varian nods, a teeny smile on his face. "Okay, Rapunzel."

I feel a bit of relief from the interaction between Rapunzel and Varian. It made me glad to see them working through their differences together. I could finally see the two of them moving on from the past.

Rapunzel smiles. "Great." She turns to the rest of us. "Alright gang, there's a werewolf somewhere in Corona, and it's up to us to find it." She declares.

Lance steps forward. "Uh, excuse me, uh, Princess, ha, just a question here. Uh, was throwing the werewolf hunter out of the castle the best idea?"

"But you heard her!" Rapunzel cries. "She wants to destroy the monster. Well, that monster, is one of my subjects."

"So, we have to find it before she can," Eugene concludes.

I walk over to Eugene. "How are we supposed to do that? There are hundreds of people in this kingdom!" I say, my voice laced with nerves.

"We don't have much time before the full moon tomorrow night..." Varian worriedly points out.

"We'll have to do this quietly, then," Rapunzel says. "We do not want a panic on our hands." She begins to make her way over to the door, but as she opens it, the angry sound of protesting leaks through the door. Varian and I quickly pull her back inside and slam the door shut. "Okay, we're gonna need a new plan."

:-:-:-:-:

As dusk fell upon the kingdom the unrest of the citizens only grew. The orange and golden glow of the sunset only seems to illuminate everyone's fears. We are all on edge.

After we had eaten dinner everyone dispersed throughout the castle to go about their various tasks. I find myself walking on a familiar route, one that I took several times back when I wasn't allowed to leave the palace. As I make my way to the library, golden rays of the fading day pierced through the windows that lined the halls, desperate to make themselves known to the kingdom of sunlight. The sunset brings me a small sense of calm, but not enough to make me forget about the wolf on the loose.

I finally reach the library, slowly open one of the gigantic wooden doors, and step inside. I'm surprised to see that I'm not the only one who was seeking refuge in the room of books. I smile as my (ec) eyes land on Varian, and I walk over to him. "I'm not surprised to see you here." I chuckle.

Varian grins when he sees me. "Hey, (Yn). I was searching for more information on werewolves. What brings you here?" He asks.

I shrug. "Same as you...well, sort of."

Varian raises one of his eyebrows; his curiosity growing within him.

"I mostly just come in here to clear my head. I guess that I spent so much of my childhood in here that it eventually just became a place of comfort to me." I explain.

"So would you happen to know where a book on werewolves would be then?" Varian asks. A look of discomfort washes over his face. "I can not believe I just said that."

I giggle at Varian's dorkyness. I can't help but think about how cute he is.

I walk over to one of the many bookshelves and begin running my fingers along the spines of the books. I keep my eyes peeled for what I am looking for until I find a book on werewolves titled: Dr. P's Guide to Werewolves. I pull it from the shelf and make my way over to one of the many couches in the room. I plop down on the soft piece of furniture and pat the spot beside me so Varian can join me.

Varian sits on the couch but I quickly notice that he's keeping a comfortable distance away from me. A frown grows on my lips as I stare at him. "What's wrong, Var? Do you think I'm the wolf or something?" I tease, trying to turn my hurt feelings into a joke.

"N-No!" Varian quickly answers, scooting close to me as though to prove his point. I suddenly notice that the closer he comes to me the pinker his cheeks get. My cheeks mirror his blush.

I ignore it and move the book between the two of us. Varian takes one cover of the book and I take the other one.

I suddenly notice Dandelion and Ruddiger scurrying over to us and curling up on the couch next to us. Varian and I smile as we see our little buddies. "Hey, guys!" I say while scratching Dandelion behind the ears. "Are you here to help us out?"

Dandelion and Ruddiger nod and Varian and I chuckle

As we open the book and begin reading together, minutes quickly fade into hours.

A yawn eventually escapes Varian's lips, and his head falls onto my shoulder. A massive blush forms on my cheeks as Varian begins to doze off. I gently rest my head on top of Varian's and feel a growing comfort from his touch. After years of knowing him, this situation can't help but just feel...right. I smile to myself and close the cover of our book and set it on the side table. I watch as Varian peacefully sleeps, and although he looks much older now, I can still see the sweet little boy who I met for the first time in this very library all those years ago.

Since then, my love for him has only grown.

Chapter Text

While Rapunzel, Lance, and Eugene searched the kingdom for anyone who had "untapped rage," Varian and I searched every book on werewolves and mystical beasts we could find in the castle library. We even had to move to the village library since none of the books in the castle were giving us the answers we were looking for. It felt like we were fighting a losing battle until Angry and Red found and brought us the book about werewolves that Creighton brought with her to the castle. Apparently, she left it behind when Rapunzel kicked her out of the palace yesterday.

As Varian and I flip through the pages of the thick blue book, something catches my eye. "Varian, look," I say, pointing a finger at one of the pages. "It's a ritual to cure the wolf's curse!"

Varian beams as he skims the page. "Angel, this is perfect!! Once we find the werewolf, we'll be able to turn them back before the Captain can destroy them!"

I quickly mark the page before slamming the cover shut. "We need to go tell Rapunzel!"

"Let's go!!" Varian's gloved hand grabs my own, and he swiftly pulls me out the door of the library. I blush as he does so, but smile regardless; I love the way my hand fits into his.

As the two of us dash down the street in search of Rapunzel, Varian doesn't watch where he's going and crashes right into a man crossing the street. The three of us go crashing to the ground with an ugly-sounding 'thud.'

I groan and slowly try to pull myself to my feet, only to realize that I'm directly on top of Varian, our noses inches apart. I blush for the second time in two minutes as we stare into each other's eyes. I'm on my feet again within a second, and I offer a hand to Varian. Once I pull him up, Varian turns to the man he knocked over. "I'm so sorry, sir-" he begins only to be cut off.

"Watch where you're going, will ya?" He snaps while standing up. He stares at Varian with cold eyes. "Wait for a second, you're that kid who tried to take over the kingdom, aren't ya?"

Varian nervously scratches the back of his neck and doesn't make eye contact with the man. "I...uh..."

"Get outta here!! I don't know what the princess was thinking when she let ya go, but I don't want to be anywhere near a villain like you!" He sharply says. "You're a danger to us all!"

Varian winces, as though his words cut into him like daggers piercing through his skin.

I step in between the man and Varian and send him a glare. "How dare you talk to him like that!" I scold. "You don't even know him!"

The man scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I know him well enough to know of all the trouble he's caused."

"Then you'd also know how hard he's worked to try and fix his mistakes!" I growl. "Yes, he's caused trouble in the past, but haven't we all?" I roll my eyes. "But no, you think it's right to shame a teenage boy for acting out in a time of grief. You make me sick." With that, I grab Varian's hand and storm away, leaving the rude man to his own vices.

I feel myself fuming with anger as I stomp down the cobblestone road, pulling Varian behind me. Rage and sorrow swirl around my mind like the wind of a tornado until I hear Varian speak up. "He's right you know."

I stop dead in my tracks and whip my head around to face a dejected-looking Varian. I feel horrible; Varian was finally starting to forgive himself for what he's done, and then some jerk had to step in. "Var, don't say that..."

"It's true!!" He cries. "I've always been a danger! Even before the battle, my inventions were always causing trouble. Maybe you and your family forgive me, but they never will." He gestures to the people going about their day in the village. "I can try and catch werewolves, stop Saporians, and free my father, but they'll never look past what I've done." Varian crosses his arms over his chest and looks away. His blue eyes suddenly land on an old wanted poster of his that read 'Wanted: Varian...for crimes against The Kingdom of Corona.'

I didn't even know that the captain of the guard had wanted posters made. He must've taken them all down once Varian was captured after the Battle of Old Corona. Alas, they missed one.

Varian pulls the poster down and stares at it for a long while. Although it had been weathered down by the elements, one can still make out Varian's dark eyes that were printed on the page. "This is all they see me as..." Varian whispers, not taking his eyes off the page as he looks intently at it. "...a monster."

I gaze at the poster and then at Varian and I take the poster from his hands. I then hold the wanted poster next to Varian's head and compare the Varian I see in the poster to the one standing in front of me. "This isn't you, Varian." I finally conclude.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Varian in this picture is the old Varian," I explain. "The Varian standing in front of me is the real Varian. The kind, funny, smart, compassionate, dramatic, nerdy, and amazing Varian I know and love."

"Thank you, Angel. It...it really means a lot to me." Varian's face lights up into a smile before his eyes widen in realization. "Wait...'nerdy?!'" He asks, sounding insulted.

I only chuckle to myself and grab his hand, continuing our search for Rapunzel.

:-:-:-:-:

"Thanks to (Yn) and Varian's help, all we have to do is find the wolf, bring them to a spot of mystical ground, and have them recite a ritual to end the wolf curse," Rapunzel tells Eugene and Lance while reading from the page Varian and I found.

"Now we just need to find the wolf," Varian states.

"I think I already know who it is," Rapunzel begins. "Uncle Monty."

Eugene, Lance, Varian, and I all stare at Rapunzel like she's crazy.

Eugene gazes at his girlfriend in disbelief. "Uncle Monty, the werewolf?! Come on, no way!!"

"Forgive me, princess, but that's-" Lance stifles a laugh. "I mean...that's just crazy talk!"

"Raps, Uncle Monty literally was a part of the rebellion. I doubt he'd make a deal with an ancient wolf spirit out of anger." I point out.

Rapunzel groans. "Come on! You've never once suspected Monty had a darker side?"

Everyone shakes their heads.

Rapunzel sighs and hangs her head in defeat. "Okay fine! But he has the mark!! We should at least investigate that."

"So what's your plan?" Varian asks.

:-:-:-:-:

"I hate this plan." Varian flatly says.

The two of us are hiding in a bush in Old Corona keeping watch for the werewolf at Rapunzel's request. So while Rapunzel, Lance, and Eugene are probably in the middle of an epic horse chase, Varian and I are being scratched and poked by branches and leaves.

"This is so pointless!" I groan, occasionally glancing around Old Corona. "If Rapunzel is so sure the Monty is the wolf, why is she having us keep watch for the werewolf in a bush?"

"Don't ask me." Varian sighs, peering through the binoculars we were given. "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's so she can keep us out of trouble."

Suddenly, the howl of a wolf echoes through the night. Varian and I instinctively creep deeper into the bushes we were hiding in, terrified of the monster that lurked in the darkness. "This is bad, this is bad, this is so so bad..." Varian whimpers.

I pat Varian on the back in an attempt to comfort him. "Don't worry, Var! I'm sure the werewolf won't find us where we're in hiding." I try to assure him.

Suddenly, my words are proved to be false as the werewolf reaches into our hiding spot with its two huge paws, and grabs ahold of me. Its red eyes stare deep into my soul, and I quiver at the sight. As it pulls me out of the bush, Varian's hand reaches for me and he looks up at me with terrified blue eyes. "(YN)!!!"

"HELP!!!" I grasp his hand with all my might, and Varian tries to pull me back down.

The werewolf growls in frustration and yanks me away from Varian with one hard pull. I kick and scream as I try to break out of its grip, but the werewolf only tosses me over its shoulder and begins running away toward the deep forest. "PUT ME DOWN!!!" I command, slamming my fists against the creature's furry back. My hand tries to grab my bow and arrows; my heart drops into the pit of my stomach when I realize that I left my bow in the bush with Varian.

The werewolf eventually slows its pace, stopping in a small clearing and tossing me to the ground. "W-What do you want from me?" I nervously ask. "All I want to do is help you end this curse." The foggy air nips at my cheeks as the forest seems to stand still. "Please, if you just listen we can get rid of the wolf. You won't have to turn into a werewolf ever again."

Suddenly, the werewolf's red eyes widen, and it lets out a bloodcurdling cry. Green saliva drips from its massive teeth as it stares at me. I begin to wonder if it was something I said to the werewolf that was making it get so defensive. If so, what was it? Maybe something about me offering to get rid of the old curse? But if the wolf was someone in Corona, why would they want to stay a werewolf? It makes no sense.

The werewolf leans down and sniffs me. My breathing stops as my body freezes. I feel its moist breath breathe onto me. My heart rate spikes in fear. As I prepare to say goodbye to the world, I hear a voice that sends relief flooding through my veins.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU MUTT!!!" Varian screams with a force I had never heard him use. He charges towards us and I gasp in horror.

"Varian, get out of here!!" I shout.

"No way!!" He exclaims, pulling a magenta alchemy orb out of his pocket. Suddenly, he leaps at least twelve feet into the air and chucks the orb at the werewolf from above.

Magenta goo explodes from the orb, gluing the wolf to the ground, and making it unable to move.

Varian safely lands back on the earth, and I stare at him in disbelief. As Varian catches his breath, I realize that his blue hair streak and his blue eyes were illuminated. They shine as they did on the ship, except then, his eyes weren't glowing.

"Var...y-your hair..." I stutter, a look of shock evident on my face.

"What are you-" His glowing blue eyes widen. "Your hair."

I realize that my golden hairstreak is aglow as well, and a gasp escapes my lips. "It's happening again..."

Varian suddenly falls to his knees as his hair stripe begins flickering. "I...I don't...feel so good..." He slurs, staring at his hands and then at me.

As gravity begins pulling Varian to the ground, I quickly catch him in my arms so he doesn't hurt himself. I lay his head against my lap as he passes out. I gently run my fingers through his black locks and stare at him with worry. "Why would you risk your life for me, you dummy?" I sadly laugh. "What's happening to us, Var?" I whisper.

Suddenly, Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance find us, and they rush over to us in seconds.

"What in the world-?" Eugene asks no one in particular as he takes in the scene.

Rapunzel kneels beside Varian and me, her eyes full of fear. "Is he..."

I quickly shake my head. "No! Don't even think that!! He's just...unconscious." The word stings my mouth as I look up at my sister. "Look, Raps, I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well...you know how Varian and I have these gold and blue streaks in our hair? Ever since you got back, they glow whenever we're fighting something, and they give us weird superhuman abilities. That's why I passed out when we were fighting Andrew. When I thought Andrew was going to kill Varian, I felt this strange surge of power." I gently run my fingers through Varian's soft hair, the action giving me a small sense of comfort. "The next thing I knew, I punched Andrew across the ship and Varian and my hair streaks were illuminated. The power was too much and it knocked me out. I think that's what's happening to Varian. I was cornered by the werewolf and Varian came charging at it to defend me. Then he practically defied gravity and jumped a dozen feet in the air to throw one of his alchemy orbs at the wolf. Our hair started glowing then, too. I know it sounds crazy..."

Rapunzel looks at me, then at Varian, and then at me again. "It...it doesn't sound crazy." She puts one of her hands on my shoulder. "I think I might have a clue as to what's going on, but for now, let's get Varian somewhere he can rest."

Chapter Text

Sunlight filters through the treetops and casts patterns of light onto the tree house we were constructing for Catalina and Angry.

After Rapunzel discovered that Catalina was the werewolf the whole time, she was able to figure out what was filling the red-headed girl with such rage. As it turned out, Angry and Catalina got into a fight about whether or not they should move into Old Corona and settle down. We were able to help the sisters reach a compromise when we offered to build them a brand-new tree house in the woods.

With help from the pub thugs, we built them a beautiful house in a matter of days, which the girls were overjoyed by.

Today we have been putting the finishing touches on their new home, such as furnishing and painting it.

As Varian and I paint one of the side walls of the house, I softly sing while I work. Varian dips his paintbrush in one of the buckets of crème colored paint; he smiles at me. "I haven't heard you sing in a long time."

I glance at him as he begins running the paintbrush along the wall. "Yeah...this past year has been stressful. I missed it." I chuckle a bit.

"I'm so sorry, (Yn)." Varian sighs. "I guess I got so caught up in my own issues that I ended up neglecting your own."

"That's not entirely true. You had a lot going on, Var. You shouldn't have to apologize for that."

"But it wasn't fair to you." Varian sadly says, smacking his forehead a couple of times. "Ugh, I've been so stupid! I've been a horrible friend."

I place a hand on his shoulder. "No, you haven't." I give him a small smile. "You've literally saved my life like three times now."

"Well, you've saved my life and helped turn me around so..."

"So we're even?" I ask with a knowing smile.

Varian's blue eyes meet mine. "Yeah." We continue painting for a moment before Varian speaks up again. "Hey...are you okay?"

I don't look away from my work. "What do you mean?"

"Well...I just mean...with Cassandra, your parents, these crazy new powers..." Varian gives me a worried glance. "...how are you doing?"

I let out a long and hollow sigh. I set my paintbrush back in the paint bucket, and sit down on the floor. Truth be told, I'm not okay.

After everything that's happened these past couple of years, time has only proved how fleeting things can be. As a child, I was aware that sometimes we lose things. I knew about my sister and how she was taken from my parents, but I never really felt a sense of loss for her because I never knew her. To a five-year-old girl, my sister felt more like a fairytale character rather than a real person.

I never truly knew loss.

After all, nothing can prepare someone for loss until it finds them.

The battle of Old Corona was where I experienced my first loss; Varian. That night, I not only lost my best friend, but the boy I fell in love with. Even though he didn't pass away, he was still taken from me. It crushed me. Then, I lost Rapunzel when she left to follow the black rocks. I lost my sister, the sister I had only known for about a year. Fast forward to a few months later, I lost my parents to the wand of oblivium. Sure, I never actually lost them, but I lost the people who they once were. I had to say goodbye to my parents and the memories we once shared. And then Cassandra. The woman I saw as the big sister I never had. I lost her to the moonstone. She left her home and family behind, and to be quite frank, I have no idea if I'll ever see her again.

If I've learned anything from my time outside of the palace, it's that the universe can take what it wants whenever it wants. Everything I hold dear can be taken in mere seconds, and sometimes, I can do anything about it.

How am I supposed to live knowing that?

I just got him back; what if Varian leaves me again?

I take a breath as I gaze into Varian's beautiful blue eyes. He looks at me intently, patiently waiting for me to tell him about what's on my mind. I want to tell him everything, I want to tell him more than anything...but I can't. Varian already blames himself way too much. I don't want to add to his burning guilt, so I smile at him. "I'm fine, Var."

He sits beside me. "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."

I nod, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. I feel bad for lying, but I know that it's for the best. "I know, and I appreciate that. Thank you."

:-:-:-:-:

"Okay, so let me get this straight..." Rapunzel sighs as she looks over the notes she had taken in her journal. "Ever since I came back to Corona, you two have been getting weird powers that only appear when you're in danger, and when you're together?"

Varian and I glance at one another and turn back to Rapunzel, nodding our heads. Out of all the awkward sibling talks I was expecting to get when my sister came home, I never thought that one of them would involve me and my friend sitting in my sister's bedroom in front of a massive collage of drawings featuring magical stones, flowers, ancient demons, and blue and gold rays of light, but here we are.

Rapunzel glances back at her overcrowded vision board before she turns back to us. "Is there anything I'm missing?" She checks.

"Oh!" Varian suddenly speaks up. "Our hair stripes and eyes glow whenever either one of our powers activate, but our eyes glow only when we're actively using our power. I think it might have something to do with the chemical makeup of the energy these powers are coming from, but I can't be entirely sure until I can run further tests."

Rapunzel nods and scribbles something in her journal. "Got it." She looks over her notes again, before she looks back at us. "I think I may know what's going in here..."

"What?" Varian and I ask in perfect unison.

"I think you two are somehow connected to the sun drop and the moonstone."

Varian and I burst into a fit of laughter from how crazy my sister sounded.

"I'm serious!!" Rapunzel exclaims.

"Yeah..." Varian says through laughs. "And I'm the King of Neserdnia."

"Think about it!" Rapunzel quickly states. "I get my golden hair from the magic of the sun drop. (Yn)'s my little sister and she has a golden streak in her hair! Varian, the moonstone is blue, just like your hair! I think that when Cass took the moonstone and activated it, it activated the power of the sun drop and moonstone's energy inside of you!"

I gasp. "I think you might be onto something..."

"But that still doesn't explain why our powers only work when we're together." Varian points out.

Rapunzel paces back and forth, clearly deep in thought. "There must be something we're missing. Maybe a detail we've overlooked...?"

I suddenly remember something. "Wait, while you were on your journey, I had a really weird dream one night." I softly say, thinking back on the dream I had several months ago.

I quickly jerk my head around and see Varian appearing through the fog. I suddenly gasp. The blue streak in his hair was illuminated by a bright blue. It was glowing.

"Varian?" I try to approach him but the chains hold me back. "Your hair..."

Varian smirks. "I should say the same to you~"

I gasp as the gold streak in my hair brightly gives off a golden glow. It was like the sunshine of a summer's day.

My hair glows brighter, as does Varian's. With every step we take closer to one another, our hair becomes brighter. I slowly extend my hand out to Varian. He mirrors me, and our fingers touch.

A blinding light explodes from the contact.

"Varian and I were in Old Corona...my gold hair stripe was emitting a golden glow while the blue streak in Varian's hair was glowing with a bright blue. We started walking toward each other, and the closer we got the brighter the glow. Our hands began reaching for each other, and when they touched..." I trail off. "A bright explosion erupted."

Varian and Rapunzel's eyes widen in fear. "What happened next?" Rapunzel inquires, her emerald eyes never blinking.

"I-I...I don't know."

Chapter Text

:-:Six Years Ago:-:

I eagerly grip the windowsill of my bedroom window and peek outside, not-so-patiently waiting for the Royal Carriage to come pulling into the courtyard. I bounce up and down, excitement oozing from my pores.

Mom chuckles a bit as she ties a bright (fc) bow in my (hc) hair. "Hold still, sweetheart!" She playfully scolds me, struggling to properly fix my hair.

I stop bouncing, but my grip on the windowsill never eases. "Sorry, Mom." I apologize. "I just can't wait to give Varian his birthday gift!" For a split second, my gaze strays from the window to look at the piece of sheet music I had spent weeks composing. Each note was clearly written in the finest ink; written nicer than anything I had ever written before. "Do you...do you think he'll like it?" I softly ask.

Mom stops fiddling with my bow for a moment and gives me a soft smile. "Oh, he'll love it, (Yn)." She gently kisses my cheek. "It was made by you; that's the most important thing."

My lips curl into a grin. "Thank you, Mom."

Right as my mother finishes adjusting my bow, I see the carriage holding Varian and Quirin pull into the courtyard. My eyes light up brighter than the floating lanterns on a pitch-black night. I quickly grab my sheet music, peck my mom on the cheek, and bolt toward the door to meet Varian.

I run down the stairs far faster than I thought my feet could carry me, desperately trying not to trip on the layers of fabric that made up my gown. As I arrive at the main entrance to the palace, I see Varian waiting for me beside Nigel and Quirin. When Varian sees me, his eyes light up and he rushes past the two men, coming to meet me. We throw our arms around each other in pure delight, beaming brighter than the sun.

"Happy birthday, Varian!!" I happily exclaim, not ceasing to squeeze Varian in my death grip of a hug.

"Thanks, (Yn)!!" He suddenly sees the queen walking down the stairs, and he quickly pulls out of our embrace and clumsily bows to her. "Your Highness. Thank you for having us." He politely says.

Mom gently smiles at the boy. "There is no need for the formality, Varian. You're welcome at our home anytime."

Varian grins and quickly nods.

"Now tell me, how old are you today, Varian?" The Queen inquires.

"Nine," Varian replies.

Mom thinks about his response for a moment and taps her chin with her index finger. "You know, that's a very special age. That's an age deserving of a very special gift." Her emerald green eyes glance over at me, and she winks.

I step over to Varian. "I, uh, I actually made you a gift." I nervously say, feeling self-conscious about my song.

Varian's blue eyes sparkle. "Really?!"

I shyly nod. "But we'll need to visit the music room so I can show you."

Varian eagerly takes my hand. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

:-:-:-:-:

The castle music room has always been one of my favorite rooms in the palace. With its cyan walls decorated with gold trim, tall windows that overlook the Coronian Sea, and the beautiful golden chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, to say the room is stunning would be a major understatement. But it isn't one of my favorite rooms because of what it looks like, it's one of my favorites because of what it holds inside. The room is filled to the brim with a plethora of string instruments, a grand piano, several brass instruments, and a golden harp in the center of it all. I couldn't even count the number of hours I'd spent within these walls, playing any and every instrument I could get my hands on.

When Varian lays eyes on the room for the first time, his jaw drops. "This is incredible!" He exclaims, stepping into the room and looking at the various instruments with wonder. "Do you play all of these?"

I sheepishly scratch the back of my neck. "Most of them. I hope to someday master them all."

"That's so cool! I never knew you liked music so much!"

"I guess it just never came up." I giggle a bit. "Do you play anything?"

Varian blushes with embarrassment. "Not nearly as much as you do. I only play the piano."

"That's still a cool instrument!" I say. "It was the first one I ever learned to play."

"Same here!" Varian jokes, causing us to burst into a fit of laughter.

Once our giggles subside, I walk to the window seat and pick up my guitar. "Are you ready for your gift?"

Varian dashes over to the window seat and sits down beside me, a smile of excitement on his lips.

I take a deep breath in as I set the sheet music on the wooden music stand. I let my breath out.

My fingers strum the guitar strings.

(Yn): "I know everything about ya~

Can't picture one day without ya~

When I need someone to guide me,

You're always right there beside me

To point the way~

If I go astray~"

With each guitar strum, I feel more and more of my nerves leaving my body, as though the notes to the melody are carrying away my fears.

(Yn): "'Cause although it may be unspoken,

We've got something that can't be broken~

You and me, we fit together

Perfectly, best friends forever

Guarantee, I'll always see you through~"

I look away from my sheet music to see Varian smiling from ear to ear, his adorable buck-teeth showing off as he does so.

(Yn): "Cause I know that

Me and you, share a connection

Strong as glue, way past affection

You're my crew, that's how it's meant to be~

Cause it's you and me~"

Suddenly, Varian opens his mouth and begins to sing along with me. I smile with delight when I hear his singing voice for the first time; I had no idea he sounds this good!

(V): "Who else can I share a laugh with?

Or always go half-and-half with?

And if I should ever slip up,

I know that you'll zip your lip up,

And let it slide~

'Cause you're on my side!

Just ask anybody who's seen us~

Nothing ever can come between us~"

I set down my guitar and grab Varian's hands, and pull him off the seat and onto the floor with me. With our hands connected, we spin around in circles together, our singing never coming to a stop.

(Both): "You and me, we fit together

To a T, birds of a feather,

Can't you see, we share a point of view?

And it's obvious

Me and you, we'll never falter

Tried and true, you're my Gibraltar

Can't undo something that's
meant to be~"

Varian twirls me in a circle and I feel my heartbeat quicken, pure happiness evident on my face and actions.

(Both): "Something real like,"

(V): "You and me, we fit together

A to Z, no question whether,"

(Yn): "C'est la vie, somehow I guess we knew~"

(V): "It was gonna be~"

(Yn): "Me and you, ever and always~

Through and through, big ways and small ways~"

(V): "Just us two, simple as 1-2-3~"

In the past couple of years that I've known Varian, I've never seen him so joyful.

(Both) "Always you and me~

You and me~

You and me, we fit together

Perfectly, best friends forever

Guarantee, I'll always see you through~

Cause I know that,

Me and you, share a connection

Strong as glue, way past affection

You're my crew, that's how it's meant to be

Cause it's you and me~

You and me~"

Chapter Text

I knock my knuckles against the wooden door to the study. "May I-I come in?" I call through the door.

"Yes."

I crack the wooden door open and peek my head inside. Sitting on the window seat was my mother, vacantly staring out the window and down at the kingdom. "Hey, M-Mom." I softly say, entering the room.

"Hello...(yn)." She says slowly, as though she was contemplating if she had called me by the right name.

My feet reluctantly carry me into the room and lead me to the window seat. Neither of my parents had their memories back yet, and although Varian was hard at work coming up with a cure, it still pained me to see my mother and father. They look like my parents, but they just aren't...them. I can't even do simple things with my parents anymore. I can't go to my mother for advice anymore, and can't even talk about the latest book I've read with my father. They had no recollection of their own daughter. I've been trying to remind them of who I am and who they are, but they always stare at me as though I'm speaking a foreign language. Pain stabs at my heart like a pin in a pincushion. Each time I see them like this adds another pin. I still feel guilty every time I look at them. The last time I spoke to them while they still had their memories was when I was arguing with them about Varian. The last memory they had of their daughter was one of her yelling at them. The guilt overwhelms me.

My father cuts me off. "Enough about that boy! All he's ever done is cause trouble!! Ever since you started visiting him in Old Corona he's only dragged you into dangerous situations! He's caused earthquakes, attacked Rapunzel, kidnapped you, stole the sundrop flower, and tried to take over the kingdom!!"

My face turns red with anger. I could put up with a lot from my father, but I would not tolerate him talking about Varian like he's a villain and my dad is some saint. "The only reason any of that happened was that he was trying to fix things!" I list them off on my fingers. "Varian accidentally created earthquakes because he was trying to bring hot running water to old Corona, he only stole the flower to free his father peacefully, and the only reason he tried to take over the kingdom was that he had no other way to free his father. Do you know why he had no other way to free his father, dad? Because of you." I stare at my father with stern eyes. "He tried to ask for help but Rapunzel turned him away. Even after that blizzard went away you never once let me go and check on him. We could've found a way to free his father peacefully, but instead, you ignored a fourteen-year-old boy in his time of need. You left him alone." I sigh. "You want to accuse me of being irresponsible? At least I'm trying to help our subjects instead of ignoring their problems!"

Mom lets out a small gasp at my confrontation. The king's strong gaze melts away and is replaced by surprise. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again, clearly at a loss for words. He repeats the motion a couple more times like a fish. "(Yn), I-"

The doors to the throne room fly open. I quickly jolt around and gasp in horror.

"Well well well...you're just the royals I was looking for."

...

"You won't get away with this! We'll stop you!" The king warns.

Andrew laughs. "I doubt it." He snaps his fingers and a short old woman wearing an ugly blue beanie pulls a wand out of her sleeve. She aims it at my parents, and in one fell swoop, red energy shoots from the wand and at the king and queen's heads. They fall backward with an ugly-sounding thud.

I push the memories from my mind, sit across from my mother and give her a soft smile. "How have you been feeling?"

"I've been feeling alright."

I nod, biting my lip, ever so slightly. "That's...that's good. Have you, uh, remembered anything? At all?"

She shakes her head and I sigh. I slowly reach around my shoulders and lift the silver key being held around my neck over my head. I gently take my mother's hand and open her palm, placing the key inside. "About two years ago, you gave me a silver compass before I was coronated as an official princess. You told me: 'I know it can't make up for the time you've lost, but I'm hoping that it can help.' I didn't know what you meant at the time, but I found out why you gave this to me when the time was right. Just like you said I would. This key has taken me on so many adventures, and I think it took you on quite a few of your own." I stare at my mother and watch as her emerald green eyes examine the small key, hoping that something buried deep within her mind would remember it. "Do you...do you remember it?"

Mom stares at it a moment longer, before she places the key back in my hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't."

My heart falls to the pit of my stomach. "Oh...um, o-okay." My throat runs dry as I try to fight the tears pricking the corner of my eyes. I quickly stand up and pull the string that was tied around the key back over my head. I don't even know what to do anymore. That key was my last hope of jogging my mother's memory. The defenses that I had built against the tears finally break, and I quickly walk to the door. "I-I have to go."

:-:-:-:-:-:

The days following the werewolf incident mainly involved the townspeople of Corona helping Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, and I rebuild the completely demolished throne room. Things were pretty slow going at first; there was so much damage done to the place that it looked as though it would take months to restore the throne room to its former glory. What started as a team-building project quickly escalated into a stress-inducing bickering fest, and everyone was on edge.

One day, however, something changed everything.

While Old Lady Crowley and Feldspar were fighting, they ended up destroying a wall, which revealed an ancient map that was carved into the stone behind the wall panel.

Thanks to a Saporian translation key Varian had created, Rapunzel is able to decode the writing below the map. Everyone eagerly gathers around the princess, ready to see what the inscription said. "'Here lies King Herz Der Sonne's lost treasure...?'" Rapunzel reads. She laughs with delight. "You guys, wait!! This is an honest-to-goodness treasure map!"

"I have heard of 'The Legend of Herz Der Sonne's' lost treasure,'" Xavier speaks up, crossing his hands in front of his chest. "It is said to be buried in his crypt." Xavier takes a breath, preparing to tell one of his many stories. "The tale begins a millennia ago-"

Eugene, not wanting to listen to one of Xavier's infamously long stories, quickly clears his throat. "Uh, Xaves, bottom line us, would you?"

Xavier nods. "She's right. It's a map."

"This is just the thing to bring everyone together!!" Rapunzel concludes, smiling with glee. She quickly leads us to the courtyard, and has Max pull a massive clothed contraption of some sort over to us.

Varian and I exchange a glance, wondering what crazy idea my sister had come up with this time.

Rapunzel smirks at all of us. "How many of you have ever dreamed of having a treasure of untold riches?"

Varian's eyes light up. "I could buy so many rare chemical compounds..."

I chuckle at his adorkableness as Rapunzel continues. "We are holding a Corona-wide race for the lost treasure of Herz Der Sonne!" She announces, placing her hands on her hips.

Everyone begins cheering and Rapunzel smiles, clearly proud of her plan. "And here's the best part: because this is all about having fun together, everyone will be racing with a partner!!"

The cheering instantly subsides.

"We get to pick our partners though, right?" I hopefully ask.

"Nope!" Rapunzel happily says, ripping the tarp off of the machine that had several intricate colored tubes connecting to various brightly painted mechanical parts, all of which were hooked up to a hamster wheel with a gofer inside. Also attached to the machine, was a jug of rainbow-colored spheres, each one with a different name written on it.

Varian's face falls flat. "What is that?"

"Couldn't we have just pulled our names out of a hat?" Eugene asks.

"Oh, but it is a hat," Rapunzel smirks. "I call it the 'Hortatory Automated Team-Builder' or, H.A.T." She quickly scurries over to the other end of the machine and begins rotating a lever that raises a bowl of berries in front of the gofer. The gofer's melancholy expression is quickly replaced with excitement when he sees the berries, and he begins running. As the hamster wheel begins spinning, it triggers the machine to go through several intricate steps, all of which lead to two single spheres begin released from the jug. As I watched the machine, I couldn't help but wonder why Rapunzel just had a contraption like this lying around. "And our first team is..." Rapunzel picks up the spheres, a red and blue one, and reads off the names. "Stan and..."

Pete quickly cuts her off. "Stan and Pete! Stan and Pete!"

"...Angry!!" Rapunzel finishes.

"WHAT?!" Pete gasps in horror. "This is an outrage! It's always Stan and Pete! Everyone knows it's always Stan and Pete!"

"Yeah!" Angry protests. "And I don't wanna be paired up with some dopey guard."

"You're not paired up with some dopey guard." Stan fires back. "You're paired up with...oh..."

I quickly approach my sister and bring my voice to a whisper. "Hey, Sis? Maybe this isn't the best way to choose the teams..."

She brushes me off. "This is the perfect way to choose teams. Besides, you're just worried you won't be on a team with Varian~" she teases.

My face flushes red. So maybe I do want to be on a team with Varian, but I don't have to let Rapunzel know that! "N-No!" I quickly shoot back, right as the next set of spheres arrive.

Rapunzel picks them up and reads off the names. "Pascal and...Max! Awe, cute!!" She coos as she picks up the next two names. "Xavier and...Varian!"

I hold in my sigh but feel my heart warm at the sight of Varian and Xavier smiling at one another, even though they barely know each other.

"Ruddiger...and Hamuel!" Rapunzel continues. "Eugene, and of course...Lance!"

Eugene and Lance beam at one another and laugh. "Are you kidding me?!" Eugene asks, a look of disbelief on his face. "Me and Lance together, searching for treasure? Just give it to us right now, folks."

"This is rigged..." I mutter earning a chuckle from Varian. I smile at him, and he returns it.

Rapunzel continues reading names off until she is left with the last couple of spheres. "And finally, me and... Feldspar!" She eagerly announces, dashing over to the red-headed shoemaker. "Up high, Feldspar! Come on!"

She raises her hand in the air to high-five him, and he cowers away. "Oh, please, don't hit me!" He cries. "Oh. Oh, I get it. It's a—a gesture of camaraderie. Well then, I'm all in!" He cheers, holding Rapunzel's hand high above their heads.

My lips curl into a frown as I glance around at all the groups. I slowly approach my sister once again. "Raps? I wasn't given a partner." I say, sadness lacing my voice.

Rapunzel's face falls in realization. "Oh my goodness, you're right!" She quickly glances at the jug that was once full of spheres, to only see a single blue one remaining. "We must've had an odd number..." She concludes. "I guess we'll need to have a group of three."

Out of nowhere, Varian bolts up to us and wraps his arm around me. "(Yn)'s on my team!!" He quickly states.

I quickly nod in agreement, suddenly not feeling so downhearted about being the odd one out. "I second that," I say.

"Rapunzel glances back and forth between us two, clearly contemplating the idea. "Well...all right. But only because I'm the best sister ever." She winks at me, and I return the wink with a grateful smile.

Varian and I cheer in delight, and at the same moment, we both notice how close together we are. Our cheeks turn bright red causing Rapunzel to giggle to herself as she walks back over to the map. "Take a good look at the map." She announces. "Be sure to memorize it because you cannot take it with you."

We all crowd around the map and carefully study it.

"It's up to you and your partner, or heh, your new bestie, to find your way to the treasure," Rapunzel explains.

Varian and I exchange a glance, smug looks on our faces. We both know how good Varian is at memorization, and we both know we can use that to our advantage. Varian smirks at me and then at Xavier. "This will be a cinch."

:-:-:-:-:

The church bell tolls at noon. As the sun peaks in the blue sky, we line up at the starting line, ready to fight to earn untold riches. Varian, Xavier, and I stand beside one another, and we exchange determined looks. That treasure is ours.

Rapunzel stands off to the side beside a canon, holding a torch. "Oh your mark, get set," She lights the canon, sending a shot into the air. "Treasure!!!"

"To my shop!" Xavier quickly says, leading Varian and me to the blacksmith's shop a couple blocks down.

As we run into the shop, Varian begins loading up his leather backpack with books. I walk over to him and sit on the table he's packing at. "Are you sure we're going to need all those books?" I ask.

"You never know! We have to be prepared for every possible scenario." Varian explains as he sticks a Flynn Rider book in the bag.

"And how is Flynn Rider going to prepare us for any possible scenario?" I ask with a chuckle.

Varian audibly gasps. "(Yn), I am appalled that you would even have to ask! Where else am I supposed to find out how to get out of a crumbling mine cave or survive a band of pirates?"

I giggle a bit. "Fair point," I say, smiling at the boy.

"Hm...a northerly wind is coming." Xavier suddenly says, holding one of his wrinkly old fingers up to the wind. "If only there were a way to catch its mighty draft and use it to our advantage."

The three of us think for a moment, and Varian's blue eyes light up, instantly alerting me that he has come up with an idea. "Wait!" He speaks up. "The Saporians use hot air balloons. I know how to build one!"

"That's genius, Var!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around the alchemist. A faint blush creeps across Varian's cheeks as I embrace him.

Xavier chuckles a bit. "Oh, you two love birds remind me of The Legend of Alcyone and Ceyx."

"W-What?!?" I exclaimed. "L-Love birds?! You've got it all wrong!!" Varian and I blush furiously and quickly step away from one another for good measure.

"We're just friends, Xavier!" Varian quickly says.

I nod in agreement but find my heart hurting a tiny bit. Why did Varian's words make me feel disappointed...?

"Ah, but you see, the story of Alcyone and Ceyx is about a pair of devout lovers-"

Xavier is cut off by Varian, who quickly cuts him off. "O-Oh, well, would you look at the time!!" He nervously chuckles, already pushing Xavier out of the blacksmith's shop.

I help Varian push Xavier away, desperately trying to avoid the awkward conversation. "Yeah! W-We've really gotta get going if we're going to get that treasure first!" I say with a forced laugh.

This is going to be a looonnnngggg day.

Chapter Text

The hot air balloon carries us high into the sky, way past the tops of the trees, hills, and even some of the clouds. Clouds dot the blue sky around us, beautifully adorning the atmosphere. The breeze of the cool air ruffles my (hc) hair, sending a sense of freedom through my body. I shiver, not from the slight chill in the air, but from excitement. The world seems so small and yet so large from up here. I close my eyes and walk toward the front of the balloon, spreading my arms out wide. I imagine myself as a bird, freely soaring through the endless blue sky.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind slams against the balloon, and I stumble forward and lose my balance. Before I can react, I feel a pair of hands grab my waist and steady my balance. "Whoa! Careful, Angel!" Varian's voice says from behind me. I slowly turn my head to peek behind me and see Varian gently supporting me. We stare into each other's eyes for a long moment as though there is nothing else in the world but me and him. There is something about Varian's caring blue eyes that make me feel safe; like I'm coming home.

Varian suddenly realizes how close our faces are to one another, and his freckled cheeks turn a bright shade of red. My face mirrors the color, and we take a couple of steps away from each other. "S-Sorry..." Varian mumbles, leaning against the rim of the basket.

I stand next to him and cross my arms over my chest. "N-No, I'm sorry...I-I should be more careful." I look away so Varian can't see my bright pink cheeks.

We sit in silence for several minutes, until we soar straight through a cloud. My back straightens as I feel a gentle but frigid mist hit my face. Once we reach the other side, Varian's face lights up as he has an idea. The boy reaches into his bag and pulls out an empty test tube. I stare at him with curiosity, and he smiles at me. He leans over the rim of the balloon and extends his arm into a passing cloud, attempting to bottle up some of the clouds in his test tube. "This is so great." He grins, putting the cork on the tube. "I feel like a bird!"

I chuckle to myself. There is no way he's trying to bottle up a cloud to study... I think to myself. Varian's curiosity has always been one of my favorite traits he possessed. "That's why I love it up here. I feel like a bird soaring through the clouds!" I smile at the alchemist before I turn back to the blue atmosphere. "It's so freeing...it makes me wonder just how far the sky goes."

A gentle smile rests on Varian's face as he stares at me, a look of attentiveness in his eyes. It makes me feel like he's genuinely listening to me.

Suddenly, Xavier speaks up. "Have you two heard of the Legend of the Lone Birdman of Swandalay?" He asks, placing his strong hands on our shoulders.

Varian's face falls. "No...uh, well, no, but, um-"

"The ancient people of Swandalay were actually a seafaring tribe..." Xavier begins.

Varian slumps down in defeat as Xavier begins telling his tale. I was used to Xavier's stories-I did have to live with them for several months after all-but I knew that they could be a bit much for someone who wasn't used to them.

Varian sighs as he watches the trees below go by when he suddenly perks up a bit. "Hey, look!" He exclaims, pointing down towards the river.

I peer over the basket and follow Varian's finger until a spot one of the Royal guards gripping onto a rock in the middle of the river. "Someone needs help!" I quickly say. "Xavier, land this balloon!"

Xavier nods and begins pulling the balloon's levers, lowering us onto the woodland environment below. "Hold on!" Varian calls to the guard. "We're almost there!!"

The second the balloon makes contact with the earth Varian and I hop out of the basket and make a dash toward the body in the river. "We're coming!!" I call. I gasp when I see that the guard isn't moving. "Is he...?"

Varian tilts his head a bit, analyzing the situation. "No..." He shakes his head and wades into the water. His gloved hands pull the helmet off the guard, revealing that it wasn't a guard at all, but a sack dressed like a soldier. "Huh?" Varian asks, staring at the guard dummy with confusion.

"What in the world?" I mutter. "Why would someone dress up a sack in a royal guard uniform?"

My question is answered when suddenly, we hear the sound of the hot air balloon's burner roaring to life. We all look up in unison and see our hot air balloon soaring away, leaving us behind. My eyes spot Angry and Stan manning the balloon and I scowl.

"What are you doing?!" Xavier cries.

"Looks like we're winning!!" Stan calls back.

Varian rushes towards them, furiously clutching the golden helmet. "YOU'RE PLAYING DIRTY!!" He shouts.

Angry cheekily grins. "There's nothing in the rules that says we can't be smarter than you!!"

"You'll regret this!!" I exclaim.

Xavier sighs as we watch them fly away. "She reminds me of The Legend of Perpetua Demosthenese, the young girl who thought she was smarter than all those around her."

Varian groans and sits down on the riverbank, burying his head in the helmet.

I begin looking around the forest surrounding us, hoping to spy something that could help our crew get back in the race. Suddenly my eyes land on a small rowboat resting against the shore. "Guys, the rowboat!" I exclaim, quickly darting over to the wooden rowboat. I quickly check it over, making sure that there was no damage done to the boat, and sigh in relief when I see the boat was still in working condition. "It's safe! Let's go!" I call to the guys.

Varian and Xavier dash over to the boat and sit inside. "Ugh, this will never catch up to our balloon!" Varian groans.

I pick up two wooden oars and pass one to Varian. "Only if we don't start rowing! Cmon guys! We can still do this, but I need your help!"

Varian looks down at the oar in his hands, then smiles at me and nods. "You can count on me."

"You remind me of your sister sometimes, young princess." Xavier grins.

Varian and I sit side by side in the boat and begin stroking our oars through the water. As our little boat cuts through the river, Varian and I get into a good rhythm with the paddling, and we speed up. Though not nearly as strong, the wind still manages to blow my (hc) hair around; my ponytail dances with the breeze. Without thinking, I instinctively begin humming a gentle tune that eventually ends up joining the breeze, becoming one with the air.

I suddenly notice Varian watching me, a gentle smile on his lips. My tune ceases and I blush in embarrassment.

"Why'd you stop?" Varian softly asks, his blue eyes innocently glimmering in the afternoon sunlight. "It sounded pretty."

I nervously chuckle. "I don't want to be annoying..."

"I could never find your voice annoying, Angel," Varian says, a kindhearted look resting on his face.

My lips curl into a grin when Xavier speaks up from the front of the boat. "This reminds me of The Tale of Heralcinth, the story of a young girl who took a vow of silence."

A sigh escapes Varian.

Suddenly, a flash of purple and gold zooms by. "Whoo-Hoo!!!" A familiar voice calls.

"Rapunzel?" My voice asks nobody in particular. I can't help but wonder how she was going so fast.

"Where'd they come from?!" Varian exclaims. "And how are they moving so fast?" He asks, reading my mind. His eyes suddenly widen and he leans on the edge of the boat to get a better look. "Wait...she has a map." He gasps, outrage flooding his face. "HEY!!! YOU'RE CHEATING!!!"

I notice the boat rocking a bit as Varian waves an angry fist at Rapunzel and Feldspar. "Hey, Var? You might wanna-"

'SPLASH'

"Never mind..." I mutter as Varian goes toppling over the side of the boat and into the river. I wince as a sopping-wet Varian resurfaces, spitting water out of his mouth. I offer him a hand, which he takes.

As I hoist him back onto our boat, Varian groans. "Thanks." He softly says. He reaches for his oar and suddenly remembers that he dropped it when he fell. We look behind us at the same time, only to see the oar floating away with the river. The alchemist sighs, and I feel bad for him, upset that something that was supposed to be fun was turning out so poorly for him.

"Using a map is cheating indeed," Xavier mutters, his hand running through his gray beard. "Which reminds me of The Legend of the Cheating Willows-"

Varian cuts him off. "Enough with the legends!!!" He demands, anger lacing his voice. I cringe as Varian begins using his own hand to paddle us through the river.

:-:-:-:-:

The structure where King Herz Der Sonne's lost treasure was said to be definitely wasn't what I was expecting. A stone entryway was built into an old manmade hill, so old that grass and trees had grown over it. It looked to be centuries old, but even with its age, it still managed to survive the elements. I would've taken more time to admire this shining example of ancient architecture if it wasn't for the angry mob that was after Rapunzel.

The angry swarm crowds into the small inside of the dome, shouting complaints and insults at Rapunzel and Feldspar. Of course, I too feel upset that my sister had cheated and brought a map, but I also know Rapunzel well enough to know that she wouldn't do something like this if she didn't have a good reason. I try to calm the mob, but nobody can hear me over their own shouting.

"Cheaters!"

"For shame!"

"You're cheaters!" Angry accuses.

"Yeah, that's right!" Varian exclaims before he looks down at Angry and scoffs. "I-but you're one to talk! You stole our balloon!"

Stan quickly steps in to defend his partner. "That was well within the rules!"

"Turn me around so I can get in on this!" Shorty demands.

I gasp as I notice that he's stuck to Pete's honey-covered body and quickly rush to his aid. "How did this even happen?" I ask.

"I have my ways." Shorty slurs.

The arguing continues until Rapunzel finally speaks up. "Stop fighting and listen!"

The bickering finally comes to a stop.

"No one can take that treasure!" My sister continues. "It's cursed!"

Stan points an accusatory finger at Rapunzel. "Why should we listen to a cheater?!"

The crowd murmurs in agreement.

"I'm not a cheater!!" Rapunzel sighs, sounding fed up with the whole thing. She takes a deep breath. "Okay, you could make an argument that I did cheat, but it was to save your lives!!!"

"Raps, what are you talking about?" I ask.

"There was a message-"

Suddenly, one of the thugs pushes through the crowd. "Hey! The girl's got the treasure!!"

We all peek around Rapunzel and Feldspar and see Catalina sitting on the alter, holding the box with the treasure, a smug look on her face. The crowd rushes over to the redheaded girl, everyone's eyes laser-focused on the treasure.

"Stop!!" Rapunzel cries. "Listen to me, everyone, please!!" She grabs the map from Feldspar. "It says right here, if you claim that treasure, we are all doomed!!!"

Chattering from the crowd fills the air, everyone wondering what the princess could possibly mean right when a new voice enters the discussion.

"Yoink!" Eugene triumphantly cries, snatching the box for himself. He dashes back over to Lance who takes the box and opens it. An eerie red light erupts from the box, and Eugene and Lance stare at it in awe. "Whoa..."

Rays of light as red as fire fill the room, blinding all who dared to gaze upon it. A beam of dark energy hit the ceiling, a skull made of smoke following it in its path. Lance shoves the cursed box back into Eugene's hands. "What did you do!?"

We all scream in horror and I feel Varian grabbing onto me out of fear, tightly gripping my body as though his life depended on it. "Oh, ten on the doom scale! Ten on the doom scale!!" His grip on me tightens. "Why can't we just have one mystic-free day?! Why!?!" He wails.

"You're...c-crushing...me..." I choke out.

Varian quickly lets go of me. "Oh, sorry!" He apologizes. If it weren't for the red light that filled the room, I would've sworn that he is blushing.

The Saporian symbol overtop of the altar glows a frightening shade of gold. We all jump back in surprise and fear as the coffins that line the wall begin glowing the same color. They suddenly open, and living skeletons dressed in blood-red robes step out. My body begins shaking like a leaf. "N-No way..." I mutter.

"Oh!" Xavier exclaims. "The legend is true! The Undead Protectors of Herz Der Sonne's Treasure have risen!!"

"WHAT!?!" Varian and I cry in unison.

Varian scoffs. "You know, next time, lead with the high doom ratio legend!!"

"Eugene! Put the lid back on!" Rapunzel orders.

He quickly closes the box, but nothing happens. He sends a worried look to his girlfriend.

Rapunzel undoes her hair and holds it up while getting into a fighting stance. "We've got to put it back where it belongs!"

The skeletons screech as they close in on us. With a new sense of confidence, Varian jumps in front of me defensively, balling his hands into fists. He's protecting me, even if it's risking his own life...again.

I blush a bit from the gesture, but quickly brush it off and grab my bow and an arrow. I rest my back against Varian's and pull the string of my bow back as I prepare to fight. "I've got your back, Var."

Varian smiles at me. "And I've got yours, (yn)."

We all begin fighting off the haunted skeletons, all the while trying to return the box to its rightful spot on the altar. Varian and my backs never part as we battle the skeletons. We aren't going to leave each other. "Wow, if I had a coin every time I was doomed by a mystical spirit, I'd have two coins. Which isn't a lot. But it's weird that it happened twice, right?" I joke while shooting an arrow straight through the center of a skull.

Suddenly, one of the skeletons throws Rapunzel right at us. My sister tumbles into Varian and me, sending us falling to the ground. I drop my bow from the impact, and it goes flying across the room. I nervously gulp as a few too many skeletons back Varian, Rapunzel, and me into a corner. "Uh, now would be a great time for you two to use your powers!" Rapunzel worriedly says, trying to gather up her hair to defend us.

I close my eyes and try to steady myself enough to activate my mysterious powers, but nothing happens. "C'mon...c'mon..." I mutter, squishing my face together from stress and focus.

"We don't know how those work!" Varian cries. "We can't just summon them on command!"

"There's nothing we can do!" I shout.

As the skeletons near closer, I brace myself for the worst, but it never comes. Out of nowhere, Max and Pascal charge through the crowd of skeletons, knocking them all to the ground. "Way to go you guys!!" I cheer. Pascal chirps and sends me a thumbs up, and I beam.

Rapunzel runs off to help Eugene, and I begin searching for my bow. Varian rushes to my aid, but neither of us can find it. My (ec) eyes finally land on my bow, but before I can grab it, one of the skeletons picks it up and begins aggressively waving it at Varian and me. I normally wouldn't be too worried, but my bow is constructed of the strongest wood in the land; even without arrows, it could still do some serious damage.

I and Varian are once again pushed into another corner when Xavier approaches us. "Ah, returned for the grave, I see." He says to the skeleton. "Much like the mummy of Questiana, or so the story goes. You see, there was once a mummy who..."

Varian notices the skeleton growing increasingly bored from Xavier's tale, and quickly grabs my hand and escapes while the monster is distracted.

Suddenly, another red light erupts from the altar, illuminating the room with a bright red flash. Just as quickly as they were summoned, all of the skeleton spirits were pulled back into the cursed box, returning everything to the way it once was. We all stand there in silence for a few moments, just trying to process what just happened, before everyone bursts into cheers.

Varian throws his arms around me and lifts me into the air, spinning me around a couple of times. "We did it!! We actually did it!!" He happily exclaims.

I beam brightly, not from the feeling of defeating a hoard of haunted skeletons (although I'm pretty excited about that, too), but from the feeling of being in Varian's arms. I cheer along with him, feeling over the moon; my cheeks turn bright pink, as do Varian's. As he sets me back down and smiles his adorable buck-toothed grin at me, I realize something that makes my heart stop.

I'm still in love with Varian.

:-:-:-:-:

As we exit the temple after our crazy adventure, I smile at Varian, feeling my stomach overtaken by butterflies. "Hey...thank you for protecting me back there." I touch my hand to his shoulder. "It means a lot to me."

A light shade of pink spreads across his face. "N-No problem..." He chuckles a bit, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "I'd do anything for you, Angel." He glances away as he says the last part.

I feel myself being overtaken by love for the boy standing beside me. I gently take his hands in my own and smile up at him. "And I'd do anything for you."

"I know." Varian softly grins.

Xavier suddenly exits the temple behind us and waves as he begins to walk away. Varian quickly steps over to him. "Good job, Xavier." He says with a genuine tone.

The old blacksmith smiles a bit. "Yes. You too, Varian." He says, before continuing to walk away.

Varian stops him. "You know what? Hey, Xaves? I-I just realized something." He pauses for a moment, thinking over his words. I stare at him expectantly, wondering what he wants to say. "You uh, you never finished The Legend of the Cheating Willows." He softly comments.

My heart warms at the sweet sight, feeling proud of Varian. It makes me so happy to see Varian and Xavier, both people I care about deeply, getting along. Even after how much Varian seemed to dislike him earlier, the alchemist has really warmed up to the blacksmith.

"Really?" The huge smile that spreads across Xavier's face fills me with more joy than I can even describe, and I beam. "Well, it is a rather long story," Xavier warns, a mischievous grin on his features.

Varian shrugs it off. "I got time."

I quickly walk up to the two. "Don't leave me out!" I chime in.

Xavier chuckles and wraps one arm around each of our shoulders. "Well..."

Chapter Text

As the warm Corona sun bids farewell to the day, warm rays of light danced through the leaves of the trees, casting a golden glow onto our wagon. Creamy white clouds were smeared across the pink sky, creating a rosy atmosphere. A slight chill fills the air as the sun begins giving away to night. I shiver a bit as I breathe in humid but fresh-smelling air, evident after the rainstorm earlier in the day. The sounds of birds chirping slowly shift into a choir of frogs croaking and the occasional hoot of an owl.

Typically, we wouldn't be traveling outside of Corona so late in the day, but Rapunzel was insistent that we take this trip to Neserdnia so Catalina and Angry could return that last of the treasure they had stolen.

Varian and I had spent the whole day in his lab trying to come up with a cure for my parents, but after only reaching dead ends I decided that we needed a brain break. Varian had protested at first, as he was desperate to find a cure to fix his mistakes, but I managed to convince him when I told him he could get a copper-plated alembic (a crucial piece of equipment to save my parents) from the market.

As we rode along the bumpy dirt road, Hamuel and Pascal suddenly soared down from above, crashing into the back of the cart and dumping a bag of stolen items over. "Careful you two," Rapunzel warns, hopping to the back of the cart to aid the animals. "We don't want to break this stuff before we get to Neserdnia."

"That's right," Angry nods her head, causing her short black ponytail to bounce a bit. "'cause once me and Catalina return this last sack of stolen loot, we will have officially put our thieving days behind us!"

I smile at the girls. "I'm proud of you two. You've really turned your lives around."

Catalina beams. "Thanks, (yn)." She sweetly says, hardly an ounce of shyness in her voice. I was so happy to see how confident she had become.

"Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on a copper-plated alembic from the Neserdnian market!" Varian giddily exclaims. "Do you have any idea how many poly-alchemical substration tests I'll be able to run?" His blue eyes meet mine, the slightest hint of guilt flashing across them. I knew why he hadn't told Angry and Catalina the real reason he needed that alembic. The girls were some of the only residents of Corona who don't know about Varian's past, and the alchemist wanted to keep it that way. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone else holding his history against him.

Angry rolls her dark eyes. "Anyone wanna switch seats with me?"

"Hmm." My sister happily hops in between Varian and Angry. "We're happy to have you two along." She says, smiling at Varian and me. "Plus, I'm hoping once Max and Ruddiger have some bonding time together, they can finally become friends!" She whispers.

Max scoffs in reply. He suddenly spots a bright red apple dangling from the branch of a tree we're passing and stops in his tracks. He gazes at the apple longingly, and Ruddiger then notices it as well. The raccoon rubs his paws together as he licks his lips, all the while chittering happily. Dandelion notices this, and she quickly hops out of my lap and rushes to her friend. The orange-colored bunny grabs Ruddiger's striped tail, trying to hold him back, but to no avail. Ruddiger hops off the cart and scurries up the tree that the juicy red fruit was hanging from, and snatches the apple right before Max can. The raccoon then skitters in front of Max and holds up his apple while shaking his rump, taunting him. Dandelion and Pascal glance at each other and sigh.

Max angrily whinnies and stomps toward Ruddiger, trying to steal the apple back. The cart rattles as he does so, causing all of the stolen loot to spill out of the bags and all of us to bounce around. I fall over to my left and my torso lands directly in Varian's lap. Varian stares down at me, and I stare up at him, the two of us not even reacting for a couple of moments. Our faces flush red and I quickly sit back up. "S-Sorry." I stutter out.

Varian doesn't make eye contact with me as he looks away, trying to hide his bright red face in the collar of his skirt. "N-No problem..."

"Gross. Get a room." Angry gags.

Max finally stops shaking the cart when he manages to grab the apple back from Ruddiger. We all breathe a collective sigh of relief. "Whoa! What happened!?" Rapunzel asks.

Catalina crawls into the back of the cart and begins scooping up gold coins and jewelry, and I quickly join her, eager to help. As I help her clean, I notice a golden pearl necklace with a large pink shell hanging from it. I slowly pick it up and run my fingers over the smooth pearls. "This is beautiful...who'd you steal this from?" I ask.

Catalina shrugs. "I don't know; I don't remember stealing it."

"Oh," Rapunzel turns around to face us. "Well, whatever it is...it's beautiful."

"And I bet it's pretty valuable." Angry comments.

"Uh, gang, hi, hello?" Varian pipes up and nervously glances at the forest surrounding us. "Speaking of valuables, we might wanna stow the loot. We're coming up on Deadman's Curve."

"What's 'Deadman's Curve?'" I ask, hopping back into my usual seat beside Varian.

Varian shudders. "It's a hotbed of highway robbery."

Suddenly, the sound of something running through the woods swooshes by our cart, and Varian tenses up and grips my forearm. "Relax, Var." I softly say in an attempt to calm him. "It's probably just a deer or something."

"Besides, real thieves don't waste their time on here." Angry adds. "It's mostly for hacks and knuckleheads.

Just then, a scrawny man dressed in black jumps out of the trees and dashes in front of our cart. He pulls out a sword and points it directly at us. "Hand over the goods!" He demands.

Catalina sighs. "Or in this case, both."

"Hi, Dwayne." Rapunzel, Catalina, and Angry all say to the thief, sounding rather annoyed.

The thief-er-Dwayne sighs. "Oh, nuts." He kicks his boot into the dirt a bit. "'Ello, Princess."

Rapunzel groans and facepalms. "Dwayne, what did we talk about the last time you were caught trying to steal?"

He kicks a rock as though he was a small child being scolded by a parent. "Don't do it...I promise. I'll never steal again." He begins walking away. "In fact, I'm gonna look for an honest job right now. Nice runnin' into ya. Enjoy your trip!" Before we can say another word, he hops into a bush.

"Well that was...weird..." I comment.

My sister sighs. "Tell me about it."

Suddenly, Max takes off running and begins zooming around a tree, chasing after Ruddiger, who still has his apple. We all scream as we spin round and round. "Max, stop!!" I cry, squeezing my eyes shut so I don't make myself sick.

"Guys cut it out!" Rapunzel pleads.

Max screeches to a stop as Ruddiger continues to taunt him from the safety of the tree. "Ruddiger, get down here!" Varian orders.

Ruddiger debates for a moment, but before he can do anything, Pascal uses his tongue to snatch the apple away from him. He takes off running away from the raccoon but ends up tripping over Hamuel the raven and drops the red apple, sending it falling to the ground. Dandelion hops forward and catches the apple in her fuzzy white paws right before it smashes to the ground, and we all breathe a sigh of relief. "Good job girl!" I applaud.

Ruddiger suddenly tackles Dandelion in an attempt to get the apple, triggering Max to once again begin frantically jolting around, shaking the cart along with him. "Come on you guys!" Rapunzel sighs.

Max begins spinning around in circles, spinning us and the blue cart full of loot along with him. We all scream as he does so, until he comes to a sudden stop when the apple lands right in front of him. Hamuel grabs the shell necklace and throws it at the apple, piercing into its juicy surface. He begins pulling the apple towards him and is about to take a bite of it when Ruddiger attacks the bird head-on.

Finally, Rapunzel reaches her breaking point. "ENOUGH!" All five animals stop in their tracks and stare at the princess with guilty expressions. "Maybe it's time for you all to just shake hands and get along. I mean, shake hoof and tail or beak in paw.." She glances at Varian. "Is that what raccoons have? Paws? I can never remember if it's paws or feet. Oh, well. Just shake what you've got and get on with it."

The animals nod and Hamuel begins pulling the shell back out of the apple. Suddenly, the hot pink shell begins glowing, and bright yellow rays of light begin erupting from its surface. One of the bright rays swirls around Rapunzel, Angry, Catalina, Varian, and me, shrinks us down, and sucks us into the shell. We all scream in horror as we're sucked away.

The five of us land in a marvelously decorated room, piled high with brightly colored pillows and cushions. Its hot pink walls curved upwards, trapping us in an oddly shaped dome. Dark purple and magenta tarps decorated the ceiling while ornate rugs clothed the floor. It looks like some kind of Middle Eastern-style lounge. We all sit up and stare at each other with dumbfounded expressions. "Where are we?" Catalina asks.

"Okay...either we've somehow been magically shrunk down and imprisoned inside the shell pendant, or..." Rapunzel crosses her legs as she trails off.

"Or...?" I question.

"Or..." She sighs. "Yeah, sorry. I was hoping I'd think of something more positive sounding by the time I finished that thought but I've got nothing."

"So we're stuck?"

She clicks her tongue. "It appears that way."

Angry, Catalina, Varian, and I look around the shell prison, trying to imagine spending the rest of our lives here. I feel a pit fall into my stomach. There is still so much I need to do! I need to restore my parent's memories, get Cass back, and finally tell Varian that I'm in love with him. I blush just thinking about it. "We can't be stuck in here!" I exclaim.

Rapunzel stares at our worried expressions and frowns. "It's okay! It's okay!" She quickly rises to her feet. "We'll find a way out of here. We have been in much worse situations. Definitely not weirder, but worse."

"What have I ever done to deserve this?!" Angry wails.

"Didn't you steal from, you know, dozens of people?" Varian asks.

Angry looks at her feet. "Oh, right. We're doomed." She says, picking up a deep purple cushion and chucking it at the boy.

Varian groans as it smacks him directly in the face, but quickly picks it up and raises it back, preparing to launch it back at Angry. He mischievously smiles at the little girl. Right as he's about to throw it, Rapunzel snatches the cushion out of Varian's hands, causing him to scowl at her. I giggle a bit from the interaction.

"Chin up, guys! I bet Max and the others are already on their way to get help." Rapunzel cheerily says, clearly trying to hide her nerves. Not that I could blame her. After all, based on the way the animals were acting earlier, I was pretty doubtful that they would be able to put aside their differences and cooperate.

Regardless, I try to remain optimistic. "We'll be out in no time!"

Varian smiles at me in agreement. "While we wait, maybe we could try to find another exit." He suggests to the group.

"Good idea!"

We all scatter throughout the pillow room.

Chapter Text

After searching the shell from top to bottom, we concluded that the only possible way out was through the golden gem in the ceiling, which also doubled as a window to the outside world. Now the only issue was finding a way to reach it. The five of us spend a few moments brainstorming until Varian has an idea. "I've got it!" He exclaims, slamming his fist into the palm of his hand. "We can form a human ladder! If we all stand on each other's shoulders we can reach that window no problemo." He proudly says.

Angry rolls her eyes. "That will never work. We aren't strong enough!"

I place my hand on Varian's shoulder and smile at him. "I say we try Var's idea. It's not like we have many other options."

"She has a point, Angry." Rapunzel agrees.

Varian chuckles. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"We could fall and break our necks?" Angry flatly replies.

Varian blows it off. "Psssh, nah...trust me, I've got it all worked out." He says, strutting over to Rapunzel and pulling her over a few feet so she's standing directly under the window. "I'm gonna climb onto Rapunzel's shoulders, and then (Yn) can climb onto mine. We'll keep doing it until one of us reaches the top."

We all follow Varian's orders and begin climbing into each other's shoulders until Catalina makes it to the top. "Keep her steady!" I call to Angry, carefully trying to balance her on my shoulders.

Catalina tries to peer through the jewel, grunting in annoyance as our human tower begins to wobble. "Well, what do you see?" Rapunzel asks from the bottom.

"Um...it looks like we're moving." The redhead reports.

"Where is Max taking us?" Varian asks.

"Ugh..." Catalina sighs. "Max isn't the one carrying us."

I chuckle dryly, hoping Catalina is playing some sort of sick joke. "What do you mean, 'Max isn't the one carrying us?'" I question. "Who else would be carrying us?"

"Dwayne."

We all let out a collective groan of annoyance.

"Hey, Catalina?" Rapunzel calls. "Do you think you could push that jewel out of its setting?"

"Oh yeah. Good idea." Varian nods, panic lacing his voice. "Good idea. If you can, you might be able to squeeze through that opening."

"Maybe then we can get Dwayne's attention!" I add.

"I'll give it a try." Catalina hopefully smiles and begins pushing the jewel with all her might. Our tower wobbles from the added pressure, and I wince as we almost topple over at one point. "It's in there pretty good!" The girl grunts.

"Keep trying! You can do it, Catalina!" I call up.

Catalina nods and continues pushing for a few minutes until we hear a small cracking sound coming from the rim of the gem. "Almost...got it!" Catalina triumphantly cheers, pushing the jewel up.

"I knew you could do it!" I applaud.

"Great job Catalina!" My sister congratulates. "Can you fit through it?"

"I can try!" She slides her hand through the opening, but as her fingers leave the shell, they enlarge back to their normal size. Only when Catalina pulls her hand back into the shell, do they shrink down again. She dejectedly looks at her hand and takes her other hand off the rim of the shell to examine it, causing her to lose her balance.

Before she can react, we all go topping to the ground like a tower of wooden blocks. I groan as I fall headfirst into a pile of cushions. It's not the most uncomfortable landing ever, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. As I sit up, my hair goes cascading down my face, and I gasp in horror upon realizing that my hair had fallen out of its ponytail. My heart almost stops when I realize that I no longer have Varian's bandana securing my hair. Without hesitation, I begin digging through the mound of cushions like a dog digging for a bone, until I find the piece of red fabric. I sigh of relief leaves my lips and I pull my hair back into a ponytail. "Is everyone okay?" I call.

"Barely..." Angry whines.

Catalina sits up in a pile of pillows and spits a few feathers out of her mouth. "I've been better." She gags, pulling feathers out of her hair.

"A little help?" The all-too-familiar voice of an alchemist says.

I look in the direction of the voice and gasp when I see Varian tangled in one of the purple tarps hanging from the ceiling, suspended in mid-air. "How did you even...?"

Varian sighs. "I wish I knew."

I rush over to help him and as I begin untangling him, he suddenly falls to the ground, smacking his head against the floor. I wince. "Ooh...sorry Var."

Varian sighs until he notices a bronze plaque on the floor. "Guys, look!" He flips himself over and examines the slab of metal.

"There's an inscription;" I say, kneeling beside Varian.

"Maybe it has a way out!" Varian and I both say in unison. We both turn to face each other and gasp. "Jinx!" We say, bursting into a fit of laughter.

As our laughter dies down, Varian smiles and looks back down at the plaque. "Wow." He mutters.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's just..." Varian gives me a gentle smile. "We haven't fished each other's sentences in a while." His blues eyes sparkle and I instantly see the young Varian I first met in the castle library. "I-It's nice, that's all."

I smile at him, feeling my heart warming up by the second. "I missed this."

"Finishing each other's sentences...?"

"No...well, I did miss that..." I giggle. "But I also missed going on these crazy adventures together. Even when we're in mortal danger, I still enjoy every second with you."

Blood rushes into Varian's cheeks as he stares at me. "M-Me too..." he quickly clears his throat as Angry and Catalina approach us, and turns back to the plaque. "This...it appears to be some sort of ancient chirography." He concludes. Rapunzel walks up behind us and rests her arm on Angry's head. "Yeah! Mionotion perhaps?" He gasps. "No, no...maybe early Saporian!"

Rapunzel stares at the plaque for a moment. "Uh, you're looking at it upside down." She chuckles, walking to the opposite side of the plaque.

"Oh, right. Of course."

Rapunzel clears her throat and begins reading from the plaque. "'You are now a prisoner of the shell. To escape its curse, you must return it to the briny deep of the sea, or remain inside it evermore.'"

"Excuse me?" I stare at my sister. "Uh...how are we supposed to return the shell to the sea if we're stuck inside it?!"

"That's ridiculous! We can't move the shell on our own!" Catalina exclaims.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. WE'RE DOOMED!!!!" Angry wails.

"Hey!" Rapunzel quickly cuts in before anyone else can freak out. "Don't forget: 'doom' upside down is 'woop!'"

"I think you're losing it, Raps," I conclude.

Rapunzel ignores my comment. "And while you think about that, think about this: our friends are still out there! Max is the best tracker in Corona, and he's probably on Dwayne's tail as we speak!"

"And Pascal is really really smart!" Catalina hopefully says.

Varian hops onto a pillow with determination. "Plus Ruddiger can be surprisingly resourceful."

I jump up beside him. "Not to even mention the fact that Dandelion is the most determined bunny in the seven kingdoms. If anyone can rally a group of arguing animals together, it's her!"

Angry glances around at us and crosses her arms over her chest. "...anyone wanna say anything nice about that bird?"

Everyone awkwardly looks away, and I rack my brain for something positive to say. "Uh...he uh...he can fly...sort of..."

:-:-:-:-:

"Looks like we can count the animals out of our rescue plan." Angry sighs from the top of yet another human ladder, peering through the golden jewel.

Rapunzel had tried to manipulate Dwayne into dropping the shell pendant into the sea but that plan horribly backfired when the animals tried to get involved. They tried to attack Dwayne to free us, but it only resulted in a ton of injuries and Dwayne and us getting snatched up by a vulture. After our animal rescue team completely blew any shot we had of escaping, we were now forced to try and get to the sea all by ourselves, all from the top of a steep cliff next to a vulture's nest.

Rapunzel, ever the optimist, still tries to encourage us. "Guys, I have been in a lot of situations like this."

"You've been trapped in a shell prison with no hope of escape?" I ask.

"Well, not like this." She forces out a laugh. "I mean, how often does a person get stuck inside a trinket? But the important thing is we can never give up hope on our friends. Max is a top-notch guard, he just needs to learn that a great leader has to listen as well as give orders. In other words, he has to learn how to play well with others. They all do. Each one of those guys has something special about them. Pascal may be small, but he's mighty. And also adorable." Rapunzel chuckles a bit. "Dandelion is incredibly loyal to the ones she loves, and Ruddiger is cunning and smart. If they could just come together, they would be unstoppable."

"I couldn't help but notice you forgot to mention the bird." Angry snickers as Rapunzel helps us down our human ladder.

"Oh! I didn't forget!" Rapunzel quickly says.

"Mmhmm~" I tease as I plop down on a couch beside Varian.

"It's true!"

"But princess," Catalina speaks up. "Even if those guys got their acts together, how would they find us all the way up here?"

"You're right..." Rapunzel says.

Varian and I glance at each other, and I instantly know the two of us are having the exact same idea going through our minds. "We need something to catch their attention," Varian says.

I nod in agreement. "I know just the thing! Var, get your brightest alchemical compounds." I instruct.

"That's perfect! And you find a breezy, but durable fabric of some kind." Varian adds, already reaching into his bag in search of the proper compounds.

"Aye aye!" I joke, darting over to one of the purple banners that were draped from the ceiling. I rip one of them down and begin folding it into the shape of a lantern.

Varian approaches me, his arms holding vials full of illuminated brightly colored chemicals. We begin tying them to the makeshift lantern.

"That's genius, you two!" Rapunzel complements, walking over to us.

Varian shrugs. "What can I say? We make a pretty good team." He says, winking at me.

"You've got that right." I grin, carrying the lantern to the middle of the room, directly under where the jewel is positioned. I turn to Angry, Catalina, and Rapunzel. "Can you three start making more lanterns? We'll need to make this spectacle as big as possible if the animals are to notice it."

Rapunzel sends me a thumbs-up. "You got it, sis!"

Varian walks beside me and takes the other half of the lantern in his gloved hands. "Nothing like a little alchemical pizazz to get their attention." He says as we send the lantern up and through the hole in the ceiling.

We watch in awe as the lanterns soar into the sky, casting multicolored hues of light onto everything they touch. It reminds me of a picture of the aurora borealis that I read about in one of my science books.

We continued sending lanterns into the sky. The lanterns explode in the air, only amplifying the bright lights that painted the starry night sky. "Pass me another lantern!" I instruct, turning back to Angry and Catalina.

Catalina shakes her head. "We're all out."

"We just have to hope that the animals were able to spot them," Rapunzel concludes.

Our eyes travel up to the opening in the shell, watching it intently. We wait several minutes, but we can see no movement from the outside. C'mon, guys... I internally plead. Suddenly, the familiar sound of chattering and squeaking fills the air and drifts into the shell. "It's Ruddiger and Pascal!" Rapunzel triumphantly cries.

"We're saved!" I exclaim, throwing my arms around Varian in celebration.

We cheer as Ruddiger reaches for the shell, when suddenly, he wakes the vulture up, triggering it to fly after him. With nowhere else to flee, Ruddiger falls backward off the edge of a cliff. "NO! RUDDIGER!!" Varian shrieks, terror evident in his voice.

Tears begin welling up in both his and my eyes as we watch the scene unfold. Varian looks away from our little window and buries his head into the crook of my neck, soft sobs escaping from the boy. I slowly rub his back in an attempt to comfort him, trying to hold back tears of my own. I know how horribly any kind of loss affects Varian, and I know I have to be strong for him. Suddenly, something in the night sky catches my eye. A wave of joy washes over me when I see Ruddiger rising into the air from below. I quickly realize that Hamuel had caught the raccoon and saved him from what could've been certain doom. "Varian! It's Ruddiger!!" I happily announce to Varian.

Varian slowly looks up and turns around to find Ruddiger. I smile as I see the pure relief that floods his face when he sees that his little buddy is okay. "Thank Demanitus he's safe." Varian softly says, wiping away his tears. "Get the shell, bud!!" He calls. Ruddiger blows a raspberry at the vulture, before flying away on Hamuel. The vulture speeds after them, and Varian sighs. "Oh, we're doomed."

"Varian, wait! Wait, wait! This is part of their plan!" Rapunzel eagerly says. Suddenly, our shell is lifted and Pascal peeks his eye in through the jewel, and we all cheer realizing that we're in good hands.

Just when we finally think that we're in the clear, Pascal slips off of the cliff and plummets towards the Earth. We all begin screaming at the tops of our lungs, preparing to smash into the ground, but Rapunzel quickly shoots her golden hair through the little gap between the jewel and the shell and manages to loop it around a piece of rock that was protruding from the cliff. We all fly forward from the sudden stop. "Nice shot, Raps." I weakly say.

"We really need to practice our emergency landings..." Varian groans.

As Max and Pascal begin preparing for the next phase of their plan, Dandelion quickly slips the necklace over her head and dashes toward the seashore. I cheer for my rabbit as she bolts through the woods like lightning, feeling extremely proud of her. The rabbit tosses the shell into the sea right as the other animals catch up. A teal glow fills up the shell and explodes out from it, and we're suddenly sucked out of the magical prison and returned to our normal size. We all rise up from the water smiling widely at the mission's success. I notice Varian stumble and fall into the water, landing on his rump, and I giggle a bit. "Need a little help?" I ask, offering a hand to the boy.

Varian laughs as he takes it, and I pull him up. "I can't believe we did it!" He exclaims.

Max must agree with Varian's statement because he begins neighing happily while galloping in circles around us. "You did it!" Rapunzel cheers, throwing her arms around the animals. "Woo-hoo! I knew this trip was gonna be good for you guys."

The animals all nod in agreement before Dandelion hops off of Max's back and right into my arms. I giggle as she cuddles into my arms, her head nuzzling my cheek, causing her little whiskers to brush against my face. "Aww, I missed you, too!"

We all walk out of the water and begin journeying back to wherever we left our cart, chatting and laughing the whole way. As we walk, I turn to Varian and sheepishly smile. "Sorry that this break from your lab wasn't as relaxing as I thought it'd be..." I say to him.

"I actually kinda liked it," Varian says, giving me a dorky grin.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Varian's blue eyes sparkle in the moonlight. "It's like you said, I enjoy spending time with you. I've missed it. I...I've missed you."

A blush spreads across my cheeks. "Me too, Var. Me too."

Chapter Text

The first thing the shadows reveal to me is the black rocks. As the fog gradually retreats out of the courtyard, I glimpse around at my surroundings. It's pitch black outside; the only thing offering me any sort of vision is the glow of the full moon. The chill in the air nips my skin from the dark atmosphere.

My eyes catch sight of Varian first. He is standing at the entrance of the Royal courtyard. His hair stripe is illuminating. "Varian? What's going on?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" A sickeningly sweet voice cuts through the night. It sounds like the thoughtful voice of a child but it's sugar-coated enough to make my teeth rot.

"W-Who are you?" I ask the night. A giggle echos around me, and abruptly, golden amber begins forming around Varian's feet, ensnaring him in place. Fear tears at my insides, so sharply that it feels as though it's ripping me apart from the inside out. I rush to Varian's aid. "Varian!!" I cry.

"(Yn)!!" Varian screams, desperately straining to remove his feet from the amber. His panic-stricken eyes pierce into my soul, desperately begging me to assist. "Help me! Please!!"

The yellow rock crawls up Varian's legs and I clutch his hands, frantically trying to pull him from the amber. I know it's futile, but I can't help myself but try. "Hang on Var!"

"Save me, (Yn)! Please!!" Varian begs, tears streaming down his cheeks. The last of the amber shoots up over Varian, trapping the rest of his body in the unbreakable substance. The tears on the horrified boy's cheeks have been preserved with the amber, his body permanently entrapped in the prison.

Suddenly, the amber shoots out to the left and right of Varian, traveling along the perimeter of the courtyard. Out of nowhere, Rapunzel and Cassandra appear from the fog and begin getting consumed by the amber once it reaches them. "Raps!! Cass!!" I exclaim, rushing to my sister first. I have to save her... I think. I can't lose anyone else! By the time I reach her, it's too late, both she and Cassandra have been trapped in the amber entirely.

The amber continues to creep around the perimeter of the courtyard, and as it does so, it encases everyone I treasure. Mom, Dad, Lance, Quirin, Eugene, Xavier, Angry, and Catalina. Tears stream down my cheeks as the scene unfolds before me. "They're all...they're all gone..." I sob, sinking to my knees. As I cup my face in my hands and cry, a choir of ghostly voices envelops me.

"(Yn)..."

"Why didn't you save us?"

"You should've saved us..."

"(Yn)..."

"Why...?"

Tears pour from my eyes. "I-I tried! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I failed you..." I choke out.

The voices chant louder.

"This is all your fault..."

"You could've done more..."

"Our deaths are on your hands..."

"How could you do this?"

The guilt floods into me like a tsunami. They're right... I think to myself. I could've done something...I should've done something... "I'm sorry!!" I cry. "I wanted to help! It's all my fault!!"

"You could never save us..."

"You're weak."

I place my hands over my ears, tears still streaming from my eyes. "STOP IT! PLEASE, JUST STOP!"

...

I sit up in a cold sweat. I'm hyperventilating. My body feels numb. My hand instantly goes to my chest as I try to compose myself. I brush loose strands of hair from my face as I try to slow my breathing and calm down. "It was just a nightmare..." I whisper, not knowing if I feel more relieved by that fact or terrified of it. What could've compelled me to have a dream like that?

I glance at my bedside table and notice Varian's bandana resting there in its usual spot, bright red from the sunlight filtering through the window. I grasp ahold of it and climb out of bed.

I need to talk to Var...

:-:-:-:-:

My boots click against the cobblestone roads of Corona, swiftly carrying me down the winding paths. The smells that filled the village that normally brought me comfort do nothing for me today. Not the fresh cinnamon buns set on Attila's windowsill to cool, and not the scent of freshly picked flowers. Even the sunshine brings me no delight. I have to visit Varian. I quickly dodge pedestrians and vendors as I maneuver through the village, desperate to get to Old Corona and talk to Varian. My (hc) hair billows in the wind, making the golden streak in my hair much more prominent. My stomach churns as I grab the gold stripe of hair and stare at it; it always reminds me of Varian.

Not paying attention, I collide with someone who was also quickly making their way through town, causing both of us to fall to the ground. I gasp as I land directly on top of Varian, my face only mere inches from his. "Varian!" I exclaim, quickly getting off of him. "I, uh..." I don't know how to tell him about my dream. It would destroy him. "Um..."

"(Yn)?" Varian asks as I help him to his feet. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" He asks, his voice sounding genuine.

"I...I just had a nightmare last night." I look at the boy with worried eyes. "It was...it was really bad."

"What was it about?"

I can't tell him. I just can't. "Umm...the black rocks," I say. I mean, it's not a complete lie.

"I actually had a similar dream, too," Varian mutters.

"You did?" I ask, happy to move away from the subject of my nightmares.

"I-I had a nightmare that my dad got trapped in the amber again..." Varian confesses, looking away.

Trapped in amber? Chills run down my spine. I feel confusion well up inside me. "That's so strange...why would we both have such bad nightmares on the same night? What a coincidence..."

"I don't think it's a coincidence." Varian softly says.

"What do you mean?"

"Come with me." The alchemist says, taking my hand and leading me down a couple of back alleys. I feel worry grow inside of me as I think of whatever Varian has to show me. Part of me doesn't want to know.

As we turn the corner of a shop, I gasp. Protruding from the cobblestone street was one of the black rocks. Except it isn't black.

It's red.

An eerie shade of crimson emits from the rock as I gaze at it. "W-What is it?" I ask, turning back to face Varian.

Varian pulls a magnifying glass out of his pocket and begins examining the rock. "I think it's-"

Suddenly, I hear the soft clicks of boots approaching us from behind. Before I can even react, the Royal guards have grabbed Varian's forearms and chained his wrists. "(Yn)!" Varian exclaims.

"Varian!!" I try to run towards him but I find that my feet are somehow frozen in place, almost like they have been glued to the ground. "Let him go! He's not a threat!" I command.

"Sorry your Highness, but the king ordered us to apprehend him." One of the guards states.

"He didn't do anything!" I desperately try to move my feet, but I can't. "Let him go! Please!!" I plead, staring into the guard's eyes.

The guards don't respond as they load him into a prison cart, just like they did back when Varian lost the Battle of Old Corona. "(Yn)!! (YN)!!!" He cries.

Suddenly, the images of Varian being apprehended fade away, leaving me and Varian alone, just like before. Varian is shaking my shoulders. "(Yn)! Snap out of it!!"

I don't know if it's the sense of relief I feel or if my body needs to recover from the fright I had, but I suddenly break down crying. Tears burn the corners of my eyes as it becomes difficult to swallow. Fear and despair take over my senses, all of my doubts surfacing at the front of my mind.

Varian doesn't say anything and slowly ushers me away from the strange new rocks, walking us over to the side of a building. He sits me down and takes a breath. "(Yn)...what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." I force a smile. "I'm fine, Var." I stare at him through tear-filled eyes. I don't want to tell him the truth; if Varian knew about how that battle caused me so much fear...and just how scared I was that I would lose him again, it would crush the alchemist. He already felt bad enough for what happened that awful night...I could never tell him. I just can't.

Varian pulls me out of my thoughts as he takes one of my hands into his own. "Angel, I know you well enough to know that there's something wrong. Please tell me. I want to help you." His blue eyes stare at me with desperation.

As I wipe the tears from my eyes, I finally cave. Although I hate to admit it, he deserves to know the truth. "You're right...truth be told, I'm not fine..." A second wave of tears fills my eyes. "Last night...I had a nightmare...a-about the amber. It...it trapped everyone...and I-I couldn't stop it."

Varian's warm eyes become dark and his face falls as though his world has been shattered. Guilt stabs me in the heart. I never wanted this. All I want is to move on from the past and live a carefree life...so why can't I do that? Why is it so hard to overcome this fear?

Tears begin to fill Varian's eyes. "W-What?" He asks in a soft voice.

I take a breath, mentally and physically preparing myself to finally tell Varian what's been on my mind. "T-The battle of Old Corona was where I experienced my first loss; you." I steal a glance from the boy. "That night, I lost my best friend. I lost one of the most important people in my life. Even though you didn't pass away, you were still taken from me. It crushed me. Then, I lost Rapunzel when she left to follow the black rocks. I lost my sister, the sister I had only known for about a year. I lost my parents to the wand of oblivium. Sure, I never actually lost them, but I lost the people who they once were. I had to say 'goodbye' to my parents and the memories we once shared. And then Cassandra. The woman I saw as the big sister I never had. I lost her to the moonstone. She left her home and family behind, and to be quite frank, I have no idea if I'll ever see her again. If-If I've learned anything from my time outside of the palace, it's that the universe can take what it wants whenever it wants. Everything I hold dear can be taken in mere seconds, and sometimes, I can't do anything about it." I try to brush the tears from my face but they simply keep coming. "I just got you back; what if I lose you again?" I stare into his eyes. "I'm just so scared..."

Varian doesn't say anything as he never takes his eyes off his feet.

With every tear that leaves my eyes, more guilt enters inside me. "Why can't I just move on? I-I just want things to be normal again."

As I break down crying again, Varian doesn't say anything and simply wraps his arms around me. "(Yn)...I-I had no idea you felt that way. I didn't know...I didn't know you were keeping so much in..."

I can't see his face, but I can hear the sobs coming from the boy. I occasionally feel his warm tears drip onto my back as he cries. "I didn't want to tell you because I know that you feel bad enough, I just...I couldn't keep it in any longer."

"I'm so sorry, Angel. I'm so sorry." He weeps. "I never wanted to see you in this much pain. You don't deserve any of this. You don't deserve me or the problems I've caused." He slowly pulls out of our hug and stares at me with puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "You'd be better off without me." He says, standing up.

I quickly grab his hand and pull him back down. "Don't say that!" As he sits back down I gently hold both of his hands in my own. "Varian, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You've been there for me even when we weren't on the same side. You've made me laugh when nobody else could. You gave me hope on my darkest days. You gave me everything through it all." I smile genuinely at him. "Even though you've made mistakes, that doesn't make me care about you any less. I know things are hard right now and we're both going through our own struggles, but I'd rather go through them together than apart." I squeeze his hand a bit, earning a small smile from Varian. "I should've been honest with you about my worries. I'm so sorry."

Varian squeezes my hand back. "I'm sorry, too. For everything I've put you through."

"I know...and I forgive you. I always have."

For the first time since the battle, I finally feel free.

Chapter Text

"My theory is that the red rocks can make someone see their worst fear through an illusion of some kind," Varian says as we walk down the street, Ruddiger prancing along beside us.

I nod in agreement. "So, that must be why we both had nightmares last night. The influence of those rocks affected our subconscious."

"I hadn't thought of that before, but I bet you're right." Varian comments, resting his chin in his hand as we walk. I study his face as he does so, watching his all too familiar 'deep in thought' expression. Something about seeing the boy so deep in thought intrigues me and gives me a sense of admiration for him. "Now we just need to figure out where they've come from."

I think for a moment. "I bet it was Cassandra. If she has the moonstone, then she probably has all the powers that come with it."

"But then..." He trails off. Varian stops in his tracks and quickly glances around.

I stop beside him. "What's wrong?"

Varian's breath hitches. "Ruddiger. Where is he?"

"I don't know..." I worriedly say. "Maybe he ran off to find Dandelion?"

"This is bad, this is really really bad." Varian nervously mutters.

"I'm sure he'll come back eventually-"

The alchemist cuts me off. "But what if he's lost somewhere? Those red rocks are growing more common by the second! I don't wanna lose track of him for even a moment."

I place my hands on his shoulders reassuringly. "Don't worry, Var. I'll help you find him." I give him a comforting smile and Varian seems to calm down for the time being.

"Okay."

The two of us begin wandering the streets, calling Ruddiger's name, hoping to find him. After several minutes of searching, I suddenly hear a chattering noise. I hold my arm out, stopping Varian in his tracks. "What is it?" He asks.

I quickly shush him and slowly point up toward one of the rooftops, where a furry creature with a striped tail is resting.

"Ruddiger!" Varian exclaims, trying to call his little buddy. Instead of coming to him as I expect, Ruddiger dashes away from us, running along the rooftops. "Ruddiger!! Get your bushy tail back here!!" Varian calls, quickly grabbing my hand and chasing after the raccoon. "Hey! Buddy, where are you headed?"

We chase after him as quickly as our legs can take us. "Hurry!" I cry, pointing after Ruddiger's tail.

We turn a corner and practically crash into Feldspar and a village woman holding her baby. Varian skids to a stop, and nervously chuckles. "Oh! Sorry. Hi." He waves.

"Don't you have a kingdom to overthrow or something?" Feldspar scoffs.

Varian looks taken aback for a moment. He laughs a bit and tries to play Fedlspar's comment off as a joke. "Heh, yeah...you haven't seen a raccoon around, have you?"

The woman 'humphs' in reply, and her baby suddenly bursts into tears.

Varian's eyes widen, him clearly getting uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Okay...uh...n-never mind." He says, walking away.

As Varian leaves, I angrily turn to Feldspar and the woman. "What was that all about?!"

"I prefer to not solicit with anarchists." Feldspar spits, his voice laced with venom. The shoemaker crosses his arms over his chest.

"Varian isn't an anarchist!!" I exclaim. "He helped save this kingdom from the Saporians while you people were busy hiding!"

"He also helped them take over." The woman scoffs.

"You are unbelievable! How long will it take you people to forgive him?! He's more than proved himself worthy of a second chance!" I cry.

"This is ridiculous!" Feldspar says with exasperation. "I didn't come here to get harassed."

"Oh for the love of..." I sigh. "I don't have time for this," I growl, stomping away from them. What will it take for them to just move on? The battle wasn't even on this island where they live! How hard can it be for them to at least try and forgive Varian?

I quickly run after Varian and soon catch up to him. "Sorry..." I pant.

"You don't have to stand up for me, Angel," Varian says. "I don't want you ruining your reputation by defending me." He sighs, not glancing my way. He keeps his eyes fixated on the road ahead, as though he couldn't bear to see my face.

"I don't care about what they think of me if they don't even have the common decency to be civil adults." I scoff.

"But you're a princess! You have a big reputation to uphold." He exclaims. "Those people are watching you like a hawk. If you keep defending me, it's going to look bad on you." The boy sighs again, still not meeting my gaze. "They already hate me. I don't want them to hate you too."

I gently smile at him. "I appreciate it, Var, but don't care what they think of me. The only people whose opinions I care about are the people I care about. Which includes you." Before I can see the blush that has formed on Varian's freckled cheeks, I stop dead in my tracks. "Is that...Ruddiger?" I point at a red-tinted striped tail poking out from behind the red rocks.

Varian breathes a sigh of relief and runs over to the raccoon. "Hey, buddy! I was looking for you-" he stops as he gets a closer look at Ruddiger. "Wha-what are you..." he waves his hand in front of Ruddiger's face. "Hello? What's wrong?"

I approach the two and examine Ruddiger's face, frozen in fear. "What in the world...?" I mutter. I gently tap the top of Ruddiger's head, only to not receive a response. "He's the same color as the rocks...I think he's frozen because of them."

Varian picks up the raccoon and flinches when we hear a crash followed by several screams. We quickly run onto Main Street, where several villagers are frantically running around screaming as though they are being chased by an invisible force. "What is going on?!" I ask.

"It's Rapunzel!" Varian suddenly exclaims, pointing to a very concerned-looking princess. "Maybe she can help!"

We quickly run over to my sister, who is trying to calm a very stressed-out Eugene down. "These rocks are messing with our heads-" Rapunzel turns around and comes face to face with Ruddiger and lets out a loud yelp.

"Sorry, sorry." Varian quickly apologizes, lowering Ruddiger a bit. "Just me and (yn). Hi."

"And, uh, Ruddiger..." I add as Varian places the frozen raccoon on a barrel.

"Kinda."

Rapunzel stares at Ruddiger with worry evident on her face. "Is he okay? What happened?"

"Uh, we aren't quite sure..." I nervously say. "We think it has something to do with these new rocks."

"I've only been able to study them for a few hours, but their effects appear to be..." Varian's eyes shift to Ruddiger. As he glances at his frozen buddy, he swallows the lump in his throat. "...extremely dangerous."

"Oh yeah?!" Eugene frantically asks. "More dangerous than bringing people's greatest fears to life?!"

"Yes, well, if people remain under that fear spell for too long..." Varian's lip quivers as he stares at his furry friend.

"It looks like they'll become frozen with terror," I say, finishing for Varian. "...permanently."

Rapunzel, ever the optimist, places her hands on her hips with determination. "Well, gang, then it sounds to me like we need to find a way to turn these fearful frowns upside down!" She exclaims, trying to mold Ruddiger's terrified face into a smile.

I wince in horror. "Oh boy..." While I admire my sister's can-do attitude, I can't help but feel bad for poor Ruddiger.

As Rapunzel steps back to admire her work, she nervously chuckles. "Okay, yep. Sorry. That just wound up making him look creepier."

:-:-:-:-:

"Now, theoretically, if we sever this chain of rocks," Varian looks to the diagram of underground tunnels Rapunzel drew up, and circles one of the tunnels that hits a huge patch of rocks. "Using one of my alchemical solutions, then we can cut off the red rocks' fear power." He triumphantly says.

Rapunzel smirks. "Oh, we can so cut off their power."

"We'll need to take the deepest cavern," I comment. "The farther down we go to stop those rocks the better."

"Deep cavern..." Rapunzel looks at Eugene, trying to think of a place to go. Her eyes suddenly light up. "I know just the place!"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream cuts through the halls of the castle. "Someone's in trouble!" I exclaim, already standing up. I quickly run out of the study to follow the screams. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Varian quickly follow after me, right as we find the source of the desperate cries.

One of the maids is leaning against a red rock, frantically screaming about whatever illusion the rocks were showing her. "No, no, no, no, no!!!" She cries. Suddenly, she freezes in place, turning a bright red color.

"Oh, this is bad..." Varian nervously says, running his fingers through his black hair.

"Oh no..." Rapunzel mutters, placing a hand on the now-frozen maid. "It's getting worse." She turns to us. "We can't let this happen to anybody else. Varian, (Yn), your plan starts now."

Varian and I glance at each other and exchange a nod. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

The sun has begun to sink into the horizon by the time we prepare to leave. Normally, the island was still full of life at this hour, but thanks to the red rocks, everyone was locked up in their homes. The once bustling kingdom is like a ghost town.

As Rapunzel recruits Lance and Eugene to try and keep everyone in good spirits, I assist Varian in packing up his bag. I grunt as I set down a small crate full of flasks, each one filled up with an illuminated bright yellow liquid. As I pass the flasks to the boy, I hear him sigh. "What's wrong, Var?" I gently inquire. "Are the rocks showing you illusions again?"

The glow of the liquid illuminates Varian's face as he turns to look at me, his gaze sullen. "No...it's-it's just...the only thing strong enough to cut off the rock's power is...the amber."

My face falls. "Oh..." I kneel beside him and take a breath. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah...I-I just...I don't like who I was the last time I used this stuff."

"That doesn't make this compound inherently bad." I gently say. "Maybe it turned out bad last time, but that doesn't mean it's only capable of evil. This time you're using it for good." I give Varian a side hug. "Nothing is ever inherently bad. There's good in everything, you just have to search to find it."

Varian smiles a bit and hugs me back. "Thanks, Angel."

That nickname...it never fails to make my heart flutter.

:-:-:-:-:

The damp smell of the tunnels fills my nose as we walk through the winding caverns. A gentle tapping noise echoes against the stone walls as carefully step around various booby traps. The only light comes from the crimson glow of the red rocks. The more we walk, the more prevalent the rocks get.

Slowly but surely, we travel closer to the base of the red rocks, Rapunzel leading our little team into the battle zone. I walk behind her, and Varian lingers much farther away from the both of us. His eyes nervously dart around the cavern, as though at any moment a monster would jump out at us through the stones in the walls. "No problem...we got this. No problem, we got this" He chuckles dryly, tightly gripping the straps of his backpack.

As we climb over a fallen wooden beam, I look at Varian with concern. "Are you alright, Var?"

"-Because you've said, 'no problem, we've got this,' twenty-three times now," Rapunzel adds, holding up her journal, which has a drawing of a very terrified Varian next to a couple dozen tally marks. "Look, I'm actually keeping track."

Varian forces a chuckle. "I'm fine, really." He continues walking, still gripping his backpack straps. "Uh, y'know, just trying not to set off one of the three thousand traps down here!"

I gently take Varian's hand in my own, stopping him in his tracks. "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."

Varian gently smiles. "I know...I'm fine though. Really." His blue eyes drift down to our hands.

A blush creeps across my cheeks and I quickly pull my hand away. "S-Sorry."

"Uh, N-no worries." Varian quickly says, continuing to walk forward.

Suddenly Pascal hits a stone in the wall with his tongue while trying to catch a fly, triggering a trap door to begin opening below us. We start sliding down into a deep pit lined with red rocks, and my heart practically stops. I try to grip the sides of the trap door but to no avail.

Varian's backpack flies open and a couple of his books along with all the flasks of amber-creating solution tumble down into the pit. "My supplies!!" Varian cries.

As they roll down, I manage to grasp onto one of the flasks, but in doing so, I lose my grip completely and plummet downward. I scream in horror as I fall.

"(YN)!!!" Varian screams, jumping down the hole, and trying to grab me. As his arms wrap around my waist protectively, a familiar flickering sensation sparks within me. Suddenly, we stop falling. Our bodies come to an abrupt halt.

We float.

I slowly open my eyes to see Varian's blue hair streak glowing once again. We stare at each other. Varian's blue eyes are brightly illuminated by magic, and I can see my own eyes, turned a glowing gold, in their reflection. Our longing gazes, full of wonder and love, never part, as though we're enchanted by the power before us.

Our trance is broken when suddenly Rapunzel's golden hair drops down beside us. "Quick! Grab on!"

As we grasp onto my sister's unbreakable hair, Varian and my illuminated features fade back to normal. Rapunzel pulls us up, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief once we're safely at the top again. "Thanks, Raps." I give her a grateful smile.

"You're welcome." She returns the gesture. "I can't believe your powers showed up again..."

"Me neither..." My fingers slowly pick up my golden hairstreak. "I'm still not used to them."

"I think you two are more used to them than you think." Rapunzel points out. "Whenever you guys have used those powers in the past, they always exhausted you. You don't look exhausted to me."

My eyes widen in realization. "You're right...I feel fine."

"No no no no no no...." I glance over to see Varian frantically checking his now-empty backpack. "T-They're all gone...it's over..." He runs his fingers through his black hair as he looks up at us.

"Not yet it isn't." I proudly say, holding up the flask I managed to grab.

Relief washes over Varian's features. "Oh, thank Demanitus..." He looks up at me with grateful eyes as I hand him the flask. "Thank you so much, Angel."

"No problem, Var." I gently nudge him with my elbow. "It's you and me, remember?"

Varian chuckles a bit. "Heh..yeah."

"Is it going to be enough?" I check.

He stares at the flask for a moment. "I hope so..."

Rapunzel approaches us with a reassuring smile. "We'll just have to make it count."

Varian simply nods and continues walking. I quickly try to catch up to him. "Varian, wait!" I call.

The boy slows his pace ever-so-slightly.

"Thank you for saving me," I say as I catch up to him.

Varian's anxious face relaxes a bit. "Y-You're welcome. I'd do anything to keep you safe. You'd do the same for me."

I smile a little at his comment, and can't help but feel my heart well up with love for the alchemist. I gravitate a bit closer to him as we walk.

Suddenly, Rapunzel skips ahead of us, a huge grin on her face. "Not much further. We're almost there! Have that solution of yours ready, Varian."

Varian suddenly stops walking as though his boots were stuck to the floor by the same solution Cass, Raps, and I got stuck in on the first day we visited the alchemist. He stares at his reflection in the flask, his eyebrows furrowing together as he does so. I back up so that we're once again side by side, and place my hand on his shoulder. "Varian? Are you okay?"

His frown only grows as he ignores me. It's as though he's trapped in his own little world. Rapunzel walks back over to us. "Varian, whatever the red rocks are showing you, they're just visions. They're not real." She reassures.

Varian's grip on the flask tightens. "But they are." He holds up the flask. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's what's gonna help us sever the red rock's power." My sister replies.

"Yes," Varian quickly says. "But it's also the same compound that encased my father." He looks into his reflection. "You know, the red rocks make everybody else see hallucinations, but what I see is something that really happened..." His eyes steal a glance at me before he looks back at the flask. "This stuff ruined my life. Because of this, I did...I did terrible things that I'll never be able to take back-" As Varian's grip on the flask tightens, the flask suddenly pops out of his hands and shoots towards the ground.

Thankfully, Pascal manages to grab the flask with his tongue, right before it smashes onto the floor. "Nice save, buddy!" Rapunzel compliments, scratching the chameleon's scaly head.

Varian's eyes fill with horror as Rapunzel hands the flask back to him. "If that would've smashed, Corona would've been done for...and everyone would hate me even more than they do now; not that I blame them..." The boy sighs and I feel my heart break from seeing him in so much pain.

Rapunzel places a hand on Varian's shoulder. "Varian, you can't be so hard on yourself."

"What's done is done," I say. "What's important now is that you've more than proved yourself a good guy."

"Th-That's easy for you guys to say!" Varian exclaims. "You two have the power of the sun drop, y'know? The wondrous, magical, sun drop!"

Rapunzel gently elbows me, a huge smirk on her face. "Ah, you hear that, sis? He called you 'wondrous' and 'magical.'"

A red blush floods my cheeks as I try to ignore my sister.

Varian's freckled cheeks mimic the blush. "N-No, what I'm saying is, for ordinary people, like me, fear is just a little bit more...debilitating."

I step over to the boy whom I so deeply love, and take his free hand in my own. "There is nothing ordinary about you, Varian."

Varian's cheeks grow redder than I had ever seen them grow. "R-Really?"

I nod, a smile decorating my lips. Not a smile of reassurance, but a smile that displays genuine belief and truth.

"She's right," Rapunzel adds. "You're the best alchemist in the seven kingdoms, you're determined and dedicated, and now you have these moonstone powers."

"What if I don't want those powers, though?" He suddenly asks. "The moonstone represents darkness...I-I don't want to be associated with that ever again! Just look at what it did to Cassandra; what if these powers corrupt me, too?"

Rapunzel stares into Varian's eyes with a kind look. "Varian, the moonstone wasn't what caused Cassandra to turn evil. The only thing that turned Cass evil was herself."

"Besides, ever since we got these powers you've only used them to protect me." I gently say. "If the powers of the moonstone were going to corrupt you, do you really think that you would've saved me with them twice now?"

Varian smiles at me. "I guess you're right..."

I embrace him, squeezing him tight enough to somehow display my love for him. "Do you remember what I told earlier? Nothing is inherently bad. That goes for you, too. You aren't bad, Varian," I mumble into the crook of his neck. "I promise."

Chapter Text

"I give you..." Rapunzel begins, guiding us through an archway in the underground tunnels. "The Demanitus Chamber." She reveals.

Varian and my jaws drop as we look inside the massive underground chamber. A circular room lined with stones several stories tall, The Demanitus Chamber is a wonder of ancient technology. I can tell that there used to be an astounding metal structure in the center of the room, but thanks to the number of gigantic red rocks, it's nearly eradicated. "This is incredible!" I exclaim.

I glance over to Varian, whose eyes are all aglow. "Woah...it's-it's amazing."

I adore how joyful and wonderstruck Varian looks as he stares at the machine. His face resembles the face of a child on Christmas morning; shocked and astonished.

"You should've seen it before all these red rocks," Rapunzel says, her complexion slightly tinted red from the red rocks.

"You-You've actually seen this before?" Varian asks, unquestionably flabbergasted.

"You could say that," Rapunzel replies, scratching the top of Pascal's head.

"You've known about this insane artifact of ancient Coronian technology and history and you never told me?!" I gasp.

My big sister giggles. "It never came up."

"Man...I would've loved to have met Demanitus..." Varian gently says, his eyes never leaving the machine. His blue eyes practically sparkle, and his mouth curves into an adorable buck-toothed smile as he talks about his idol.

"I did." Rapunzel grins.

Varian's eyes widen like saucers as he shifts his eyes to look at the blonde.

"Nice guy..." She continues. "...he was a monkey."

Varian glances at me with an extremely muddled expression, but I simply shrug my shoulders, feeling just as confused as he is.

"Long story," Rapunzel says, reading our bewildered looks. She heads towards the stairs that lead to the bottom of the cavern and gestures for us to follow her.

As we amble down the old and narrow steps, I keep my eyes fixated on the ceiling, and old bits of rock crumbling around us. "Keep an eye out for these rocks, you guys," I warn. "They're falling everywhere."

Varian jumps to the side right as a stone drops to the floor from above. "G-Good call." He quickly stutters, nervousness lacing his voice from his sudden scare. As we reach the bottom of the flight of stairs, Varian points to a cluster of red rocks. "Oh, okay, here's the base. Encasing it in the amber should stop the fear-"

Suddenly the entire room begins to tremble, and I quickly grab onto Varian out of habit. New red rocks emerge from the base of the rock, and I feel my anxiousness amplify. To be fair, however, part of that worry could just be coming from the rocks' fear power. "We'd better stop these rocks from spreading any further!" I say with worry.

"Agreed." Rapunzel nods as she quickly wraps her hair around Varian's waist, creating a makeshift harness.

Varian slowly walks to the edge of the stone wall and extends his arm out towards a red rock. As he does so, however, I notice fear growing more and more evident on his face. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the red rocks' fear power was starting to cause Varian to see illusions.

I quickly stride over to him and take his free hand in my own. "You've got this Var! I believe in you." I give him a reassuring smile. I begin to feel my stomach twist into knots as the rocks begin to make me see hallucinations of my deepest fear, but I attempt to block them out and only keep my eyes on Varian's face. I can't let my fear get the better of me. Not now. Varian needs me.

Varian gives me a weak smile and slowly begins to pour the amber solution onto a protruding red rock. Unfortunately, unlike what we were anticipating, the solution didn't spark the growth of amber, but instead simply became absorbed by the red rock. Varian and I exchange worried looks. "Wh-What happened?!" I frantically question. "That should've worked, right?"

"Theoretically, yes!" Varian's eyebrows raise at the realization of the horrid truth. "Of course!" He smacks his forehead with his gloved hand a couple of times. "So dumb, Varian! Whatever turned these rocks red must've also changed their internal chemistry."

"You mean that solution only works on black rocks?" I ask with trepidation.

"Yes." Varian taps the almost empty flask. "Well, what's left of it. But...I don't even see any black rocks."

"Me neither..." I say, glancing around.

Rapunzel puts one hand on each of our shoulders. "I do." She gestures towards the top of the red rocks, where a single black rock had managed to escape the fear-inducing rocks.

"Okay..." Varian squints to see the rock. "This just got a lot harder."

"How are we supposed to get up there?" I ask. "It's at least thirty feet up!"

"We'll just have to climb up." My sister answers.

Varian laughs. "You're telling me that (Yn) and I gotta climb all the way up there? Nobody in their right mind would climb-"

Rapunzel cuts him off as she leaps onto the red rocks. "Race you to the top!"

The alchemist's face falls flat. "Oh come on."

"C'mon, Var!" I exclaim. "It can't be too hard, can it?"

Varian sighs as we begin scaling the massive machine and the red rocks. With every obstacle I climb over, the illusions of my fear eat away at me more and more. The repeated visions of my loved ones plunging from this height down who knows how deep is enough to make my palms sweaty and my heart beat through my chest. I take deep breaths and try to keep moving.

"Are you okay, (Yn)?" Varian asks, offering me a hand to haul me onto another rock.

I accept it. "Y-Yeah...the fear's really starting to get to me." I shudder as the sound of my parents screaming fills my ears. I try to shake it off.

Varian sighs. "I know...I can't get the images of my dad in the amber out of my head either. It's like the higher up we get the worse the fear power gets."

"Tell me about it..." I mutter, heading to the next part of the machine that can be climbed. I begin climbing up it, Varian following close behind. After a few moments of grunting, Varian loses his grip and goes plummeting off the side of the massive machine, screaming as though he's a banshee. "VARIAN!!!" I shriek, my heart plummeting to my stomach faster than Varian dropping down the seemingly bottomless pit. This is just like the illusions those rocks showed me...except now it's real. Fear pierces into my heart like a knife. The person I care about more than anything is about to perish right in front of my eyes. Right as I'm about to jump down after him and hopefully re-create that levitating thing Varian did to rescue me earlier, my sister's voice enters my ears.

"Hang on, Varian!!" Rapunzel's voice suddenly shouts, hurling her golden hair down to the alchemist.

Varian grabs it just in time, allowing all of us to take a breath of relief. Once Varian is safely back on the ledge we're standing on, I throw my arms around him quicker than Pascal could catch a fly. As I hold him in my arms, Varian tightly hugs me as though his life depended on it. I can feel his heart palpitating against my chest, and his body shakes like a leaf. "It's no use...I-I can't do this!!"

Rapunzel approaches us. "Varian, you cannot let fear run your life. Look, I'm afraid too-"

"Yeah, you said that princess, but you don't see what I see." Varian shudders, looking over the edge of our ledge, fear evident in his blue eyes. I know exactly what those red rocks are showing him.

"That's true," Rapunzel begins. "I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm not seeing...other things." She takes a breath, pain running across her usually cheerful face. "I see Corona. It's covered in black rocks...and I see Cassandra. She's conquered the kingdom...destroyed it forever. And you know what the weird part is? What I'm most afraid of...is losing Cassandra as a friend." Rapunzel never looks up at us. "...forever."

I stare at my sister with misty eyes. I had no idea that she felt this way. I knew she was devastated by Cassandra's betrayal, but not to this extent. I gently take her hand in my own and give it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Raps."

"I had no idea," Varian whispers.

"I guess all three of us have trouble talking about what scares us." Rapunzel chuckles a bit, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

As per usual, our bonding moment is interrupted as the entire room begins to quake again, causing all of us to lose our balance. Varian and I instinctively grab onto each other, trying to stand as steady as we can. Once the shaking subsides, Varian smiles at Rapunzel, a small hint of worry on his face. "I'll do it. Just uh...give us a lift."

Rapunzel loops her hair over one of the red rocks before handing the end of it to Varian. "One lift, coming up!"

Varian wraps his arm around my waist and holds me close to him. "Hold on tight, okay?" He says with a wink.

I practically melt as I stare into his eyes. My arms snake around his neck, locking into place so as to not slip from Varian's grasp.

Once she can see that we're secure, Rapunzel leaps off of the ledge we're standing on, launching us into the sky and onto another platform of Demanitus' machine. "Hurry, you two!!" My sister hollers from below.

Varian and I nod before we begin scaling the machine, desperately trying to reach the black rock before either of us gets hurt. As we reach the top of the red rocks, my heart begins pounding in my chest. Just touching these rocks is enough to send immense amounts of fear into my body. I feel like a white dress being stained by a maroon wine as my feet slowly begin to turn red by the rocks.

I glance over at Varian with scared eyes, only to see that the same thing is happening to him. As red rock crawls up his arms, he grunts in pain.

"Varian! Look at me!" I quickly say. Once the boy turns his face to me I continue. "You can do this! Control your fear!"

Varian takes a breath. "It's not real." He tells himself. "I can do this!" Slowly, the red rocks on his arm begin to recede. "O-Okay..." he glances back at me and his eyes go dark. "(Yn)?"

The red rock is consuming my body at an alarming rate. Everything from my mid torso down is frozen by fear. In my exertions to calm down Varian, I had neglected my own problems. I understood that Varian had to be the one to rescue us all, so I decided to put him first. It's too late for me.

Varian rushes to my side. "(Yn)! (Yn)! We can figure this out okay? Please don't go." Tears fill his eyes as he watches my body become consumed by the red rocks. "I can't do this without you."

I give him the most reassuring smile I can muster as I try to hold back my tears. "Yes, you can. If anyone can do this, it's you. You are so much stronger than you know, Var." The rock crawls to my shoulders and down my arms.

Tears pour from Varian's blue eyes as his hand cups my cheek. "Please Angel...I-I love you."

My heart practically stops. "You...you what?"

Varian wipes the tears from his cheeks. "I love you, (Yn). I always have."

At that moment, I feel my heart being completely overwhelmed by tenderness. He loves me! The boy I'm in love with loves me back! My eyes sparkle and I beam brighter than the Corona sun. Suddenly, the red rock begins to recede, quickly leaving my body. As I'm slowly able to move again, I touch my hand to my chest as though to test if I was really okay. "What's happening?!"

"The fear power only responds to negative emotions. I think the sudden surge of positive emotions within you is outweighing the negative ones!" Varian concludes, displaying a big buck-toothed smile.

As the last of me is unfrozen by the red rock, I quickly grab Varian's hand and pull him toward the black rock. "Hurry!!" I exclaim.

Varian nods and quickly pours the final drops of the amber solution onto the singular black rock. Within seconds, amber begins sprouting from the rock's shiny black surface and begins to hungrily consume the red rocks. Varian laughs with pure joy. "It's working!!"

I smile and throw my arms around the alchemist. "I knew you could do it, Varian!!"

"No, we did it, Angel." Varian lifts me from the ground and spins me in a couple of circles. The two of us beam in each other's arms.

The amber grows behind us, crackling noises emitting from it as it does so. "We should probably get down from here," Varian suggests.

"Good call." I agree.

:-:-:-:-:

After I managed to free Varian from Rapunzel's death grip of a hug, we began to head back through the tunnels to go home. As we travel through the damp, winding tunnels, Varian and I walk a good few feet behind Rapunzel as she writes in her journal. We walk in silence, neither one of us wanting to bring up the elephant in the room.

Our hands gently brush against one another, and a hurricane of butterflies flutters around in my stomach. Slowly, I take his hand in my own and intertwine our fingers. My gaze travels to the black-haired boy. "T-Thanks for saving me back there..."

Varian's cheeks are redder than the rocks we just spend the day stopping. "A-Anytime." He sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. "Hey, uh, a-about what I said earlier..."

A gentle smile graces my lips from his bashfulness; it's another one of the endless things I adore about him.

I gaze into his beautiful blue eyes, my heart fluttering. "I love you, too."

Chapter Text

"Think (Yn), think..." I nervously mutter, pacing around my room. "This needs to be perfect. This is only your first date with Varian...or your first date ever for that matter..." I look at the clothes thrown across my room; a tornado of dresses, blouses, shoes, and hats covering every inch of everything. I notice a nightgown has fallen on top of Dandelion, and I quickly rush to her aid. As I pull the nightgown off of her furry red body, I sheepishly chuckle. "Sorry about that girl."

Dandelion waves her paw, telling me that all is forgiven. I smile and pat her head, right as I hear a knock on the door.

"(Yn)? Are you almost ready to go-" Rapunzel pokes her head in and her face falls when she sees the mess I've made. "Whoa...what happened in here?"

I quickly stand up. "I was just looking over a few options..."

"'A few?'" My sister chuckles. "It looks like a hurricane blew through here." She says, already beginning to pick up some of the articles of clothing that decorated the floor.

I pick up a cherry-blossom pink skirt and hold it up against myself as I gaze at my reflection. "Sorry, I just-I wanted to look my best, y'know? Today is important." I point out, tossing the skirt back on the floor.

"Why don't you just wear your usual outfit?"

"I just don't want to be underdressed. This needs to be perfect."

Rapunzel gently smiles and pauses her cleaning. She sits down on my (fc) bedspread and pats the spot next to her. I sit beside my sister and look at her. "(Yn), Varian isn't expecting perfection, he's only expecting you. The relationship you guys have had never been defined by perfection, so it doesn't have to be now." She places a hand on my shoulder. "No matter what you wear, Varian will still love you all the same."

I smile at the blonde. "Thanks, Raps." I hop to my feet and tie my hair up using Varian's red bandana. "I'm ready," I tell Rapunzel.

As if on cue, there's another knock on my bedroom door. I approach the door and open it to reveal Ethel, one of the palace maids. "Varian of Old Corona is here, your highness." She says with a curtsy.

I nod. "Thank you. I'll be down in a moment."

Rapunzel gives me a grin once the door closes. "Well then, you'd better go greet your date."

:-:-:-:-:

As I walk down the grand staircase that leads to the main entrance, I see Varian waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes light up when he sees me, and butterflies fill my stomach. I smile at him. "Hey, Varian!"

"H-Hey, (Yn)!" He blushes a bit. "So, what did you want to do?"

"I thought we could stop by Attila's bakery first," I suggest. "Then I have a surprise for you." I wink at the alchemist.

Varian's blue eyes sparkle. "What is it!?"

I giggle and take his hand, already pulling him to the door. "If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, Var!"

He shrugs. "Worth a try." Varian runs in front of me, our hands still connected, and takes the lead, "Let's go!"

We giggle and laugh the whole way to Attila's, our pace never slowing. The melody the birds sing was lighthearted and pure; it fills me with excitement. The tune blends with our lighthearted laughter. The endless blue sky is free of any trace of clouds, and the warm sun shines without limitations. The breeze in the air is strong enough to cool me down from the sun's rays, but not so strong that it became unpleasant. Today is without a doubt, the perfect day.

Once we arrive at the thug's bakery, we exchange eager smiles and dash in. The shop's sweet aroma of cake and frosting and the pastries-filled room is enough to make one's mouth water. We quickly approach the counter together and smile at Attila.

"Two of your finest cupcakes, sir," Varian says in an overly-regal tone, leaning his elbow on the counter.

Attila notices our still-intertwined fingers and chuckles a bit. "It's about time you two started dating." He says, grabbing two strawberry crème cupcakes from the display case and placing them in a small box. "Everyone back at the pub has been waiting for you two to become a thing." I can't see Attila's face due to his helmet, but I can tell from his tone that he's smirking at us.

Varian and I blush and quickly look at each other. "We aren't-wait, are we?"

"I don't know...are we?"

Before the scene can get any awkward, I pay Attila and Varian grabs the box of cupcakes. We quickly flee the bakery and run back into the street. I lead Varian through the swarms of villagers and towards one of the back alleys of Corona.

"Where are you taking us?" Varian whispers with confusion.

"Are you ready to see your surprise?" I ask with a mischievous smirk.

Varian's face morphs into confusion. "Uhhh...yes?" I grin and walk over to a stack of crates that were pushed against the wall of a shop. I shove them to the side and I hear Varian gasp. "Whoa..."

Formally hidden by the crates is a door-sized sewer grate in the wall. I move the iron grate to the side and gesture to the now-open tunnel. Varian slowly approaches the opening in the wall and hesitantly walks through.

I follow after him and the two of us walk through the damp-smelling tunnel. Luckily, this section of the underground tunnels of Corona wasn't equipped with booby traps since it's hidden from plain view. Most maps of the tunnels don't even show this path because it's so little known.

After walking for about five minutes we reach a wooden door at the end of the tunnel. Varian glances at me as if questioning what to do. "Open it." I gently urge.

Varian does as he's told and slowly turns the doorknob. As he opens the door, he gasps.

The Demanitus Chamber.

"Sweet mother of alchemy..." He looks back at me with bright but bewildered blue eyes. "How did you...?"

"I found this pathway while I was traveling through the tunnels a few days ago. I checked some ancient maps in the palace archives and discovered that it's completely free of booby traps." I smile at him. "So, it's a safe and convenient way for you to get to your new lab."

Varian's jaw drops. "N-New lab? Here?" He looks around the ancient marvel of science and technology.

"Yup! I asked Rapunzel if it was okay for me to give you your very own lab here, and she couldn't agree more." I grin, feeling my heart fill with joy for Varian. I knew how long he had been wanting a lab of his very own, and now he would finally have one.

Varian's face floods with delight. His lips curl into a buck-toothed smile and his eyes sparkle. The alchemist becomes giddy with happiness. He almost instantly throws his arms around my waist and lifts me from the ground, spinning me around. "Thank you, Angel! Thank you so much!!" He exclaims, joy evident in his voice.

I laugh in his arms, sharing the alchemist's gaiety. After the trials and tribulations Varian's gone through, any genuine smile he expressed became a treasure to me; his smile was something that I had lost and only just recently rediscovered. The pure brightness in his smile is worth more than the purest gold. And so, I cherish this feeling. I hug Varian as tightly as I can, hoping to show the boy even an ounce of my love for him. "You're welcome!!" I beam.

Varian laughs in jubilation, and as he lowers me to the ground, he quickly pecks my cheeks and dashes down the steps into his new lab, pulling me behind him.

I can hardly contain my blush.

:-:-:-:-:

After setting up Varian's new lab, we decided to take a well-deserved break. As we sit on a blanket just big enough for the two of us, I not only admire our hard work, I admire the look of joy on Varian's features. I love seeing him so happy.

I'm snapped from my thoughts as Varian hands me one of the cupcakes. I take eagerly take the treat, carefully pull the base off of the bottom of the cake, and place it on top of the strawberry crème frosting, creating a cupcake sandwich.

"What are you doing?" Varian asks, a look of confusion evident on his face.

I giggle a bit. "You've never had a cupcake sandwich before?"

"Uh...no?"

"Allow me, good sir." I regally say, holding out my hand. Varian hesitantly hands me his strawberry cupcake. I notice Varian's slightly worried look as I remove the base from the cake. "Trust me, this will change your life."

I hand Varian his cupcake sandwich, gesturing for him to try it. Varian slowly takes a bite, and his eyes light up almost instantly. "This is amazing!!" He happily exclaims, going in for a second bite.

"Told you." I smugly comment, taking a bite of my cupcake. I happily begin munching it down, all while looking around the Demanitus Chamber with pride. In just a few short hours, we turned the ancient chamber into a functioning lab, with modem equipment, books, a desk, and even a place to make hot chocolate. "You know," I begin. "I think we really spruced this place up. It looks amazing now."

Varian smiles and wipes a bit of pink frosting from his upper lip. "Thank you for helping me set it up. I couldn't have done it without you. Especially since you were the one who got this place for me."

I gently scoot over to him and lean my head against his shoulder. "I'd do anything for you, Var."

The boy blushes a bit as he looks at me. A small grin grows on his lips. "I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much...you never gave up on me."

"I care about you too much to give up on you." I gently say. As I stare into Varian's beautiful eyes, I feel my heartbeat quicken. I want him so badly. I don't ever want us to drift apart again. "I mean that. If you'll have me, I'll never stop loving you."

He blushes. Varian doesn't say anything for a moment. He opens his mouth to speak but closes it, and then repeats the action before he finally gets the courage to say whatever it is that's on his mind. "I...I don't deserve you...why me?"

"Why not?"

"Anyone else would've left after everything I've done and all the trouble I've caused...but you never did. You're too good for me, angel." Varian looks at me with misty eyes.

I take his hands in my own and gently hold them. "Varian...do you remember what I told you all those months ago? 'We can't change the past, but we can still write the future.'" I beam at him. "I have no idea what the future is going to bring, but no matter what it is, I would love for you to be a part of it."

Varian gently smiles at me with misty eyes, and something tells me that this is all he's ever wanted--to be truly loved and accepted by someone, flaws and all. "I-I'd like that." He whispers, his blue eyes practically glowing. I slowly remove my hand from his to wipe a stray tear from his cheek. "(Yn), I love you...I have for a while now...would you-would you maybe want to...well..." His cheeks are bright red as he stumbles over his words.

My cheeks are pink as I try to finish for him. "B-Be your, girlfriend?" My eyes are wide as I await his response.

Varian slowly nods. "Yeah...that." His entire face is redder than the red rocks ever were. "I mean only if you want to, though!"

I quickly peck his cheek, joy overwhelming my senses. "I'd love to."

Chapter Text

"Hey, Varian!" I happily wave, poking my head through the doorway to the alchemist's lab. I notice Varian sitting at his desk, writing something down.

Varian glances up from the blueprints on his desk and beams when he sees me. "(Yn)! Hi!"

I make my way over to the alchemist and wrap my arms around him from behind, lovingly embracing him. I rest my head on top of his and peek down at his blueprints. "What are you working on?" I ask.

Varian smiles up at me. "These are the blueprints for the machine that's going to bring your parent's memories back."

My eyes light up. "Really?"

He proudly nods and stands up. Leaning on his arm against his desk, he smugly grins. "Pretty cool, right?" Suddenly, Varian's elbow slips on one of the many scrolls that cover the table, causing him to fall over. As Varian groans in pain, the scroll that caused him to collapse floats off of the table and lands directly over his head.

I pick the scroll off of Varian's head, set it on the table, and help him to his feet. "Are you okay? Anything hurt?"

Varian sighs. "Just my pride."

I giggle a bit and peck his freckled cheek. As Varian blushes, I smile. "Don't worry, I still love you. Thank you for working so hard to help my parents."

"O-Of course." He grins.

:-:-:-:-:

The blinding pink light of the machine illuminates Varian's lab, filling me with both nerves, but also excitement. As the machine whirs to life, lightning flashes around. My parents exchange nervous glances as I strap them into the machine. "Hang tight, guys," I tell them. "We'll have your memories back in no time."

Once they are safely secured, I send a thumbs up to Varian, who is cackling maniacally. Varian suddenly throws his wielding helmet to the ground, still laughing. "Ha-Ruddiger get out of my apron, that tickles!!" He says with annoyance as Ruddiger scampers out of his apron.

I burst out laughing at the scene as I amble back over to join Varian and Rapunzel. With his signature, as I like to call it, 'mad scientist smile', Varian pushes the lever of the machine forward, activating our last hope at returning my parent's memories.

As even more pink lightning flashes around the machine, Rapunzel nervously approaches Varian. "Are you sure this is going to work?" She asks.

Varian grins. "If my new machine works the way I think it should," he chuckles. "And it will, we are moments away from reversing the effects of the Saporian's memory wand."

"It'll work," I assure my sister. "It has to."

Suddenly, the machine begins sputtering, causing pink goo to splatter out of a pipe, coating my parents and Rapunzel in the sticky substance. As the power of the machine dies out, I feel my heart plummet. That was our last chance...now what?

"Where am I?" Dad suddenly asks. "And why am I so...gooey?"

"I'm sorry you guys," Varian says, giving Rapunzel and me an apologetic look. "I was so sure that this was gonna work."

I grab a rag and hand it to my sister so she can begin to clean herself off. "It's okay, Var." I gently say, feeling disappointment overwhelm me. "You did all that you could."

Rapunzel smiles a bit, and I notice an all too familiar creative twinkle in her eye. "Besides, I have another method up my sleeve." She assures, wiping the goo from her face. "Don't get me wrong. The power of science is impressive, but it is nothing compared to the power of love." The princess confidently proclaims.

Out of nowhere, another surge of pink goo shoots from the disconnected tube, covering my sister in another layer of the pink substance. Varian winces in disgust, while I giggle a bit. Ruddiger suddenly scampers over and grabs a pawful of the goo, and begins happily eating it. Intrigued, Rapunzel licks a bit from her finger and grins. "Mmm! Strawberry!"

Varian and I exchange a smile.

:-:-:-:-:

The sun was already sinking into the horizon by the time we got my parents to the palace courtyard. The sky was a beautiful shade of salmon pink, and the creamy clouds danced around the sky, some even forming hearts. It was as though the love in Corona was enough to even influence Mother Nature. The courtyard is dressed to the nines, tents set up all around, all decorated in shades of red and pink. Lace hearts with the Corona sun crest are strung between booths, and people from all over the kingdom stroll around.

"The day of hearts has always been your favorite day of the year because it's the day you professed your love for each other." I happily explain to my parents, leading them through the highly decorated courtyard, covered to the brim in pink and red hearts. "Every year, you would tell me the story of how you fell in love with each other, all while showing me your signatures in Herz Der Sonne's Diary," I say, showing them the podium in the middle of the courtyard where the diary is on display.

"Remember?" Rapunzel asks, standing in between Mom and Dad. The king and queen look at each other and shrug. I nervously look at Rapunzel, feeling my options running out. She nods a bit, and loops her arms through each of our parent's arms, pulling them together. "You guys! It's the day of hearts, not the day aparts!" She jokes, pushing them towards the diary.

I quickly flip through the diary, searching for my parents' names. I smile when I see their familiar handwriting, in delicate swooping cursive, the letters practically dancing with one another. I feel a strange sense of peace when I see their names together; it gives me hope that they can be this close again. "See?" I ask. "Don't you remember the way it felt to sign your names together?"

Mom examines the names as though they're written in a foreign language and not a sacred pact of love.

"Bringing up memories of love, huh? Feelings?" Rapunzel suggests, popping out of nowhere. "Getting that heart pumping? Du dum, du dum, du dum." She begins patting her hand against Dad's chest, imitating the sound of a heart beating.

Dad sets the diary down, staring at her with pure confusion. "I'm sorry dear, what are you doing?"

I quickly walk up to my sister and begin pulling her away from Mom and Dad. "Maybe we should give them some space, Raps?" I interject.

"You're right, you're right, you're right." She agrees, backing away from them. "You should see for yourself. Just let the love wash over you two lovebirds."

As Pascal pulls out a teeny-sized ukulele and begins strumming, Rapunzel nods her head to the rhythm.

Mom suddenly interrupts the tune. "Sorry girls, I just don't remember this."

"Neither do I." Dad agrees.

Rapunzel and I look at each other, worry flooding our faces. I step forward. "But...but you have to remember it! How could you forget such a fundamental part of your love?" I ask.

Rapunzel places a comforting hand on my shoulder, and stares at my parents, her green eyes full of worry. "If you can't remember falling in love, does that mean you're not..."

"(Yn), Rapunzel, we do care about one another," Mom gently takes our hands and leads us a couple of feet away from Dad. "But we are...we're such opposites! I want a life of adventure and excitement, and your father, well..." She gestures to Dad and I sigh.

Dad is showing one of the eggs from his prized egg collection to a very concerned-looking Eugene. I facepalm. In the fifteen years that I've known my father, he has never once expressed any sort of interest in eggs, but the second he loses his memory he starts collecting eggs like a madman. "Get a load of this beauty!" He exclaims, showing a light blue egg to the former thief. "I'm somewhat of a collector."

"Of eggs. I see that." Eugene says with uncertainty.

Dad's eyes light up. "You too?! I know a fellow egghead when I see one!" He exclaims, wrapping his arm around Eugene.

Mom sighs. "If we can't remember why we love each other, maybe we need some time to ourselves to figure it out." She slowly begins walking away, and Rapunzel and I stare at each other with worry.

"Wait...what?" We say in unison. "What does that mean?"

:-:-:-:-:

After Rapunzel manages to round up our team consisting of Lance, Catalina, Angry, Max, Varian, Pascal, and Eugene, we bring them into the castle study to prepare our battle strategy.

I begin pacing back and forth in front of them. "Alright, troops, the very fate of Corona is in danger."

"Pascal will give each of you a copy of my comprehensive plan to save it," Rapunzel informs, holding up her own scroll which contains the plan.

"Operation Royal Romance?" Lance skeptically asks, scanning the scroll in his hands. "Uh, this is about setting your folks up on a date? You said the fate of the kingdom is at stake!"

"Oh, it is at stake." I lowly say, joining Rapunzel at her easel, where her plans were painted out in pastel colors. Rapunzel flips the paper over, revealing a painting of the king and queen in a broken heart. "If the king and queen fall apart, other couples will follow their lead, and soon, all of Corona society will crumble," I explain as my sister flips another page to a painting of a war-torn kingdom, the king and queen in the center of the battle, fighting each other.

"You know what they say...as goes Corona, so goes the world." Rapunzel finishes, flipping the page to a picture of the entire planet blowing up. "Do you want that to happen, Lance?! DO YOU?!" She kicks the easel over, sending the pictures flying.

We turn back to our friends, who are trembling with fear, hiding behind a wooden table. "No! no! No, no, no, I don't want-no!" Lance cries from underneath the table.

Rapunzel smiles. "That's the spirit!!"

"So what's the plan?" Varian asks.

"Well, there's no reason we can't teach these lovebirds to fly again!" She happily replies, before her tone quickly shifts into one of determination. "And nothing is gonna stand in our way!"

:-:-:-:-:

After countless failed attempts at getting my parents back together, we had been whittled down to our final hope: a romantic boat ride on the seas surrounding Corona.

While Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance took my parents down to the boat, Varian and I wait for them in the study. I stare out the window at the clear night sky, hoping to find some sort of comfort from the stars. Sadly, I do not.

Noticing my worried state, Varian stands up from the couch he was sitting on, sets his book down, and approaches me. "Angel, you've been looking out that window for the past twenty minutes. Why don't you come sit down?" He gently suggests, taking one of my hands and turning my body to face him.

"It's just...what if-"

Varian puts a finger to my lips. "Believe me, (Yn), I know how you feel, but I also know that stressing yourself out over your parents isn't going to make their memories come back any quicker. It's okay to take breaks. A smart person taught me that." He winks at me.

I smile a bit and exhale the breath I've been holding. "Okay."

Varian leads me over to the couch and sits down, his back against the arm of the red piece of furniture. I sit down beside him and position myself so that my head is comfortably lying on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Varian's arms wrap around me, and he holds me close to his body as he rests his head on top of mine. I softly smile to myself in his arms, feeling nothing but comfort from my boyfriend.

We do not exchange any words as we lie there; no words need to be said.

Varian rubs slow circles on my back and I snuggle into him as he does so. I can't help myself but wonder, how does he always know exactly what I need?

I lift my head ever-so-slightly and look up at my boyfriend. My eyes meet his innocent blue ones. "Thank you, Var. I needed this."

He smiles at me. "You're welcome, Angel."

Moments later, the door to the study bursts open, and Rapunzel rushes into the room, Dad's arm linked around hers. Dad is soaking wet, and violently shivering. Nigel, Lance, Mom, Eugene, and another man who I recognize as King Trevor follow behind them. "Nigel, we need a blanket and a bowl of soup stat." Rapunzel orders.

As she sits Dad down in a plush armchair across from the couch me and Varian are lying on, Eugene and Lance pop up behind our couch, and rest their arms on the back of the piece of furniture. Lance wiggles his eyebrows when he sees us. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

Varian and I quickly sit up, our cheeks turning red. "Can it, Lance!" Varian quickly counters, rolling his eyes.

I stand up and leave the two, choosing to go check on Dad. "What happened?" I ask Rapunzel, who is wrapping a blanket around our father.

"Well, things were going great, until King Trevor showed up out of nowhere and knocked Dad in the sea." Rapunzel scoffs.

I groan as I steal a glance at the scrawny blonde king, who is chatting up a storm with Mom. "That guy gives me the creeps," I mumble.

My sister nods in agreement.

"Your soup, your highness." One of the maids, Faith, says, entering the room carrying a tray of chicken noodle soup.

Rapunzel thanks her and brings the soup to Dad. "This will warm you right up, Dad." She says, placing the tray in his lap.

"Oh, thank you." He smiles, still shivering.

Rapunzel and I kneel on either side of the king to keep him company, when our sweet moment is interrupted.

"Oh, how is he?!" King Trevor questions, fake sincerity written all over his face. "Has he improved?!"

I scowl. "He's fine."

"No thanks to you," Rapunzel adds.

King Trevor ignores the comment. "Oh, mournful day! Poor fragile Fredrick has come down with the sniffles!" The scrawny king shoves me to the side and grips Dad's shoulders, shaking him back and forth. "Oh! And see how he shivers!! WHY MUST BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?!? If only my strong, capable arms could have shielded him from the water's chill!"

I roll my eyes as I pick myself off the floor and dust off my (pants/skirt). This guy is more dramatic than Eugene on a bad hair day...

Rapunzel and I exchange a worried glance as King Trevor begins spoon-feeding Dad. "I must compliment you on what you've done with the kingdom," He says to my sister. "It's always been a jewel of a kingdom, but with you in charge, it truly shines."

Rapunzel nervously chuckles. "Ha ha, thanks."

"Alas, I wish I could stay, but I'm taking Trevor Jr. sea serpent watching tomorrow." He says, just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Sea serpent watching?" Mom suddenly asks, setting down the sword she was fencing with. "Really?" The slightest bit of intrigue fills her eyes.

"Yes." King Trevor nods. "Majestic, beautiful creatures they are." He slowly approaches the queen. "You wouldn't like to join me, would-"

I dart in between the two of them and cut King Trevor off. "Sea serpents? Please...those creatures are mediocre at best." I pretend to be disinterested and notice Mom's excited face slowly fade. I feel a bit guilty, but this is for the good of the kingdom. "They're just giant water lizards. Trust me, I've read dozens of books on mythical creatures and they definitely aren't that exciting."

King Trevor scowls but quickly regains his composure. "Well, all the more reason to go and see them. Those books of yours must be outdated because the sea serpents are anything but 'mediocre.'" He steps around me and offers a hand to my mother. "So, what do you say, your majesty?"

Mom smiles brightly. "I'd love to!" She says without a hint of hesitation.

Rapunzel quickly approaches us. "Um, excuse me, King Trevor? May we speak with you for a moment?"

"In private?" I add.

Rapunzel and I don't wait for a reply as the two of us whisk him away from our mom. We quickly step into the hallway and Rapunzel nods at me once we're alone. I nod in reply and grab one of the many frying pans Rapunzel and Eugene have hidden around the castle for emergencies. Rapunzel takes it, and in one fell swoop, smacks the back of King Trevor's head rendering him unconscious.

Rapunzel holds up her hand and I high-five her, neither one of us looking away from the king.

Chapter Text

The silver rays of moonlight filter through the window, casting beams of light into Rapunzel's otherwise dark bedroom. After tying King Trevor to a seat with Rapunzel's hair, I notice him beginning to wake. I tap her shoulder and we run into the shadows. "You are not fooling anyone, buster," Rapunzel says from our hiding spot.

"We know why you're here." I lowly speak, my eyebrows furrowing.

Rapunzel and I step into the light, Rapunzel tightly gripping the handle of her frying pan, and me holding my wooden bow defensively, trying to establish a sense of fear within the king. "You've come to woo our mother." Rapunzel flatly says.

"Well, we've got bad news for you, your majesty," I hiss.

Rapunzel pokes King Trevor with the rim of her frying pan. "There will be no wooing of any kind. This is a no-woo zone." She firmly says.

"Not while these princesses are princessing." I threaten.

King Trevor is quick to the defense. "It is true. Long ago, I was naive enough to think that I could woo fair Arianna. But she remains married to Fredrick, and I respect the institution of marriage too much." He lowers his voice into a soft grumble. "Inter-kingdom law demands that I do."

The princess slowly recoils her frying pan back, an unsatisfied expression on her face. "All right."

My eyes narrow. "But we've got our eyes on you. And I mean it. One wrong move, and you're done."

:-:-:-:-:

"They're still so far ahead of us!!" Rapunzel cries as she gazes through her telescope at King Trevor's cyan-colored ship sailing across the sea.

"He's almost outside of the inter-kingdom waters!" I warn, pointing my finger to a map. "If he crosses the border nothing is stopping him from making a move on Mom!"

"If only there was a way we could go faster!" Varian groans. His eyes suddenly light up when he gets an idea. "Note to self: invent machine-powered boats when we get back on shore."

"Must I remind you that I am prone to sea sickness?!" Dad exclaims from the mast of the ship, not doing a spectacular job at being a lookout like he is supposed to.

I look up at my father, worry evident on my face. "Hang in there, Dad!"

Suddenly, Rapunzel's gasp cuts through the salty sea air. "He's asking her to sign the diary!!" She shrieks.

"Does everybody get to sign that book but me and you?!" Eugene exasperatedly sighs.

"Not the time, Eugene!!" I scold.

Rapunzel turns around to face all of us. "We gotta hurry!!"

From the ship's mast, Dad and Pascal begin frantically blowing, desperately trying to make our boat go faster.

As we near closer to King Trevor's barge, Varian calls to us from the ship's rails. "Uh, guys? I think we have a bigger problem on our hands!"

We all dart over to the alchemist and gasp in horror at what we see in the deep blue sea below us. Speeding through the ocean like a shark are dozens of seals clothed in goggles and black jumpsuits. They form the shape of a 'V' as they advance toward our ship. They're heading right for us.

"Incoming!!" I cry, bracing myself for impact.

The seals crash into the ship's wooden haul with ease, ripping a massive hole into the wooden surface.

"Hole in the boat!!" Lance shrieks. "There is a hole in the boat!!"

"We're taking on water!!" Eugene exclaims from the wheel of the ship.

Dad begins shouting from the ship's mast. "Somebody untie me!!"

"Max, help my dad!" Rapunzel orders.

Max nods his head and quickly does as he's told. The ship rumbles a bit as the chilly seawater begins to hungrily consume it. I feel Varian tightly grip me, preparing for the worst. I hug him back, trying to console my boyfriend in any way I can. "If somebody has a plan, now would be a great time to hear it!"

Before anyone can respond, the ship begins to tilt to its side. "It's about to flip!!" Varian warns. "Everyone to the edge of the ship!"

We all run to the edge of the ship, and right as it falls to its side, we all jump onto the side of the boat to stay above the water. With the ship sinking deeper and deeper into the sea, King Trevor's seals quickly learn that they can now hop onto our small wooden island. They begin attacking us and we desperately fight to fend them off. As I pull out my bow, I don't have time to load it before one of the seals pounces on me.

"(Yn)!" Rapunzel yells in horror. She quickly throws her golden hair my way, wraps it around the seal, and flings it off of me.

"Thanks, Raps." I quickly say, rising to my feet.

Rapunzel nods. "No prob-" Before she can finish her sentence, one of the seals throws itself at her, knocking her to the ground.

Suddenly, the seals make a swift exit, and all swim back toward King Trevor's barge. We all breathe a collective sigh of relief. "Anyone wanna guess why they're leaving while they are winning?" Eugene asks, a slight disarray in his tone.

Lance sighs. "Knowing our luck, probably something bad."

"If they're all leaving, then that must mean ...oh no," I mutter with realization setting in.

Varian nervously glances at me. "'Oh no' what?"

"Oh no, t-t-that." My shaky hand points straight ahead. I swallow the lump in my throat as a massive magenta-colored sea serpent rises from the depths of the water. It's ear-piercing screech echos throughout the air and it sends a cold glare our way. The serpent must be at least five times our size, and it looks like it could kill every one of us with a single blow.

"Grab whatever you can to fend it off!" Rapunzel instructs.

Everyone scatters to find some sort of weapon, while I begin loading my wooden bow and shooting arrows at the beast with perfect precision. I gasp in horror when I realize that the arrows weren't inflicting any damage and were simply bouncing right off of the serpent's scaly chest. The arrows are only provoking its rage. Lance quickly comes up behind me, dragging an anchor with him. "Hang on (Yn), I got this." He says with determination. He throws the anchor at the sea monster, but instead of hitting it like Lance planned, gravity takes hold and the anchor crashes through our already sinking boat.

As the ship submerges into the water even faster than before, Varian runs his fingers through his black hair. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?!" He shrieks at Lance.

"I overestimated my strength..." Lance sheepishly admits.

I facepalm.

"We're sinking fast!" Rapunzel says with worry.

As if on cue, the cyan barge of King Trevor sails up behind us, and a rope ladder is thrown over the side. "Need a ride?" Mom asks, poking her head over the side.

"Thank Demanitus!" Varian exclaims, already climbing up the ladder.

Hearing the sea serpent roar once more sends us swiftly scurrying up the ladder to get to safety. Right when Dad is about to climb onto the ladder, the serpent lunges toward him, shattering what's left of our ship. Dad falls into the water and begins hopelessly treading, trying to stay afloat. "Help!" He sputters.

My heart falls to the pit of my stomach. "DAD!!" Rapunzel and I call in unison.

"Fredrick!" Mom cries, jumping off the railing of the ship and diving into the water after her husband. I nervously squeeze Varian's hand as I watch my parents, desperately hoping that nothing bad will happen to them. As Mom quickly pulls him to the surface, I exhale a sigh of relief. The two of them lovingly gaze into one another's eyes, and I smile.

"They do love each other so much..." King Trevor longingly says as he watches the two.

"I know," Lance agrees, moved to tears. "Isn't it beautiful?"

:-:-:-:-:

After saving my parents and defeating the sea serpent King Trevor dropped us off at the dock and finally agreed to leave my parents alone and accept the inter-kingdom laws of marriage. Mom and Dad had begun to grow closer through the whole ordeal, and they finally seemed to be falling in love again.

"So long, Corona!" King Trevor sneers at us from his ship. "I believe this belongs to you." He chucks the diary at us, and Rapunzel quickly catches it.

Eugene smiles. "You know? Maybe that guy does have a heart." His smile quickly fades when Rapunzel opens the book only for it to be soaked with water.

"Oh no!" Rapunzel exclaims. "Herz Der Sonne's diary. It's destroyed!"

"Then again, snakes have hearts, too," Eugene mutters.

I quickly run up to her and take the book, tears filling my eyes. I attempt to flip through the pages that were once home to hundreds of couple's signatures, only to find the writing has become smudged, dotting the pages with dark clouds of ink. The pages are so soaked by water that they have become too heavy for even the book's spine to hold up. I wipe tears from my eyes as clumps of wet paper fall from the diary. They're all gone...

Varian gently hugs me from behind. "What's wrong?" He softly asks.

"It's just..." I weakly chuckle. "That book has always been such an important part of Corona's history. Every couple who has ever lived in Corona has signed that book, and well...it's dumb, but I-I really wanted to sign it with you." My misty (ec) eyes meet Varian's. "I guess I just thought that if we signed it together, it was our way of saying that we'd always be together."

He sweetly kisses my cheek. "Angel, we don't need a book to preserve our love for each other. We've been together through the best and worst times, and I've never stopped loving you. Whether or not we sign that diary can't change that. I promise."

I smile a bit and realize that Varian is right. Nothing can break us apart.

:-:-:-:-:

The night brings a newfound sense of hope when Rapunzel and Eugene lead my parents, Varian, and me to the Royal Vault. The vault is almost completely dark, aside from the stained glass window that's positioned in the back wall. Moonlight filters through the Coronian Sun depicted in the stained glass, casting rays of light onto a podium in the middle of the room. It reminds me of an eclipse but in reverse.

As we reach the podium, Rapunzel turns to my parents. "You may not have your memories, but you have each other. So, I made a new Book of Hearts." She says, revealing a thick red book with birds, hearts, and flowers painted on the cover.

"Oh, Rapunzel, it's beautiful," Mom says, her smile lighting up the room.

As Mom opens the book, Rapunzel quickly stops her. "Oh, that's not your page." Her emerald eyes connect with Eugene's, nothing but pure love evident in them. "It's ours." My sister gives her boyfriend a hopeful grin as she holds up two quills.

Eugene beams and joins Rapunzel at the podium, and at long last, they finally sign their names in the book. They lovingly kiss to seal the pact of their true love, and Dad glances at Mom with a smile. "Reminds me of when we were young."

Mom chuckles. "I know! We were such opposites!"

"Yes, we-" Suddenly, he stops, his eyes widening in realization.

Varian and I turn to each other, the realization hitting us at the same time. "If they can remember when they were young, that must mean their memories are coming back!" I exclaim, pure joy bursting from my veins.

Rapunzel gasps. "You remembered something!"

"Who knew that the effects of the memory wand can reverse themselves all on their own?" Varian's baby blue eyes light up, fascination written all across his face. "That's incredible!"

I rush over to my parents and throw my arms around them, and Rapunzel joins our hug mere seconds later. The king and queen tightly hug us, as though if they let go of us we would fade from their memories again. "I guess the heart always remembers." Dad softly says.

When we part a few moments later, Varian approaches me and gently taps my shoulder. I slowly turn around to face him and see that he's holding a red quill out to me. My heart flutters as my eyes meet his. No words need to be said as Varian takes my hand, intertwines our fingers, and leads me to the podium. The love we have for one another goes deeper than spoken words.

As we select a blank page, excitement and anticipation flood my senses. I've been imagining this moment for what has felt like ages, and it's finally happening. "You ready?" Varian gently asks.

I smile at him a bit. "As I'll ever be."

Varian grins and writes his name in the book, and I follow suit. We gaze at each other as though we're the only two people in the world.

We step back to admire our names in the Book of Hearts.

Varian
&
(Yn)

"I love you, Angel." Varian softly says, squeezing my hand a bit.

I squeeze back. "I love you, too, Var."

We're so entranced by our names in The Book of Hearts that we don't notice the flash of gold and blue that flickers across our eyes.

Chapter Text

The weeks following Varian's and my relationship beginning and King Trevor's visit were pretty quiet.

Rapunzel entrusted Varian with the ancient scroll that holds the information on the moonstone and the sundrop's power, which Varian has been spending the past couple of weeks decoding in his new lab. Although Varian requested complete solitude while he stayed in his lab to decode the artifact, I got a girlfriend pass to that rule, so I've been free to visit my boyfriend whenever I want. Luckily, I have even been able to help him decode the scroll a bit thanks to my knowledge of ancient languages (being locked in a castle with a massive library for fourteen years has its perks).

We haven't seen any signs of Cassandra in Corona since the red rocks disappeared, which has been both relieving, but also quite frightening. I often find myself wondering when she'll come back...and what she'll do when she does. If studying that scroll has taught me anything, it's that the moonstone's power can have devastating consequences.

For now, however, all one can do is wait.

But today, I decided to push aside any of my worries. Today is Eugene's birthday, and I want to help give my future brother-in-law the best Cassandra-free birthday he's ever had. There's no room for fear in today's agenda.

"Where's Rapunzel?" I suddenly hear Catalina ask as she and Angry hang up pink streamers around the throne room.

"That's a good question," Lance comments, glancing around the room for any sign of my sister.

I set down the basket of bows that I've been adorning the room with. "Don't worry, I'll go find her." I offer.

"Thanks, (First letter of your name.)" Angry says, using the nickname she came up with for me.

I leave the throne room and begin heading to Rapunzel's bedroom, Dandelion following close behind me. As I walk through the halls, the early morning sunlight shines through the tall windows, illuminating the halls. I smile as I feel the comforting warmth of the light on my skin. After a few minutes of navigating through the palace, I reach the grand doors of Rapunzel's room. As I near the doors, I hear the familiar noise of Rapunzel singing coming from inside the room.

Pressing my ear against the wooden door, I listen to hear Rapunzel's song.

"Yes, now I'm safe and sound

Back with my family

When I look around I see how things can be

Everywhere I turn

There's so much more I can do~"

I slowly turn the golden handle of her door and peek my head inside the room to see Rapunzel hanging from her hair and painting her crème colored walls with vines and flowers in beautiful hues of lavender and warm pink. The people of Corona, the guards, her friends, and her family are all painted in between; a beautiful mural of the things she loves. I notice paintings depicting her challenges and triumphs as well, and everything in between. I smile a bit when I see a painting of Mom, Dad, Rapunzel, and I all in a group hug together. As my eyes wander across her mural, I catch a glimpse of a painting of me and Varian together, hand in hand, gazing into each other's eyes lovingly. I also notice that our glowing hair stripes are very prominent. It makes my heart flutter.

My heart sinks ever so slightly upon realizing that Cassandra is nowhere to be seen. I understand why she would be absent from the mural, but I can't help but feel like it is wrong. After all, she was a dear friend of ours once; she could always be a dear friend of ours again.

"And I get to be the girl who has everything~

The blessings this world can bring~

All falling in line~"

She suddenly notices me entering her room and stops the song. "Oh, (Yn)! Hey!" She smiles when she sees me. Sliding down her golden hair, she joins me on the floor. "Whatcha think?"

"Raps, this looks amazing!" I compliment, not taking my eyes off her mural. "I think this is one of the best things you've ever painted."

"Thanks!" Rapunzel beams with pride. "I've been working on it all morning."

As I meet her gaze, I giggle a bit.

"What's so funny?" My sister asks.

"You've got some paint on your nose." I chuckle, taping my nose.

Rapunzel laughs and quickly wipes the stroke of lavender paint from her nose.

A question for my sister keeps tugging at my mind the same way Dandelion would tug at my gown when she was hungry. As much as I want to ask her why Cass isn't present in her painting, I figure that now isn't the best time to do so. Instead, I ask a different question. "Are you ready to come help decorate the throne room for Eugene's party?"

"The party! Of course!" She smacks her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot!"

"It's not a problem!" I tilt my head ever so slightly, inquisitively looking at the princess. "Is everything okay, though? You seem a bit...nervous."

"Oh, I'm alright. I guess I'm just a bit jumpy today." She lowers her voice and leans her head close to me. "Actually, I have something special planned for tonight. Can you keep a secret?"

I nod, press my thumb and index finger together, and slide them across my lips, pretending to seal my lips shut.

Rapunzel smiles, her emerald eyes are full of excitement. She climbs up the ladder of her bookcase and grabs a small indigo-colored box hidden behind a stack of books and slides back down the ladder. As she approaches me, she cups the box in her hand as though it's a fragile duckling. My sister slowly opens the box, revealing a stunning maroon ring with golden accents. A small gem is placed on top. It's truly a ring fit for a king.

My eyes burn bright with joy for my sister. "Oh my gosh, Raps...you're going to propose to Eugene?!?"

She nods, her eyes never leaving the ring. "Third times a charm, right? Besides, this is one gift he'll never see coming."

I quickly throw my arms around Rapunzel. "Oh, this is amazing!! Congratulations!!"

"Don't congratulate me just yet." Rapunzel giggles. "He still has to say 'yes.'"

I scoff. "Like he isn't going to accept the proposal. Nothing could possibly go wrong!"

:-:-:-:-:

"Places people!!" Rapunzel quickly orders in a hushed voice.

We all quickly rush to our hiding places scattered throughout the throne room, right as Lance opens the door with Eugene. "All right, all right, I'm going!" Eugene exclaims as he's shoved into the pitch-black room.

Right as he enters the room, we turn on the lights and jump out of our hiding spots. "Surprise!!" We all cheer.

Eugene glances around the highly decorated room, a look of confusion evident on his face. "Aah!! Uh...this is for me? Why?"

Rapunzel hugs Eugene's arm. "Because today is your actual birthday!" She happily explains.

Eugene looks to his father, King Edmund. "It is?" After getting the nod of approval from him, Eugene's eyes light up. "Oh wow! This party is for me!!" He begins walking around the room, admiring the splendor of it all like a child on Christmas morning. "An entire evening where everyone gathers to pay homage to my existence! Oh, how did I go so many years-"

"-Because I sent him away as a babe and his whole life was a lie!" King Edmund blissfully says.

Rapunzel and I shoot him a glare.

Eugene crosses his arms over his chest. "Always a dependable ray of sunshine, Dad..." he grimaces before flipping his mood and beaming once again. "Well, bring on the cake!!"

Attila rolls a cart carrying a beautifully decorated cake into the middle of the room, topped with a couple dozen burning candles. Eugene's smile suddenly fades as he examines the cake. "Hold up. I don't mean to nitpick, but there are one too many candles on this cake."

Rapunzel quickly walks up behind him. "Uh...nope! Nope, that's right!"

"We were talking to King Edmund, and apparently you're one year older than you thought!" I explain, lightly elbowing him.

"Hooray for another birthday surprise!!" Rapunzel says in a cheery tone.

Eugene forces out a laugh. "Haha! You two are so funny but also incorrect! Is that a sister thing?"

"Nope! You're twenty-six!"

"No, I'm twenty-five years old." He states matter-of-factly.

King Edmund cuts into the conversation. "No no, you're twenty-six years old today." He corrects.

"Yup!" Rapunzel nods. "That's right, twenty-six!"

The guests murmur in agreement and cold perspiration forms on Eugene's forehead. "Would everyone stop saying my age out loud?!"

Suddenly, the cake begins shaking violently and Shorty pokes his head through the center of the delicately prepared birthday treat. "Happy twenty-sixth birthday, Horace!" He cheers through a mouth full of vanilla frosting.

Even though he's wearing his usual helmet, I can tell that Attila is beyond devastated by his cake's unprecedented fate. "Hours of work wasted!" He shakes his head with disappointment.

I approach him and gently pat his arm. "It's alright, Attila!" I say in an attempt to heal his sorrows. "I'm sure it tasted amazing."

He sighs. "Thanks..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Rapunzel leading Eugene back to his cake so he can make a wish, and I gaze at her with an inquisitive look. She gently nods, and I realize that this is it. The proposal.

Right as Eugene takes a breath to blow out the candles, a cold gust of wind sweeps through the throne room, sending the room into utter darkness. I shiver a bit from the chill that nips my skin and feel an odd sense of fear fill my body.

Suddenly, a voice that I haven't heard in two years fills the silent room. "Swell party. I'm guessing my invitation got lost in the mail?"

With an eerie unison, everyone in the room turns to the door to see who the voice belongs to as though we don't already know.

Cassandra.

Chapter Text

No one dares speak as we stare at the woman standing in the doorway. Her very presence is enough to mute the party-goers. Slowly, she begins to enter the room, her black boots clicking against the floor as she does so. Dragging her sword made of one of the black rocks behind her, an ear-piercing shriek cuts through the room. Bright teal bolts of energy shoot out from her weapon, casting rays of blue onto her pitch-black armor that look just as sharp as the black rocks. As she makes her way through the room, not a single word of warning is spoken. Everyone backs away from her on their own, making sure to give her no reason to notice them.

I stand my ground and stare directly at her face, wanting to see for myself the power that corrupted the woman who I saw as a sister. With her pale crème colored skin and electrifying blue hair, everything about her is cold.

They say the eyes are the window into the soul. As I gaze into her eyes, I see the same shade of blue that Varian's eyes hold when he's using his power. However, unlike the underlying love and goodness behind Varian's moonstone blue eyes and the power they hold, her eyes have nothing to hide. I can see they're empty. Any goodness that once resided within Cassandra is gone.

Something deep within me tells me that the darkness within Cass wasn't caused by the moonstone, though. After all, I've seen the moonstone's power and all the good it can do firsthand through Varian. The corruption within Cassandra was caused by something different.

"If you don't mind, I'll just help myself to a slice of this cake." She says in a tone that clearly says that she isn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"What does she want?" Lance softly asked Eugene, munching on some popcorn. "Is she here to apologize or fight? She's probably here for a fight."

Eugene elbows his friend. "Quiet!"

As Cassandra reaches the cake, Rapunzel steps to the side. "It's...where have you been?" She asks with concern.

"Helping myself you might say. It's about time I helped myself, don't you think?" Cassandra pulls out a knife and slowly cuts herself a piece of cake with it. "I thought a lot about how we left things, and it makes me sad." She pouts a bit, and I can instantly see that she doesn't mean a word she said.

Rapunzel, ever the optimist, doesn't read the situation very well. "Oh, It makes me sad too. I-I miss you, Cassandra." She gently smiles. "I want us to be friends again."

Cassandra picks at her cake. "Yeah...we both have things the other wants, which brings me to why I'm here. I want you to give me the scroll."

My eyes widen as one person flashes into my mind. Varian. He has the scroll. If Cassandra wants it...then he's in danger.

I nervously look at Rapunzel. "Raps, you can't," I whisper.

Eugene nods. "Listen to the kid." He places his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "The scroll has the instructions to wield the power of the moonstone and the sundrop."

"Stay outta this, Fitzherbert!" Cassandra warns. "Blondie can think for herself, hm?" She approaches Rapunzel again. "Give me the scroll, and I'll leave Corona in peace."

I clench my fists and step in between Cassandra and Rapunzel. "I don't think so."

Cassandra's teal eyes narrow, warning me. "This doesn't concern you, (nn)." She mockingly says. I flinch ever so slightly. A nickname I once loved being called's meaning quickly changed to something negative with Cassandra's tone. "Let the adults talk. I'd hate to see a child get hurt." She shoves me to the side, and once again gives her attention to my sister.

"Leave her alone!!" Rapunzel quickly defends me. "Cassandra, I don't think-"

She cuts her off. "-Oh, I know." She fake pouts again. "It's hard making decisions when the only friends and advisors you have left are ex-convicts and losers."

"Hey! We are not ex-convicts!!" Eugene counters.

Lance nods. "Technically, we have never been convicted of anything." He and Eugene fist bump, smug grins on their lips.

Cassandra ignores them. "I'll give you some time to decide." She flings her cake at Eugene. "Enjoy your party, Fitzherbert."

:-:-:-:-:

My heart pounds in my chest as we all sit in Rapunzel's bedroom, trying to come up with a plan of some degree. If Cassandra wants the scroll and Varian currently has it, that puts him in direct danger. I can't even think straight. As Catalina and Angry try to calm me down in any way they can, Eugene, Rapunzel, Max, and Lance try to come up with a strategy.

"I can't give Cassandra the scroll." Rapunzel firmly states.

"Hey, I agree." Eugene nods. "On one hand, if she gets the scroll, it could be the end of the world. On the other hand, she did say we would never see her again, so, you know, pretty big upside!"

Lance places his hand on his chin, clearly deep in thought. "Who knows what she's been doing since she disappeared."

"Probably practicing betrayal." Angry comments. "Thinking a lot about doing harm."

"Reading," Catalina suggests.

"Reading a lot about doing harm." Angry agrees.

Eugene cuts them off. "So, Cass gets the scroll, total destruction of us, got it. So we should hide it, yes? Where is it?"

I finally rejoin the conversation. "Well, we don't have it."

Eugene's face falls. "If you don't have it, well, then who do have it?"

:-:-:-:-:

"His lab is right through here," I announce, leading our little group to the door to Varian's lab.

Before I have a chance to be polite and knock, Rapunzel opens the door and waltzes into Varian's lab without warning. "Hi, Varian!!" She happily waves with her usual sunshiny energy.

Varian, who appeared to be drinking something from a beaker, gasps in surprise when he sees us entering the Demanitus Chamber. "Oh—HI! Hi!" He quickly pushes his goggles up from his eyes and onto his black hair. He swiftly sets down the beaker on a nearby table filled to the brim with books and flasks filled with different compounds, right as we all reach the bottom of the stairs. "I uh...wasn't, uh, expecting you...so soon!" He sheepishly admits, scratching the back of his neck. His baby blue eyes flick around the lab at the various messes he had created; embarrassment is evident from the small blush on his cheeks. "I mean, we did agree that I need at least five weeks of solitude to decipher this thing, so I thought I had some privacy." He nervously chuckles.

"Varian, don't be embarrassed." Rapunzel smiles.

"Hey, goggles, real quick." Eugene approaches us. "Do you have any anti-aging alchemies? Maybe some skin-tightening serum?" He nervously asks.

"Not the time, Eugene." I flatly say.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rapunzel breathes a sigh of relief when she notices the scroll hung up on the red stone wall in the lab. "You have the scroll."

"I do! Oh, I do." Varian grins. "And it took a while, but I composed this key to translate the text in its entirety." He proudly states, pointing to a translation key that was drawn on the wall next to the scroll.

"Varian, you're a genius!!" Rapunzel applauds.

Varian smiles a bit and glances at me. "Well, I can't take all the credit...I do have my awesome girlfriend to thank for some of these translations." He winks at me.

I blush a bit. "I-It was nothing..."

"Aww, you guys are adorable!!" My sister coos. She quickly shakes her head. "Focus Rapunzel! Now is not the time!" She scolds herself. "What does the scroll say, Varian?"

Varian points to the sun drawing on the scroll. "This is the healing incantation." His gloved finger travels to the moon drawing. "This is the decay incantation." He then points to a purple drawing of an oval with several lines spilling out of it. "And this, oh, is a third incantation. It would allow whoever possesses the moonstone to wield complete control over the black rocks."

"That's why Cassandra wants the scroll..." Rapunzel concludes in realization.

"Yes, yes, but there's more!!" Varian eagerly exclaims, grabbing Rapunzel's shoulders and shaking her a bit from his excitement. "It says here that there are four incantations, not three!!"

I gasp. "Really?"

"Yes, but," Varian scowls with annoyance. "I can't seem to find it anywhere on the scroll."

"Uh, guys, you might want to stop talking about the..." Lance coughs loudly, and through the coughs says, "Secrets of the scroll."

My heart drops when I realize why Lance said that. I slowly turn around to face the doorway and see Cassandra standing there, grinning menacingly. She gazes down at us from the top of the stairs like a tyrannical ruler gazing at her subjects. "Don't stop on my account." She sneers, her pale skin making her appear as cold as an ice queen.

"Cass?!" Varian's jaw drops from seeing Cassandra. This was his first time seeing her since the Battle of Old Corona, so one can blame him for being shocked.

I protectively step in front of Varian as Rapunzel warns him to stay away from Cassandra. "Hide the scroll." She orders through gritted teeth. "We can't let her get her hands on that incantation."

"But the scroll is worthless without the translation key." Varian counters.

I mentally facepalm. Varian may be a genius teen scientist prodigy, but he still has his dense moments. I'm just frustrated that now has to be one of those times.

"Well, then it sounds like I need two things," Cassandra concludes. She pulls out her sword, clearly trying to prove a point that she's willing to fight if she doesn't get what she wants. Her sharp sword almost glistens more than her threatening teal eyes.

As though it's second nature, I grab my bow and prepare to shoot.

"Get that scroll outta here!" Eugene commands. "Blondie, I got this!" He charges up the stairs toward Cassandra, sword already in the air. He leaps into the air and swings it in Cassandra's direction, only for it to shatter the second it makes contact with her armor.

"Her armor...it's made of the black rocks!!" I nervously exclaim as Eugene's kicked back down the steps.

As Cassandra begins fighting against Rapunzel, Lance, Eugene, and Max, I grab Varian's hand and lead him over to a wooden table that had been knocked over. We duck behind it and Varian quickly rolls up the scroll and shoves it into a backpack. "We have to destroy that translation key!" Varian urgently says, pulling Flynnolium and another chemical compound I don't recognize out of his backpack. He grabs a flask and begins furiously mixing the two chemicals together.

"We can't do that!" I exclaim. "We won't be able to read the scroll!"

"But Cass won't be able to either! Besides, you know me, I can memorize anything."

The sounds of metal groaning and cracking fill the room, and I peek my head over the table to spy the machine created by Demanitus crumbling before my eyes. I duck behind the table once again, panic filling my body. "Okay, I trust you, but you have to hurry, Var!"

"Hey, you two." Cassandra's voice suddenly says.

I feel my blood run cold as I look over my shoulder to see Cassandra towering over us. "Look out!!" I exclaim, shoving Varian to the side right as Cassandra's sword slices through the table in one fell swoop.

Varian and I back up against the wall, panic evident in our eyes. I tightly clutch my bow in my hand and grab an arrow to prepare to shoot.

"If you want to read that scroll, you are gonna need our translation key!" Varian splashes his compound onto the wall where the translation key was written out and tosses the beaker to the side. A smug grin forms on his lips as all our writing becomes covered by a neon green goo. "Ha!! And now that I've destroyed it, you'll never know what the scroll says because the only translation in earthly existence is locked safely away up here." He smirks, pointing to his brain. "BOOM!"

"VARIAN!!!" I scold, horror filling my voice. By letting his ego get the better of him, Varian put himself in direct danger by saying that, which is the last thing I want. My grip on my bow tightens as I prepare to fight Cass and do whatever it takes to protect my boyfriend. If she wants to take him, she'll have to get through me first.

Cassandra smirks at the two of us, and I instantly know what she's planning. "Is that a fact?"

Varian's blue eyes widen with worry. His face becomes one of terror, like prey that's been cornered by a huntress. "I should not have said that out loud..."

"Then I guess you're coming with me," Cassandra concludes.

I force myself to pull back my arrow and point it at Cassandra. I don't want to harm her—after all, she was once a sister to me—but if she is going to bring harm upon my friends, I will not hesitate to fight back. "Get away from him!" I firmly commanded.

Cassandra stares at me with a look of amusement. "Ohohoho~ look at you, (nn)." She grins. "You honestly think you can take me on?"

"I did say I'd be able to beat you when you came home." I threaten. My heart pounds in my chest as my mouth opens to mutter two final words that will determine my fate: "Try me."

"This should be fun," Cassandra smirks.

Before she has a chance to strike me down, I release the arrow from my grasp and let it fly. Cassandra, taken off guard, whips her head to the side a millisecond too late. The sharp metal tip of my arrow grazes her pale face, slicing her skin just above her cheekbone. In pure shock, Cassandra raises her gloved fingers to the cut and touches the crimson blood that has begun to pour from the wound. She gazes at it a moment, as though she was deciding whether or not she was impressed or furious that I could land a hit on her. Flicking the blood from her hand, she scowls and puts her sword away.

"I didn't want it to come to this, (nn), but you leave me no choice." Before either Varian or I can react, she knocks me out cold.

"(YN)!!!"

.
.
.

By the time the dust has settled and Rapunzel discovers my unconscious body, Varian is long gone.

Chapter Text

"We have to figure out what Cassandra is planning to do." Rapunzel's voice speaks out, full of urgency.

I'm hardly listening as I nervously run my fingers along the hem of Varian's red bandana. As I gaze out Rapunzel's bedroom window, I wonder how the world can seem so sunny and carefree while Cassandra has access to every moonstone incantation and can be planning who knows what. Everyone in my entire kingdom is in danger, and yet, the person I'm the most worried about is Varian. Every time I think about what sort of peril Varian might be in, it only breaks my heart worse. He doesn't deserve any of this.

I told him I'd keep him safe, and I couldn't protect him.

Guilt stabs into me, not like a sword piercing into my heart, but like five thousand needles being pushed into my skin all at once. Everything hurts, and I can't do anything to stop it.

Catalina is seated beside me on the arm of the plush red chair I'm sitting on, trying to console me in any way she can. I appreciate the effort, but nothing can ease my nerves. I won't feel at peace until Varian is home.

As I glance around the room, I notice that I'm not the only one who appears to be defeated. Everyone was hardly showing any interest in Rapunzel's pep talk, evident by their blank stares and defeated expressions. Rapunzel's emerald eyes glanced around the room until her eyes meet my (ec) ones. She notices the red bandana in my hand, and her face softens. "Seriously guys," She begins, raising her voice to get everyone's attention. "Cass has Varian. Not to mention an incantation that can control the rocks. We have to stop her."

Lance sighs with a melancholy look in his eyes. "Uh, princess, were you in the same fight as us? We don't stand a chance against Cass in unbreakable armor."

"C'mon Lance, she wasn't that bad." A small chuckle escapes Eugene's lips.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The former thief scoffs. "What were you doing during that fight? There was a large boulder and you were..." He heartily laughs, unable to continue his sentence. Pascal, eager to help poke fun at Eugene, climbs onto the globe placed beside Lance and begins running swiftly as he pretends to be terrified. Lance bursts into another fit of laughter. "Yeah, yeah. Like that."

One look at Eugene's unamused face was enough to make Lance calm down. "Okay, okay. He's getting offended." He places his hand on the globe, causing it to stop in its tracks. Pascal flies forward from the sudden stop.

"What are you laughing about?" Eugene counters. "You were right there with me!"

Lance struts over him and places his hands on his shoulders. "No, no, no. You're remembering it all wrong. You know, they say memory is one of the first things to go with age."

I groan, feeling incredibly frustrated by the men's childish behavior. It's like they don't even care that Varian's been taken prisoner or that Cassandra now has one of the most powerful incantations in the land!

"Are we finished?" Eugene sighs.

"What will it take for you guys to focus for two seconds?!?" I finally exclaim, feeling my anger boil over me like a powder keg exploding. Eugene and Lance glance at me with surprise from my sudden outburst. Catalina places a comforting hand on my shoulder and I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out. I'm just...I'm so worried about him." I choke out. I clench the bandanna in my lap as my eyes try to hold back my tears.

"We'll get him back, (Yn)," Rapunzel assures me. "I promise."

I give my sister a small, but grateful, smile.

"Listen, I know Cassandra's dangerous, but we cannot forget she's also our friend," Rapunzel says, turning her attention to Lance and Eugene.

Eugene crosses his arms. "There's only one big problem. We don't know where she is."

Max suddenly whinnies from the window and I'm at his side in a millisecond. I peer out the glass and gasp. Past the sea, nestled between the lush, green mountains, is a pitch-black tower with spiked black rocks protruding from the top of it. It ominously glares down at all that surrounds it, like a storm cloud on a sunny day. I swallow the lump in my throat. "Guys...I think I know where to look."

:-:-:-:-:

I haven't known Rapunzel my whole life as most sisters have, but these past two years have taught me three crucial things about my sister.

Number one, Rapunzel is the most positive ray of sunshine I have ever met. Even at her darkest points, she somehow always manages to keep going and encourage those around her, including me.

Number two, Rapunzel never puts herself first. I can't name a single time when she put her wants or needs before someone who was struggling. While it's one of her most admirable traits, it's also her Achilles heel. Her selflessness has always been her downfall.

Number three, Rapunzel never let her past get the better of her.

...until today.

As my sister leads our rescue team back to her old home, not a single word is spoken. The cold perspiration on her forehead and the hollow look in her eyes is enough to tell me that this place is one of pain for Rapunzel. I'd never seen the tower she had been trapped in for eighteen years; part of me doesn't want to see it. After all, this was the prison that kept my sister from me.

Slowly, she pulls back the ivy vines and fresh moss that covers the secret entrance to the clearing where her tower was hidden. As we walk through the entrance, our silence is maintained. It's as though an invisible force has stolen our words.

In the ruins of Rapunzel's old tower is Cassandra's fortress of black rocks. A creation that could've only been made with the power of the moonstone incantation. I try not to think about how Cassandra got the incantation out of Varian...I'm not sure if I want to know at all. Worry swells within me as I stare at the sleek black structure piercing into the sky.

Snapping me from my trance in Eugene. "(Yn)? Are you alright?"

I glance at him and then realize everyone is staring at me with a look of concern and shock. "What? Yeah, I'm fineeee~" I quickly reply, a little too defensively. "W-What makes you think that I wouldn't be alright?"

Rapunzel nervously bites her lip as she stares at me. "(Yn)...your hair stripe...it's glowing."

My hand slowly travels to my head, and I gently wrap my hands around the golden strip of hair. I stare at it for a long moment. My fingers tremble ever so slightly. "What in the world...?" I mutter, confusion flooding into me. Varian was nowhere near me, and yet my hair is still glowing. It makes no sense!

"Do you know why your hair is glowing?" Eugene asks.

"I have no idea! It only glows when Varian is in..." The realization hits me and my heart drops. "...When he's in danger." As if instinctively, my gaze travels to the top of the black tower, and I notice a long black rock horizontally protruding from the top. At the end is a cage made from black rocks. I feel a spark flash inside of me. Varian. "He's up there!" I exclaim. "We have to get to him!"

"Max, check the perimeter to see if there's an entrance to the tower from the ground." Rapunzel requests.

Max whinnies in reply and trots off.

"It's taller than the castle..." Catalina says in awe of the structure.

"Cass is sending me a message," Rapunzel sighs, kneeling by the rubble of her childhood home. She picks up a piece of stone that is covered in bright hues of coral, lavender, and yellow. "She wants me to know that everything that once was mine will belong to her."

"The only message it's sending me is, 'Good luck climbing this.'" Lance says while scratching his head.

Max gallops over to us and shakes his head; he hadn't found a way in. "No entrance at the bottom, Max?"

The white horse whinnies in defeat and I sigh. "Looks like we can only get in through the top," I conclude, securing my satchel over my shoulder.

"How are we supposed to get all the way up there?" Lance asks.

"By a lot of climbing," Rapunzel replies, forcing a cheery smile on her face.

Lance and Eugene cringe at the thought, and Lance slowly starts backing away. Eugene paints a look of determination on his face for his girlfriend and grabs Lance by the collar of his shirt to stop him from escaping.

"That's the spirit!" My sister cheers. "We'll be up there in no time!"

I look up to the cage in which Varian is being contained and I clench his red bandana in my hands. I pull my still-glowing hair back into a ponytail and secure it with my good-luck charm. "Hang in there, Var....we're coming."

:-:-:-:-:

The sun rises higher and higher into the sky as the hours pass by. The rays beat mercilessly down on us. The heat of the day and the grueling work of trying to climb the massive tower drains our energy quicker than I'd care to admit. We still have hardly made any progress, and I can tell that the prospect of defeat is causing our team to lose hope of reaching the top.

"I am telling you, the sap thing will work," Lance assures us for what must be the twentieth time today.

I facepalm. "All that accomplished was getting us sticky! It took an hour to get all that sap off!"

"We just have to try a different tree."

I roll my eyes and turn my attention to my sister, who has the palm of her hand placed against the cold black stone of the tower. "Come on, Cassandra..." She mutters. "Just let me in."

As if on cue, the black rocks slowly part down the center, revealing the inside of Cassandra's fortress. A bright teal light splashes onto our faces, blinding us for a brief moment. I squint from the rays of blue, allowing my eyes to adjust. "No way..." I whisper.

We slowly approach the opening, and peer inside the now-dark abyss. A cold chill fills my bones, causing my body to tremble. I'm not sure if it's from the frigid air or the growing feeling of fear within me. The dim room has several black rocks sprouting from the ground like flowers from a grassy field. Multiple staircases are scattered across the hall, each one identical to the one next to it. I force a deep breath into my lungs. My feet take one step into the tower, and then another. Our rescue group follows my lead, all of them glancing around the inside of the tower as though a monster is lurking within the shadows. They huddle close to me thanks to the soft golden glow coming from my hair streak.

"Which way do we go?" Eugene asks, his voice cutting into the silence.

Rapunzel surveys our options and then turns to her boyfriend. "It's your birthday Eugene, so you get to decide which path to take." She smiles. "We're celebrating and adventuring. It's a...celebventure!!"

Eugene nervously grins. "Alright! Here we go." He points forward and rotates his hand from one staircase to the next. "Onesie, twosie, redsie, bluesie!" His finger lands on the tunnel in the far corner of the room and nods; he's made up his mind. "This one. Blondie, you, (Yn), and I are gonna go this way."

Lance places his hands on his hips. "And the cool kids will take this tunnel." He states matter of factly, gesturing to a tunnel on our left. "Come on, girls. You too, Max."

With that, we go our separate ways and voyage deep into the tower.

Chapter Text

Rapunzel, Eugene, and I slowly travel through the tower, weaving in and out of black rocks and climbing over and under the wreckage of Rapunzel's old home. The deeper into Cassandra's tower we go, the brighter my hair streak glows. The unknown of it frightens me, but it also welcomes hope into my heart; perhaps we're getting closer to Varian.

After walking in silence for a long while, Rapunzel speaks up. "Getting in here was too easy." She says as we turn a corner onto another flight of stairs. "We could be waking into a trap." Pascal squeaks a bit in reply, and my sister smiles at him. "Good idea. Think you can get in without being seen?" The small reptile nods and Rapunzel smiles. "Be careful, buddy." She pecks the top of his head.

"Good luck, Pascal!!" I loudly whisper as the chameleon scampers off.

The minutes slowly tick by, and Rapunzel becomes more on edge the longer Pascal is gone. After about twenty minutes of waiting, she finally speaks up. "This is taking too long. I'm going up there."

As she begins walking away, I quickly grab her wrist, stopping the princess in her tracks. "Hold on, Raps."

"What if you can't convince her to come back?" Eugene questions. "What if the only way out is to...?" He can't finish the thought, but we all know what he was going to say.

Rapunzel quickly speaks up, a little too defensively. "This is Cassandra. Not some monster."

I stare at my sister with misty eyes. "We're just worried about you, sis. I-I can't lose...I can't lose anyone else."

The blonde's stern gaze softens, and she wraps her arms around me. "I'll be alright, (Yn). She'll come around. I have to believe that."

I pull out of her hug and give her a small, but hopeful smile. "Then I trust you."

"If you believe that, then so do I," Eugene adds, kissing his girlfriend's rosy cheek.

Rapunzel gratefully smiles at both of us. "Thanks, you guys. Let's go rescue our friends."

:-:-:-:-:

As we finally reach the top of the tower, Rapunzel reaches into her blue cross-body bag and pulls out a folded-up piece of black fabric. Upon closer inspection, I realize that it's her embroidered black cloak. She hands it to me and brings her voice to a soft pitch. "Put this on. Your glowing hair might give us away." She instructs.

To avoid making any unnecessary noise, I only nod and slip the cloak on over my body, taking extra care to cover my hair with the hood. I give her a thumbs up, and we enter the top of Cassandra's tower.

My jaw drops in awe as we enter what appears to be a throne room. The mid-afternoon daylight shines through the multitude of skylights in the ceiling, casting rays of light into the black rocks that populate the space. The room is completely scarce, aside from the massive throne constructed out of black rocks in the center of the room.

"Pascal?" I hear Rapunzel call into the room. "Come out, buddy."

We scatter throughout the room to track down Pacal and Varian when Eugene speaks up. "(Yn)...I found Varian."

My heart pounds through my chest as I dash toward Eugene, praying that Varian is unharmed. "Is he okay?!?" I frantically ask.

Eugene only points out a door-sized hole in the wall. I peek out the hole and at the long black rock that protrudes out from it. A circular cage rests at the end of it, and worry wells up within me as I wonder how we're going to save my boyfriend. "Varian!!!" I exclaim, desperately hoping that he isn't injured. Without thinking, I step out into the long beam that separates Varian and me.

Varian takes notice of me, and his eyes light up, both figuratively and literally. I quickly take note that both Varian's eyes and blue hair stipe are glowing a bright teal color. The alchemist reaches his hand out to me through the bars of his cage, as though he has even the slightest chance of reaching me. "(YN)!!"

"(Yn), wait!" Eugene quickly orders.

I know that he only wants to keep me safe, but time is of the essence. I have to get to Varian. "I'll be okay, Eugene," I reassure him. "I have to do this."

Eugene, realizing he can't stop me, lets out a nervous breath as he watches me inch across the rock. "O-Okay...just, be careful."

"I will!" I nod, not taking my eyes off my boots. As I walk, I try to block out the view of the ground below me. Gravity taunts me as I wobble, threatening to suck me back down to Earth. The ever-persistent fear of falling churns my insides, leaving me feeling nauseous. Cassandra's tower is easily one thousand feet tall at least, and I desperately try to ignore the fact.

"Don't worry, Varian! We're going to get you out of there!" Rapunzel assures the boy.

"Not now!" He calls back. "I found the last incantation!! It was hidden with photoreactive ink. Obvious right?" The alchemist snorts.

Eugene rolls his eyes. "Yeah, super obvious."

"The problem is I need a concentrated beam of sunlight to see it," Varian explains. "I mean, I tried using my goggles, but they're too scratched up...I need something else, like a-a prism or a glass."

"Or..." Rapunzel digs in her bag a moment, before pulling out her engagement ring for Eugene. "...a crystal?"

A grin spreads across Eugene's features. "Is that a...?"

Rapunzel smiles. "Yeah."

"For me?" The happiness on his face only grows. "You were going to ask me...? I mean, I was going to ask you! All this time and you still find ways to surprise me."

Snapping the couple from their romantic moment, the entire tower begins shaking violently, causing us all to wobble. I feel myself losing my balance, and I slip. My heart plummets into my stomach as I fall forward. I hear the panicked voices of Eugene, Rapunzel, and Varian as gravity overcomes me, and I luckily manage to grab ahold of the beam. I grip the black rock as tightly as I can and pull myself back on top of it. My heart is beating louder than a drum, and I force myself to take deep breaths.

"Oh my goodness, (Yn), are you okay?!" Varian frantically checks as I pull myself to my feet.

Unable to speak, I only nod a couple of times.

"She must know we're here!" Rapunzel exclaims. "(Yn), You have to hurry! Eugene, get the ring to Varian, I'm gonna find Pascal."

Eugene makes his way onto the beam and slowly begins following me. I travel across the beam at a much slower pace than before as I can still feel my body shaking like a leaf. As Varian watches me, I notice his glowing eyes are as wide as saucers. Sweat drips from my pores as I inch closer and closer to the boy and notice the beam becoming narrower and narrower.

Finally, by some miracle, I get to Varian without falling to my death. Varian smiles from ear to ear when I make it to him, and he cups my head in his hands through the bars of the cage. "Thank Demanitus you're safe, Angel." Before I have the opportunity to react, Varian pulls me as close to him as his prison allows and connects our lips. My glowing eyes widen in pure shock and ecstasy before I close them in contentment. I've kissed Varian once before what seems like forever ago, but this is his first time being the one to kiss me. Something about that fact overwhelms me with love for him, knowing how much he cares for me.

As we part, we lovingly stare at one another. "I love you, Var." I softly say.

"I love you too."

Our sweet moment is quickly interrupted by Eugene, who is looking over his shoulder at the doorway back into the tower that is now sealed. "As much as I'd hate to cut into this touching moment, the fate of Corona is still resting on our shoulders and we kinda need to decipher that final incantation so can we please hurry up?" He turns back to face us, and his jaw drops. "Holy hair..."

That's when both Varian and I notice that not only are our hair stripes glowing their respective color, the rest of our hair is, too. "W-W-When did that happen?!" Varian questions.

The realization hits me. "When we kissed..."

"I'm sorry, what?" Eugene asks.

"Our powers work simultaneously with each other. I don't know why, but our powers only appear when they involve the both of us such as when we work together or need to save each other. My eyes and hair stripe were glowing when we found the tower because I knew Varian was in danger and I knew I needed to save him. As stupid and cliché as it sounds, I think when we kissed it must've bonded our powers somehow." I explain.

Varian nods in agreement. "I think she's right. Maybe that's what the fourth incantation is about!"

Eugene hands Varian the engagement ring. "Well, then you'd better start deciphering that scroll, kid." He says with a smirk. "We're gonna need all the power we can get if we're gonna take down Cassandra."

Varian nods and holds the ring in the light of the now-setting sun. A beam of golden light catches the yellow gem embedded in the ring perfectly, and the alchemist begins manipulating the ray so it shines on the back of the scroll. As the light touches the ancient paper, I gasp in awe as the text begins to appear. "That's incredible!" I exclaim.

Varian beams. "It's working!"

"Way to go, kid!" Eugene applauds.

Suddenly, the beam of light causes a spark on the scroll, and a burst of fire erupts from the paper. "Argh, no!!" Varian hisses. "No, no, no, no!!" Eugene and I frantically attempt to blow the fire out as Varian grabs a writing utensil and a sheet of paper from his bag to write out as much of the scroll as possible. As the last of the scroll burns to ash, Varian lets out a long breath. "I got it!! Whew."

"I certainly hope so," Eugene begins. "Because that thing was not easy to come by."

I release a sigh of relief. "Great job, Var," I say, patting his shoulder.

"Now can you figure out a way to get through these bars and back into the building? Because I got nothing." Eugene admits.

:-:-:-:-:

After what felt like hours of waiting, Varian's prison along with the beam it's resting on begins receding toward the tower.

"What's happening?!" I nervously ask.

"Whatever it is, it's bad. This is bad." Eugene replies.

"Uh-oh..." Varian instinctively takes my hand in his own, a habit I have come to find comfort in.

Eugene takes both of our free hands in his own. "Stay close, you two."

As we enter the darkness of Cassandra's tower, I feel a chill run across my body. I squeeze Varian and Eugene's hands as though they could slip out of my grasp at any moment.

Cassandra chuckles menacingly as we slide into her throne room. "Welcome back, you three." She sneers. "Let me help you out." She raises her hand into the air, and dozens of black rocks sprout from the floor as though they are weeds in a garden, shooting toward us. Several rocks wrap around Eugene's body, squeezing him like a python killing its prey. Eugene grunts in pain, and I feel Varian gripping my hand tighter.

Cassandra grabs Eugene's jaw and turns his head to face Rapunzel, who is pinned to the wall by black rocks. "You won't fight me, but will you fight...for him?"

"Cass, leave him alone!!" Rapunzel orders.

"I just realized I forgot to give you my present, Eugene." Cassandra closes her palm into a fist, and in doing so the rocks tighten around Eugene's body. I notice his face turning a disturbing hue of purple; he's losing air fast.

Eugene gasps for air in short, strained breaths. "D-Don't give in t-to her!! Don't d-do anything s-she s-says!!"

Varian suddenly thrusts the paper containing the incantation into my hand. "Read it."

I shake my head. "But Rapunzel needs to be the one-"

"There's no time!!" Varian grips my hand. As his glowing blue hair billows through the wind, I catch the urgency in his face. "Look (Yn), I-I don't know why or how, but we have a connection to the moonstone and the sundrop. I had a dream earlier and this weird little ghost girl said to 'use the sun to see the sun.' I think she not only meant for that to help me find the incantation but also for it to help me realize that you can help Rapunzel somehow. Maybe you can use your sun powers to help her unlock her sun powers! I know it sounds crazy, but this incantation may be our only hope in stopping Cass."

I stare at him for a moment. Of course, this whole thing sounds crazy! But then again...what other choice do I have? I stare at my golden hair blowing in the breeze, and I know what I have to do. I firmly grasp the incantation in my hand, and I begin to tremble as I read.

"'Power of the sun, gift me with your light...'"

Chapter Text

𝒲𝒽𝑜 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝓌𝑜?

𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃...

𝒲𝒶𝒾𝓉...

𝐼𝓉 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝒷𝑒...

𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎'𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈.

.
.
.

𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝓃𝒹𝓇𝑜𝓅 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓃𝑒.

...

Like the tingly feeling one gets from a sudden rush of warmth after trekking through a harsh cold, every inch of me trembles as I feel magic surge throughout my body. I'm more and more overwhelmed by the sensation the longer I read the last incantation.

"...shine into the dark, restore our fading sight."

I feel a shock of light blast through my body, causing my glowing golden hair to levitate in the air and my eyes to begin shining a bright gold. Sparks of magic flicker around my body, as though the power of the sun drop is too much for me to contain. I glance over at my sister, who is fully levitating off the ground and traveling toward Cassandra.

It's working! I think to myself, hardly being able to keep my excitement contained.

As Rapunzel and Cassandra's epic showdown begins, I feel an odd sensation flash through my body as Cassandra begins using the moonstone's power. My glowing eyes instinctively travel to Varian and I gasp in surprise when I see his glowing teal hair and eyes. I rush over to him and grip the bars of his cage. "Varian? Are you okay?" My voice comes out in worried breaths.

I ignore the raging battle behind me as I stare into his eyes. He mirrors my action, and I can see the reflection of my golden irises in his eyes; like angels' halos. "I'm fine, but the power of the moonstone incantation Cass is using is triggering a reaction from my powers. It's the same as when you recited the sundrop incantation to activate Rapunzel's powers." He explains.

I grin as an idea appears before me. "Varian, that means you can escape!!"

"What?"

I shake my head a bit, chuckling with glee. "If you have the powers of the moonstone, you must have some control over the black rocks...so..."

"...I can get rid of this cage!" Varian concludes.

"Exactly!!"

Varian flashes me a buck-toothed smile. "(Yn), you're a genius!"

Despite my blush, I quickly wave the alchemist off. We have no time to lose. "Hurry!"

"Right!" Varian nods. He slowly extends his arms, and with shaky hands, he begins taking deep breaths. His teal hair flaps in the wind, allowing me to take notice of the beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. I can't make out the words, but I hear his gentle mumbling coming from his lips as he recites the moonstone incantation.

As the black rocks of his cage slowly recede into the floor, I beam brighter than the glow of the sun. The second Varian has freed himself, I'm already at his side squeezing him as tightly as I can. "I knew you could do it, Var!!" I exclaim.

Varian wraps his arms around me and returns the gesture. We remain like that for a long moment...well, until our moment is interrupted.

Behind us, an explosion of light and magic erupts into the darkness, sending a blast of energy our way. I realize Cassandra and my sister must've collided with a strong enough force to cause the outburst of power, and my glowing eyes widen.

Wait...what's that?

A new beam of light joins the color palette: an electrifying shade of purple. Unlike the outward explosions of Rapunzel and Cassandra's magic, however, this one simply shoots vertically into the sky like a lightning bolt.

Varian sees it too. "Oh. My. Goodness." He gasps.

"What do you think it is?" I ask, a sinking feeling arousing in my gut. Something about that purple energy sends shivers through my soul.

Before Varian can reply, Raps throws one final blow at Cassandra, causing a teal explosion unlike any I've ever seen. Before either I or Varian can even react, the force of the blast blows the two of us off the side of the tower with ease.

As we go plummeting downward our illuminated eyes meet. We slowly drift toward one another and grab each other's hands. The ground grows closer and closer and I nervously stare at the love of my life. "What do we do, Var?!?" I wail.

Varian's eyebrows furrow together, clearly deep in thought. Suddenly, he looks at me as a huge smile spreads across his features and I instantly know he already has a plan in mind. "We float." He concludes.

My mind instantly flashes back to our journey into the underground tunnels just a couple of months ago.

Suddenly Pascal hits a stone in the wall with his tongue while trying to catch a fly, triggering a trap door to begin opening below us. We start sliding down into a deep pit lined with red rocks, and my heart practically stops. I try to grip the sides of the trap door but to no avail.

Varian's backpack flies open and a couple of his books along with all the flasks of amber-creating solution tumble down into the pit. "My supplies!!" Varian cries.

As they roll down, I manage to grasp onto one of the flasks, but in doing so, I lose my grip completely and plummet downward. I scream in horror as I fall.

"(YN)!!!" Varian screams, jumping down the hole, and trying to grab me. As his arms wrap around my waist protectively, a familiar flickering sensation sparks within me. Suddenly, we stop falling. Our bodies come to an abrupt halt.

We float.

I meet Varian's confident gaze. "It could work, but h-how?" My heart pounds against my chest from the nerves inside of me. "I can't focus on anything but the ground!"

The earth comes closer.

The alchemist squeezes my hands and gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't think..." He breathes. "Just keep your eyes on me, okay? You have to trust me."

I bite my lip and nod. Fighting the urge to look down, I keep my golden eyes fixated on Varian and take slow breaths. "I trust you," I whisper.

As the words escape my lips gravity suddenly disintegrates.

We float.

A small grin rests on Varian's lips. "I knew you trusted me."

I chuckle in relief from the near-death experience. "Always."

:-:-:-:-:

It's nearly three in the morning by the time we make it back to the castle. Even though Rapunzel didn't manage to defeat Cassandra completely, at the end of the day she still proved to everyone that Cassandra wouldn't be able to take us down so easily, and we brought Varian home safe and sound.

As we walk down the empty halls I gently squeeze my boyfriend's hand at the thought.

"(Yn)?" He glances down at me and I notice the dark bags under his baby-blue eyes. The poor boy must be exhausted. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm alright." I examine his tired face. "Hey...do you want to spend the night here? I'd hate for you to have to travel back to Old Corona at this hour."

He takes a breath and rests his head against mine as we walk. "Yeah...that sounds nice. Would your parents mind?"

I scoff. "Nah..."

:-:-:-:-:

After stealing a pair of pajamas from Eugene to give to the boy, I chuckle as I notice how baggy they are on his scrawny body. They are so big in fact, that Varian had to roll up the sleeves and pants several times over to avoid tripping.

"Don't laugh," Varian rolls his eyes as he removes his goggles and sets them on my vanity as though they are made of the most priceless crystals in the land. "you're the one who gave me these, so you aren't allowed to think I look dumb." He gestures to his mint green night clothes.

I stifle a giggle. "It's not that...it's just you're so cute."

Varian's cheeks flush red and he doesn't reply as he heads to the door to leave for the guest room, clearly flustered.

I set my book down and quickly approach him. After everything that's happened these past thirty-six hours, I'm not quite ready to see Varian go. I grab his hand with the desperation of a young child not wanting their parent to leave on the first day of school. "Wait,"

Varian stops and glances back at me, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's wrong?"

"C-Can you stay with me for a bit? I...I don't want to be alone right now." I whisper.

Varian doesn't question me and simply nods his head. The two of us climb onto my bed, Varian leaning against the headboard and I curled up beside him. He wraps his arms around me lovingly and gently runs his fingers through my once again (hc) hair. With my head against his chest, I listen to his steady heartbeat, finding comfort in the sound.

Throughout the interaction, no words are exchanged.

Sure, we still have countless questions about that strange purple energy, the sun drop, the moonstone, and their connection to us, but right now that can wait.

I'm willing to steal a few hours for us.

Chapter Text

:-:Three Months Later:-:

"Don't you think it's been too quiet?"

Varian glances at me through his goggles but doesn't cease to keep working on his newest invention. "Yeah, for sure."

Pacing back and forth across the floor of Varian's lab, I continue to think out loud. "I mean, the last time we saw Cassandra was during the battle at her tower, and she hasn't made an appearance since? She wouldn't go down so easily."

I hear the familiar squeaking of bolts being tightened. "Yeah, for sure," Varian replies.

"She could be anywhere! Who knows what she's planning...for all we know, she could be assembling an army or something!"

"Yeah, for sure."

I sigh and step over to my boyfriend. "Are you even listening to me?"

Hearing my annoyance, Varian finally removes his goggles from his eyes and rests them atop his black hair. "Sorry, Angel, I'm just so close to finishing this alarm system! Once this little guy is complete, all of Corona will be warned when Cass shows her face in our kingdom again." Varian proudly gazes upon his creation and quickly looks at me for validation.

I stare at the monstrous metal structure before us. "I wouldn't call that 'little.'" I say in awe.

"Well yeah," He chuckles. "I call it, the Rooster. Clever right?"

I giggle a bit. "Very."

:-:-:-:-:

I'm fastening the final buckle on my leather boots when Rapunzel pokes her head in my door. "(Yn)? Are you coming?"

I glance my sister's way. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"Apparently the captain of the guard has an announcement to make, and he wanted everyone to meet in the throne room." She explains.

I feel worry bubble in my chest. What if Cassandra returned? What if all of Corona is in peril? The endless train of 'what ifs' tumble through my mind.

I look over at Dandelion, who is sitting on her plush bed staring at me expectantly. Her big black eyes blink a couple of times, seeming to be asking me what's the matter. I kneel beside her and pet her fuzzy head. "Stay here, okay, girl?" I suggest. If there really is an emergency, I want Dandelion in my room where it's safe. The bunny nods her head and I smile in relief.

I quickly follow Rapunzel out the door, neither of us saying another word. We were both too on edge to converse.

As we enter the throne room, we find seats on the edge of a bench beside Eugene. "What took you so long?" Lance whispers rather loudly.

"(Yn)'s room is halfway across the palace." My sister shrugs.

Once we're seated on the bench, our father sends a nod to the Captain of the Guard, who is standing before the King and Queen. He clears his throat. "King Fredrick, Queen Ariana, as the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard, I have sworn to defend this kingdom against all who threaten it. But as a father, I cannot face my daughter in battle."

I exchange a glance with my sister, a hunch of what's to come already forming in my mind.

The Captain showily removes his golden helmet, a tried and true symbol of Coronian strength and pride. "...And so it is with a heavy heart that I retire from my post." He announces, confirming my suspicions.

Everyone gasps in surprise and the room falls silent. The King and Queen glance at one another, before my father turns his attention back to the now-former Captain. "Captain, you have served Corona with dignity and pride for so many years. Thank you."

My mother offers a gentle smile. "And we respect your decision."

"As for my replacement, it was a very difficult decision. There are so many qualified guards." The Captain speaks, glancing at the guards stationed behind him.

"Have any of these guards ever successfully guarded anything?" Lance snickers to Eugene.

"-My replacement has put his life on the line for Corona countless times." He continues. "And so it is with utmost confidence that I recommend Eugene Fitzherbert."

Eugene gasps in shock. "WHAT?"

I grin at my future brother-in-law. "Way to go, Eugene!!"

Lance chuckles and ropes his arm around Eugene's shoulder. "Haha! Captain Fitzherbert! I like the sound of that."

The Captain offers his helmet over to the former thief. "What do you say, Fitzherbert?"

Eugene's eyes are wider than saucers, and he stares at the helmet as though it is a ghost. "Me?"

The Captain nods. "I wouldn't pass this position to anyone else."

Eugene's hands slowly take the helmet and he plasters on a reassuring smile, one that I can't tell if he's faking or not. "Okay then, I'll think about it."

:-:-:-:-:

The midday sun beats down on the courtyard as Rapunzel, Eugene, Catalina, Angry, Max, Pascal, and Lance await Varian's big announcement, AKA, the second major announcement of the day.

The alchemist and I stand on top of the massive wooden crate containing the pieces of the rooster. Varian smiles proudly and spreads his arms out wide as he looks down at our friends. "Ladies and gents, I give you, the roo-"

My boyfriend is cut off by Eugene, whose attention is fixated upon a wanted poster of some phony Flynn Rider. "I'm-I just can't believe how much this guy looks like me! And he's using my monicker-"

I loudly clear my throat and gesture to Varian, who, ever the drama king, is tapping his foot in annoyance. "I'll wait." He mutters.

"Oh, ahem, sorry." Eugene apologizes.

"Thank you, I'll start again." Varian murmurs, once again spreading his arms out wide. "I give you..." he pauses for dramatic effect and the two of us jump down from the crate, Varian pulling a rope and opening the crate up. "THE ROOSTER!!" He announces, dragging out the 'o's' in the word 'rooster.' "Or at least it will be once we put it together."

"It doesn't look like a rooster." Angry comments, crossing her small arms over her chest.

"It's not supposed to look like a rooster," I explain. "It's called that because it's an alarm system for the kingdom."

"If Cassandra or any other danger threatens the kingdom, this will fire a glowing mortar into the air and alert everyone in Corona," Varian adds.

Rapunzel grins at the alchemist and places a proud hand on his shoulder. I can't help but notice the smile brighter than the sun on Varian's face; he's over the moon to receive validation from my sister. "Great idea. Right, Eugene?" She looks around for her boyfriend, only to find him once again staring at the wanted poster.

"Sorry, it's just, cheekbones like these, they don't come around once in a generation, they don't." Eugene cries.

"Eugene, this is more important than some fake Flynn Rider."

Eugene scoffs. "Rapunzel, he stole the crown. I mean, only I could get away with that." He clenches the poster in his gloved fists. "Look, Flynn Rider has a reputation. I refuse to have it tarnished by some hack imposter. I am going after him!"

Rapunzel smiles. "Well, then I am going with you."

"Uh, uh, hate to nag," Varian cuts in from across the courtyard. "But who's gonna oversea the rooster's installation?"

"What?" Eugene asks.

"All military-grade applications require supervision by the Captain of the Guard," I explain.

"How do you even know that?" Angry asks.

I sheepishly scratch the back of my neck. "I had to learn about the Coronian militia as a part of my studies."

"Ah! Don't touch that!!" Varian suddenly scolds Lance, who is centimeters away from touching the rooster.

"Lance, you're acting Captain of the Guard until I get back," Eugene informs, already strutting away.

Varian and my jaws drop in terror. Lance behaves like a literal and figurative man-child, and Varian and I both know that all too well. Having Lance Strongbow overseeing the construction of a gigantic metal alarm system is what one can only describe as potentially disastrous.

"Sweet, a promotion!!" Lance exclaims in celebration.

"Tut, tut, tut, it's temporary," Rapunzel adds, following behind Eugene. Much to my dismay, the kingdom's by-the-book horse, Max, was also accompanying Rapunzel and Eugene.

"Sweet, a temporary promotion."

Don't leave us with him!! I mentally plead, hoping that some kind of sister-sense can deliver my message to Rapunzel, but alas, it doesn't work.

Varian and I nervously look at one another.

"Oh, Demanitus have mercy..."

Chapter Text

Varian and I make our way up the winding steps of the tallest tower of the castle, where the rooster is going to be constructed. As we walk, we review the blueprints of the machine, each of us holding one side of the paper. The early afternoon sunlight pours into the tower through the arch-shaped windows, giving us just enough light to see the assembly instructions.

As we walk, I feel a warm fuzzy sensation grow within my chest. I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia; just me and Varian are on our way to create an amazing feat of science, just like we used to do as kids. When Varian's father got trapped in the amber and our world was turned upside down, I feared that we would lose these special moments to the past.

"So, before we install the internal chamber-"

Varian's train of thought is interrupted when the two of us are abruptly stopped in our tracks by none other than Lance. I sharply inhale a breath.

"No need to consult the schematics." Lance grins. "It's already been assembled." He announces, taking on a heroic stance.

I stare at Lance and scoff. "What are you wearing?" My voice asks, eyeing the gold guard uniform filled to the brim with medals (I'm 99% sure Lance didn't earn those himself) that he's dressed himself in.

Lance acts hurt. "(Yn), I am wounded by that comment. I'm temporary Captain of the Corona Guards, and that is a position I take very seriously."

I roll my eyes.

"Wait wait wait," Varian suddenly cuts in. "You said the rooster is already assembled?!"

Lance leads us to the castle roof. "And we improved your design." He proudly states. "Now it actually looks like a rooster! You're welcome."

Varian and my jaws drop in horror as we stare at the monstrosity before us. The rooster now looks like a literal rooster. I glance over at Varian who is much too stunned to speak. Lance had just created an extra two hours of work for Varian and me, as we would now have to disassemble the rooster before we could even build it.

"You okay, Var?" I check.

The corner of Varian's eye twitches as he puts on a huge smile. "Y-Yeah...never better..."

:-:-:-:-:-:

It's nightfall by the time Varian and I have managed to take apart the rooster and reassemble it to its original design. My arms throb from the hours of loosening and tightening bolts, and my blouse and gloves are covered in oil and dirt. I find great relief in the project finally being completed.

"You ready to get this beauty running?" Varian asks, gently nudging me with a smile on his lips.

I grin at my boyfriend and nod. I suddenly notice a smudge of dirt on his freckled cheek, and I slowly cup his face in my hands and wipe it off with my thumb. "Now I'm ready."

Varian blushes a bit from my touch but quickly regains composure.

"Eww get a room you two!!" Angry gags from a few feet away. The girls had been sitting on the roof watching us for the past few hours, and they were getting antsy. "Get a move on, will ya?"

Varian quickly leads me over to a wooden barrel of Flynnolium, the rooster's main energy source. I snatch a spare pair of goggles and slide them over my eyes as Varian does the same with his own. Grabbing a pipette, I peer over the edge of the barrel and dip it into the green liquid. I suck up a small amount of Flynnolium and pass the pipette to Varian so he can distribute the exact amount needed to power the rooster.

I watch as Varian's fingers gently handle the pipette and smile to myself. I love watching the amount of care he puts into everything he does; overlooking not a single detail. Ever-so-delicately, the alchemist releases a single drop of Flynnolium into the rooster's energy tank.

Unsatisfied with the lack of a reaction from the rooster, Lance scoffs from behind our backs. "Hmm...I don't think that's enough."

Varian drops the pipette in annoyance and pushes his goggles onto his forehead. "Okay." He stands up and turns to face Lance, frustration and amusement painted on his features. "With all due respect, I'm the alchemist, and the only other person who has clearance to offer critiques and suggestions is (Yn)." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Flynnolium is very powerful. Add too much of it, and this thing will shoot so far we'll end up warning another kingdom."

"Hey, Var?" I ask, tapping his shoulder.

My boyfriend turns his attention to me. "Hm?"

"You forgot the fuses."

"Oh, right!" He dashes back toward the tower before stopping in his tracks and turning back to face me. "Heh, you wouldn't happen to know where I left them, would you, Angel?"

I chuckle and shake my head at his dorky self. "I'll show you."

As we head to the ladder, Varian glances over at Lance, Catalina, and Angry. "Keep an eye on the stuff and do. Not. Touch. Anything." He says, following me up the ladder.

A few minutes later, Varian and I return to the roof, fuses in hand. "We're baaaaccckkkk~" I announce in a singsong voice.

"O-Oh, great!" Lance snickers to himself. "That's a-awesome."

The girls giggle a bit, too, and Varian and I exchange a glance. "Why are they acting so weird?" I ask Varian in a mumbled voice.

"They're always acting weird." He mutters back. He shrugs and walks over to the rooster and lights one of the flares. I step over to him and grin, excited to see the rooster's first test run. "And the rooster's first test is a go in a-three, a-two, a-Oh you don't have to stand back. I calculated it so the blast is contained and focused-" Before Varian can finish his attempt to calm the girls down, a mega neon green explosion erupts from the rooster, sending us all flying back.

I land directly on top of Varian, but I'm much too stunned to feel flustered by the awkward position we're lying in. I stare down at Varian who is covered in ash and smoke. His hair is blown back from the force of the blast, and his eyes are wide as he pulls his goggles onto his head, leaving a ring of ash where the goggles once rested. I tilt my head in amusement. He kind of looks like Ruddiger.

As I pull my own goggles off my face I feel safe assuming I also have a raccoon mask around my (ec) eyes. As the two of us sit up a feel a sharp throbbing in my skull. "Ugh, my head..." I groan.

Varian looks at me with sympathy as I place my ashy hand against my temple. "Oh my goodness, Angel...I had- I had no idea that would happen...I could've sworn my calculations were correct..." His eyes suddenly widen and his head snaps in Lance's direction. "You added more Flynnolium, didn't you?!"

The alchemist gets to his feet and storms over to Lance, looking about ready to revert back to his villain arc.

I watch as Varian shrieks at Lance, my eyes widening as my boyfriend begins cussing the temporary captain of the guard out.

Oh boy... I think to myself. Finally, after a good five minutes of harsh rebuking, the banging in my head has subsided enough the stand up and approach Varian. I sigh a bit and place my hand on the boy's shoulder. "C'mon, Var. We'll fix this mess tomorrow." I say, leading him away from Lance and the damage his careless behavior caused.

As the two of us make our way down the stone spiral staircase that leads out of the tower, the sharp throbbing in my head returns. I clench my jaw in pain and lean up against the cold wall of the stairway, desperately praying that the chill of the stones will ease my headache.

The second Varian realizes that I'm no longer beside him, he quickly backtracks up the steps to me. "(Yn)? Are you okay?"

I slowly nod. "M-My head." I sigh.

Suddenly, Varian scoops me up into his arms and begins carrying me down the steps. He holds me as though I'm a bride, and I can't help but blush. "You don't have to carry me, y'know." My voice admits.

Varian shrugs, "I know. But you're in pain and I want to help." He glances down at me. "I don't mind at all."

Despite my pounding head I smile a teeny bit and nuzzle my face into Varian's chest. My eyelids flutter shut. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

The crystal blue sky spans across the atmosphere like a soft blanket. The fresh morning air is still crisp from the leftover chill of last night's rainstorm, and small droplets of dew are scattered across the grass. One of my favorite things about being free from the palace is still the clean smell of the country air. It gives me a sense of freedom and peace.

I twirl in a small circle as I walk, closing my eyes to appreciate the way the breeze ruffles my (hc) hair. Even now, the beautiful world around me makes me never want to return to the confines of the palace.

I'm suddenly pulled out of the moment by my sister, who has been strolling beside me. "(Yn)? Are you in there?" She giggles.

I sheepishly smile. "Sorry sis. I guess I just got caught up in the moment, you know? It's just such a perfect morning."

Rapunzel gives me a grin that tells me she's been in my shoes before (well, technically not because she doesn't wear shoes, but you get the idea). "Believe me, I completely understand." She nods. Our strong sense of freedom has always been one of our most connecting qualities.

I smile as I see Old Corona enter my sight. As the citizens of Old Corona go about their day, we weave through the crowd of people, careful not to bump into anyone. The kingdom's annual Goodwill Festival is approaching, and everyone is out and about preparing. After all, due to...unforeseen circumstances...last year, the event was canceled, so this year is the first Goodwill Festival in two years. Nobody in the kingdom wants to miss this, hence the sea of Coronians.

Rapunzel and I finally make it off of Main Street and begin walking along the dirt road that leads to Varian and his father's home. "What do you think the guys are working on?" Rapunzel asks, her green eyes glistening in excitement.

"Varian said it was some sort of device to help protect the kingdom from Cass," I reply.

My sister giggles a bit in response.

"What's so funny?"

"It's ironic; we were fighting against Varian a couple of years ago, and now he's one of the leading forces of protection for our kingdom." She shakes her head a bit.

I gaze up at the sky and the vastness it has to offer. "It's nice to have him back."

"I think so too-" Rapunzel trails off as she notices Varian and Eugene up ahead, appearing to be shooting amber guns at wooden cutouts of Cassandra. "What are they doing?"

As we approach them, I hear Varian's familiar laugh. "Project Obsidian is a success!!"

"'Project Obsidian?'" Rapunzel asks, looking around at the various clusters of amber that have been created from Varian's new invention.

Varian grins. "Project Obsidian." He clarifies. "It's a device that can destroy Cassandra-" Eugene suddenly jabs the alchemist with his elbow, and Varian quickly tries to redirect his sentence. "-'s self-esteem!!!"

I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. "What?"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel gasps. "We are not attacking Cassandra."

"Of course, we're not going to attack her, Sunshine, but I'm captain of the guard now, I have to be prepared to protect our people from any contingencies," Eugene assures. Noticing his girlfriend's horrified look, he softens his tone. He slowly pulls out a scroll for the future Queen to sign. "But I won't use this thing without your approval."

"Princess, believe me, I don't wanna hurt Cass either," Varian speaks up. "But we can't promise that she's not gonna try to hurt us."

I gently place a reassuring hand on my sister's shoulder. My stomach turns into knots at the thought of Cassandra getting hurt, but I know Var is right; we have no way of knowing if Cass is planning on hurting us. We need to prepare for the worst. "Varian's right...Raps, Cassandra has always been like a sister to me." I feel my heart pang and I place my free hand over my chest. "I would never want to see her get hurt and I know you feel the same, but it's our Royal duty to protect the citizens of Corona. We need to take proactive measures to keep them safe."

Rapunzel slowly nods, knowing that Eugene, Varian, and I are right. "Okay...I will sign it to protect Corona. But we won't need it because I know the Cass we love is still in there somewhere."

All that I can do is pray that Rapunzel is right.

:-:-:-:-:

Later on in the day, the kingdom's citizens gathered in the royal courtyard for an announcement from my dad. While my mom stands to his left, Rapunzel and I stand to his right. I steal a glance at my sister, who looks unusually gloomy. I can only assume that she's still upset about Project Obsidian.

I'm suddenly pulled from my thoughts as the king clears his throat and begins his announcement. "I regret to inform you that in light of recent events, I have decided to exercise caution, and cancel the Goodwill Festival this year."

The Coronians let out a chorus of disheartening groans, all clearly upset with the news. Rapunzel, noticing the response of the people, quickly steps in. "Unless anyone has any objections?"

"Rapunzel...we talked about this..." Dad mutters under his breath.

"Dad, the kingdom needs this. With everything that's going on, everyone could use a little cheering up." I reply, quick to defend my sister.

Rapunzel smiles. "We still need to let the people decide."

Dad sighs. "Very well."

Once she's given the green light, my sister turns back to the crowd. "If the Goodwill Festival is important to you, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I'm with you princess!" A voice quickly chimes in. It's then that I notice the voice belongs to a castle maid, Faith, which greatly surprises me. I only met Faith a couple of years ago when my existence became known to the people, but from what I know about her, she's incredibly shy and soft-spoken. It seems odd that she's suddenly speaking in front of the whole kingdom.

"Faith, really?" Rapunzel beams, also surprised by Faith's response.

Eugene places his hands on his hips. "Whoa. Really coming out of her shell."

Faith laughs a bit as she makes her way through the crowd and approaches us. "Look, we don't always have control over what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond to it, right? So when tough times come to Corona, Corona fights back by doubling its good cheer. That's why we're gonna make this the greatest Goodwill Festival ever!"

I brightly smile at Faith's reply as the Coronians cheer in response to her speech. I can hardly believe Faith was capable of such a brave act of courage, and it makes me so overwhelmed with pride to see her speak up.

The king smiles a bit. "Well, it looks like the festival is happening after all!"

Chapter Text

With the Goodwill Festival quickly underway, Varian and I have been making ourselves useful and helping to set up for the event. While it's been challenging, to say the least, but Varian has been able to use various alchemical solutions to help speed up our tasks.

Finally, after several hours of working, we make our way to a teal-colored tent where Gregorio the gopher for the gopher grab is being held. I want to check and see if Rapunzel and Faith need any help. As we step into the tent, I quickly sense the melancholia in the air. My sister, Faith, and Eugene are all staring down the lethargic gopher as Varian asks, "Yeesh...What's going on in here?"

"Somehow, the gopher got even lazier," Eugene remarks.

I approach Rapunzel as she gently waves the gopher's little paws in the air. "Come on, Gregorio! You can't wait for the grab, right?" She cheerily asks with as much optimism as ever. "I know you're pumped!!"

I clear my throat as I glance at Gregorio's bored-looking eyes. "Uh, Raps? I don't think Gregorio is going anywhere. I mean, look at him."

"I think he's a little past his prime," Varian adds, crossing his arms over his chest matter-of-factly.

As if on cue, the gopher slumps down into a furry heap on his bed.

"I can see that," Rapunzel leads me back to the center of the room where Eugene, Varian, and Faith are still waiting. "But what's a gopher grab without a gopher? You just run around and grab nothing, that's not fun."

"Hey," Faith speaks up. "Why don't I help you track down a gopher that's a little more...spry?" She offers.

"That's a great idea, Faith!" Rapunzel grins.

"I'll help, too!" I chime in.

Varian quickly joins in. "I've got
you're back, princess."

Eugene clears his throat. "Okay, this is really touching and all, but where are we supposed to find another gopher?"

Suddenly, a new voice cuts into the atmosphere. "Sooo~ it's a gopher yer after..."

We all turn to the voice and see Shorty standing in the doorway, leaning against a wooden stake.

"How long has he been standing there?" Varian mutters through his teeth, leaning closer to me but not taking his eyes off of the small, drunk man.

Shorty grins cheekily as he continues, slurring his words all the while. "There's only one place you can go to get a gopher."

:-:-:-:-:

"Color me surprised," Eugene exclaims when we arrive at a valley abundant in gophers. "It actually does exist."

"I can't believe Shorty of all people was actually helpful." Varian chuckles.

"I can't believe he knew about this place," I add.

Rapunzel surveys the valley. "He said he got married here. So that's nice." Her eyes widen for a moment and she turns to Eugene. "Uh- do not read into that. I don't want my wedding here."

Her boyfriend laughs. "Yeah, that would be even worse than getting married in Vardaros."

"Oh, Vardaros isn't that bad...unless it's you getting married to Stalyan in Vardaros. Then it's bad."

I suddenly hear a tumbling noise from behind, but when I turn around to investigate, I only see Faith standing there, bent over so she's touching her toes. That's weird... I think to myself. "Faith? What are you doing?" I ask.

"What this? I'm-uh-I'm stretching." She quickly replies.

Varian raises an eyebrow at her, looking a bit skeptical, but brushes it off. Rapunzel, on the other hand, smiles as per usual. "Neat! Where'd you learn a stretch like that?"

"Uh..." Faith nervously smiles. "In...a-acting class! It's a warmup." She quickly changes topics. "Let's catch us a gopher, shall we?"

"Oh, um, okay," I reply, taken aback by the sudden change in the tone of her voice.

Faith leads the way, and Varian, Rapunzel, Eugene, and I follow a few feet behind.

"She's an actress?" Varian softly asks. "I wasn't expecting that."

"She doesn't exactly strike me as the performing type," Eugene adds, glancing over at Varian.

The alchemist stares at the castle maid. "I don't know, something just seems off."

"I think the kid's right." Eugene agrees.

"What are you two saying?" Rapunzel asks.

Eugene puts his hands up defensively. "I'm just saying it's a little strange."

I suddenly notice Faith pointing at a small cluster of gophers up ahead. I put my fingers to my lips to shush the others. "Guys, look!"

We all rush over to a boulder to hide behind to observe the gophers. "There are so many..." Varian mutters as to not scare the creatures. "Which one do we grab?"

Faith points with excitement. "There! That one's perfect!"

I follow her gaze until I see a gopher with chubby cheeks and fur the color of lemon bread in the middle.

"We got the bait, right?" Faith checks. "Who brought the bimberries?"

"Eugene did," I reply.

"Bimberries? No, no, no, bimberries make them crazy. It's dimberries that you want." Eugene grins, dropping a dozen plum-colored berries on the grass.

I gasp in horror. "No!"

"What's wrong?" Varian asks.

"I read about dimberries in one of my science books!" I nervously eye a gopher whose just eaten one of the berries. "They make small animals act insane!" I watch as the gopher's eyes widen and I begin flashing purple. As if on cue, the other gophers begin munching on the berries as well. "We're doomed."

The gophers suddenly tackle Eugene to the ground and then begin running around like lunatics. To our delight, Rapunzel notices that the lemon-bread-colored gopher hadn't eaten any of the dimberries. "We need that gopher!!" She cries.

"Fear not!" Varian exclaims, getting into a heroic stance. "For I shall save you using the power of alchemy!" He reaches into his pocket, pulls out one of his alchemy spheres and chucks it towards the gophers. The sphere explodes, trapping the furry rodents in bubbles.

"Yes! Way to go, Var!" I applaud.

He places his hands on his hips. "All in a day's work for a scientist."

"OH NO THE GOPHERS!!" Rapunzel shrieks, pointing towards the sky.

It's then that Varian realizes that he royally screwed up.

I look up to see the bubbles the gophers are trapped in floating farther and farther into the air and out of reach.

"Raps, your hair!!" Faith quickly suggests.

Rapunzel smiles and nods, pulling the red beads that secure her hair out, releasing her golden locks. Faith, Rapunzel, Eugene, and I each grab a chunk of her hair and begin using it to lasso gophers and pull them back down to earth. We pass the bubbles off to Varian who pops them and releases the crazy rodents. He quickly drops them into gopher holes so they can't go after us anymore until we've finally secured the lemon-bread-colored gopher.

"Gotcha, little guy!" Varian exclaims, holding the chubby gopher close to his chest. I coo a little bit at the adorable sight.

Rapunzel cheers. "Great job everyone! That's what I call teamwork!"

As we walk back to the castle, something that Faith said echoes through my mind. It doesn't go away, the way a catchy song lyric gets caught in your head or the way honey gets stuck on your fingers.

I more I ponder what she said, the more the dominos start falling into my head.

"Raps"

I only know two people who call my sister that name.

Me...and Cassandra.

Chapter Text

:-:Eight Years Ago:-:

Screaming, I jolt awake from my nightmare. My (ec) eyes dart around at my surroundings, and I sigh in relief when I see that I'm still in my bedroom. I think back to my nightmare and sit up in bed, clutching my knees to my torso. My heart pounds in my chest, and I clench my yellow nightgown in my small fists.

Suddenly, I hear a soft creaking noise and notice in the glistening of the moonlight the doorknob turning. My breath hitches.

As the door opens, I once again start screaming.

"Hey, hey, hey! (Nn), it's only me." I hear the familiar sound of Cassandra's voice enter my room, and I feel my body relax. "Are you okay?" She asks, walking across the floor to my bed.

"I had the nightmare again..." I softly admit as Cassandra sits on the edge of my bed, setting the candle she is holding beside her.

"The one where you get taken?"

I nod, hot tears welling up in my eyes.

Cass sighs a little bit. "(Yn), I've already told you that isn't possible. Nobody knows you exist, and you're in the most secure part of the castle. Even your windows have metal bars across them. Believe me when I say-" Suddenly, she glances over at me, and through the flickering light of the candle, sees the grip I have on my nightgown and the tears on my cheeks. Her gaze softens. "...I know how scary that dream is for you. You have every right to be afraid." She smiles at me a little bit and ruffles my hair. "But I'll keep you safe."

"Promise?" I meekly ask.

She nods. "Promise."

I grin, feeling reassured. Even though she's only a teenager, I feel genuinely safe when Cass is around. I've seen her practice sparring, standing up for me and herself, and I trust her. If anyone can protect me, it's her.

She stands up and prepares to leave, but I quickly stop her by grabbing the sleeve of her nightshirt. "Cass?"

She glances at me inquisitively. "Hmm?"

"C-Can you sleep with me tonight? I don't really want to be alone."

She lets out an exasperated sigh and stares at me with a mischievous smile, and I giggle, knowing that she is just messing with me. "Fine...I guess I can."

I cheer and scoot over to the left side of the bed, giving Cass the right side. She climbs on beside me and wiggles her legs under the (fc) covers. As she lays her head of newly cut black hair on the pillow, I snuggle close to her.

Even though I know Cass isn't my biological sister, she still feels like one to me. She is like the sister the universe gifted to me after Rapunzel was kidnapped.

She holds my little body in her arms and I look up at her with wide eyes. "Thank you, Cass."

A small grin spans across her lips. "Get some sleep, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

:-:Present Day:-:

"It's that time folks, the gopher grab is about to begin!!" The announcer projects to the courtyard of Coronians.

With the sun setting on the horizon, a golden glow fills the atmosphere, casting burning rays of light onto everything it can touch. I'm with Varian, helping him load vials of his amber solution onto a knapsack attached to the saddle of the horse he's about to mount.

"Varian, I really don't like this," I admit. The shame swells up inside of me as I nervously fidget with my (hc) hair. Deep down, I can't bear the thought of potentially hurting Cassandra, even if it was to protect our kingdom. Similarly to when Varian tried to bring his father back, I just couldn't find the strength within me to hurt a person I love. I just can't. "Cass is like a sister to me; I can't imagine hurting her or her hurting us."

Noticing the worry on my face, he gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Angel. The amber is a last resort." He gently kisses my forehead. "I won't use it unless Cass puts someone in danger."

I give him a gentle nod, feeling a bit relieved. Suddenly, any relief I feel is banished when I hear a guard cry out, "CASSANDRA!!"

My heart stops as I frantically glance around the courtyard until I see Cassandra in all her moonstone glory, standing beside my sister. Varian and I reach for each other's hands instinctively and hold on tightly as though our lives depend on it. Screams echo throughout the courtyard as people flee or prepare to fight.

Guards quickly rush over to both me and Rapunzel, ready to defend us. "Wait! Stand down!" The future Queen orders.

The guards ignore her and continue running towards Cassandra, sabers pointed directly at her. With a flick of her hand, Cassandra causes several black rocks to rise from the ground and push the guards away. Varian and Eugene exchange a glance and nod. Varian quickly mounts his horse and pulls me up onto the saddle behind him. "Hold on tight, okay?" He instructs.

I lace my arms around his torso and hold his body close to mine. Once I'm secure, Varian snaps the reigns and we take off towards Cassandra and Rapunzel. By the time we reach them, Cass has taken out at least half the Royal Guard with her powers.

I see Rapunzel beside her, holding onto her wrist and pleading for her to stop. "It's not too late for us to make things right."

I quickly hop off the horse and approach Cassandra. "Cass, please don't do this," I beg.

Behind me, the remaining guards form a circle around us, Eugene at the back with Varian. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Varian kneeling down and propping up the amber bazooka on his shoulder, just in case. A look of worry and desperation is evident on his face.

Cassandra looks at us both with her cold, blue eyes. "I want to believe you, but-"

Suddenly I hear an explosion and a golden puff of smoke shoots through the air and towards Cassandra. My heart stops as yellow amber begins growing at Cassandra's feet.

My head snaps towards Varian, bewilderment in my eyes. "V-Varian?"

His rosy face is pale as he stares at the bazooka and then at my face. Eyes wide, he slowly shakes his head at me. I can tell from the despair in his gaze that whatever happened wasn't his fault...but it still breaks my heart nonetheless. I never wanted to lose Cass. Varian drops the bazooka to the ground and sprints over to me. He wraps his arms as tightly as he can around my body, and he gently strokes my hair as I begin to cry. "I'm sorry, Angel...I'm so so sorry. I-I don't know what happened...I had the safety on, I don't know h-how it went off."

I just snuggle into Varian's arms, feeling too devastated to say anything. I don't hold anything against my boyfriend, but it doesn't stop the pain from coming.

I turn back to Cassandra whose frozen fear-filled face is trapped in amber.

"No!" Rapunzel cries. "I said we didn't need to attack her!"

"I don't know what happened!" Varian explains. "It must have malfunctioned." The setting sun shines in his eyes, only amplifying the regret in them.

Suddenly, a low cracking noise erupts from the amber. Everyone slowly turns their bodies to face Cassandra. Within seconds, the amber shatters, and Cassandra breaks out with the help of the black rocks.

"Oh no..."

"Project Obsidian, huh?" Cassandra asks. While on the surface she looks furious, I can also see the genuine hurt in her gaze. "Zhan Tiri was right."

"It's not like that, Cass!" I quickly try to explain.

"Cassandra—"

Cassandra cuts my sister off. "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy." She whispers the last part as she pulls a vial out of her satchel.

"Cassandra, no!!"

Cass smashes the vial to the cobblestone ground and a blue puff of smoke emits from it. Suddenly, I'm overcome by a wave of drowsiness. I glance over at Rapunzel, who is also near Cassandra, and she too is becoming weary.

Before I can think or do anything else, I collapse to the ground and sleep overtakes me.

Chapter Text

"She's waking up!"

"Oh, thank goodness."

"(Yn)?"

"Angel, please wake up."

As I come to, I quickly recognize my location as being the Snuggly Duckling. I'm resting on a cushioned window seat with a pillow or two beneath my head, and I'm surrounded by a couple of pub thugs, my parents, Xavier, Eugene, Lance, Rapunzel, Angry, Catalina, and Varian. Worried and relieved looks vary from face to face, but nobody looks more relieved than my boyfriend.

Varian gently wraps his arms around me and pulls me close to his body. I listen to the rhythmic beat of his heart and smile a bit. "I'm so glad you're alright, Angel. You had us worried."

"What...what happened?" I groggily ask, still coming off the effects of the sleeping potion. "W-Where's Faith?"

Everyone glances at one another, uncomfortable looks on their faces. Finally, Rapunzel slowly approaches me. "(Yn)...Cassandra took over. She had disguised herself as Faith to
get closer to us. Now she has control of the kingdom."

My eyes widen in horror. I'm fully awake now. "No. No no no no no no no... it's not true...tell me it's not true..."

My sister reluctantly sighs. "I wish I could say it isn't."

Tears break from my eyes. My kingdom, my home...it's all gone.

All of it.

Varian holds me tight as he tries to comfort me. With a strong sense of determination he says, "We'll get our home back."

The look in his eyes tells me he's right.

:-:-:-:-:

After a long day of strategizing how to take Corona back, I'm more than a little bit ready to get some sleep. I stop by the washroom and splash some water on my face before making my way up the stairs to the second floor of the pub. As I head to my temporary bed, AKA the window seat, I suck in a breath. I'm not too thrilled to be sleeping on the window seat for the second night in a row, but I can't complain. Not really.

Since most of the population of Corona had to flee the kingdom, the Snuggly Ducking has become a refuge for everyone. Makeshift hammocks made of tablecloths, chairs pushed together for the children, and bearskin rugs on the floor serve as beds for the majority. The lucky ones got couches, bunk beds, and window seats.

As I sit down on the window seat and begin to fluff my pillow, I try to avoid looking out the window. Since I'm on the second floor, I have a perfect view of Corona. With the extensive black rocks piercing through every building, it looks like a shell of what it once was. I push it from my mind. I begin to lie down and snuggle into my thin, maroon blanket when I notice a familiar silhouette approach me.

"Angel?"

I smile a bit as Varian steps into the light of the moon, his blue eyes are as prominent as ever. "Hmm?"

"Could I maybe sleep with you tonight? I really don't want to sleep next to Lance again." He sheepishly requests. "He snores. A lot."

I nod, a bit happy by his question. I don't want to sleep alone again. Since the cushion I'm on is so narrow, I gesture for Varian to lay on top of me. He does so and rests his head on my chest. At this point, I'm too tired to feel even the slightest bit flustered. I wrap my arms around him and hold him close, and he pulls the blanket up onto us. Within minutes, we drift off into a gentle slumber.

~*~

I'm not sure how long it's been since we've fallen asleep when I awake. Varian, head still placed on my chest, is twitching in his sleep. I rub the sleep from my eyes as I look down at the boy whose eyebrows are furrowing together. He begins to toss and turn in his sleep, and I quickly deduce that Varian is having a nightmare.

I'm about to wake him when he snaps awake all on his own. He jolts upwards, blue eyes wide with fear and his chest rising and falling with great speed. He clutches his teal nightshirt as beads of sweat roll down his forehead.

"Nightmare?" I ask, gently placing my hand on his shoulder to not startle him.

He nods. "I...I had a dream that Cassandra took you...and I couldn't protect you." He clutches his knees close to his chest. "What if something happens to you, Angel? What if I can't protect you?" His big eyes become glossy like the untouched water of a pond at night.

I run my fingers through his black hair, noticing how his hair stripe dances between them. "Nothing will happen to me, Var. I've got you and your sweet moon powers to protect me." I lightly say. My eyes flicker around the room at some of the sleeping Coronians. "I've got them to protect me. We're all going to look out for each other."

Not looking fully convinced, Varian hugs me tightly as though at any moment I could slip through his grasp. "I-I just...I can't lose you again."

I gently smile in his arms. "You won't. I promise." Kissing his forehead, I say, "Try to get some sleep, okay? We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Varian nods a little bit and lays back down. He snuggles into me but his eyes remain open. "(Yn)?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you...do you think you could sing something for me? Just to help me fall asleep?" He gently asks. "Heh, I haven't heard you sing in forever."

I sweetly smile at him. "Of course."

(Yn): "I remember tears streaming down your face,

When I said I'll never let you go~

When all those shadows almost killed your light~"

I gently brush through his hair with my fingers again, and he softly smiles at the touch.

(Yn): "I remember you said, 'don't leave me here alone...'

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight~"

As Varian snuggles closer to me, his eyes slowly flutter shut. I smile from the sheer amount of love I have for the boy in front of me.

(Yn): "Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.

You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now~

Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound~"

I gently hum as I glance out the window. A chill runs down my spine as I stare at my destroyed home. The kingdom of sunlight overrun by darkness. How ironic.

(Yn): "Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire...

The war outside our door keeps raging on...

Hold onto this lullaby...even when the music's gone, gone~"

I pull the blanket tightly around us as though it is a shield to protect us from the rest of the world.

(Yn): "Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.

You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now~

Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound~"

As I sing, I begin to feel Varian's breathing steady itself. My hand travels from my boyfriend's hair to his back.

(Yn): "Ooh (ooh)~

Ooh (ooh)~"

My fingers gently rub circles on his back.

(Yn): "Oh whoa (oh whoa) ~

Oh whoa (oh whoa) ~

Ooh (ooh)~

Ooh (ooh)~

Oh whoa~

Oh whoa~

Just close your eyes.

You'll be alright.

Come morning light.

You and I'll be safe and sound~"

He slowly begins to drift off, much to my relief.

(Yn): "Ooh, ooh~

Ooh, ooh~

Ooh, ooh~

Ooh, ooh~

Ooh, ooh~

Ooh, ooh~"

At long last, Varian falls asleep, still holding me. I gently whisper three words to him, so softly that only he could ever hear them. Not because I was embarrassed to say them, but because these three words belong to him.

"I love you."

Chapter Text

The early Coronian morning brings an overcast sky, a rare sight in the kingdom of sunlight. The ominous gray clouds block the sun, and I notice my stomach churn at the sight. It feels like a bad omen.

The citizens of Corona who managed to escape the island during Cassandra's takeover are all gathered in the Snuggly Duckling, feeling rather dejected. It's been almost two weeks since Cassandra took over, and we still don't have a plan of how to take our home back or stop Cass. Everyone is losing hope, as it seems like we're about to fight a losing battle.

While the queen and Rapunzel are gone and discussing our options, Eugene desperately tries to lift everyone's spirits. "Come on, there's gotta be a way out of this!" He exclaims.

As if on cue, Rapunzel enters the pub. "There is! But there's only one way. And that's through it." She marches over to the stage and climbs atop it. Clearing her throat she says, "I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. This is the biggest challenge this kingdom has ever faced."

"No offense, Varian." Eugene chuckles, gently nudging Varian.

He shrugs, a smile on his face. "Nah."

Something about the exchange makes my heart full. A year ago, that comment would have left Varian in a state of disarray. Now, the alchemist can laugh it off with Eugene, the man who is practically his idol. Varian has not only accepted the forgiveness of others, but he's also finally forgiven himself. Seeing him like this makes me so proud and happy for him.

We all crowd around the stage as my sister sits at the piano and begins playing.

Rapunzel: "Time now to fight, let's turn our losing streak around~

Rise and unite, let's do what we must do!"

Varian and I glance at one another and nod, and we quickly join my sister at the piano and play with her.

Rapunzel: "If we're to win, we can't turn back or sneak around~

Once we begin, the only way is through~"

She stands and walks to the front of the stage, while Varian and I smile and continue playing. I grin, as a wave of nostalgia from when we would play the piano together as children washed over me.

Rapunzel: "Through the fire, through the rain~

We'll face whatever the fates may bring and tear through every wall!

Through the fear, through the pain~"

She hops onto a table, grabs a sword, and raises it into the air.

Rapunzel: "And, as one, we will rise...

Marching tall!

Through it all!

It's not gonna be easy, but it's our only option. Who's with me?"

Eugene grins at his girlfriend and hops onto the bar's countertop.

Eugene: "Time now to stand~"

King Fredrick: "Let's save our home and take it back!"

Lance jumps onto the stage, pushes me and Varian off the piano bench, and begins playing. Angry and Catalina catch the two of us before we fall, and we laugh together.

Lance: "At your command!"

Attila: "I'm in —"

Vladimir: "And me —"

Shorty: "Me too!"

Varian takes my hand and leads us to Fidella, and we mount the chestnut-colored horse. Fidella parades through the pub as we sing.

Varian: "Onward we ride,

who knows if we will make it back?"

As my (ec) eyes meet with my sister's emerald ones, I smile at her.

(Yn): "We're at your side~

Together we'll come through!"

She beams at me, a grateful look on her face.

All: "Through the strife, through the fray~"

Rapunzel: "We can't hold back in this time of need~"

Eugene: "We all must heed the call!"

Varian and I hop off Fidella and begin dancing with the other Coronians. He twirls me in a circle and then pulls me back toward him, close enough for our noses to touch. I quickly peck him on the lips, and his freckled cheeks flush red. I giggle and we continue dancing.

Varian: "Through the dark~"

(Yn): "To the day~"

Both: "And, as one, we will rise~

Marching tall!"

All: "Through it all!"

Everyone begins dancing, singing, and cheering together, all of us in a sense of perfect unity.

All: "Time now to fight, to face whatever fate may bring~

(Through it all)

Right over might, till victory and freedom ring~

(Through it all)

Stand and unite, for home and heart, for land and king~

For love and life and everything~"

Rapunzel: "Through it all~"

Eugene: "Through it all~"

(Yn): "Through it all~"

Varian: "Through it all~"

All: "Through it all!"

Eager from Princess Rapunzel's pep rally, everyone charges out of The Snuggly Ducking, ready for war. Before I run out the door with the crowd, I notice Varian sitting at the bar with a mug of warm milk in hand. Pascal and Dandelion sit on the countertop watching the boy as he flips through the book, he's been reading all morning. I hop up on the counter beside Pascal and Dandelion and let my legs dangle off the side. "Still looking for a way to stop Zhan Tiri?" I ask.

Varian takes a long gulp of milk. "Yuuup~" he hums.

I suddenly notice Rapunzel and Eugene lingering in the doorway, discussing something. "I mean, I don't think any of us are up to fighting an ancient demon creature."

"Neither was Lord Demanitus," I comment, swinging my legs back and forth.

The couple turns their attention to Varian and I. "When I was researching the scroll, I found out Demanitus banished Zhan Tiri to some kind of netherworld," Varian says. "But the machine he used to do it was dismantled centuries ago."

Rapunzel approaches us. "Can you build it again?"

"Of course, he can." I grin at the alchemist.

"--If I had the plans." Varian finishes for me. "But Demanitus took his only blueprints to his tomb."

Eugene laughs. "Let me guess, the tomb is thousands of years old, and no one knows where it is."

"I know where it is," I announce, raising my hand a little.

Rolling his eyes from being proven wrong, Eugene sighs. "Of course, you do."

"How do you know that (Yn)?" Rapunzel asks.

"I think you've forgotten I was trapped in the castle for fourteen years." I giggle. "I've read and reread every book in the castle library."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Eugene mutters.

Chapter Text

I shiver as snow swirls around our group, nipping at our rosy cheeks. The harsh wintery air slams against our bodies, with the force of one thousand soldiers heading into battle, making me yearn for the warmth of a fire. My fingers and toes are going numb from the cold atmosphere, so I cross my arms over my chest to conserve my body heat. Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, the girls, Varian, and I have begun our journey to Demanitus' tomb, which just so happens to be located in the highest peaks of the Coronian Mountains, one of the coldest spots in all of the Seven Kingdoms.

Vast and grand the Coronian Mountains are not only spectacular but dangerous as well. Due to their slippery slopes and extreme temperatures, most people are too fearful to venture into the icy wasteland. Because of this, the mountains have hardly been explored. I'm beginning to see why Damanitus wanted his tomb here; so, nobody could find his greatest inventions. After several grueling hours of hiking through the expansive mountains, we finally arrive at a cliff with two rope ladders climbing up the side.

"We're almost there!" I informed our party with relief.

Angry and Catalina quickly rush to the ladders and begin scurrying up them. "Come on you old-timers!" Angry teases.

Catalina giggles. "Last one up is a Saporian slug!"

"C'mon, guys! Let's climb!" Rapunzel cheers, already climbing up the ladder after the girls.

Lance and I begin to follow my sister, and I hold my breath and try not to look down. My heart pounds in my chest as I crawl up the rope ladder, praying that it isn't too old. Several months ago, the fear of falling never would've crossed my mind, but since nearly plummeting to my death twice now, I can't help but feel uneasy from being so high up.

When I at long last reach the top of the cliff, I breathe a massive sigh of relief but almost immediately breathe it back in when I see Demanitus' tomb. Ancient symbols carved into giant slabs of rock protect the tomb like a fortress, and I suddenly feel small standing in the grandness of such an incredible structure. "It's magnificent!" Varian exclaims, walking up beside me.

"I know right?" I reply, still in awe.

"Is it just me, or is there no door to get in?" Eugene points out, arms crossed over his chest to keep warm.

Rapunzel sighs. "It doesn't look like there is."

From the corner of my eye, I notice Varian approach the stone wall and run his gloved fingers along the cold stone surface, clearly looking for a clue as to how to get in. I also scan the wall and notice a cluster of words carved into the stone. "Guys! A riddle!"

Varian's eyes practically begin sparkling while Eugene rolls his eyes. I find the parallels between the two amusing. "Ha! Classic Damanitus..." Both said at the same time. While Varian speaks with a more upbeat tone, I find that Eugene's response is oozing with sarcasm. I giggle.

Rapunzel begins reading the text. "'I grow, but do not live. I need air, but I do not breathe.'"

Without thinking the girls shout out answers. "A fish!"

"A rabbit!"

"A rabbit fish!!!"

Eugene turns to face them. "People, are you even listening to the riddle?"

"Oh, sorry. We were playing charades." Lance laughs. "But the answer to the riddle is fire."

The captain of the guard scoffs. "Lance, it's not-"

I cut him off. "Lance is right."

"It is fire!" Rapunzel exclaims, reaching her hand into Varian's backpack and pulling out a more recent invention of his, a torch with a fire-inducing alchemy spere, that when broken creates fire. My sister smashes the torch against the stone, and a flame erupts from the object. She slowly holds the torch to a circular-shaped hole carved in the wall. Within seconds, the carvings in the wall light up and glow a bright golden color and illuminate the structure.

I suddenly feel Varian's hand squeeze mine and glance over to see the boy's eyes all aglow from pure excitement. I smile as his lips turn into one of the largest buck-toothed grins I've ever seen. That look alone is enough to warm my body from the frigid cold.

As the door to the tomb opens, we're met with moist air and the smell of damp moss. "To think, Demanitus' body is in there." Varian squeals. "I can practically feel his genius in every breath I take!" He sucks in a deep breath.

I giggle at his dorkyness.

"See, G-Bug?" Rapunzel turns to Eugene. "Easy-Peasy!"

He places his hands on his hips. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry. Heh...I was trying out a pet name."

"Maybe try harder?"

"No, please! G-bug is a keeper!" Lance says through his hysterical laughter. "Come on, everyone! G-Bug doesn't like to wait."

Varian and I laugh at the two before entering the tomb. "We can't wait all day, G-Bug." I tease.

"Come on, G-Bug!" Angry giggles as she dashes in.

Catalina follows after her sister, speaking through a fit of laughter. "It's nice and warm in here, G-Bug!"

As we all enter the tomb, we pause for a moment to bask in its glory. The tomb is at least fifty feet high, with a skylight in the ceiling that lets light it. Fresh foliage and vines cover every corner of the room, and countless monkeys bounce around, all chattering. Various inventions litter the floor, each one more impressive than the last. In the center of it all is a massive monkey statue, splattered with patches of moss.

"No wonder there are so many plants and it's so warm in here...with that skylight, it's like an overgrown greenhouse," I comment to no one in particular.

Eugene scoffs as he walks in. "Why are there so many bananas-" Before he can finish his thought, he slips on a banana peel and falls to the ground. Max and I help him to his feet.

"Hey! Look at that." Lance points out. "A family of monkeys!"

The monkeys take note of us and begin throwing banana peels at us. "Hey, hey, hey!" Eugene scowls. "Watch it!"

Rapunzel pats his shoulder. "Don't take it personally, G-Bug. They're being territorial. "

"They could have done something a lot worse." Angry shrugs.

"Let's just find those plans." My sister says.

We all scattered around the room, beginning our search. A smile never leaves Varian's face as we wander around; he's completely wonderstruck. "This is-this is incredible!" He cries.

I grab my boyfriend's shoulder and point ahead of me. "Whoa, look at that, Var!" I exclaim, gesturing to a massive metal machine with green crystals shaped like a ray gun of sorts. I notice it even has a picture of a monkey etched into the side.

"Absolutely fascinating!" Varian dashes over to it and begins examining the machine. "And I bet he used this to switch minds with the primate." He taps one of the crystals with his finger. "Genius."

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Lance approaching the machine and begin screwing with it. "Lance, wait!"

Varian runs over. "D-d-d-don't...press that." He warns, before turning back to the machine.

"WAIT!!" I hear Rapunzel shriek. "Come back here! Stop!"

I glance in the direction of her voice and see her chasing something. "Raps? What's going on?"

"The monkey has the blueprints!"

This grabs Varian's attention, and he quickly approaches us. "Huh?"

We all begin chasing after the monkey, and Varian quickly hides behind a giant gear as the monkey runs his way. As the monkey dashes past him, Varian scoops the primate up in his arms. "Gotcha!" He exclaims, holding the monkey up triumphantly. Suddenly, another monkey swings by on a vine, and snatches the book from the caught monkey.

I groan. "Oh, come on!"

Right as Varian is about to chase after the monkey with the rest of us, a golden beam shoots at him and the primate he's holding. I stop in my tracks and run back over to the alchemist to check on him. I quickly grab his hands. "Var? Varian, are you okay? Say something!"

"LANCE!!" I suddenly hear Varian's voice shout. I stare at Varian with a confused expression before it hits me.

Oh no...

I glance behind me and see a monkey on the ground.

A monkey with Varian's voice.

"Lance, I told you not to--" He looks at his hands as the realization sets in. "What happened?!"

Varian is a monkey.

My boyfriend was stuck in the body of a monkey.

"LANCE, I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU TURNED MY BOYFRIEND INTO A MONKEY!!!" I scream.

"Wasn't me!" Lance holds his hands up in defense.

"OH PLEASE. LIKE IT WASN'T YOU!!"

Monkey-Varian's eye twitches. "You just switched me with a monkey?? If I'm a monkey then..." He looks behind him to see his body get down on all fours and start chattering. "LANCE!! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!!"

I pick up my boyfriend and defensively hold him in my arms. "LANCE TURN HIM BACK!"

"I can fix this!" He exclaims, grabbing the machine's handles and aiming it toward Varian's human body.

"Lance, leave it alone," Eugene warns.

Lance ignores him and activates the machine regardless, but suddenly slips on a banana peel behind him and falls, shooting Eugene instead of Varian.

"LANCE!" I scold as things quickly spiral out of control. Before I can do anything, Lance misfires again, accidentally hitting my sister right as she gets her hands on the book.

Eyes widening in worry, Lance quickly shoves Eugene's human body away from the machine before he can press any buttons. "Get over there! No more monkey mischief!" He turns back to the control panel. "Now, where was I?"

Lance fires at Varian, finally turning him back. "Phew! I'm back!" Varian cheers, once again in his own body.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Demanitus..."

The relief is short-lived, however, because Lance then hits me with the mind-swap machine, and my mind is transferred into the monkeys. I facepalm.Varian shoots a death glare at Lance, and I begin to sense that a repeat of the Rooster incident is about to happen.

"This cannot get any worse..." I mutter.

Chapter Text

After getting all the monkey mischief out of the way, we finally got the book with Demanitus' plans. Fortunately, Varian can build the portal that can get rid of Zhan Tiri by banishing her to another realm. Unfortunately, we have to lure her into the portal, which inconveniently is much too large to take into the palace. Instead, Varian has to build the parts of the portal separately, and then we have to sneak back into the palace so Varian can assemble the portal there.

It's a plan that has a lot of room for error.

Even with my help, it took Varian four days to construct the portal pieces. Then, we had to prepare to return and take back Corona.

Once and for all.

:-:-:-:-:

I'm walking through the forest with Varian, as Quirin sent us on a mission to collect his old armor from his time in The Brotherhood. Walking through the sunlit forest with occasional clusters of black rocks, we head back to Old Corona to retrieve it.

As we walk with our hands intertwined, I take a breath. "Hey, Var?" I ask.

His blue eyes glance over at me. "Yeah?"

"Why do you think we have these powers?"

"I've been thinking about that a lot." He admits. "My theory is this: Cassandra stole the moonstone, right? She took that power for herself. Technically, Rapunzel took the power of the sun drop for herself, too. Your parents stole the magic flower to save your mom. Sure, they had good intentions, but they still took it."

"So, you're saying that they weren't given that power," I conclude. "But then where does that leave us?"

He stares up at the sky for a brief moment. "I think we are the ones who are gifted with this power."

I ponder his theory. It makes complete sense. Ever since we met as kids, there has always been an undeniable chemistry. I've always felt drawn to the boy, even at his lowest point; we've always been connected. Just like the sun drop and the moonstone.

It's only when they're together that they can thrive.

"You're right," I say in realization. "It all makes sense."

"The only thing I can't figure out is why the moonstone picked me." He mutters. "I understand why you were picked by the sun drop...you're literally the princess of the kingdom of sunlight...But why me?"

"Your father was in the brotherhood. Maybe that's why?" I suggest.

Varian holds his chin in his hand, clearly thinking it over. "I think that's part of it...but something is missing...a detail we're overlooking."

Before I can respond, a rhinoceros and two badgers bust through a clearing in the trees and block our path. Riding the rhinoceros is a lean man with shiny hair and a beard as black as night, a scar across his nose, and glowing blue eyes. As he jumps off his stead, he slowly approaches the two of us, and I notice he's adorned in armor. The man extends his arm, and a sharp sword pops out of his gauntlet. "You're right, Quirin Junior, there is a detail we're overlooking." His sword points towards me. "Her."

My eyes widen in horror as I realize something. "Y-You're in the brotherhood..." I nervously say, stepping away from the man. If he's in the brotherhood, he's under Cassandra's control. "What do you want from me?"

The man runs a finger across the blade of his sword, almost appearing bored. "Nothing much, little princess...just you."

Varian quickly gets in front of me and clenches his hands into fists. I notice his eyes flickering between blue and glowing teal. "If you wanna get to her, you'll have to go through me first." He glances over his shoulder at me. "Run, Angel." He directs.

"I can't leave you-"

His eyes and hairstreak turn fully teal as his tone shifts. "I said run."

Despite my urge to remain close to my boyfriend, I can see from the look in his eyes, that I know I have to do as he says. Without another moment of hesitation, I run off the path and dash into the forest. Racing through the wilderness, I weave around trees and black rocks, making sure not to trip over any stones or roots in my way. Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I glance behind me and see the badgers hunting me down, bearing their sharp teeth and snarling at me. Fear grips me upon realizing they're getting closer.

I frantically glance at my surroundings as I run, searching for a means of escape. I spy a tree that I feel confident enough to climb, and quickly scurry up the side of its trunk. Once I feel that I'm at a safe distance, I finally release the breath I've been holding.

My relief is short-lived when one of the badgers begins climbing the tree, while the other one waits below so I can't even think about jumping down.

I'm caught.

:-:-:-:-:

My blindfold has left me to rely on my other senses. Not that my other senses have been doing a very good job at helping me figure out where I am. After getting kidnapped by the brotherhood, I was tied up, blindfolded, and left to my own imagination to figure out what was going to happen to me. Despite my desire to use my sun drop powers, I'm much too stressed and don't even know if I can use them without Varian.

I stretch the muscles around my eyes up and down in an attempt to wiggle the blindfold off. When, suddenly, I hear someone turning a doorknob. Then a door opening. Then footsteps. The soft sound of boots clicking across the floor comes closer, and I feel a chill run down my spine. The blindfold is ripped off of my face and the first thing I see is Cassandra's cold blue eyes staring right into my soul. "Hello, (nn)."

"Cassandra," I growl.

"What? Not happy to see me?" She slowly circles the chair I'm tied to, eying me like I'm her prey.

I try to sound calm. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"You're a threat. You and Varian." She scowls, grabbing the back of my chair and leaning me forward, close to her face. "I don't know why, but you two have powers when you're together. You had to be separated." She shrugs. "Besides, it'll make Raps squirm a bit when she finds out her baby sister has been kidnapped."

I roll my eyes. "Haven't we done this plot device like three times now? The villain kidnaps (Yn), (Yn) gets rescued, (Yn) and the gang beats the bad guy. Rinse and repeat. How about some creativity?"

"Laugh all you want, (nn). Have you even realized where we are?"

For the first time since having my blindfold off, I glance at my surroundings. We're in my bedroom. Although it is dark from the night sky, I can still make out every piece of furniture. My bed against the back wall with its soft (fc) bedspread, my vanity, Dandelion's plush pillow, and the large window I've spent countless hours of my life gazing out of. I even see the mirror on the far back wall. The gold frame of the mirror I used to escape out of glistens in the moonlight. I smirk a bit as it occurs to me that Cassandra has no clue about the secret passage in my room. That's my way out. "Why are we in my room?" I innocently ask.

Cassandra chuckles, stepping back. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." She snaps her gloved fingers together and black rocks begin to grow from the floor beneath me, twisting and turning into the bars of a cage. As Cassandra leaves the room, more black rocks sprout from the ground and begin lining the doors and window, making escape virtually impossible. My stomach begins to churn with worry as I try to imagine what Cassandra is planning. "I'd love to stay and catch up, but the eclipse is upon us."

Chapter Text

Fear courses through my veins as I desperately search my bedroom for a way to escape. Not only am I terrified of what Cassandra is planning, but I can't stop worrying about Varian. Guilt floods my conscience. I never should have left Varian alone. He could be hurt...or worse...and it's all my fault.

I've lost track of how long it's been. Cassandra closed the curtains of my bedroom, making it impossible to tell what time it is or even what day it is. Dozing in and out of sleep, I've lost all sense of time. It's enough to drive me mad.

I've slowly been trying to scoot the chair I'm tied to over to my vanity, so I can hopefully find a tool to cut the ropes that bound my wrist and free myself. It's been a slow process, however, as Cassandra has stationed someone outside my door. Thanks to my chair squeaking every time I try to move it, I can never move more than an inch or so at a time without making too much noise and giving myself away.

While in the middle of trying to move my chair, I hear a soft giggling echo throughout the room. I stop in my tracks and glance around frantically. "Who's there?"

The giggling continues. "You're all on your own. Not even your precious moonstone can save you now, sundrop."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

A small figure comes into my path of sight. A little girl with white skin and ashy-lavender hair pulled up into buns approaches me, a creepy smile spread across her face. "Let's just say...I'm an old friend." She grins. I wince as I stare at her. She looks like a mix between a young child and a ninety-year-old woman and has horns atop her head. Not a great combination.

"You-you're Zhan Tiri..." I realize.

"Ding ding ding! Give the girl a prize." She says, twirling in a circle. "You're smarter than you look."

I ignore her and glance away. Whatever she wants can't be good and I refuse to humor her by giving her an ounce of attention.

"I couldn't help but notice that your chair is in a different spot than it was before." Zhan Tiri comments. "Oh wait..." She covers her mouth and giggles. "Were you trying to...escape? Your blind hope is adorable."

"I don't need to escape." I quickly reply. "My friends will come rescue me and we'll defeat you."

She smirks. "Oh, yes, because your little moonstone friend did such a great job rescuing you before."

"Varian is the strongest person I know. He's physically and mentally capable of more than you could ever even conceive."

"He wasn't strong enough, I'm afraid." She comments.

My heart stops as my mind instantly goes to the worst. "W-What?"

"He didn't stand a chance against the brotherhood, my dear. Such a shame." Although her words carry remorse, her tone doesn't. If anything, she sounded glad. "He's gone now."

The next few moments whiz past me as my mind spirals and my heart drops. "Y-You're lying..." I manage to choke out. "You're trying to mess with my head."

"I had a feeling you wouldn't believe me." She sighs and holds up an object. Varian's goggles. He never takes them off; except for when he cleans them.

And these goggles aren't clean.

One of the glass lenses is cracked and the back strap of them has been dyed red with blood.

No.

No...

No...no it-it can't be...

...it just can't.

My heart shatters as Zhan Tiri leaves the room, tossing Varian's goggles on the ground like a piece of trash.

Not my Varian...

My heart shatters into a million pieces as I gaze upon the most important possession of my beloved. The tears flow uncontrollably down my face, blurring my vision. The world around me fades away as my body begins to tremble, and I feel my hair and eyes turning a radiant shade of gold, illuminating everything around me. My breathing becomes shallow and rapid, and I can feel my fists clenching against my will. I am overwhelmed by a mixture of raw emotions and powerful magic that courses through my veins, and I feel myself losing all control.

I'm overcome by the light of an explosion.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

I'm awoken by warm sunshine on my face and a gentle voice above me.

"It's time to wake up young one."

I suddenly feel a tingling sensation in my heart that reminds me of the feeling that comes with warming cold and numb fingers by the fireplace on a chilly winter night. I notice that I'm lying in a field of bright glowing flowers, each with its own set of five golden petals. Although I've never seen one for myself, I instantly recognize them as the flowers that healed my mother. Even though it's nighttime, the flowers' light allows me to see. I slowly sit up. "W-who's there?" my voice comes out in a whisper.

"Do not be alarmed; I believe you already know."

I look up to the source of the voice and see the sun, shining brilliantly with its golden glow. Its light is strong enough to make the night appear to be day. "You're the sun drop?" I ask.

I sweet laugh blows through the air. "Of course not, dear child. I am the sun. You're the sun drop."

My eyes widen in surprise. I knew I was given power from the sundrop, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I was the sun drop. It didn't even seem possible. "I'm the sun drop? Why me?"

"I've seen your heart, young one. It's a heart of pure gold." A voice of sincerity replies. "You always put others above yourself, regardless of circumstance. That's a rare gift."

I stare at the sun, finding that its golden glow isn't adding any strain to my eyes. It all seems so surreal. "But if I'm the sundrop, does that make Varian the moonstone?"

"It does. That boy is your other half, just as the sun is the other half of the moon. They need each other to survive."

I feel a sting in my heart as I think about Varian. "He's gone...how can I survive without him?"

"I don't believe you'll have to. I can sense the boy is alive but in critical condition. Only you have the power to save him."

𝐹𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇, 𝑔𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝓁𝑜𝓌~
𝐿𝑒𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑒~
𝑀𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝒸𝓀 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑒-
𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑒~

The song echoes through my mind as I break free of both my physical and mental restraints. My feet don't touch the floor; instead, I hover due to the amount of magic flowing throughout me. After my encounter with the sun spirit, I realized that they blessed me with more power than I've ever had in my possession. Unsure of how long this gift will last, I try to get out as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence, and Varian needs me.

My golden eyes glance around my rock-covered bedroom until I spy an opening through my mirror. Of course, it's still uncovered; Cassandra has no idea about my secret passageway.

I reach below my feet and scoop up Varian's goggles, clutching them like my life depends on it. "Hang in there, Var...I'm coming."

:-:-:-:-:

After escaping the palace walls, I shoot into the air, hundreds of feet above the ground. The bright sunlight blinds me for a moment, and I wince from not seeing it for so long. I hardly even realize what's happening until I'm up so high, and I suddenly feel woozy. Images of almost falling to my death several times throughout my past flash through my mind, causing beads of sweat to form on my forehead. I feel light-headed from the situation as I begin to shake ever so slightly from the memories.

The entire tower begins shaking violently, causing us all to wobble. I feel myself losing my balance, and I slip. My heart plummets into my stomach as I fall forward. I hear the panicked voices of Eugene, Rapunzel, and Varian as gravity overcomes me, and I luckily manage to grab ahold of the beam. I grip the black rock as tightly as I can and pull myself back on top of it. My heart is beating louder than a drum, and I force myself to take deep breaths.

As I did all those months ago, suck in several deep breaths, slowly blowing back out after each one. A tiny bit of relief graces my senses and gives me the strength to keep moving. "For Varian," I tell myself.

I begin to propel myself forward, slowly at first, but then faster and faster, until I'm zooming through the ocean blue sky. I can't explain it, but a voice within me instructs me to go to the Snuggly Duckling. I don't question the voice, the same way I'm not questioning how I'm flying. I can only assume it's magic.

The wind blows through my golden hair, and I'm soon able to find that I enjoy the feeling of flying. Something about soaring through the sky is so freeing. I spread my arms out, savoring the feeling.

After a short while, I'm able to spy the Snuggly Duckling through a clearing in the forest. I quickly make my descent, and the second I reach the ground I bust into the pub. The first thing I notice upon my arrival is that the number of refugees has dropped. Only a couple dozen people remain, all of whom are either elderly or mothers with children. They all turn to face me as I enter, taken aback by my sundrop form. I don't blame them, my golden hair that is magically floating on its own and my bright glowing eyes aren't exactly normal.

Dandelion, however, recognizes me instantly and scampers toward me. I scoop the red bunny up into my arms and bring her face to mine. Her little rabbit nose twitches against my cheek and I giggle in reply. "I missed you too," I say, scratching her behind the ears.

"Princess (yn)? Is that you?" One of the women asks, stepping forward.

I nod. "Yes. Is Varian here?"

An older man speaks up. "He is, but I'm afraid he isn't doing very well."

"Please take me to him."

I'm led to one of the two bedrooms in the Snuggly Duckling. When my eyes land on Varian, I feel sick and slowly,
place Dandelion on the floor. I've never seen someone so hurt. A bandage is wrapped around his head and covers his left eye, and he has a black right eye. I notice that a huge purple and blue bruise is across his cheek, an ugly shade on his handsome face. I then notice his torso. His shirt has been removed to allow for him to be bandaged up. A massive bruise covers his chest, and I take note of several gashes across his torso and arms. The bandages are stained with blood and the boy is asleep.

A wave of nausea washes over me as I stare at his defeated state. My hands clench into fists as I think about who did that to him. I know the brotherhood has no control over what harm they inflict on others, but my blood boils nonetheless.

But deep down I know that the only person I'm truly angry with is myself. We are supposed to protect each other. I shouldn't have run away. I did this to him. I left him alone.

I'm the only one to blame.

Tears drip down my cheeks as I approach Varian, and I sit on the edge of his bed. "I'm so sorry, Var...I never-I never should've left you." I choke out. "I'm gonna make this right."

I gently take hold of his hand and intertwine our fingers. I rarely get to touch his bare skin like this, as he's often wearing his gloves. While I stare at his hands, for the first time I notice how rough and callused his hands are and all the little scars that cover his fingers. Years of experimenting and inventing have really taken their toll on him.

Using my free hand, I ever-so-gently cup his face in my palm, I barely even touch his face to avoid causing him any more pain. I slowly take a deep breath. Please let this work. I beg the universe.

I sing.

"Flower gleam and glow~

Let your powers shine~"

As the melody escapes my lips, my already illuminated hair glows even brighter, casting light onto the entire dimly lit room.

"Make the clock reverse~

Bring back what once was mine~"

I notice the glow of my hair spread to my hands and then onto Varian. My heart skips a beat as I allow myself to believe Varian might be okay.

"Heal what has been hurt,

Change the fate's design ~"

Varian's body begins to illuminate a soft gold, and I notice his bruises beginning to fade. His teal hair stripe emits a teal glow. It's working!!

"Save what has been lost~

Bring back what once was mine...

What once was mine~"

As I finish the incantation, all the light fades. Even my glowing hair and eyes return to normal. I realize that the extra magic I was gifted has run its course. Not that I minded; Varian is the only one I would've wanted to use my powers on.

All his major wounds are gone, but I notice some scars still left in the place of the gashes. I hopefully stare at Varian, but he doesn't move. I clutch his hand between my own. "Please...please wake up," I beg, my voice is barely even audible.

My eyes never leave him. I can't even look away.

After what feels like hours, his non-covered blue eye slowly flutters open, the same way a newly hatched butterfly flaps its wings for the first time. My heart skips a beat and Varian's lips curl into a smile. "(Yn)?"

Overcome with joy, I quickly lean close to his body and kiss him. Varian sits up and pulls my body up against his, passionately kissing me back. He holds me tightly as though I could disappear at any moment, and I return the gesture. Running my fingers through his black hair, I lean into his warm embrace, savoring every moment.

As our lips part, I pepper his handsome face with kisses. Varian brings his forehead to mine and stares into my (ec) eyes. "I thought I'd lost you." He whispers.

"I thought I'd lost you." I counter. I'm-I'm so sorry Var. I never should've left you. It's supposed to be you and me."

"Angel, please don't apologize. I told you to go." He looks down at his lap in shame. "It's my fault. I should've been able to protect you. I'm too weak. I can't even defend the girl I love."

"Don't say that. You've saved my life countless times, and you almost died to do it again. That's anything but weak." I pull him into a hug. "You're the strongest person I know, Var."

His blue eye meets mine again. "Really?"

I nod. "Just please don't shut me out again. We need to stick together. We're stronger when we have each other."

Varian gently smiles at me. "I promise."

I hold up my pinkie with a grin. Varian holds out his own pinkie and locks it with mine.

We remain seated like that for a moment, until the alchemist asks, "How did you heal me? I got beaten up pretty bad."

"It's a long story, but after getting captured by Zhan Tiri I discovered that we are the sundrop and the moonstone. We don't just have their powers. Since you were in such critical condition The Sun blessed me with the powers of the healing incantation."

"Wait wait wait...I'm the moonstone?" He asks in shock.

"Yeah. Crazy right? That's why Zhan Tiri sent the brotherhood to capture me. She knows we're too big of a threat as long as we're together."

"It all makes sense...that's amazing. You're amazing. I can't believe you used up those powers on me when you could've used them to take down Zhan Tiri."

I blush. "You're worth it Var. I'm choosing you every time."

He looks at me with nothing but love on his features. He cups my face in his hands and kisses me. "I love you." He mumbles into my lips.

I don't notice that his whole head of hair is glowing teal or that mine is completely gold as I run my fingers through his locks.

"I love you more."

Chapter Text

As quickly as we can, Varian and I pack up our supplies and prepare to journey to the castle to help Rapunzel defeat Zhan Tiri. According to the people who stayed behind, Rapunzel and Eugene led their small army of brave Coronians back to the castle about twelve hours ago to assemble the portal and save our home. Now that Varian has recovered his strength, we prepare to join them.

As I pack my supplies, a growing feeling of trepidation gnaws at my insides. Aside from needing to stop Cassandra and take back Corona, we still need to defeat Zhan Tiri before she does who knows what. Sure, the portal worked when Demanitus used it, but how do we know it will work after all this time? Not to even mention the fact that Varian wasn't the one who built the portal because of his injuries, so it could very well not work.

As I throw my bow over my shoulder, a flash of lightheadedness flickers across my senses, and I stumble forward a bit. Varian is at my side in milliseconds, steadying me like a rock. "Whoa whoa whoa, careful there, Angel. You okay?" He checks.

"Y-yeah." I nod as the feeling fades away. "That was weird." My eyes dart toward the window, where outside a golden glow of the setting sun leaks through the trees and casts bright rays of light onto the forest floor. "We'd better get going. I don't want to be out after dark, especially not with the brotherhood roaming around." I tightly clutch the strap of my quiver and look at Varian. I feel a pang of regret when I see the scar that travels across his left eye, courtesy of the brotherhood. I was thankfully able to heal his eye enough so he could still see, but the sundrop's power couldn't wipe away the scar left behind. I already know that scar will serve as a constant reminder of the brotherhood.

Varian steals another glance out the window. "Are you sure we can make it back to the palace by nightfall?"

"We have to try. I don't just want to sit here and do nothing while my kingdom is risking their lives fighting against an ancient demon."

"And you think I want that? (Yn), my dad went with them. Everyone I care about is in danger, but we have to be smart. We can't just rush into an unsafe situation."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Well then what do you propose?"

Varian reaches into his backpack and pulls out a vial of neon blue liquid. Glancing at Ruddiger, he smirks. "Alchemy, of course."

:-:-:-:-:

"WHOO-HOO!!" I cheer as Ruddiger, now transformed into a massive raccoon beast dashes through the forest and toward the castle. Varian and I sit on his back as he travels through the sunlit woods, my hands tightly wrapped around Varian's waist from behind so as to not fall off the creature. I beam as we fly through the trees, and I can't help but feel exhilarated from the rush. I can't recall a time where I've traveled faster than the speed Ruddiger is going. Part of me wishes the ride didn't have to end.

"How did you learn to do this?!?" I ask Varian.

"What?!"

"I said, 'HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO THIS?!'" I shout. I suddenly feel Varian's body stifle itself and I realize I asked the wrong question. "Sorry...you don't have to answer that," I speak into his ear.

"No, no, it's okay." He takes a breath and tugs some of Ruddiger's gray fur to slow him down. "I had the idea back before the battle. You were in Old Corona at the time, but I developed a growth serum and laced it with that personality-changing potion to induce rage into its user. I then used it on Ruddiger to turn him into a beast and send a message of power to your parents. It's not one of my proudest moments..."

I squeeze him from behind and lean my head against his back. "You're not that person anymore, Var," I tell him. "You're good."

"I know." He says with a gentle smile. "I have a special girl to thank for that."

I blush. "I only helped a little bit. You chose to change."

"Either way, I'm glad you chose to give me another chance. I couldn't have done any of this without you, Angel."

"I'm so proud of you."

"Y'know, I am too."

I hold him closer, knowing he truly believes those words.

:-:-:-:-:

When we arrive at the palace, the earth is dark. I realize it's not from the night however, it's being caused by an eclipse. The sky is a portentous shade of red caused by the moon blocking the sun, and it casts a crimson glow onto everything the light touches. The atmosphere reminds me of a blazing fire, a force determined to destroy everything it touches. I grip onto Varian tighter as a bad feeling begins to nest itself in my gut. "So that's what Cass meant when she said 'the eclipse is upon us.'" I mutter.

Varian glances at me as Ruddiger comes to a halt in front of the castle's front door. "What?"

"When Cassandra captured me, she mentioned something about an eclipse coming. This must be what she was referring to." I explain.

My boyfriend's eyebrows furrow together as he thinks it over. "It's so dark because the light of the sun is being overshadowed...maybe the eclipse is causing a power shift. Rapunzel's powers were always stronger than the moonstone, but maybe the sun drop is being weakened from the eclipse." I notice his gaze shift to the moon as the realization hits him. "That's why she wanted the battle to be today...the moonstone is stronger than the sun drop."

"You're right..." I nervously glance at Varian, worry in my eyes. As he meets my gaze, his blue eyes suddenly shift to teal. I can't help but notice the golden glow in my irises in the reflection of his eyes. "We need to stop her before it's too late."

"Yeah," He replies and then pauses for a moment. He slowly takes my hands in his own and I stare at his scared face. "Angel...in case we don't make it out of this, I just-"

I shake my head. "Don't say that. We're going to be okay. And when this is all over...we're going to go back to Old Corona together and go on a real date. One free of ancient demons, castle walls, and guilt." Tears prick my eyes as we gaze at one another, love, desperation, hope, and fear on our faces. "We'll find a nice field to lay in...one full of the most beautiful flowers...and we'll bring ham sandwiches." I laugh through the lump forming in my throat. "We'll watch the clouds turn into stars, and even though we'll be in trouble for staying out so late...we won't regret a thing."

"I would love that." Varian chuckles a bit and quickly wipes tears from his glowing eyes. "Let's do it." He then graces me with a smile that shines brighter than the sun, the kind of smile that I'd give up anything and everything to see again. It's a smile that reminds me that everything we've been through was worth it and that Varian is undoubtedly the love of my entire existence.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Chapter Text

I clutch Varian's hand in my own as we creep through the palace walls, petrified by the unknown. After all, this place is no longer my home, but a shadow of what it once was. It was once filled with bright sunshine and palace staff and Coronians. But now, the castle is dark and cold, and as far as I can tell, devoid of life. It reminds me of Zhan Tiri.

"Where do you think everyone is?" Varian whispers, finally breaking into the silence.

"I don't know..." Worry fills my guts. "I was kinda expecting a raging battle or something...not this."

Varian's blue eyes dart around the room and he clutches an alchemy sphere in his free hand, ready for an ambush. Following my boyfriend's lead, I gently pull my hand from his and grab my bow along with an arrow. We slowly continue our pace, paranoia shaking our bones.

After several minutes, we reach the throne room. "Wasn't the machine to banish Zhan Tiri supposed to be built in there?" I ask as we walk by.

"Yes, it's one of the only spaces that's big enough to contain it." He confirms. We slowly enter the grand room and Varian gasps. Standing dozens of feet tall is a circular metal frame, covered in wires and slabs of wood. "I can't believe they managed to put this thing together."

"You and me both." I nod.

"But if the portal is here, where's-"

"VARIAN LOOK OUT!!" I scream, right as I see an armor-clad Quirin running toward the alchemist, fists in the air.

"You'll never free them from the Lost Realm." He mutters under his breath.

I feel a surge of energy course through my body as I run at him, and skid to a stop between the father and son. My hands glow a shade of gold as I use them to stop Quirin's punch, not feeling any pain. Quickly, I use a surge of power to blow him backward away from Varian and me.

As he slams into the wall, I look behind me at Varian, who's staring at Quirin in shock. His glowing eyes fill with tears as he realizes his dad is being mind-controlled by Cass, just like the other members of the brotherhood.

"D-Dad?"

"Varian, I need you to look at me." I firmly say, trying to keep Varian from spiraling. I ignore the throne room spinning around me and my lightheadedness as I know we have to act now before Quirin recovers from my blow. As his eyes meet mine, I breathe a small sigh of relief. "Look, I don't want to hurt your dad, so I need you to use your alchemy to trap him, okay?"

Varian quickly wipes the tears from his glowing teal eyes and grabs a magenta alchemy orb from his pocket. He begins sprinting across the room toward his father, and I can't help but notice how fast he's going. Even faster than he would've been going with the moonstone's power as if it's been amplified. I wonder if his powers have gotten even stronger due to the eclipse. "Sorry, Dad." Varian whispers, chucking the alchemy sphere at his father.

When it makes contact with Quirin's chest, the sphere explodes and releases magenta goo onto Quirin's body, trapping him. I breathe a sigh of relief when that problem is out of the way, and rush to Varian. "Are you okay?"

He wipes a couple more tears from his eyes. "Y-Yeah...it's just kinda crazy when your dad tries to attack you." He says with a shaky voice.

I quickly throw my arms around him and hold him tight. I don't say a thing, as I can't seem to find the words to comfort the boy, so I simply hold him close enough so he can feel my heartbeat. He returns the gesture and buries his face into the crook of my neck. I don't pull away from his arms as I don't want to risk ending the moment prematurely. I'm willing to wait as long as he needs.

After a moment or two, Varian steps back and gently kisses my warm lips. "Let's go free our friends." He suggests.

"But how? You heard your father, Var. They're in the Lost Realm."

He smiles. "We have the portal! It's not just a one-way ticket to that place, we can use the portal to get them out of the Lost Realm, too."

"It can do that?"

"It was built by Lord Demanitus! Of course, it can!" He exuberantly laughs.

I beam at the thought. "Well, what are we standing around here for? Let's go!"

Varian and I rush to the portal as quickly as we can. Varian, grabbing the lever to activate the machine, pushes it forward to open the portal. As the portal door opens, I quickly take hold of Varian's free hand and hold my breath. Please please please work... I silently plead.

Suddenly, all of the Coronians who have come to fight Zhan Tiri come flying out of the portal, including my parents, Lance, Angry, and Catalina. Relief floods my senses as I rush to my parents and tackle them into a hug. "Mom! Dad!" I exclaim, squeezing them tightly in my arms.

They quickly hug me back, holding me close as though I'd slip through their arms at any moment. "Sweetheart! You're alright! Oh, we were so worried." Mom cries, peppering my face with kisses.

"How on Earth did you escape Cassandra?" My dad asks, astonished.

I shrug with a smirk on my lips. "I had a little help from the sun."

Before I can answer any of the questions my comment left Dad with, Varian is beckoning me over to him. As I approach him, I notice a huge buck-toothed grin on his face. "(Yn), look..." His gloved finger points to his father, whose glowing blue eyes have faded.

"Is he still under the mind control?" I ask.

"I don't think so." Varian takes my hand and we slowly approach his father cautiously. "Dad? Is that you?" He asks worriedly.

"Son? You're alright? What happened?" Quirin asks, looking around with a dazed expression on his face.

"(Yn) saved me with the healing incantation, and you were being mind controlled by Cassandra," Varian explains counting them off with his fingers. "But it looks like someone broke you free."

Quirin looks at me with tears in his eyes. "Thank you for saving my son."

"I'd do it a thousand more times if I could." I nod. "It's nice to have you back Quirin."

He gives me a nod. "You too, (Yn). We were all very worried about you. You were all Varian could think about, even when he was severely injured."

A blush flashes across my boyfriend's freckled cheeks. "Dad!"

I giggle at the two as Varian uses the magenta goo neutralizer to release his father. Smiling to myself, I feel my heart flutter at the thought of Varian worrying so much about me. Even though simple things like this shouldn't still be making me so flustered, they manage to do so anyway.

"Hey V?" The familiar voice of Angry speaks. "There's something wrong with the machine."

Varian sighs. "Of course, they didn't assemble this thing right." He mutters to himself, jogging over to the girl.

Wait a minute... I ponder to myself. "Where are Rapunzel and Eugene?" I ask nobody in particular.

"Rapunzel went to go find Cassandra," Catalina replies. "I'm not sure about Eugene, though. He wasn't in that weird dimension with the rest of us."

"That's odd." I think out loud.

A few minutes later, Varian speaks up. "All right," He wipes his brow and sets the wrench he was using aside. "Everything is up and running. All set to send Zhan Tiri back."

"That was fast," I comment.

"Now all we gotta do is figure out how to lure Zhan Tiri into that port," Lance concludes.

Suddenly the entire throne room begins shaking uncontrollably, and I feel a massive wave of lightheadedness flow over me. I stumble back and my glowing hair flickers several times. I slow my breaths as I feel as though I am going to be sick. A huge chunk of the ceiling collapses right into the portal, demolishing the entire machine. "OH COME ON!" Lance exclaims.

Suddenly, even more massive chunks of rubble begin crumbling down from the ceiling and crashing into the floor below. We all quickly begin dodging the giant slabs of stone and wood falling from above. "Everybody get out!!" My mom orders, swiftly trying to escort people out of the room.

I slowly make my way out of the room, barely even able to walk straight from the lightheaded sensation in my mind. Varian suddenly notices me and quickly scoops me up into his arms bridal style, and carries me out of the room. I notice his teal hair is also flickering. "Angel? Are you okay?"

I weakly nod. "Something's happening. Something with the sun drop and the moonstone."

"But what?" Varian asks as he carries me out of the castle and into the safety of the courtyard. We dash down the steps with the other Coronians, right as more rumbling shakes the ground. Varian stumbles a bit, but thankfully catches himself. Just then, I notice Eugene riding into the courtyard on Maximus, followed by the members of the brotherhood. I feel a bit of relief in seeing them safe.

My relief is short-lived however, when a giant pitch-black demon monster with goat horns and tentacles busts through the window of Rapunzel's bedroom with the force of a tyrant. Her eyes glow gold and teal, and one wrist emits a golden energy force while the other emits a teal one. A malicious smirk grows on her face as she opens her mouth to speak.

"Let the age of Zhan Tiri begin!!"

Chapter Text

"Angel," Varian's voice enters my ears. I hear how strained it sounds, and I can deduce that he's also in a weakened state from Zhan Tiri possessing the sundrop stone and moonstone opal. "I know you don't feel well, but you can't back down now. Your kingdom needs you." His beautiful and normally smooth voice breaks as he speaks; my heart breaks as I realize he is on the verge of tears.

I nod, knowing he's right. Although it pains every bone in my body to do so, I slowly stand to my feet and wobble a bit, using Varian to steady me, just as he's always done before. Clenching my jaw, I send a glare to Zhan Tiri, daggers in my eyes. "Do you have your alchemy orbs and chemical solutions, Var?" I weakly ask while grabbing my wooden bow.

"You'd better believe it." He gives me a woozy smile but proceeds to pull several multicolored spheres from his pocket and position them between his fingers.

The sky around us glows an ominous red, almost as though nature herself is warning us. A fiery shade of crimson, the sky feels more like a bad omen than anything else. I can only hope that's the only shade of red I'll see today.

Zhan Tiri descends from Rapunzel's bedroom balcony down to the courtyard, knocking stone pillars over and causing the debris to fly toward us. The wind swirls around us and sends a chill up my spine. At least, I like to imagine it's just the wind that's striking such fear into me.

Eugene, mounted on Maximus, turns to face us. "Okay, listen up. I need everyone to get as far away from here as possible." He orders, pulling his sword from its sheath.

"But what about you, son?" King Edmund asks, a worried look on his face.

"I'm going after Rapunzel, you get out of here."

Lance's grip tightens around his sword. "Not alone, you're not. I'm going with you."

I cross my arms over my chest. "I'm not going anywhere, Eugene."

Varian puts a hand on my shoulder. "Me neither. This is our home; I'm going to fight for it."

I look at Varian and smile at him, feeling my heart warm at his words. I could hardly describe how joyous it is to hear him call Corona "our home." I know about a year ago he never would've said that.

Eugene nods, realizing he doesn't want to waste time arguing, and charges forward to the castle. The brave citizens of Corona ready their weapons and dash towards Zhan Tiri, prepared to fight. Before Varian and I join the herd, he takes my hand and stops me in my tracks.

"Angel?"

I turn to face him and take in his expression. Although he looks tired his gaze is fierce. Something I've learned about Varian, however, is that his not his face that conveys his true feelings, but his eyes. Hidden behind his flickering eyes, in the seemingly endless pools of blue, I see the little boy I met when I was only five. Sure he's grown into the confident young adult standing before me, but deep down, the timid little boy who changed my life for the better still lingers. He's scared.

I pull him into a tight hug and don't let go. "I love you," I mumble into the crook of his neck.

He wearily chuckles. "Heh...I was gonna say the same thing." His arms hold me close enough so I can feel his heart beating through his chest. I try to memorize the pattern.

As I listen to his heart, I can't help but think about us. About our trials and tribulations

The tremors finally cease, and I quickly run back into town to find Varian. "Varian?!" I call out. I let out a sigh of relief as I see Cassandra helping Varian out of an iron tube they must've hid in to stay safe. I dart over to Varian and quickly throw my arms around him. "Varian, thank goodness you're alright!!" I exclaim, nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck.

He hugs me back, breathing a sigh of relief. "(Yn), I-I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to get caught up in..well...all of this." He mumbles.

"Varian, are you kidding? Sure, the near-death experience was scary, but today was the best day of my life. I've finally been able to experience life outside of the castle, and it was amazing! But the best part about it all was that I got to spend it with you"

We pull out of the hug and Varian looks at me with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Of course! You're my best friend, Var. It'll take a lot more than out of control water machines to scare me off." I say with a smile.

"Thanks (yn). I'm glad you're my friend." Varian gently says.

...

I ran after Varian. I was fully prepared to hike through the snow if it meant helping Varian's dad. Qurin was one of our family's closest friends, and I didn't want to let him get hurt. I expect to see Rapunzel following us, but when I look over my shoulder she was still standing in the doorway. "Varian, it's a state of emergency here. I'm sorry. We, we can't help you! Not right now."

Varian and I stop in our tracks. "No! No, no, no, no!" The boy runs back over to Rapunzel. "Listen to me. My dad doesn't have much time. You two are the only ones who can help."

I walk up to my sister. "We can't just leave him! Varian needs our help! Please!"

"Your Majesty, please." Nigel enters the hall. "Whatever the boy's problem, it must be set aside. The storm's growing stronger by the second. We need you to make a decision!"

Varian's hopeful blue eyes begin to fill with tears. It breaks my heart. After all those years of knowing him, I've never seen him so sad, so broken...so scared. I couldn't stand to see Varian, my best friend, my other half, so upset.

"Please! Princess, you...you promised you'd help me!" Varian grabs Rapunzel's arms. "You promised!"

Pete and Stan suddenly come up from behind, grab hold of Varian, and drag him away. I dart after them. "Hey!! Put him down!!" I ordered. I grab onto the boy's gloved hand. "Varian!!!"

He grips my hand back and I blush ever-so-slightly. "(Yn)!!"

Before I can do anything else, the captain grabs my arms and holds them behind my back. "What are you doing?!? Let go of me!" I try to break out of his grasp, but fail.

Tears fill my eyes as Varian is pulled away. "Please! My dad needs help!" He pleads.

"Don't hurt him!" Rapunzel quickly says.

"Varian!" I call out, still trying to break free.

Varian's blue eyes meet my own. We stare into each other's tear-filled eyes. Varian manages to let out one final plea. "(yn), please..."

The tears finally free themselves as Varian disappears around the corner.

The captain lets go of me and I fall to the floor, sobbing. I cover my face with my hands as big fat tears roll down my cheeks. I hear footsteps walking away, signaling to me that I was alone.

I'm so sorry...

...

The tip of the drill suddenly shatters, and Varian turns off the machine.

I quickly rush over to him to see if he's alright. "Var...?"

The alchemist only stares at the broken drill and doesn't even look at me. Almost like I wasn't even there. "No...no...no...NO!!!" He shouts, shoving the drill to the side. He storms over to his desk and throws his papers and books in the air with one fell swoop of his hand. "THIS IS USELESS!!"

I flinch and back away from the boy, as he continues to break down.

"It's like it no longer holds the sundrops power!" He exclaims, staring at what remained of the precious flower. Varian stares at his desk in silence for a moment, clearly deep in thought. I slowly approach him as he picks up the flower. "The sundrop isn't the flower anymore..." He crushes the flower in his hand and lets the dust of the plant sift through his fingers and onto the table. "...It's Rapunzel."

I gasp and place my hand over my mouth in horror. "No...no...Varian, you don't mean..."

He looks at me and chuckles. "Oh, I do."

I shake my head. "You can drag me into your plans, convince me to steal from the king, but you cannot hurt anyone."

"And why not? This kingdom turned its back on me! Rapunzel turned her back on me!"

"I won't let you do this."

Varian grins. "And just how are you planning on doing that?"

"I'll warn Rapunzel; the royal guard will put a stop to your plans." I soften my tone as I look back at Quirin inside of the amber. "Look, Varian, we'll free your father, but hurting innocent people isn't the way to do it. Try to understand-"

The boy slams his fist on the table and I flinch. "It's you who doesn't understand! If Rapunzel cared about helping my father, she would've done so a long time ago! I'm going through with this plan, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Varian yells.

I cower away from Varian. For the first time in all my years of knowing him, he had scared me. It didn't take some crazy machine he invented to do it as he feared, it only took himself.

That's what scared me more than anything.

I look at Varian with sad eyes. I had finally reached my own breaking point. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

I begin to head to the door as Varian rushes over to me. "Wait! (Yn)!" He gazes at me with his blue eyes, and I could almost see the blue eyes I had come to know and love tucked away and hidden from view. He looked sad...broken...hopeless. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

I gasp as Varian blows a green powder into my face. A wave of drowsiness floods my senses as I inhale the substance. I slowly fall to the ground, feeling my body go limp with exhaustion.

The last thing I see is Varian leaning over top of me, watching as I fall asleep against my own will.

...

I slide into Varian's path and his automaton comes screeching to a stop. "VARIAN, STOP!! THIS ISN'T THE WAY!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, hoping, begging, praying that he could hear me.

Varian's face was filled with the rage of a charging bull. Varian looks at me, then at Rapunzel, and suddenly gasps. "(YN) LOOK OUT!!" The automaton runs forward and shoves me to the side right as a giant black rock pierces through the exact spot I was previously standing.

My heart pounds through my chest as I stare at the rock that was moments away from killing me. I look up at Varian. He saved my life...

...

Varian looks genuinely surprised. "You're worried about me? After everything I did to you? You should hate me."

"I don't hate you! I won't say that I approve of everything you did, and I'm certainly upset that you tried to hurt people, but I don't hate you." I sigh and sit in the seat across from Varian. "Look, after everything we've been through, I know that deep down you never wanted to hurt anyone. Think about the countless hours you've spent trying to help others: trying to bring hot water to your village, helping Rapunzel with her hair, even just being my friend...deep down you have a good heart."

"How do you know that I haven't changed for the worse?" Varian asks, still looking at me confused.

"Because you saved me."

Varian blushes and quickly looks away. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I know that there's still good in you. We can't change the past, but we can still change the future for the better. I don't want to lose my best friend, and deep down, I know that you don't want that either." I take a deep breath and hold my hand out for Varian to shake. "So what do you say? Do you want to try and start again?"

I hold my breath, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

Varian looks at my hand and then up at me. He slowly extends his arm out and shakes my hand. "I-I want to try."

...

Rapunzel scowls as she grips the metal bars of the cell we were thrown into. "How could you do this?!"

"I want you to know that I wish it didn't have to come to this," Varian says, tapping the bars of the cell with his knuckles. I knew that this was all a part of Varian's act, so he didn't blow his cover, but it still hurt a little bit to see him like this.

"What? Erasing everyone's memories?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

Rapunzel looks at Varian with pleading eyes. "None of these people did anything to you!"

"It's not what they did to me...it's what I did to them..." Varian turns away. "And there...there is no way they will ever forgive me."

My heart breaks for the alchemist. Even if his pretending to want to erase everyone's memories was all an act, I knew he believed those words were the truth.

"How do you know if you don't give them a chance?" my sister asks.

Varian is silent for a moment before listing the reasons. "I kidnapped their princess, I almost killed their queen, I threatened their future queen, I put them in danger at (yn)'s birthday ball, I helped these guys take over their kingdom...you think anyone's gonna give me a second chance?" Varian's voice breaks. "I-I don't think so." He says, walking back over to our cell. "Making them forget is the only way to fix what I've done."

Varian looks at me with hollow eyes. I'm sorry. he mouths.

Andrew suddenly breaks the silence as he places his hands on Varian's shoulders. "Yeah...there's been a slight change of plans buddy." He sneers, leading Varian away from our cell. "Now that she's back, we don't have time to wait for you to get your memory formula right."

"We are still using the formula you curated;" Clementine pipes up. "Qurinian explodes! It will turn Corona to ashes."

"wha-no, NO! We agreed nobody would be harmed!!" Varian exclaims, pointing an angry finger at Andrew.

Andrew rolls his eyes. "Relax, Varian...you don't wanna end up on the wrong side of history." He grins as he nudges Varian with his elbow. "You understand, don't you?"

I grab onto the cell bars, feeling the anger and rage bubble up inside of me. "The only one who's going to end up on the wrong side of history is you and your goons! You're never going to get away with this!"

Andrew laughs as he approaches me. "Well...if it isn't our little runaway princess. I've been wondering how you got away." He glares at me. "Why don't you shut up that pretty little mouth of yours before it gets you in even more trouble." Andrew pulls a dagger off of his belt and holds it up to the cell bars "...Unless you wanna be the first casualty of Corona's destruction."

"Don't you even think about it!" Varian warns, reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his alchemy spheres. He holds it out and slowly walks towards the Saporians, forcing them to back up towards a cell.

"Are you betraying us boy?" Clementine grins, looking amused by the whole situation.

"I'm getting on the right side of history." Varian looks over his shoulder at me and winks.

"TAKE HIM OUT!"

Varian quickly throws the sphere at them, and it explodes in a puff of blue smoke. As dozens of bubbles float up from the smoke, Varian nervously chuckles. "Ooooohhhhh...sorry guys...that was a... yeah that was a bath bomb..."

The Saporians quickly grab Varian and shove him into the cell with Raps and me.

Andrew scowls. "He's made his choice. Let's move. We launch the airship in twenty." He announces, leading the Saporians out of the dungeon.

Varian sighs as he sits down next to me. "I can't believe it. I finally get my chance to stand up to them and prove that you guys can trust me, and I screwed it all up...just like I always do."

"You don't always screw things up, Var." I place a comforting hand on Varian's shoulder. "Look at what you've done so far. You just stood up to Andrew! That was amazing!"

A hint of a smile appears on Varian's face. "Y-You think so?"

I nod. "Just because you messed up, it doesn't make you a failure. Our mistakes make us human."

...

"Varian! Look at me!" I quickly say. Once the boy turns his face to me I continue. "You can do this! Control your fear!"

Varian takes a breath. "It's not real." He tells himself. "I can do this!" Slowly, the red rocks on his arm begin to recede. "O-Okay..." he glances back at me and his eyes go dark. "(Yn)?"

The red rock is consuming my body at an alarming rate. Everything from my mid torso down is frozen by fear. In my exertions to calm down Varian, I had neglected my own problems. I understood that Varian had to be the one to rescue us all, so I decided to put him first. It's too late for me.

Varian rushes to my side. "(Yn)! (Yn)! We can figure this out okay? Please don't go." Tears fill his eyes as he watches my body become consumed by the red rocks. "I can't do this without you."

I give him the most reassuring smile I can muster as I try to hold back my tears. "Yes, you can. If anyone can do this, it's you. You are so much stronger than you know, Var." The rock crawls to my shoulders and down my arms.

Tears pour from Varian's blue eyes as his hand cups my cheek. "Please Angel...I-I love you."

My heart practically stops. "You...you what?"

Varian wipes the tears from his cheeks. "I love you, (Yn). I always have."

...

The earth comes closer.

The alchemist squeezes my hands and gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't think..." He breathes. "Just keep your eyes on me, okay? You have to trust me."

I bite my lip and nod. Fighting the urge to look down, I keep my golden eyes fixated on Varian and take slow breaths. "I trust you," I whisper.

As the words escape my lips gravity suddenly disintegrates.

We float.

A small grin rests on Varian's lips. "I knew you trusted me."

I chuckle in relief from the near-death experience. "Always."

...

At long last, Varian falls asleep, still holding me. I gently whisper three words to him, so softly that only he could ever hear them. Not because I was embarrassed to say them, but because these three words belong to him.

"I love you."

...

The memories swirl around my head in a whirlwind of emotion, faster than the winds of a hurricane. Joy, sadness, fear, anger...everything has led to this. Every moment with Varian has made us who we are. It hasn't always been easy, but it's made us stronger. We're a force to be reckoned with because we're together.

Win or lose, there's not a soul who I would rather be with.

Suddenly, a surge of energy shoots through me like a lightning bolt as I hold Varian close to me. We take a couple of steps away from each other in surprise. Varian's eyes meet mine and see they're a brighter shade of blue than they've ever been. His hair turns fully blue and begins floating in the air and defying gravity for the power surging through his body. Little cyan particles of light float around his body. He looks ethereal, like a being of another world.

"(Yn)...your powers..." Varian sputters, staring at me in shock.

"Yours too..." I point out. "They're back."

"You." An ominous voice cuts into the air like a sharp knife. Zhan Tiri's glowing eyes land on Varian and I, and our flickering hair. She lets out a roar and storms over to us, thrashing her claw-like hands in our direction. "You're the ones who've been getting in the way of my plans!!"

I shrug. "Sorry, not sorry." I give Varian a smirk, finally feeling my energy restored and my spirits renewed. "You ready?"

He shoots me back a smile. "As I'll ever be."

Zhan Tiri's hand swings toward the two of us like a bear's paw swiping at its prey. Varian nods at me. I quickly leap a dozen feet into the air using my newly charged powers, while Varian uses his moon energy to power up one of his alchemy spheres. Chucking it at Zhan Tiri, it explodes on contact with her skin, covering one of her entire tentacles with magenta goo and trapping it in place. She trips forward and her whole body goes crashing to the stone ground.

"Now that was satisfying," Lance comments.

The force of her fall is enough to send a shock wave across the courtyard. "Eugene!! Go find Rapunzel!!" I cry. "We'll hold her off!"

"Good thinking!" He exclaims, already on the move.

The Coronians rush over to the demon and begin attacking her while she's down, using swords, pitchforks, and other miscellaneous items as weapons. I feel my heart beam with pride from seeing the people of Corona fighting with such bravery and determination.

While Zhan Tiri is down, I quickly rush to one of her wrists and try to seize the moonstone from her. "Var, a little help?!"

He rushes to my aid at light speed and quickly begins attempting to remove the stone. Even with our combined super strength, we're unable to steal it back. "It...won't...budge!!!" He grunts.

A low chuckle escapes Zhan Tiri as she begins to recover from our blow and rise once more. Varian and I go up with her, refusing to let go of the moonstone. I try to ignore the spinning sensation that flows through me from being up so high. "You may be powerful," Zhan Tiri sneers, pulling the two of us off of the moonstone and clutching our bodies in her massive fist. "But you can't beat me. You're young, inexperienced, and foolish." She squeezes her fist, and me and Varian cry out in pain. Using her free hand, she begins making cages made of yellow rocks sprout from the ground like weeds, trapping all of the Coronians. "I've grown tired of this." She flatly speaks.

I don't know how to explain it, but the nonchalance in her voice is petrifying.

Without warning, she grabs Varian with her free hand, separating the two of us. I manage to wiggle one arm from her grip, and I extend it towards my boyfriend. "VARIAN!!!"

"(YN)!!"

As discreetly as I can, I flatten my palm and begin to summon my powers, begging Demanitus to help make this work.

"You two have really been getting on my last nerve." She scowls with the annoyance of a mother trying to calm her rowdy child. "Normally, I'd finish you off right here and now." Her threat stabs into me. "But I think you can still be of use to me."

Varian and I exchange a horrified glance. It doesn't take a genius to know where this is going.

"I love you." I mouth

Right as he mouths my words back to me, Zhan Tiri clenches her fists and begins draining our powers from us. A bloodcurdling scream leaves my lips as I feel my sundrop essence being sucked away from me, leaving me feeling weak and hopeless. The pain throbs through my veins, and it feels unbearable.

I can't let her get away with this.

I can still save Varian.

Using all of the remaining power I feel within me, I channel it all into the palm of my hand. My heartbeat quickens. I bring my free hand into the air and aim it at Zhan Tiri.

"ANGEL, DON'T!!!" Varian screams, desperation in his voice, and tears flowing down his cheeks.

I meet his eyes. Tears well up. Longing glances are exchanged. My throat becomes dry. I know what I have to do.

"Don't forget me."

Stealing one final glance at the boy who is everything to me, I turn to Zhan Tiri, who is painfully oblivious due to all the magic entering her body.

I take a breath, and blast my final amount of power right into Zhan Tiri's eye, temporarily stunning her. She releases both me and Varian in shock, and we begin plummeting towards the ground.

I slowly close my eyes. I know Varian will have enough power left to save himself from the fall. I also know he won't be able to save me in his weakened state.

As gravity sucks me closer and closer to its harsh reality, I've accepted my fate.

And I'm okay with it.

Until I'm stopped in midair. I feel something wrap around my waist. My heart pounds through my chest as I dangle in the air, stuck in a state of shock.

"I've got you, sis!!" A smile grows across my lips as I turn to the familiar voice of my sister, who's standing above me on a black rock protruding from the side of the castle. I notice her hair wrapped around my waist, flickering from a glowing blonde to her normal brown hair color. I can assume it's thanks to Zhan Tiri possessing the sundrop.

"Rapunzel!!" I cheer. While Rapunzel safely lowers me to the ground, a thought pops into my head. I frantically look to my side and breathe a massive sigh of relief when I see Varian waiting for me below. Thank Demaitus he's alright.

The second my feet touch the ground Varian's arms are around me, squeezing me so tight that I think he's going to crush me. I don't mind, however. His embrace is something I'll never take for granted. "Angel, don't do that ever again..." The boy pleads as he nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck. I feel wet tears drip onto my skin and my heart breaks in two.

"Var..."

"I'm serious. Please, (Yn), I can't keep losing you. I just can't." He sighs. "I love you too much. You're the light in my life."

"I'm sorry Varian. I just...I couldn't bear the thought of you not being..." I trail off, running slow circles on his back. "I love you more than anything."

Varian parts from our hug a little bit, and brings his forehead to mine. "It's you and me. Whatever happens, we do it together. We're stronger together."

I nod. "Okay."

"That's enough." Zhan Tiri flatly says, interrupting the moment. "You Coronians have always been so sappy. I have a way to fix that."

Varian grabs my hand as we stare at the beast before us. I give it a quick squeeze. As worry bubbles in my gut, I take a breath and never remove my hand from my boyfriend's. Even though we don't have our powers anymore, I don't wavier. Whatever happens next, at least we'll be together.

Holding her claw-like hands up, Zhan Tiri begins chanting: "Whiter and decay...end this destiny."

As she speaks, an ominously dark shadow begins growing outward from beneath her, muting all the color from everything it touches. It bleeds onto our colorful kingdom like black watercolors on a pastel canvas. As the shadows hungrily crawl across the earth, they suck the life force for everyone and everything around them. I watch in horror as my subjects become dull and weakened, and collapse to their knees. Shadows of who they once were. A chill blows through the formally warm summer air as the red sky turns gray.

Corona...my homeland...the kingdom of the sun...overcome by eternal darkness.

"Oh no..." I mutter.

"Break these earthly chains...and set the spirit free."

Within seconds, the shadows surround Varian and me and begin to creep over our bodies. The more of my body the darkness consumes, the more numb I feel. Before it's too late, I quickly grab my bow and shoot one final arrow at Zhan Tiri; a futile attempt to stop her.

As I'm overcome by the shadows, I crumple to the ground and clutch my chest, my heart throbbing in pain. I glance at Varian to see him on the ground as well, in an equal amount of pain. Regardless, he uses what little strength he has and pulls me close to his body, holding me against his chest.

Even though I feel empty and melancholy from the moonstone incantation, I can't help but find a little flicker of joy in my heart from Varian's actions. A teeny smile-almost too small to even make out-dances across my lips. Joy leads to hope.

Zhan Tiri throws her head back and begins to laugh maniacally, clearly proud of her accomplishment. Rapunzel, safe from the incantation due to her magic, stares at the ancient demon in horror. Her emerald green eyes only depict valleys of pain, vast and seemingly unending. "W-What have you done?" She softly asks, her normally confident voice breaking.

Zhan Tiri turns to the princess. "I'm fulfilling my promise to Demanitus and destroying Corona." She snarls.

Before she can get in another word, Rapunzel chucks her hair at the monster, whipping her across the face. Zhan Tiri winces and her eyes narrow. My sister charges at her, screaming at the top of her lungs. As I watch the two battle it out, I realize that I can't recall a time when my sister has ever been this upset. If there is one thing I know for certain about the lost princess, it is that fighting is always a last resort for her. Rapunzel without fail, always attempts to make peace with her opposition before resorting to violence. Today she's proved me wrong.

Today, nothing will stand in her way.

Wrapping her hair around one of Zhan Tiri's horns and slamming her to the ground, Rapunzel quickly rushes to Eugene, who is lying on the cold ground in pain. She quickly takes his hand into her own. "Eugene!!!" She cries.

Even through the excruciating pain, Eugene forces his arm into the air and cups her cheek in his palm. "Sunshine..."

Zhan Tiri is back on her feet in seconds and looks over the two. "Do you honestly think you can stand up to my power?"

"I am not backing down." The princess assures through gritted teeth.

And this begins a battle for the ages. The two superpowers in a final showdown, in a matter of life and death for an entire nation. As Rapunzel and Zhan Tiri begin fighting back and forth, the two seem pretty equally matched. I notice that even though Zhan Tiri has insanely more power than Rapunzel, the princess is still able to put up a fight from sheer adrenaline alone. The demon also has size on my sister, but Raps uses that to her advantage as it makes her much more nimble.

Guilt stabs me as I wish I could help my sister and defend my kingdom. What kind of princess am I if I can't even protect my people?

After what feels like ages, Zhan Tiri backs Rapunzel into a corner, and worry floods over me. I squeeze Varian's gloved hand as we watch.

Suddenly, a huge clanging sound echoes throughout the courtyard and the monster falls forward. "Frying pans. Who knew?" My heart practically stops as I watch Cassandra...my Cassandra on Zhan Tiri's back, swinging a frying pan in her hand.

"Cass?" I weakly mutter, staring at the woman. Her once teal hair is back to its normal inky black color, and her eyes have returned to hazel. Even her signature Cassandra smirk has returned to her face. If it weren't for my current state I'd be sprinting over to her and tackling her into a hug.

Not wasting a moment, Cassandra rushes to one of Zhan Tiri's wrists and grabs it. "Quick! Get the other hand!"

Rapunzel obeys and dashes to the arm with the sundrop stone.

"Remember what Adira said about the moonstone and sundrop coming together?" Cassandra asks.

Rapunzel, catching her drift, grins. The two women grab Zhan Tiri's wrists and slowly but surely begin pushing them together. As the sundrop and moonstone grow closer, I watch in awe and the two begin flickering and sparks fly between them.

"Incredible..." Varian whispers.

Just as the stones are inches away from each other, Zhan Tiri comes to and swiftly throws Cassandra and Rapunzel off of her. I wince as Rapunzel flies into the stone ground. "She's too strong!" Cassandra cries.

"You're right." The princess admits. "What did you say the number one rule of combat was?"

Cassandra's eyes widen in realization. "Turn your enemy's strength into a weakness!"

The two nod in agreement and charge toward the ancient demon. Rapunzel tosses her flickering hair over to Cass, who quickly begins wrapping it around Zhan Tiri's wrists. Once her wrists are immobilized, the two women run in opposite directions, stretching the demon's hands out. As Zhan Tiri cries out in pain, they pull her to the ground. "Is it your plan to keep me here forever?" She sneers.

"No," My sister answers. "But that's kinda the point.

Pulling the monster's arms back as far as they can, I realize their angle. "It's a slingshot."

"They're going to store elastic energy in her hair to catapult her arms together," Varian concludes weakly. "Genius."

Grabbing a shard of black rock, Rapunzel chops off her hair in one slash, releasing the slingshot and causing the sundrop and moonstone to collide.

Within instants, a magical explosion of teal and golden light erupts from the stones. The force of the blast is enough to completely obliterate Zhan Tiri and put an end to her tyranny.

And just like that it's over.

Varian and I watch in awe as the magical lights dance across the sky, painting a rainbow of light across the shadow-covered kingdom. As the black rocks dissolve into oblivion, so do our fears. The light brought a newfound relief that brilliantly shone across our home. I believe that each of the seven kingdoms saw our light.

Moments later, I hear Rapunzel's voice cutting through the air. "Chance the fates design...save what has been lost...bring back what once was mine."

As she utters those words, waves of golden light shoot through the air, healing all that it touches. I feel my heart and my spirit lift as my body heals, and I laugh with pure joy. "We did it!!" I exclaim as I turn to Varian, who is also recovering. "Corona's safe!!" I quickly tackle him into a loving embrace, and we tumble to the ground, both our laughter and our tears filled with joy. As I stare into Varian's beautiful blue eyes, nothing but love for him surges through me. His face, though scared, is still the same one I've loved all my life. The twinkle in his eyes is my North Star, the red in his cheeks is enough to keep me warm on the darkest nights. Our love is unmatched.

Before I can do it first, Varian grabs my cheeks in his hands and pulls my lips to his. As our warm lips mesh together perfectly, I gently run my fingers through his tangled black hair. Sweet and sincere, he tastes like home.

And I'll never leave.

Chapter Text

:-One Year Later-:

"Best day ever..." Rapunzel gently whispers.

I smile as I put the last pin in her brown hair, securing the glittering white veil on her head. "I can't believe this day has finally arrived," I comment and I place her crown on top of the veil. "I was beginning to think you two would never get married."

"Oh, shush!" My sister gently elbows me.

I giggle. "Kidding, kidding!!" My hands slowly turn her around so she can see herself in the mirror, fully dressed in her wedding gown. "I know Cass ran off to go on an adventure and you don't have a lady in waiting at the moment, but I think you look beautiful, sis."

When the lost princess sees herself in the mirror, tears well up in her emerald eyes. She covers her mouth with her hands and a little gasp escapes her lips. "(Yn)...you did amazing." Rapunzel quickly turns back around and throws her arms around me. "Thank you for everything. Really. You're the best sister I could've ever hoped for." She wipes a couple of tears from her eyes before they can ruin her makeup. "I'm so lucky to have you as my maid of honor."

"I'm glad you found your way home."

"I am too."

Suddenly, a gentle knock taps against her bedroom door. "Your Highnesses?" Nigel calls. "The guests have all arrived; shall I tell the orchestra to begin playing?"

"Yes, thank you!" Rapunzel replies.

I quickly fluff out her veil once more, before giving her the thumbs up to leave her room. Before I follow, I take a quick peek in the mirror and check my hair. I'm still not used to not having that gold streak running through it. I tuck a loose strand of hair that has fallen from my updo behind my ear and smooth out my blush pink gown, decorated with lace accents. I want to look my best for Rapunzel's big day.

Once we make it to the throne room a few minutes later, we're greeted by Angry, Catalina, Dandelion, Ruddiger, Max, Pascal, and Dad who are all waiting outside the doors. The girls, both fitted in blush pink and holding baskets of flower petals, smile when they see my sister. "You look gorgeous, princess." Catalina sweetly compliments.

Rapunzel grins. "Thank you, but I owe that all to my maid of honor." She gestures to me, and I proudly smile.

Tears begin to fill Dad's eyes when he sees Rapunzel. He doesn't say anything and simply pulls her into a hug, the tears already spilling down his cheeks.

I glance at Max, Dandelion, Ruddiger, and Pascal, the ring bearers. "You four got a good hold on those rings?" I check. "They've been in the family for generations." The animals nod, and I breathe a small sigh of relief. "Alright, let's do this!"

Stan and Pete slowly push open the heavy doors to the throne room, which is packed with guests. Intricately carved pews are lined throughout the room, and sunlight dances through the stained-glass window on the back wall casting a cozy glow into the room. Lavender and white flower arrangements line the wall filling the space with a floral scent, and at the end of the room is Eugene, waiting for his bride-to-be. We begin walking down the aisle, first the girls, then the ring bearers, and then me. Once we have completed our walk, everyone stands and turns to the door as Rapunzel enters the room on her father's arm. Everyone gasps in awe when they see her, wonderstruck by her beauty.

The pastor's jaw drops. "Wow."

Eugene stares at her with nothing but love in his eyes. "Wow."

Then Shorty, who somehow got on the platform, comments: "Woooow~" Eugene shakes his head and pushes the drunken man to the side.

My (ec) eyes quickly scan the guests, and I smile when I see Varian standing by the door, holding a couple of vials of alchemical solutions. After all, he is the official royal engineer. I blush a bit as I stare at him, all dressed up for the occasion. I can't help but admire how handsome he looks in his black tailcoat, white button-up, and dress pants. He's even removed his goggles and combed his pitch-black hair to the side. I giggle upon noticing a singular rebellious strand that has managed to poke out. Varian suddenly notices me staring and giggles a bit. I smile and turn back to my sister.

"Dearly beloved," The pastor begins. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of Rapunzel and Eugene in marriage, in which they will live their lives together as husband and wife."

I glance over to Max, Dandelion, Ruddiger, and Pascal, only to see that they're nowhere to be found. I ponder it for a moment, but then shrug it off.

"I, Eugene, take you, Rapunzel, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."

Rapunzel smiles at him. "I, Rapunzel, take you, Eugene, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."

As the pastor continues with the vows, I nervously glance over to where the ring bearers are supposed to be. Where are they?

As if fate has answered my question, the quartet of animals suddenly show up, covered in tar, but thankfully holding the rings. I stare at the four with a horrified look and they sheepishly smile.

"...May we have the rings?" The pastor asks, snapping us from our gaze. Rapunzel gasps with a look of shock on her face when she sees them. She quickly shoots me a questioning glance and I shrug. Max trots over to the pastor, leaving black hoofprints in his path. He holds the rings out to them, and Eugene quickly snatches them.

"I, uh, now pronounce you husband and wife." The pastor concludes. "You may kiss."

Without hesitation, Rapunzel grabs Eugene's face and presses her lips to his. Eugene happily returns it as they lock away a promise of love, and we all cheer.

Varian quickly ignites his formulas, sending a rainbow of colorful fireworks into the sky, perfecting the moment. They're nowhere near as bright as the look on his face. I smile at him as I remember how just a couple of years ago, he attempted this same feat in this very room and failed.

We've come so far.

:-:-:-:-:

As the sun begins to set, the wedding reception is still in full swing. People are joyously dancing, singing, and laughing, warming my heart to see my kingdom so happy. The late spring air blows through the courtyard as I make my way up the steps towards the platform overlooking the space. I raise my glass of cider and gently tap my spoon against it, creating a delicate dinging noise that pulls the attention of the people in the courtyard towards me.

I nervously wave, a little unsure of all the attention, but I quickly take a breath. "H-Hello, everyone! I'd like to raise a toast to my sister, one of the most incredible people I've ever met." Rapunzel looks at me with a smile on her lips and I return the gesture. "A little more than three years ago, I was the unknown princess of Corona. Nobody even knew I existed, because my parents kept me hidden to protect me from the outside world. I mean, who can blame them? After losing your first child to the outside world, how could you ever risk the same fate of the only child you have left?"

"But then, everything changed when that man right there," I point to Eugene with a grin on my face. "brought my sister home." I wipe the tears from my eyes and continue. "I still vividly remember that day. I remember how excited and nervous I was to meet my long-lost sister. I'd never had a sister before, and I didn't even know what to expect. As it turns out, Rapunzel didn't either." I giggle a bit and notice my sister doing so, too. "So we figured it out together... Raps, thank you for everything. I'm wishing you and Eugene all the best because you deserve it."

I smile at her before quickly running inside and grabbing the guitar I set by the door. I grab the instrument and give it a quick strum, checking to make sure the strings are tuned. Feeling satisfied with them, I rush back out to the courtyard and strum the guitar again. "I wrote this for the best sister and brother-in-law in all of the Seven Kingdoms," I announce.

I begin strumming the chords of the melody I wrote, tapping my foot to the beat.

(Yn): "Come on!

She's a girl with the best intentions...

He's a man of his own invention~

She looked out of the window,

He walked out the door~

But she followed him,

And he said, 'What are you looking for?'"

As I sing, I feel any previous nerves of mine melt away with each strum of the guitar. I look at my sister and her husband and see the two already dancing together, smiles brighter than the sun on their faces.

"He said, I want something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything I see~"

I suddenly hear some of the pub thugs joining in, playing various instruments to back me up.

"Something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything I see, yeah..."

I notice Varian coming to my side out of the corner of my eye. I take note of a tambourine in his hands, and he winks at me. I feel my heart warm from his endless support and I continue singing.

"He's been living in a pure illusion,

She's gonna come to her own conclusion.

Right when you think you know what to say~

Someone comes along and shows you a brand-new way~

She said, I want something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything I see~

Something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything, 'cause,"

I glance to the boy at my side, nothing but love for him on my features. Varian notices me looking at him, and I slow my guitar strums, my eyes never leaving his blue ones.

"It's so easy to make believe...

It seems you're living in a dream.

Don't you see that what you need

Is standing in front of you?"

I set my guitar down and grab Varian's hands. I pull him to the steps that lead back into the courtyard, and we hop on the railing and slide back into the crowd. We begin dancing together, spinning in circles as we do so. My hands never leave Varian's. As the pub thugs continue the tune, I continue singing.

"Oh, I want something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything I see~

Something that I want~

Something that I tell myself I need~

Something that I want~

And I need everything I see~"

As I finish the song, Varian pulls me close to him and pecks my lips. Butterflies furiously flap through my stomach as the crowd of people erupt into applause. Rapunzel fights through the crowd and tackles me into one of her signature bear hugs the second she lays eyes on me. "(YN), THAT WAS GREAT!" She cheers.

"You really do have a knack for this music stuff, don't you?" Eugene smiles as he comes up from behind his wife.

"I... guess...you could...say...that!" I manage to choke out through Rapunzel's death grip on me.

Rapunzel quickly drops me. "Oh my gosh, sorry!"

"It's okay!" I say through deep breaths.

"Princess?" Varian quickly steps in. "Do you mind if I steal, (yn) for a second?" He asks.

My sister wiggles her eyebrow at us. "Not at all! Not. At. All."

"Thanks," Varian says, already pulling me through the crowd.

"Var, where are we going?" I giggle, enjoying the feeling of my hand in his.

"You'll see."

Chapter Text

Varian and I weave through the crowd of people, muttering "Excuse me"'s as we travel. Varian pulls me out of the crowd and through the courtyard entrance, onto the cobblestone street of Corona. I send him a questioning look, and he doesn't say anything. Instead of entering the city like I anticipated, Varian turns a corner and guides me along the palace wall until we reach the royal garden.

The garden, in peak bloom, is stunning. Perfectly sculpted hedges shaped like horses stand guard on either side of the entrance, and the stone pathway leading into the garden is lined with bushes full of pink roses. The sky is painted a shade of pink similar to my gown, and the glowing sun casts a golden glow onto the garden. I gaze at it all in awe. I had only been in the garden a couple of times before; until Rapunzel showed up, my parents wouldn't allow me into the garden because it isn't walled off. "How'd you..."

"-Know about this place?" Varian asks, admiring my wonderstruck face. "Rapunzel told me about it earlier. I know how busy you've been with the wedding preparations lately, and I think you deserve a break."

"Aww, Var..." I wrap my arms around the young man and hold him tight. "Thank you."

"Anything for my angel." He grins and gently kisses my forehead.

My cheeks turn the same shade as the sky as I look up into his beautiful blue eyes. Although his face has changed over the past few years: it's matured with age, he's gained new freckles on his cheeks, and some scars now paint his skin...but through it all his eyes are still the same ones I fell in love with. "I love you." My lips blurt out.

Varian doesn't hesitate when he replies, "I love you, too."

We gaze into each other's eyes for a moment, before I ask, "...So why did you choose the garden?"

"It's kinda romantic, don't you think?" His fingers gently select a nearby rose and he offers it to me. "We don't have much time, but would you take a stroll with me, m'lady?" His voice comes out overly formal and I giggle.

"But of course," I reply, accepting the rose and taking his arm.

As the two of us stroll through the stunning garden, I listen to the songbirds that float through the wind singing. Varian occasionally points out a rare type of herb he's used in his alchemy before, and I hang on to every word he says, making mental notes for future birthday gifts. After a while, we find a secluded bench underneath a pergola covered in blue flowers. Varian brushes a couple of leaves off of the bench, so I don't potentially soil my gown and get in trouble before I sit down. As Varian sits beside me, I find myself in perfect bliss.

"(Yn)?"

I look away from the flowers and turn to my boyfriend. "Yeah?"

His cheeks are rosy, and he takes my hands in his own hands when he says: "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything." He pauses. "(Yn), you've changed my life. You were the only one who wanted to be my friend when we were kids. You always believe in my dreams, even when they sound crazy. You listened to my doubts and fears. You never gave up on me, even when everyone thought I was beyond redemption." Tears begin to leak from his eyes, and I gently cup his cheek in my hand and wipe them away with my thumb. "You're the reason I'm the person I am today." He continues. "Without you, I'd still be rotting in that cell. I never would've freed my father, and I never would've become the royal engineer of Corona. I never would have seen the light again. But when I look back on those times and what could've been, the thing that scares me the most is that I wouldn't have you in my life." He squeezes my hand. "Because I love you more than anything."

Tears fill my (ec) eyes as I listen to his confession; my heart swells with nothing but love for him. Varian is everything I could've ever wanted. "I'd do it all a thousand times over for you, Var. You're worth that and so much more. I love you."

The sun dips beneath the horizon, and in the last light of day, I look only at his face. We slowly lean our faces closer together, until our lips gently press against each other. My eyelids flutter shut as we kiss, and my hands gravitate to his head, my fingers running through his black hair. Varian grabs my waist and pulls my body closer to his, close enough for me to feel his heartbeat against my chest.

"I love you~" I mumble into his lips.

He hums in reply and seizes his opportunity to deepen the kiss while my lips are parted.

I tug on his hair a bit from the sudden action...although I'm not complaining about his boldness. I lean forward in an attempt to get even closer to him, pushing his body against the pergola. The dainty smell of flowers rubs onto his tailcoat and I breathe in the beautiful scent.

I suddenly feel his mouth leave mine. Any disappointment is short-lived, however, when his lips trail down to my neck and begin peppering my skin with kisses. He's gentle with me, so much so, that it feels like little butterflies are landing on my neck. My breath hitches and I feel Varian's mouth curl into a smile.

Even after being an official couple for almost two years now, our make-out sessions never cease to leave me a blushing mess.

My body continues to gravitate closer and closer to Varian, absolutely addicted to his touch.

Crack.

Varian and I gasp as one of the four support beams of the pergola begins to crack, and abruptly snaps, sending the two of us toppling into the bush behind us. As we land in the bush, me on top of Varian and our faces mere centimeters apart, we stare at each other a moment before we burst into a fit of laughter.

"What are we going to tell my parents?" I sputter out through my giggles.

Varian's eyes widen and his laughter subsides. "Your dad's gonna kill me."

I quickly peck his lips. "Nah...he knows how much I love you," I reassure while standing up, wincing as the branches of the bush swipe my skin.

I offer my hand to Varian and help him to his feet. He steals a glance at the now-rising moon. "We should probably get back before people start to get suspicious." He comments.

"I think they're already going to be suspicious, Varian." I gesture to his dress suit, which is now covered in soil, leaves, and pollen, and then my gown which is stained and torn from the rose thorns.

Varian groans and buries his face in his hands. I only giggle. "It will be alright. Besides, I had fun." I wink at him.

Varian smiles a bit and I carefully run my fingers through his now-messy hair in a futile attempt to tame it and brush out any leaves from the fall. My heart practically stops when I notice something poking out of his black locks. I slowly free the item and show it to Varian.

His blue eyes twinkle and the corner of his lip tweaks into a grin as we stare at it.

A single blue forget-me-not.

Fin

Chapter Text

:-Two Years Later-:

The bright morning sun gracefully falls on my skin, the warm rays blossoming on my face. The fresh smell of the morning dew fills my nose as my boots brush against the grass. A slight breeze ruffles my (hc) hair. My hand clutches the strap of my satchel, colorfully embroidered in my favorite colors by my sister. I look over my shoulder at the kingdom behind me. Corona. The only place I've ever known. I then look forward to the vast horizon before me. The rolling hills, forests, flowers, and mountains that await me. I've never been this far from my home before. Then, my gaze travels to my side.

Varian stands there, looking at me with hopeful blue eyes. He's holding his mother's almanac.

Butterflies furiously flap around my stomach as I envision the journey that we're about to embark on. One of self-discovery for both of us.

I glance to my feet and see Dandelion and Ruddiger, ready to follow us to the seven kingdoms and back.

Suddenly, I feel Varian's hand take mine and give it a reassuring squeeze. My eyes travel to him, and he smiles. "You ready?"

I nod, a newfound sense of courage washing over me knowing that whatever happens, we'll face it together. I grin. "As I'll ever be."

Chapter Text

I burrow deeply into the plush blankets on my bed, finding contentment in their warmth. A gleeful shiver escapes me as I pull my knees to my chest, determined to conserve as much body heat as possible. A snowstorm had hit Corona earlier in the day, and there were already two feet of snow adorning the earth. As the snowfall continues, I bundle into my bed, ready for a peaceful winter's sleep.

The chill in my room causes another shiver to run over my skin, and although I can summon a maid to fetch me some more blankets, I feel cozier with the winter's air combated by my insulated body heat. My eyes peer over the edge of my mattress, checking to make certain Dandelion is content in her blanket mound. Once I find she's happily asleep, I finally allow my eyes to close and embrace a gentle slumber.

Just as I begin to doze off, however, I hear a gentle knock echo against my door.

"Just a minute," I sit up and sigh, rolling off my bed while gripping a yellow blanket from my stash. I wrap the blanket around my body and inch over to the door, trying not to stumble over anything in the darkness.

When I finally reach my bedroom door, I slowly open it. When I see who's in front of me, any annoyance I once regarded has melted away like when winter turns to spring. "Var?"

Since Varian became the Royal Engineer, he moved into the castle to be closer to his workshop, better materials, and the Royal council he presented his findings to. Although, I like to imagine that he moved to be closer to me.

So now, Varian, with his tousled black hair and baggy sleep shirt stands before me. A look I can't quite place positions itself across his freckled face, and his blue eyes stare at me, wide and desperate. "Angel?" He looks down at his feet, and then back up at me.

Despite the dark, the light of the full moon creeps through my window, casting a silver glow on my boyfriend's face. I notice the shimmering drop cascading down his cheek, so faint that if I hadn't learned to look for it, it would've been an oversight. "Did you have another nightmare?"

He quickly rubs the tear from his cheek. "Not exactly," He shrugs, trying to laugh it off. "I haven't been able to sleep at all."

"Is it...?" I trail off, glancing at the window where silver icicles grip onto its frame.

"Heh, can't say I'm the biggest fan of snow...or winter for that matter."

I nod in understanding. Varian frequently had nightmares about his past; it still haunts him. I can't blame him for still not liking the snow, either. After all, that blizzard two winters ago nearly ruined his life. It's no shocker that the boy still harbors that trauma within him. I see it in his blue eyes; like the ocean, they conceal their owner's deepest secrets beneath the surface.

"My bed's warm." I offer, creaking the door open further and stepping to the side.Varian nods gratefully, slowly stepping into my room. Closing the door, I follow him over to the king-sized bed and pull the blankets aside. In unison, we climb onto the sheets, and we tug the blankets over our bodies. The gleeful shiver once again trails across my skin, and I roll myself over to face Varian.

His blue eyes stare into mine as he extends his palm outwards. I take it without hesitation, and he runs his scared and calloused thumb over my knuckles. "I know it's in the past, but I just...I-"

"I know, Var." I send a gentle smile to him, hoping he can see it in the moonlight. "But you're not that person anymore. You were just a scared kid, nobody blames you."

He squeezes my hand a bit tighter. "But what if I blame myself?" His voice breaks as tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I made those choices...I put everyone in danger...I hurt the people I love..." He inhales a breath of the chilled air. "I hurt you, Angel."

Even though it's been years, and he's more than proven himself worthy of forgiveness, I know that the nighttime is when Varian's guilt comes out. Almost like a monster that lurks in the shadows of his mind, waiting for the sunset to strike, when Varian is left alone with his thoughts. His visits to my bedroom have been frequent since moving to the castle, and I can't bear to speculate how many sleepless nights he's endured while he still lived in Old Corona, with no one to comfort him. So even though I've heard Varian's trepidations countless times at ungodly hours of the night, I still accept his knocks on my door with open arms. I'll always be here for him.

"It's okay, Varian. I forgive you." I affirm, my voice gentle to bring him solace while still being firm enough to make my words stick in his mind. "You're a good person and the man I fell hopelessly in love with. That will never change." I spread my arms out wide. "C'mere."

Varian giggles a bit as he scoots into my arms, snuggling deep into my embrace. He buries his head in my chest as his arms snake around my waist, holding me close. My heart flutters at the sudden rush of warmth that crashes through my body, and I smile.

I bring my lips to the top of Varian's head. "I love you," I mumble into his hair.

His arms tighten around my waist a little bit more, and I peck his head again. "I love you," I repeat.

Another kiss. "I love you."

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I love you," Varian cuts me off before I can get another 'I love you' in, and he crashes his lips into mine. As his soft lips mold into my own, I feel my body warm up even more.

After a few moments, we pull away just enough that we can look into each other's eyes while still keeping our foreheads together. A smile has found its rightful home on Varian's lips and his blue eyes look noticeably less dull. He tugs me closer to his body and holds me close. "Thank you."

I mumble 'You're welcome,' and we continue to hold one another until sleep overtakes us.

The snow continues to fall on the Kingdom of Corona later in the night, coating the world in a layer of frigid cold. Inside my bedroom, however, the night was spent in a gentle warmth. The kind of warmth that can only be achieved by the presence of a loved one. The kind of warmth that brought Varian a peaceful winter's sleep for the first winter in two years. The kind of warmth that made him feel found.

:-:-:-:-:

The next morning I walk Varian to the front doors of the courtyard, fully clad in my warmest attire. I had managed to steal some winter clothes from Eugene's room to suit the alchemist in. He had grown a lot this past year, and I wasn't going to allow him to use not having winter clothes as an excuse to lock himself away in his lab.

As the guards open the doors to the courtyard, and cold wave of air crashes over us. The snow clouds had finally moved on, leaving a bright blue sky in their wake. Fresh snow untouched by man coats the courtyard, and the prospect of all the fun we can have in this winter wonderland fills me with excitement. I glance at Varian, who's staring at the wintery scene with wide eyes.I gently take his hand, suddenly feeling guilty for causing him to feel like he had to come out in the snow with me. "I'm sorry, Var. Please don't feel like you have to do this for my sake. I know you've had...unpleasant experiences with the snow in the past, and I completely understand if you want to stay in today." I give him the tiniest smile to express the authenticity of my words. "I thought that this would be a good way to tackle your fear, but that's not my call to make."

Varian bites his lip, pondering his options. After a moment, he nods. "I can't keep living in the past. I need to do this." He squeezes my hand. "But only if I have you by my side."

I squeeze his hand back. "Always."

Chapter Text

Our travels brought our small party to the Kingdom of Neserdnia. A stunning land with lush foliage, white sand beaches, and water a brighter blue than zircon gemstones. I had seen countless drawings of the kingdom in my books, but not one did the land justice. The air is sweet and fresh, a lovely change of pace from the last kingdom we visited, where the air was heavy with smog from the numerous factories it housed. It was still early spring, but you wouldn't know it based on how warm Neserdnia is. It makes sense, as the kingdom is located on the southern half of the continent. This was by far my favorite kingdom yet; I could see why my parents would traverse here so much when I was growing up.

After we set up camp in a small clearing in the jungle, I slipped my satchel over my shoulder and followed the sound of the waves until I reached the beach. The wind gently ruffled my hair and I closed my eyes for a moment to enhance the calming sensation the breeze brought, before I slipped off my boots and socks and placed them where the jungle met the sand. Hesitantly, I kicked up some sand with my foot, checking to make sure there wasn't a crab beneath the surface. One of the books in the library mentioned that crabs will burrow into the sand to avoid predators, and I wasn't about to get pinched on my first day at the beach.

Feeling satisfied, I took a step into the sand, watching as my foot began to sink into the ground. It was so soothing. I wiggled my toes a bit, causing more sand to trickle onto my foot. Before placing my second foot on the beach, I repeated my little ritual to avoid crab claws. I continued to repeat this process for a few more steps until I realized how stupid I must've looked and I quit. I knew that if Hugo were to come to the beach and saw me, he'd make fun of me for weeks. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

I made it halfway to the water without getting pinched by any crabs, and slowly tugged a mat out of my bag and spread it out across the sand. As much as I wanted to go to the shore and touch the ocean, Varian and I had made a pact when we began voyaging to Neserdnia three weeks ago that neither one of us would go in the ocean without the other. Even though Corona was on an island in the sea, people never swam in the Coronian waters. Sea serpents lurked too close for it to be regarded as safe. Therefore, neither of us had ever been to the ocean before, and we wanted to experience it together. I pulled out a piece of paper and something the write with, deciding to write Rapunzel a letter while I waited for Varian. I knew I had a bit of time to kill because Varian told me he had to document the foliage in the area before he would join me.

Demanitus knows why he had to take notes the second we got to a tropical paradise, but he seemed rather antsy to do so and figured I would just let him do his thing. Now that I thought about it, Varian has seemed pretty restless all day, almost as if he was worried about something. I ponder it for a moment. Maybe he discovered what the Trial of Neserdnia was?

I was about to go back to our camp and check on him when a young woman about a year younger than me strode up to where I was sitting. Her golden eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sun as she sat next to me on my mat. "Hi, Ru." I greeted her with a smile.

Nuru is the youngest princess in the kingdom of Koto, and I had a feeling that if I had been allowed to socialize with other kids growing up, the two of us would've become friends. She has a gentle and sagacious aura to her and is very mature for her age. While she seemed reserved at first, she quickly opened up and revealed herself as a fun-loving girl who is up for just about anything. She is like a perfect blend of Cassandra and Rapunzel. We realized we had a lot in common, such as our desire to help our kingdoms, thirst for knowledge, and yearning to find our purpose. I've only known her for about a year, but I already called the astrologer one of my dearest friends.

"Hi, (Yn)." She glanced out at the shimmering ocean and back at me. "How's the water?"

I sighed and began doodling little suns on the corner of Rapunzel's letter. "I wish I knew. I'm still waiting for Varian." I glanced at her for a brief moment. "You were just at camp, right? Do you know what's taking him so long?"

Nuru fidgeted with one of her black coils for a second. "He's really...engrossed...in his notes. I'm sure he'll be here soon." She assured. Nuru peeked at my paper and grinned. "Is that another letter for your sister?"

I nodded. "It's funny, she had her journey of self-discovery and now I'm just following her footsteps. I think it's only fitting to write her letters like she did for me." My eyes gazed out at the vast ocean before me, as though if I looked hard enough I would be able to see Rapunzel in the distance. "I hope everything's okay back home."

My friend placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I understand where you're coming from. I worry about my home and family every day." Nuru gently squeezed my shoulder. "But they're strong, (Yn). They are so strong. We just have to trust them."

My lips curled upwards a bit. I knew she wasn't only trying to reassure me, but herself as well. After all, the kingdom of Koto has been facing horrible natural disasters and was in a disheveled state when Nuru joined our party. She hoped that a solution to her crisis would be found on our journey, and knew she had to come with us, even though it broke her heart to leave her people behind. I respected her dedication to her homeland.

Nuru and I sat in silence for a bit, just listening to the gentle lapping of the ocean kissing the shore. My skin felt warm and tingly from the sun's rays, and I leaned my head back to bask in its golden glow. Even though I was no longer as closely linked to the sundrop as I was in before, I could still feel the connection deeply rooted in my spirit now and then.

It wasn't until the early evening that Varian finally made it to the beach. An orange hue coated the earth, letting the earth know that the moon would be joining us in a couple of hours.

"Angel!" Varian waved to me as he dashed over to where Nuru and I had been resting, kicking up sand as he ran. He stumbled forward but quickly caught himself as he reached us, and bent down to press a kiss to my forehead.

"Hello to you, too, Varian." Nuru playfully glared in the alchemist's direction, her dark eyebrows furrowing together.

"Psh, I was going to say 'hi,' but you beat me to it." Varian waved his hand to blow the comment off. He then sheepishly smiled, his buck teeth poking out from his lips. "My bad, Nuru."

Nuru rolled her eyes as she stood up, brushing the sand from her periwinkle blue baby-doll dress. "(Yn) deserves better than you." She joked.

Varian glanced down at me with a dopey smile as he plopped onto the spot Nuru previously occupied. "That's true, so I consider myself lucky."

A genuine smile flicked across Nuru's lips as she stared at Varian. "Well, I promised Yong I'd go with him and Hugo to the market tonight, so I'd better head back." She announced, muttering Hugo's name as she spoke. "Have fun you two."

As Nuru walked back into the jungle, I nudged Varian. "Took you long enough to get here."

"Hey! I was doing important things." He scoffed. "An alchemist's work is never done."

I pretended to be hurt, but the grin on my lips gave me away.

He laughed a bit. "So have you been in the water yet? You didn't get sick of waiting, did you?"

"We made a promise, remember?" I brushed some hair from my face. "I'm not going in until you're here too...even if you did take forever."

I noticed the genuine look in Varian's blue eyes, one of appreciation and love. 'Promise' is a word that holds a lot of weight, especially to Varian and me. It wasn't just a word that meant you would do something for another person, it was a word that meant you would stop at nothing to support and remain dedicated to the person to which you made a promise. It was a word that held a lot of merit, more than most people would give it credit for. "Thanks." He whispered.

Varian stood up and unbuttoned his teal vest and tossed it onto the mat, before doing the same with his undershirt. I caught myself staring for a moment too long and quickly looked away as he was pulling off his mother's goggles, hoping my boyfriend didn't notice. I cringed at what he said next, in a teasing tone: "Like what you see?"

I groaned and turned away in a futile attempt to hide the blush that was creeping across my cheeks. He's so-

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt a set of arms scoop my body up into the air. "VARIAN!!" I frantically squealed as I was tossed over his shoulder. I shrieked and started to playfully slam my fists onto his bare back. I smiled to myself when I noticed the freckles that splattered across his back, looking more prominent in the rays of light. Out of nowhere, Varian started running across the sand with me still over his shoulder. I watched as the jungle got smaller and smaller and gasped when I realized which direction we were headed. "VARIAN!! Put me down!!"

"NEVER!!" He cackled menacingly as he sprinted closer and closer to the water, tightly gripping my body.

I laughed along with him, despite myself. "Wait, seriously, I'm still wearing my leather corset," I spoke through giggles. "I don't want it to get wrecked in the salt water."

The young man came to a halt and carefully set me back down. "Oops."

I patted his shoulder and chuckled. "You're good. Completely chaotic, but good." I untied my corset, dropped it on the sand, and slid off my outer garments until I was just in my chemise. It was a bit shorter than normal, falling to my mid-thigh, as I had trimmed it down to make it more comfortable to wear while traveling, so I wasn't surprised when I caught Varian staring. "Like what you see?" I mimicked the teasing tone he used with me.

Varian's cheeks flushed red, and I smirked. Before he could reply, I hopped on his back and wrapped my legs around his torso. "Onward!" I cheered, pointing to the ocean, which was only a few short feet away. The two of us laughed as we shot off towards the shimmering blue water, beckoning us closer with each wave.

We finally made contact with the sea, and Varian tossed me off his back so I dropped into the water. I squealed again as my body hit the water, causing a wave to splash Varian's upper leg. I shiver a bit but adapt to the temperature in a matter of seconds. It was cool but extremely refreshing. My chemise was completely soaked, and I was discovering myself thankful that the fabric wasn't white. I felt the waves ripple past my body, and I leaned backward so the rear of my head was in the water, cooling off my scalp. Bringing my head back upwards, I flipped my hair at Varian, causing water to splatter across his torso.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, kicking some water back at me.

I laughed and splashed him again, watching as the water droplets flew through the sky, catching the sunlight in such a way that they appeared to be diamonds. I eyed Varian as the diamonds landed on his mostly dry skin. We were still in a shallow area, the water level only reaching the alchemist's knees. I stood up. "Why aren't you swimming?"

Varian gazed at the waves that crashed against his knees. "I don't want to get cold." He admitted with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes. "Varian, we did not travel across the entire continent for you to only wade into the ocean up to your knees. It's a little chilly at first, but you'll get used to it in, like, ten seconds."

Varian stared at me, and then the water, and then back at me, as though he was deeply contemplating what to do. I knew at this point he was just messing with me to see how annoying he could be.

To his surprise, I quickly tackled him into the water. Where we were the water wasn't very deep to begin with, so he landed on his butt and I landed on top of him. The ocean splashed up around us, as though it was clearing a spot for us in the initial contact. Varian, now engulfed in water reaching his shoulders, gasped from the sudden temperature change. "AGH!! COLD, VERY COLD!"

I raised an eyebrow. "You're so dramatic." I giggled.

When he heard the sweet sound leave my lips, he smiled and stared at me with a lovesick countenance. I met his baby-blue eyes, and stared at them, admiring the way the sunlight reflected across them, creating a shimmering ocean within his irises. I felt like a tiny boat floating in that ocean, and every day was a journey in which I got to explore them more. I couldn't wait to see what else they would reveal to me.

Varian raised a hand to my face, resting his palm on the top of my cheekbone. His fingers slowly brushed a clump of wet hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear. He cupped my cheek again, and I leaned into the touch as he slowly traced hearts on my face with his thumb. The thumb left a cool trail of water along my face, and I shivered as a coastal breeze blew against my skin.

My arms snaked around his neck and I pulled myself closer to Varian. Our bodies were flush against each other, and the alchemist captured my lips in a kiss. Our soft lips molded together as we kissed, and I ran my wet fingers through his slightly damp black hair. It had grown out a little bit in the past couple of years, now falling an inch or so past his ears.

I found that I liked his hair at the length it was at, and I would often tie it back into a teeny tiny ponytail with the stems of flowers whenever Varian was deep in thought from reading his mother's almanac. I adored how silky it felt against my fingers.

With one hand, Varian cupped the back of my neck, and the other was placed on the small of my back, holding me against his lap. I hummed in contentment as I felt his index finger tracing more hearts along my back. His lips tasted salty from the water that splashed on his face, but they were warm from the light of the now mid-evening sun.

The ocean waves crashed against our bodies as we continued to kiss one another, but we were too engrossed in the splendor of it all to hardly even notice. It was tricky to find privacy while on the road with three other people, so moments like these were a treat.

It was ethereal, really. The shimmering water sparkled even more with each passing wave. The rosy blush on both of our cheeks as we made out, completely breathless. The way my hair knotted in the wind, although I knew Varian would help me brush it out tonight. The overwhelming amount of love I could feel for one single soul. It felt like a whimsical dream that I would never fully understand. How could I? Better yet, would I ever want to know how fate worked itself out so perfectly that Varian and I found each other in the same plane of existence?

"I love you."

Those three simple words. They were like the stars in the sky. Plentiful, and seemingly never-ending. But like the stars, each time I'm exposed to them feels like a wonder. Each 'I love you,' has become a new star added to an ever-growing constellation. I've tried to chart that constellation many times, but I've found it impossible. Is the night sky not one giant collage of constellations? How many constellations were already homed in the vastness of the universe? How many more had yet to be created?

"I love you, too."

That's three more.

Our lips slowly separated, and we gazed at one another for a long moment. Varian sat up a little bit straighter and pulled me closer to him and wrapped me into a tight hug. I held him just as tight, as though he would be washed away with the ocean if I didn't. Nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck, I breathed him in. His freckled skin smelled salty and of sunshine. I placed a chaste kiss on his skin. And then another. My kisses trailed up his neck, to his jawline, his cheek, and then they finally made their way back to his lips.

"Angel..." I pulled back to look at his face. His voice was a reposeful whisper. "You know I adore you, right?"

I softly nodded in response. "You're my everything." I placed a hand over his heart and felt the gentle beating. We sat in a tranquil silence, listening to the sound of the waves crashing around us. Only more of a reminder that the world was still spinning even though it felt like the opposite.

It was so peaceful.

The key word being: 'was.' The atmosphere was basically nuked with Flynnolium when Varian felt something brush against his skin from beneath the surface. "Oh, sweet mother of Demanitus, something touched me!!" He shrieked with the pitch of a small child as he leaped into the air, causing me to tumble off his lap as he stood to his feet. He began hopping around trying to uncover whatever it was that touched him, and I rolled my eyes. There was a piece of kelp stuck to his back.

I began to giggle. "Var, hold still." He froze in place, staring at me with wide eyes. I reached out and pulled the green plant from his skin and held it up with an amused expression. "That's a whole lot of panic for a single piece of kelp, don't you think?" I teased him.

Varian blushed, an embarrassed look on his face. "W-Well how was I supposed to know that? What if it was a lionfish, or a jellyfish, or some sort of deep-sea creature, or-or-"

Seemingly against my control, I continued to laugh at his dramatic display as I returned the kelp to the waves. Varian scowled at me and kicked a bit of water in my direction. I returned the gesture, and within seconds we were engaged in a full-on splashing war. We swam and goofed off in the endless blue horizon until sunset began, and we made our way back to the mat I had splayed out on the sand.

The sky was painted with an ombre color palate, going from beautiful hues of red to orange to yellow, and eventually to blue and purple. As we watched the golden sunshine dip into the ocean, I noticed Varian standing up beside me. He extended his hand to me, and I took it. The alchemist pulled me to my feet, and I felt the familiar feeling of sand between my toes. "What are you doing?" I asked with a smile.

Placing his palms on my shoulders, he turned me around, so I was facing the opposite direction of where the sun was setting. There, resting in the indigo atmosphere was the moon. I gasped a bit. It was rare to see both the sun and the moon sharing the sky at one time. "Look," I felt Varian's hands squeeze my shoulders a bit as he spoke. "It's us."

I gazed at the moon for a long moment of musing, both over the view and Varian's words. It felt poetic in a way. I turned back around to glance at the sun again, and my breath became entangled in my throat. My hands covered my mouth in a moment of pure and utter wonderment.

Varian was on one knee, extending an open intricately carved wooden box out to me. A breathtakingly beautiful ring rested inside, with a diamond that caught the sunlight and reflected a million stars onto me. I felt hot tears well up in my eyes as Varian's lips parted to speak. "Angel, do you remember when we met?" A nervous laugh left him. "We weren't even supposed to. I had always hated traveling to the palace with my father because it was always so boring. Nothing ever happened, and I was always alone. Until you walked into my life, wearing that stupid pink dress you hated with every fiber of your being."

I giggled a bit at the memory and wiped the tears from my eyes. I couldn't hide the smile that played across my lips.

"I always thought about how lucky I was that you found me that day." Varian continued, beaming as he gazed at me. "I-I mean, you were my first friend. You became the sunshine in my life. You always know how to cheer me up, what to say, and how to make me feel loved...even when I don't deserve it." He choked out those last two words, and his eyes became misty.

"Varian..."

"No, n-no, It's okay. I'm okay," He took a breath. "(Yn), you saved me. When I was stuck in the dark, you helped me find the light again. You helped me find myself, again. But then I realized, I'm not myself without you beside me. You're my other half. "

I bit my lip to keep myself from sobbing, completely overwhelmed and so deeply in love with the man before me.

"You're the most amazing, beautiful, compassionate, brave, selfless, and pure-hearted person I've ever met." He smiled at me as though I was the only thing in existence. "I know I've done selfish things in the past, but I'd like to selfishly request one more thing if you'll allow me. Princess (Yn) of Corona, my love, will you marry me?"

Those words broke apart any sort of composure I tried to maintain, and the tears now flowed freely from my eyes. "Y-Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!" I exclaimed, a sniveling mess. My Varian was asking me to marry him. It was really happening.

Varian dropped the ring and hopped to his feet, scooping me up in his arms, lifting my feet off the ground, and spinning me in circles. I peppered his face with what must've been hundreds of kisses, noticing the tears on his cheeks, as well. Sand flew up around us as we held each other in the final moments of the day. He squeezed me tightly in his arms and I could feel the pure love radiating from his affections.

He slowly placed me back on the ground as the final slivers of the sun bid farewell. Varian picked up the ring box and pulled the ring out. I extended my hand to him, and he slid the ring onto my finger. I admired the diamond and smiled when I noticed tiny accent gems embedded in the engagement band. Little stones of (yn)rium. Varian's lips gently kissed the back of my hand. "(Yn), I love you, and I promise to love you for the rest of our lives."

I felt pure joy explode in my chest as I gazed at the soul I loved more than anything. I kissed him, and my heart was full.

:-:-:-:-:

That night, Varian and I arrived back at our camp to be greeted by Nuru, Yong, and Hugo all staring at us expectingly. I realized they must've known Varian was planning to propose. Varian gestured for me to show them, and I held out my hand that housed the engagement ring, a huge smile on my face. Nuru squealed and ran over to me, throwing her arms around my body. "Oh, my stars, (nn)! I'm so happy for you!!"

I beamed as the two of us held each other in an embrace, jumping up and down with excitement. "And before you ask," I excitedly emitted, "you definitely get to be one of my bridesmaids."

"Good." She mirrored the excited tone in my voice, looking over the moon for me.

Yong came up to congratulate me and Varian, grinning at us. "I was going to shoot off fireworks when you said 'yes,' but Varian told me I wasn't allowed." He pouted. "So, sorry that your proposal lacked pizzaz."

"I was trying to be romantic!" Varian quickly countered. "Fireworks are not romantic. Plus, we already know what happens when you use explosives around foliage."

"Kill joy," Yong muttered.

I giggle a bit at the boy. He was the youngest in our party, barely thirteen. His blind optimism reminded me a lot of Varian when he was Yong's age. "I appreciate the thought, bud, but I'm happy with the way Varian handled the proposal." I pulled my eyes away from the boy and peeked at Varian. "He knows me."

Dandelion then hopped over to me, standing on her hind legs as her big eyes stared up at me. One of her ears flopped to the side and her little red nose twitched, as if she knew about the proposal as well and wanted to see the ring. I knelt down and my little friend hopped over to me and sniffed my ring. I giggled as her fuzzy nose tickled my finger, and I patted her head. It was obvious she was happy for me as well.

I heard Hugo groan from off to the side as I stood back up and pecked Varian's cheek. I instantly knew he was rolling his eyes; I didn't even have to look at him. "I'm assuming you knew about the proposal, too?"

"Unfortunately. I had to listen to this doofus whine about how stressed he was for the past three months." Hugo crossed his arms over his chest and pointed at my fiancé. Nuru swatted him with her hand.

"Of course, I was stressed! Everything had to be perfect!" Varian spat.

I smiled, appreciating the fact that Varian had put forth so much effort and that my friends all knew and still kept the secret, even Hugo. It meant that even though he pretended not to care, he at the very least had enough of a heart to not spoil the surprise. "Thank you for your help, everyone," I spoke, feeling my eyes becoming misty. "You all mean so much to me." I hugged the three of them before I approached Varian. I took his hands in my own and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Varian cupped my cheek for a moment. "I love you, too." His voice came out soft and sweet, and the faintest blush spread across his face. He looked just as wonder struck as I felt.

"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night," I announced. "I'm exhausted. Goodnight, everyone!"

"Goodnight, (nn)!" Nuru called, waving as I retreated to my (fc) tent on the far side of our camp.

"Night!"

"See you in the morning!"

I crawled into my tent and lit a lantern so I could have light as I got ready for bed. I kicked off my shoes and socks and began to change into my nightclothes, gently humming to myself. I thought about the day's events and fell backward onto my cot, holding my pillow close to my chest while kicking my feet like a dork. Varian, my best friend, the love of my life, asked me to marry him. I could hardly process it. I knew I had the widest smile on my face, the same exact one from when Varian asked me to be his wife.

"Angel?"

I sat up as I heard Varian's voice from outside my tent. I sat up from my bed and strolled to the door, which was really just a purple tarp that covered the entrance. I pushed it to the side and the second I looked up to meet Varian's eyes he scooped me up into his arms and kissed me. A happy squee escaped my lips, caught off guard but not the least bit upset. As he placed my body on the cot and crawled on top of me, I put a finger to his lips before he could kiss me again. "You're not supposed to be here," I said with a smirk.

He returned my smirk by pecking my nose. "Please? I just want to be close to you."

I folded almost instantly. "I guess what my dad doesn't know won't hurt him." I coyly hummed, thinking about the rule my dad made for me. He said Varian wasn't allowed in my tent, but my thoughts were blurred by hearts and fuzzy pink clouds that told me to make an exception just this once. I smiled up at him and Varian leaned down again to kiss my lips, the flesh warm and devoted.

As I ran my fingers through his inky black hair, I felt my skin brush against the golden band around my finger. My heart gushed at the reminder.

This was real.

This man was real.

This love was real.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

𖤓 ~‪‪❤︎‬~ ☾

Chapter Text

The world is hazy for the briefest of moments. The boy with raven-colored hair is left with a few precious seconds of innocence, free of the painful burdens of his reality. The boy often wishes these fleeting moments could last longer before he remembers who he is.

Varian of Old Corona.

Varian: Usurper of the throne, terrorist, traitor of Corona, kidnapper of royalty...the list of his crimes goes on. It's a list he's forced to carry with him every single day of his life. His record is more tarnished than the goggles he wears, more permanent than the stains of blood.

The boy of his past haunts him.

Varian would give anything to change the way fate played out.

The train of thought he spirals on every time he awakens comes to an abrupt halt as a putrid taste swells on his tongue. A flavor worse than rotten ham sandwiches lingers in his mouth, and the raven-haired boy gags.

Any remaining drowsiness is ripped away as he opens his eyes. He allows his blue eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night and glances at his surroundings. Panic nestles in his gut when he realizes he doesn't know where he is. Terror strikes as he finds his hands bound behind his back. His eyes land on a woman with a bob of turquoise hair and milky white skin. She casually lounges against a black rock, looking rather bored.

"H-Hey! Where are we?!" He tries to sound intimidating. Tries.

The woman, Cassandra, rests an elbow on her knee and leans forward. "I need that third incantation, Varian."

Varian's eyes widen. That's right, he knows the third incantation. Cassandra doesn't. That's why he's here; she kidnapped him. As if he'd ever tell her. "Never."

Cassandra reaches for a leather bag lying beside her. "I knew you'd say that." She remarks, picking up the item. "That's why I went through your little bag of tricks. I found something in here that might change your mind." An eerie smirk crosses her lips as she rises to her feet and steps over to Varian. Holding up a glass vial, she asks, "Recognize this?"

"Ha! No." His heart plummets as the realization dawns on him. Words tumble from his mouth like vomit, faster than he can stop them. "Yes! It's a truth serum of my own design, and it compels the drinker to tell the truth and answer any questions asked." Varian swallows the lump in his throat, hoping to also be rid of the rancid taste that he now knows the cause of. "Wait, but I never drank that..."

"Lucky for me, you sleep with your mouth open." Cassandra sneers.

The alchemist mentally curses himself. An obscure tick of his has given the greatest threat in Corona the upper hand. He remembers (Yn) teasing him about that habit when they were children. (Yn). The (Hc) haired girl flashes through his mind, as she often does. Is she safe? Is she worried about him?

"So let me ask you..." He's brought back to reality by her demanding voice. "What's the third incantation?"

"I, uh..." Varian bites his tongue at the question as a deep feeling of helplessness buries itself in his chest. The knowledge he wishes he never knew forms into sentences that begin to rise up his throat, and try as he might, he can't force them back down. Tears prick his blue eyes. Oh, Demanitus, please. Not again. I can't...I can't betray them again. His prayers must fall on deaf ears, because the words tumble from his lips.

"Crescent high above, evolving as you go." The boy's voice waivers as he tries to fight the truth serum. Every fiber of his being goes toward the effort, but it's futile. His heart shatters as he watches Cassandra write down each line, the precious knowledge practically being served to her on a silver platter. "Raise what lies beneath, and let the darkness grow. Bend it to my will, consume the sunlight's glow, rise into the sky, and let the darkness grow."

I'm sorry, Angel...

Varian helplessly watches Cassandra rise and march to a pile of rubble that had been devoured by the black rocks. Firmly planting her feet in the ground, she raises a hand in the air and begins reciting the incantation. Her teal eyes glow as she speaks, and black rocks sprout from the ground and grow toward the glow of the moon. Bolts of blue lightning flash between the spikes. Climbing higher and higher, Varian has to scold himself for being so entranced by the power. He'd be lying if he said he isn't a little bit curious to see what the incantation can do--he's a man of science, after all.

It's when Cassandra finishes the incantation that he realizes what she was aiming to create.

A stronghold. A stronghold made from an unbreakable element. A stronghold that can easily withstand a hurricane. A stronghold that, in a sick and twisted way, he helped create.

⋆°. ⋆༺☾𖤓༻⋆. °⋆

Clinking footsteps echo across the winding steps of Cassandra's newly built tower. The woman tightly grips Varian's forearm and drags him up the stairs. Her hold on the young alchemist isn't as harsh as he was expecting, but it certainly isn't gentle, either. She's wary of him escaping; a valid concern, he would most definitely bolt if he had the chance, but as the pair traverse higher and higher, it becomes apparent that there's nowhere to run.

Cassandra occasionally mumbles to herself as they walk up the spiral staircase, and her dark eyes stay fixated on the ground. Varian's blue eyes glance to the handcuffs around his wrists, crafted from black rocks as well. He briefly considers how durable they actually are, as the circumference of the rock is thinner than the spikes the black rocks usually find themselves shaped in.

If only he knew more about his connection to the moonstone. Maybe then he could break the handcuffs on his own, or escape, or do...something. After a minute or two of pondering the idea, he dismisses it. An escape plan could easily go awry, and then where would he be? Either plummeting down the spiral staircase that they're still walking up, trapped in a cage dangling off the edge of the tower, or worse.

The alchemist's mind wanders further from reality as the various ponderings swirl through his head. He has known from a young age that his mind is a snowstorm of thoughts. Momma used to joke that he has more gears turning in his head than a steam engine. Varian can't help it, though. He sees the world in a way unseen by most. He doesn't settle for reality as it is, but for what it could be. He won't accept that things just happen; he has to know why. It's only when an answer can't be found that things go south. People just never seem to understand.

A sigh breaks through the silence, and Varian is pulled back into the dark confines of Cassandra's stronghold. They must have reached the top, because the armor-clad woman leads him into a spacious room littered with more of the black rocks. A midnight-blue glow barely illuminates the room, and much of the light Varian allows his eyes to rely on comes from the skylights.

"Look, I know this isn't your fault, and I don't want to hurt you." Cassandra's voice is cold, but a small inkling of emotion peeps through her words. She shatters the handcuffs around his wrists, and they crash to the floor like shards of glass. "So, when Rapunzel and your little girlfriend come for you, don't try anything foolish."

It's a warning, but all Varian can hear is the way Cassandra addresses the royal sisters. She's dissociating herself from them. Gone are the days of playful nicknames and familial bonds. But then why is she displaying a sliver of compassion toward the young alchemist? A familiar emotion finds Varian in that moment, a strange sense of deja vu. Unfortunately, it visits him in less than an ethereal dream and more of a hellish landscape. He's been here before.

With her.

(Yn) was the last person he reserved compassion for.

Before, when he had nothing left to lose.

Taking a brave step forward, the alchemist inhales a breath. Maybe, just maybe, he can save her from this destiny. "Cassandra, you're angry, I get it. Believe me, I know what it's like--but you are making a mistake."

Cassandra throws an angry glance over her shoulder as she steps away from the boy, retrieving her sword. Varian takes her kindness of not stabbing him as an invitation to press onward (in the form of a song, of course).

V: "The path of hate is a dangerous track~

You take one step and it's hard to turn back~

It pulls you along,

And though it seems wrong, it feels right~"

He steps closer as she begins honing her sword, seemingly ignoring him. Blue sparks fly past an emotionless gaze, but Varian can see it in her eyes. On some deep level, his words are resonating with her.

V: "Don't you see this path you're on leaves a permanent mark?~

It feels good at first, then it slowly turns dark~

With each passing day,

You're further astray from the light~"

His mind once again flashes to her. The reflection of a girl with a gentle smile and an outstretched palm appears in the rocks. Momentarily distracted, Varian reaches out to her like a moth to a flame before she fades.

Varian snaps back to reality as Cassandra strides away and quickly trails after her.

V: "Suddenly, you lose your way and lose the thread~

Lose your cool, then lose your head~

Every loss is harder to excuse~"

Cassandra is met with her own reflection in the black rocks, cold turquoise eyes glaring at the person she's become. She turns on her heel and is met with Varian yet again.

V: "Then you'll see you'll lose your faith and lose your soul~

'Til you lose complete control! ~

And realize there's nothing left to lose~"

Varian follows after the woman, ignoring the countless reflections of himself being flashed before his eyes. He can't, however, ignore the memories that haunt him still. The ones that display him betraying his home, his morals, and himself. The mistakes he'll never be able to take away. By the time he grabs Cassandra's wrist to stop her in her tracks, he isn't sure if he's trying to deliver a message to her anymore, or if he's on his hands and knees begging his past self to reconsider.

V: "Nothing left to lose~"

He gazes at her, and she finally meets his eyes. He's tossing her a life raft in a stormy sea. Varian wishes that there was someone who could've done the same for him. "Cass, trust me, becoming the villain isn't the answer-"

She rips her arm away and cuts him off. Cassandra has rejected the life raft. "Is that what you think I am?"

Varian's heart shatters when the most sickening revelation dawns on him. (Yn) was the one who threw him a life raft not so long ago...and he rejected it too. She was the Varian to Varian's Cassandra. The raven-haired boy's blood chills, and goosebumps crawl up his arms. History is doomed to repeat itself.

He barely manages to stumble out of Cassandra's way as she storms toward him.

C: "The path I'm on is a path paved in black,

I'm taking that road and I'm not looking back~

Each twist and each turn~

Leads straight where I'm yearning to go~"

She uses her moonstone abilities to create risers from the rocks to lift her toward the sky. As she gets further and further away from Varian, she treads closer and closer to the point of no return. Varian can see it, and he hates himself for it.

C: "Yes, it's true, my path is dark, but I see where it ends,

My rivals will fall as my power ascends ~

Despise me, that's fine! ~

I'm taking what's mine even so~~~~

Not like you,

You lost your nerve, you lost the game! ~"

She leans over the alchemist, spewing the words as though they can hurt him. Varian holds his ground, standing firm. Clenching his fists, all he can think about is the young woman he loves more than anything, and wonders how being lucky enough to merely hold her could ever count as losing.

C: "But you and I, we're not the same~

I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose~

So I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains~"

She raises a slab of stone from the ground, and upon closer inspection, Varian realizes the significance of the location Cassandra chose to build her tower. The stone has a pastel painting of Rapunzel adoringly staring at the floating lanterns on it. This must be where Rapunzel was locked in her tower all those years ago. Cassandra is trying to send a message: she wants everything that was once Rapunzel's.

C: "Lose each weakness that remains! ~

Now that I have nothing left to lose!

Nothing left to lose~"

As the woman is about to shatter the stone slab, Varian quickly cuts in.

V: "You have so much to hold onto!"

Cassandra tosses him aside in a fell swoop, and Varian tumbles to the ground.

C: "I only want my rightful dues!"

Wincing in pain, Varian manages to hoist himself to his feet.

V: "Listen, please, you've lost your grip!

And lost your mind!"

C: "(I'm not gonna lose)"

V: "All's not lost, don't be so blind~"

C: "(I refuse)"

V: "Cut your losses, drop the I.O.U.s! ~"

C: "(I refuse!)"

Varian cries out in frustration, desperately trying to reach someone who can't be reached. He's angry. He's angry at Cassandra. He's angry at himself. He's angry that he didn't just listen to (Yn) back in Old Corona. He's angry that he can't even walk through the streets without people muttering about him. Anger flows through his veins. Why won't she just listen?!

C: "I lose no tears and lose no sleep~

What I want I'll take and keep~"

V: "(It's time for you to choose~)"

"You can't stop the turning on the screws~"

Cassandra forms a cage of unbreakable rock around the alchemist, a scowl finding home on her face. Gripping one of the bars, she sneers: "You'll stay in that cage until this is done...and just in case you think of escaping," She forces the cage out of the tower, dozens of feet away, so Varian is trapped over a thousand-foot drop.

Taking slow steps towards a lonely throne, Cassandra seats herself in her palace of shadows. Her last tie to the life she once lived has been cut. "Now I have nothing left to lose~"

Chapter Text

My morning begins like a fairytale book being flipped open by bluebirds. Before I can even decipher what's causing it, I feel the most stunning sense of excitement nestled within me. It's instinctual, in a way, like breathing. I bask in the blissful feeling for a moment until Dandelion hops onto my chest and tickles me with her furry little nose. Her fuzzy white paws feel like cotton balls. I giggle at the feeling and sit up, holding the bunny against my chest.

The first rays of the morning sun leak into my room and turn the outfit in the corner a brilliant shade of gold. My eyes travel to the woodland creature in my arms, who gazes at me expectantly. Daintily, I rub the pad of my thumb along her cheek. "You couldn't let me sleep in for an extra five minutes on my wedding day?" I gently chide.

My eyes widen as the weight of my words sinks in. My attention flicks back to the wedding outfit, perfect in every way. It can only be described as a dream. "It's my wedding day," I mumble the sentence as though I have to remind myself of an event so momentous.

A smile leaks onto my lips as I hold Dandelion outward and stare into her black eyes. "It's my wedding day!!" I squeal as I tell the important news to my rabbit, who stares at me as if to say, 'obviously.' She tilts her head toward my hand where my engagement ring rests. Like a child too excited to contain her energy, I kick my feet a bit.

I place Dandelion on my plush bed and dart out of my bedroom and into the hall, not even bothering to throw on my robe. I'm too elated to care about the scolding I might receive from Nigel. "It's my wedding day!!!" I cheer the news into the bustling halls of the castle and a couple of passing maids snicker at my antics.

"We know, Princess." Faith giggles and pats my shoulder, shifting her stack of salad plates to one hand.

"Sorry, I'm just— I can't believe today finally arrived!!"

Ethel, one of the few maids who was allowed to know of my existence as a child, approaches Faith and me. "Are you nervous?" Her crinkled face reminds me of how long I've known her.

Scanning my mind for any hints of paranoia, I'm surprised to realize that there's none to be found. "No, actually." I clasp my hands over my front. "I've wanted to spend my life with Varian since I was a little girl. He's all I've ever wanted and I know he feels the same. Today we're just making it official; what's there to worry about?"

"You're handling your emotions a lot better than I was on my wedding day." Faith smiles, and I'm reminded of the day she and her wife got married a few months ago. The poor girl was so nervous that everything had to be perfect; she locked herself in the dressing room for two hours.

I look at my ring thoughtfully. "I've spent so much time being worried about the future...but with him, I have nothing to fear."

Ethel passes her stack of salad plates to Faith, who squeaks from the sudden added weight to her load. Before I can process what's happening, she's thrown her arms around me and is sniffling into my nightgown.

Ethel, one of the longest employed maids in the castle, a woman who hasn't slouched in her life and has never shown a drop of emotion, is crying. She's a short woman, so I have to crouch a bit to return her embrace, and I hold her tight. "Are you alright, Miss Ethel?" I gently ask.

"Forgive me, your highness, I just h-hardly can believe how much you have grown." The gray-haired woman steps back and dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. "It's been an honor."

Something snaps within me as memories of my childhood rush to me. Ethel was always somewhere in the picture, whether that be waiting patiently in the background, or somewhere in the front helping me with the hard words in my books. Even today, she will help me prepare for the most important day of my life. She's always been here, but I've hardly noticed. Within seconds I'm a blubbering mess. I've wrapped her in another hug, and we're both crying like babies.

Faith sets the plates on the ground, an act I'm sure Ethel would be scolding her for under other circumstances. She joins the hug and we happily welcome her. It's a warming embrace that feels long overdue.

So it's a shame when Nigel has to interrupt the moment. He suspiciously eyes the plates on the floor and then my nightgown. His scrutinizing gaze fades as he opens his mouth. "Your highness, have you seen the groom-to-be?"

I quirk a brow. "No? I was on my way to his room, though."

"No!"

I stand up straight. "'No?'"

"Nigel!!" The voice of my sister sounds more frazzled than I'm used to, and I whip my head around to see her marching toward us from the other side of the hall. She looks just as stressed as she sounds. "I told you not to talk to (Yn), yet!"

Eugene trails behind her, struggling to keep up to his wife. "You have to slow down, Sunshine! Remember what the doctor said?!"

Rapunzel places a hand over her swollen belly and slows her pace a smidge. She exhales. "But, Nigel-"

I glance between the three. Nigel's face is painted in different shades of anxiety, Rapunzel looks much more bedraggled than a woman who is six months pregnant should look, and I can't tell if Eugene is more concerned about Nigel or his wife. The uncertainty bubbles over and I snap. "What in the name of Demanitus is going on?!"

The three exchange glances until Eugene finally takes a breath. He places a hand on my shoulder and when I meet his brown eyes I know they'll reveal the truth. "Kid...we uh...we can't find Varian."

It's amazing how a single sentence can shift a person's mood entirely. Because within seconds my shimmering smile is replaced by a frown, and the world has crashed around me. I can hardly piece together my next words; I'm overwhelmed by disarray. "What do you mean, you can't 'find Varian?'"

"We went to his room this morning and he was nowhere to be found." Rapunzel's voice is apologetic but her words don't put me at ease.

"Maybe he's in his lab?" I suggest that, already going down the list of places he could be in my head. "Or Old Corona?"

"We've already searched the palace top to bottom. Twice." Nigel reports.

Eugene sighs. "We didn't want to tell you until we tracked him down. He's probably just in Old Corona getting something for the ceremony."

"We sent a messenger out to check with Quirin," Rapunzel assures, already sounding optimistic. "He should be getting back any time now."

I sigh and wring my hands. Where could he be? Why did he leave? It's then that the worst fear dawns on me. "What if he's getting cold feet? Maybe he doesn't want to...m-marry me." It gets caught in my throat, so much so that I want to sob.

I don't realize I said the words out loud until heartbreak befalls the faces of Rapunzel, Eugene, Nigel, and the maids. My gaze flicks across them and my cheeks burn in shame. I hate the pity in their eyes.

"(Yn), he would never do that." Rapunzel sets her firm hands on my shoulders. A light squeeze follows, but it does little to comfort me.

The brunette to her right quickly nods his head. "She's right, kid. Varian is crazy about you." He sounds so sure of himself. "Trust me, he loves you more than you know."

"But then why would he leave?"

"I'm sure he had a good reason."

"I'm sure the messenger will walk through those doors any minute now with Varian right behind him." Eugene gestures to the doors that lead to the staircase. We all pause and wait for a moment. My brother-in-law uncomfortably shifts on his feet. "Anyyyy minute now!" Eugene forces the words through a smile. On cue, the messenger enters the hall, panting like a dog on a hot day.  The feather in his cap flops to the side in defeat, and his face is covered in warm perspiration. Eugene triumphantly places his hands on his hips. "See?"

Relief floods over me just as quickly as the despair had a few moments ago. Everything will be perfect again, now that he's here. I run to the door as a weight is lifted from my shoulders, expecting to see my fiancé.

But Varian isn't with the messenger.

⋆°. ⋆༺☾𖤓༻⋆. °⋆

The wedding is in three hours.

Nobody knows where Varian is.

My palms are sweaty, knees weak, and my arms are heavy. The whole kingdom is searching for the alchemist, and he's nowhere to be found. Nobody seems to know where Varian has gone; he's simply vanished.

My parents eventually retired me from the quest for Varian, suggesting that I begin getting ready "just in case."

As Faith prepares my hair, I can hardly focus on anything other than Varian's disappearance. I've searched everywhere I could think of, and nothing seemed to lead me to him. There's no way he could be in trouble, as palace security has tripled in the past week. Dad has made it evident that he won't let anything go wrong, but in his defense, how were any of us supposed to expect the groom to run off? The only reason Varian wouldn't be here was if he chose to leave by his own free will.

So why did he leave?

My hands are clasped in my lap, and I try not to tug on the lace of my robe, but my nerves are making it next to impossible. My knee bobs up and down quicker than it would if I were trying to shake a spider from my leg. But the worst thing is the gnawing in my gut. Like a dragon eating away at my insides until they turn to mush. I'm nauseous enough to be sick but I have to keep it together. I can't cry and ruin my makeup, so all of my worries and tears stay bottled up inside.

There's a knock on the door and my head whips to the sound. I hadn't realized how dry my mouth was until I needed to speak. "C-come in!" My voice sounds worse than a frog's croak.

Nuru slowly steps into the room. She wears the same sympathetic expression that everyone else has had all day. I'm beginning to loathe it. "Hello, (Yn)." Her lips press into a thin line. I feel horrible that she's traveled all the way from Koto only for the prospect of there not being a wedding at all. Selfishly, however, I'm glad one of my dearest friends is here right now.

"Still no sign of him, huh?" I figured as much, but I wish I could be proven wrong.

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

No, it's not.

"No, it's not." Seemingly reading my mind, Nuru steps across my bedroom floor. "You're allowed to be upset."

A single pathetic tear leaks through the cracks and drifts down my face. My hands clench tighter. "I just—I don't know why he isn't here, Ru. Nothing that I can think of went wrong in the past few days; he was just as excited as I was!" To spite myself, I smile through the second tear that falls as I remember this past week, which was quite possibly the most romantic week Varian and I have ever shared. He left a bouquet of flowers outside my bedroom door every morning last week, we went on at least three different dates, and I've been finding various books hidden in places only I'd be able to find them.

My personal favorite was the evening we shared under the stars in Old Corona. That night, the fireflies glided through the air and mixed with the stars as though they were one. The flecks of gold, bright as rays of sunshine, danced with the moon in a way I have only encountered once before. They drifted into a vast incandescent sky that wrapped over us like a blanket, holding the summer warmth close to our skin and hearts. Dulcetly, wildflowers danced in the breeze, and muted colors drifted with the wind as petals flew. We were close, leaving our love for one another in such close proximity that it could only grow into something euphoric. The beauty of that night will forever hang on the walls of my mind, painted so I can never forget. Such a masterpiece is the star of my gallery, and has morphed me into an aesthete. Only for him.

"Everything was perfect." More tears swell in my eyes. I fight to maintain the damn I've built in my mind, but with each second that drifts by it threatens to shatter.

Faith gently sets the comb and a handful of hairpins onto my vanity. "I'll give you a moment, Princess." She kindly says, brushing a tear from my cheek and undoubtedly smearing my blush. "It's alright, we can redo your makeup."

I bite my lip and nod. "O-okay."

Faith takes her leave, curtsying on her way out. As the door closes and creates solace for Nuru and I, the dam breaks. Tears cascade down my cheeks in miniature waterfalls and sobs fight through the lumps in my throat. The trove of withheld miseries is brought to light. Nuru hugs me tightly in her arms as I blubber out my feelings.

"Why isn't he h-here? I mean, s-sure, maybe he isn't ready, but why wouldn't he t-t-tell me?? I'll always support him! He knows t-that!" My nose is clogged with snot to the point that I'm struggling to breathe. Nuru passes me a handkerchief, which I gratefully accept. "I love him, Ru. I love him more than anything, so why wouldn't he just talk to me? I've known him for over fifteen years; I know him better than anyone." I offer Nuru her handkerchief back. After seeing the state of it, she shakes her head, clearly ready to cut her losses. "He's everything to me, doesn't he know that?"

"I do know that, Angel."

My head jolts to the sound of his voice. I don't even need to look, other than to confirm the fact that I'm not imagining things. Varian stands in the doorway, a gloved hand on the frame and an incredibly guilty expression. His blue eyes are a welcome sight, but my relief is mixed with a fair dose of annoyance. Nuru's hands land on her hips, her eyes narrow, and her full lips scrunch into a scowl. Her gold flats stomp against the floor of my bedroom, heading in the direction of the alchemist. Her emotions are always held within arm's length, kept in check by her calm demeanor, but even that doesn't stop her from slugging Varian in the arm.

Varian grunts and grips the spot where her fist collided. "Yeah...I totally deserved that." He winces.

"There's more where that came from." She brushes off her dress and leaves the room.

I rise to my feet and rush to him, not bothering to wipe the tears from my eyes. "Varian, where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried-"

He simply wraps engulfs me in an embrace, and I breathe in the smell that brings me comfort like no other. I can only associate it with him. My face buries itself into his chest out of instinct, and I'm sure the remaining makeup on my face is being rubbed into his teal vest. "I'm sorry, Angel. I'm so so sorry." The apologies tumble from his lips profusely. "I didn't think it would take so long; I thought I'd be back before the sun rose."

Stepping back, I meet his gaze. I look like a disaster, I'm sure of it, but I cannot be bothered to care. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Well," A glimmer that I can only describe as a shorting star flashes over his eyes. "I was trying to find something."

"-Or someone."

I gasp and look over Varian's shoulder. "Cass?" My eyes meet those of Cassandra's, the woman I haven't seen in at least three years. "B-but how?" Awe paints itself across my features as I rub my eyes. I can hardly believe what I'm seeing.

Cassandra steps into my bedroom, the husky scent of pine wafting in with her. "Varian tracked me down."

"Yeah, it took a lot of searching." He explains. "I sent messages to all of the seven kingdoms asking them to keep an eye out for Cass about three months ago. I was about to give up hope, but then the Court Musician of Equis spotted her, and he was like: 'we found her.'" He deepens his voice for a moment. "Unfortunately, his message reached me in the middle of the night, so I used the compound mixed with that mood potion—who knew we'd ever need that again, right?" He snorts. "And I transformed Ruddiger and traveled eight hours both ways to get Cass!" He takes a huge breath after the alchemist finishes his story, and I stare at him in awe.

Cassandra crosses her arms. "He chattered the whole way back."

My eyes flick to Cassandra, and then to Varian. "You did all of this...for me?" I'm trying to keep my emotions in check, but tears once again threaten me.

"Well, uh, yeah." Varian shrugs like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I, ah, I remember you told me you see Cass as your honorary sister. I wanted to surprise you by bringing her to the ceremony." He takes my hands in his own, squeezing them against his leather gloves. "I-I'm so sorry I made you cry on your wedding day, Angel. I had no idea it would take so long-"

I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hold him close. Even after all these years, he's still found ways to surprise me. Cassandra being here was something I never would've expected, but her presence has helped me realize that there was a piece missing from my wedding. The raven-haired woman is a part of my family.

Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly peeved that Varian left without telling anyone what he was up to. For a man smart enough to be the royal engineer of Corona, he's not always one to think ahead. "Varian, you have no idea how frustrated I am with you." A smile pokes at my lips as I pull back to meet his gaze. "But...with that being said, you have no idea how much I love you. Thank you, mein mond."

He cups my cheeks and pecks his lips on my nose. "I love you too, Angel."

I then dash to Cassandra as fast as my legs will take me, embarrassing myself as my slippers, bearing no friction, slide on the floor and lead me to lose my balance. I barely catch myself before I tumble into Cassandra. She snickers. "Didn't I teach you about good footing, (nn)?"

Ignoring her comment, I pull her into a bear hug that Rapunzel would be proud of. I can hardly believe she's really here; my arms refuse to let go of her. "I missed you, Cass."

She smiles at me, a look of adoration and pride befalling her expression. "I missed you, too, (nn)."

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always dreamt of being a bride and getting married to the person I love more than anything. It was a dream that was so often imagined that I could almost reach out and touch it. My fingers were so close, but they never quite made contact. Luckily, certain things stuck out to me; I had high expectations. I'd wear the most gorgeous white dress. I innocently imagined it would be made from vanilla frosting, even after Mom giggled and explained it wasn't possible. Varian would surely be a renowned scientist by the time I was to be wed, and he would make the invention I always wanted him to create: a basket that could be lifted into the sky with a giant balloon. My spouse and I would fly off into the sunset after the ceremony, deeply in love. Mom and Dad's wedding gift to me would be letting me leave the palace, and I would explore the world with my lover.

It wasn't perfect; most of the faces in the crowd were blurred. I could never think of more than five or six people who I could invite to attend. It never bothered me, however. I was content with the few people who existed in my world being the only attendees. Now, fifteen years later, I have a larger selection of people to invite. Those whom I've met within Corona's borders and outside of them. So many incredible souls exist in my life; each one of them is coming to share the most joyous day of my existence with me. I often wonder if they understand how important they are to me. Whether they're new or old, each of them is a face in the crowd that is no longer blurred, and each of them is a memory that has made my life worth living.

Cassandra had always been a face in the crowd that I could discern. She's been on the guest list ever since I first learned what a wedding is. I've envisioned her helping me prepare for my wedding from the start; we'd talk about the good times while she fixed my hair, and she'd ease my worries while she applied my makeup. She always knew the perfect way to do it. Even though I wouldn't technically have to ask her to help me—she was already my handmaiden at the time—I still would regardless. I wouldn't want her to help if she didn't want to. Cassandra was never a handmaiden to me. She was my friend.

I didn't want a handmaiden to help me with such an important task. I wanted a friend.

"Hey, Cass?"

"Hm?"

"Would you help me get ready? Only if you want to, that is. For old times' sake?"

She smiles at me with a beautiful gentleness, and suddenly I'm that little girl again. The version of me that so few people knew. She knew. "Of course."

⋆°. ⋆༺☾𖤓༻⋆. °⋆

A band of violinists announced the start of the ceremony with a tune as gentle as a flower. I take a deep breath, the weight of my body rocking back and forth between the pads of my feet. Although I'm trying to ground myself, it all feels like a dream of the strongest whimsy. This moment has played out in my mind countless times, framed by flowers and tinted with warm hues of light. The air is light and soothing; the freshness of the bouquet in my hands wafts to my nose, filtering my sense of smell. My eyes drift to the bouquet. At the heart of the arrangement, are white roses and (favorite flower). Adorning the outer edges is a collection of greenery to work as accents, as well as some smaller flowers whose colors match the rest of the bouquet. Prominently scattered throughout are forget-me-nots. A smile drifts to my lips whenever I happen to spot one. They match his eyes. Thanks to Cassandra, there are quite a few weaved into my hair as well; unfortunately, I can't see them.

"How are you feeling, sis?"

I'm pulled back to the present, where I'm met with Rapunzel's emerald eyes. "Good...I think. I'm still in shock that this is really happening."

She gives me a warm smile and fixes a stray strand of my (Hc) hair. "It's incredible, isn't it? You two have come so far."

Her words sit with me. I often imagine a reality in which Varian wasn't redeemed. A boy raised by a prison cell. A sunflower locked in a chest, golden petals destined to brown. A young man forced to watch the seasons drift by through bars; eternally stuck. Trapped in a mind of regret, self-loathing, and hatred. Haunted by only the universe knowing what he could have been. He could've been the Royal Engineer of Corona. He could've been the love of someone's life. He could've been so much more.

But he was, and is. Because in the world I call home, he's everything.

My mind ponders our past, as it often does. From the very first day we met, Varian has been the one, whether that be in terms of friendship or love. Like swans, we're bound for life. I know with everything that I am: he's my other half; my moon. Through it all, it has always been him. I could never imagine any other soul waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

"Are you ready?" Her voice is gentle.

A forget-me-not catches my eye. "As I'll ever be."

Rapunzel, Nuru, Angry, Catalina, and Cassandra line up in front of me, each clothed in a gentle shade of (fc). The groomsmen, Eugene, Lance, Hugo, and Yong stand beside them.  Dad walks up beside me, and I link my arm with his. His blue eyes are misty with tears, but he smiles regardless. The lines that travel across his face become more prominent with the gesture. I quickly hug him as the ring bearers (the animals, of course) make their way down the aisle. I'm careful not to smush my bouquet in the embrace. "I love you, Dad."

He holds me tight, and for the first time in my life, his voice breaks. "I l-love you too."

My bridesmaids and Varian's groomsmen begin walking down the aisle, pair by pair, and Dad and I commence our position once again.

The sweet singing of violins fills my ears, and I take a minute to appreciate the beautiful sound. Hearing the way the strings dance with the bow fills me with joy and makes me want to join in with my own violin.

"Sweetie, it's time."

The violins fade from mind. Maybe another time, then.

The wooden doors leading to the throne room are opened by Stan and Pete, who each grant me warm smiles. I take a deep breath as my father begins to walk me across the (fc) carpet that leads down the aisle. Glistening shades of gold beam onto the ground, fueled by the sun's light. The stained-glass window depicting the sun drop serves as a constant reminder of enchantment. The wooden pews are filled to the brim with people, all of whom I know. Each face in the crowd is smiling, sharing in my joy. It's a beautiful sight that brings tears to my eyes.

The man at the end of the aisle causes an enormous smile to spread across my lips. I speed up ever so slightly; I would run if my father weren't grounding me. I'm not used to seeing him so dressed up; it's hard to recognize Varian without his mother's goggles and his hair covering his forehead. Today, his raven hair is slicked back into a low ponytail. Not a strand is out of place. He wears a black tailcoat overtop of a navy blue brocade waistcoat, fastened with golden buttons. Underneath is a crisp white collared shirt and a navy blue cravat. He looks like a Prince or a nobleman. Varian doesn't even get this dressed up for formal events. He went all out just for my sake.

My heart flutters in a frequency that exists only for him.

When he sees me, Varian's jaw drops. He looks as star-struck as I feel and his eyes never leave me. I'm illuminated by the sun's rays, and a golden light lands on my skin through the stained glass window. It's a comforting sensation; like an old friend watching over me.

After an agonizingly long walk, we reach Varian. It feels like it's been years. But for all the trials and tribulations, I suppose it has been years. But the wait is finally over. Today, Varian, the love of my life, will be my husband in less than an hour. It makes me feel giddy like a teenage girl with a crush.

Dad gives me away, and I kiss his cheek. Then, Varian takes my hands in his own. They mold together perfectly. His eyes are misty as he beams at me. "You look miraculous." He whispers.

I giggle a bit, overcome by my love for him. Overcome by him. "So do you."

He squeezes my hands as the pastor begins. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the matrimony of this man and woman: Princess (Yn) of Corona, and Varian of Old Corona."

As the pastor continues, my eyes remain with Varian's. The blue of them are flooded by an ocean of love. It's strange; as I stare into them, I see my past, my present, and my future. Everything I am is within them.

"I invite the betrothed to begin their vows."

One of Varian's hands travels to my cheek, and I lean into it like second nature. The pastor guides him through the vows, and Varian repeats. "I, Varian, take you, (Yn), to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

Tears form within my eyes. "I, (Yn), take you, Varian, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

The pastor turns his attention to Max, Pascal, Dandelion, and Ruddiger. "May we have the rings?"

Fortunately, they aren't drenched in tar this time around. Unfortunately, they're instead covered in what appears to be grape jelly. Varian raises a brow, and in a monotone voice says: "You're kidding."

"I guess it's tradition," I mumble.

Ruddiger proudly displays the pillow that holds our rings, which by some miracle is unscathed. Varian quickly snatches the rings. He watches his raccoon like he's about to rub his furry jam-covered body all over his suit. We absentmindedly slip the rings onto each other's fingers, staring at the group with perplexity.

The pastor clears his throat. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He spreads his arms wide. "You may kiss the bride!"

I grab the sides of his freckled face and bring my lips to his, sealing our love for eternity. He kisses me back with a passion. One hand snakes to the small of my back, while the other runs through my hair. I don't even hear the guests cheering and the bells ringing. I don't notice Yong's fireworks sparkling, or Rapunzel jumping up and down.

It's just me and him. The world is ours, and we are each other's world. Varian is the only person in the universe for these few moments. He's the only moon in my sky.

We pull back to catch our breath, and the most adorable buck-toothed grin adorns his face. "I love you, Angel."

"I love you, mein mond." The words leave my mouth and for a split second, a moment so quick, his eyes flash a shade of blue that is reserved for his sun.

And mine are golden.

⋆°. ⋆༺☾𖤓༻⋆. °⋆

The reception's end falls upon the moon and the stars. The children in attendance have long been asleep, their little heads resting upon white tablecloths and their parents' laps. In the sky, owls hoot, replacing the singing birds. Couples lazily chatter, their wine glasses now empty. The band has slowed as well, signaling the end of the evening.

I'm moving a sleeping Dandelion off the ground and placing her on a chair when my husband approaches me. He places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Angel?"

I glance at Varian. He ditched his tailcoat a while ago for dancing, and his hair is a little tousled. Regardless, he's still as handsome as ever. An echo of a smile brushes across my lips. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to see your wedding gift?"

"Var, you are my wedding gift."

"Aww...wait, but that's-that isn't what I mean." He blubbers. "I have an actual gift for you."

My eyes flick across the party; it's definitely dying down. Nobody would notice if we're gone for a teeny bit, right? My hand drifts to Varian's. "Let's go."

The alchemist leads me out of the ballroom and down the halls, our gentle footsteps echoing through the space. The halls are dark to deter guests from wandering around the castle in a polite attempt to essentially say, 'Please don't go poking your nose where it doesn't belong.' At first, it's a struggle to find our way. Once my eyes have adjusted, silvery beams of moonlight bathe our bodies, lighting the way.

"Where are we going?" The words are a whisper, but I'm not quite sure why.

I can hear the cheekiness in his tone. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?"

After my anticipation had long bubbled over, we finally reach our destination. Varian has led me to one of the staff doors in the back of the castle. Nostalgia creeps up my back. When I was a little girl, my parents would only let me outside if it was through these doors. It was once a place for the kitchen staff to have ingredients brought in, but they turned it into a "play space." Goliath-sized walls were built in a semicircle along the side of the castle and were lined with trellises of flowers for aesthetic. Even though it was about the size of a walk-in closet, I was only permitted to go outside when three guards accompanied me, which got old fairly quickly. "You took me to my old yard?"

"You'll see." His hands cover my eyes like a makeshift blindfold and he takes me to the back lawn. I'm not quite sure why we're here, but I can't complain. The summer air is lukewarm and feels amazing. I listen to the grass brush along my shoes and another wave of nostalgia crashes onto my shore. We stop walking, and Varian slowly removes his hands from over my eyes. "We're here."

My eyes land on a hot air balloon proudly standing before us. The canvas tarp making the envelope is painted with the kingdom's crest in royal purple. The envelope is already inflated, and a guard stands beside the balloon to watch over it. A hand goes over my mouth and a small gasp escapes my lips. "You remembered?"

He smiles. "Of course I did." His elbow gently nudges me. "It was your idea, I just, uh..."

"Stole it to 'help' the Saporians?" I tease with air quotes.

He laughs heartily, and his face is joy itself. Varian helps me into the basket before he climbs in himself. Once we're settled, Varian reaches up and pulls down the lever to light the burners. A burst of warm air crashes into our faces; the extra heat mixed with the summer air causes little beads of sweat to form on my forehead.

The hot air balloon rises further and further into the sky, touching the clouds as it goes. I read that clouds are actually just little water droplets and ice crystals in one of my books, but I reach out and try to grab them anyway. The child in me still wants to eat them.

As we rise through a cloud, the cool mist sticks to my skin and leaves behind an iridescent hue. The sky is the color of ink and various clouds form patterns painted in a dark shade of indigo. The stars, each one a perfectly cut diamond, dot the atmosphere. Even when we're this high in the air, they're still right out of my reach, taunting me.

I place the weight of my body against the rim of the basket and lean into the sky. "Y'know, this isn't the first time I've been up this high."

"I would hardly call the time we were on the Saporian airship as 'high.'" Varian begins, instantly going into nerd mode. "We were only about two hundred feet from the ground. We're already at least fifteen hundred feet in the air."

"I'm not talking about the Saporian air ship, doofus," I say in a playful voice. "I'm talking about the time when the Sun granted me its power."

"Wait, what?"

I quirk a brow at his shocked expression. "Wait, didn't I tell you about that?"

He looks slightly offended, and I laugh. "No." He pouts.

"Oh, well, basically when the sun gave me that burst of power when I got kidnapped by the Brotherhood, I was able to fly. That's how I got to the Snuggly Duckling from the castle so quickly." I shrug as if I'm just explaining what I did during the day.

He looks flabbergasted for a moment. "That's-that's amazing."

I smile as I lean over the rim, soaking in the gentle breeze. We linger in a comfortable silence, basking in the summer air and each other's company. I'm beginning to enjoy the sensation of being up here. The world is at peace for one perfect moment, and it's only Varian and I.

"Okay, so this is super embarrassing," Varian breaks the silence with a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "I wrote a song that I was going to play for you while we're up here, and it was supposed to be super romantic."

"How is that embarrassing? That's so sweet, Varian." I gush.

"It's embarrassing because I had Rapunzel teach me how to play the song on the guitar, but I can't play the guitar." He admits. "Someone needs to fly the balloon."

I giggle a bit. Classic Varian. "Do you have a guitar with you?"

"Yeah, it's in that basket."

I flip the lid of the wicker basket up and find a beautiful wooden guitar. Picking it up, I give it a quick strum and cringe. Tuning the C string, I suggest my idea. "Why don't you hum the melody for me? Once I've heard it a couple of times, I should be able to transfer it to the guitar. Then I'll play it for you while you sing."

"That could work." He nods.

I toss the guitar strap over my shoulder. "Alright, I'm ready." He begins to hum a melody that brings inspiration upon me. It's beautiful. I can't wait to hear the lyrics. Once he runs me through it a couple of times, I understand the melody enough to replicate it. I play around with the strings for a moment until I feel content. "Let's hear it." I say with an encouraging smile.

I'll never be able to find a voice as gorgeous as his. It's powerful and gentle all at the same time and always gives me goosebumps. If the world were ending, I'd run to Varian and ask him to sing to me.

(V): "Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh~
It's been a long year."

His voice comes out gentle and clear, and he keeps his eyes closed for a moment.

(V): "Two bodies riddled with scars from our preteens~
Intertwine in the caravan backseat~
Stare at the book we read~"

I continue strumming for Varian, watching him with an involuntary smile.

(V): "We didn't know that the sun was collapsing~
'Til the seas rose and the buildings came crashing~
We cried, 'Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh~'"

My strumming intensifies with his words as I hear a fire building within his song. Passion fills his lungs as naturally as air.

(V): "Everywhere, everything~
I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat~
'Til our fingers decompose~
Keep my hand in yours~"

He catches my smile and his eyes light up.

(V): "Everywhere, everything~
I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat~
'Til our fingers decompose~
Keep my hand in yours~~"

I step close to him. The only thing between us is music, figuratively and literally. I mouth: 'May I?'

He eagerly nods

(Yn): "It's been a long year and all of our book's pages dog-eared~
We write out the ends on our palms, dear~
Then forget to read~

We couldn't know that the sun was collapsing~
'Til the seas rose and the buildings came crashing~
We cried, 'Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh'"

My strumming ceases for the briefest of moments. I want to memorize this. I want to memorize him.

(Yn): "Everywhere, everything~

I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat~
'Til our fingers decompose~
Keep my hand in yours~

Varian cups my cheek with his free hand as a harmony overtakes us.

(Both): "Everywhere, everything~
I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat~
'Til our fingers decompose~
Keep my hand in yours~"

I press a single chaste kiss to his lips.

(Both): "Everywhere, everything,
I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat,
'Til our fingers decompose~
I'll keep my hands in yours~"