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Rapunzel was sitting alone in the jail cell, scolding herself for letting the Saporians catch her, when she heard two sets of footsteps hurrying down the hall. She tensed, but she relaxed when she saw who it was.
"Okay, I'm offended. I can't believe you were going to break into something and you didn't ask me. It's kinda my thing."
Rapunzel ran to the door as Eugene picked the lock, Lance standing next to him.
"Oh thank goodness you're here. Listen, we need to hurry; the Saporians are planning to use Varian’s quirinian to blow up the kingdom!"
The two looked at her with a mix of shock and confusion. Eugene spoke, "What? Wasn't the quirinian supposed to be-"
"Nevermind that, come on!" Rapunzel grabbed their hands and started running.
"How on Earth are we supposed to stop them?" Lance asked.
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure they're using an airship and-" Rapunzel stopped suddenly. Down a hallway something dark with a teal streak was turning the corner.
She sprinted off down that hallway, shouting behind her, "You go on ahead, I have to check something."
Rapunzel ran down the hall to a singular door, which, if her memory served her correctly, was a ballroom turned storage room. She entered the room feeling her feet on the cold ground. Across from her stood Varian. He was alone, the Saporians nowhere to be seen. His mask was pulled up so that she couldn't see his face, and he was standing in front of multiple barrels of quirinian.
"Varian, you said no one would forgive for the things you've done, but they'll never get the chance to if everything is destroyed!"
Varian's voice was quiet, "I'm not going to let them destroy Corona."
"Then what are-" Rapunzel stuttered briefly, cutting herself off.
Varian chuckled joylessly, lowering his mask. Seeing his entire face, it hit Rapunzel how tired he looked. His once bright eyes had become dull with dark circles under them. He looked like he hadn’t slept or even eaten in weeks. Rapunzel felt the pit in her stomach grow.
"Listen, Princess, the only way to get rid of the quirinian is for it to explode. But, if I add this inhibitor solution, it will still explode, but only in the very surrounding area."
Rapunzel spoke slowly, "…okay?”
She was confused. One moment the Saporians were telling Varian about their plan to destroy Corona—he hadn't seemed particularly happy about it, but he made no argument. Now he was planning to—Wait.
"You'll be okay, right?" Rapunzel may have had mixed feelings about Varian and she might not have been exactly sure where he stood at the moment, but she couldn’t let him get hurt. Some part of her still remembered the hyperactive boy that would rant about Flynn Rider books and alchemy. The boy who wanted nothing more than to help his kingdom and make his father proud.
Varian sighed, looking down. "I've done unforgivable things, Rapunzel. I'm broken and damaged, too damaged. There's nothing left for me."
He paused, looking up at her, "But you, you have the kingdom and the kingdom needs you. I know you can make it better, you beat me fair and square."
Rapunzel's thoughts swirled. Her head hurt, she thought Varian hated her, hated Corona.
"You should leave," he spoke again. "Even with the solution, I'm not sure how big the blast will be."
Rapunzel hesitated but didn't move. "There has to be a different way. A way where no one has to get hurt."
"Even if there is, the world's better off with me dead."
Varian turned towards the barrels, as Rapunzel felt her heart quicken. Suddenly a thought rushed into her head.
"Wait! I think I know how to free your father!"
Varian’s eyes were wide as he turned back towards her. He appeared to be thinking. Going back and forth, arguing with himself. A moment passed, Finally he looked at her with an expression of resolve.
"Take care of him, Princess."
With that Varian dropped the vial of solution into the barrels. Instincts kicked in and Rapunzel ran. She ran out of the room and fell to her knees, covering herself from the blast. She stayed there for a moment, until the dust had settled. She got up slowly, using the wall to stand up. Once she got her wits about her, she hurried back in.
The room was full of debris. Anything that could fall had fallen. Pieces of the walls had crumbled down, casting rays of warm evening light about the room. Broken glass on the ground threatened to cut her bare feet but she paid it no mind, her thoughts singular.
"Varian!" She called out.
She heard no response, just the sound of the old castle creaking its complaint after the beating. She looked around the room, her mind in a haze. Finally she saw a peak of teal hiding under a fallen board. She rushed over, shoving the fallen debris off Varian’s body. When she finally got to him, Rapunzel's rapidly beating heart sank. He had wet sticky blood running down the side of his head and ugly burns covering what she could see of his skin. She checked his pulse and got a quick rush of relief. It was faint but it was there. She shook him, trying to get him to wake up. She was fairly certain it was dangerous for him to be sleeping at a time like this. Varian's eyes fluttered open a crack.
"Oh thank the sun, you're alive!" Rapunzel grabbed him, wrapping him in a hug.
"Prin-cess?" Varian's words were quiet and slurred, he hardly sounded lucid.
As Rapunzel pulled away from the hug, Varian fell right back onto her. She held him in her lap, deciding that trying to move him was probably not the best idea.
"Mm sorry."
"Hey, you're going to be alright. I pro-"
Varian shook his head slightly. Rapunzel realised what she had said. She glanced down at him.
Oh.
He was dying. He, in fact, was not going to be alright. She had nearly broken a promise to him again.
Varian's eyes started to drift shut, and this time she let them. She ran her fingers through his messy hair and started to sing. She doubted it would work, but she began to sing the healing incantation, if only to bring herself and perhaps Varian comfort. Eventually Varian’s labored breathing slowed to a stop. She checked his pulse again. She felt nothing. He was dead.
Rapunzel felt tears streaming down her face. How long had she been crying? She looked at Varian's dead body. The body of a teenager with numerous crimes to his name. A teenager who's every attempt to fix things broke them more. A teenager whose only real friend had been a racoon. He had been a genius and a complicated kid. Rapunzel was now certain that if he had had the time, he would have been able to become someone wonderful. But now he was dead. He was dead before he ever got to really live. He didn't even get to see his father again. Rapunzel held his body closer.
"I'm sorry too."