AN: Almost forgot to post this here too... oops. This was inspired by chiscribbles4smiles on tumblr's amazing art: post/170818722398/so-this-is-an-au-that-takes-place-a-month-or-so

Thank you so much Chi for letting me take on this AU. I'm thrilled to see where it will be headed.

(To those glaring at me from my other works in progress, no worries, I am working on them. Nothing is being abandoned. Inspiration just struck like lightning.)

It would be too much to ask for a window, Varian thought, not for the first time. If he'd had one, he wouldn't have needed anything more than a test tube each of Flynnolium (and wow he needed to find a different name for that) and its red reactant and he would have been long gone. Unfortunately for him, they wouldn't risk such a weakness in the structure of the dungeons, even if they hadn't been built deep underground. As it was, he could only bide his time and wait for the opportune moment for his plan to work.

That time had nearly arrived.

Five minutes. He would have five minutes from the time the guard was out of sight to disappear, or in the very least give the appearance of doing so. Varian needed them to panic, to look at the world through frightened eyes, in order to cloud their judgment. Goodness knows he knew exactly how potent fear could be.

Ruddiger chirruped beside him, looking up at his master with concern. Only a month on prison rations hadn't been particularly hard, no worse than winter after a slim harvest, but Varian did his best to appear listless and worn at all times, even to his animal companion. This wouldn't work if the guards suspected anything.

Their first mistake had been to let him keep the raccoon with him, supposedly secured to a locked belt at his hip. He'd found a way to undo that within the first week, though he had yet to give Ruddiger any free reign, lest they secure him more drastically. Despite the raccoon's sometimes careless nature, Varian knew him to be intelligent and crafty enough to do what he needed him to. He'd only get one shot at this, and it would be tonight.

After all, the king had left the castle.

Varian had hardly believed his ears when he'd heard the guards distantly, quietly, but unmistakably speak of the impending departure of the king and the escort that would be going with him. While they were bemoaning missing out on the opportunity to escape dungeon duty to travel with King Frederic, Varian was gathering as much useful information as he could from their discussion.

If the king was going to be gone, supposedly by himself, the queen would in all likelihood have a personal guard. King Frederic was nothing if not predictable, and one month was far too short a time for his paranoia from Varian's previous plans to have faded. That personal guard detail, in addition to the escort for the king, meant that the number of guards left for all other matters would be dangerously low. He wouldn't even need to worry about running into Cassi- Cassandra, as she'd left with the princess and Eugene, another bit of news that had made its way down the grapevine.

They were off to explore, while he was stuck in here, unable to help or even see his father, though the image of amber had long since been engrained into his mind. She'd lied. She and her father and his father had lied, and it seemed that they would never stop. Even when he'd finally believed that she couldn't change the rocks or the outcome of his- of the experiment that had encased his father, it turned out that she just hadn't wanted to.

There was no other explanation for the suddenly oh-so-convenient control she had garnered over the black rocks when it came to saving the people she cared about. Scaring her into it didn't work, clearly, but if she could manipulate the rocks within the amber…

Varian shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. He needed to focus on one thing at a time or he would inevitably screw it all up. His time was coming, the arrival of what they pretended could be considered dinner having marked the hour.

Once he could be certain of nightfall, he'd make his escape.

Reading quietly before bed proved to be far less relaxing than Queen Arianna had hoped, particularly with the sound of the guardsmen patrolling nearby. It was a necessary inconvenience, unfortunately, in order to ease the mind of her husband (and her own, when she would allow herself to admit it.) While a small, adventurous part of her grumbled that she should be going to Old Corona as well, the more rational part reminded her that it would be unwise to leave Corona without a leader, even for one night.

With her daughter off beginning her own adventure and her husband determined to do right by his old friend, Quirin, Arianna knew that someone needed to be focused on the kingdom and their citizens. Life did not stop in the face of crisis, and to ignore their people's plights could lead to additional disaster (as they'd seen through the desperate acts of the boy currently housed in their dungeons.) Even a month later, nightmares of what could have been, and what had been plagued her mind, and waking to find her dear Frederic gazing out the window silently let her know that she was not the only one.

It was part of the reason why it was so difficult to decide what to do regarding the consequences of the situation. Age and reasons aside, Varian's attack had hit too close to home, literally and figuratively, so the decision was delayed, put off until it could be looked at with a clear mind and a just resolve. This kingdom had already experienced more than its fair share of tragedies, and to create another as a result of haste would be nothing short of cruel.

There's an old saying that to think on something for long enough would bring it into being. Arianna never was one for superstition, but the sudden clamoring that made its way through the guards stationed near her door sent a chill down her spine, and by the time the door had opened, she felt that she could guess exactly what the Captain of the Guards had to say.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid we need to secure the immediate area. Varian has escaped."

Arianna paused for further clarification, and she didn't have to wait long as Pete and one of the newer recruits, Samuel, stumbled to the front of the group, looking out of breath.

Samuel sketched out a quick bow before addressing her. "Your Majesty, he may be free somewhere in the castle. The others, they reported seeing a green light shortly before Varian's cell was found empty. They're currently sweeping through the castle, but we were sent to warn you and make sure you were safe."

"He just… vanished! Every guard was at his post, he shouldn't have been able to escape!" Pete shuddered, looking around as if expecting the small alchemist to appear out of thin air. "It was like magic, or it may have been—"

Queen Arianna placed a calming hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "If he did have magic like that, he would have left long before tonight. I'm sure there's an explanation for everything."

She took a step back to think before straightening her back that extra millimeter, the determination in her eyes drawing in the others in the room, who all waited silently to hear what she had to say.

"Right now is not time to question how it was done or who is at fault," Arianna knew that was a discussion for another time, and worrying about it now would only divide their focus. "Considering his previous motives, there's a high chance he will first return to Old Corona. Someone must warn King Frederic."

If Varian could have risked the noise, he would have laughed to himself, able to hear the guards chasing Ruddiger and a small glowing vial through the castle from here. He'd definitely have to make sure to find a few apples to reward the raccoon after all of this. The little guy had been more than happy to quietly retrieve and return the keys to his cell, leaving it unlocked but with the appearance of being sealed for the duration of the guard walk-throughs that it took for Ruddiger to find his things in the prisoner's chest. They really should move the location of that every now and then.

From his previous less-than-legal visits to the castle, Varian was well aware of its layout, even having found something of a secret passageway in and out when he'd run off with the Sundrop Flower (which proved invaluable in his later plans). He could only hope that they hadn't boarded it up since his last visit. That would throw something of a wrench in his escape plan.

Silently following the guards, well aware that trying to make it through the castle with them roaming free would worse than pointless, Varian waited for Ruddiger to lead them into the library. None of them were thinking enough to leave someone to watch the door, which he really shouldn't complain about, as it made things all the easier for him.

Compound in hand, Varian quickly shut and locked the door before pouring the liquid over the handle, the combined corrosion and adhesive qualities leaving it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to unlock. Still not depending on the door holding for very long, Varian quickly made his way towards the wine cellar.

Retying the mostly depleted test tube to his staff, Varian gave himself a moment to breathe and resettle into his gear, the goggles on his head a grounding presence that he'd missed the past month. He'd lost track of the number of times he'd reached up to adjust them only to remember they weren't there. The guards had cited something about not wanting him to have potential tools for escape or harm, but he wouldn't have broken them for such a thing even if he'd been given the opportunity. They'd been gifted to him by his dad when he'd first shown signs of interest in alchemy of the more… explosive nature. His dad always had wanted to keep him safe…

He was shaken from his thoughts when Ruddiger dropped from the ceiling, having taken advantage of the partially open and connected labyrinth of wooden rafters that prevented summers from becoming too much, though it made the castle more susceptible to winter weather. Not that they had that too often. Varian grimaced at the unintentional reminder of the last time snow had visited Corona and reached down to allow Ruddiger to climb onto his shoulders. It wasn't the time to dwell.

Thankfully, Ruddiger had left the glowing test tube behind, allowing the two of them to fade into the shadows as they headed for the secret passageway.

While the other group of guards searched the castle in an attempt to prevent Varian from escaping entirely, Queen Arianna set about organizing a courier to warn her husband. Should they manage to stop Varian preemptively, a second messenger could always be sent, but if not, it would be better to already have a plan in place. Once the rider was off for Old Corona, Arianna ordered the rest of her guard detail to accompany her in seeking out Varian.

The castle was suspiciously quiet. They should have been able to hear the sound of footsteps, doors opening and closing, communication between the guards, or something. Samuel was the first to draw his blade when he noticed, the others soon following suit. Arianna hoped with everything in her that they wouldn't be necessary.

As the group drew nearer to the dungeons, Arianna heard a dull thump and brought up her arm to cease the progression of the men around her. She listened intently, another similar thump following not long after. Motioning the others forward, Queen Arianna followed the sound until they reached the library, where many things became apparent all at once.

The doorknob, or what was left of it, was heavily corroded and dripping with a substance common sense told her not to come in contact with. Each thump, now much louder when standing next to the source, rocked the door somewhat on its hinges, splintering small slivers of wood outwards into the hall. Signs of alchemy without and sounds of attempted escape within, and it wasn't hard for Arianna to guess what had happened here.

Pete hesitated to step forward, only doing so once the queen nodded in encouragement. "Stan? Are you in there? Who all is in there? We're here to help!"

There was a pause as something heavy hit the floor, before: "Pete? I'm afraid it's the lot of us. He tricked his way past us… Is the queen safe?"

"I'm here," Arianna spoke up. "Are any of you injured?"

"No, your Majesty. This was a trap without teeth."

As relieved as she was to hear that, the queen resigned herself to the idea that Varian had indeed escaped. These were the actions of someone with a strategy in mind, rather than those of someone desperate to break free.

Despite that, they still had a situation of their own to resolve. "Samuel, take few men to find some axes. We'll cut through the door around the hinges."

As the others moved to quickly obey, Arianna could only hope that the messenger made it to Old Corona fast enough to warn Frederic.

Varian took a convoluted route back home, keeping out of sight of the main roads, heart pounding as he knew they'd be after him soon. He wouldn't have much time, but maybe he could restock on supplies: chemicals, food, and clothing. Once they confirmed he was gone, any pursuit would surely start at his old house, and he had no horse to keep his head start with. He might have 'borrowed' one, but they were too intelligent and too attached to their original riders. It would have been a disaster.

Coming up along the riverbank, Varian barely caught sight of the carriage in time to keep from giving himself away. What on earth? The entire town, or what was left of it with the forest of black rocks sprouting everywhere, was deserted, and there's no way the guards could have marshalled that quickly.

Varian crept closer, hushing Ruddiger when he chittered in concern on his shoulders. That wasn't a prisoner transport. That was a royal carriage!

Nearly choking as his heart made a valiant attempt to climb its way up his throat, Varian hid behind a cluster of rocks, keeping an eye out for any other sign of encampment. The princess and her group wouldn't have taken a carriage like this, which left only the king. Varian scowled.

Who exactly did he think he was, poking around in the very town he'd abandoned and ignored?

Varian barely tempered his anger with caution, which was in no small part helped by the appearance of a rider in a guard uniform and a clearly worn-down horse. There was no way he could risk going to his home now, but that wasn't the only place he could find what he needed.

The black rocks had destroyed most structures, but much of their contents had been simply left behind. Not many were willing to risk being impaled for an old shirt. In addition, no scavenger thought the homes worth pillaging, the rocks considered cursed from what he'd heard newer inmates muttering. That would suit him just fine.

Using what was left of the cover of night, Varian searched his previous neighbors' houses in silence, gathering up what could be useful and storing it at the end of one of the underground tunnels. The fields had long been abandoned, but trees were made of sturdier stuff. A small patch of apple trees on the edge of the village remained largely untouched, and he left a few pieces of the fruit with Ruddiger in the tunnels so the raccoon could eat and rest as needed.

He didn't need to sleep. Varian had been resting for most of the month he'd been imprisoned, and now adrenalin ran untempered through his body. As the sky began to brighten, Varian could make out the path of the flattened rocks to and through the gaping hole in the wall. Their suddenly benign appearance was a mockery of the devastation they had caused his village, the solution to their danger having been a few hours ride away planning banquets and parties and other useless gestures, safe within the confines of New Corona.

Well, Varian supposed, Not anymore…

Even if she refused to acknowledge it, Rapunzel would be able to change things. He just had to make her see. And this time, she wouldn't have all of New Corona to protect her.

Varian's eyes lingered on the rocks for a moment longer before he went to hide in the tunnel during the daylight hours to prepare. He knew exactly how he would find her.

Tying the makeshift satchel over one of his shoulders, Varian made his way to the exit of the tunnel. Ruddiger quickly joined him, scampering up the slope with a bright red apple in his mouth. He had apparently taken Varian's words on not bringing everything with them to heart, making sure his precious food wouldn't be left behind.

By moonrise, they were well on their way along the path of rocks. Rapunzel and her crew hadn't left too many days ago, and they wouldn't be acting like they were being chased. All Varian had to do was take the shortest route along the rocks and he'd have to run across them eventually… right?

Varian didn't stop walking, even when night turned back into day and Ruddiger rode on his shoulders to rest. There was a reason hunting was a viable method of obtaining food for humans, and that was their persistence. His legs ached, but not enough to stop, the image of his dad in the amber more than enough to keep pushing. Food was eaten on the move and gathered as he came across edible plants. He refused to depart from the path.

The next nightfall approached and Varian had reached the point where he knew if he stopped he would not be able to get going again soon. Surely, they couldn't be too much farther. He had nearly resigned himself to resting for a while when he saw a trail of smoke reaching into the sky a short ways along the winding path. Someone was setting up camp for the night.

Trying not to get his hopes up too much, Varian reminded himself that he would need to check his target to be certain. Varian adjusted the goggles on top of his head and repositioned his bag, willing himself to go just a bit farther. He didn't need to be rested when he found them, the makeshift chemicals he'd created would do the work for him.

All that was left was for him to push just that much more and things would fall into place.

Thinking back, Varian realized he may have underestimated how difficult this would be.

His small trap had worked fine to immobilize Eugene and Maximus, but without something to fight for him, once he had the women's attention things went downhill quickly. Aware of his limited supplies, Varian spent the next few minutes desperately dodging, trying to get a vantage point. Why did Rapunzel fight with her hair?

Well aware of the unbreakable properties of said hair, Varian focused on Cassandra instead. He wasn't given much choice on the matter anyway, if he wanted to keep his head attached. Varian knew he would be no match in fair combat, the few times he blocked with his staff harshly jarring his arms up to his shoulders, but he didn't want to outright kill her with his explosives either.

This was going to hurt.

Grabbing the two vials from his bag, his last ones not tied to his staff, Varian used a burst of energy to get as from Cassandra as possible and threw them to the ground. The concussive force was enough to knock him over at this distance, and she took a heavier hit.

Varian stood shakily, confident that Cassandra would be down for at least long enough for him to regain his bearings. He sought out Rapunzel, wondering why she hadn't immediately jumped to her friend's aid. She was standing a short distance away, glaring over at him with one foot resting securely on a flattened black rock. This felt horribly familiar to him.

"That's enough," Rapunzel declared as she brought her other foot down onto an adjacent stone. Her hair immediately lit up the dusk, a wave of power ripping through the air.

Varian didn't have time to react.

The weightless feeling of moving through air faster than any person should ended abruptly with a sharp crack, his teeth snapping together as pain shot from the back of his head to his eyes at the impact, his goggles clattering to the ground. The excruciating ache lasted for an eternal second before everything faded to black.

Pacing back and forth, Rapunzel flipped her frying pan over and over in her hand as she rehearsed exactly what she would say when Varian came to. It wasn't turning out to be much.

It'd be fine. He was tied up, had no weapons or machines, and no plan. This wouldn't be like last time. Even his staff had been disassembled, the pieces hidden in different parts of their travelling supplies. Nothing would prevent them from returning him to the castle dungeons.

I've got this.

Rapunzel repeated it mentally to herself over and over, the presence of Pascal on her shoulder a greater comfort than he'd ever know. Or maybe he did, he was a very intelligent chameleon.

Focus, Rapunzel.

Part of her worried about what he'd left in his wake when he'd somehow escaped. Clearly, his desire to free his father and his distaste for her and her kingdom had remained unchanged during his short time under their watch. That potent combination was sure to spell disaster for any who stood in his way, and he'd made it this far…

Once again Rapunzel pulled herself from her thoughts, keeping a watchful eye for movement from the alchemist. He seemed to peacefully sleep, if not for the ropes binding him to the tree he had collapsed in front of. Trying to urge him awake had been futile, so now she waited, fending off the horrible what-ifs that lingered in her mind.

At least everyone here was alright now. Besides some soreness and residual goop that hadn't been entirely dissolved, there had been no lasting damage. Remembering that Cass and Eugene were okay and nearby strengthened her, and despite not standing around waiting with her, they were sure to bolt over should she call.

After waiting long enough for her tense hands to cramp around the handle of the frying pan, Rapunzel saw Varian stir. Immediately alert, Rapunzel carefully watched for any sign of aggression.

None came.

Instead, Varian roused quietly, arms pushing against the binds but not struggling when he realized he couldn't move. Half-awake confusion overtook his features, and a small, pained cry escaped him when the back of his head brushed against the tree. He looked so much younger, helpless even. Rapunzel had to remind herself firmly that that was the point.

Despite her conflicted emotions, Rapunzel put on a fierce scowl, pointing her frying pan at Varian threateningly, leaving no room for question what she'd do if he tried anything.

"It'sover, Varian."

Varian blinked twice up at her, regarding the frying pan and then her with what appeared to be honest confusion.

"…who's 'Varian'?"

AN: Reviews are the lifeblood of authors. I hope you enjoyed!