Hello All! It's been about a week since I posted this, so here's the next chapter! I actually had this pretty much ready last week, but I wanted to wait.


By later that day, the three young ladies were on their way to Old Corona on horseback.

Ophelia's kitchen apron was gone and she had taken out her work-braid and wore her hair down with a smaller braid draped nicely over the rest of her hair in a simple style, in the back. She also wore a black cloak over her shoulders, the hood draped over her head. She might not have needed it for this occasion, but she liked wearing it when she went out. It was special to her.

Cassandra was out of her dress for working at the castle and in her favorable outfit for outings and adventures, with a sword strapped to her back. She held the reigns of Fidella with Rapunzel riding behind her, Pascal on her shoulder. Ophelia road on another palace horse beside them. This horse was a sweet, younger white and light brown mare named Vanilla. She wasn't a horse on the royal guard, but she assisted with other castle staff in their work. And she and the young kitchen maiden got along swimmingly.

Ophelia was excited. Getting to help a member of the royal family felt like such a huge honor. True, it was her job to help them every day by cooking their meals and cleaning up afterwards, but this was different. This was bigger. The princess had an actual, serious problem, and she was helping by bringing her to someone that she knew could help her. And she knew Varian would also feel very honored to help the princess in her great time of need.

If anyone could help her, it was Varian.

After a few sort hours of riding, the group finally arrived at the small village along the great Corona wall; Old Corona. All the people they passed wore plain and almost raggedy looking clothes. When they saw the princess, they all immediately stopped what they were doing to bow or curtsy as she passed them by. All the buildings and residences were fairly small and simple structures. Nothing was too colorful or shined like the streets of the capital. Overall, the village was quite gray. It wasn't much, but to Ophelia, it was home.

Ophelia rode ahead of her two companions on the same horse, guiding them to where Varian's house was. After riding further down the dirt road, they came to the biggest structure they had seen in the entire village, the Corona wall right behind it. It almost looked like a small castle, but there were missing bricks to the top of the main tower, and half the roof was missing on another tower close by. It looked pretty ominous to Cass and the princess, but Ophelia was bursting at the seams to be back.

The three ladies dismounted their horses, leaving them by a tree a few yards from the building. As they quietly crossed over the bridge, approaching the small castle, Rapunzel and Cassandra looked at it with wariness and a bit of fear.

"So this is where Varian lives. It seems cozy," Rapunzel said with a nervous smile. "In a 'I wish I had said goodbye to my loved ones before I left' kind of way." Even Pascal was nervous, hiding as far as he could back behind Rapunzel's braid.

Ophelia sighed, knowing her companions still didn't believe that there was nothing to be afraid of there. Continuing her walk, Ophelia turned around to speak to them. "Ladies, I know the place looks a bit… rundown, but it's really not bad," she said as she walked backwards in front of them. The younger girl turned back around to look up at the structure as they stopped at the base of the front stairs. "This place is like a second home to me," she said with smile.

The three climbed the stairs and approached the double doors. Ophelia was just about to knock when a pale green fog started coming out from the bottom of it. Followed by the fog was a slight rumble of the structure, causing one of the doors to creek open a bit.

Rapunzel remained nervous and Cassandra looked on-guard. Ophelia merely shrugged. "Varian must be working on something," the younger girl said as simply as a comment about the current weather. Ophelia pushed the door open further before looking back over her shoulder. "Come on," she said to her two companions, nodding to them to follow her through the door.

"Stay close Raps," Cassandra said to the princess as they both entered behind Ophelia. The group walked down a dark but short hallway before coming to another questionable looking door; this one with thick purple fog coming out from all around it.

"This way," Ophelia said to them as she opened the single door and walked right it. She paid the ominous fog no mind as she walked through it, not nervous at all, but she was looking around a lot. Where was Varian?

"It's just fog," Rapunzel said to try to calm herself, but still looking at the fog like it was going to bit her. "I'm sure it's okay."

As they walked further into the room, Ophelia suddenly stopped. "Wait, watch your step in here. Varian sometimes sets out-" Rapunzel immediately stopped walking as she heard the beginning of Ophelia's warning, but Cassandra kept going. Before she could finish her sentences, however, Cassandra's foot hit a wire stretched across the floor. The wire was connected to the top handle of a fireplace bellows up on a shelf nearby. When it was snagged, the top handle came down, pumping out a blast of air. In front of the bellows was a match pointing straight up, sitting on a small plank of wood with four wheels on the bottom, and a small piece of cloth was attached to the match like a sail. When the air blast was released from the bellows, the gust blew into the match's sail, allowing it to roll along the shelf. As the wheels carried the match along, its top end brushed across a sheet of sandpaper that was hung from above at the perfect level to reach the match's tip; igniting it as it moved. The match finally came to a stop on the other side of the shelf, right under a flask filled with a strange pink liquid. The flask was corded shut, but attached to the side of it was a small, swirly tube. When the lit match stopped below the flask, it heated the pink liquid, making it bubble. As it bubbled, the pink liquid traveled from the flask through the tube, spiraling down to below the shelf, where a clear sphere sat on a spring. The pink liquid poured out of the tube and into the sphere. When it was full, the spring bent down under the weight of the pink sphere before flinging it off and onto the ground were the three young ladies stood. When it hit the ground, the sphere burst and released even more purple fog. The three covered their eyes and coughed as they waited for the fog to settle. When they finally looked down again, they saw their feet trapped in a pink-purely goo. "….booby-traps," Ophelia said with a sigh, wishing she had said something sooner and that the other girls had listened to her better.

"What is this stuff?" Rapunzel asked, somewhat disgusted as she tried to move her feet.

Cassandra tried as well, but the goo only stretched a bit before snapping her feet back into place. The lady-in-waiting then turned to the princess, worrying for her safety most of all, but tried to reassure her. "Raps, everything's gonna be o-" she tried to say before she caught sight of something approaching them.

From out of the purple fog stepped a dark figure in a trench coat and long black gloves. Their face was covered by a scary metal mask with huge glowing yellow eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deep and even more terrifying then his presence.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" the figure said to them.

Assuming this was the man they were looking for, Rapunzel started to speak. "Uh, hi," Rapunzel said with a friendly but very nervous tone and timid wave of her hand. "So sorry to bother you, sir. I wanted to ask you about my hair," she said, bringing her braid around her shoulder for a second to show him. "because you're such a magic expert and-"

"MAGIC?!" the figure yelled a bit louder, outraged. Rapunzel stopped talking to coil back a bit in fear from the scary man while Cassandra looked at him like she was ready to draw her sword at a seconds notice.

Ophelia on the other hand, calmly removed her hood. "I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen, Varian," she said with a simple shrug, her hands on her hips.

The masked man turned his bright yellow eyes to the younger girl caught in his chemical booby-trap. He had heard her voice. He knew that voice anywhere, whether it was telling him to help her sit the table or singing a song while she was baking muffins. He didn't believe it at first, but after getting a good look at her face, he knew he was right. "OPHELIA?" he exclaimed after a fairly long pause. The kitchen maid's smile grew as she looked at him. "OPHE-" he started to say again, but, suddenly realizing he was still wearing his welding mask, took a moment to lift it from his face and onto the top of his head. The mask gone revealed the face of a young boy, no older then the kitchen maid, with big blue eyes, freckles all along his cheeks and nose, and a head of short hair as black as night. Among his pitch dark locks was a single streak of hair that was a peculiar color of pale blue. "Ophelia!" he exclaimed, his voice no longer deep and scary, with a smile that matched the younger girls,' his arms open wide.

Ophelia moved to meet him halfway. "Ah!" she let slip from her mouth as she caught herself from falling when her feet wouldn't move from the goo.

"Oh, right. Sorry," the boy apologized, realizing the problem. "Where is that neutralizing particle…?" he muttered to himself as he started feeling around in his dark green trench coat for a second. "Ah!… here we go," he said after pulling out what looked like a salt shaker.

After the boy sprinkled some of the white substance on the purple goo by Ophelia's feet, it dissolved away within seconds. As soon as her feet were free, Ophelia launched herself into the boy's waiting arms.

"Oh Varian," she whispered as she hugged him. "It's so good to see you." She hadn't seen him in months and missed him so much since that day. The boy, Varian, held her just as tight, his eyes closed and with a smile that was nothing short of pure happiness.

"That's Varian?" Cassandra said as she and Rapunzel watched the two hug, not believing the person they were looking for that could help them, was just a kid.

"So he's not a wizard?" Rapunzel asked confused. Ophelia had said something a minute ago about that not being true. Plus, this boy didn't look like any wizard she imaged. No pointy hat, no magic staff. Not even a beard.

Hearing this, Varian opened his eyes and pulled away from Ophelia, just enough to look at her but still held onto her at arm's length. "You told them I was a wizard?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"No. I told them you could help them, and that you were talented with things like this," Ophelia told him before pulling away from him more so she could turn and look back at the two older girls she brought with her. "and they assumed 'wizard.' I tried to correct them but they wouldn't let me get a word in." The young kitchen maid gave them both a little look before turning back to her closest friend, changing her look to a sweet grin. "I know better than anyone that you're a man of science."

Varian smiled back, happy to know his oldest friend wasn't spreading or encouraging rumors about him that she of all people would know weren't true. While other people inside and outside their village, when they hear of his talents, think he's a wizard who practices magic, Ophelia is the only person anywhere who knows the real him without a doubt.

"Indeed I am," Varian said proudly before turning to speak directly to the two older girls standing in his lab. "See I don't work with magic… I mean technically its alchemy, but uh-you know, don't sweat it," he reassured them.

Pascal narrowed his eyes at the stranger, not entirely sure what to make of him, until his owner spoke again to him. "Got it," Rapunzel said kindly. "What is this anyway?" she asked, gesturing down to her foot as she raised it a bit, or as much as she could while still stuck in the mysterious goo.

"Oh, it's just a little chemical compound of my own design," Varian explained as he started to remove his trench coat, followed swiftly by his welding mask that sat on his head. When it was gone, a pair of goggles was revealed to be resting on the top of his head. As he took them off, Ophelia took them from him. "Thank you," he said humbly to his best friend. Ophelia just smiled as she carried them to the coat rack in the corner. On her way, she opened a window to let out some of the purple fog, which was already starting to clear the room. As she hung up his trench coat and mask, Ophelia also removed her black cloak and hung that up as well. "We have a bit of a critter problem out here," Varian continued to explain as he walked to the other side of the room where the goo trail ended, and there, also trapped in it, was a raccoon. Rapunzel and Cassandra wondered for a second how they had not noticed the little guy when they came in. "and through the miracle of modern alchemy, I have found a humane way to solve the problem." As he spoke, Varian applied more of the white substance from the shaker to the goo by the raccoon's feet, freeing it as well before picking it up.

"Ruddiger!" Ophelia shrieked in delight as she came running back over to Varian, taking the raccoon from him and hugging the little critter warmly. The raccoon, presumably named Ruddiger, chortled in pleasure as the girl affectionately scratched him behind the ears. "You're still sneaking in here?" she asked the animal sweetly before turning to the boy beside her. "And Varian, you keep throwing him out?" she asked him in mock-outraged

"You know my dad doesn't like him in the house," Varian said, his hands up in defense. After befriending the young raccoon who was constantly sneaking into the house, both Varian and Ophelia didn't like having to toss him out after catching him in the goo trap meant for other pests. Ruddiger was more of a pet. A pet they fed and played with, but had to hide when Varian's father was around.

"This is riveting, but could you get us out of here?" Cassandra said with a roll of her eyes. She wanted to get down to business of why they came there, but she'd rather not remain stuck in this kid's slim trap.

"Oh right. Of course," Varian hastened himself over to the other young ladies. The young man knelt down and sprinkled more of the white substance onto the princess's bare feet. "I am so sorry," he apologized before sprinkling more on Cassandra's feet. When all the goo was gone, Varian pulled his hand with the shaker back to his chest. "Your Highness," he said, properly bowing his head to Rapunzel.

"Your Highness?" Rapunzel said, surprised. "You know who I am?"

Remaining down on one knee, Varian looking up at her again to reply. "Uh, how could I not?" The boy let out a soft chuckle. "Look at your hair…" Varian stopped himself, fearing he might have said too much. "Your Highness," he said again before letting out an awkward cough.

"Oh please. Just Rapunzel," she reassured the nervous young lad.

"Wow. Really?" Varian said happily as he stood up. Seeing that it was okay, Varian let himself dive into a ramble about his thoughts on the princess's hair that he had been considering for the past few days. "Okay. So… fantastical stories of your hair returning have spread throughout Corona," Varian said as he walked around the princess, observing her blonde hair, bunched up into a braid that only just barely touched the ground. Then he lifted it up in his gloved hands for a second. "Yeah, people say it's magic but personally, I don't really believe that." Dropping her hair, Varian walked back to in front of the two older girls. "Now as you've probably guessed, I am a man of science, specifically al-"

"Alchemy. We know," Cassandra cut in, bored of the kid's pointless rambling.

"That's actually the reason I brought them here Varian," Ophelia said, coming back over to the group. "Princess Rapunzel wants to know why her hair is back and needed to find someone who could help her, and I thought of you. I know if anyone can uncover the unknown, it's you," she said to her dear friend, giving him a sincere smile.

Varian smiled back, touched that she recommended him and that the princess was willing to give him a chance. "Well alright then," he said, rubbing his hands together before cracking them, ready and up for the challenge.

"Yeah, great," Cassandra cut in again. "Now listen kid, we need your help but let me make something clear," she stood right in front of him, poking him in the chest. "What happens here, stays here," she told him with great force before grabbing ahold of the front of his shirt and lifting him up a bit. "You got it?"

It was one thing to insist that her best friend was dangerous, but to talk to him so threateningly when she just met him and he hadn't even done anything bad to her or the princess yet… Ophelia did not appreciate that one bit.

Ophelia's hands sprung up and separated Cassandra's hands from Varian's shirt.

After so many inventions and experiments that had gone wrong over the years and the village pointing fingers at him for being a nuisance, Ophelia was used to sticking up for Varian. It was like a second nature to her. After all these years, it was an instinct to protect him.


There we are. Varian has come at last and he is reunited with his oldest and dearest friend. (There will be more backstory of their past together later on).

I can't promise I will be making weekly updates, but I will post when I can.

Big thanks to the people who left reviews this past week. I have some responses for you;

Princess Jaquline Chess: Thank u so much! When I was finished binge-watching 'Tangled: The Series' season 1, I started looking for fanfiction about Varian, and your stories If You Only Knew Me, These Runaways Will Run The Night, and Where The Lost Get Found, were the first ones I found and I loved them. I liked your love interest for Varian (Juliet), so it inspired me to make my own. I'm glad you like her. Your comment did make my day feel blessed.

Anonymous: This soon enough for u my friend? Love your enthusiasm for my story, and I hope you like the ones to come. I'm still working on the next chapter so I don't know how soon the next chapter will be done.

Crystalmoon39: I'm so glad u feel that way.

Also thank u to everyone who followed and favorited this story.

See u all next chapter ;)