Angel: That's actually a good question and Varian and Harmony, Jenna. Well...Ariel and Eric from The Little Mermaid was a little influence for the awkward moments before Harmony and Varian even started going out. The different economic backgrounds thing was from Aladdin and Jasmine (and that was when I was thinking to have Harmony be a peasant girl at first). The phrase 'Great minds think alike' also played a factor into it. And actually, Rapunzel and Eugene were a bit of an influence for them too since Harmony and Varian both look up to them. There are so many relationships out there...
The anime Karin, where Kenta declares that he doesn't see Karin as a monster, also helped with the fact that Varian doesn't fear Harmony in any sort of way. He doesn't ever run away from her or even think ill of her abilities, and instead encourages them.
Steven Universe with Ruby and Sapphire was a great inspiration as well, with their...situations XD Not as far as what Varian had done to Harmony in season 1 and 3, but still just as deep.
And I read a LOT of Webtoons from the app that have influenced me throughout the years! Assassin Roommate, Siren's Lament, and Eggnoid are just a few…
Though Varian and Harmony's stories in the show didn't make it hard to write their relationship either XDD
Anyway, this one-shot is basically an AU of the episode A Tale of Two Sisters (or Three, since Harmony's in both this and that episode). But I'm not gonna go through the whole episode, just parts of it like I did with Harmony the Alchemist. However, this is not in canon to anything from my other story whatsoever, and please don't think of it as such XD
Summary: Zhan Tiri brings Gothel back to life.
"Hello again, old friend," Zhan Tiri is in the Demanitus chamber, looking up at the amber. Varian no longer works in this lab after...being kidnapped by Cassandra. He has since moved all of his stuff out of the chamber and put most of it in Harmony's lab. Anything else was back in his cottage, and she didn't seem to mind sharing with him. Not to mention being snatched by someone who was formerly their friend...brings a lot of emotions to her. She's just glad that he stops by to check on her, and she'll go to him if she has nightmares about him being taken away again...
"My dear Demanitus," Zhan Tiri speaks up. "I wanted you to know...you've lost," She takes an object and throws it at the fallen device. "When the eclipse comes, I shall draw the powers of the sundrop and the moonstone to myself. And as for their human hosts..."
Smoke comes out from the bottom, giving off the silhouettes of the two sisters and Cass. "To ensure that their once inseparable bond doesn't interfere, I have set a plan into motion that will cement their rift...and this plan starts where it all began..."
She walks back to Cass' fortress, which has been rebuilt ever since being destroyed by Rapunzel. Zhan Tiri and Harmony have a rather...complicated history. And if she told anyone who didn't know already, they wouldn't believe her. Zhan Tiri used to be her 'imaginary friend', visiting Harmony when the girl was 4. Lonely and wanting a friend because of the way she was raised, the girl accepted her without being unaware of who her friend was. After her father asked her to grow up and Zhan Tiri overheard, she disappeared, and the two didn't see each other again until Harmony visited the Great Tree on her way to the Dark Kingdom.
However, it became apparent that Zhan Tiri was just using her. Just like she's doing to Cass right now.
The little girl looks to a patch of undisturbed grass, the same spot where...a certain person in Rapunzel and Cassandra's past perished. Mother Gothel, Rapunzel's kidnapper, turned into dust after Eugene cut off Rapunzel's hair, taking away all of Gothel's youth. She then promptly turned back to her true looks, tripped out a window, and turned into dust. Even her old cloak wasn't there anymore, possibly gone forever.
But with the right knowledge from a certain scientist, and the right spell...
Zhan Tiri silently takes out the piece that broke off from the moonstone during Rapunzel and Cassandra's fight. Or at least, Cassandra's half of the moonstone. She rolls her eye sat the reminder. Honestly, she thought it was ridiculous that Harmony had half of the moonstone all because of some old fool accidentally giving it to her. At least now her pawn is playing right into her hands by taking the other half from the princess.
"I don't have the sundrop yet, but since Rapunzel, Harmony, and Cassandra are essentially linked, this will have to do," She drops the moonstone piece onto the spot where Gothel's cloak fell. Thanks to Demanitus, she was able to determine that having a piece from the sundrop or moonstone while saying an incantation will bring that person back to life. She memorized his notes for centuries before he betrayed her, and now she'll soon have her revenge.
"Flower gleam and glow...let your power shine...make the clock reverse...bring back what once was mine."
The grass glows in blue as the dust gathers up in front of her. Zhan Tiri has a sadistic grin on her face, chuckling as a certain silhouette forms in front of her.
Harmony, Varian, Rapunzel, Pascal, and Daisy all stand in front of the cottage where the two boys saw 'Gothel'. It might be just a rumor, but given Seth's mood and that this is someone who kidnapped Rapunzel and killed Eugene...
It's clear that the place being abandoned that no one currently lives here. The moss and ivy look like they haven't been touched in years.
Pascal squeaks from Rapunzel's bag, looking up at her. "Aw, I know, buddy, I don't like it either, but...whatever's going on in there, I need to see for myself," She then turns to Harmony and Varian. "You guys didn't have to come with me, you know."
"We know, but...you need the support," Harmony places a hand on her shoulder with a small smile.
"You did the same for us numerous times," Varian chuckles nervously. He never asks about Gothel, because it's a personal subject for both princesses. She was essentially the reason they grew up the way they did...but if it wasn't for her, then Rapunzel wouldn't have known that she had a sister, or that she was a princess even. "I-I mean, neither of us know Gothel on a personal level like you, but I-I'm cool helping you with this."
"Oh, don't tell me you're scared," Harmony smirks at him knowingly, hands on her hips.
"What? No!" He scoffs, waving it off. "I've just...never seen an actual ghost."
"You bravely rallied people to come storm a king's ship on the Day of Hearts. A dead woman's house, and you have a problem?" Harmony raises a brow at him skeptically.
"Now that was entirely different. I was continuously motivated to save you from being married against your will, and I had help," He defends, crossing his arms. Rapunzel says nothing as she seems focused on something else and Daisy rolls her eyes with a low chirp.
"Well, we have to at least investigate Seth's claim, right Punzie?" Harmony turns to her older sister, who is staring at the cottage in thought.
"...Do you think we should tell Cass about Zhan Tiri?"
Varian turns to her, and she's still looking up ahead. "She deserves to know the truth, right?"
The two briefly glance at each other, remembering Zhan Tiri revealing herself to them, and her cryptic words she spoke before disappearing...and all because Harmony used the few moments she touched the moonstone to wish for her appearance. Sometimes they couldn't believe that a newborn child was why Zhan Tiri escaped the Lost Realm...
"In a way, yes, but...I don't think she'll believe us," Harmony speaks up after a few seconds.
"She's blinded by her hatred of you two," Varian murmurs, glancing between the two sisters. "Chances are that she won't listen."
"But we could still try..." Rapunzel whispers, clenching a fist. Ever since Cassandra betrayed them, Rapunzel has stuck onto the belief that there is still good in her, and that she shouldn't give up on her friend. There has been some discouragement from her friends, especially after Cassandra had sucked the powers out of Harmony, nearly killing her. After that, Rapunzel had to stop and think about what's to come. Her sister was barely breathing, and Rapunzel had to watch her get her powers taken away with her own eyes.
Varian was understandably the most worried about her, and all his thoughts were about her while she was resting...
"Come on, guys. Let's go," Rapunzel steps forward, followed by the two teens. A blue glove moves away a leaf as they look at the trio. Rapunzel opens up the door and they slowly step inside.
"Ugh. This place is kind of gross," Harmony whispers to herself as she looks at the walls.
"Yeah, it's really gone downhill," Varian whispers in agreement as they look through an archway. They go down the two steps.
"H-Hello?" Rapunzel stammers as they go further inside. They stop nearby an open door and go towards it. She looks to the others before reaching out a hand to it. She slowly moves it, gasping. What the two boys saw last night reappears, Gothel moving towards them. The two teens scream at her and she comes to a stop, Harmony inspecting it further.
"Wait..."
Gothel moves back to her original position and the two hesitantly step forward. "How are you...?" Rapunzel seems to be coming to the same conclusion as her sister as she sees that Gothel isn't real. Pascal hides underneath her hair as someone else enters the cottage. The person that was watching them from outside picks up a piece from the music box.
Rapunzel removes the cloak, and it's revealed that 'Gothel' is actually just a mannequin with her head on it.
"Made of...wax?" Rapunzel touches it lightly.
"Oh thank goodness," Varian drops his shoulders in relief.
"To others, it's just her ghost to scare people off," Harmony gestures to the fake Gothel. Rapunzel looks up and sees the ropes and candle. "They're too scared to realize that It's all fake, although it is pretty elaborate."
"What is this...?" All of that above their heads was set up so that the fake Gothel would move.
"A pulley system..." Varian murmurs as he examines it. "Anyone could operate this while in the shadows."
"Clearly someone wanted people to think that Gothel or her ghost was hiding here. The question is..."
"Why?"
They turn around to see the other person who walked in. "What are you doing here?"
Cass steps forward, removing her cloak.
Now the group are in an underground room, after Rapunzel and Cass fought and they ended up in these tunnels that were somehow underneath Gothel's old home. They've had to deal with bats, giant moles, and riding a mine cart. Thankfully, they've managed to escape from the bats and the moles, but now they have no clue where they are. Rapunzel has suggested working with Cassandra, to Varian's discomfort, and Cass had refused immensely to do so.
"Mine carts, bats, moles...ah, it's not gonna end there, is it?" Varian takes some breaths, hands on his knees.
"Nope," Harmony shakes her head.
"Nice move on that mole, by the way," Rapunzel comments while fixing up her hair back into her braid.
"...Okay, fine."
"Fine what?" Rapunzel smiles nervously.
"...Temporary truce," Cass holds out her hand to the blonde. "But just until we get out of here. And their information might be...useful for now," She glances to the two teenagers. They, of course, know about bats and moles and it helped them get away. However, Cass made it clear that she doesn't like either of them.
"Well...now I have a new condition," Rapunzel rubs her chin.
"Let me guess, I have to be nice to you," Cass frowns a bit, and because of her feelings towards Rapunzel, she wasn't sure if she could do that.
"That's not what I was gonna say. Okay, that is what I was gonna say, but...you just have to not be mean. Especially to them," She gestures to Harmony and Varian. You won't threaten them in any way or start fights with your words. And no, I didn't forget about you either on that one," She gives her sister a look, remembering the brunette's reaction when Cass goaded Harmony back at her fortress. "So...if you can do that, then Harmi won't get angry."
"Easy for you to say, I didn't bait you," Harmony mutters under her breath, Rapunzel elbowing her. "Okay, okay. I won't get angry, only if she leaves my name out of her mouth," She crosses her arms. "That means no telling lies or that your friend told you to say it either."
"And do. Not. Touch. Her," Varian warns Cass in the same way he tells others not to touch anything.
Rapunzel holds out her hand and Cass shakes it. Then she shakes hands with the teenagers. "Taht was oh so delightful."
"Hm," Varian has an annoyed look, glancing at Rapunzel.
"Alright, I'll let that slide because we're just starting," Rapunzel sees a torch and grabs it.
"What is this stuff?" Cass looks at a shelf full of things. Most of the things on the wall are drawings, but some of them are familiar. Rapunzel gasps at one particular one.
"The sundrop...oh, look at this. The sun incantation. Gothel was alive a long time."
"She must've been alive long enough to know that the moonstone existed, but just didn't see its potential," Varian glances to Harmony, who gags slightly.
"The thought of that unnerves me, do not say that again. Ugh! No offense, Cassandra."
He holds up his hands in defense. "Why did she have this...?" Pascal latches onto Rapunzel's shoulder with his tongue, flying over to her shoulder. Daisy sees all the mushrooms.
"She must've been looking into the sundrop before Rapunzel and I were even born..." Harmony murmurs slowly.
"Which means she only wanted the sundrop since the moonstone...well..." Varian glances at the girl. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like if Gothel had came back to take Harmony too...well, in a sense, she did grow up in a similar way like her sister, just with princess lessons. Then they notice the wall of mirrors.
"Oh...I knew she was vain, but..." They look to a wall where a hand mirror is missing. "It looks like one's missing.
Cass touches one and suddenly light comes from it, surrounding the mirror. An image of Cass comes up, and she looks like her younger self.
"Good morning, beautiful."
"Mother?" The two women ask in unison.
"Well, don't you look lovely today?" Gothel examines herself in the mirror. "Smoky eyes definitely work for you."
"And she's...talking to herself," Rapunzel deadpans at this.
"This must be...entries of some sort," Harmony stares at the mirrors. "So that she wouldn't forget how beautiful she thinks she is," A deadpan look hits her face.
"Well, well, well..."
They whip around to the shadows, where the real Gothel steps behind them. Their mouths open up in shock at her appearance.
"My flower and Cassandra in the same place..."
"Gothel?!" They all exclaim in unison, Pascal and Daisy fainting.
Angel: I know that the potion was tipped over, but this is an AU, so that didn't happen XD And I have a message! I heard about this Varian and the Seven Kingdoms thing on Youtube. At first, I just ignored it, because I didn't know what it was or where it came from. But then I decided to look it up, and it was a proposed spin-off from two people who worked on the series that got REJECTED by Disney just because Varian is a side character from the Tangled series, and Rapunzel was the main focus. They offered to do it, but only if they changed the character of Varian.
YO. That is the most stupidest thing I ever heard! Thank goodness the story boarders behind it said no, because they shouldn't even change him in the first place!
There's a petition to make this a real thing, and so my message is I encourage those who haven't to go sign it on Change. Just look up 'Disney Varian' in the search engine from the website and you'll find it. Please sign it, not to make the spin off immediately but to do it in the future. This is a missed opportunity, Disney! I LOVE Varian, he's the reason why I watched the show and made my other story! I still have hope for the spin off because the art released is great, and I wish Disney would realize the potential here!
Disney is probably the most successful from itself, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon right now, and yet they said no to this spin-off...