*chanting* ANGST! ANGST! ANGST!

"Let's just... take this slow."" Eugene and Lance were hiding behind one of the overturned tables in Varian's lab. "We don't want someone to lose an eye."

Varian rolled his eyes. "We're just testing her incantation abilities. Not playing with swords."

"This is objectively more dangerous." Lance grumbled under his breath.

Varian ignored him and turned to Rapunzel. "Ready, go!"


The explosion was big. Very big, and it knocked everyone back.

Varian had the unfortunate luck of being right next to Rapunzel when it happened. He hit his head on the wall and blacked out.

When he came to, he felt hands on his shoulders and heard Eugene's voice but he couldn't see anything. Everything was pitch black.

"Varian? Varian!" Eugene shook him a little. "Come on buddy, wake up!"

Varian blinked his eyes open, expecting to see Eugene. He didn't. Instead he was met with more darkness.

"Eugene?" He knew that he was there but he couldn't see him.

"What's wrong?" He must've seen the terrified look on his face because his tone changed from concern, to fear.

"Eugene, I-I can't see."


"He should be fine," Doctor Flora said as she packed her bag. "Other than than the blindness, I mean."

She left and and Rapunzel sat on the bed next to Varian.

"Varian I am so sorry." The princess was almost crying.

Varian found her hand and squeezed it. "It's okay. I don't blame you, Rapunzel."

"But-"

"No buts." He turned his head towards her. "I don't blame you."

She looked into his, probably permanently, glazed over eyes. "But I'm the one who did this."

"Not on purpose."

Eugene put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sunshine." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "He's not mad."

A few days later

It had been a few days since the accident and it seemed like Varian was starting to get pretty good at navigating his surroundings. His dad was around alot more often now too, just to make sure he stayed safe.

Explaining what happened to Quirin had been one of the most awkward conversations Rapunzel had, had in her entire life.

Quirin came up to the princess who was talking to her parents. "Sorry to bother you, your majesties, but have you seen Varian."

Rapunzel looked around the throne room. "I thought he was with you?"

"And I thought he was with you."

They looked at eachother in a panic. Soon they had almost everyone in the castle looking for the alchemist.


Varian had no idea where he was. He had been 'looking' for Ruddiger and he was pretty sure that the raccoon was somewhere in the forest.

"Ruddiger!" He called out and then listened for his friend. He heard footsteps but they were heavy so it definitely wasn't Ruddiger. Then came the voice.

"Hey Varian."

It was Cass.

He stood completely still, almost frozen in fear. "Cass."

She laughed. "What's wrong? Not happy to see me?" She gripped his shoulder and turned him to face her. She almost gasped when she saw his eyes. They were completely glazed over. Varian was blind.

'What happened? Who did this to you?" Cass demanded.

Varian's expression changed from fear to confusion. "W-why do you care?"

"I already told you, I know that none of this is your fault. It's Rapunzel's." She released her grip on his shoulder. "Who did this?"

He backed away from her and into a tree. "Um... it was Rapunzel..."

Cass clenched her fist. First Rapunzel betrayed her and then this! Cass was beyond angry at the princess. She thought that Rapunzel cared about Varian.

"Cass it's not what you think!" He suddenly exclaimed. "It was an accident. She didn't do it on purpose."

"She hurt you, Varian." Cass glared in the direction of the castle. "Thie is something I won't let her get away with."

"Cassandra please don't!" He grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Don't punish Rapunzel. This was an accident."

The Enchanted Girl appeared behind Varian. "She hurt your friend. She blinded him, Cassandra."

Varian froze. That voice was familiar. "Cass, who is that?"

"I'm a friend." The voice said. "Or, atleast, I'd like to be."

'You. You were the one who was in my dream. The one who told me about the fourth incantation." He turned his head slightly towards her. "What are you doing with Cassandra?:

"I'm helping her." The voice moved from behind him to in front of him, next to Cassandra. "You of all people should know what it's like when the people you trust the most push you to the side. To forget about and abandon you."

"That isn't what happened." Varian insisted. "Cass, you know that Rapunzel loves you and would never, ever, hurt you." There was a pause and Varian got the feeling Cass was giving him the stink eye. "Not on purpose, anyway."

"Varian!" Rapunzel's voice suddenly broke through the silent forest. "Varian where are you!"

His ears perked up at the sound of her voice.

"Rapunzel?" He called back. Then he heard Cass unsheath her sword. "Cass, whatever you plan on doing, don't."

"Cass?" Rapunzel gasped when she saw her old friend standing in front of Varian with her sword drawn. "Cassandra what are you doing?"

Cassandra glared at her. "What am I doing? Maybe you should ask yourself that question, princess." She pointed her sword at Rapunzel. "What you did to me is one thing, but blinding Varian? That's another."

Behind Cassandra, Zhan Tiri grinned. This was going better than expected.

"Do you really think I meant to do that?" Rapunzel's voice was filled with hurt. She knew Cass was mad at her but she never thought Cass would accuse her of hurting anyone that severely on purpose. "Cass..."

The two girls had a sort of stand-off, waiting to what the other would do.

Meanwhile, Lance and Eugene were trying to figure out how to get Varian away from Cass. They couldn't just go and grab him. Cassandra would just stop them.

Varian listened intently to hear if anything was happening. He hated not being able to see. And Cass was still in between him, and his friends.

"Cassandra, I don't know what you want, but please just give me my son back." Quirin pleaded.

Cass' grip on her sword tightened and she had to remind herself not to get mad at Quirin. He hadn't done anything wrong. She shoved Varian towards his father and turned her attention back to Rapunzel. "Until next time, Rapunzel."

And with that, Cassandra dissapeared with Zhan Tiri's help.


They reappeared at their fortress of black rocks. The Enchanted Girl crossed her arms and stood in front of Cassandra. "You had the perfect opportunity to destroy Rapunzel. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want Varian to get hur- to get in the way. Besides, there were too many of them. Half the guard was there."

The Enchanted Girl raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're not going soft. You can't afford to worry about anyone else, even if they're someone you used to care about."

Cassandra nodded. "I... understand."


"Did she hurt you?" Rapunzel asked, looking him over.

Varian pulled his arm out of her grip. "No, I'm fine. Let's just go."

"What were you even doing out here?" Lance asked.

"I was looking for Ruddiger." Varian held onto Eugene's arm as they walked back to the castle. "I followed him here and that's when Cass showed up."

Rapunzel sighed. "I'm sure he'll turn up but, you can't just wander off like that. You could've gotten hurt."

Varian glared at the ground. "Just because I can't see, doesn't mean I'm helpless."

She was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just... I just don't want you to get hurt. Not again."

Varian's expression softened as he found her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "Hey, it's okay. Cass didn't hurt me. I'm fine."

Rapunzel felt her eyes begin to water. "But you're not. Varian, she was right. I hurt you... and... and I don't even know if I can fix it."

Varian gave her a reassuring smile. "Raps, it's okay. I know that you didn't do it on purpose."

Rapunzel gave him a smile in return, despite him not being able to see it. "Thank you."


When they got back to the castle Varian told them exactly what happened.

"She kind of snuck up on me. After she saw my little... problem, she demanded to know what happened. I told her that it was you, but it was an accident. She would'nt listen. And then that was when her little friend showed up."

"Zhan Tiri." Rapunzel hadn't seen the demon child with Cass but according to Varian, she'd been there.

"Yeah..." Rapunzel had told everyone about what happened at the Spire and he hated to be reminded about Zhan Tiri's involvement with Cass, but knowing he was the reason she was free, weighed heavily on his shoulders. "And then you guys showed up. It was weird though. Cass didn't seem like me she wanted to hurt me. Actually, after hearing about what happened it seemed more like she wanted to protect me."

Eugene couldn't help the snort of a laugh after hearing that. "I'm sorry but, are you trying to tell us that Cassandra felt something other than spite?"

Both Rapunzel and Varian glared at him.

"Yes." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I know it's weird but she was acting the same way on Eugene's birthday. She didn't want to hurt me."

"She threw you off the tower." Kiera reminded him.

"Actually, she didn't. Technically that was Rapunzel but again, she didn't do it on purpose."

Rapunzel cringed at the memory. She'd nearly gotten Varian killed that day. Both times she'd used the Hope Incantation, Varian had gotten hurt one way or another.

"Okay, but still. This is Cassandra we're talking about." Lance said. "She isn't exactly warm and fuzzy."

Varian suddenly stood up and started walking towards the door with Ruddiger's direction.

"Where are you going?" Rapunzel asked. She started to get up too.

"I need some air." He said rather aggressively.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked. She wasn't too keen on Varian going off on his own again.

"No, I'll be fine."

He left and they didn't see him again for the rest of the day, or the next. By the third day of not seeing Varian, Rapunzel began to worry. She went straight to Old Corona and immediately saw Quirin when she arrived at his house.

"Hi, Quirin!" She waved and he smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm just here to talk to Varian."

"He's in his old lab." His expression changed to concern and that scared her.

"Should he really be doing that in his condition?"

Quirin sighed. "You know Varian, your highness. He hates not being able to do anything and he won't take no for an answer."

Rapunzel pursed her lips and nodded. She knew that about her friend more than anyone. Without another word she entered their home and ventured down into Varian's lab.

"Varian?" She cautiously stepped into the large space but jumped when she heard a loud crash and Varian yelp. She sped around the corner to see Varian on the ground and his work table flipped over. "Varian!"

She quickly helped him up. "Are you okay?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. I just tripped over something." He laughed awkwardly.

Rapunzel helped him pick up the table and the papers and beakers that had spilled all over the floor. "What are you doing."

The princess looked at the scattered sheets of paper. Some had scrawled, messy lines that looked like they were meant to be words and the others had much more readable writing but the letters were raised.

"Are you... trying to-"

"Make it easy for me to read and write?" He nodded. "Yeah."

Rapunzel felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. Varian was smart and resourceful. Of course he'd find a way to read and write in despite his disability. A disability that she'd caused.

"Wow." She laughed. "You're pretty resourceful."

"Thanks." Varian smiled and turned his head down towards the table. "You know what? I could actually use your help."

Rapunzel smiled. "Really?:

"Really."

This is so not the only chapter of this thing that I'm writing. I'm gonna be writing more of this au/idea thing. anyway, hope you enjoyed.