It had been years since Quirin had watched Varian work on his alchemy and engineering. When his son was younger and just learning, Quirin refused to even take his eyes off of Varian when he went on with his experiments. As Varian grew older and more experienced though, and he could handle a certain level of independence, Quirin had left him on his own.

Many times throughout the years he wondered if he should have continued to supervise Varian, or found him a mentor or teacher to watch over him as he worked. Maybe it would have helped Varian to not feel as alone and isolated in his alchemy, as well as prevented most of the incidents that the boy's experiments caused.

Here in the Demanitus chamber, when Quirin was stressed about the well-being of his brother and the rest of his family, he couldn't help but find comfort and amusement in watching his son work. Varian examined every inch of the Demanitus device, even climbing up on top of it to get a better look.

Quirin was tempted to tell Varian to come down, but he refrained. Varian looked in his element, and Quirin didn't want to take his clear enjoyment away from him. As Varian's father, it was Quirin's job to keep his son safe, but he had come to learn that he shouldn't take things too far. He needed to show his son trust. Besides, Varian had already demonstrated that he was more than competent with the moonstone. If he fell, Quirin knew that Varian would be able to easily catch himself.

Watching Varian work was exhausting. He would examine the Demanitus device, run to his notes and write something down on it so quickly that Quirin was sure that the scrawl would be barely legible. While writing Varian would pull the Demanitus device towards him so he could compare things. Varian would then run back to the device.

Back and forth, on and on, and Varian talked loudly to himself every step of the way. Quirin hadn't thought that he would ever miss hearing Varian ramble on and on to himself. That was a big reason why Varian's lab was in the basement of their home, so he didn't disturb anybody with his comments.

Quirin was sure that he would eventually grow tired of hearing Varian's nonsense comments and exclamations, but he doubted it would happen anytime soon. He could listen to his son all day. For far too long he'd taken his son's presence for granted, and he wasn't about to do that again.

Varian was sitting cross-legged on the ground, muttering to himself. He pulled out one of his vials of sticky goo and began to look it over. There was an excited look in his eyes.

Varian had been sitting there for longer than he had since he'd started his investigations. Quirin wondered if he'd made a breakthrough. Or had he just gotten distracted and had thought of something new to add to his personal invention? Quirin wouldn't exactly blame him. They had a job to do, but Varian was still very young, even if he was no longer a child. It was to be expected that he had a difficult time focusing.

"What have you found?" Quirin knelt to be at Varian's level.

"It's probably a long-shot, but I got the idea in my head, and it's hard to let thoughts like this go." Varian said. He turned the page of one of Demanitus' journals. "Okay, so Demanitus had a lot of ideas of how to defeat Zhan Tiri, and the thing that all of them have in common is that he takes a pacifist route. No matter how desperate he is to stop her he doesn't once consider trying to destroy her."

Varian pointed at the notes. "He seemed to consider everything except violence. Here's something about sealing away her powers, which is what he ended up doing, but he also wrote about banishment, reformation, and even the possibility of turning her into a monkey or another animal so she won't have the power to hurt anybody anymore."

"I don't know if he didn't think he was strong enough to defeat Zhan Tiri in a traditional fight, or if he didn't want to hurt her, but that doesn't really matter right now." Varian said. "Reading Demanitus' words about dealing with Zhan Tiri in a non-violent manner, well, my mind went to my orbs." Varian held one of them up. "The whole reason I created them was so I could safely and efficiently deal with the pest nuisances in Old Corona. Now I'm wondering if I can adapt one of these spheres so that they can contain magic, and we can just reseal Zhan Tiri's power in that way."

Could it really be that simple? It sounded unbelievable, but Varian seemed to know what he was talking about, and right now any idea would be worth following through, at least to give it a try.

Varian frowned at his sphere. "The only thing is that I've never done this kind of alchemy before. My alchemy is to use science to try to understand magic. For me to seal magic, I think I'll have to incorporate actual magic into my alchemy, and I don't know how to do that. I've specifically avoided doing that kind of thing."

Quirin smiled. "I haven't exactly practiced alchemy, but I know a thing or two about it." He'd had to learn the basics of alchemy to keep up with Ulla, and then he'd learned more of the specifics so that he could guide Varian. Quirin thought that they could do much more with the basics than one would expect.

"Here, scoot over." Quirin sat on the ground next to Varian. "I think if we're going to seal Zhan Tiri we'll want to keep three specific elements in mind." Quirin took one of Varian's notebooks and drew three symbols on them. "Mercury, gold, and silver." He didn't remember all of the alchemical symbols and their names, but he'd memorized a handful, including these three.

"So, in alchemy gold is associated with the sun, and silver represents the moon." Quirin said. "If we're going to try to seal Zhan Tiri away with the combined powers of alchemy and the magic of the sun and moon, then I think our best bet will be to incorporate the powers of the sun and moon into the alchemy itself."

Varian nodded in understanding before pointing at the symbol of mercury. "What's that for?"

"Mercury is associated with, well, the planet Mercury." Quirin said. "But that's not what we're focusing on. What's important to us right now is that mercury is also associated with the concept of the spirit, the force that resides in every living thing. Depending on who you ask, the spirit is thought to be made of the same kind of magic that they believe the world was built upon."

Varian grimaced slightly, as he frequently did when spiritual matters were mentioned. He was trying hard to understand though, and a long moment later his eyes widened in realization. "Wait a second, spirit and magic, that's what Zhan Tiri is right now, isn't she? Her magic was freed from the tree, but she acts like a spirit. Is that because her magic and her spirit are the same thing?"

"Some people believe so." Quirin said. "If mercury represents the spirit, then maybe it'll help us to get rid of a spirit."

Varian beamed, and Quirin felt joy expand in his chest. He had forgotten what it felt like to have his son look at him like that, like he held all the answers, and Varian couldn't wait to hear them.

"Dad, that's genius!" Varian flipped through all of the notes, eager to jump right into trying to figure out the process, but when he let out a massive yawn Quirin knew that they needed to take a break."

"It's getting late." Quirin said. He took the books and notes from Varian, closing them. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm not tired." Varian said, even as he yawned again. His face went red as he realized how he had unintentionally contradicted himself. "Okay, I guess I'm kinda tired, but this is more important."

"You'll focus better after getting some rest." Quirin said. "I'll tell you what, while you sleep I'll continue your work for you, and when you wake up we'll pick things up from there."

Varian looked like he wanted to argue more, but he sighed in defeat and gathered his cloak around him. "Alright, fine, I'll try to sleep." Varian said. He stood up and made his way to where Hector was curled up on the ground, sound asleep. He'd decided to get some sleep shortly after they arrived here, since it provided an escape from the stifling silence.

While Varian went to sleep Quirin stayed next to his notes and began to read through them. He was pleasantly surprised that he could understand Demanitus' words. It was written in a lost language, but Quirin had learned it alongside Edmund in their youth.

Demanitus truly was a genius. It was no wonder that his words had survived even now, centuries later. Quirin wondered if Varian's name would go down in history in the same way. He was certainly smart enough.

Quirin reviewed the notes for a few minutes before he started to explore more of the lab. He was looking for alchemy tools, as well as the elements that they needed. It was easy enough to find tools, but the lab lacked pure gold, silver, and, probably for the best, mercury. That was fine. Quirin knew of somewhere he could find those things.

"Edmund, I'm going out." Quirin said to his brother. "Will you be okay with Hector and Varian?"

"We'll be fine." Edmund said. "Can you check on Domino for me? Perhaps find a stable for him to stay at while we're here?"

"Of course." Quirin said. He ran his hand through Varian's hair, smiling when the boy sighed contently in his sleep. "I should be back before morning." Quirin hoped that his inner clock was as accurate as ever, and that it truly was the middle of the night and the people of Corona wouldn't wake up for several hours still. What he was trying to do would be a lot harder if people were awake.

Quirin wandered the underground tunnels for some time until he found himself at a sewer entrance, different from the entrance they had come through the day before. Quirin adjusted his cloak, pulling up the hood. He was careful to move as casually as he could. People were naturally suspicious of those that were out and about at night. Even those who were out for a good reason had a hard time considering that somebody else who was out at night would be there for a reason. Quirin knew that if he was seen sneaking around then that natural suspicion would jump to the assumption that he was a threat.

If Quirin wanted to avoid bad attention he had to act like he wasn't up to anything. There were plenty of people, especially merchants, who were out and about in the early hours of the morning. As far as people were concerned, that was all he was.

Quirin made his way back towards the castle where the servant's entrance was. A couple of cooks and maids were making their way through the entrance, but Quirin cared less about who he saw, as he was more worried about who he failed to see.

Domino was gone. The cart was still there, though it had been pushed out of the way, probably by the same person who had taken their horse. Domino was too loyal and obedient to wander off when she'd been told to stay put. Quirin doubted that a thief had come by, because sturdy carts were just as valuable as a good horse. Especially when that horse was already attached to the cart.

Looked around for a moment before he sighed in frustration and headed for the royal stables. He hoped that all that had happened was one of the servants had found Domino and had tried to be helpful by taking care of her. If Domino wasn't at the stable then Quirin would take care of his other errands before looking for the horse.

There was one stable boy cleaning out the stalls this early in the morning. The boy turned to look at Quirin when he entered. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so." Quirin said. "I had to work a lot later than I thought I would last night, and when I got back to my cart my horse was missing. I was wondering if she'd been brought here."

"What does she look like?" The boy came out of the stall that he was cleaning.

"White with black markings and mane." Quirin said. "She has a very soft and beautiful coat, and a slightly snobbish look in her eyes."

"Oh," The boy grinned as he made his way to the back. "I was wondering who she belonged to." The stable hand opened one of the stalls and led Domino out. "Queen Arianna brought her here last night."

Quirin stiffened and clenched his fists. The royal family of Corona. Quirin had known them for years and he'd considered them friends, but Varian had gotten hurt by them, and now there was far too much bad blood between their families. There was a chance that Arianna had recognized the symbol of the Brotherhood on Domino's gear. If she did, what did she think?

Quirin was curious, but it was too dangerous to stick around to find out. He took Domino's reins and handed the boy several pieces of coin. "Thank you for taking care of my horse."

The boy stared at the coins with wide eyes and counted them several times before pocketing them. Quirin pet Domino's neck and began to put her saddle back on as the boy went back to work. Within a few minutes Domino was ready to go. Quirin climbed onto her back and gave her a small nudge with his feet to get her to move forward.

They walked away from the castle and towards the main streets of the city. Quirin saw his destination. The forge. Xavier wasn't an alchemist or engineer, but as the best blacksmith in Corona he worked with all kinds of metals. If there was anywhere in Corona where Quirin would be able to find the planetary metals he was looking for, it would be here.

Quirin dismounted the horse and, using skills that he'd tried hard to forget, he broke into the forge. He felt bad for trying to steal from his old friend, but he would find a way to make it up to Xavier later. Right now things were urgent. In this particular instance, the ends justified the means.

Quirin barely began his search when he felt a pressure against his back, a sharp poke that didn't pierce him, but was a clear warning that it could. "You know, if you needed some late night work all you needed was to ask." A familiar deep voice said behind him. Quirin didn't have to turn around to know that Xavier was just behind him.

The normally friendly and welcoming man sounded tense and somewhat threatening, though Quirin couldn't really blame him. For all Xavier knew Quirin was a thief. Granted, he was, but not in the traditional way.

Quirin sighed. So much for not being seen. He needed to take a risk. Xavier was an old friend, and he'd always been sympathetic and understanding. Maybe their history was good enough that Xavier would at least be willing to hear him out.

Quirin held up his hands and slowly pulled off his hood. He turned to face Xavier. The blacksmith's eyes widened when he saw him and he immediately lowered his sword.

"Q-Quirin." Xavier stared at him for a long moment before he set his sword aside and went to embrace Quirin. "Old friend, it is so good to see you." He didn't seem to care at all that Quirin had snuck into his home. "I thought you were trapped."

"I was." Quirin said. "A lot's happened."

"What brings you to my home?" Xavier asked. "And at such an odd time?"

"I'm afraid my family's in trouble." Quirin said. "I'm just desperate to help them." It was a vague explanation, but Xavier seemed content with it.

"Speaking of your family, do you know how your son is?" Xavier asked carefully. He sounded genuinely concerned. He'd always had a soft spot for Varian, and when Corona had first started being harsher on their criminals he'd been one of the people who spoke up against it.

"He's safe." Quirin said. "And I will do everything I can to keep it that way."

"As you should." Xavier said. "What can I do for you?"

"I need some pure gold, silver, and mercury." Quirin said. "I'll be able to pay you back, just not immediately." As king of the Dark Kingdom, Edmund had access to all kinds of riches. They may be back home in the Dark Kingdom, and it would take some time to bring anything back here for Xavier, but Quirin would personally see to it that the man got what was due to him.

"Can I ask what this is for?" Xavier asked even as he made his way to where he kept his metals.

"An alchemy experiment." Quirin said. "Traditional alchemy, not like what Varian typically does."

Xavier chuckled. "I've always encouraged Varian's experiments. That boy has so much ambition for someone so small." He grabbed a vial with a silver liquid in it. Mercury. "I hope that's enough for you."

It should be." Quirin didn't know how much they needed, but he didn't imagine that it was a lot. They just needed enough for a single sphere of Varian's. "Could you melt down a little gold and silver as well?" It would probably be a lot easier to use the metals if they were in liquid form.

"I don't see why not." Xavier said. "Will you help with the fire?"

"Just like the old days." Quirin nodded. Before he'd really made his home in Old Corona he would frequently assist Xavier in his forge. They would often exchange myths and tales of their people.

While they worked Xavier talked about everything that had happened in Corona since he'd been trapped in the amber. He'd heard about most of this already from Varian, but it was nice to hear from an outside perspective.

Xavier went on for a while before he eventually asked Quirin about how he had been freed. He'd already told the Coronan all about the moonstone years ago, partially as a sign of trust, but mostly because Xavier told so many myths and legends that the people of Corona almost completely disregarded that it wouldn't really be any risk if he told anybody else about the moonstone and the Dark Kingdom. They'd probably block him out before he got anywhere.

So Quirin told Xavier about Varian's moonstone powers, and Zhan Tiri's presence. It was only fair that if Xavier was going to be assisting them like this that he at least understood why. The man was just as good an audience as he was a storyteller.

By the time their stories were exchanged and the gold and silver were melted down and cooled enough to transport the same as the mercury, it was morning and the streets outside were starting to look more alive.

"I wish you luck, my friend." Xavier said as he gave Quirin the vials of metal in liquid form. "When you've helped your brother and Zhan Tiri is no longer a threat, please join me for a meal. I would like to meet your family that I've heard so much about."

"I'm sure that you and Adira would get along swimmingly." Quirin smiled. Xavier and Adira both had a way of talking that was both very friendly and very annoying to those that weren't used to it. "Thank you." He pocketed the vial and pulled up his hood. He made his way out, only to freeze in his tracks when he saw Queen Arianna standing next to Domino, gently petting him. There were no guards around, but it didn't make Quirin feel any better. What was she doing here?

Arianna lifted her gaze and made eye contact with Quirin. He stiffened and started mentally preparing for either a fight while he looked for an escape route. Ariann didn't call him out, or panic, or draw any attention to him. She just gave him a small smile and mouthed 'hello' to him. Quirin found himself relaxing ever so slightly. He nodded at her.

Arianna didn't linger. She pet Domino's mane one more time before she continued on her way. It looked like she was just going for a stroll. Quirin watched her leave for a minute, but she never looked back. Quirin got onto Domino's back and slowly made his way back towards the castle.

It had been a long and confusing morning. It made Quirin remember why he had tried to leave the Dark Kingdom behind him. He loved his family and kingdom, and he always would, but the life he'd lived back home had been full of paranoia and distrust. If anybody wasn't part of their group, they were considered an enemy.

Quirin had every reason to be cautious around the people of Corona, but he didn't want to be afraid of his old friends. It was a comfort to know that Xavier and Arianna weren't immediate threats, though it wouldn't keep Quirin from being cautious around them. He wouldn't relax until all of this was over.

Once the threat was gone, Quirin would gladly take Xavier up on that offer of a meal, and he would sit down and talk with Arianna about where they stood, because he did value her friendship, but his son came above anything else.

Quirin hoped that things would eventually become less confusing, but he wasn't holding his breath about it. His family attracted trouble half the time, and the other half the time they actively went looking for it. Quirin doubted that anything that involved his family would ever not be confusing. It was his family though. They were worth it.

A/N: I'm honestly just making up the rules of alchemy in this story as I go. I'm taking basic concepts, and just going nuts with it.