There hadn't been an explosion in an awfully long time. He had noticed before, but lately, the silence became unbearable. It screamed inside his ears, impossible to ignore. Quirin gritted his teeth. It was deafening.

"Varian, where is my hammer?" He tried to drown it with his own voice. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn't.

"Probably in the lab," came the distant reply, followed by the closing of the front door.

Irritated Quirin went down to retrieve the missing item to restore order in his toolbox. A few squeaks and creaks of rusty hinges later and the heavy laboratory door slid open. His stomach twinged at the chaos. He had to take a moment. The room was a mess, not the usual one Varian loved to work in, no, in a bizarre way the basement looked violated. His eyes drifted over forcefully turned tables, broken glass, and a carpet of sloppily scribbled notes it looked just like the day Quirin escaped his golden crypt. Well, not exactly of course, time waits for nobody. In the dense darkness, dust had claimed the forgotten treasures. Vials and tubes were swallowed by its thick waves, covering the abandoned solutions which had no light left to spare. Only now and then a soft pattern of small paw prints interrupted the gray curtain.

It pained him to see the dried-out chemicals like this. Though he didn't expect anything else, somehow, against all odds, he had hoped otherwise.

Focus, he reminded himself. With a heavy heart, he picked up the sturdy hammer and turned it in his hand. It was time to fix what was broken. There hadn't been an explosion in an awfully long time and Quirin was determined to change that.

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The leader of Old Corona buried his hoe deep into the ground. The sun prickled on his skin and his muscles burned with anticipation as he let his frustration out on the endless fields. It was just what he needed. When his body was occupied his mind could wander. Again and again, he swung the handle, forcefully plowing up the earth in search of answers. He would tackle Varian's problems one at a time.

While the sentiment was nice the hows were a tad trickier. With Varian, he had to pick his battles very carefully. Some were easier to win than others.

Quirin was a simple man. By no means stupid, but he preferred to address his issues head-on, direct, and straight to the point. Of course, this wouldn't work with Varian. He had to revert to more, uhm, underhanded tactics. Thank god this wasn't as much of an obstacle as one would might have thought. Quirin could be rather sneaky if wanted. People assumed Varian was a sly little fella, but he had nothing on his old man. All he needed was to play a bit dirty. It felt kinda cheap but doing the right thing wasn't always easy or popular.

Over the past couple of weeks, an idea had formed in his head. He'd listened closely to the latest gossip and tittle-tattle of the villagers. Now was the time to get the ball rolling.

As he reached the end of the row, he squared his shoulders.

"Need any help princess?" As if by chance he asked and raised a questioning eyebrow, fully aware that the wild monkey in the treetop could rather use a leash than a ladder.

The child sitting between the branches just giggled and shook its head. Leaves and sticks stuck out of unruly brown hair, but there were also two flower clasps in it. Quirin smiled.

"I am no princess." She swung her legs back and forth but seemed pleased with the compliment.

"Isn't every little girl? At least once a year."

She tilted her head and then realized, "Because of my birthday!"

There we go, Quirin thought and nodded as seriously as he could muster.

"You must be really excited, your big party is coming up."

"Party?" Her brows furrowed.

"Well sure, all princesses get to have one. With music and dance and -"

"And cake," she chimed in.

"And cake," he agreed. "Everyone will be there. It's gonna be so much fun. You know, like princess Rapunzel's birthday. Her floating lanterns are very pretty don't you think?"

"Oh yes, I love them."

Quirin took a deep breath. "I can't wait to see what you're coming up with. I'll bet it's going to be amazing." This was his make-or-break moment. "Once I saw a huge firework in -"

"I read about those," she interrupted eager.

Expertly he suppressed his smile. The book Quirin recommended to her father a week ago had more pictures than words in it, so 'reading' was a rather huge stretch in his opinion. The poor man had been terribly concerned about his precious darlings tendencies of late. Playing with swords and frogs was one thing, but the day little Lizzy gave her baby brother a wet-willy was the straw that broke the camel's back. This undignified attitude does not befit a young lady, he'd heard him say.

"Oh, you did?" The village leader continued their conversation.

"Yes! They are soooo beautiful. Sparkling lights everywhere."

He could hear the soft rustling of feathers followed by her thoughts ready to spread their wings. He was so close.

"One of those would be great, wouldn't it?" Quirin coaxed.

"Yes! It'll be like shooting stars raining from the sky."

"And only for you." He had to strike the iron while it was hot. The recent trip to the capital and countless complaints of her parents had proven so much. Lizzy was at this particular age where she pointed at the first shiny object and declared with a hand crossed over her heart that this was the one thing she wanted as a birthday present more than anything else in the world, just to change her mind as soon as her eyes fell on the next shiny trinket. The girl was as fickle as the sea.

"Do you know how to make one? I mean with all other things I'll gladly assist, but I'm no expert when it comes to explosions."

Lizzy's face twisted in what looked like enormous effort as she tried to connect the dots. He couldn't do all the work for her. Right on cue, her eyes widened comically.

"Varian!"

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Varian could -" she stopped mid-sentence. "Neh, uncle Quirin," little Lizzy batted her eyelashes endearingly and Quirin felt a sudden urge to buy her a puppy. She already had one.

"Do you think Varian could help?" She purred with a sweet amicable tone and a matching smile.

Absolutely, Quirin was certain and said, "I am not sure, you have to ask him."

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Lizzy's mouth was pressed into a thin line. Her gaze fell yet again on the alchemist. He sat in his usual spot. Same tree, same book, same raccoon - as docile as a lamb. Still, she felt nervous approaching him.

The girl wasn't a fool. She'd heard the rumors, even experienced them firsthand. And while uncle Quirin may swore that Varian, kindest of souls, loved to help everyone in need, she knew better. The wizard of Old Corona only did things because he wanted to. If the alchemist was not interested he would reject your request in a heartbeat. After all, Varian never played house or dolly with her no matter how often she asked, and so far he had declined all invitations to her tea parties.

Lizzy fiddled with the hem of her dress. On the other hand, he did make her favorite glowy colors and accompanied her once or twice on her frog hunts.

Slightly frustrated she ran a hand through her hair, making the leaves rustle in the process. It was impossible to guess what would tickle the alchemist's fancy. With him, you rarely knew where you were at. He was stupidly complicated like that. What should she do? Lizzy puffed her chest out. If you beat around the bush he wouldn't get it. She needed to be blunt. There was no helping it. She raised her chin and unclenched her fists. In one swift motion, the little girl swung her legs into the air and took a leap of fate.

"Firework," she yelled before jumping down from her hiding place in the tree crown and onto the alchemist.

"Uwwaahhhh," Varian was barely able to dodge the assault. Not that he hadn't seen it coming - subtlety wasn't little Lizzy's strong point, however, her rambunctious nature put a spin on most of her actions.

The quirky girl landed heavily next to him. Her feet were planted firmly into the ground as she fixated him with a determined stare. The gaze pinning him down would have been more imposing if she was less adorable. Ruddiger didn't even bother to lift his head.

"Liz -," Varian managed before a high-pitched voice pierced through his ears.

"Firework!Firework!Firework!"

"What?"

"I wanna firework for my birthday!"

"Urgh," Varian groaned. He knew that tone.

"FIREWORK!FIREWORK!FIREWORK!FIREWORK!FIREWORK!FIREWORK!" She kept on chanting with all her might.

Varian rolled his eyes at the child's antics. This could take a while. Her record was 2 hours and 26 minutes of asking his dad to play dress-up. It had been hilarious. And who would have thought that pink was the perfect color for Old Coronas oh so proud leader? Of course, Varian's silence had been generously rewarded with a nice set of glassware, a Bunsen burner, and a refill of his sodium polyacrylate supplies. Good times indeed.

"Pretty please, it's really important."

Predictably enough he was confronted with a precious set of puppy eyes. He shot her an unimpressed look. Seriously she should have learned by now that he was immune to her cutesy act. As if the student could ever beat the master. Why did she even want a firework to begin with?

"I don't know," Varian replied.

Lizzy held her breath as she counted the seconds. She hadn't expected anything less from the alchemist and silently cursed her luck. Her charm seldom worked on him, but one had to try. During his absence, her powers had only grown and she became a force to be reckoned with. Neither her parents nor the rest of the adults of her village stood a chance. Varian better not underestimate her. It was time to put her new skills to the test.

She stuck her bottom lip out while tilting her head downward and a little to the left. Between thick lashes, huge innocent eyes looked up at him.

"It's a lot of work," he admitted with a schooled expression as he watched her effectively mimicking Eugene's Smolder. He would have to rearrange his entire schedule. Had he even all the materials? Black powder sure, but the rest…

Lizzy's small lips started to tremble.

Varian frowned. Okay, that was definitely new. Maybe he should add the move to his own arsenal. But could he even pull it off? At his age, the line between cute and creepy was terribly thin.

"You're sure?" He asked undecided.

"Yes. It's my dream! It's all I ever wanted."

Varian highly doubt that. He glanced at her once more before a thought hit him. He may have use for her after all.

"So, when exactly is your birthday party?" He inquired.

Despite the pit that opened in his chest Varian laughed at her answer. He laughed and laughed and couldn't stop. The choked sounds bubbling out of him were close to sobs. As he doubled over he felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

"Um, Varian?"

Before the girl could get seriously worried the teen pulled himself together.

"Fine." Still out of breath, he accepted the challenge. "Let's make the sky shine so bright that even the heavens will celebrate that you were born!"

Wind tousled through the alchemist's hair and Lizzy's heart skipped a beat at the toothy grin Varian flashed her. His eyes shone brightly while her own widened in wonder.

"You can do that?" She beamed excitedly. "Amazing!"

His smile subdued into a sly smirk. "Of course not for free," he teased and Lizzy's face fell.

"I need an assistant," the alchemist winked. "Are you up for the task?"

The girl visibly cheered up. "Yes," she squealed, jumping up and down in joy. She did it! She would have the most beautiful firework in the world. Varian always kept his word.

A warm feeling settled into Varian's bones as he watched Lizzy's little happy dance. Still, all wasn't right. Not yet. There should be a pair of goggles her size somewhere, Varian mused.

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Light flooded through open doors, accompanied by the sound of bustling activity. Busy footsteps, the clink-clank of glass against metal, and the sweet babbling of hushed voices joined together to orchestrate a well-known melody. Quirin's lips cracked into a knowing smile when a familiar mop of brown hair entered the picture. Slightly astonished, he watched Lizzy's stubby fingers hold on to as many chemicals as they could. Huffing and puffing she brought them out of the stuffy old basement back into his world. She nearly toppled over a particular mean-spirited stair. Quickly, before the contents of the vials could spill and do who-knows-what Quirin caught the child. He put her and the accusingly rattling solutions down.

"Careful there," he warned amused while Lizzy thanked him sheepishly.

"Where do you want those?" Quirin pointed at the girl's cargo.

"Outside," she answered as if it should go without saying. "We're doing fireworks!"

Quirin sighed. No time for regrets. Admittedly open flames and enclosed ceilings seemed to be a sure recipe for disaster. So yeah, not an indoor activity he would normally approve of. "What else do you need?"

"Everything," beamed Lizzy and spread her arms.

At the semi-helpful reply, Quirin snorted but offered her a hand anyway.

"May I?"

She nodded and spun around to gather even more supplies.

Quirin shook his head and set off in search for trouble-maker number two, though he knew where to find him.

Notes piled around Varian, papers filled to the brim with his neat and precise handwriting. Between diverse numbers and symbols, the only thing Quirin could identify was a list of materials or maybe missing ingredients?

Carefully he placed the load in his arms down. Varian gazed up from his prep work, eying him warily.

The tension rose as both of them remained silent.

"Um." The soldier shifted from one foot to the other, allowing himself for a second to get distracted by the object Ruddiger carried in his mouth. Varian smirked and the raccoon earned a loving scratch between the ears for his troubles.

Awkwardly Quirin cleared his throat. "What else do you need?" He asked for the second time.

"Everything," the detonation expert shrugged and returned his focus to formulas Quirin couldn't decipher even if his life depended on it.

Oh well, pack mule it is, nothing easier than that, he thought and resigned to his fate. With his little helpers, it shouldn't take long.

In the end, he had to do the heavy lifting by himself, some of the equipment down there was just too bulky and he couldn't expect Lizzy or Ruddiger to shoulder them. Still, they finished in no time.

"That should be all," he panted exhaust as he sat the last piece onto the grass.

The kids were already fully engulfed in their shenanigans. Matching goggles decorated their faces, reflecting the glitter and wonder of alchemy that brightened and dimmed, while colorful lights swooshed through the air around them. Both children looked excited, the buzzing atmosphere charged with their lively energy. Sparks erupted and joyful giggles followed.

Quirin breathed freely as he watched them play. He continued listening to the song of happiness in his backyard and couldn't stop smiling. Satisfied he hummed along. Finally, it felt like home again. Seeing Varian like this was all worth it. Mission accomplished.

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It was late. Lizzy had left hours ago, but Varian was still outside. He'd been never good at stopping himself in the middle of, well, anything and this was no exception. The boy just couldn't find an end. A hunger lingered in his eyes, that reminded Quirin of a starving man getting his first meal in month.

"How is your project coming along?" He asked as he strolled over and stood before the old barn's gate, two mugs of hot cocoa in hand.

'The barn' was small and had definitely seen better times. These days it was mostly used for storage, so it turned out to be the ideal place for the kids to set up their outdoor lab. It fit right in with its sharp smell of oily metal and machinery as well as fond childhood memories. Though the table they'd chosen appeared far from stable. The glassware on it was only a fraction of the amount his predecessor had to carry and still it bend dangerously. Varian's invaluable notes were pinned by nails with awkward angles on the wooden sides. Not perfect but it would do. Here at least they were save from the weather's whims.

Varian arched an eyebrow. "Which one?" He inquired a little tense.

"Um, the one with the firework?"

Varian watched his father closely before deliberately changing his tone, sounding a tad too chipper for Quirin's liking.

"Oh yes, great. It's almost done."

"That was quick," Quirin replied suspiciously.

"Yeah, turns out little Lizzy likes fire way more than she like fireworks, so I am building her a flamethrower - takes only half the time," Varian deadpanned.

Quirin's blood froze, his jaw dropped, and oh no. Panic. What had he done? The boy's definition of 'dangerous' was highly compromised at best and nobody could deny Lizzy anything - least of all Varian. He should have known. Both of them got on like a house on fire, and because of him now potentially literally. How to explain that to her parents? Desperately he rummaged through his vocabulary, looking like a fish out of water.

And then, Varian laughed. He just couldn't hold in the cackles any longer.

"Ha-ha got ya, just kidding!" The look on his dad's face was priceless. Unsettling blue eyes shimmered in glee.

Quirin's grin split his face, and he joined in with a nervous chuckle of his own - as soon as he'd recovered from his mental breakdown. It wasn't quite an explosion yet, but he could feel the sparks.

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When Varian returned inside, his gaze locked on the open entrance to the lab. The knowledge of pain without the white heat of nerves made his hands tremble. He closed the door, not looking into the dark abyss, fearing it would look right back.


AN: This plays before 'The King and Queen of Hearts'

Lizzy is supposed to be the little girl from 'Queen for a Day', Quirin saved in the beginning. I only flashed her out and gave her a name. So not really an OC. She turns 6/7 years and is not related to Quirin or Varian - just calls basically everyone uncle/aunt, cause old corona is a small village (so there are more hits than misses anyway).

Honestly, this chapter purely exists because I wanted Varian to say: "...turns out she likes fire way more than fireworks, so I am building her a flamethrower."

Next: Forgiveness and Sacrifice

PS: the book Quirin recommended was:'Princess Poppy: The Birthday' (by Janey Louise Jones) - I did not read it, though I liked the pictures