Chapter One: Varian's Revenge

The young alchemist looked at the Sundrop with no fear. She had the most power in the Kingdom, and had just assumed the role as the Crown Princess a year ago. Yet now he was the one in control. He knew more about the Black Rocks that had plauged his Kingdom and imprisoned his father forever. The rocks in which the King himself attempted to keep a secret to hide his slowly cracking ego. The rocks in which Varian sought to destroy, after he destroys Rapunzel.

"It's not enough," he snarled. "Until you endure the same amount of pain and agony I have!"

Varian pulled the lever as if it had committed a crime against him. The arms on the atomaton clenched around Queen Ariana and Cassandra, pushing air and screams of agony out of them. Peace was never an option in his mind.

With another pull from his lever, Varian's grip around the Queen and Handmaiden of the Kingdom tightened even more. This was a two-sided mission for him: To force Rapunzel to watch everything she ever loved fall apart and for him to watch asthose who turned their backs on him pay the ultimate price.

A terrifying snap was heard, which shocked Varian, dropping the prisoners.

Cassandra and Ariana had fallen to the ground with a hard thud. Their eyes were closed.

"CASS! MOM!" Rapunzel screamed. "NO!"

The blonde princess immediately checked their pulses. There was nothing…. They were gone.

"NO!"

Rapunzel broke down in tears. For a year after escaping the wrath of Gothel, she finally met her parents again, connected with her real-mother. And on the anniversary, she had lost her again..

She looked up at Varian, who watched from his post inside the automaton. She didn't even know what he was. A young child who wanted to help her. A young child who kept his promise. A child who wanted to live up to his father's expectations and prove that he was more than what everyone thought. But now.. He was taking everything from her at once. She knew she had more to lose. More pain and strife to live through. This fight was over before it even began.

Rapunzel held her hand up towards the automaton.

"You win.." she whispered.

"What?" Varian told him.

"You… WIN!" she said with tears. "You kidnapped my mom and you've killed her! You put my home and family in danger just because I didn't keep my stupid promise! Go ahead! Kill me! Take over Corona! Just STOP!"

Varian's anger re-emerged.

"Stupid promise?! Take over Corona?!" the teen exclaimed. "Do you think this is what it was all about?!"

Rapunzel looked up again. Varian was now in tears.

"I asked you for your help, because our dads did NOTHING about the rocks! You left me out there in the storm and turned your back on me! The entire town accused me of attacing you, and you didn't even care! And see that scroll? The guards chased me out of my home. And what's more, you never even came to check on me! All of Corona left me and my life as I knew it was destroyed, and it's all your fault! We could've solved the mystery behind the Black Rocks and stopped them! We could've saved my dad and all of Corona! My dad could've finally been proud of me!"

Varian wiped away one tear and slowly began to raise his automaton arm.

"But you ruined it all…."

Varian clenched his teeth as he was about to strike the killing blow. But Rapunzel spoke words he never expected to hear from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Varian stopped.

"You're right…. I left you. When you were in need of help, and I… didn't do anything. I should've considered your needs as well as Corona's or made a compromise. What I did was wrong….. I should've come to you the moment I was able to."

Like fire, the rage within Varian subsided. He kept his hands on the controls, wondering if the Princess' words were valid, or empty.

"I don't expect you to forgive me… but I will never hurt you again…" she sniffled.

Varian took his hands off of his controls and went out of the machine to approach the Princess. However, he had forgotten one thing.

"The automatons!"

The automatons had surrounded the townsfolk, backing them up to where Rapunzel, Varian, the King, and the corpse of the Queen and Cassandra were.

Before Varian could order the machines to stop, a large woman had leapt in front of the young boy with a powerful sword. She struck the sword into the ground, which caused a rupture that sent the machines back. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough as they had rebounded and raced in for the attack.

The sword glowed as did Rapunzel's hair.

"Who are you.." Varian asked.

"We'll ask questions later, right now you need to get to safety!"

Varian ran, but the Black Rocks had begun to sprout out of the ground. They surrounded him, the warrior, Cassandra, and Rapunzel.

Rapunzel's 70-foot long golden hair had begun to glow and levitate. Strands of it had barely touched the rocks, causing them to recede back into the ground. In a moment's notice, the trio was indeed free.

Rapunzel remembered her conversation earlier that night with her father, the scroll she had found, the dreams she had.

The rocks had responded to her, as she was the Sundrop. They were connected to her, chasing her. And now was the time to stop running and accept what is to come.

Rapunzel grabbed two rocks in front of her and embraced the energy that had flowed through her.

The rocks had charged out ahead, destroying the automatons that Varian had created. They soon shifted in direction and started to form a path that had broken through the walls.

The blonde princess then fell to the ground.

"Rapunzel!" Everyone yelled.

Varian went behind the warrior whilst Eugene had held and comforted Rapunzel. Raps quickly woke up and kissed Eugene on the lips. The couple had smiled, having gotten out of the situation alive. But looked towards Varian. He cowered behind the fierce warrior, who looked stoically at the adults.

"Varian… come here," Rapunzel said.

Varian slowly walked towards Rapunzel. The townsfolk had done nothing but stare. When he was next to her, she made a statement to Corona.

"Everyone… I believe we owe Varian an apology… but even that wouldn't be enough…"

Everyone shamefully held their heads down.

"This boy had tried to help Old Corona at a time in need. We were going to work together to solve the mysteries of these rocks and stop them. Yet when he came forward to us in need, we all turned our backs on him, allowed a false rumor to destroy his life, and ignored him in his pain. All of what he has done was to free his father and stop what had happened to us... And although… his methods were violent and he should be held accountable for…" Rapunzel sniffed. "What he did to Cassandra and the Queen, I think we, as adults, should also be held accountable and apologize to Varian."

Everyone held their heads down in shame. King Fredrick was the first to approach Varian, but the boy immediately slapped his hand.

"No, I don't forgive you, your majesty, and you don't even have to say anything." Varian coldly said. "And I'm not sure if I can find it in my heart to forgive all of you after what's happened…"

No one protested Varian's intolerance.

The alchemist turned to the blonde-princess and her lover.

"Rapunzel," Varian said. "You ruined my life.. Even if you didn't intend to… and nothing can change that… but I just want to know if I can trust you again…"

"I'm not going to force you to. It's your choice... "

Varian took out the scroll which he carried. He saw the Sundrop and the Moondrops on the scroll and later saw the path.

"Rapunzel," he said. "The path of the rocks wasn't made against you. It was made for you."

"Indeed," said the warrior woman. "You must follow the rocks to the Dark Kingdom. That is where they come from and that is where you are destined to be."

"How do you know so much about this?" Rapunzel asked.

"Because I came from the Dark Kingdom," Adira said. "I am Adira."

Rapunzel and Eugene looked towards the trail. Adira and Varian were right. This was inevitable and they had to follow it.

"It's time blondie," said Eugene.

"Yes, it is, but there's one thing left to do."

She turned towards Varian.

"Come with us, Varian," said Rapunzel. "You're the only one who can translate these scrolls. We need to be ready for whatever is out there."

Varian looked at the rocks that had consumed his village and looked back near the scroll.

"Rapunzel… you can count on me," he said. "If it'll somehow put a stop to these rocks, and free my father, then I'll do it. For the Kingdom."

One month later, after the Queen and Cassandra's funeral, and Varian's trial, which had ended in him being pardoned and sent on parole with Rapunzel, the princess arranged a Caravan, large enough to fit herself, Varian, Lance, Hook-foot, Adira, and Eugene.

Rapunzel bid her friends and family goodbye as she set off to the Kingdom. Varian sat next to Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel…" he said, "I'm… sorry for what happened…. Killing your mother and Cassandra…."

Rapunzel sighed and laid closer to Varian.

"I'll miss them… I've only known them for a year and I'll miss them... "

"I guess we both have our faults in this," said the boy. "What will happen?"

"Well… we can't change the past, but we can change the future… and maybe someday… anyday.. Everything will be back to normal in our lives.."

"Thanks.." he chuckled.

Varian couldn't help but smile. Rapunzel was right. The future wasn't set in stone. And maybe he would one day free his father and be able to trust again.

Varian's revenge might not have gotten him what he wanted, but he might find what he is looking for on the road beyond Corona. And maybe someday he might get his happy ending.

A/N: I primarily made this fanfic because I high-key hated how Rapunzel treated Varian in Season 1 and how this awful treatment was never addressed. I didn't want Varian to completely be on good terms with Rapunzel or Corona again because he indeed did do some heinous things, so in the end, I held both of them accountable. I also heard that Varian was supposed to appear as a main character in Season 2 but was cut, which had spurned controversy among Tangled fans which re-circulated back to the show's writer, Chris Sonnenburg, ultimately causing several fans to walk out, which had a negative effect on the show's viewer count. I decided to experiment with both ideas, where Rapunzel apologizes to Varian and Varian tags along on the journey to the Dark Kingdom.

This is going to be a one-shot because I'm too lazy to make this into a story, but my main assumption is that Varian steals the Moonstone to free his father and then he and Rapunzel square off against Zhan Tiri.