This has been written for quite awhile, and I always meant to add more to it, but so far I haven't been able to gather the motivation. I might get to it at some point, but for now, this is it. I hope you enjoy the story, and thanks for reading!

When Eugene made it back to the castle, trudging through the knee-deep snow with an injured king and distraught queen in tow, he'd been expecting a warm fire, hot drinks, and a blinding smile from Rapunzel. Maybe a hug, and a demand he tell her what had happened. What he got wasn't quite that. Oh, the fire was roaring, and the hot chocolate was perfectly sweet, but… Rapunzel was near tears. And, hearing about her last resort march to the Demanitus Device and what nearly happened there, he couldn't blame her.

He was just thankful that she was alright. And that the blizzard had finally stopped, of course, but- but mostly, he was glad that everyone was alright. At least, he'd thought she was okay, but as soon as she was out of sight of her parents (which took a while, since she stuck around the infirmary until the physician chased her out) her smile faded. Eugene bit back his questions and concerns, though it was difficult. Judging by her face, she wouldn't appreciate him bringing it up right then. Sometimes she needed to work things out on her own before she shared them with anyone else. So he waited. Waited for an opportunity to ask, to make sure she was okay. And finally, he got the chance.

It was the day after the blizzard, and while it had long since stopped, there was still a chill in the air. It was certainly warmer now, but the snow was still deep- though now it was mostly on its way to becoming ice and slush. He could only hope that it would all be gone soon, and that the sun would finally get itself into gear and do its job being warm. For now, snow was still clinging to everything, a thick, freezing blanket of ice-cold dust.

"Blondie?" he asked softly, resting a gentle hand on her back. They were standing on her balcony, the snow having been cleared away. "What's the matter? Everything is going back to normal, but you seem… worried."

Worried seemed like an understatement, but it fit well enough.

"I just…" Rapunzel sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I'm just tired. With the blizzard, and my parents, and almost losing the kingdom, you, and Pascal… And then there's Varian-"

"Wait, wait- what happened with the kid?" Eugene interrupted. She hadn't said anything about him yesterday, when she'd explained what had happened with the legend, and the storm. Part of him wanted to brush it off. If she hadn't mentioned it before, how important could it really be? But he still felt concerned. He knew for a fact that no-one from Old Carona had come to the castle today, and besides that, Rapunzel had been like this ever since Eugene had gotten back from the mountains. For any news of the kid to reach Rapunzel during the blizzard, someone has to have come to the castle after he left. But who would- He paused, seeing the guilt in her eyes. No, he- that kid was at least smart enough not to have- "Was- was he here?"

She nodded, not meeting his eyes. Eugene hesitated. Something was seriously, seriously wrong. For it to be eating at her like this, something bad must have happened. Why hadn't she mentioned it before? What had that kid been thinking, coming here during a storm- no, no, a blizzard? That idiot kid went through a blizzard.

"Is he still here? Where is he?" he asked. Varian had to be here. Rapunzel wouldn't have let him leave when the road to Old Carona was still so dangerous. But if that were the case, then… why would she be here, if she was so worried? Why wasn't she saying anything? A rock settled into Eugene's stomach, growing heavier the longer Rapunzel was silent.

Finally, Rapunzel just shook her head, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were shining with tears, and Eugene's throat tightened. Before he could voice any kind of concern, she spoke.

"H-he… he came, just- just a bit after you left," she said softly, voice shaking slightly. "He was so scared. He said the rocks were… were encasing his father."

"Encasing…?" Eugene echoed. She shrugged helplessly.

"I- I don't know. I just don't know," she said. "But he wanted my help. And I-" she cut of, and spun around to face him. "I promised him. Eugene, I promised that if he needed help, then I would give it. And- and he came all that way, and I- I didn't do anything."

Tears were flowing down her face now, and she sniffled, shaking her head. Eugene frowned, feeling helpless.

"You- you had to stop the blizzard, and save the kingdom. I'm sure the kid understood that, right?" he asked. Rapunzel just shook her head again, her tears flowing faster, her hands over her mouth as she held back a sob. "Hey, hey. Okay. It's okay. After that, what, did he just leave?"

"No, no, the-" she hesitated, breath catching for a moment. "The guards thought he was attacking me, a-and- and they took him away."

"And, wait, let me get this straight," Eugene said, confusion fighting back the worst of his concern, just enough so that he could question instead of comfort. "You just let them do it? Where did they take him?"

"I- I don't know, but they said he left right after, and I had to help with the blizzard, and-" she stopped, before turning and burying her face in his shoulder. When she next spoke, her voice was a whisper. "H-he was so scared, Eugene."

Okay, that was enough. This- none of this was good. But they couldn't just sit here and worry about it. They had to do something.

"Well, why don't we just go now?" he asked. She shook her head again. That was happening a lot today, and it might've been funny if it weren't for the terrible situation.

"With the snow, and what's happened, my parents would never let me go." Rapunzel said miserably, her voice just above a whisper.

Alright. No. That was enough. Varian probably ran through the blizzard to ask them for help, if he was really as desperate as Rapunzel said. With what Rapunzel told him, Eugene was reasonably certain that he'd have ran all the way back too. Alone, tired, and through the snow that had still been building at the time that he ran - or was thrown - out. He was just a kid- a reckless, possibly even dangerous kid, but a child nonetheless. Besides, a stray explosion won't fight against a blizzard, and Eugene doubted that Varian had the means to create one during the trek even if it could. And if he did, well. The kid was smart, that was clear, even with the measly two times that Eugene had met him, but both events had almost ended in the kids death. That destructive power in a blizzard? Low visibility and high winds? That was prime 'mess up already risky calculations' weather.

Varian was lucky to have gotten here in the first place. He might not have been lucky enough to get back, at least not safely. Not unharmed. And maybe not at all. Eugene had to fight off a shudder at the thought of Varian stuck out in the snow, slowly freezing no matter what he did until- well, it was a fate Eugene had only barely avoided several times himself.

Besides, it would help Rapunzel to know that someone was going to check on Varian. Truth be told, it would help Eugene too. He knew he wouldn't be able to rest easy until he was sure Varian hadn't gotten himself killed, and the kid needed help. Even if Rapunzel couldn't help, at least not right now, Eugene still could. Those rocks, whatever they were, were dangerous. He thought the king said he'd sent a team to remove them weeks ago, but if they were, as Rapunzel said, encasing Varian's father (whatever that meant) then something was wrong.

He put his hands on Rapunzel's shoulders, ducking his head so he could see her eyes.

"Hey, Blondie, it's gonna be alright," he said, trying for a comforting smile. "I'll go check on him, and if something is wrong, I'll help out. Or at least come and tell you what's going on, so you can prepare for when you get to go. Okay?"

"But, Eugene," she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. "You just got back from the mountains hours ago. The snow is still deep, and-"

"I'll take a horse. Not Max, he deserves to rest, but a horse," he said. "I'm not even tired- I slept like a baby all night. I'm plenty warmed up - that hot chocolate does wonders by the way -, and a brave horse'll carry me well above the snow. You don't have to worry."

"Are you sure?" she pressed. He nodded, though the thought of marching back out there, blizzard calmed or not, sent a wave of discomfort through him, settling heavily in his stomach.

"Yeah, of course I'm sure," he said. "Besides, someone's gotta go check on the kid. Why not his favorite character?"

He made sure to strike a pose, carefully exaggerated to be more funny than anything else. Rapunzel giggled, and with that one sound a weight lifted from his shoulders. He hated when she cried, and if by his life or death he could stop her tears, he would do so.

"Okay," she said. She hesitated, before surging forward and wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you." she said, and he smiled, returning the embrace.

"Of course," he said. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

Eugene hated the snow.

And yet, here he was, riding through it for the second time in barely two days. Willingly, no less! It was melting, this time, which was better than the blizzard, but- but it was cold, blindingly white, cold, cold, and cold. He sighed, pulling off one glove and running a hand through his hair. It was slightly damp, a side effect of a clump of snow falling on his head right as he and his horse - Coal? Rusty? Some earthy name like that, since Fidella had wanted to do this just as much as Eugene had - passed below some trees.

He really, really, hated the snow. With another sigh he tugged the glove back on, glancing around the area. There were quite a few black rocks around now, getting more and more frequent as he got closer to Old Corona. There were actually enough in some places that he had to leave the road, branching out onto the hills. Add that to the blizzard, and, yep; How Varian managed to get to the castle was beyond him, and he couldn't help but keep an eye out for any sign of cloth, or a strange lump in the snow, or anything to suggest that Varian hadn't made it back.

And, even if he was home… What on earth had the kid gotten himself into? How did the rocks fit into this? What did he even mean by 'encasing'? The best Eugene could think of was a few ill placed black rocks cornering Varian's father, trapping him in a prison of indestructible spikes. That didn't feel like it was the answer. Encasing… Whatever Varian had been talking about, it was bad.

But luckily, Eugene had finally made it to Old Corona. At least, almost. He shivered, and you know what, maybe he'd see if he could stay in Old Corona until everything was less… awful. When it was warmer, and there wasn't any snow lingering around. Soot - was- was the horse's name Soot? Ah, it didn't matter - definitely deserved a break, and he deserved to sit in front of a nice fire, preferably with a warm drink and a blanket, but that wasn't a requirement. He'd settle for just being indoors.

He and his horse rose above the next hill, overlooking Old Corona and- Eugene's heart skipped a beat.

Everything- everything was practically destroyed. This was more war zone than it was village- if the battle was with rocks, at least. It also seemed to be deserted. Eugene couldn't blame anyone for leaving- there was no way he'd stay somewhere like this. Or, actually… A few months ago, he absolutely would have. Now, though, he had more options available to him. Huh. He really was getting spoiled by the castle, wasn't he? But, no, that didn't matter right now.

The fields were completely overrun by rocks, as were most of the houses. The streets were nearly too crowded for Pebbles to walk through, and Eugene had to actually keep careful watch to make sure that none of the rock's brushed against him- which he figured would be bad, seeing as how they were sharp and all.

A pit was growing in his stomach the longer he wandered through the abandoned streets. Entire walls had collapsed, carts were impaled… Was Varian even here? Putting aside the possibility of him getting stuck in the blizzard, would the kid really have come back here? Or did he flee to wherever all the other villagers had gone?

Eugene frowned, finally coming up to the steps of the old castle. This was it, he supposed. The moment of truth. Was Varian here, or was he- somewhere else? Eugene refused the idea of the kid getting himself killed out in the snow. He was resourceful, he was clever, and Eugene refused to think he could be out there, somewhere on the path Eugene had just walked, dead or freezing. Stuck in a cave, yes. With the other villagers, sure. Buried beneath the melting snow? Absolutely not.

Eugene quickly dismounted, tying Sandy's reins to the old fence. He hesitated just a moment longer, before stepping up to the door. It was hanging slightly open, a dark house visible beyond. Eugene knocked, mostly to be polite, before stepping into the building. Was it breaking and entering? Technically, no. The door was open. Was it trespassing? Absolutely. But this was an emergency, and he was sure something as slight as that would be forgiven. That is, if anyone was even here.

The house was quiet. Papers and bottles of colorful chemicals were scattered all over, along with several packed bags near the door. So they were going somewhere… But the presence of those bags meant that Varian or his father, or, more likely, both of them, had never left to go with the others. Eugene picked up his pace, picking his way through the room.

"Varian?" he called. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

There was no response. There was, however, a new addition to the room. In the center, there was a large tarp, covering something taller than Eugene was. Curiosity tugged at him, but he skirted around whatever it was. Once he found Varian he could question him about it all he wanted. Besides, if Eugene messed with anything in this place he was pretty sure that it would explode.

Still, there wasn't any sign that Varian was-

The door swung open.

"Okay, okay," Varian's voice drifted across the room. Eugene spun around, view of the door - and by extension, Varian - blocked by the tarp covered whatever it was. "I-I got some more, ah, more stuff, and it might-"

Eugene stepped out from behind his accidental hiding place, and Varian jumped, crying out in alarm. A stick and a satchel both tumbled out of his hands, a few vials of something glowing tied to the staff miraculously going un-shattered as they hit the ground. Eugene held up his hands, smiling even as Varian looked like he was still about to have a heart attack. Was it really that much of a surprise? Hadn't Varian seen the horse outside?

"Hey- hey, it's alright," he said. "Sorry. I didn't meant to scare-"

"What are you doing here?" Varian interrupted, the shock fading away and leaving- anger? Eugene frowned, something decidedly wrong about the way Varian was holding himself. It was a far cry from the kid Eugene had seen before. Gone was the nervous energy and rambling excitement. He was too still, stood too stiffly, and his voice was cold. Colder than the ice and snow outside. Colder, perhaps, than even Cassandra.

"I…" Eugene hesitated. "I heard you needed help, so I'm here. Kid, are you-"

"Get out," Varian said stiffly. He crouched down, gathering up the dropped items he'd had when he came in, and marched right past Eugene to a table in the back of the room. Eugene blinked.

"What?"

"I said," Varian all but hissed the words, "get. Out."

"Hey, now," Eugene said, snapping out of his stupor. "I didn't come all this way just to turn back. What's wrong? You're acting-"

"Stop!" Varian snapped. He didn't turn around, gripping the table before him like a lifeline. Eugene's eyes narrowed. There was something off about this anger. Like it was a defense. A wall. A stiffness borne not of his fury, but out of the desire to keep steady. To not break. "Just… Leave."

"Kid," Eugene said, keeping his voice calm and soft. He didn't want to set Varian off any more than he already was. "Please, just tell me what's wrong."

"You don't- you aren't-" Varian shook his head wildly, voice cracking slightly. His hands were trembling, even with what Eugene was sure was a death grip on the lip of the table. Suddenly, Varian whirled around to face him. "Why are you here?"

Eugene hesitated again. What was going on…?

"Like I said, I'm here to help." he said slowly. Varian's eyes narrowed, lips pulling up into a snarl, a twisted expression that belonged nowhere near the kid Eugene had seen before. Something had clearly gone very, very wrong.

"You're too late," Varian spat. "If you just listened, he- I-"

Varian swallowed, expression twisting from anger to grief in a second. Eugene furrowed his brow.

"Kid," he said slowly, "I was nowhere near the castle when you were there."

Anger seemed to take hold of Varian again, and he opened his mouth, before hesitating. Eugene took that silence as an invitation to keep going.

"I only just heard you needed help. I get that you're angry, but kid, I don't even know what's really going on. I came as soon as I could."

Varian opened his mouth again, a choked sound leaving his throat, like he was trying to speak, but just couldn't. And then his face scrunched up, tears welling up in his eyes. He sunk to his knees, one hand on the ground and the other covering his mouth. A muffled, broken sob fell from his lips, and Eugene felt his heart break a little bit in his chest. A little hesitantly, he stepped closer to Varian, crouching down to his level.

"Hey," Eugene said. "It's alright."

"N-no," Varian said, and Eugene had a feeling it was supposed to be sharp, angry, but instead he just sounded miserable. "It's not. I-I- it's not my fault, I-"

"Calm down," Eugene said. "Just, take a breath, and start at the beginning."

Varian shook his head, before pointing towards the tarp. Eugene frowned, but stood up and walked over to it. He took hold of one of the corners, and tugged. The tarp came down, revealing a giant, orange crystal. But what did-

Eugene stumbled backwards. He stared in shock, heart pounding, breath caught in his throat. That was- inside the crystal, was a man. Not just any man, no. This just so happened to be- to be Quirin. Varian's father.

Encasing… Eugene did not feel any better for finally knowing what Varian had meant by that. And, Varian- ...Varian was still crying- not that Eugene could blame the kid, not in the slightest. He stepped back over to Varian, kneeling down. He wasn't sure what to say- wasn't sure what he could say.

"I'm… I'm sorry," he found himself saying. That only seemed to make it worse, Varian's sobs rising in pitch, a strangled gasp tearing through the quiet room. Eugene reached out, and the second that his hand brushed against the kids shoulder, Varian fell forward, burying his face in Eugene's chest and clutching at his shirt as if he was afraid Eugene might disappear. Eugene sat frozen for a moment, before sighing, wrapping his arms around Varian's shoulders. The kid was cold, freezing really, his cloak still damp from his escapade outside. Eugene ignored it.

"It- it w-wasn't-" Varian mumbled, voice quiet and trembling, but firm in a desperate kind of way. "It wasn't my f-fault. It wasn't. It w-wasn't my fault."

"Okay, okay, I know" Eugene murmured. "It's going to be okay. I know."

Despite the words, Eugene had little doubt that the orange crystals had something to do with Varian. He wasn't going to push right now, of course, but… he was going to have to ask. Not now, but eventually. For now, he just let Varian cry, the tangled mess of apologies and insistence that he wasn't to blame slowly fading, turning from words into hiccuping sobs. ...Eugene had a feeling they'd be here for a while.