Angel: Please don't hate me after this chapter, because heart-breaking stuff happens. Like, I have to place a major physical abuse warning here. If you're not comfortable reading what happens in the middle, like right after Frederic tells Rapunzel the truth, then you can just skip over it. Hopefully I don't lose favorites/followers after this...^^' Also, read towards the end to figure out what I'm doing with Varian!
Eugene: Previously on Tangled...
The girls screamed and ran away from the growing black rocks.
The automaton punched the wall, alarming the princesses. Harmony stopped it with her arrow.
Rapunzel stepped up to the smoke, Harmony joining her. "Uh, guys? There's...something in the fog."
Ruddiger attacked everyone, but Rapunzel wrapped her hair around him and he started glowing. "What's happening?"
Ruddiger revealed himself, shaking his head. "That's Ruddiger!"
"Hello, your majesty."
Arianna gasped as she turned around, only to be met with green powder in her face. "Sleep."
"Hello, Princess Harmony."
Harmony whipped around and got hit with the same green powder.
"Princess Rapunzel, King Frederic!" The guard ran up to the balcony. "It's the queen and princess. They're gone..."
Rapunzel tensed up a bit, narrowing her eyes.
"...Varian."
The Captain is taken away on a gurney by two guards. "Dad..." Cass murmurs in worry.
"Varian must be hiding in Old Corona," Frederic narrows his eyes in anger. "I shall launch a full-scale attack."
"Sir," Stan groans in pain. "We got hit pretty hard. Everyone's gonna be okay, but we won't be launching a full-scale anything for some time."
"Then we'll hit him with whatever we have!" Frederic shouts at him out of frustration.
"Dad! You can't beat Varian with swords and fists," Rapunzel speaks up. "Besides...I'm acting in Harmi's best interests. So far, we've played right into his hands." She steps up to her father, who has his fists clenched. "You know he never meant to capture me, and he never kidnapped Harmony either! He-he sent that automaton to make you think that was his plan. And then he used his...monster to pull security away from his real target...or targets in this case: Mom and Harmony."
His eyes soften a little. "So...whatever you think you're gonna throw at him, he'll be waiting."
He looks away, knowing that she's right. She looks up at him, waiting for his answer. "...We attack Old Corona within the hour."
"But Dad, that's not what Harmony wants for him!"
"What she wants is not what Varian needs," He glares at her, walking away. Eugene places his hand on her shoulder in sympathy.
Harmony groans as she wakes up. Her vision is blurry for a minute, so she couldn't immediately tell where she was. She slowly gets up from the floor, rubbing her eyes with her hands. Once she has her sight back, she notices that handcuffs are around her wrists.
"What?"
She gets up, only to fall back down because her ankles are also cuffed. The environment is too familiar for her to know that she's in Varian's lab. She also notices that she's sitting in front of Quirin, still frozen in amber.
"Harmony!"
She turns and sees Arianna, on the other side of the room, in rope. "Mama!" She exclaims, trying to run over to her, before remembering about her restraints. Harmony gives a worried look to her mother, before hearing a wicked chuckle. They look up to see a familiar figure walking towards them.
"Welcome back, Mona."
"Varian?" She gasps at the sight of him.
"Are you happy to see me?" He asks with a smirk, hugging her. "Because I am. I missed you, Mona. And now that you're here, no one can tear us apart again. I know in my heart that I still have feelings for you, and that never changed. I didn't mean for you to get so upset. I wasn't using you, I did all this so we could be together again."
Her eyes turn sad, upset that he's doing this to not only her, but her mother! She did still have feelings for him, but this behavior was...very concerning.
"Get away from her," Arianna threatens him.
Varian glares at her, turning towards Harmony and letting her go. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"
He walks towards her, grabbing a white cloth from the table.
"No! Don't hurt her!" Harmony shouts at the boy.
Varian looks back at her as he finishes tying the cloth around her mother's mouth. "Oh don't worry, Mona, I wouldn't hurt her...yet," He mumbles the last part to himself so that she won't hear.
"What do you want from us?" She spits towards him.
"Simple: you two are merely bait to lure your sister here," He says, looking over his shoulder. "Only the magic of her unbreakable hair can shatter the amber and free my father. I tried asking for help in a civil manner, but was denied by everyone in Corona. All except you. So, unfortunately, this is my only remaining recourse."
He walks up to the blue curtain, removing it to reveal Quirin. Arianna gasps sharply at the sight, the cloth slipping away. "Oh! ...And after you've freed your father?"
"After?" He chuckles a little. "Oh, well, I'm afraid Corona will pay for turning their backs on me. And that's when you should start worrying, your majesty..."
She gasps in horror.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Harmony keeps her glare.
He smirks, walking towards her. "I was so hurt when those guards tore us apart...sorry for the chains, but I can't risk you running off to Rapunzel to warn her."
"Varian, doing all of this just to get her here...it isn't right. You don't need to kidnap us. I'm sorry for the black rocks and your father, but I-"
He stops in front of her, holding her chin as he tilts her head up, so that she can see his eyes. "Oh, sweet, kind Mona...did you really think I'd put the blame on you for this? I don't blame you for what happened with my father."
"You...don't?" She asks slowly.
"Of course not," He says with a smug smirk. "You always came back to visit me after the storm and still tried to find the solution even though you're a beginner in alchemy."
"...While that's true, that doesn't justify you kidnapping my mother. Let her go, it's me you want!"
"I would even though I don't find you at fault, but both of you have equal value to them. You're just a victim for the real villains. Those people you call your friends and family."
"They're not evil!" She moves herself away from Varian's eyes. She couldn't believe he was even saying that.
"Mona," His eyes turn soft and for a second, she thought that she was talking to the real Varian. "They don't understand how happy we were. How happy we can be. Besides my father, you're the only other person that really matters to me. My offer still stands, you know. Deep down...you know that we can be together again."
She shakes her head, snapping out of it. No, she and her mother have to get out of here somehow. "Stop it. No matter how much you spin it, you still lied to my face and betrayed me!"
"Then why did you continue to build the automatons even after the fact?"
She says nothing and he smirks, standing up. "Because you still care. And I care about you. We'll make a great team. In fact, you can start...by using the black rocks on my father."
"I thought you said my sister's hair could break it. Why would you need me to do that?" She retorts back, looking away.
"Just wanna make sure that I didn't miss what was right in front of me," He cups her chin, making her face him.
Frederic sits on his bed, his face somber. He looks up at the picture of him with Arianna and Rapunzel when the princess was born. Then he looks to the picture of him with her and Harmony. "And now, I have failed you too, Arianna..." He holds his head, wondering just what he's done...what he's tried to prevent...
Rapunzel steps up to the doors. "Dad?"
He sniffles, wiping his nose. "Rapunzel..." He gets onto his feet. "I thought I made it clear-" He stops speaking as Rapunzel hugs him and he returns it. "...Thank you..."
"They're gonna be okay, Dad," Rapunzel whispers, looking up at him. "We'll get them back."
"This...this is all my fault," He places a hand at the back of her head.
"Dad, no," She puts her head into his chest. "No, it's Varian and those rocks, and I don't blame my sister for any of that, but-"
"No. No, Rapunzel," He takes a hold of her hands, interrupting her. "You were right," He steps up to the two paintings. "I have been keeping something from the both of you. As you know, the night you were born, your mother fell deathly ill. I was desperate to do anything to save her, and you. So I sought out the miracle of the Sun Drop Flower. But what I've never told anyone was that there was more to the story. You see, earlier that night, I was warned. Warned that taking the Sun Drop would reap unimaginable consequences. That by removing the light...I'd be awakening a darkness. But I had no choice. I've known about these black rocks all along. At first, I didn't wanna believe that they were the result of my actions. And when that became impossible...I chose to ignore them. Even when we discovered your sister's power. And I expected everyone else to do the same..."
"Including us," Rapunzel murmurs slowly.
"Yes, yes. Especially you and your sister. But the truth is, the rocks—her rocks are destroying Corona. And you...you are connected to them somehow. And I am responsible," He places his hands on her shoulders. "No king...would ever put the welfare of his family before that of his country." He puts his hand to his heart. "How can I tell my youngest daughter that...I am possibly the reason that she has the powers of the Moonstone? When the king of the Dark Kingdom gave it to her, I didn't think it would result in all of this..."
She holds his hand with her own. "But a father would put the welfare of his family first." She smiles softly. "I'm sure that when Harmony hears the truth, she'll just be happy that she heard it from you."
He smiles back at her, and they hug. "Now...let's find a way to save our kingdom, without it greatly affecting Harmony."
Harmony sits there as Varian angrily paces back and forth. She wishes that she could reason with him and try to get him to come to his senses, but...no matter how much she wanted that, he wouldn't listen. But that doesn't mean she'll stop trying.
She looks up at Quirin encased in the amber and then at Varian. Obviously he's tried and tried, but nothing had worked...why?
The black rocks had touched the amber...but had done nothing to pierce it significantly. She stares sadly at the rocks that had sprouted up from the ground, and yet still ended up with the same outcome.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" Varian yells at her. She flinches at his harsh and angry tone.
"Well?!" He walks up to her, the princess backing up so that her mother could hug her.
"Varian, calm down. You're frightening her," Arianna tells him, running a gentle hand into Harmony's hair.
"Shut up!" The boy shouts at her, not seeming to care right now about the princess' feelings. He turns his attention to the girl. "Are you going to answer me?"
She stays silent at his tone. "Say something! Say anything!" She shakes her head slowly, staring at him with horrified eyes. Harmony couldn't say anything...because she didn't know what she could say to the boy.
"Tell me why it didn't work!" He laces his fingers into his hair, pulling. "Why didn't it work?! Why does nothing I do work?! Why do I always fail?! I failed my father, I failed my village, I failed you!" Tears come from his eyes and the two hostages glance at each other. Harmony reaches out her cuffed hands, but he gains an angry expression, slapping them away.
"Don't touch me!" He grabs her arms and slams her into the ground. "This is your fault! Your powers were supposed to work! He should've been free by now!" He starts punching her in the face multiple times. All she feels is pain, physically and emotionally, some blood gushing out of her mouth.
As he continues hitting her, she hits her fists on his back, screaming, "VARIAN! STOP IT!"
"You're hurting her!" Arianna begs for him to stop, but once again, he's too angry to listen and he just keeps punching her face.
"Stop screaming!" He wants her to be quiet, both of them, so that she wouldn't remind him of what she couldn't do for him.
"PLEASE! GET OFF ME! STOP!" She screeches in pain until she finally falls unconscious and the yelling stops...
Varian is about to land another hit when he freezes, seeing her closed eyes. She has cuts on her lips and purple bruises on her cheeks. He looks at her, breathing deeply and still looking angry. His eyes suddenly widen as he notices her slow breath. Putting a gloved hand to his mouth, he shakes a little. What has he just done...?
"Mona?" He slowly reaches out to her, Arianna silently crying as she looks at her daughter. "Mona, I-I-I'm sorry," He stammers, placing his arms around her back, hoping that she'd wake up at his apology. He thought for a minute that perhaps she was faking it to get him to stop. He brings her into his lap and her cheek rests on his right shoulder. "P-Please, I didn't want to hurt you, I just...wanted you to stop screaming," He shakes her gently, but she's too beaten to wake up at the moment. "Mona, please!" Tears steam from his eyes as he's shaking. Arianna sees real remorse in his eyes. He grips onto her as he snuggles his face into her top, sobbing softly.
"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." He whispers, angry with himself now. He didn't mean to injure her, he was just upset. If he could, he'd go back in time and slap himself. He continues to hold her as Arianna can tell that no matter what...he still cares about her...after all, now that Quirin is still stuck, he had no one else.
"Please..." Varian looks up at her face. "Please forgive me when you wake up. Please...!"
Arianna could only stare as the boy continues to sob, kissing those sweet lips softly.
"Please..."
The rocks have started to reach Corona itself, and because of that, a mob has formed at the castle. Cass and the other guards try to hold back the angry villagers. "The rocks are getting closer!"
"Oh! Oh, we're doomed! Doomed!" Feldspar exclaims, tugging his hair in fear.
"Pipe down, Feldspar," Crowley elbows him in the side. "No one can hear me." She then changes her voice so that it's ominous. "We're doomed, I tell you."
"People!" Frederic yells over all the shouting. "Citizens, please, listen to me!"
Max whinnies loudly, neighing for everyone to be silent. "I will not lie to you any longer. Corona is in grave danger. The queen and the youngest princess have been taken. Over half our royal guard lie wounded. And these black rocks draw ever closer."
They begin yelling again and Eugene leans in towards him. "Uh, sir, hi, yeah. If there's a "but" in this speech, you probably wanna cut to it...right now."
"But I look at you, and I don't just see subjects," Frederic steps up to the crowd. "I see friends, family, strong, brave individuals who have stood by each others' side, and have never, ever backed down from a fight. Today, we face a danger like none before. As your king, your friend, and as your brother, I ask you to fight one more time. For Corona!"
"For Corona! For Corona!" They chant along with him.
After that, he gathers them into his strategy room. "What do you ask of us, your majesty?" Crowley asks curiously.
"As was so insightfully pointed out to me," Frederic smiles a little to Rapunzel, "We've been playing straight into Varian's hands, and now, he's expecting a full-out attack on Old Corona."
"So what's the plan, your majesty?" Stan wonders as he looks up.
Rapunzel points to Old Corona on the model. "We launch a full-out attack on Old Corona."
"But we'd be giving him the upper hand," Pete says in confusion.
"Yeah, well, we're gonna let Varian think he still has the upper hand. And while we distract him with the assault, I am gonna sneak around the back using the underground tunnels and rescue the queen and princess. And after that...we let Harmony do the rest."
Frederic places a hand on her shoulder, and she smiles up at him. "We are going to rescue the queen and princess. And then we let Harmony attempt to appeal to him. He won't harm her, so it won't be a risk."
Daisy looks down towards the ground, Rapunzel nuzzling her forehead. "We'll rescue her, Daisy."
"With all due respect, Princess," Stan gestures to himself. "Varian only wants you both. Once he sees you're nowhere to be found, won't he realize that our attack is just a diversion?"
"Probably. That's what he is for," Rapunzel gestures to the open door. Shorty steps through wearing Rapunzel's dress and a blonde wig.
"I got this!" He even has a fake Pascal on his shoulder. "Ready, Caspal?" He pokes the plush, one of the eyes falling off.
Back at Varian's cottage, lights are flickering from the lab. He's holding a welder as Harmony is sitting up, her arms chained to the ground as she stares at him in worry. The bruises hurt a little, but that won't stop her from trying to help him get his head straight.
"Any moment now, your highness..." Varian speaks to Arianna, who gives a worried look.
Believe me, I know
I've sunk pretty low
But whatever I've done, you deserve
"Varian-" Arianna speaks up, but he whips around to her.
Quiet!
I'm the bad guy, that's fine
Harmony blinks as she hears the broken tone in his voice at the last word. Somewhere deep down...some part of him still doesn't want to do this.
It's no fault of mine, and some justice will at last be served
"Please listen!" The queen begs with him, but he ignores her, climbing up the ladder.
Now it's time to step up
Or it's time to back down
And there's only one answer for me
He pours in some chemicals into a sphere.
And I'll stand up and fight
Cause I know that I'm right
And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready
Ready as I'll ever be
He stares up at his father, prepared for the attack.
The Captain groans as he's lying down on his bed, surrounded by Eugene, Lance, Stan, and Pete.
"Cap, are you sure you're up for this?" Eugene asks in concern.
"Actually, I don't think I am. I'll only slow you down."
"But how are you gonna lead the assault?" Pete wonders as he stares at him.
"I'm not," He sits up and looks behind them. "She is."
Cass is standing in the doorway, walking past everyone.
Now it's time to rise up
Or it's time to stand down
And the answer is easy to see
Her father smiles at her proudly.
And I swear by the sword
She pulls out her sword.
If you're in, get on board
Are you ready?
I'm ready!
Eugene stands up, sword ready.
We're ready!
Stan and Pete hold up their weapons as well.
We're ready!
Ready as I'll ever be
Harmony stares at Varian as he continues working. She notices that he won't look at her, probably so that he's not reminded of what he did...even so, she knows that it's not really him doing all of this. It's the anger in him that's acting out...
I know he's my friend
But I can't play pretend
Cause I don't know what he is anymore
One thing's for sure,
When they walk through that door,
I'll show 'em who he is to meee
I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready
Ready as I'll ever be
Arianna hugs her from behind as she watches him.
Rapunzel is wearing a black cloak, turning around and seeing her father.
"There you are!"
He's wearing the same outfit he wore when he went to go prank King Trevor. "Yes, yes. I just had to make a stop in the kitchen. I'm told you're pretty handy with one of these." He holds up a frying pan, to Rapunzel's delight.
"Hee hee...I sure am." He throws it and she fumbles to catch it in her hands. Daisy shakes her head.
F: Are you quite sure we can do this?
Together we will, guarantee!
She puts an arm around him as they head for the tunnels.
I'll make them hear me!
Varian pulls on a chain.
Now it's time to repeat
Or it's time to resolve
The crowd is heading to Old Corona on horses from the stable.
Prove they can trust me...
I'll save my home and family
Rapunzel looks back towards the castle.
Is this my destiny?
Harmony looks like she's about to cry as she looks up towards the ceiling.
Now the line's in the sand
And our moment's at hand
And I'm ready
Eugene grits his teeth towards Varian's cottage in the distance.
I'm ready!
I'm ready!
Harmony clenches a fist, her left hand glowing.
I'm ready...
Rapunzel and Frederic look towards the house. Varian looks down towards an automaton lowering towards the ground.
Ready as I'll ever be!
"Keep an eye out, everyone," Cass warns everyone as they're walking through the passageway of black rocks. "It's too quiet for my liking."
"I can fix that," Shorty clears his throat next to Eugene. He starts singing off-key. "I got the wind in my hair-"
"Can it, half-pint," Eugene punches him a little, annoyed. Max just snorts at them.
Varian looks out the window to see them. "What a happy family reunion this will be." He turns around to the two. Arianna gasps as she hugs Harmony close. "For all of us..."
He steps up to the princess, Arianna pulling the girl away slightly. "Mom," She looks up at her.
"I can't check up on my Mona?" He replies in a sickeningly sweet way, holding the princess' cheeks. She squeezes her eyes shut as the bruises still sting. "You know I never meant to hurt you...right?" He brushes away some of her hair. "With the flower...and earlier..."
"...Yes...I know," She says slowly, looking away.
"Good," He leans up to her forehead, kissing it. She doesn't respond and he gently lets go. She knew that one day, he'll look back on this and feel remorse for all of his actions...even if he tried to kill her, or drain her power...
Her heart is still telling her that she can help him. After all, she knows that he regrets what he did for her. He shouldn't have to resort to this...madness. If Rapunzel could help Eugene, then she should be able to help him.
"Varian's lab should be right above us," Rapunzel whispers to her father. They come to a stop in front of a ladder. Rapunzel climbs up first, the wood creaking a little.
"Ah, careful," Frederic warns her softly and she reaches the top. She lifts up the door slightly to see the place empty besides Quirin. She comes in through the door, looking past a chair as Frederic steps up behind her. They can see Varian in the distance looking out the window. The two step up to him slowly, Pascal and Daisy peeking from the hood of the cloak.
However...when they turn him around, it's just a doll. "What?" Frederic drops the fake. "What is this?"
Suddenly, a ball of pink goop fires, dousing them in smoke. Two more trap their feet to the ground, hearing laughter.
The real Varian steps out of the shadows, holding his staff. "Welcome back..." He shows his evil grin.
Rapunzel gasps at the sight of him. "Rapunzel..."
She glares at him.
The citizens reach the cottage. "Maybe Rapunzel was wrong and we...overestimated the little guy," Lance states as Cass jumps off Fidella.
"You don't know Varian very well, do you, buddy?" Eugene asks him.
"Shh," Cass shushes them. "Listen." The same music from the chime that Rapunzel turned is playing. They look around, trying to locate the source. The ground rumbles and the automaton rises out of the ground.
"Oh man, not this guy again!" Eugene narrows his eyes wile the others look on with shock.
"Okay, everyone. This thing may be tough, but we got him outnumbered." Because her back is facing it, she fails to notice other green eyes in the smoke.
"Uh, Cass," Eugene cringes at this. "Are you sure about that?"
Cass looks back and sees other automatons. Another one appears behind the group. "It's an ambush!"
"Varian, I demand you release us," Frederic demands to the boy, "And tell me where the queen and princess are."
Varian locks the two pets into cages. "Your majesty, I know it's hard for you, but for the first time in your life..." He slams down the cages onto a table. "You are in no position to demand anything! But in the spirit of compromise, how 'bout I meet ya halfway?"
He moves behind a curtain, revealing the duo. Arianna's leg is chained to the ground. They look up and see the two, gasping.
"Mom! Harmony!" Rapunzel tries to move towards them, but she's still stuck.
"We're okay, Rapunzel," Arianna tries to assure her.
"What did you do to my sister?! Why is she hurt?" Rapunzel sees Harmony's bruises.
"Punzie, really, it's not as bad as it looks," Harmony looks at her softly.
"Let them go, Varian! Please!"
Varian steps in front of the two. "Mona was an accident, and I deeply regret it, believe me. First, you're going to do something for me."
"What do you want?" Frederic hisses at him.
"Oh! So now you care about what I want," Varian says in disdain, laughing as he steps towards the two. "All it took was threatening the things you love the most," He lightly grabs the two, smirking at Frederic as he kisses Harmony on the cheek. Frederic clenches a fist. As much as he trusted his youngest daughter, it still stung to see the boy act like he can do that with her.
Meanwhile outside, the others are struggling with the automatons. "Don't let up!" Cass grits her teeth as she stabs her sword forward at the machine. Max and Silver run around them, whinnying. Eugene grips his sword as they approach three of them, but ultimately move past. Eugene jumps into the air and slashes one in the back. It does no damage to it whatsoever as the automaton turns around.
"They've shielded their timing cylinder," Eugene glares up at it.
The automaton runs up to the trio. "Max, Silver, split up!"
The three run in different directions as the automaton chases after Eugene. He jumps and rolls, turning around. "Man, these things are almost as tough as-" He notices the rocks, laughing. "Ah ha! Guys! The rocks! Use Brownie's rocks!"
Vlad yells as he charges forward with Attila on his back. He slides and Attila goes flying. He bumps an automaton into several, knocking them into the black rocks, and they explode. A shoe is thrown at one and it turns around to see Feldspar. It raises its arms when Max comes in and kicks it towards the rocks.
"Good thinking," Cass smirks at Eugene. For once in her life, she's actually impressed by him.
"Well, I'm a problem solver. It's what I do," He says proudly, and they hear more music as automatons approach them.
"Oh, come on!" They both exclaim in frustration.
"What are you going to do, Varian?" Frederic asks the boy as he's pushing something towards them. Harmony stares at it, wondering what's underneath.
"Yeah, I'll-I'll spare you the details about the Sun Drop and darkness, blah, blah, blah, and get to the good stuff." He removes the cloth to reveal the drill he used before, which has been repaired. He walks up to the rocks, gesturing to Harmony's hand. "Unbreakable," He lightly touches the rock. He then walks up to Rapunzel, holding her hair. "Unbreakable. To put it plainly, with assistance from my drill, Rapunzel's hair should be able to shatter the amber, and free my father."
"What do you mean should?" Frederic questions defensively, placing an arm in front of his daughter.
"Oh, I suppose it's just as likely the amber shatters Rapunzel. I mean, the properties-"
"Absolutely not," The king immediately refuses at that answer, pulling out his sword. "Didn't you think that would affect Harmony as well?!"
"Of course it won't, because her rocks didn't work!" Varian points to the rocks touching the amber.
"It's not your choice, Dad," Rapunzel speaks up, holding her hair. Varian casually puts his elbow on Frederic's shoulder.
"She's right, Dad," He puts down the sword. "Oh! And I almost forgot, we're, uh, kinda on a time crunch here, so, I'm gonna need to speed things along."
He opens up a vial, pouring it on a black rock. Amber starts to form, heading right towards Arianna.
"NO! You said you wouldn't hurt her!" Harmony protests at this.
"Shh," Varian guides her away from her mother so that she won't be affected. "It won't hurt her, starlight. I'm just pressed for time."
Harmony blinks back tears as he caresses her cheek.
"Varian, stop!" Rapunzel shouts in alarm. She didn't want her mother to meet the same fate as Quirin.
"Well..." Varian steps up to her. He takes out a silver ball and throws it onto the goop trapping Rapunzel. This frees her and she glares at him. "Shall we get started?" He smiles wickedly.
"Please, Rapunzel, hurry," Harmony pleads with her sister.
Eugene and Max charge up to an automaton. He leaps into the air, throwing his sword at it. He lands on top of the head. "Lance! Let's give 'em the old Bob and Weave."
"On it!" Lance swings a bat at one of an automaton's leg, knocking it off its feet.
"Ha! Still got it!" Eugene crosses his arms proudly. The thing explodes behind them.
Max and Silver are being chased as the automaton behind them jumps. They see an arm up ahead, smirking at each other. They slide to a stop, kicking the arm at the automaton, knocking it into a cluster of black rocks.
Cass runs up the arm of an automaton, stomping on its shoulder to propel herself into the air. When she lands, she slices off the chime on its back, deactivating it. It falls straight forward onto some black rocks, exploding.
The drill is brought forth to Quirin, Rapunzel's hair attached to the tip.
Rapunzel slightly holds her hair, glancing at her mother. "Varian, if this doesn't work, and something happens to me, please...please, let my mom and my little sister go."
"I can't make any promises, Princess, and Mona stays with me. I'm not going to let anyone take her away from me again." He replies thinly, putting on his goggles. He turns on the drill and Rapunzel gasps, screaming a little. Frederic can only watch as Varian grits his teeth, the drill going in further. Rapunzel's hair starts to glow, the amber from Quirin flashing gold.
Varian lets out a tiny frustrated scream as nothing seems to be happening. "What?! Why?" He makes the drill go in again, but it's starting to drain Rapunzel as she holds her head, kneeling.
"Raps, no!" Harmony calls out, biting her lip. Varian tries again and again, but nothing. Pascal and Daisy try to get free, Ruddiger staring at them from behind.
"Stop it! She can't take anymore!" Frederic shouts, watching his daughter fall onto the floor.
"Rapunzel!" Arianna yells in worry.
"Big sister..." Harmony murmurs in fear. She could literally...feel the pain she was going through right now.
The drill powers down, completely stopping. "I just...I-I don't understand!" Varian holds his head, looking like he's about to lose it. "Why won't it..." He steps up to Quirin. "Her hair! It...it should've cut through it! Why didn't it work?!" He slams his fists on the amber.
Ruddiger pushes the cages down and they break. He hands them the solution to get the king free, and they give it to him.
"Arianna!" He throws the sword to the queen. She catches and slices off the bonds from herself and from Harmony. They run up to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel."
"Rapunzel!" Arianna joins them.
"Rapunzel, are you okay?" Harmony asks in concern.
"Harmi...little sister!" Rapunzel pulls her into a hug, the girl smiling in relief. The two parents join in, relieved that both of their daughters are safe.
"Mama. Papa," Harmony murmurs in relief, feeling her mother stroke her hair.
"No! No! I wasn't wrong!" Varian laments behind them. "It's not my fault!" He looks towards the happy family, glaring. If it wasn't for the three of them, he wouldn't be going through this. They all turned him away, didn't help his father...and worst of all...
They took away the love of his life.
"None of it is! It's her fault..."
"Rapunzel, Harmony, are you two alright?" Frederic lightly touches their hair. She sighs a little.
"Yes, I will be."
"Me too...my wounds will heal eventually," Harmony lifts a hand towards her cheek. Rapunzel looks past them, tensing up.
"Varian. Oh, where did he go?"
"Vari...?" Harmony asks in confusion, the ground rumbling underneath them. Suddenly, a large automaton bursts out of the ground in front of them, with Varian inside.
"Sorry, Princess! We were in this together! But if I can't have a happy ending, then neither can you!" he shouts as the automaton raises its hands, the three running away. He chases after them, Harmony stopping in front of the machine.
"Varian, no! This won't solve anything!"
"Oh, sweet Mona...I'll handle this. You stay here," He walks right past her and she gasps in horror.
An automaton lands in a pile of black rocks. "Alright! Who's next?" Eugene challenges the army. Frederic, Arianna, and Rapunzel step out of the cottage. "Rapunzel!"
Varian breaks through the door. "Sorry, buddy, but there's a line," Eugene jerks a thumb to the other automatons. Harmony runs through the doorway.
Cass runs towards him with her sword, jumping at him. Varian grabs her using the automaton, causing her to drop her sword. "Hello Cassandra! I always knew I could sweep you off your feet!"
"Let her go, Varian!" Arianna yells at him. Varian turns the robot around and grabs the queen with the free arm.
"Arianna!"
"Mom!" Harmony and Rapunzel shout in alarm.
Rapunzel throws the pan at the windshield of Varian's automaton, Harmony firing an arrow into it. Once they have his attention, they step down the stairs of Varian's home. Rapunzel has her hair down. The princess has her bow and arrows ready, taking a deep breath. She really doesn't want to...but he needs to be stopped, before he does something he might regret. This wasn't him...
"That's enough, Varian!"
"Look at what you're doing, Vari...is this what your father would've wanted?" Harmony gestures to everything.
"It's not enough until you endure the same amount of pain, and agony I have!" He screams, making the automaton hold the two up, using the giant hands to slowly crush them. She stares at him in fear. He's an entirely different person to her...
Arianna groans in pain. "Arianna," Frederic says in worry. Then Varian starts squeezing Cass. The two sisters gasp, staring at the two.
Suddenly, Harmony's hand glows and rocks start shooting up towards the two, making a wall around them. "What's happening?" Eugene asks, the girl staring at her hand. She didn't know whether or not she was protecting them or trapping them, and soon, they're completely blocked off from everyone else except each other.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene calls out. Their hair starts reacting to the rocks, moving on their own. Strands of their hair touch a rock. As soon as they had come, they quickly shoot back, impaling the other automatons in an instant. She hated to do this, but...
It was the only way.
"Rapunzel, you are connected to them somehow."
"Stop running, girls. Face your destinies."
Their eyes widen before they narrow.
Varian steps closer to them with the automaton, still holding Cassandra and their mother. "Mona...you're betraying me?!"
Her lip quivers, bravely looking up at him. "I'm stopping you before I don't recognize the real Varian anymore."
They step up to them.
Harmony makes two rocks come up besides the two. Varian stares at them in shock, wondering when Harmony could do that. The sisters take a deep breath, holding each other's hand. They then take hold of the rocks next to them. Rapunzel's hair starts glowing gold, floating into the air. Harmony's hair turns completely blue, moving around above her head in all directions. They yell and a huge blast of light forms around them, sending Varian's automaton sliding backwards. They and everyone else cover their eyes. When they look, the automaton is laying down, and it releases the two women from its grip.
Frederic rushes over to Arianna. "My darling," He hugs her, helping her out of the automaton's hand. Eugene notices the rocks glowing.
"Rapunzel, Harmony!"
The rocks start moving again as Varian has gained back control.
The automaton stands up and the two reach their body forward, sending rocks in his direction, impaling more automatons in their path. The rocks continue to scatter around, Varian reaching his automaton to the two. A rock impales the leg, ripping it away from the machine. Another one takes the arms and flips the machine over, sliding across the ground and reaching the princesses. The last arm reaches out to them, but a rock stops that one too.
"NO!"
He tries to move it, but it's no use. A huge rock impales itself through the giant automaton, causing it to shut down completely. Varian...has been defeated...
Everyone looks on in surprise at the two princesses. They didn't even touch him!
"NO!" He cries out, Harmony breathing heavily. She slowly releases the rock and her sister's hand, kneeling on the ground. She couldn't believe what she just did...but she had no choice. It was either that...or he could've died.
And she wasn't going to let that happen on her watch.
The rocks again start to move, but this time, they turn around and face the two. They shoot past the princesses and towards the walls of Corona. They break through the walls and Rapunzel finally lets go. She faints, but Eugene catches her in time.
"Rapunzel!"
Harmony kneels onto the ground, her hair turning back to normal. "Harmony!" Her parents run up to her, holding her arms.
"Blondie," Eugene stares at his girlfriend, who opens her eyes. She smiles and pecks his lips.
"Hi."
He laughs in relief. "We have got to start finding better ways to spend your birthdays."
"Harmi!" Rapunzel stands up, rushing over to her sister. "You okay?"
"Yeah...yeah, I'm okay," She gets up, dusting herself off. They look towards the broken wall of Corona, the black rocks seeming to go outside the wall. They lower to mark the path, the two sisters staring in shock.
"Your rocks have never done that, have they?" Eugene asks her slowly, and she shakes her head.
"No they have not..."
A few minutes later, they watch Varian being dragged away by the guards, handcuffed. Harmony could only stare with tears in her eyes. He's loaded into the back of the carriage, planning on being sent to prison. Ruddiger runs over to Varian, landing on his shoulders.
"I will make you proud of me, Dad...if it's the last thing I ever do..." He glares at everyone before looking at Harmony. His eyes soften at the sight of her, glancing at her hand. No matter what she does...he could never stay mad at her. His heart doesn't allow it. He could immediately understand why she did it...
To protect him.
True, he'll be in jail, but it could've been worse had she not interfered.
The door closes and the carriage leaves.
"Varian..." Harmony murmurs sadly, sniffling as Cass rubs her back.
"Don't be too hard on him, Dad," Rapunzel tells her father.
"I'll be sure to do everything I can to get him help...by consulting my daughter," He looks to Harmony, confusing her. "Harmony...I'm so sorry for what I've done. It's just...when I see you, I see that little girl running around in the castle, and...I suppose I was still thinking of her not growing up."
"Papa..." She murmurs, hugging him. "I'll always love you. No matter what."
He smiles and returns the hug. He sighs a little. "As for Quirin, I'll not give up until I find a way to free him."
Rapunzel looks towards the wall, her sister following her. "It's like the rocks, your rocks, want us to...follow them."
"I think you're right," Frederic states and they turn to him. "At first, i believed the rocks' purpose was to destroy Corona. I was wrong. I can see now that they're pointing in a direction. Pointing you in a direction. I only regret that it has taken all this to convince me that I should be doing the same. Rapunzel, when you were returned to us, I swore I would never let anything ever happen to you or Harmony again."
"But Dad, we talked about this," Rapunzel looks up at him. "We don't-"
"I know, I know. You're right. This past year, you two showed me that there is so much more in you than I could have ever imagined. I've just been too afraid to let either of you go...but this path is yours to follow, to share together. And if you both ever lose your way..."
He doesn't finish his sentence as he smiles, moon and sun lanterns floating over their heads. They open their mouths in shock at the gesture, staring up at them. Arianna smiles at her daughters. They both hug their father with smiles.
"Thank you, Dad. We love you so much."
"Thank you for believing in us," Harmony murmurs softly.
"And I love you too, sweethearts."
Arianna hugs them as well. "Find your destinies, girls. Find out the history of your rocks, Harmony."
"Do you really think it's out there? The answer?" Harmony looks towards the path.
"I know so. Because you're the smartest girl I know," Arianna puts a hand on her shoulder. "But please, treat your wounds. Both physically and emotionally."
"Oh man..." Harmony pinches her nose. She forgot that she still has her bruises.
"I'll take care of them, your majesty," Eugene promises them.
"Eugene, you should know by now, Rapunzel and Harmony don't need anyone to take care of them," Frederic smiles in amusement.
"Better believe it, Fitzherbert," Harmony smirks, crossing her arms. Eugene just chuckles at them.
"Touche."
Cass walks up to them, and the two princesses hug her. Rapunzel takes her sister's hand and they walk forward. As soon as they touch the rocks with their feet, they light up. Smiling towards Pascal and Daisy, they take that one step forward...
Harmony walks up to the dark doors being guarded. They see her and give no reaction. She stares at them, taking a deep breath. As scared as she was, she had to do this.
"...Open the doors."
The guards stare at her in shock. "But...he's dangerous, your highness. He kidnapped you and the queen. Just look at what he did to you!"
"And if you didn't listen to all of those silly rumors, you'd know the truth that he didn't kidnap me during the storm, I left willingly. Now let me in."
They silently open up the doors and she walks through the dark halls of the dungeon. It's almost kind of like an inescapable horror...
She stops in front of a particular cell, gripping the bars. He has his head down and she stares at him sadly. The animal notices her and chitters. The boy didn't even look up. He had so much to live for...and everyone had turned him down so easily...except her.
"Hello Varian."
Hearing her voice, he slowly looks up and sees her standing there. She hadn't seen him ever since what happened. Days since he was arrested. Days since he betrayed them.
Days without Varian.
Of course she feels bad about it. She still feels bad about it. She did the right thing by helping Rapunzel...right?"
"Mona," He walks up to her, the girl's stomach in knots. "Why are you here? Came here to rub it in my face? Tell me that you hate me? What?!" He sounds bitter and tired. "I already beat you up and in return, you defeated me! What else could you possibly do?"
She sighs, ignoring his hostility, "I'm leaving Corona today."
His eyes widen. The boy looks away, tears in his eyes. The girl he loves is leaving, today.
"I came to say...well, not goodbye. More like...hope that you can learn to forgive."
"...Why?"
She knew exactly what he meant by that.
"My sister and I are taking a journey to find an answer on my...black rocks. I need to know where they first appeared, because I know that I would never ever do this...and hopefully along the way...I'll find the answer to help free your father. I swear it."
He couldn't believe it. After all he did and said, she still wanted to help him...and she wasn't even doing it out of pity. Everyone had turned against him but Harmony was still here...he wasn't even mad that she was going with Rapunzel right now.
Then again...the girl blames herself because those were her black rocks...okay, she didn't technically create them on purpose in Old Corona, but...if she had never had touched them with Rapunzel, he'd still be that sweet brilliant alchemist who holds a special place in her heart...and they most likely wouldn't have met.
"I'm so sorry..." Harmony streams down tears from her face as her voice sounds broken. Varian just stares at her. "If I wasn't born, maybe you'd still have your dad back and—and everyone could've been by your side. You could've been set free if I knew what to do...I'm sorry...I hurt you, my family, my friends..."
He says nothing as she genuinely sobs for his sake. Though...being born with those powers wasn't her fault, and it still isn't. Even if his father was trapped in that amber for years...he could never bring himself to say that Harmony caused all of this.
"No...you didn't do anything wrong, Mona. The amber appeared because I didn't listen to my dad...I'll never free him at this point. And...you were just trying to stop me, not hurt me. Besides...I'm the one who should be apologizing. I mean...I lost control of myself, and now..."
He clenches a fist, looking at her almost-healed injuries that he almost couldn't notice where he...
She sniffles, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
"Vari, I...I don't care about that anymore. I'm not even that bothered by it. I don't know if it'll do anything good, and I don't care if it takes me a lifetime, but I'll find a way to fix all of this. And my pride...my destiny...or anything else won't stand in my way..." She wipes the hot tears from her face, turning to leave. "Well, we better get going. My sister is waiting on us."
He looks up at her slowly. "...Us?"
"It took a lot of convincing from everyone," She cringes a little. "But...my father has agreed that as part of your sentence...you'll be coming along with us. Ruddiger too. However, there's a few catches: you're not allowed to come out unless it's absolutely necessary, or to arrive at our final destination. You'll have to be transported in a different car, and you're only allowed to have visitors at a certain time every day. We'll be providing you with food and drinks along the way. A transportive prison, if you will. I have final say on what happens with you during the trip. And when the time is right...they'll be taking you back here to serve out the rest of your jail time."
He steps up slowly towards the girl. "And...the others?"
"...Let's just say that everyone except Rapunzel have their doubts," She takes a deep breath. "But I don't care. It's under my recommendation, and they're not allowed to decide on your behalf. Only me...I have to go now. We have to go prepare."
He had to do it or else he'll never have a chance to as he watches her slowly leave. They could be gone for a long time and who knows when he'll be out...
"Wait!"
She turns around to look at him, stepping closer. "Wha-"
He leans in and kisses her. She's surprised, but returns it. Harmony could hear both of their hearts beating as she steps forward, trying to be as close as possible since the bars are in between their bodies. Varian slips his arms through the bars, holding her cheeks as he deepens the kiss. Despite the environment, all is calm and it feels like nothing could break them.
Varian pulls a few minutes later and they stare at each other with half lidded eyes, panting softly. "Thank you...princess," He finally speaks up softly. "I'll see you soon."
"...I love you."
He blinks twice as she places her hands on top of his. "And I'm not just saying that, I've always loved you. I...understand now why you did all those things...and they did hurt, but I could never forget about you, Varian...and I never will..."
"...I love you too, Mona. More than anything."
Harmony closes her eyes as she presses her forehead against his. "I have to go..." She whispers so quietly he almost didn't hear it.
"Hold on."
She stares at him in confusion as he digs into his pocket. "A little birdie told me that your dad broke your necklace, so...I believe this could be a gift. Just for good luck."
To her surprise, he holds out a necklace with a small blue rock, with moon and sun charms on the chain, looking kind of like a charm necklace.
"Vari..." She murmurs in shock. He places it over her neck and she smiles softly. "Thank you."
Varian pecks her lips and she reluctantly lets go, her fingers brushing against his gloves for only a moment. He stares after her as she goes down the hall, trudging her feet along. Once she reaches the door, she glances back at him one last time, smiling lightly.
"See you soon."
"See you soon, love," He whispers and she slowly walks through the door. He had only one thing on his mind.
"When I get back here...I'll never hurt you again..."
The next day, a stranger steps up to where it all happened. The hand lightly touches a rock. She pulls out a sword, and on her hand is the same symbol that's on Quirin's chest in the cottage. Her sword cuts through something, and the black rock is actually cut off!
Angel: I initially wasn't going to have Varian go on the trip, because he was supposed to be in jail for the whole next season XD But then I thought that maybe during the trip, he could realize his actions (because we never saw it in canon), and then I tried to get an idea of how he could be there without technically being out of prison, because he needs to pay for his actions. (Sorry, I know that sounds prejudiced, but with his crimes, it was hard to argue about) So after coming up with several ideas, I finally went with the idea that Harmony could arrange for him to come. Plus, it is a Varian/OC story, and it just felt weird to have him gone for a whole season if it's supposed to focus on the two.
So...the show has officially ended...but that's not gonna stop me! Sure, there's some questions I wished they had answered, but I'll be okay with the ending we got. And I'll be even writing some things after the series finale (I'll leave it up to you guys to guess what would happen). Thank you everyone for your amazing feedback and support. I get so happy reading them. See you guys on Thursday with both parts of Beyond the Corona Walls!