It had been a few days since Varian had settled in the castle and things were finally starting to look up in his life. As long as he was in the company of his friends, his new living arrangement was a pretty safe environment. And the best part was that he could come and go as he pleased.

In addition to that, Nigel was no longer giving the boy any grief. Granted, he was still giving Varian silent dirty looks; practically watching him like a hawk. But, he supposed it was better than being heckled all the time.

The young alchemist was just about to walk into the library when suddenly, a pair of royal guards blocked the double doors with their halberds.

"Whoa, guys! What's the big idea?! Can I please get by?" Varian snapped in indignation.

"Sorry, but you're coming with us." one of the guards said as they both grabbed each of his arms and dragged him away.

"Hey, where are you taking me?! S-Stop!!" the teen protested as he squirmed and kicked.

"We have our orders." the other guard informed. "We are to take you back to the dungeon effective immediately."

"But, Rapunzel p-pardoned me for my misdeeds!" Varian argued "She would never g-give an order like that!"

"Our orders are not from the princess."

"Then, who are they from?"

"They are from me." a familiar voice sneered as the royal advisor stepped into view with a conniving grin on his face. He then proceeded to trail the guards as they continued to drag the child.

"Nigel. How dare you give orders behind the princess's back!" Varian shouted in a accusatory tone. "When she finds out about this, you are in big trouble!"

"Unfortunately, the princess has no say on the matter." Nigel replied. "You are to be locked up with the Saporians, as you should have from the beginning."

Eventually, the teen alchemist ended down in the dungeon to an open cell just waiting for him. And with a curt gesture from Nigel, the guards threw Varian into the cell as he screamed.

"Now you're back where you belong. With the rest of your fellow terrorist scum." the royal advisor smiled wickedly as he shut the barred door and walked off.

"No!" the boy cried out, gripping the bars as his eyes welled up. "Please let me out! I'm n-not the bad guy anymore!"

"Hey, kid." Andrew's voice breathed as Varian's abuser appeared from behind him. "So glad you could join us. We have a lot of catching up to do."

For a moment, the child was paralyzed with fear. And then, a bunch of black rocks started spiking through the floor. They destroyed the cell door so Varian used this as an opportunity to get away from the evil separatist. He ran until he saw that he wasn't in the dungeon or even in the castle for that matter anymore. Instead, the boy was in a dark plain with black rocks as tall as trees and the full moon in the sky being his only source of light.

"Varian." a new voice called out to him. "Varian. Come to me."

"Who's there? Where are you?" Varian asked as he turned around to find the source of the voice.

And then, Andrew came up from behind again yelling, "Gotcha!"

The kid shrieked as he was blinded by a blue light that seemed to come from himself.

He gasped and woke up in a cold sweat. The glow dimmed from his blue hair streak as it fell over his face. Varian then noticed that Ruddiger was on the edge of his comfy bed with his tail puffed in surprise.

"Oh, Ruddiger. S-Sorry." the boy said, crawling over to give his raccoon an apologetic hug. "That's the third nightmare I've had this week."

Given everything he had been through, Varian guessed that nightmares were to be expected as a result. And yet for some reason; they always had black rocks, the moon, and an unfamiliar voice calling his name. Upon waking up, the blue streak in his hair would glow and float like it was underwater. But what did it all mean?

Far too traumatized to go back to sleep, Varian tried to find something to keep him busy, no matter how tired he was. He glanced to the desk that was cluttered with books from the royal library and notes for his memory formula. There were still a few equations that needed to be completed before the formula could be tested. It was a prototype after all. So Varian sauntered over to his desk and sat down.

"Well, if I'm going to stay up all night; I might as well work out the schematics." he yawned as he got to work.

Ruddiger looked on and feared that this wasn't the best way for the boy to cope from his recent night terror.

The moon shone through the bedroom window, it's light glistening on the young alchemist as if it was trying to coax him to rest again. But Varian stubbornly pressed on.


The next morning, Rapunzel came knocking on the bedroom door and let herself in.

"Good morning, Varian!" she chirped in her usual upbeat tone. "You ready to start the day?"

Varian shot up from his slumped position and gazed at the princess.

"Oh hey, Rapunzel." he said in a drowsy voice.

"Varian, have you been up all night?" Rapunzel asked, noticing the bags under child's eyes.

"Just wanted to make... double sure that the prototype memory formula was ready to go." he yawned in response.

"Well, why don't you come join us at the gazebo?" the sundrop suggested. "Lance made a big pancake breakfast for us and I know you don't want to miss that."

"I guess I could break away for a quick pancake." Varian decided, rubbing his eyes.

After getting dressed, the young alchemist joined his friends as they dug into the pancakes. Well, Varian tried to at least. He was so spacey that it was hard to focus on eating.

"Gotta hand to ya, Lance." Eugene said between mouthfuls. "You really do make a mean pancake."

"Thanks." his best friend replied. "I just had to make sure I left the walnuts out. Wouldn't want to trigger Varian's allergies. Right, buddy?"

He turned to the boy for a response, but he didn't say a peep.

"You okay, kid?" Eugene asked with concern. "You seem a little out of it this morning."

Varian didn't understand a word of what the dark prince was saying. He just kept staring at his plate as his eyelids drooped. That pile of pancakes was starting to look comfy enough for the teen to rest his head on like a pillow. So he did just that and dozed off.

"Guys, I'm worried about Varian." Rapunzel whispered amongst her friends. "I think the pressure to making the formula to restore my parents' memories is getting to him."

"I know, but trying to get Goggles to stop in the middle of his science stuff is like pulling teeth." Eugene mentioned.

"Yeah, but working to the point of collapse isn't healthy for the kid." Lance vouched for the princess. "I think he could do with a break."

The sundrop smiled from the support and gently touched the teen's shoulder saying, "Varian?"

"Ah, I'm pancake!" the kid gasped as he shot up from the table. "I mean, I-I'm awake."

"Varian, sweetheart. We're a little concerned that you're not getting a lot of sleep lately." Rapunzel softly spoke. "So I suggest that you take a nap before you start working."

"No, no, no, no, no." Varian shook his head rapidly. "I h-have to get that memory formula right so that we can t-test it out. I'm so close. B-besides, what use am I if not doing something useful?"

The princess could feel her heart fracture after that last sentence. The poor boy sounded so desperate to be service, but working nonstop was only going to be detrimental for him.

"Okay, how about you come to see your father?" the sundrop suggested after much thought. "I need to talk to him about my initiative to rebuild Old Corona. And you can grab some supplies from your lab. Plus, a little time out of the castle would be good for you."

"It would be nice to pop in and say hi to my dad." Varian supposed.

"That's the right attitude." Rapunzel beamed as she gently pulled him along to go saddle up.


Later, the duo were mounted on Maximus as they advanced to Old Corona. Rapunzel had instructed the stallion not to go too fast in order to keep Varian from falling off in his sleep-deprived state. But, the gentle motion of the trotting was so soothing to the drowsy kid that he felt himself being lulled to sleep. Varian even snuggled his face in the princess's braided hair as he softly snored.

Rapunzel glanced behind her and realized that she couldn't bring herself to wake the little one up. He looked positively adorable when he was peacefully asleep. So the sundrop decided to hold off on it, at least until they got to Varian's house.

Finally, they approached the manor and Rapunzel looked back at the still slumbering alchemist. Hopefully, he was a little more bright-eyed and bushy tailed now than he was this morning.

"Wake-up, sweetheart." the princess sang as she lightly nudged Varian's shoulder. "We're here."

The child moaned as he roused from his sleep. He languidly blinked his eyes which were still looking pretty glossy.

"Really?" the alchemist slurred, his voice trailing off as he yawned. "That t-trip was... quicker than I thought."

The princess then dismounted and carefully helped Varian down. Afterwards, the two of them headed up the steps and Rapunzel knocked on the door. Fifteen seconds went by before the door opened showing Quirin inside.

"Princess? Varian?" said the village leader. "What brings you two over?"

"Mmm. Hi, Dad." Varian stretched as he struggled to stay awake.

"Good morning, Quirin." the princess spoke for him. "Varian's just here to get a few things from his lab. And I'm here to talk with you about plans for my rebuild Old Corona initiative."

"Of course. Come on in, Your Highness." Quirin concurred as he welcomed her inside.

"I might be awhile, Varian. Why don't you go get the supplies from your lab and come inside when you're done? There might be a snack waiting for you." Rapunzel suggested before winking.

Varian giggled as the sundrop and his dad disappeared into the house. Meanwhile, he traipsed to his lab to grab some important materials.

While down there, the sleep deprivation had once again caught up to the teenage alchemist as he was loading his backpack. It was just hard to keep going with his brain so... hazy.

"D-don't... fall... a-asleeeep..." Varian breathed, struggling to fight with the exhaustion.

Pretty soon, the boy gave out and his vision faded to black with the fall of his eyelids...


Back in the manor, Quirin and Rapunzel were discussing the course of action for the rebuilding initiative.

"As you know, Princess; with the villagers returning to Old Corona, many of them will be displaced." the village leader explained. "Several homes and establishments have been severely damaged from the blizzard and the black rocks."

"Well rest assured, Quirin." the princess replied optimistically. "My initiative will not only restore those homes and businesses to their former glory, but provide new ones for newcomers. I'm sure can gather some volunteers from the capital to help out the cause. The more hands, the better."

"Thank you so much for doing this, Your Highness." Quirin expressed his gratitude. "It means a lot that Old Corona is finally getting the attention it's been craving."

"It's my pleasure." Rapunzel answered, but then noticed something was wrong. "Hey, where's Varian? I was expecting him to come in for a snack within the first 30 minutes of our chat."

"Huh, you're right." the village leader thought aloud. "And I have apples and pumpkin muffins waiting on the table. They're his favorites."

"I'd better go and see if he's okay."

The sundrop walked off and opened the front door. And then from her vantage point, she could see the young boy walking away like he was leaving the village. But, Varian was constantly careening like he was walking on a tightrope. Something wasn't right.

"Varian?" Rapunzel gasped and called out to the child.

When he didn't respond, it only heightened the woman's uneasiness. She let her hair down and used it to lasso Varian. The princess then pulled him back to her like a wayward calf who had wandered from a herd of cows.

"Where were you going, Varian?" she asked as she approached the kid. That was when she saw that Varian's eyes were closed. He had been walking in his sleep!

And there was something else that stuck out too. The blue stripe in the teen's hair was giving off a blue glow! Rapunzel always thought that she was the only one with magical glowing hair. But why Varian of all people?

The glowing hair would have to be touched on for another time. The sundrop had to awaken the boy.

"Varian, wake up!" she said loud, shaking his shoulder.

After about half a minute, Varian awoke with a start and started breathing heavily. The glow in his hair stripe had also went dark. His knees buckled and the child fell into the princess who caught him immediately.

"Slow your breathing, Varian." Rapunzel told him calmly. "You're gonna pass out."

Varian held onto his friend/guardian as he evened his breaths.

"How did I get out here?" he asked, clearly still dazed.

"You mean you don't remember?" the princess said.

"All I remember is getting stuff from my lab and loading it into my backpack." the teen explained. "And then, my exhaustion kicked in again. The rest is all a blank."

"What's going on out here?" Quirin questioned, appearing in the doorway.

Varian shrank in Rapunzel's hold and whimpered, fearing that his dad was mad at him. The two of got their bearings, stood up, and headed back into the house.

"Has Varian always had a sleepwalking problem?" the sundrop asked the village leader, Varian sitting right next to her just in case.

"Not that I'm aware of." Quirin responded. "I mean, it would be times where he would be in his lab at all hours of the night. But this sleepwalking is new, even for me."

"I-I'm really s-sorry for upsetting you." the boy apologized, his eyes threatening to well up.

"Varian, we're not upset. We're just worried about you." Rapunzel reassured him. "This is why you need to get proper rest. What if you need up sleepwalking somewhere dangerous next time?"

"Y-yeah, I... guess you're right." Varian yawned.

"Then let's head back." the princess said as they both rose up from the couch, but then she stopped herself. "Oh, before we go Quirin, do you know of any ways to help Varian get to sleep?"

"I might have a few recommendations." the village leader replied rather smugly.


Back at the castle, Rapunzel discussed the situation with Eugene and Lance.

"Let me get this straight. The kid conked out in his own lab and then started sleepwalking out of Old Corona?" Eugene recapped. "Do you know where he was even going?"

"Or what might've caused him to sleepwalk in the first place?" Lance added.

"See, that's the thing." the princess answered. "Even he didn't know where he was going. And that's not even the strangest thing. The blue stripe in his was... glowing!"

"And now Goggles has glowing hair too! Cause why not, right?" her boyfriend practically flipped out.

"I thought you were the only one with magic hair, Princess." Lance said.

"That's what I thought too." Rapunzel replied. "And yet I can't help but feel like maybe, just maybe,... Varian has a connection to the Moonstone in some way."

"But, how is that possible?" Eugene asked. "His dad fled the Dark Kingdom long born the kid was even born."

"I'm not sure." the princess said, deep in thought. "But for now, we need to keep a close eye on Varian in case he ends up sleepwalking again."

The men exchanged a curt nod, understanding the importance of the situation.

Twilight had fallen and Varian was in his room preparing a prototype batch of memory formula. But, he struggled to focus as his eyes blinked sleepily, a warning that he could lose consciousness at any time.

Just then, the boy heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." he moaned, setting his work down and rubbing his eyes.

"Hi, Varian." Rapunzel said sweetly, opening the door and popping her head in. "How are you doing?"

"Can't complain." Varian yawned softly.

"So sweetie, we've been a little concerned that creating the memory formula for my parents is affecting your well-being. You refuse to rest and I think that must be what's causing him to sleepwalk." the princess explained delicately. "Which is why I'm giving an early bedtime, starting now."

"Aww, but I just got started whipping up a batch of memory solution." the kid whined.

"But you're exhausted. And it could be detrimental to your productivity in the morning if you keep going at it all night. And as an extra precaution, you're sleeping with me tonight." Rapunzel cupped his cheek and rubbed little circles in it with her thumb.

The little alchemist melted like butter under her motherly touch. At this point, it was impossible for Varian to argue with the persuasive princess. He would be fighting a losing battle.

So that night, the kid was sitting in Rapunzel's bed, clad in his mint green pajamas. He was patiently waiting for the sundrop to return for she had said that she needed to grab something from the kitchen real quick. Ruddiger was curled up by his boy's side as he pet the raccoon. And then, Rapunzel came back dressed in her sky blue nightgown and carrying a small silver tray. On the tray was a glass of milk. Varian could see the faint wisp of steam billowed from the cup, indicating that the drink was warm.

Quirin had told Rapunzel that the child has had warm milk before bed every night since he was a baby. Varian used to call it his "night night potion" (and the princess thought that was one of the most adorable things ever.)

"There are you, sweetheart. Not too hot and not too cold. Just the way you like it." the sundrop said, handing the teen the glass. "And I even mixed in a couple spoonfuls of honey to make as sweet as you."

The boy snickered and blushed. And then, he blew on his drink before he started sipping it. As Varian continued to drink his milk, Rapunzel climbed into bed to join his side.

"I hope you understand that we're not punishing you, Varian." she sighed. "We just wanna make sure you're well cared for."

"Mmhm." the boy responded as he consumed his nectarous milk and honey to the last drop.

As a maid came to take the empty glass, the sundrop rested Varian's head on her shoulder. She then started softly singing a lullaby while rubbing soothing circles on the little one's back and gently rocked him. The child's drowsiness was quickly catching up to him as the warm milk and honey sat in his tummy, and the comforting melodies calmed his befuddled mind.

"This is exactly... how my mom put me to sleep... when I was a baby..." Varian yawned as his eyelids fell closed and he slipped into the world of dreams.

"What was your mom like?" Rapunzel asked, realizing the teen had never spoken about his mother before. "Varian?"

She looked to the side and realized that Varian was already fast asleep. The princess gave a sad smile as she laid the kid's sleeping body on the pillows, pulled the blanket over them both, and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight, Varian." she whispered before falling asleep herself.


In Varian's dream, the alchemist woke up in the middle of an eerily quiet and empty hallway. And then, he heard the echo of footsteps closing in on him. The fight or flight reflex in his brain told Varian to vacate the situation. So he ran, but the hallway seemed to go on forever and the footsteps were still approaching. Finally, the kid skidded to a halt and turned around.

"Alright, whoever you are! Show yourself!" he demanded.

"Wow. You haven't looked in a mirror lately, have you?" someone said from behind him. Varian looked and saw him in his Saporian clothes shadowing him. "Don't you know yourself when you see you?"

The kid was completely speechless as his evil self waltzed over to him.

"Why do you keep fooling yourself into thinking you're back in the princess's good graces?" Evil Varian asked.

"That's not true. I've changed and Rapunzel knows it." Good Varian argued.

"Oh, please. We both know you're lying to everyone, especially yourself."

"I'm not lying. I would know. I'm a terrible liar!"

The evil version of the alchemist only laughed in the latter's face as he pinned him against a wall, "Just because people can change, doesn't mean they will. Guess which category of people you fall in."

All of a sudden, everything around Varian, including his evil reflection dissolved into nothingness. He found himself in a void as black as night. The only light came from the glowing streak in his hair.

"Varian." a soft voice called out.

"I know that voice." The boy breathed. It was the same voice from his last dream.

"Varian." the voice echoed. "Listen to me, Varian. I want to help you."

"What?" Varian spoke.

"You can trust me. I want you to follow the sound of my voice." A white path was laid out for the child with an opening out of the void, like a light at the end of the tunnel. "This way, Varian. Follow me!"

Without so much as an iota of hesitation, he walked in the path, led by the angelic voice that was beckoning to him. And then, all was consumed by a bright blue light.


Varian sleepily blinked his eyes open and found himself not in bed being cradled by the princess, but standing across the way from a dungeon cell. And this wasn't just any dungeon cell either. The kid was soon as wide awake as he could the situation hit him like a charging rhinoceros.

"Well, well, well. Look who came to visit." said someone unfortunately familiar.

Varian fearfully glanced up and saw Andrew with a set of keys in his hand, the other Saporians behind him, and a royal guard knocked out on the floor. It soon became clear to the teen that he was in big trouble.

"W-what are you d-doing?" he stammered.

"Oh, don't mind us. We were just... stepping out." the lead Saporian said as he unlocked the cell door and the terrorists exited single file. "It can get pretty cramped in there. Isn't that right, Hairstripe?"

Varian shrinkingly winced at the sound of that accursed nickname.

"I need to make a quick costume change." Andrew said as he dragged the unconscious guard away. "Keep the kid entertained until I'm ready."

The other separatists all looked down on the shaking kid, practically towering over him. He looked to his left and immediately made a break for the main door, only to be easily blocked by Kai's massive build.

"And where do you think you're going?" he castigated.

The young alchemist quickly turned around and ran away, but the evil separatists ganged up on him way too easily. Varian inwardly cursed himself that he didn't have his alchemy. He was virtually defenseless. And then, to add insult to injury, the boy remembered that these know how to use alchemy on the offensive too. In fact, he could even see Clementine reach into her coat pocket and pull a green orb with his sleeping dust.

"I deeply regret teaching you guys how to fight with alchemy." It was the last thing Varian before the mage sent the orb crashing down at his feet.

As the green smoke billowed around him, the teen tried to cough it out of his system, but it proved futile. He exhaustively collapsed on the cobblestone floor as sleep took hold of him again.

And then, along came Andrew now dressed in the uniform of the royal guard he had just knocked out cold. The bad guy snapped his fingers and Kai pulled out a big burlap sack. Together, the Saporians grabbed the sleeping alchemist and dropped him inside. Maisie then used a rope to tie the sack shut.

Andrew had instructed his entourage to have their hands cuffed while he, as a disguised guard, would lead escorting them. The cover story was prisoner transference, but in reality, the Saporian leader was leading his band of crooks to freedom.

"Time to make our great escape." he said as he slung the bag with the slumbering child inside. And with that, the guys moved out.


Back upstairs, Rapunzel awoke when she noticed the vacancy of the bedside opposite of her.

"Varian!?" she gasped as she scrambled over the bed when she saw that the little boy was gone. Pascal was roused up his best friend's distress.

That was when the princess shot after hearing a knock on her door.

"Your Highness!" Stan exclaimed, opening the door ajar. "The Saporians have escaped!"

It didn't take long for Rapunzel to put two and two together and everything out. Her face hardened at the epiphany. She quickly got dressed and rushed out into the hallway. Eugene and Lance were also woken up by the disquieting information.

"Rapunzel, what's going on?" Eugene asked, grabbing her girlfriend's hands.

"Varian must've sleepwalked into the dungeon!" the princess told him in disarray. "And now he's been kidnapped by the Saporians! We've got to save him!"

"Uh, two complications with that, Sunshine." the dark prince stated. "One, we don't know where they are. And two, there's five of them and three of us."

"Not for long." a familiar feminine voice declared.

The trio were alerted to the sound and saw none other than Adira leaning against an open door. The Dark Kingdom's female warrior had a new sword at her side to replace the shadow blade that Cassandra stole from her.

"You know, you really gotta warn us when you're gonna show up like that." Eugene said in an annoyed tone, crossing his arms.

"Adira! I knew you couldn't stay away from me for too long." Lance flirted.

The knight rolled her eyes, slightly irked by that statement.

"I thought you were looking for Cassandra. What are you doing here?" Rapunzel wondered out loud.

"I was alerted that the Moon Child was trouble." Adira explained, showing that the Dark Kingdom emblem on her hand was giving off a soft blue glow. "It is imperative that we rescue him immediately."

"The Moon Child?" Eugene repeated clearly confused.

"She must be talking about Varian." the sundrop told him.

"And... I know where the lowlives who took him are going. Follow me!" the female warrior instructed as she led the rescue team out of the castle.


Varian woke up to find himself laying on something flat and smooth like glass. He got to his feet and noticed that he felt heavier. The teen then discovered that extra weight was really clothing, and not just any clothing: his Saporian garb. He tried to pull off the dreadful outfit, but couldn't. It was like it was glued to his body.

The alchemist was in an octagonal room with mirrors covering every square inch of the floor, ceiling, and eight walls. In every one, his reflections were sneering wickedly at him, just like he did to Rapunzel after kidnapping her mother. The jeering whispers filled his ears similar to nails on a chalkboard as he fruitlessly covered them.

"Stop mocking me!" he screamed, pulling at his clothes again. "I want out of this fashion disaster!"

"Perhaps you would prefer an outfit that's a bit more comfortable." the gentle friendlier voice from before spoke to him.

A rush of soft blue light swirled around the alchemist like a whirlwind. Varian almost felt swaddled in the whirlwind which seemed as warm as a blanket. All that time, the room of mirrors melted away in front of his very eyes into an empty space that almost resembled a night sky.

When the whirlwind finally cleared, the boy discovered that he was now wearing a beautiful long-sleeved tunic. The article of clothing in question was a mix of blues in different shades. Varian also wore a black sash with an ice blue tassel, a midnight blue undershirt with matching leggings, and that he was barefoot. And once again, the stripe in his hair was glowing ice blue.

"Doesn't that feel better?" the soft voice asked.

"Yes. Thank you." Varian answered, hugging himself. "But who are you?"

"Find me." the voice told him.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm all around you. I'm inside you."

"I-I don't understand."

"You will." The child felt something feathery soft brush against his hand. He looked up with an astonished gasp.

Standing before him, was the source of the voice that had been calling to him. It was a tall woman with long periwinkle hair and ocean blue eyes. She seemed to give off a luminescent aura. Her skin was a pale turquoise color and she wore a flowing powder blue dress. She was so beautiful like a goddess.

The woman raising her index finger and gingerly touched to Varian's forehead. His lips quivered into a smile as he lightly giggled from the tingly sensation that came over him.

"You are blessed with amazing powers." the goddess spoke. "Understand them is key to finding yourself. Your destiny awaits you, my Moon Child."

"What do you mean, my destiny?" the teenage boy asked.

"Come with me, Varian." the woman said, extended her hand to him. "You have a great journey ahead of you."

"What kind of journey?" Varian wanted to know, but his dream started to fade away before he could get an answer. "No! Don't go!"


The little alchemist had some trouble coming back into the waking world, his brain still a little foggy from his dream and sleeping powder. He tried to prop himself up, but found himself stuck for some reason. The boy couldn't even move his arms to rub his eyes. That was when he soon learned why. He was strapped to a table! And standing over him, were Andrew and the other separatists of Saporia.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty is finally awake." his former abuser mocked him. "Well, somewhat at least."

"What is this place?" Varian slurred.

"It's funny that you don't recognize your own lab when you see it." Andrew reproached.

"My lab?" the kid thought. "Wow. I'm more sleep-deprived than I thought."

"Now that you've got nowhere to go, we're gonna teach you a lesson about stabbing us in the back." Juniper said.

"I knew what I was doing." Varian shot back. "You all were going to use my alchemy for chemical warfare. And that was wrong."

"You wanna talk about being wrong?" the head Saporian snarled. "The plan was going just fine until you had your last-minute change of heart."

"It wasn't just about switching loyalties. You groomed me and inflicted so much pain on me for months! I turned on you to escape your abuse. I wasn't going to let you use me as your puppet for another second." the teen explained bravely.

"You better watch your mouth before I smack it off your face!"

"No! I'm gonna give you all the lip you deserve! You really think you're a rebel? Do you honestly think that!? You're no rebel, you're a grade A psychopath! And I want nothing to do with you or your twisted vendetta anymore."

"It doesn't matter. We're still going to give you the most torturous night of your life. Soon, you'll be begging to be killed."

All of the Saporians were preparing each of their choice instruments of torture. Meanwhile, Varian looking on, had already burned out his energy verbally standing for himself. He would've been downright terrified of the torment that was coming to him if h he wasn't so mind-numbingly exhausted.

"Rapunzel will come for me. And when she does, she's gonna... wipe that smug look off your stupid, ugly face." he yawned.

"That's cute. You're so sleepy, you can't even make empty threats." Andrew chuckled evilly.

That was when the door was kicked open by Adira with Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, and Maximus right behind her.

"Nobody move!" Rapunzel commanded authoritatively with her hair down. "This slumber party is over!"

"Guys!" Varian beamed. "I knew you'd come!"

"Wow. You're belief in the princess is stronger than I originally gave it credit for. Shame on me." Andrew said nonchalantly.

"All right, Hairbun. Stand down and let the kid go!" Eugene demanded passionately.

"Oh, I don't think so." Andrew refused. "Hairstripe here was just about to get what's coming to him. Once that's over and done, we're going to finish what we started and make sure Corona gets the reckoning it deserves."

"For the glory of New Saporia!" the other terrorists cried with their weapons held high.

"Looks like we're gonna have to fight our way through." the dark prince stated.

"Eugene, you and Lance hold off the Saporians." Rapunzel instructed her boyfriend. "Adira and I will rescue Varian."

With their swords drawn, Lance and Eugene charged at the bad guys, fueled by their desire to save the little alchemist from their wicked clutches. Meanwhile, Max used his brute strength to bodyslam the escaped convicts. As his comrades were being subdued, Andrew saw the two women racing to Varian's rescue. Well, he wasn't having it and charged after them.

"Step away from the kid." the separatist leader demanded, blocking Rapunzel and Adira.

"No! You've put him through enough pain!" the princess snapped back in a maternal way.

"And I'm just getting started." Andrew retorted.

Then, he made the fatal mistake of grabbing Adira's shoulders as the Saporian prepared to shove her. The female knight glowered at the man.

"You shouldn't have done that." she spoke intensely.

Without warning, the warrior grabbed Andrew's arms and threw him into the wall. The separatist was beside himself.

"Ha ha ha! You guys are really in for it now! Betcha you never dealt with a bona-fide Dark Kingdom Brotherhood member before, have you?" Eugene quipped.

"Especially who descended from the heaven's." Lance added, swooning.

Seeing the golden opportunity, Rapunzel and Adira returned to freeing Varian from his restraints. The teen was understandably a little nervous when the Dark Kingdom knight approached him. He didn't know what to think of her after that violent display he just witnessed.

"It's okay, Varian." the princess reassured the young alchemist. "She's a friend."

The two women worked together to unbound Varian from the table. But as he got down and was ready to rush into the sundrop's waiting arms, the trio noticed that Eugene, Lance, and Max needed some help.

"Wait here, Varian." Rapunzel told her boy as she and Adira joined their friends' side.

"Argh! Enough of this sword to sword combat!" Andrew growled. "Time to Get some dirt on our hands. Or should I say, chemicals?"

All the Saporians pulled out neon pink balls and instantly Varian gasped when he recognized what that was: his raccoon trapping solution. The bad guys hurled the orbs at the heroes and they were trapped in a mountain of pink goo. Not even Adira could get out of that hardened slime.

"After we take you out, there will be no one to stand in our way of burning Corona to the ground. And certainly, no one that will keep us from making sure Hairstripe suffers a slow and painful demise." Andrew declared darkly, approaching the trapped gang.

Looking on, Varian felt helpless as he watched his friends getting overpowered and subdued by the Saporians. He couldn't stand seeing them getting hurt by the people who hurt him. That was when the kid felt a surge growing more and more intense inside him. His eyes blazed an electric blue. So did his hands. His whole hair glowed ice blue as well as his fists shook.

"I've. Had. ENOUGH!" he bellowed as black rocks started to grow from every which way.

The Saporians, clearly not expecting this, barely missed being skewered by the obelisks, but the rocks did knock them out. Meanwhile, Pascal, the only one managed to not get trapped grab the neutralizing particle and free his friends. Rapunzel nuzzled him in gratitude.

Varian finally seemed to realize what had just happened. He was horrified seeing that he caused these black rocks to appear.

"What's happening to me?" he squeaked, staring at his shimmering fingertips. But as his anger faded, his energy did too. The child fainted as his glow died down and Adira quickly caught him.

"Who are you?" Varian slurred tiredly.

"Shhh. Let's get you somewhere safe." the female hushed him. And then, the boy's consciousness faced.

When Varian came to, he felt as though his bones were replaced with stones and weights of zinc. Around him were all his friends, including the mysterious female knight. They were all just outside his house and a small campfire was going. The teen tried to get up despite his body refusing to do so.

"Oh, oh, sit up slowly, baby." Rapunzel stopped him. "Are you hurt?"

"Just a little sore." the alchemist groaned.

"Here, drink this tea. It has de-stressing and muscle relaxing properties." Adira offering, handing him a cup. "Drink while it's hot. It'll make you feel better."

"Thanks." Varian said, blowing on the tea and slowly sipping it. "Wait, where's Andrew?"

"Don't worry. Hairbun and his flower children are gone. They're being shipped to an undisclosed location first thing in the morning." Eugene answered, calming him down before the kid could get anxious.

"Those guys will never lay a hand on you again." Lance promised.

Suddenly, the front door of Varian's house swung open and Quirin emerged.

"What's going on here?" he inquired, his gaze falling on someone whom he hadn't seen in a long time. "Adira?"

"Quirin, it's been many years." the female warrior stated in delighted surprise. "I still find it baffling that you choose working with agriculture over being a Coronan royal guard."

"Quite the contrary, I find that farming is a humbling profession." the village leader lightheartedly laughed. "Good to see you again, sister."

"You as well."

"And I see you've already acquainted yourself with my son."

"Indeed."

"Um, well, I-I hope I made a g-good first impression." Varian stuttered, blushing.

"I assure you, I'm already fond of you." Adira chuckled, lightly ruffling his hair. The kid gave her smile in return.


Back at the castle, Rapunzel decided to a bedtime trick of her own to help a restless Varian get back to sleep peacefully. The two of them were seated out on the princess's balcony with a blanket under them and another one draped over their shoulders.

"Stargazing is one of my favorite things to do before bed." the sundrop told the boy.

Together, the pair pointed out different constellations in the night sky for a good while. As at peace as he was right now, there was something that Varian needed to get off his chest. But, how Rapunzel would take hearing what he had to say was going to be the real test.

"Hey, Rapunzel?" the teenage alchemist finally spoke shyly. "There's... something I've been meaning to tell you, for a while, actually. Remember when you told me about the Moonstone, and when you used that dark incantation to save my father? Well, this might sound... crazy, but I feel like-"

"You may have a connection to the Moonstone?" Rapunzel finished. "It's okay, I thought you might be."

"How... did you figure it out?" Varian wondered.

"During the incantation, amongst all the darkness I was trapped in, I saw a single light. That light was you, Varian. You brought me backfrom the spell." the princess explained.

"But then, why am I connected to the Moonstone? And why do I have powers?"

"I'm not sure, but you'll find out eventually. In the meantime, you can always come to me and the others of you have any questions."

"And weird dreams?" The child nestled against Rapunzel as sleep started to take hold once more.

"And weird dreams." She pressed her forehead to the slumbering little one's with love. "Sleep tight, Varian."

As Varian dozed on, Rapunzel contemplated on the decay incantation's effect on him, and now being able to grow black rocks. What would that mean for the young alchemist? Would Cassandra come after him because they share the same magic? Yes, the princess wanted to believe that her best friend could be redeemed. But, the Moonstone now at her disposal, there was no telling what she could do with it. All her thoughts went back to protecting Varian from whatever may want to use the child's newfound powers for their ill intended purposes.