One thing that Varian was quick to love again about Rapunzel was how down-to-earth and altruistic she was, especially when it came to her kingdom. She may be acting queen, but that didn't stop her from giving back to her subjects. Whatever her people needed or wanted, the sundrop was all too happy to provide. Rapunzel was such an active presence in Corona's community because that was just her style. Varian hoped that one day, the kingdom could trust him enough again and appreciate the help that he and his own talents had to offer, similar to the princess's.

Today, Rapunzel was going around the Coronan town square assisting her people no matter how big or small the help.

"Oh, I would tilt it this way, Feldspar, so it's visible to the afternoon traffic." she suggested as she turned a sign for a sale that the shoemaker's shop towards the street.

"Princess Rapunzel!" a little girl called out as her runaway ball rolled towards the princess.

"Keep your eye on the ball." the sundrop told her, handing the ball back, much to the girl's delight. "And watch that follow-through."

Rapunzel approached a man with a stand of men's accessories. He was aspiring to open a men's dressing store, but needed a royal approval before that could become a reality. Thank goodness for the princess.

"Your plans are approved! Build that haberdashery." she beamed giving the blueprints back to the very happy business owner before twirling jubilantly. "Live the dream!"

She then approached a horse and scratched his muzzle promising, "Oat delivery tonight."

"Wow, I'm impressed. You take acting queen to a whole new level." Varian praised Rapunzel. She smiled kindly at her friend's compliment.

"Rapunzel, you realize that as queen, you don't need to be out in the streets all the time, right?" Eugene said.

"Well, remember, technically I'm still a princess." the sundrop replied smugly. "Besides, this is where the real action is."

All of a sudden, the trio were alerted to the neigh of a horse carrying a cart of hay. She was being startled by a rat that was crossing her path. Her master tried to calm her down, to no avail and she bolted in a panic.

"Watch out!" Eugene cried out as he, Rapunzel, and Varian darted out of the way. Immediately, they mounted onto their horses to catch the runaway cart. Eugene on Max, Rapunzel and Varian on Fidella. "And there's the action, right on cue."

As they as raced after the panicked horse, there were shouts of people who barely missed getting hit.

"Sorry! Official royal business!" Varian yelled apologetically.

"Guys, look! A dead end!" Rapunzel alerted her friends.

"She's got nowhere to go now." Eugene said.

But that dead end turned out to have an escape route to the left-hand side which the horse took.

"Or maybe she does." Varian spoke. "Bank left!"

The riding group took a sharp left turn into an alleyway that was definitely unfamiliar to Eugene.

"Is this a new alley?" the dark prince asked.

The scared horse showed no sign of slowing down. The only way the trio could possibly now was to do it manually.

"Get us as close as you can!" Varian told Fidella.

The mare did so and Rapunzel slowly stood on the saddle. The young boy did the same, his arms wrapped around the princess for support. Pascal was the first to leap onto the cart.

"Now!" Rapunzel said as she and Varian jumped on and clambered aboard. But the road was bumpy and the kid was having trouble stabilizing himself. "Careful, Varian."

Maximus was edging closer to the cart as Eugene was steadily climbing on the stallion's head as he prepared to jump. But, the dark prince wasn't quite on the mark and found himself nearly slipping, his feet just touching the street.

"Max, Max, Max, Max, Max, Max..." he cried out for his trusty stead before he was given the necessary boost. "Thank you!"

"What's the plan?" Varian asked.

"I need to get up close, and settle her down." Rapunzel told him. "Before someone gets..." But then, another bump in the road causes her and the teen to fall, the princess on her belly and Varian on his back. Eugene grabbed each of their hands so that they wouldn't slide off. "...hurt."

"Are you guys all right?" the dark prince asked as he helped the other two up.

"We're good." Varian confirmed, giving a thumbs-up.

"Yeah. Thanks." Rapunzel added. That was when she heard a whistle blowing. "Oh, duck crossing!"

Up ahead, there was a grown-up duck and five fluffy ducklings making their way across the street. Stan and Pete were regulating foot traffic so that the feathery pedestrians could amble unharmed. But when Pete saw the out-of-control cart come thundering, he raised up his hand and blew his whistle frantically in a vain attempt to stop the oncoming horse.

"Ooh, cute little duckies." Varian cooed, his animal loving heart aching for the tragedy that could happen if action wasn't taken swiftly.

"Hang on, Varian!" the princess told the teen as he joined her on the back of the panic stricken horse and grabbed the reins. "This ends now!"

But she managed to stop the cart, Eugene went flying into the air yelling.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel and Varian exclaimed.

Immediately, the sundrop let down her hair and wrapped on a nearby kiosk to act as a safety catch. Unfortunately, the dark prince bounced off the hair, then off some hay bales before meeting the cobblestone streets and landing his back hard.

"Nice save, but she's really gotta work on that landing." he grunted in pain.

Just then, he saw a beautiful black-and-white horse standing over him. Mounted on the mare was a familiar armored man with an equally familiar cross-eyed crow perched on his shoulder.

"Oh hello, son." the man greeted the dark prince in a friendly tone.

"Edmund?" Eugene groaned.

That was when Varian came rushing to his side.

"That looked rough. Are you okay?" the young alchemist asked as he helped the dark prince up.

"Yeah, kid. I've had harder falls. Trust me." Eugene answered, rubbing his back.

Varian's attention was soon drawn to the older man that towered over him. Even if the guy were to dismount right now, he would still be a mountain compared the little alchemist. He felt slightly daunted to be in the man's presence.

"A month since your departure and I already have a grandson!" Edmund said happily.

"Oh no, E-Eugene's not my dad." Varian stuttered as he fiercely blushed "A-Actually my father is-"

"Quirin." the dark king finished, leaving the child in disbelief.

"Yeah. How did-"

"Adira has told me about Quirin's son after her recent encounter. So that means you must be Varian. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. So you're Eugene's biological father. I've heard so much about you."

"Yeah. And he was just-" Eugene began, his gaze pointed at his dad.

"Why don't I go find Rapunzel and we'll treat you to lunch?" Varian interrupted with a big smile on his face before he ran off to get the princess.

The younger man gave an exasperated sigh as he face-palmed and shook his head.


That day at the café in the town square, Rapunzel and the others were seated at one of the outdoor dining tables to talk with King Edmund.

"What are you doing here?" Eugene asked in a condescending tone. Rapunzel and Varian smiled apologetically on his behalf.

The king's crow squawked, coughing up a few black feathers.

"No, Hamuel. Let me tell him." Edmund said told his bird before turning to his son. "After our rather unfortunate run-in with the family recently, I wanted to ensure you got this. It's a priceless heirloom that has been passed down for generations."

He handed Eugene a small fancy box. The younger opened it and inside was a piece of chestnut brown fabric with the Dark Kingdom crest in sterling silver.

"Pretty!" Rapunzel gasped in amazement.

"It's our family sash." the dark king explained.

"That's so cool." Varian marveled in awe.

"Oh, fantastic!" Eugene said sarcastically. "That's fantastic. This'll go so great with my chain mail dinner jacket, so thanks for stopping by, and making everything awkward, as usual. Bye now."

"Eugene!" the teenage alchemist scolded him. "This is your long-lost father you're talking to. And my grandfather."

The dark prince wanted to argue, but he knew that saying Edmund was not Varian's grandfather would upset the kid so he decided to let it slide.

"Oh. I, uh... I suppose I should leave." the older man chuckled sadly. "Although I'm actually hoping they invite me to stay."

"Oh." Rapunzel cooed.

"Poor guy." Varian said sympathetically.

"Yeah, no, he says what he thinks. A lot." Eugene informed them.

"Has he always done that?" the boy asked.

"It's what happens when you send your people away for 25 years." the dark prince answered.

"Your majesty, you have come such a long way. Why not just stay for the night?" the sundrop offered.

"Oh, no. I really shouldn't." Edmund replied nervously.

"Yeah, no. He really shouldn't." his son agreed, rising from his chair.

"I insist." Rapunzel declared.

"Well, who is this old pile of bones to argue with a princess?" the dark king exuded, giving a grateful bow to her.

"Oh, brother." Eugene grumbled, pouting like a toddler.

"So Grandpa, since you'll be sticking around, why don't I take you to Old Corona to see my dad?" Varian suggested. "I know it's been years you last talked, and I'm sure you both have a lot of catching up to do."

"You would do that?" Edmund asked hopefully. "It's been so long."

"I don't know, Varian." Rapunzel said, feeling apprehensive. Varian had never traveled without herself, Eugene, or Lance before since they took the child in.

"No, please, by all means." Eugene insisted. "As long as I get a break from Edmund I'm all for it."

"Come on, I know the way and back. I won't be gone for that long." Varian assured the princess.

"Okay. But, be sure to be back before dinner." she reminded him as she hugged the little alchemist.


That afternoon, Edmund and his grandson trotted aboard the king's horse Domino into Old Corona. The renovations to the farming village were already underway. Varian led the way to his dad's manor until they arrived at its doorstep.

"So this is where my dad and I live." the boy told the dark king. "You can say hi if you want, but I can't predict how he's going to react to seeing you."

"Nonsense. The camaraderie that Quirin and I share runs deeper than that of the Moonstone itself. I have no doubt that he will be delighted to see me again." Edmund said confidently.

The young alchemist felt some uncertainty about that statement as the two of them dismounted. His dad had always pretty dodgy about his past. And now that Varian knew his father originally came from the Dark Kingdom, the village leader would probably be more guarded about than ever. But then again, Quirin was happy to see Adira, and she was from the Dark Kingdom too. Varian just couldn't bare to squash his grandfather's enthusiasm.

He walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. After about 45 seconds, Quirin answered.

"Oh, Varian." the village leader spoke. "What brings you here this afternoon?"

"Hey, Dad. Just thought I'd stop by to say hi. And, there's someone else who really wanted to see you too." his son answered, stepping aside a little to reveal the dark king behind him.

"Greetings, Quirin." Edmund said in a jovial tone, giving a small bow. "I take it that time has certainly been kind to you."

In response, the village leader pointed his signature cross/stoic face at his original king and shut the door in front of him. Edmund and Varian were stuck in a brief moment of awkward silence.

"W-well, it c-could've been worse. He could've not a-answered the door... at all." the teen told the older man, trying to be positive. But, Edmund couldn't hide the fact that he was a little hurt.

They decided it was best to head back to the castle before Varian missed his unofficial curfew. They made it back in time for dinner, just as he promised Rapunzel that he would.


Early that evening, Eugene was sitting on the roof with his family sash in his hand. He looked almost lost in thought.

"Hey, Eugene." Varian's voice said, startling the dark prince as he put the sash back in its box. He saw Rapunzel and the kid were there to check on him.

"Thinking about your dad?" the princess asked as she and Varian each sat on either side of Eugene.

"All right, first of all, he's not my dad, okay? He is a strange man who can't keep his thoughts to himself. Second, he abandoned me as a child, and he didn't even try to stay in touch with me. And then this." the dark prince ranted, gripping the sash box.

"He's just trying to reconnect with you." his young charge reasoned him. "He hadn't talked to another human for 25 years until you guys made it to the Dark Kingdom. I'm sure that's definitely impaired his social skills."

"Edmund's only company is a crow who could get lost in a boot." Rapunzel added. "He's lonely. Come on! You might even get to like him."

"You two could actually have more in common than you think." Varian predicted.

"And Shorty could sprout wings and lay an egg. But, hey, you never know." Eugene remarked before the trio saw Hamuel flying with a boot covering his head. "I'm sorry. Is that my boot?"

"I think that crow has a few screws loose." the young alchemist whispered to him.


The next morning, Varian was busy making some alchemical bombs when he heard Eugene shout from down the hall. He put his work to see what all the commotion was about.

"Eugene, what's-" the boy started when he saw that the dark prince's room was totally ransacked. "Whoa! Did a twister go through your room or something?"

Eugene then saw the box that held the Dark Kingdom sash discarded on the floor, but the priceless heirloom was gone!

"Wait a minute. Someone stole the sash! I've been ro- I've been robbed!" he said in shock. Being a thief for so many years, he had never been on the receiving end of a robbery before. "So that's how that feels."

"Yeah, not so good on the other end of the stick, huh?" the alchemist commented.

"Somebody say 'robbed?'" Pete said, barging in out of nowhere.

"Don't touch a thing. This is a crime scene." Stan ordered as he and his fellow guard sifted through the room.

"Take it easy, guys. Who cares about that silly old sash?" Eugene told them with a deadpan expression.

"I can think of one person who might." Varian answered.

It wasn't easy, but Rapunzel and the boys had to bear the unfortunate news to King Edmund.

"Somebody stole the sash?" he said incredulously.

"Grandpa, I'm so sorry." Varian apologized. "I don't know how it happened."

"Don't worry, your majesty. Eugene will help you find it." the princess assured the dark king.

"And so will I." the young alchemist added.

"Whoa, whoa, Stan and Pete are on it. They are perfectly capable of handling this." Eugene tried to weasel out of helping his father.

But due to the two guards' incompetence of finding evidence, the dark king swore not to leave Corona until the bandit was caught and that sash was found. So Eugene went to help the guards in his room. That was when he noticed a piece of paper on the floor, which turned out to be a ransom letter from the crook. They wanted gold in exchange for the sash and to meet on Mount Saison. In the war room; Rapunzel, Eugene, Varian, and Edmund tried to decide what to do next.

"Whatever the price, no matter how far, we must get it back." the dark king proclaimed determinedly.

"Oh, no, no, no." Eugene refused. "I said I would help out. I did not say anything about taking a day-long trip."

"Well, then, I suppose I will make this journey on my own." his dad said, glancing to him with crestfallen eyes.

"Grandpa, are you sure you wanna do that?" Varian asked. "I mean, Mount Saison is pretty far, and it can be easy to get lost if you don't know how to get there."

"Yes, except Hamuel, it shall be me. Just me. No companion." Edmund answered sadly.

After a little assertive persuasion from Rapunzel, Eugene finally caved in.

"Okay, okay. Why don't I just tag along?" he suggested uncomfortably.

"Ooh! Excellent!" his father smiled as Hamuel cawed in delight.

"I wanna come too." Varian requested, raising his hand.

Rapunzel and Eugene exchange apprehensive glances with each other. King Edmund, on the other hand, was ecstatic to have his son and grandson along on this excursion.

"Should we?" the princess whispered.

"Why not? The kid could use a little adventure. Besides, it might make this trip a little more bearable." her boyfriend answered.

Rapunzel sighed, turned to the boy, and said; "Allright, Varian. You can go to Mount Saison. But, you have to stick with Eugene the whole time, and, please, be careful."

"I can work with that." Varian said, hugging the sundrop.


Later, Eugene and Varian were mounted on Max as they met up with King Edmund who was already mounted on Domino.

"You packed food, right?" the dark prince asked his dad.

"Of course I did, Horace. A bounty unlike any you've ever had." Edmund answered, holding up a satchel.

"Wait. What did he call you?" Varian said to the younger man.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Horace?" Eugene stopped his dad with a laugh. "Did you just call me Horace?"

"Indeed. Horace is your given name." the older man explained fondly before confusion set in. "Did I not mention that before?"

"No, you didn't. How is it possible my real name is even worse than Eugene?" his son freaked out, voice cracking. Maximus gave a nicker that sounded like laughter. "Ha, ha. Real funny."

"Well, the name Eugene actually means 'of noble birth,' so, yeah, you're definitely better off as Eugene." Varian said analytically.

"Yes! Thank you!" The dark prince was glad to have someone on his side of this. "Now, let's get on the road."

"That's the spirit. This jaunt may actually prove quite fun." Edmund praised as the the horses traipsed out of the capital.

"And for the record, we are sticking with Eugene. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Horace."

Unbeknownst to the travelers, a pair of fugitives, the Stabbingtons, had arrived to Corona by boat and were sneaking into the city from under the bridge. And those two had to out for Eugene's head.

"Never thought we'd be setting foot in Corona again. But it'll be worth it once we close the book on Flynn Rider... for good." Sideburns spoke evilly as he and his twin ducked through a secret passage.


As the Eugene, Varian, and Edmund strolled through the forest en route to Mount Saison, the dark king was taking in the natural scenery.

"Ha ha!" he chimed. "Such a beautiful day for a trek. My spirits soar like Hamuel, my graceful friend in flight!"

Just as he said that, Hamuel crashed into some tree limbs and fell to the ground with a thud. Varian couldn't help but wince for the poor bird.

"Yeah. Majestic." Eugene replied impassively. "Can we focus, please? The sooner we get up to Mount Saison and get the sash, the sooner you get back to-" That was when the younger two noticed that the dark king had gotten off his horse without warning and disappeared. "Edmund! Edmund!"

"Where did he go?" Varian asked innocently.

"Horace, Varian, there is the most spectacular display of miniature ball-like thingy-dos on the ground." Edmund called to the boys, showing them his discovery. "Come quickly!"

Max trotted over as the other humans investigated the "things" in Edmund's hand.

"Rabbit pellets. Those are rabbit pellets." Eugene determined.

"Well, they're probably interesting to someone who's never even seen a rabbit before." Varian said.

Domino sniffed the scat her rider had found and drew back in disgust.

"Oh, this is gonna be a long trip. I'd better fuel up." The dark prince sighed as he went to get something to eat from the king's satchel, but pulled out a crow wind-up toy in shock. In fact, the whole sack was filled with toys. "What the-? There's no food. This is nothing but junk!"

"Goodness me. I brought the wrong bag." Edmund scolded himself. "This is my sack of lucky charms!"

"Well, that's just great!" his son groaned. "Now, what? I doubt this is going to be any more manageable on an empty stomach. Plus, we have a kid who can't afford to miss a meal."

"Yeah. What are we gonna do for food?" the young alchemist asked.

"Say, Varian, Horace-" the dark king began, happening upon an idea.

"Eugene." the younger man corrected him.

"I think I have the perfect solution. We'll fish together!" he suggested, tossing up his ax to cut down a decent sized stick to make a fishing pole. The stick then fell in his hand. "Problem solved."

Eugene looked up there and saw that the king's ax was now stuck in the tree.

"I am not climbing up there to get your ax down." he said defiantly.

"Don't worry. I got it." Varian offered, preparing to dismount.

"Nope. I'm not sending you to get it either." his friend/guardian refused, being protective. "You think I want it on my conscience to see you fall out of a tree of you're not careful?"

"I wasn't going up the tree. Watch this." the boy said as he threw one of his alchemical balls into the tree to knock the ax down. "Heads up!" he told his grandpa who got out of the way as the weapon came crashing down. "See that? There's always more than one way to solve a problem."


Meanwhile, there has been a sighting of the Stabbingtons in the capital. Apparently, they had broken into Feldspar's shop, leaving twin trails of muddy footprints in their wake. The princess had the royal guard be put on high alert.

"Double security. I want sentries posted on the bridge, and patrols every hour." Rapunzel ordered Stan and Pete.

"Yes, Princess." the two guards said in unison.

"The Stabbingtons are back in Corona."

But when the sundrop had her back turned, the two fugitives had intercepted Stan and Pete in order to interrogate them about Eugene's whereabouts. The pair of guards unfortunately blundered into saying that the dark prince was heading to Mount Saison with his dad and Varian. So the Stabbingtons started heading that way too.


Meanwhile; Eugene, Varian, and King Edmund had found a quant pond for them to fish in. As the trio held their fishing poles anticipating a bite from a fish, Edmund was telling Varian stories about times in the Dark Kingdom he and the boy's dad had together. The kid was sitting with wrapped attention about his father's past and the Dark Kingdom's days of yore.

"And then I said, 'I thought only bats slept upside-down, Quirin!'" the dark king joked in reminiscence as Varian laughed, clutching his belly.

Eugene, on the other hand, was trying to tune out his father and just focus on catching a fish. Suddenly, the acorn bobber of Edmund's pole dipped below the pond's surface.

"Grandpa, you got a bite!" Varian gasped in delight.

"Oh! Oh, I got something, Horace." the dark king notified his son.

"For the eleven-teenth time, it's Eugene." Eugene replied, rolling his eyes.

"Okay. Now pull, but yank." the young alchemist instructed his grandfather.

"Twenty-pounder, easy. Maybe thirty. Hope you're hungry." Edmund said as he cast in his prize.

The fish he caught wasn't big enough to make a meal for all three travelers. It was only as big as Varian's hand. And when Hamuel tried to eat it, the puny fish flung itself off the line and back into the safety of the pond.

"Well, at least it was a fish this time." Eugene spoke, referring the dark king's pile of junk from his last ten attempts.

"See, I told you eleventh time would be the charm." Varian attempted to praise his grandpa, but Edmund was already too deep in thought.

"My son and grandson think me a fool. Hmm. Just wait until reveal the figgy pudding in my pocket. That will change their tune." he said to himself.

"Grandpa, we can all hear you." the boy let him know.

But the dark king ignored his grandson's comment and cleared his throat, "I have something in my pocket that will change your tune."

"Did you just say you have figgy pudding in your pocket? I don't know what's weirder. That you have figgy pudding in your pocket, or that your armor actually has pockets." Eugene told his dad.

"I'm gonna go with both." Varian spoke.

"Ha ha! But who shall partake of it?" Edmund asked mischievously.

"I don't want any of your pocket pudding." Eugene denied in a low voice.

"Ah, but you do!" his father disagreed, getting up in the prince's face. "I can tell a lot by into a man's eyes."

"Can you really?" his grandson asked innocently.

"But of course." Edmund answered, getting down on Varian's level. "For example, in your eyes, I can see that you have a kind heart and are always willing to help even when no one asks of it. And you also have a beautiful mind chock-full of ideas just waiting to be brought forth from the inside-out."

The kid's baby blue eyes glistened from the king's wise words. Even Eugene couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I can also tell that my son has a hankering for this pudding of mine." the older man stated, rising back up.

"That trick doesn't always work like you think it does." the dark prince remarked, becoming defiant again.

"But, you shan't have it so easily! To see who claims this figgy treat, we shall have a contest. A game of marksmanship, if you will. Ha, ha!" Edmund proclaimed with a hearty laugh, grabbing his ax.

"Ha, ha! I won't." his son tried to turn him down, but no such luck.

"That settles it. The game is afoot." the dark king declared, walking off.

"Oh, come on, Eugene. Just humor him." Varian persuaded his friend.

Eugene gave a defeated sigh as the two of them followed the older man farther into the forest.


"Now, to find a target for our contest." Edmund said, looking around for an object that proved sufficient. That was when Hamuel crashed into a tree stump before waddling to a rock nearby. "Thank you for your service, Hamuel. We have a target."

"Edmund, you can just have the pudding. Or better yet, give it Varian. The kid needs the nourishment." Eugene tried to convince the dark king, looking at Varian who looked hunger was getting to him.

"You know, we could just look for some berries instead." the boy suggested shyly.

"Nonsense! We shall play this delightful game, and revel in each other's company." Edmund responded, tossing his ax at the stump with no trouble at all. "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, I bet that was a lucky shot!"

"Not even close to what I was thinking." his son replied indifferently, holding his sheathed sword.

"Let's try for two in a row." the dark king said, drawing the sword from its scabbard and hurling it into the stump.

But the force of the throw knocked the stump with the ax and sword still in it off the cliff. And then with a splash, it sank into the river below.

"Edmund, our weapons!" Eugene exclaimed.

"Wow. Glad I don't have a weapon to lose." Varian commented.

"Sorry, boys." Edmund grinned sheepishly. "Well, lucky for us, nothing is more dangerous than cutting wits, eh, Horace?"

"It's Euge- you know what, this is impossible." his son complained in exasperation, losing his patience and walking off.

"If something's not impossible, it's not worth doing." the older man quoted, Varian gasping in amazement and covering his mouth.

"I mean what is wrong-" Eugene tried to continue ranting.

"Eugene! Did you not hear what he said?" the teen cut him off, already geeking out.

"Wait." A big smile came the prince's face. "Did you just say, 'If something is not impossible, it's not worth doing?'"

"'It's not worth doing!'" Varian finished in unison.

"'It's not worth doing.'" Edmund joined them. "Why, yes I did!"

"That's Flynn Rider's signature catchphrase!" the young alchemist smiled, bouncing on the heels of his feet.

"From 'Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia.'" his friend recalled.

"One of my favorite books." the king said.

The ruler of the Dark Kingdom was a fan of "The Tales of Flynn Rider" book series. What were the odds? The only other fan of Flynn Rider that Varian knew was Eugene. So this was an amazing discovery!

"Me, too. Until I lost it. I accidentally dropped it off a cliff." Eugene digressed before returning to the subject. "Hey, do you remember when Rider is on the canoe, heading for the waterfall?"

"Yes. He leaps onto the rocks, but not before saving the... treasure!"

"The treasure!" the younger two chorused at the end of the sentence.

"Oh, it was brilliant!" the dark prince shared a laugh with his father. A genuine laugh.

"Classic!" Varian got caught up in the jovial mood as well. "And you said you would never bond with your dad."


Back in the streets of Corona, Rapunzel had discovered that the Stabbingtons had nabbed Stan and Pete, and tied them up. Luckily, the hoodlums' muddy footprints and the guards' blubbering sobs made it easy for the princess to find them. Too bad the crooks were already gone by then.

"I'm sorry, Princess. The Stabbingtons came out of nowhere!" Stan apologized.

"It's okay. I'm sure they're after Eugene. Good thing he and Varian are out of town." Rapunzel spoke.

But then, she realized that he and Pete botched at keeping her boyfriend's location a secret from the criminals who interrogated them. Much to her annoyance.

"You know what? I'll take it from here, guys." the princess sighed, mounting into Fidella. "Come on, Fidella. We're bringing in the Stabbingtons."

And then, they rode off, leaving the guards to bicker amongst each other.


Meanwhile, Varian, Eugene, and Edmund were in a field of tall grasses as they wholeheartedly shared their favorite moments from the Flynn Rider book series.

"Oh, no! And- and do you remember when Flynn Rider says, 'The kingdom and I aren't exactly simpatico at the moment.'" Eugene reminisced, laughing.

"That's my one of my favorite parts." Varian chuckled.

"Yes!" Edmund chimed. "And people think it's a kids book. Adults everywhere appreciate the nuance of Flynn Rider's adventures."

Suddenly, something stopped Eugene cold in his tracks.

"Shh, shh, shh. Quiet." he hushed his dad and young friend. "I don't think we're alone."

"Right again, Rider." a sinister voice said from behind the trio. They turned to see Sideburns had just tied up the horses and trapped Ruddiger in a bag with a dagger drawn. "Or is it 'Eugene? '"

"H-how do they k-know your real name?" Varian asked, clinging to the dark prince.

"Don't ask." Eugene answered as Eyepatch emerged opposite of the travelers. He went into protective mode immediately to keep the boy safe from the two criminals the young man hoped he would never have to meet. Yet, he tried to act jovial to try and lessen the kid's anxiety. "Edmund, long-lost father; Varian, young charge, meet Stabbingtons, lifelong nemeses. Edmund claims he's my father, but you know, I actually have more of a history with you guys. So, in a way, this is kind of like a family gathering for me! Say, who wants some pudding?"

"I can tell he wants some pudding." Edmund answered, catching on and throwing his pudding in Sideburns's face.

"He can tell a lot by looking into a man's eyes." the dark prince said, giving the bad guy a sidekick. "Varian, stay close to me!"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Varian responded, joining his side.

Eugene then grabbed a bunch of grass and used it as a makeshift sword. He and Sideburns dueled while Varian tried his hardest not to leave his friend. But, it got to the point where the hoodlum managed to slug the dark prince in the face. He stumbled backwards and disappeared into the grass, leaving the young teen alone and defenseless.

"Eugene!" he cried, rushing after his guardian, but was intercepted by Sideburns. He had grabbed his arm tightly which reminded the boy of how Andrew would hold him. The alchemist's pupils dilated and he immediately freaked out. "Let go of me!"

"Not gonna happen." the scoundrel sneered, holding Varian to his chest and pointing his dagger at his throat. "If Rider really cares about you so much, he'll come out one way or another. You hear that, Eugene? Show yourself or your kid gets it!"

The kid watched as Edmund dealt with Eyepatch with little to no trouble at all. A sharp contrast to his current situation. Sideburns approached the grass where Eugene was supposedly hiding in and received a forceful kick in the thigh. His grip on the alchemist loosened and Varian seized the opportunity to run into the grass where the dark prince hugged him tightly.

"Are you okay?" Eugene asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." the boy responded, but froze when he heard Sideburns coming back.

"Wait here." his friend went to take care of the perf.

Varian then carefully peeked the vegetation to Edmund was still going toe to toe with Eyepatch. He realized he could actually help the dark king. The young alchemist reached into his backpack and pulled a neon blue ice bomb.

"Grandpa! Watch out!" the boy exclaimed, throwing the orb at the criminal's feet where a patch of ice formed. Eyepatch was now slipping and sliding, no longer able to get a good fighting stance. Edmund then grabbed the hooligan by the arm, spin him around, and throw him into his brother.

"Yes!" Eugene chimed, pumping his fist as the Stabbingtons went tumbling into a ditch.

"Ha! Ha! I love this kid!" Edmund cheered while Varian blushed.

"All right, all right. They're not gonna stay down for long. We'll need to buy more time." Eugene spoke as the trio freed Ruddiger and the horses.

"Any suggestions?" the young alchemist asked around. "All are welcome."

"I have an idea." Edmund said.


The Stabbingtons continued to poke through the field in search of the travelers. That was when they heard a crunching sound to the west.

"We gotcha!" Sideburns said, pushing the grass back only to find the moving crow windup toy attached to some yo-yo string. It was meant to imitate the sound of footsteps through the field. Needless to say, the brothers were not happy to have taken the bait. "RIDER!"

"Edmund, that was ingenious!" Eugene told his dad in a giddy time before downplaying it. "Ah, yeah. Ingenious."

"Good thinking, Grandpa." Varian said. "And we're almost to Mount Saison."

"Ha! Who know this bag of lucky baubles would come in so handy?" Edmund smiled, showing off his trinkets.

Eugene laughed wholeheartedly, but then, he noticed something. There was a familiar sterling silver crest in the satchel.

"The sash." he spoke, pulling the heirloom out. "Wait. You stole this from my room? You had this the whole time?"

"So you wrote that note." Varian narrowed it down. "You're the sash robber."

"Well, yes. I did." Edmund admitted guiltily. "It was I who wrote the random letter and sent us on this errand."

"This is an errand?" his son immediately flipped out. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no food, no weapons, and two maniacs on our tail, but yeah, lovely little errand this is!"

"Hey, why don't we hear him out first. I'm sure he had a good reason for all this." the teen suggested.

"I wanted to be part of your life, Horace." the dark king explained sadly. "And I thought a father and son trip might-"

"Might what, huh? Make up for 24 years? And for the love of everything that is holy, my name is Eugene!" the younger man continued to explode. He then glanced at Varian who looked at him with terrified eyes. Eugene didn't mean to scare him so he downgraded to a more disgruntled tone than irate, forcibly returned the sash to its owner and walked away. "You know what? Here's your sash. I'm heading back to town."

"Eugene, wait!" the young alchemist cried, running after him and leaving Edmund with a downtrodden look on his face.

Varian didn't want to abandon his grandfather, but Rapunzel had also told him to stick with Eugene. So he had no choice but to follow the dark prince.


Not too far behind, Rapunzel had arrived on the scene and saw remnants of the events that had transpired prior.

"There was a fight here. A big one." the princess determined as she, Pascal, and Fidella scoured the area. She had her frying pan on hand, just in case. There was a mess of footprints, disturbed grass, and a patch of melting ice.

"Huh, that's strange. Ice doesn't usually appear out of the blue. Unless it was Varian's alchemy." the sundrop deduced. The child was definitely here.

And then, Pascal alerted her to some more clues. "A wind-up toy? And a yo-yo? They should have called it a 'hey-hey.' All right. We're getting close. Come on!"

The princess and chameleon got back on Fidella and kept going in the same direction as Edmund, Eugene, and Varian.


King Edmund had finally made it to Mount Saison. But it was a hollow victory, if there was ever a victory at all. He was all alone. Other than Hamuel, there was nobody to accompany the dark king. His son and grandson were heading back to Corona and most likely never wanted to speak with him again. So he sat in a slump at the Mount Saison Dam with his head hanging low.

"Hamuel, I've really bungled things with my son and grandson." Edmund told his animal companion.

"I'll give you a chance to make it up to them." Sideburns offered as the vindictive Stabbingtons approached him from behind. "Take us to Rider. Now."

"I'm not foolish enough to help you." the dark king refused, not wanting to endanger Eugene or Varian.

"Well, I somebody who is." the no-good lowlife said, gesturing to the quirky crow.


Meanwhile, Eugene and Varian were riding on Maximus in the opposite direction of Mount Saison. The dark prince was definitely not in a good mood.

"I cannot believe I fell for that nice-guy act." he complained, rolling his eyes.

"Eugene, you have to give your dad another chance." Varian urged him.

"He sent us on a wild goose chase. And on an empty stomach, mind you." Eugene argued.

"Look, I found out the hard way that nothing good ever comes out of getting into fights with your dad. And you're right, this doesn't make up for the time lost between you two, but he wants to spend time with you now because he loves you." the boy told him.

"Kid, why are you adamant on forgiving Edmund?"

"Because I believe in second chances. And so do you, of all people. You've given so many people the benefit of the doubt despite their mistakes, myself included. Why should your dad be any different."

The dark prince's face fell in guilt. Maybe Varian was right. His train of thought was quickly halted when Hamuel came flying in upside-down.

"Hamuel?" Varian said.

"What are you do-" Eugene was about to ask when he noticed something in the crow's feet. "Wait. I know that dagger. The Stabbingtons."

"Grandpa must be in trouble. We have to go back!" the child told him as Max came to a stop.

Everything in the prince wanted to not rescue his father. After all, he did lie to him. But, it was hard to turn down Varian's baby blue, puppy dog eyes.

"Aw. Dads are more trouble than they're worth. Come on, guys. The old man needs us." Eugene gave in before they all rode back to Mount Saison.


There, they looked around for the dark king and calling out his name, but there was no sign of him.

"Look. It's Grandpa's horse. Maybe she knows where he is." Varian pointed out, noticing the lone black-and-white mare.

"Hey, Domino. Where's Edmund?" Eugene asked the mare kindly.

"Right here, sonny boy!" Sideburns said, imitating Edmund's voice.

The heroes could see that the dark king was gagged and bound with rope.

"Grandpa." Varian gasped, his surprise turning to rage towards one half of the Stabbingtons. "Let him go!"

"You want him? Come and get him." the crook dared them as Edmund's warning yells were muffled. And then, the teen noticed that something was wrong. Where was the other twin?

His silent question was quickly answered when Eyepatch pushed a heavy boulder from above the others and it came plummeting. Eugene had only seconds to react so he swiftly pushed Varian, Max, and Ruddiger out of the way.

"Guys, watch out!" he exclaimed as the boulder came down on him. When the dust cleared, the boy, the raccoon, and the stallion were unharmed, but the dark prince was nowhere to seen.

"No! Eugene!" Varian cried out, thinking his friend may have been crushed by that boulder.

"The Great Flynn Rider is gone.". Sideburns stated as Eyepatch jumped down and dusted his hands in twisted satisfaction. Edmund's face feel in devastation, but the alchemist was seething with rage.

"You... YOU MONSTERS!" he screamed, his eyes and hair glowing blue. Black rocks then began to grow all over the cliffside. The dark king and the Stabbingtons all watched in surprise at the display before them.

This magic usage was very draining however as Varian collapsed in weakness, the glow in his hair fading. The black rocks also began to receed back into the ground.

"Well, isn't this an interesting development." Sideburns commented, undeterred by what just happened. Eyepatch picked up the kid's limp body and walked over to the log flume.

Maximus and Ruddiger, being bystanders in all this decided to go find help.

"Come on. Now we have a sash, a king, and Rider's kid." Sideburns told his brother who started up the water. They boarded the log with their two captives as the water flow carried the log down the chute. "Things are looking up."

But it turns out, Eugene was never crushed. He was in a small cave with Domino and Hamuel, and the boulder was blocking the only way out.

"No, Varian! Kid!" the dark prince yelled, watching everything through a small crack and banging his fists before letting out a growl. "First he lies, then he gets me trapped in a cave, and now Varian is at the mercy of the Stabbingtons!"

Eugene sank to his knees, his fists still on the boulder. He was beyond mad at his father and cared only for Varian at this point. The man couldn't even imagine what those brutes could do to that kid.

Meanwhile, Hamuel was playing with the silver button on Edmund's bag that glinted in a beam of light. The crow eventually pulled the button off and the satchel with it, spilling its contents.

"Would you quit it, bird? You're making a mess-" Eugene scolded him, but then let out a gasp when he recognized the baubles. "Wait a minute. These are all things from when I was a kid."

"My marked deck of cards! My two-headed coin. And my loaded dice! This is my first hand mirror. He has been keeping tabs on me." The dark prince looked over each of his childhood trinkets one-by-one. Then, he reached into the sack and pulled out the memorabilia that meant the most to him. "'Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia'! My old book! You had it. I can't believe it!"

But then, his mood turned somber. He would've loved to read this with Varian. Too bad he would never be able to get that chance.

"Eugene! Varian! Are you out here?" Rapunzel's voice suddenly called from outside.

"Rapunzel, I'm in here!" Eugene responded as loud as he could.

He then saw the boulder blocking the cave fall down, courtesy of his girlfriend (with her hair down,) Maximus, Ruddiger, and Fidella. The dark prince, Domino, and Hamuel all emerged from the small cave, free at last.

"Eugene!" the princess cried as she ran into her boyfriend's arms.

"Aw, thanks, Blondie." Eugene said, embracing her.

"Where's Varian?" Rapunzel asked, pulling away and looking around. "Wasn't he with you?"

"They took him, along with Edmund." the dark prince answered solemnly. Max then neighed, hinting that the terrible twins were getting away with their captives. Immediately, the sundrop's maternal nature for Varian flooded her system.

"Alright, that's it. No more Miss Nice Princess." she spoke firmly, boarding the log on the middle flume, Eugene joining her. She then used her hair to pull the lever and start the water flow. "Just for the short-term. After we deal with these guys, I am totally nice again."

"I wasn't worried, but thanks anyway...!" her boyfriend cried as the water pushed the log downhill. Pascal, Ruddiger, Hamuel, and the horses were quick to follow on the third chute.

Rapunzel and Eugene rode the log down the flume as they ducked under tree branches and jumped at inclines. They soon caught up with the Stabbingtons below. Eugene could see Eyepatch clutching Varian close to his person so acting on fatherly instinct, the young man jumped down to face the crook.

"Eugene! You're okay!" the teen cried in relief.

"Rider!" Eyepatch scowled.

"Yep, still alive." Eugene gloated. "You dropped a boulder on me, and you missed. I mean, who misses with the boulder, really?"

Varian decided to be brave and bite down on his captor's arm. Eyepatch yelped in pain and released his grip on him, giving the teen the chance to rush to Eugene who socked Sideburns in the face.

"Horace, you're alive. And you came to rescue us!" Edmund said as the boys helped free him.

"Well, what did you expect?" his son replied as he and the kid caught him before he could fall off the log.

The Stabbingtons were sneaking up behind them with daggers drawn, Varian being especially too close for comfort. Luckily, Rapunzel was there to whip the daggers out of their hands before they could try any funny business.

"Nice try." she said while the horses on the third flume launch a tree limb to knock the scoundrels out.

"Yeah! Nice team work!" Eugene praised them.

"Guys, log jam, log jam, log jam!" Rapunzel cried, pointing out the large obstruction up ahead. "Everybody, my log, pronto!"

The horses bounded from the Stabbingtons' log to the princess's with ease. Varian however, was very hesitant. He wasn't by any means an unathletic person, but he feared he wouldn't be able to make the leap.

"I don't think I can jump that far!" he said, feeling like his knees were buckling.

"Don't worry. I'll throw you over, and Rapunzel will catch you." Eugene told him, glancing to Rapunzel who was already holding her arms out. The dark prince scooped the kid up and gave three big swings as he counted down. "On the count of three. One, two, three!"

The young man released Varian who screamed as he was sent flying... straight into the sundrop's arms.

"I gotcha, baby." she spoke softly, hugging the boy tight.

It was Eugene and Edmund's turn to jump, but then the prince noticed the unconscious Stabbingtons. He just couldn't leave them on a limb. "Oh, who am I kidding? They're like family, right?"

"Son, we cannot save these cretins in time. It's impossible." Edmund said doubtfully.

"Remember what Flynn Rider always says, Grandpa!" Varian called out to him.

"If something's not impossible..." Eugene reminded his father.

"It's not worth doing!" the dark king finished with a laugh as both men each scooped up a twin. That was when Eugene saw something fall out of Eyepatch's pocket.

"Oh! The sash!"

"Leave it, Eugene."

"Dad, you called me 'Eugene.'"

"You called me 'Dad.'"

"Guys, seriously?" Rapunzel said incredulously.

"Log pileup, remember?" Varian added.

The two men quickly made the leap of faith just seconds from disaster. Edmund made it just fine, but Eugene was thrown off balance and sent flying with Eyepatch. Good thing Rapunzel caught them both in a split second and her boyfriend landed on his feet and not on his back this time.

"This woman is amazing." Edmund exuded, laughing heartily.

"I know. And she's getting so much better at her landings." his son agreed as the princess smiled proudly before tenderly brushing some hair out of Varian's face.


After getting off that crazy water ride, Pascal and Ruddiger looked for the Dark Kingdom sash while the others waited with the detained Stabbingtons. Sadly, the little critters could only the broken remains of the sterling silver crest. They looked up apologetically at King Edmund, but he didn't seem to take it to heart. What mattered was that everyone was safe.

"You went out of your way to rescue us... again?" Sideburns said in disbelief as he stood up. Max immediately threatened him to sit back down.

"I guess my son believes in second chances." the dark king replied, looking proudly at his son.

"I learned that from the best." Eugene said, kissing Rapunzel's knuckles. He then, lightly ruffled Varian's hair. "And if it weren't for this kid, I would've forgotten about that."

The boy smiled, but that smile quickly fell as he turned to the dark king.

"Grandpa, I-I'm sorry you had to s-see that back there." he apologized wistfully, gesturing to the top of the mountain. "I'm sure you probably hate me now. Can't say that I blame you though."

"No need, Varian. As I said before, I gained much knowledge of you from Adira, including your apparent connection to the Moonstone." Edmund told him reassuringly. "Just know that I bear no ill will towards you because of it. The power that you possess will never make me think less of you."

Varian's eyes welled up. He never knew how much he needed to hear something like that until that very moment. His grandfather then embraced the child in a big bear hug while Rapunzel and Eugene looked on happily.


When everyone got back to the castle that evening, the Coronan trio were in Eugene's room as he and Rapunzel were playing the dark prince's childhood toys. All the while, Varian was hugging his friend/guardian's Flynn Rider book to his chest. He wanted to ask Eugene to read it to him, but the boy was worried that would make him sound like he was coming on too strong. After all, he wasn't five years old.

Suddenly, King Edmund stopped by, clearing his throat to acknowledge his presence. Immediately, his son shot up from where he was sitting.

"Edmund! Ooh. Ah, we were, uh, we were reminiscing." he laughed nervously. "Not playing. Reminiscing. Like adults do, with my old toys."

Rapunzel gave back the yo-yo she had left with Pascal to give Eugene a moment with his dad. Varian stayed behind still holding the book and his burning question.

"I decided we didn't need that old sash anyway." Edmund said as Eugene tossed his toys aside. "Xavier and I made you a new one."

The new sash had the Coronan sun on it, the crest of the kingdom that the dark prince had come to love. It also had a blend of two familiar colors.

"White and gold. Just like the Flynn Rider book." he marveled fondly.

"It's one of my favorites, you know." his father replied warmly.

Eugene then threw his arms around Edmund in a big hug and he gladly reciprocated the embrace. He had waited 25 years for a moment like this.

Varian decided to muster up the courage and the request he had off his chest.

"Um, speaking of the Flynn Rider book, can you read me 'The Lost Treasure of Scotia,' Eugene, please?" the kid asked shyly.

"Why not?" the dark prince smiled. "Nothing like a good bedtime story to wrap up an exciting day, am I right?"

He hopped on his bed and motioned for Varian to join him which he obliged. It felt old times, reading Flynn Rider to young kids. Eugene then flipped the book to page one to begin the story: "Flynnigan Rider was the greatest (and richest) adventurer there was ever was. And if you hadn't heard of the name Flynn Rider yet, well, you will..."

Varian hung onto every word in the text, tucked under his friend/guardian's free arm as he blinked sleepily.

Meanwhile, Edmund watched his son with a warm smile on his face. And for once, he didn't dare speak what he was thinking out loud. But, the dark king had a strong feeling that Eugene was going to be a great dad someday. Maybe because he already was.