Here's a new Tangled story called Outcasts of Old Corona. I wanted to write a story where Varian had his own friends and see what that would do to the plot.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled or Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. I only own my OCs.
Edit: Yes, I combined the first two chapters into a prologue. I was initially going to have Varian and his friends help save Rapunzel, but I changed my mind.
Edit 2: Yes, I changed it again. I originally cut this idea because I didn't want to look like I was copying one of Zone's stories, but then I decided I liked this idea, and I'm gonna go with it.
Eight-year-old Varian wasn't going to lie. He was scared.
When he accepted the dare to go to Old Lady Gothel's cottage, he thought he would just be in and out without trouble. There wasn't supposed to be a terrible storm that would make the other kids run and leave him stranded there.
That last part hurt Varian the most. He thought they wanted to be his friends…
Curling up in the corner of the bedroom behind the bed, Varian started crying.
It was so stupid. He should've known better. Like anyone would wanna be friends with the town menace.
Why couldn't people just accept him for who he was?!
Why couldn't he just fit in…?
… Why did his mom have to go?
Why didn't his dad love him?
A hard sob tore from his throat as the eight-year-old broke down from sadness and fear, burying his face in his arms. Varian was so stuck in his head that he didn't hear the cottage door open or the frantic footsteps on the hardwood floor.
"Varian!"
The boy looked up, startled. Standing before him was one of the boys who brought him here, Austin.
Despite being the same age, Austin was taller than Varian, with short blond hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a dark green shirt like Varian's blue one with the sleeves pushed up and gray pants that were soaked from being in the rain. He carried a wooden sword as his black boots tracked mud on the floor.
"There you are!" He sighed in relief, moving toward him. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
When the blond reached out a hand towards Varian, the shorter boy flinched back, still fearful because of the situation. Austin stopped advancing after that, seeing the tear tracks on Varian's face.
The blond looked down, feeling guilty because he was part of the reason this happened. It wasn't his idea, but he didn't stop it either.
"Varian…" He whispered, getting down on his knees so they were at eye level. "I'm sorry I ran. But I'm here to help. Let's go home."
Austin held out his hand, waiting for Varian to take it.
Varian hesitated, looking between Austin's face and hand, trying to sense if it was a trick. Slowly, the shorter boy uncurled himself and reached out to accept the blond's help.
Before he could, however, they heard the front door open. Both boys turned to the entrance before the blond got to his feet.
"Stay here." He said before making his way out of the bedroom, wooden sword at the ready.
Despite being told to wait, Varian followed Austin out. In the living room, he saw the blond confronting a cloaked figure shorter than Austin yet taller than Varian.
"Who are you?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the stranger.
"… Seriously?" Was all the figure (a girl, probably their age) said. Her face was covered, but Varian could feel the deadpan expression underneath it.
Austin was taken aback by the response. "Seriously? What do you mean 'seriously?'"
"You're going to attack me with a dummy sword?"
"Hey, these things can still hurt someone, you know!" Austin retorted before shaking his head. "Never mind that! Who are you?! You're not from the village, and no one from the Capital's crazy enough to be all the way out here!"
"I wouldn't think anyone from the village would be out here, either." She replied without missing a beat.
Before Austin could fire anything back, Varian suddenly sneezed, startling them both. Then thunder and lightning cracked, nearly scaring the kids into falling over themselves. The trio was silent for a few seconds before the female sputtered a giggle that evolved into a full-blown laughing fit. Soon, the boys were laughing along with her as well.
None of them knew what was so funny, but the spontaneous laughter caused the tension to bleed out of the room.
Once they calmed down, they looked at each other and smiled. If they were gonna be stuck here, at least they had company.
"Name's Austin Chase," Austin said, pointing to himself.
"And I'm Kathleen Davidsen." The girl introduced herself, taking off her cloak.
Kathleen was a young girl with pale skin, rosy cheeks, a small button nose, long auburn-red hair with white streaks, and big, round, heterochromatic eyes. Her left eye was a golden amber, while her right was a bright red. She was dressed in a hand-sewn lavender sweater with stark white stars on it, a deep blue skirt, and brown shoes, and she was carrying a basket with various plants in it.
"Varian Ruddiger." The other boy nodded in greeting.
Another crash of thunder reminded them of the situation, causing them to tense up.
"Let's see if we can get a fire going," Austin suggested as they all glanced at the ceiling.
"May as well get comfortable," Kathleen added. "There's no way any of us will make it home in that rain."
Varian only nodded in agreement, not saying a word.
By some miracle, there was some firewood that was still good to burn, so they soon had a decent fire going. Varian and Kathleen were by the fireplace while Austin shook the dust out of some blankets in another room.
As it turned out, Kathleen lived with her older sister in the Melodieux Forest, the woods around Old Corona, the boys' village. Kathleen knew she wouldn't make it home when the storm came, so she went to the cottage, knowing it was closer and empty.
Once Austin was done, he returned to find the other two had fallen asleep by the fireplace. Smiling, he set the blankets down and draped two over Varian and Kathleen. He then took the last throw and settled on the window seat to watch the fire and the rain.
Austin looked at the others, noting that Varian looked smaller without his science gear. He thought he saw the weird stripe in Varian's hair glow, but when he blinked, it was gone. He shrugged and looked out the window.
Given the time, they would have to spend the night. Since he was part of the reason one of them was here, the least he could do was keep watch to ensure they were safe.
"Good night, you two." He whispered before focusing on the world outside.
None of them realized it at the time, but this meeting would be the beginning of a life-long friendship.
(Timeskip)
Years passed since then, and before anyone knew it, Varian, Kathleen, and Austin were twelve.
After their night in Gothel's cottage, the three started to hang out together and became close friends. They knew everything about each other. Their home lives, families, hopes, and dreams.
Varian was the son of Old Corona's Mayor, Quirin. He had a passion for the art of alchemy, something he inherited from his mother, Ulla, who had disappeared on an alchemy-based journey three years before they met. Varian was also an inventor, always making things to try and help his village… which didn't always work. Things between Varian and his dad weren't always the best, especially when one of Varian's experiments blew up and caused damage, but he had Austin and Kathleen to turn to when he needed it.
As mentioned, Kathleen lived in the woods with her older sister, Kirsten. Her father, Rasmus, was killed when she was little, and her mother, Elva, had also gone on a journey and never returned. Her older sister was the primary provider for the family, working at a flower shop on the mainland. Kathleen also helped bring in money by street performing since she was gifted with music. To the boys' surprise, Kathleen was a real witch, able to cast spells and make potions. She even used her magic to spice up her acts sometimes. While being a natural artist and poet, her main passion was astrology, studying the stars and constellations. Varian and Austin were the only ones who knew of her magic and would help her with some of her spellwork when they had the time. Since she was often up most of the night, the boys tended to not see her until sometime in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Austin was a farm boy interested in being a member of the Royal Guard. His father, Lucas, was the second-in-command of the village. Whenever Quirin had to go to the city, he would leave Mr. Chase in charge of the town while he was gone. Austin's mother, Wilma, was a dutiful farmer's wife. He also had a grandmother, Nauja, who they all called Gran. She lived in Galcrest, but she would come around every so often. Austin was one of the popular kids in town but hadn't hung out with the other kids since that night at the cottage. After one of them made fun of Kathleen, he cut off ties with them and played with Varian and Kathleen only, much to his parents' chagrin. Since Austin dreamed of joining the Guard, he usually spent his free time practicing his swordsmanship and fighting skills. He even taught Varian archery and some martial arts (mainly because Quirin didn't want Varian to try sword-fighting).
"So, what does this do?" Austin asked as he observed Varian pour an alchemy solution into a glass ball. Kathleen was standing next to the alchemist in case he needed help.
Austin was taller than he was when they were eight. His blond hair was still short, and he was dressed in a dark green shirt similar to Varian's shirt, black gardener's gloves, brown pants with suspenders, and black boots.
"It's an alchemy grenade," Varian responded, putting a cork in the glass. "It's a weapon that's easy to carry and use. I've heard they use these in Ingvarr. You throw it at an enemy, the glass breaks and the desired effect happens. It could be a smoke bomb, acid, knock-out powder, pretty much anything."
"Cool," Kathleen praised. "I bet you could find a way to use these with your arrows."
Kathleen's hair was shorter than before, reaching to her mid-neck. She wore an off-white blouse under a black sleeveless shirt, olive green shorts, and short black boots.
"Working on it," The alchemist smiled, making the group chuckle as he wrapped up his work.
"It suits you more than a sword, in my opinion," Austin stated. "Still don't get why your dad doesn't teach you to fight. I mean, we live right up against the Wall."
"No clue," Varian shrugged, turning off the burner. "Probably worried I'll trip and fall on my sword…"
"Leave the sword fighting to Austin," Kathleen helped him clean up. "You cover the alchemy."
Varian smiled at her as they finished up. "Well, I need to get dinner started. You guys wanna stay?"
"Okay." Kathleen nodded. "Kirsten is going to be home late anyway. I'll help you get started."
All three turned when they heard the door to the lab open, seeing Mr. Quirin walk in. "Oh, Kathleen. Austin."
"Hi, Mr. Quirin." Kathleen smiled.
"Sir." Austin nodded in greeting.
"Hey, Dad, can my friends stay for dinner?" Varian asked.
"I suppose so," Quirin said after a minute. "As long as their families are okay with it. Austin, can you come and help me with the cow?"
"Yes, sir." The blond nodded before moving past him to leave the room, the other two following him. Varian stopped to hug his dad, who smiled down at him.
After the kids left, Quirin's smile dropped as he sighed tiredly. He looked at his son's lab, formerly his wife's, where the kids had been most of the day, feeling her absence as clearly as he did the day they lost her.
He should be happy he has two good friends, so why does he feel a sense of foreboding?
(Timeskip 2)
Varian woke up on the morning of his fourteenth birthday. After stretching, he grabbed some clean clothes and headed for the bathroom.
"Dad?" He called, receiving no answer as he exited his tower bedroom. "Must be out in the fields already…."
This wasn't uncommon. Varian and Quirin hadn't celebrated the former's birthday since he was four… when they learned his mother was gone. They treated it just like any other day.
Sighing, Varian continued to the washroom. When he reached the kitchen, he stopped short at what he saw.
Kathleen was in his kitchen, cooking something on the stove. She turned to him with a smile like it wasn't weird she was cooking in someone else's kitchen.
Despite all three of them being the same age, Kathleen looked younger than they did. She was now the shortest of the group with a rectangle build and flat-chested. Kathy hadn't changed much since their first meeting in the cottage, except for another change in hairstyle. Her hair was long again, reaching her upper back, but now she styled her bangs to cover her red eye (Over the years, she had gotten more self-conscious about people seeing it). She was dressed in a Kelly green and cream-white dress that stopped just below her knees with short sleeves. She had flat brown shoes, a white half-apron, and a red ribbon on the back of her head.
"Morning, Varian," She greeted him with a hug. "Happy birthday!"
"Uh, hey, Kathleen," Varian blinked. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"
"Cooking." She replied like it was apparent.
"No, I got that. I mean, why are you at my place this early?"
"Well, today's your birthday, so Austin and I planned something special for you," Kathleen explained, returning to check on the food. "First, we're gonna have some breakfast together. It'll mainly be you and me since Austin ate with his family. Maybe your dad if he shows up. After that, I thought you and I could hang out and do some alchemy until Austin gets here. Then, we're gonna spend the day in the city, get some food, you pick out a present. Austin's offering to pay–."
"Uh, you guys remember I don't celebrate my birthday, right?" Varian reminded her.
"I know, but…." Kathleen sighed, giving Varian a sad yet kind smile. "Believe me, Varian, I know how painful it is to lose someone you love, especially when you don't know what happened to them. But, while I didn't know your mom, I personally believe she wouldn't want you to spend your birthdays grieving over her. She would want you to be happy."
Varian was silent after that, and Kathleen worried she had overstepped a boundary. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. If you don't want to do anything, that's fine, too. We just–"
"No, no, it's fine," Varian assured her, wiping his eyes as they became misty. He then smiled at his best friend. "You're right… Thanks, Kathy."
The teen witch smiled back at him, relieved Varian was okay with this.
"So, what are we going to do today?"
"Well, we're not going to do a full-blown birthday party, mostly because we're not sure how your dad would respond, and we don't need that sour note on your special day," Kathleen explained. "What we will do is breakfast and a day in the city, just the three of us. You can pick out whatever you want, and Austin offered to pay for it. Now, I prepared a warm bath for you– sorry if that sounded creepy– The food should be done soon, so don't take too long, okay?"
"Okay." Varian nodded, heading for the washroom. "And hopefully, if my newest project works, we won't have to worry about heating water ever again."
Kathleen smiled at him before getting back to cooking. She was worried Varian wouldn't have wanted them to do this. It was nice to see him smile on his birthday for a change.
After Varian washed up and got dressed, he rejoined Kathleen in the kitchen. The redhead was using her magic to set the table. Items were surrounded in a pale, light grayish sap-green aura as they levitated to their spots before vanishing.
"I'm done!"
"Great!" Kathleen responded, wrapping up her work. "Let's eat! We'll go to the city to pick out your birthday present once Austin gets here!"
Varian beamed at her and sat down eagerly as the two started eating.
A few minutes later, Quirin came in from the fields. Like Varian, Quirin was also surprised to see Kathleen there so early.
"Kathleen, hello," He greeted her kindly. "What brings you here so early?"
"Oh, just wanted to see Varian," Kathleen waved off. "We have plans to hang out with Austin today, and we'll probably go over to my place."
They kept their plans vague because they knew Mr. Quirin wouldn't let them go into the city alone if he knew. He was… a little overprotective of Varian, to put it lightly.
"I see…" Quirin said after some hesitation.
Varian had to fight an eye roll at his dad's response.
He knew his dad wasn't too happy about his friendship with Kathleen. He didn't hate her, but her magic made him nervous for some reason, especially when he was at her place in the woods for several hours. It was one of the many things his dad wouldn't give a straight answer on.
Still, his father may have a lot of weird rules, but Varian drew the line at letting them dictate who he was friends with.
"I made plenty of pancakes if you want some, Mr. Quirin," Kathleen said, trying to distract him.
"Ah, thank you." The village leader said before getting some food.
The three of them ate in relative silence, which may or may not have felt awkward. Once done, Kathleen and Varian cleaned up while Quirin returned to the fields. When the kids were finished, they hung out in Varian's lab before Austin arrived.
"Sorry, I'm late," The blond said when he entered the lab. "Figured I go clean up a little before heading into town."
If Kathleen looked younger than the boys, Austin looked older than the other two. He was tall for his age with a toned, athletic build from farmwork and battle training. His blond hair was shorter than in their younger years, kept in a military-style cut, and he had sunkissed skin from being outside often. Typically, Austin wore a dark green pull-on shirt, black pants with suspenders, and matching gardening gloves, but right now, he was wearing a dark green short-sleeve tunic over a taupe shirt, blue pants, black boots, and matching swordsman gloves.
"You're just in time," Kathleen responded, slipping on a washed blue-teal hooded cape she wore when going out. "Mr. Quirin just headed out to the fields, and as far as he knows, we're gonna be at my place all day."
"Okay," He smiled before turning to Varian. "Is there anything specific you're looking for?"
"Uhm… I'm not sure." Varian admitted thoughtfully before grinning. "I mean, I'm already pretty happy!"
"You know Varian. 'I'll know it when I see it.'" Kathleen smiled at him fondly.
Varian chuckled. "Yeah, pretty much."
"Well, then," The witch held out her hands. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah!" Varian cheered, taking one hand while Austin took the other.
Once they did, Kathleen summoned her power, and the trio disappeared in a flash of magic.
(The Capital of Corona)
It wasn't often that the friends got to go on outings to the city, much less by themselves. More often than not, Varian's dad, Austin's dad, or Kathleen's older sister went with them.
Even so, Varian was having fun with his birthday for once. Especially since his friends let him stop at Xavier's to pick up more alchemy supplies since his dad wasn't around to stop him.
His interest in alchemy was a… source of tension between Varian and his father. It was something they fought about sometimes. "Sometimes" being "every time Varian caused trouble with his inexperienced alchemy skills…" which happened more often than he'd like to admit. And by "fighting," he meant "Quirin would give a disappointed sigh and ignore Varian until the mess was cleaned up, then give him a lecture and grounding."
It wasn't always his fault. His last solution would've worked great if he hadn't gotten pushed by that kid and spilled most of the beaker. He was good at alchemy as long as things went as planned.
"Is there anything else you want, Varian? Maybe a new book?" Kathleen asked as they left Xavier's blacksmith forge.
Austin was carrying a small crate of alchemy supplies Varian wanted. (Austin had to remind them not to completely break his bank. He had his eye on a few daggers, and he still needed money for that.)
"Sure!" He nodded.
The trio started walking to the bookstore, but Varian stopped and looked up at the mural of the Lost Princess in the town square. Kathleen and Austin stood beside him.
"They still haven't found her, huh?"
"No." Kathy shook her head. "Can you believe she'll be eighteen this year?"
"I still think she's being held someplace close by," Austin speculated. "There's no way someone could've gotten too far with a baby on foot."
"Do you think she's okay?" Varian looked between them.
"Like Gran said, we can only hope. Come on, Var, let's not think about this today." Kathleen took his hand and led him to the bookshop, Austin following them. "Let's focus on your special day."
The alchemist nodded as they continued on their way.
He picked out the latest Flynnigan Rider book since he hadn't gotten it yet and an encyclopedia and atlas, which Kathleen put into a basket she'd brought with her. Then they walked down the street towards Monty's Sweet Shoppe and got something sweet to eat by the fountain while they took a break.
As they sat silently, Varian's mind returned to the Lost Princess as he looked at his lollipop thoughtfully. "Hey, Kathleen, do you think you could use your… you-know-what to find her?"
"There is a locator spell I know, but I'd need a piece of the Princess's hair or clothing for it to work," Kathleen explained. "And well…"
She didn't finish the sentence, but the boys knew what she was thinking.
As lovely as Corona was, it was never very welcoming to those who… weren't "normal." i.e., magic users and the like. It only worsened after the Princess was taken since rumors circulated that magic had to be involved.
Kathleen told Varian and Austin about the Witch Hunts, something that went on during their childhoods that their parents tried to shield them from. People suspected of knowing so much as basic apothecary, much less real magic, would "disappear" without a trace. They would be dragged out of their homes in the middle of the night and never seen again. A local medicine woman in Corona met this same fate when the trio was four years old.
Needless to say, Kathleen didn't want anyone, much less the Royal Family, to know about her magic. As much as she wanted to help find the Princess, she knew the King would lock up her and her sister sooner than accept their help.
Varian smiled comfortingly at Kathleen, taking her hand. "Someday, Kath, you won't have to hide anymore."
Kathleen smiled back at him, thankful for the support.
"We'll find her someday," Austin said, looking at the clouds passing by. "Whoever took her can't keep her forever. If she's still in the Kingdom, the lanterns must have caught her attention by now."
Varian nodded before looking thoughtful. "Where do the lanterns go, anyway?"
The blond shrugged. "Who knows? No one's ever followed them."
"Well, if we're done with our snacks, how about we get some real food?" Kathleen suggested, standing up.
"Sounds good!" Varian smiled as the friends started on their way again.
They walked together to a café and got some food and drinks. They smiled, laughed, and all-in-all had a great day.
Varian smiled contently as Austin and Kathleen debated about something.
This was his first happy birthday since losing his mom. He hoped his friends would be there to have more happy ones with him in the future.
(Timeskip 3)
Sometime later, it was time for the Lantern Festival.
As it did every year, the festival celebrated the Lost Princess's birthday. Everyone would dance, draw, and do various activities until the sunset. Then, everyone would gather by the water or on the boats and release thousands of floating lanterns in the hope that they would lead the Lost Princess home.
In Old Corona, all the farmers worked until noon and then took the rest of the day off. Then, for anyone who wanted to attend the festival, some of the men hitched up carts to bring people to the city.
Varian, Kathleen, and Austin were going to ride with Quirin to the Capital. The friends piled into the cart and set off for the city, Varian chatting the entire time.
"And I heard a rumor that Flynn Rider was seen here yesterday, and I thought it'd be cool to meet him, wouldn't it? So, I went out looking before it got dark, but I didn't see him." He sighed. "I guess you can't trust the rumor mill."
"Probably for the best," Kathleen said. "You could've ended up trampled by the Royal Guard."
Quirin sighed quietly as he listened to their conversation. He wanted to tell his son not to idolize a criminal, but he had been the one to get him interested in "Flynn Rider" to begin with, hoping it would get him into swords instead of alchemy. It was just his luck that his son was interested in one and decided to take up a bow instead.
He glanced at his teenage son and friends, specifically the blond male. He wasn't sure why Austin was riding with them instead of his father, but he could take a guess, given how he had ignored his father earlier. It wasn't a secret that the young man and his parents had disagreements about the… company he kept.
Hopefully, the festival will help them calm down and relax.
(At the Capital)
"Come on, come on!" Varian said excitedly as he hopped down from the cart with his gift.
"Wait up, Varian!" Kathleen called as she and Austin chased after him with theirs.
Quirin parked by the other guarded carts before joining Wilma and Lucas in the town square as they saw the other kids off.
Lucas was a tall, thin, physically active man like his son. He had long brown hair and brown eyes lighter than Austin's. He was dressed in a brown shirt with black pants and farming boots.
Wilam was a woman of medium height with long black hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a pale green dress with a white apron, black shoes, and a white bandana around her hair.
"So much energy," Lucas said when he joined them, watching Varian, Kathleen, and Austin join the other kids in putting down gifts for the Lost Princess.
Varian's contribution was a hand-carved and painted doll of the baby he'd made. Austin gifted a jewelry box, while Kathleen gave a set of paper and writing quills. Then, they went to check out the different activities at the festival.
"Ah, Quirin." Xavier, the city blacksmith, walked up to him. "I see that Varian is full of energy as always."
"He's as energetic as a toddler." Quirin sighed. "Drives you crazy trying to keep up with him, and then you find him sleeping somewhere when his energy runs out."
Xavier chuckled as Austin's parents wandered off to have some alone time.
The three friends split up because they wanted to do different things. Varian went to do some chalk drawing, Kathleen wanted to listen to the street musicians, and Austin checked out the games.
When Kathy found the performers, she was surprised to see the group dance was already in full swing. Usually, that wasn't until closer to sunset. At the center of the action was a girl with long blond hair decorated with flowers and no shoes. She danced and twirled to the song, pulling more people into the dance.
It wasn't her looks that caught Kathleen's attention, though. She could sense strong latent magic coming from this girl, more potent than Kathleen's own. There was also this sense of familiarity like she had seen her elsewhere but couldn't quite remember where.
As if sensing her gaze, the blond turned to Kathleen with a big smile before dancing her way over to her. Surprising the teen, she took her by the hands and pulled her into the dancing fray. Caught up in the moment, a smile spread across Kathy's face as she danced with everyone else.
Meanwhile, Varian was finishing up his chalk drawing of the Lost Princess. He looked up when he saw the same woman Kathy had seen doing her own drawing. Standing behind her was a familiar-looking older man.
With her hands covered with purple chalk up to her elbows, the girl stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead to look at her masterpiece. The result was a large drawing of the Coronan sun with different people around it, probably folks she had seen at the festival.
Varian couldn't help but crack a slight grin before looking at the girl. He knew Kathy would like her. They were practically cut from the same cloth.
As he stared at the blond, his grin turned into a contemplative frown as he brought his hand to his chin in thought. Thinking the same thing as his red-haired friend, there was something familiar about this girl…
Austin had his own sighting of the couple at the bookstore after he had won some games. While he was the athletic one of the group, he decided to take a break from the sun once he put his prizes in Sir Quirin's wagon.
Picking a book on natural science, the blond saw the blond girl and her companion curled up on the floor with at least twenty books spread around them. It was like the girl had never seen so many books in her life, and she was enthusiastically pointing out different things in a world atlas.
Austin shook his head with a fond smile as his gaze lingered on the girl. Like his friends, something in his mind said he had seen this girl somewhere before…
Later, the trio convened at the table where they made the lanterns. Varian met with Kathleen first before Austin joined them with some cupcakes for them to munch on.
After catching up and making their lanterns, the trio went to the Princess's mural to say a prayer. As they finished that up, they heard another group dance starting and went over to see it. Within minutes, Varian and Kathleen had joined the group as Austin clapped with the crowd from the sidelines.
Making their way through the crowd, the friends traded partners as they caught each other's eyes every so often. They clapped, jumped, spun, linked arms, and had a good old time. Soon, the dance was over, and Varian and Kathleen found each other once the music stopped, Austin walking over to join them.
"To the boats!" Someone called.
"I'll go get the lanterns," Austin said. "Meet me at the docks."
"Okay." The other two said together.
Varian looked over and saw the couple walk off as well. It was still bugging him that he couldn't place where he had seen them before.
A few minutes later, they climbed into a boat together, with Austin taking up the oar as captain.
"Huh. Why's Max out here?" Austin wondered as they left the docks, noticing the guard horse nearby.
"And where'd he get the apples?" Kathleen mused.
Varian shrugged, not paying the horse much attention as he focused on lighting the lanterns while Austin rowed them out. Out on the bay, they watched as the sun finally set, and the King and Queen released the first lantern before raising theirs to the sky to catch the wind.
"Let's hope it works this time," Kathleen said softly as their lanterns floated up to join the others.
Varian looked up at the lanterns, watching as they drifted toward the sky. Despite the sadness behind the custom, the lanterns were always a beautiful sight.
He then glanced to the side and saw the blond girl again, sitting in a boat with her friend as she watched the lanterns overhead. She looked beautiful, surrounded by the glow of the lanterns, but what he really noticed was how in awe she seemed of it all.
It was like it was her first time out here…
"Stop staring, ya creep." Austin joked, causing the alchemist to blush.
"Oh, shut up!" Varian clapped back, making Kathleen laugh after their antics.
Ignoring his friend, Varian laid back on his back to watch the lanterns again. As they flew away, he thought about what they had discussed on his birthday not too long ago.
Where do the lanterns go after they leave Corona?
What's the world beyond the walls like?
Is the Princess still in Corona, as Austin suspected, or far away in a distant land?
Varian didn't know… but he would love to find out.
Coming to a decision, the alchemist sat up and looked at his friends. "Hey, guys?"
They looked at him curiously.
"Outcast Pact."
"Ohhh, this is something serious," Austin noted, a mischievous smile appearing.
The Outcast Pact was something the trio made up when they were little. It was a group promise, one they took seriously.
"What is it, Varian?" Kathleen questioned.
"If the Princess isn't back by the time we turn eighteen, why don't we look for her ourselves?" Varian suggested.
"You serious?" Austin said, eyes wide.
"Yeah. We have skills, and we'll only get better by then. Plus, we have our own theories about where she could be, so why don't we do our own searching?"
"I'd be up for that." The blond male nodded, more excited about the idea than he was showing.
"Are you sure our families would even let us go?" Kathleen asked. "I mean, I know Kirsten would be hesitant about the idea. Not to mention your guys' parents…."
She didn't need to finish that sentence. They knew how Quirin and Austin's parents would react, especially Lucas.
"That's why we'll go when we're eighteen," Varian explained. "We'll be legal adults by then, so they can't stop us."
"He's got a point, Kath." Austin agreed.
"But what if the Princess comes back before we're eighteen?"
"We could still travel if only to get out and see the world," Varian suggested, looking at the lanterns as they soared. "All we've ever known is our village and the Capital, and if my dad has his way, it'll be all I know. I wanna see where the lanterns go. I wanna see what the Seven Kingdoms and beyond look like. Most of all, though…."
He looked back at his friends with a fond smile. "I wanna have my best friends there with me."
Kathleen and Austin smiled back, knowing how sincere Varian could be when he said what he felt.
Plus, they wanted the same thing. They wanted to know what was beyond the walls, too.
"Well," Austin said after a minute. "You already know my answer, V. What about you, Kath?"
Kathleen nodded. "Let's do it."
"Alright," Varian smiled, sticking out both of his hands.
The other two did the same, stacking their hands to seal the pact.
"That settles that," Austin said as they pulled their hands.
"We'll make better plans when it gets closer to our deadline," Varian said.
They watched the lanterns a little longer until almost all of them were gone.
"Well, it's time to go back." Varian stretched, feeling tired.
"Anchors away." Austin joked.
The others laughed as they rowed back to the dock, ready to call it a night.
As they docked, Austin noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was a boat with a single person sailing across the water, but it didn't look like the person was steering. It looked more like the boat was drifting along with currents, a bad idea given the currents got stronger once you hit open water.
"What the–?"
"Hoot, hoot!"
Looking up, the friends saw a snowy owl with dark eyes swoop down toward them. Knowing who it was, Kathleen stuck out her arm for the bird-of-prey to land.
"Artemis!" Kathleen greeted the owl. "What are you doing here?"
Artemis hooted, saying something in her language before taking flight again. She fluttered around the Outcasts, motioning for them to follow her to the opposite bank.
"Something's not right…" Varian murmured, a bad feeling forming in his stomach.
"Let's go," Austin said as they followed the owl.
As they ran, they heard a girl's voice when they reached the treeline. Then they saw three people, one of them running from the other two, and the one being chased was the blond girl they had seen at the festival.
Austin pulled away from the group to go help. Varian and Kathleen caught up with him just as the blond boy punched one of the men. Kathleen took her turn and waved her hands before she sent a ball of fire at the other.
Varian took it upon himself to check on the girl, who had gotten her braid caught.
"Are you okay?!" He asked as he knelt to free her hair.
"Y–Yes? No? I–I don't know!" She whimpered, frightened by the situation.
"It's okay. My friends are taking care of those men." He assured her. He pulled out a vial and shook it, hoping the light from the green glow would calm her down. "I'm Varian."
"R–Rapunzel." She sniffled.
"It's going to be okay, Miss Rapunzel." He assured her, looking over as he heard the fighting stop. "Come on."
He took her hand, and they returned to where his friends were standing over the men. Austin had the dagger he kept in his boot out while Kathy's hands were glowing from her magic.
Getting closer, Varian held up his glow tube so they could see who they were dealing with. "The Stabbington Brothers?"
"What's all this about?" Kathleen glared down at the men.
"W–Where's Eugene?" Rapunzel asked, looking to the side. "H–He didn't really leave me, did he?"
"Who's Eugene?" Varian asked. "Is that the man I saw you with at the celebration?"
"He–He brought me to the festival. After we watched the lanterns, he said he needed to do something and would be right back. Then these m–men showed up and attacked me…"
Knowing something was up, Austin aggressively grabbed one of the men. "Talk!"
"We sent him to get arrested so we could take the girl with the magic hair!" The one with sideburns said. "He's probably being taken to the dungeon now!"
"Magic hair?" Austin looked at Rapunzel in confusion.
She clutched at her hair anxiously. "Y–Yes?"
Varian mulled over the information in his mind before his eyes widened. Before he could say anything, though, they were interrupted by new voices.
"What's going on over here?" They turned to see a couple of guards approach them. Kathy quickly put out her magic as she pulled her cloak closer. "Who's– What are you kids doing out here?"
"Guards, these men were trying to kidnap this girl," Austin explained, using his head to point to the blond girl. "They also admitted to framing her friend so he would be arrested."
"The Stabbingtons!" The other guard gasped.
"Thank you, young man," The first said, taking Sideburns off Austin's hands. "We've been looking for these two since yesterday."
"We'll need you four to come with us to the castle to give statements and free this young lady's friend," The second guard said as he cuffed Patchy. "Where are your parents?"
"Kids!" A voice cut in.
"That would be them," Kathleen said.
On cue, Quirin, the Chases, and Kirsten ran toward them.
Unlike Kathy, Kirsten actually looked her age, which was her early twenties. She was a beautiful young woman with fair skin, long raven black hair that reached her mid-back, and azure blue eyes. For clothes, she was dressed in a long-sleeved dark blue and white dress with gold trim and black flat shoes.
"There you all are!" Kirsten said, approaching her sister.
Artemis swooped down again, landing on her friend's shoulder.
"Thanks for getting them, Artemis." Kathleen thanked the owl.
She hooted in response, happy to help.
Rapunzel stepped closer to Varian as more people arrived. "Who are these people?"
"Don't worry, it's just my dad, Austin's parents, and Kathy's older sister," Varian assured her. "They won't hurt you."
"What's going on here?" Lucas questioned, taking in the scene.
"Oh, Sir Quirin!" One of the guards recognized Varian's dad. "Glad you're here, sir!"
"It seems your son and his friends got the drop on the Stabbington Brothers before they could harm this young lady." The other guard explained, gesturing to Rapunzel.
"Dad, we need to go to the castle," Varian looked at his father. "The Stabbington's got Miss Rapunzel's friend locked up, and we need to go get him."
A silent conversation passed between them as Quirin glanced at the girl hiding behind him. Focusing back on his son, he nodded. "Alright."
"Can–Can I see Eugene?" Rapunzel asked, still scared.
"You will, but first, we need to go to the castle where he's being held," Quirin explained assuringly. "Once we're done explaining what happened, you'll be able to see him again. Okay?"
She looked at him and then at Varian, who smiled reassuringly before she nodded. "O–Okay. I don't know what's going on, but okay."
"My friends and I will stay by your side the whole time," Varian assured her.
"Let's go." Mr. Chase said as everyone headed towards the bridge.
Kathleen moved away from her sister to stay closer to Varina and Rapunzel. The blond girl kept looking back at the woods but seemed to trust them enough not to bolt.
Austin glanced back at the woods before slowing to a stop. Staring at the tree line, he thought he saw a person moving in the shadows.
"Austin!" His mother called, reclaiming his attention. Taking one last look at the darkness, Austin jogged to catch up with the others.
And that's the end of chapter one. Next on the list is Starlight. I know it's still up, but I've made some changes.
Edit: Hopefully, this is the last time I deep-edit this story.