Here's the new chapter two.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the "Tangled" franchise. I only own the story idea and any OCs I make up.
Varian felt cold.
Very cold.
But he would not rest until he got his father out of the amber. He trudged on no matter how hard the bitterly cold wind blew the millions of snowflakes at high speeds.
He had to.
He shivered under his coat and cloak. Through his fourteen years living in Corona, he couldn't remember the weather ever being this bad. Sometimes, it snowed a little after Yuletide, but this was ridiculous.
He panted heavily as he made his way into the city. The Capital in Corona was in absolute chaos. People ran left and right, gathering their loved ones and essential supplies.
Varian grunted as he pushed his sore legs to move faster. His breath became louder as his chest tightened from exertion. All the pain would be worth it, though, when his dad was safe.
People were so caught up in themselves that they did not notice the young man struggling alone in the vicious storm. No one except a man with two boys younger than Varian. He was about to go after him but lost sight of him in the crowd.
(Elsewhere)
Back on the mainland, a lone horseback rider was making his way through the wind and snow.
He was a fourteen-year-old boy standing about 5'2" with a sculpted figure despite his young age under his winter clothes. He had chin-length, straight dark brown hair, and captivating violet eyes behind a pair of lime-green round-framed glasses. He also possessed a heart-shaped face, thick eyebrows, and freckles across his nose and cheeks.
He wore a long, deep red coat with a fur collar, belt, folded sleeves, short brown gloves, and brown winter boots with white fur cuffs to combat the cold. Over that was a long, dark blue hooded cloak with a yellow button and white fur trim. He was also carrying a brown cross-body bag that was heavily designed. An owl with a moon and three stars was on the flap. There were colorful butterflies and rose petals embroidered on the main bag, along with various symbols, such as a sword, flowers, and a basket of baked goods, among others.
His horse was a female, copper Coronan draft horse with a blond mane and tail, a white facial stripe on the front, and black eyes. She wore a saddle and blanket set similar to the Coronan guard horses, except the blanket was indigo with violet and lilac trim, and the harness and the saddlebag had the same owl and moon symbol the teen had on his bag. Her name, Phoenix, was also etched on the saddle harness in silver.
"Just a little further, Phoenix," He encouraged the horse as they trudged through the blizzard. "We'll be back home soon…"
The teen looked up at the sky, having a sick feeling about this storm. He could sense this storm was created by magic. It felt old, ancient, and dark, and the sooner he and Phoenix got home, the better.
Suddenly, Phoenix stopped abruptly. Her ears flicked back and forth like she heard something in the wind.
"What is it, girl?" He asked.
Phoenix whinnied loudly, shifting around as she tried to lead him in a different direction.
Now, her rider could tell ya, Phoenix was not the bravest horse in the world. If she wanted to stay out in the cold longer instead of going somewhere warm, dry, and safe, then something was very wrong.
"Alright, girl, lead the way." He pulled on the reins, turning the horse in the direction she wanted to go.
With another neigh, Phoenix started running in that direction, a sense of urgency pushing her to go faster that made the brunette on her back concerned.
Soon, the duo burst out of the treeline into an open field before Phoenix stopped. At first, the rider could barely see anything because of swirling snow fogging his glasses. Looking closer, though, he had to do a double-take when he saw a dim glow in the gale.
As they drew closer, the rider could see another person, probably a traveler who got lost in the storm. They were bent over, trying to shield themselves from the storm, holding a stick with two glowing test tubes tied to it, the thing that caught his attention earlier.
"Hello!" He called as they got closer and closer until Phoenix skidded to a halt. "Wh– Don't stop now!"
Phoenix whinnied and backed up when the brunette tried to get him to move forward, much to his annoyance. He was about to say something when he saw why.
Ice.
Barely visible beneath the blanket of snow covering it, but ice all the same.
The rider's stomach tied into a knot, his eyes darting from the ice to the hunched person.
"Hello!" He yelled again, finally getting the other's attention when he looked at him. "Quick! Come this way!"
"I–I have to go home!" The other yelled back. "M-My dad's in trouble!"
"Please! You have to–" He was cut off by a cracking sound, and he saw the other boy look down at his feet. The brunette hopped off the horse and carefully stepped onto the ice. After another crack, he carefully inched forward, holding out his hand. "I'll take you to him; just come this way, please!"
The other hesitated, looking in the direction of home with uncertainty.
"Please…" The rider reached out as far as he could, looking at the other boy with wide, desperate eyes. He looked back at him and took a careful step towards him.
"Slowly," The brunette instructed while the traveler began to inch towards him. "That's it, you're almost there."
With each step the other took, the ice cracked beneath his feet. Once close enough, he reached for the rider's hand.
"That's it," The brunette's fingers brushed against the traveler's, neither noticing a spark between them. "You're doing great. Just a little further."
Just before he could grab his hand, the ice beneath the other broke, and he plunged into the icy water with a startled cry.
"No!"
Without even a second thought, the rider tore off his cloak and satchel and dived into the water. He swam down after the traveler, reaching him before he sank too far down. He pulled the stunned teenager close to him, and in a flash of turquoise light, they disappeared from the water and reappeared back on the shore. The brunette coughed as the other sucked in air and heaved beside him.
"H-Hey," He patted his cheek. "You okay?"
He gave a shaky smile when the other teen rolled over and coughed up the water in his lungs.
Now that they were closer together, the brunette could see the other was a teenager about his age, only shorter, with light blue eyes. His hood had slipped off to reveal shaggy black hair with brown highlights and an odd blue streak in his hair. He also had a pair of goggles on his head and a satchel like his own.
"You okay?"
"C-Cold…"
Phoenix approached them with her rider's cloak and satchel in her teeth. He nodded thanks and took the items back, carefully wrapping the cloak around the other's trembling form. Then, the brunette hugged the other teen, holding him tight to shield him from the harsh, cold winds.
"Micheal!"
The brunette turned to see an older man running up to him. He was in his 40s with fair skin and violet eyes like him that droop slightly downwards. His hair was sunshine gold with silver and white highlights and covered by a cloak similar to Micheal's, only dusty rose with magenta patterns. He wore the same coat as Micheal, only in teal, brown boots with white fur trim and navy blue gloves.
"Micheal, what are you doing out here?" He asked once he reached them.
"This boy needs help," Micheal said, looking back at the teen who had passed out in his arms.
Seeing the other teen, the older man kneeled for a better look. He gasped quietly when he recognized the boy from the Capital earlier. He checked his vitals and knew they needed to get him out of the cold.
He looked over his shoulder to his partner, who had two of their other sons riding on one of their other horses. "August!"
The other man was also middle-aged with light tan skin, gray-and-brown hair, a pencil-thin mustache, and brown eyes. He was tall and slender yet fairly built, dressed in a black winter coat with white fur trim. He also had navy blue pants, dark brown snow boots, a red cap, and gray gloves.
The boys were the same age and height, shorter than Micheal and younger. They appeared to be twins as their appearances were roughly the same. Both boys had brown eyes like August's, tan skin slightly darker than the older man's, slender figures, dark brown hair, and were overall cute boys who would become handsome men when they were older.
However, they had a few differences, too. One seemed to be an inch or so taller than the other, with freckles across his cheeks, nose, and neck and mid-back length hair tied in a low ponytail over his right shoulder. The other had fewer freckles and longer hair tied in a braid to his waist.
The taller boy wore a blue coat with lavender accents, red earmuffs, gloves, deep grayish-blue pants, and black boots. His brother wore a bright turquoise jacket with an aubergine scarf, matching earmuffs, blue pants, and black boots.
The horse with them was a female Friesian horse. In contrast to most Friesians, who are black, this one was a bay-coloring. She had brown eyes, the signature long, flowing mane and tail of her species, and the feathering on her legs. She wore the same blanket and saddle set as Phoenix.
"What's going on, Jareth?" The older man asked.
"I saw this boy earlier at the marketplace. He seemed to be in trouble. I wanted to help him, but I lost him in the crowd," The blond man explained. "We need to get him out of the cold."
August nodded before carefully lifting the other boy out of Micheal's arms. The younger boys looked at him curiously as their dad placed the teen on Phoenix's back.
"Okay, Phoenix," August muttered once the boy was settled firmly on her back. "Let's get out of the cold."
Phoenix huffed and stomped her hoof before they resumed walking, her human's mate holding the reins. Micheal stayed close to August while Jareth led the horse with the twins after them.
(Sometime later)
"Ugh… Hmmm… Mmmn," Varian blinked slowly as he awakened.
His brow furrowed when he didn't recognize the room. It was an earthy brown and looked like the inside of a cabin. The room was simply furnished with a bed (which Varian was lying in), a side table with a lantern, a fireplace with a roaring fire, an easy chair, a dresser, and a window seat.
Propping himself up a little and moving the blanket, Varian saw that he had been changed from his wet, snow-logged clothes into a white nightshirt and green pants.
When he looked around again, Varian's eyes furrowed even more when he saw a teenage boy asleep in the chair with a book and a black cat perched above him. The other boy wore the same night clothes as Varian, with purple slippers and a familiar pair of glasses.
"Uncle Jareth! The boy's awake! I heard him groaning!" A male voice announced from outside the door.
"Thank you, Dominic." He heard a man's voice, but not any he was familiar with.
Varian felt panic set in as he sat up in alarm. It was now sinking in that he didn't know where he was or who these people were.
He gasped when the cat let out a yowl loud enough to startle the other boy awake, dropping his book with a yelp.
"Was that necessary, Maya?" The teen asked the feline, slightly annoyed.
The cat just shrugged and jumped off the chair. She padded over to the bed, staring at Varian when she jumped onto the comforter.
"Oh, you're awake," The teen said when he saw Varian sitting up. He picked up his book and walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I, uh…" Varian wasn't sure how to respond. His mind was still shaking off the hours spent in the cold and the confusion of waking up somewhere he didn't know.
Before he could answer, they heard footsteps approaching. The boys and owl turned as the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man about the same age as Quirin.
Jareth had removed his winter gear and was now dressed in a baby blue long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves folded up and white plants and leaves embroidered along the neckline and shoulders. He had tiffany blue pants with similar patterns stitched on the hems, a cooking apron the same color tied with a green ribbon and embellished with a mortar and pestle and various plants stitched on the hems, light yellow slippers, and a golden ring on his left hand.
He walked into the room with a tray holding a hot bowl of soup, coming over to them.
"Glad to see you're awake," He said gently, setting the tray on the nightstand. "You really scared us when we found you and Micheal in the snow."
Varian's eyes widened slightly as the memories of what happened earlier came back. He had taken a wrong turn somewhere on the way back to Old Corona and ended up on a frozen lake. He was found by another boy on a horse, and then he fell into the water… Varian didn't remember much after that, but the boy, Micheal, had clearly jumped in after him.
Even so, they, complete strangers, had stopped to help him. Yet the Princess, someone he thought of as a friend, turned him away…
"W-Who are you?"
The man put on a little smile as he sat on the side of the bed. "My name is Jareth Morgan, and this is my son, Micheal. Micheal had pulled you from a frozen lake when we found you both."
"Phoenix must have caught your scent on the wind," Micheal said, petting Maya. "And that horse would prefer to run from danger than towards it."
Jareth smiled at his son before looking back at Varian. "How are you feeling?"
Varian met his kind, violet eyes. He was speechless but found his voice.
"I–I… My–My dad, H-He–" Tears burst out of him as he held his head.
Micheal and Maya looked at each other worriedly while Jareth watched Varian sympathetically.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Micheal tried to reassure him. "You're safe here."
Varian sobbed. He might be safe, but his dad wasn't. He had to be covered in amber by now. Rapunzel had really let him down…
Micheal wasn't sure what to do since he seemed to make it worse. Without thinking, he moved closer and sat next to Varian as best he could, moving his arms around the other.
Varian leaned into Micheal's hold as he cried. He didn't know the other teen, but he knew he wanted some comfort after what he'd just been through.
"Micheal? Jareth?" An elderly voice caught their attention.
The room's occupants turned to see an old woman standing at the door, looking concerned.
She was an elderly woman with gray hair and streaks of black in it that was almost as long as Rapunzel's hair when it was tied up. It was arranged in a single low ponytail and tied with gold bands all the way down. She had a slender figure, brown eyes, fair skin, and few wrinkles despite her age. Something about her reminded Varian of Queen Arianna, being regal yet kind.
She was wearing a long pinkish-maroon/magenta dress in a style Varian was unfamiliar with**. It reached the floor with various butterflies and streaks embroidered on it and mountain designs at the bottom of her dress. She also had a gold belt, small pearl earrings, and black high heels.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, coming into the room. "Aiden and Felix said you brought someone home with you."
"We did," Jareth confirmed, gesturing to Varian. "Micheal saved this young man from drowning in a lake. He said something has happened to his dad."
"I see," She nodded before turning to Varian. "And who might you be, dear?"
"I–I'm Varian," He replied, wiping his eyes as he shifted closer to Micheal slightly.
"This is my grandmother, Aisling," Micheal introduced him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Varian," Aisling said, taking a seat next to the bed (Varian blinked. He could've sworn he only counted one chair in the room). "Now, what has happened?"
Varian looked at her, then at Micheal and Jareth, before taking a deep breath. Gathering his thoughts, he tried to tell them what was happening again.
"M-My dad is in danger… There was an accident in my lab. I was experimenting on these rocks that were destroying our village, and–and he surprised me. I spilled a compound onto the rocks, and–and it grew! He pushed me away, but then he got stuck in it! The rocks respond to Princess Rapunzel, so I thought she could help me!" He gripped his hair and groaned in frustration. "I went all the way from Old Corona to the castle, begging for her help, but she refused, and her stupid guards kicked me out!"
He sighed heavily. "I was trying to get home when Micheal found me…."
Aisling nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Varian."
Micheal rubbed Varian's shoulder as Jareth sighed and shook his head in dismay. "Stars help her when she becomes Queen."
Varian furrowed his brow. "Stars?"
"Let's just say we're not from around here," Micheal explained.
Varian wanted to ask what he meant, but instead, he disentangled himself from the other boy. He groaned, putting a hand over his face to comfort his pounding headache. "Thank you for getting me out of the cold, but I really need to get back home."
"We understand, but the storm is still raging. It's not safe for you to go back out there yet," Aisling said as she stood up, looking out the window.
Varian sighed heavily, groaning as his headache grew worse. He couldn't relax with the horrible thought that his father was dying.
How could he get the Princess to listen?
Was there still time to save his dad?
He was snapped out of his thoughts when Jareth gave him the bowl of soup he had brought in earlier. "Here, you should eat something. You'll need to get your strength back up. Otherwise, you'll end up getting sick."
Varian was reluctant, but he was also ravenous. He didn't have the strength to trudge through that mess again.
He picked up the spoon and began to eat. It was great soup, the best he ever had. Instantly, his headache and all his other pains vanished.
"Good, right?" Micheal smirked. "My dad's an awesome cook."
Jareth chuckled bashfully.
Aisling smiled before speaking again. "Micheal, would you wait here with Varian? I need to speak with your father in private for a moment."
"Sure, Mhamó," Micheal nodded.
Jareth and Aisling left the room, closing the door before they started talking.
"What Varian said about rocks destroying his village," Jareth started, looking at his mother with concern. "Do you think he means…."
"We knew what would happen when the King took the Sundrop," Aisling said grimly.
Jareth sighed, feeling the weight of his past decision. "What do we do?"
"First, let us see if there is anything we can do to help Varian."
"Has Patty been able to do something about the storm?"
"No," Aisling shook her head. "This is not an ordinary blizzard. It was summoned by ancient dark magic. Magic that's been here for a very long time."
"Should we ask Brian to have a vision?" Jareth suggested.
"That would be a wise decision." The family matriarch agreed. "Dark forces are beginning to stir. We must be prepared for what's coming."
And that's chapter two. Full disclosure: I hate the "Queen for a Day" episode. In fact, I haven't even watched it, though I'll have to suck it up and watch it for my other fanfictions.
* Varian couldn't see it from where he was sitting, but Micheal had his name stitched under the left pocket.
**Aisling wears a Celtic-style dress. Varian doesn't know what that is, so I said it was unknown.
Next up is Horizon's Light.
