After much writing, re-writing, and more re-writing, the new chapter three is finally ready.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the "Tangled" franchise. I only own the story idea and any OCs I make up. If you noticed some similarities with Encanto while reading this, I was heavily influenced by the movie when I decided to rewrite this story. I don't own Encanto, either.

Varian sat at his kitchen table with a cup of tea, and Micheal was next to him with his own drink. Ruddiger was perched on the table next to him, and Sasha had taken up a spot next to Micheal.

With some coaxing, the Morgans led Varian out of the lab so they could talk. After making the boys some tea, August went outside to check on Angus and see if anyone from the village needed help.

While that was happening, Micheal told Varian a few more things about his family.

"So, let me get this straight," Varian said after taking another drink of tea. "You and your family are… wizards?"

"Yup." Micheal nodded. "Though, we usually use the term witches. Although, I think I would be more along the lines of a sorcerer…."

"What?" Varian blinked.

"There are several different terms for magic users. 'Witch' and 'wizard' are the most common terms, and oftentimes they fit, but not always."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, in my case, I'd be considered a sorcerer since I can use my magic for combat, while traditionally, wizards don't fight."

"Uh, okay, right," Varian replied, his once skeptical brain trying to take all this information in. "And everyone knows magic? Like, real magic?"

"Yup, to varying degrees," Micheal nodded before elaborating. "Some of my family know the basics and are okay with just that, while others, like Isaac and Silvia, like to experiment with their gifts. Vincent, Lorraine, and Rachel like to use their magic to entertain kids in the different places we pass through, and sometimes, people will come to Uncle Brian to have their future told. Or they'll go to Ethan to have their dreams interpreted. Then there's me, who actively studies magic, learning new spells, crafting potions, etc."

"Is one of those spells the reason why Sasha can…?" Varian started to ask but trailed off, gesturing to the owl.

"Yeah…" Micheal drawled out, glancing at his familiar. "A spell I was working on backfired, and since I don't know what went wrong, I can't undo it."

"Besides, I've been able to talk for so long that it would feel strange to go back to my usual sounds," Sasha added, preening her feather.

"I guess that makes sense," Varian said, though his face said he was still adjusting.

"You're taking this surprisingly well," Micheal noted.

"I think I'm just still in shock from everything. Especially after…" Varian trailed off, glancing toward the basement door.

Ruddiger crooned softly, moving closer to his human to comfort him.

"Guess that answers my question of how you're holding up."

Varian didn't respond, only taking another sip of tea. They were quiet for a few minutes before the alchemist spoke again. "So, what happens now?"

"Well, the final choice is up to you, but I know my dads and my grandmother wouldn't like the idea of you staying here alone."

"Where am I supposed to go? My only family is frozen in a crystal."

"You could stay at the Teachín with us," Micheal suggested. "There's plenty of room, and you can bring Ruddiger with you. We don't live too far from the village, so you can come and go to your lab as often as you want to."

"We're going to work with you, too," August jumped in, revealing to the boys that he had returned. "To help you figure this out."

"I don't know…." Varian said softly.

"Look, Varian," August sat down next to the alchemist. "We're not going to make you move in with us. It's up to you, but I want you to know that we wouldn't be offering you this if we didn't care about your well-being."

Varian looked at Ruddiger as if hoping to get some kind of suggestion out of him. Ruddiger just squeaked his little raccoon sound and shrugged his shoulders.

Varian looked around him at the walls of his home. It was the only place he'd ever known, and he didn't totally want to leave it. He could faintly remember a time when three voices echoed within it as he, his father, and his mother had all shared laughs together.

Then, there were just two voices.

And now there was only one.

As much as Varian loved his home, he knew Micheal and August were right. He couldn't look after the whole house by himself. He was smart and knew plenty about cooking and cleaning, but there was only so much he could do on his own. Sure, he didn't need his father to look after him for every aspect of his life. He wasn't a little kid anymore. But he did need his father for some things, and he wasn't sure if he was prepared to step up and fend for himself while working to free his father.

He hated to leave his home and especially his father, but he knew there was no point in arguing. Dropping everything and moving in with people he had just met was intimidating, but if Varian was truly honest with himself, he really didn't want to be alone.

With a sigh, he looked back over at August. "Okay. I'll come with you."

August gave him a smile and placed an affectionate hand on his arm. "Thank you, Varian. I really didn't want to see you out here all alone."

"I didn't want to be alone, either," He admitted shyly.

"Glad you're coming with us, Varian," Micheal smiled at the other teen before turning to his dad. "So, how'd it go outside? Did anything happen?"

"Well, a few of the villagers had come out of their homes to see what could be salvaged. Some recognized me from when we lived here before, so that was a nice surprise."

"You used to live here?" Varian asked.

"It was a long time ago," Micheal explained. "Our family moves around a lot. We usually stay in one place for a few months before moving on. Some places we stay longer than others."

"This is our first time back in Corona in nearly twenty years," August added, glancing out the window. "We'd make short stops here if we had to, but we never stayed long."

"Why?" Varian asked.

"Well…" Micheal rubbed the back of his head. "A lot of kingdoms aren't exactly welcoming of magic users. Corona especially. Coronans have never liked magic, and it only got worse after the Princess was taken."

"How come?"

"A rumor started after the kidnapping that magic had to be involved for someone to get into the castle," August explained, his tone becoming annoyed as he talked. "Of course, I'm sure the Princess's boyfriend could tell people how ridiculously easy it is to break into that castle."

"Dad's actually from Corona," Micheal told Varian.

"Really?" Varian looked at the older man with wide eyes.

"I grew up in the Capital," He explained, eyes becoming misty as he spoke. "My father and I, we… We didn't get along very well. Mom tried to keep the peace between us, but there was too much animosity between us. I just wasn't like him enough…"

The alchemist stared at August sadly, knowing how he felt. Even if his dad didn't say it out loud, Varian always thought he would instead want Varian to be something he wasn't.

"Sorry," August apologized, rubbing at his eyes. "Decades later, and it's still hard to talk about."

"It's fine," Varian smiled kindly before changing the subject. "Anyway, you said you saw some of the villagers. Did they ask about Dad?"

August sighed. "I told them that one of the rocks burst into your lab and knocked over some of your chemicals. They caused a reaction that resulted in Quirin being trapped in the amber while saving you. I said it would be best that no one came into the house since you needed time to yourself."

"… Thank you," Varian nodded before taking a deep breath.

"After explaining the situation, I suggested they start seeing what could be salvaged after the storm. Some of the women offered to make breakfast for everyone. A few of the men were talking among themselves about someone going to the King to ask for help."

"I don't know if that's a good idea…."

"Why?" Micheal looked at the other teen.

Varian sighed heavily before explaining what he knew. "My dad went to the castle the other day to ask for more land. But he told the King we needed more land because our harvest was more bountiful than usual this year. The only person who knows how bad things are out here is Rapunzel."

"The Princess knows about the rocks?" August's eyes widened.

"Yeah," The alchemist nodded with a glum expression. "But she's been forbidden by her father from talking about them to anyone. The only reason I know about them is that, as far as I know, I was the first person in Old Corona to find them."

"So, how did you find out Rapunzel had a connection to the rocks?" Micheal asked.

"It's a bit of a long story. A few months ago, there was a Science Expo in the city. When it was over, I told her friend, Cass, that I got the idea for my invention from a cluster of black rocks near the village. This was back when they were only on the hilltop. Cass and the Princess were surprised when I mentioned the rocks, so I took them to Old Corona to show them. When we got there, Rapunzel's hair started glowing, and so did the rocks. That was when I made the connection. When I pointed it out, Rapunzel told me her dad didn't want her talking about the rocks with anyone," Varian explained, his expression bitter at the end. He clenched his hands, trying to keep his feelings in check. "She said we were in this together… that we would figure this out as a team."

Micheal placed his hand on Varian's fist, trying to comfort the other. Slowly, he felt some of the tension leave Varian's body as his hands uncurled.

August was silent for a moment, putting the pieces together in his mind. "When did the Princess's hair come back?"

"Sometime during her coronation weekend. I was actually supposed to go, but I was pretty sick that week," Varian answered. "I didn't see Rapunzel's hair for myself until a week after the coronation when they came here to see if I could help them find answers about her hair."

"Why come to you?"

"There's… rumors about me. People mistake my alchemy for magic, so I get called a wizard a lot."

"Not too surprising," Micheal conceded. "Alchemy exists in a gray area where science and magic meet. A few centuries ago, alchemy was considered more magic than science."

"Moving back on topic, though," August interrupted. "Was it after her visit that the rocks started coming inside the Wall?"

"I think so," Varian nodded. "At least, that's when I started noticing them."

The older man grew quiet after that, deep in thought.

"What is it, Dad?" Micheal asked, seeing the gears turn in his father's head.

"A theory. It may mean nothing, but I'll do some digging when I get the chance."

"Can I come?"

"Sorry, Mike," August shook his head. "But where I'm going, it would be safer if I went alone."

"Okay…" Micheal sighed dejectedly but still managed to smile.

August smiled back before getting back to business. "Anyway, before anyone does any more studying of any kind, we should see what we can do for the village. With things as they are, I don't trust Frederic to not do something irrational when he gets the chance. If he does, I want the villagers out of the crossfire."

"But how?" Varian asked. "My dad had to lie to the King so that we would have somewhere to evacuate to. If we try to get help, the King will silence us!"

"You won't need help from the King," August replied, smirking slightly. "I think our family and people being here will more than makeup for the lack of help."

"Should we go get everyone?" Micheal asked, standing up.

"Won't need to," His father replied, looking out the window. "They're already here."

Moving to the window, the boys and their animals discovered August was right. At some point, while they were talking, the rest of the Morgan family showed up.

Micheal's brothers and cousins were still in their winter clothes, along with Jareth. Aisling wore a long gray winter cloak with white fur trim, a white hand warmer, and teal snow boots. Brian wore a yellow-green and maroon coat, dim gray boots, yellow-green mittens, and a matching snow cap.

Everyone else was someone Micheal mentioned, but Varian was seeing them for the first time. Those would be Patricia, Hanta, Isaac, Lucas, Rachel, Vanessa, Dominic, and Silvia.

Going in order, there was Patricia, also known as Patty, Micheal's aunt and the mother of Dominic, Camille, Violet, Gabriella, and Arin. Despite being the middle child, Patricia was the tallest of her siblings, even taller than her mother. She was a slender middle-aged woman with an hourglass figure like Violet, fair skin, curly hip-length auburn-red hair tied in a braid, and dark green eyes with full lashes. She had a small gap between her two front teeth and thin eyebrows. Around her face, she inherited many of Aisling's features. She wore a pink winter dress* with different snowflake designs along the skirt and hem, a matching headscarf, white boots, a white fur hat, and white mittens. She also had a yellow-orange bandana ribbon with small lightning motifs on her head and metallic golden sun-shaped earrings.

Next was Hanta Morgan, Patricia's husband and the one Arin takes after the most. He was a dark-skinned, dominantly Galcretian man (He had a few features, like his eye shape, that reminded Varian of Xavier, the blacksmith) who was noticeably shorter than his wife and was stocky with very broad shoulders. He had medium-length, black hair with a graying "skunk stripe" and thick matching eyebrows. His eyes were dark brown, and he had gray and black stubble facial hair on his chin. Like Brian, Hanta had a mustache and hair on his chin and face. He wore a white parka and fur boots similar to Arin's.

Moving onto the kids, the first was Isaac Morgan, Micheal's oldest brother and the oldest of the grandchildren. Isaac was a handsome young man with a tall and slender build, pale skin, a small nose, blue eyes, a light dusting of freckles (though barely noticeable), and medium-length, shiny black hair. Overall, he had looks that would make Flynn Rider feel threatened. Comparing him to the other grandchildren, people would say Isaac looks the most like a younger male Aisling. He wore a white turtleneck under a powder blue peacoat, white marguerite daisies embroidered on the bottom, darker blue pants, and matching boots.

After Isaac was Lucas, Jareth and August's second son and the oldest of the triplets. While not the oldest, Lucas was definitely the tallest in the family. He was a young man with a muscular build, light tan skin, light brown eyes, medium-length, wavy brown hair tied in a low ponytail with a red hair tie, a bright smile, and dimples. Of his siblings, Lucas physically resembles August the most. He wore a dark green coat, indigo pants, dark blue boots, and a dark green hat.

Rachel was Lucas's younger triplet sister and the second oldest. She was a tall, beautiful eighteen-year-old girl at 5'8" with a slender yet athletic figure, tan skin, full red lips, long, wavy dark brown hair, and brown eyes. Rachel wore a snow dress like her aunt, but hers was slightly different. The dress was ocean blue with fur trim on the collar and stopped just above her ankles. The skirt had an overlay with different snowflakes decorating the hem. The rest of her outfit consisted of black, heeled snow boots and a blue flower in her hair.

After her was Vanessa, the final triplet and the only other girl in the family. In addition to being the youngest, she was also the shortest of the triplets at 5'6" with a slender build, hourglass figure, and slightly wide hips. She had long dark brown hair reaching her thighs and tied in a low ponytail with yellow bands. Her skin was tan with freckles on her face, and she had brown eyes. She wore the same winter dress and boots as Rachel, only in spring green with butterfly embroideries.

Moving on to Patricia's family, the oldest child, Dominic, was only a few months younger than Isaac. Of his siblings, Dominic was the one who most resembled Patricia and had an appearance that was a combination of youthful innocence and physical maturity. He had medium-long auburn hair, large brown eyes, fair-tan skin, and a slender, athletic build like a swimmer. He wore a long black coat with yellow trim and green and yellow sound-wave motifs, cobalt blue pants, black boots, a red snow cap, and matching mittens.

Finally, there was Silvia, Brian's oldest daughter, and Lorraine and Rosa's older sister. Silvia has a slender, slightly muscular figure of average height with tan skin, short black hair, and dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a red coat with a turquoise stripe, olive green pants, brown gloves, and saddle-brown snow boots for the snow. She also had a sword strapped to her back. The way Silvia carried herself, like a warrior instead of a lady, reminded Varian of Cassandra (The alchemist pushed aside the bitter feelings in his head).

From what Varian could see from where they were standing, the adult villagers who knew the Morgans were thrilled to see them. They were gathered around the adults, shaking hands and sharing hugs. Some of the mothers were gushing over Isaac, Dominic, and Silvia, and a few of the senior Old Coronans had started talking with Aisling. Varian also noted that a few colonists had come, shaking hands with villagers and talking to people who came up to them.

"How'd they get here so fast?" Varian asked.

"Dominic," Micheal stated before explaining. "His magic is based around sound. One of his abilities is super hearing."

"Knowing Aisling, she probably noticed we had been gone longer than planned," August said. "She must have had Dominic check in with his magic and then gathered everyone to come and help out."

"Wow…" Varian breathed, touched that the Morgans and their people would come and help them without anybody asking. "Thank you. All of you."

Micheal smiled, placing a friendly hand on Varian's shoulder.

August smiled as well before turning back to the scene outside. "We better head outside and get started. You can stay in here if you want, Varian."

Varian thought about it before shaking his head. "No, I–I wanna help. I… need a distraction."

August nodded sympathetically. "Alright."

"Besides, with my dad… like he is and no successor in place, I'm the acting Mayor of Old Corona. They're gonna need my help."

"So, what's the plan, Mr. Mayor?" Micheal chirped, managing to get a laugh out of Varian.

The alchemist chuckled a little before answering. "First, let's see what can be salvaged for the new location. Then, we'll determine what we need from what everyone wants to do. I wouldn't be surprised if some folks wanna leave Corona entirely after everything that's happened."

"Yeah, I wouldn't blame them either… but where would they go? These rocks are all over the place."

"Maybe, but there are some places the rocks barely touched," The older Morgan reminded his son. "There are a few places where they can settle if they choose to leave. But if they do decide to leave, they might want to do that quickly."

"I'll draw up some blueprints for caravans for those who want to leave," Varian nodded. "I'll also make lists of anything else we'll need once we know what we're working with."

"We can ask Vincent to help with that," Micheal suggested. "He can make anything he draws come to life, so if we need anything, he can make it."

"Wow!"

"We should also probably have Dominic use his hearing to keep an eye on the city in case the King decides to send people out here."

"Good idea. I really don't wanna see anyone else get hurt."

"Looks like everyone agrees with the plan," August said, looking out the window.

The boys looked back to see everyone was starting to spread out, Aisling seeming to direct them to different areas. Arin looked up at them through the window and gave them a thumbs-up before moving on himself.

"How did they–?" Varian started.

"Dominic." The Morgan men replied.

"When you can hear a pin drop on the other side of the kingdom, planning becomes streamlined," Micheal went on before leaning toward Varian to whisper, "But the downside is Dominic can't keep a secret to save his life."

Both boys jumped back with a yelp when a snowball suddenly smacked against the window, directly where Micheal's face was.

"I think he heard you," Sasha commented.

"Shut it, birdie," Micheal grumbled, causing Varian to laugh after a minute.

August shook his head with a fond smile before talking to Varian again. "In the meantime, while we work on the salvaging, how about you start packing whatever you need to take with you."

Varian's smile fell at the thought of leaving, glancing at the floor before turning to Micheal. "Could–Could you… stay with me? I don't wanna be alone right now."

"Sure." The other teen nodded.

Varian gave him a grateful look before the boys headed for the stairs, their animals following them.

August smiled sympathetically as they left before heading out the door. Once outside, he leaned against the closed door, sighing heavily.

Sensing a presence walk up to him, August saw his husband approach him with a sympathetic smile. "Hey."

"Hey." The warrior greeted back, stepping forward to embrace Jareth, which the other male returned.

"Everything okay?" Jareth asked.

August shook his head. "There's… nothing we can do for Quirin now."

The blond nodded in understanding before stepping back to look at his husband. "And Varian?"

"He's going to stay with us. I'm sure your mother won't mind."

Jareth nodded again.

The couple was quiet for a while before August hugged Jareth again, holding him tight. Jareth returned the hug, not saying anything.

"I should've left it alone… I should've just let fate take its course…."

"No, honey," Jareth shook his head, pulling back to look his husband in the eye. "This isn't your fault. Neither of us knew the extent of the situation until there was no going back. Besides, I'm a healer. I couldn't turn my back on them."

August still looked conflicted and guilty, so Jareth leaned up to kiss him gently. "Whatever comes next… We'll face it as a family."

The former guard smiled, touching his forehead against his husband's. The couple stood there silently, taking solace in each other's presence. After a few minutes, they pulled apart, knowing they needed to get back to business.

"I need to check on something," August said. "Think you'll all be okay until I get back?"

"We'll be fine," Jareth assured him, giving him another kiss for the road. "Hurry back, okay?"

"I will."

After giving Jareth a kiss of his own, August walked down the front steps to attend to his own business.

(A short time later)

August released a deep breath as he got across the gap where an old stone bridge once stood. He unhooked the grappling hook he'd used before he walked on, heading past the black rocks that peppered the landscape now.

He reached the monument and walked up to it, seeing it cracked and covered in black rocks. He walked up to one of the rocks, looking at his reflection grimly.

What do they do now?

August was sure they had steered Varian away from the 'path of hate' or whatever, but it didn't change the gravity of the situation. In the span of less than twelve hours, Varian had lost his father, had his trust badly broken by the Princess, and then nearly died in a blizzard. Plus, if Princess Rapunzel knew enough about the rocks that Varian would seek her out for help, August knew Frederic would find out, and it wouldn't end well for Varian or the villagers if they were around when it happened.

August and the rest of the Morgan adults knew about the Witch Hunts happening in Corona after the Princess was taken. The kids were raised to keep their powers under wraps in certain places, especially Coronan territory. While the Hunts might have stopped after the Princess was found, August knew the King was paranoid enough to start them back up again if he thought someone was messing with the rocks.

Both parties knew what needed to be done to stop the destruction, but only one side was willing to take responsibility.

August sighed heavily. "One problem at a time, August."

Right now, he needed to focus on getting Old Corona rebuilt away from the rocks and helping Varian settle in. If Frederic made a move, they would deal with it if and/or when it happened.

Taking one last look at the broken monument, August turned to make his way back to his family.

(Back in Old Corona)

Following Micheal's suggestions, everyone began gathering what was still usable.

As often was the case, Lucas did most of the heavy lifting. He would bring armloads of salvaged wood and scrap metal from the houses that didn't make it through the storm.

Silvia used her telekinetic powers to move and organize things easier, everything surrounded in an amaranth red glow as supplies went where she commanded.

After getting permission from Varian to use his kitchen, Jareth began aiding in the cooking effort. He had always found the best way to use his healing magic was to have his patient eat something so he would serve as the medic in case someone hurt themselves.

Even Arin was helping in his own way, talking with the farm animals and working with the dogs to herd the sheep.

Aisling watched her family work with pride before her gaze turned to Micheal and Varian. The boys had only just joined them since Varian needed to pack. Right now, they were cataloging what they had so they'd know if Vincent needed to make more.

The older woman couldn't help the pang of sadness she felt for the boy. She knew what it was like to leave your home and everything you loved, facing a future you had not envisioned happening. At least she had her family and friends when it happened, but poor Varian was all alone.

"Mhamó?"

Aisling was brought out of her thoughts when Dominic said her name. Focusing back on the present, she turned to her grandson. "Yes, Dominic?"

"We may have a problem."

That caught her attention. "Go on."

"I was listening in on the castle like you asked and overheard the Royal Advisor talking to the King…"

As Dominic explained what he heard, August returned to the village. He smiled a little when he saw Micheal and Varian outside, joining in the clean-up.

Looking in the other direction, he frowned when he saw his mother-in-law and Dominic conversing. Judging by the concerned look on Aisling's face, it wasn't something good.

As August made his way to them, the conversation seemed to reach its end. "Thank you, Dominic. I believe we've heard enough for now, but check the city every so often to see if something changes."

"Yes, Mhamó," Dominic nodded before leaving.

August watched his nephew leave before speaking to Aisling. "What's going on?"

"It seems we were wise to worry about the King," Aisling replied, turning to her son-in-law. "When Varian sought the Princess for help, their conversation was overheard by the Royal Advisor."

"Nigel," August growled. He never liked that stuck-up little priss. "What did that little fink do this time?"

Aisling raised an eyebrow at August's language but didn't comment. "He told the King about Varian's plea, and according to Dominic, Frederic was quite interested in Varian's exact words more than Nigel's accusation of Varian attacking the Princess."

"Let me guess: The King knows Varian's been poking around with the rocks."

"Yes. He wants to make sure Varian stays away from the Princess from now on. I'm not sure how much Varian knows of the situation, but the King believes he knows too much."

"From talking with Varian earlier, I don't think he knows a lot, but he knows just enough to get himself in trouble."

"The King called the Captain and told him to send some men to Old Corona once the roads were clear. He essentially wants him kept in the village under house arrest. In the meantime, he wanted Nigel to discreetly spread the word about Varian's "attack" on the Princess."

"Why 'discreetly?'"

"He doesn't want his daughter or her close companions to know about the rumors. I believe he suspects that Nigel's version of events is not the whole story, but he wants Varian completely shunned so no one will hear his warnings about the rocks. He knows his daughter will try to stop the rumors if she hears of them and go seek out Varian."

August sighed exhaustedly, looking at Varian as a few townspeople approached him to offer their sympathies. "The kid's in a real mess, isn't he?"

"Quite," Aisling nodded. "Should we tell him?"

"No," her son-in-law said, shaking his head. "He's got enough to deal with right now. Let's wait until we're done moving Old Corona. We'll fill him in when we're ready to deal with the King and the rocks."

"Agreed."

"Which means, Dominic, don't tell anyone about this," August said, directing his attention to his nephew behind a rock cluster.

"I won't," He said quickly, popping up before leaving.

August shook his head once he was gone. "Micheal's not wrong. If Dominic has one flaw…."

Aisling cracked a smile at her son-in-law's antics before getting back to business. "Come. The sooner we finish everything, the sooner everyone will be out of the King's sight."

"Agreed." August nodded as they rejoined the relief effort.

Finally, FINALLY! This chapter is done! With this, everything has been reposted!

*Patty's outfit resembles what Queen Arianna wore during "Queen for a Day." Rachel and Vanessa are wearing similar outfits. I just wasn't sure what to call it.

I'm probably going to take a break from writing during the holidays. If not, dabble at random projects until the calendar rolls over.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy New Year!