Hello, everyone. Happy belated Valentine's Day. Sorry for the slow updates. If it's not work, it's being sick, and if it's not being sick, it's computer problems. At least six of my keys are fritzing out on me.
Anyway, here's a new story. I felt like writing a remake of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure with Varian having a prominent role. This chapter actually turned out shorter than I thought, so there may be some changes later on as I make the next chapters. Still, this should help me see how interested people are in this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled or Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. I only own this story idea.
Anyway, here's the first chapter.
Rapunzel was having a bad day, to put it bluntly. It was the weekend of her coronation, and it had been full of back-to-back princess duties, pinchy shoes, and meeting strangers who silently judged her every move. When she thought she'd have some time to herself, her father hadn't even let her have that, having her followed by a battalion blocking every attempt she made to spend time with her people. Sure, Eugene had tried to help by taking her horseback riding to the Wall of Corona, but even that had been marred by the royal guard showing up to drag her back to the castle.
Then came the royal banquet with people she didn't know and had already humiliated herself in front of by having zero social graces the day before at the welcoming ceremony. Finally, the icing on the awful cake was when Eugene pulled her to the center of the room and proposed to her in front of everyone. Now, under different circumstances, Rapunzel would have been over the moon. She loved Eugene and wanted to marry him, but not like this.
Unable to handle it, Rapunzel fled the banquet and hid until her best friend and lady-in-waiting, Cassandra, found her. Needing to get out and clear her head, Cass suggested that they sneak out, saying she'd have them back by morning before anyone noticed a thing. Leaving Pascal back at the castle to cover for them, Cass led the princess through a secret passage out of the castle, meeting up with the guard horse, Maximus, and Cassandra's horse, Fidella. With help from Cassandra's owl, Owl, they dodged the night patrols and got to a boat to take them across the water. After they'd gotten safely across, Cassandra rowed them to the woods unseen.
Despite her nerves, Rapunzel soon became excited as the two friends explored the forest and raced through the fields. Soon, the girls came to the wall with plans to go over it and head outside the kingdom. Hesitating only briefly, Rapunzel swung down the rope Cass brought and landed on the other side.
The princess looked around in awe at the world beyond the wall, taking a deep breath of fresh air. It was like a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. There were no overprotective fathers. No judgemental nobles. It was just her, her friends, and wherever the wind blew. She also wanted her boyfriend to be here but didn't feel ready to think about him.
Soon, Cass swung down and landed behind her, the horses finding another way around to join them.
"Better?" The older girl asked, smiling slightly.
"Much better," Rapunzel replied.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes just off to their right. Turning to the source of the noise, Cass maneuvered herself in front of Rapunzel to shield her as she reached for her sword. They all eyed the shrubs, waiting for whatever was in there to appear.
Seconds later, a strange black creature with glowing yellow eyes stood up from the bushes, making a sound similar to a distorted grunt. Rapunzel screamed at the sight of the monster as Cassandra drew her sword, ready to protect the princess. Fidella reared up while Max stepped back, both giving frightened neighs.
The creature yelped when it realized it wasn't alone, stumbling backward on two legs before falling over on the ground with a hard "oof."
"Ow…" The creature groaned as he pushed himself up. "That's gonna leave a bruise…"
The princess's party paused in their panic when they heard the beast speak like a person. They watched in confusion as it lifted its face to reveal a young man wearing a helmet and mask. The rest of him was a dark coat that looked two sizes too big on him.
Seeing that there wasn't any real danger, the guard horses settled down. Even so, they stuck close to their riders and watched the stranger closely. Cass also relaxed slightly but kept her sword out just in case.
"I'm sorry," The boy apologized as he got up, dusting himself off. "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought I was alone out here."
"Oh, i-it's okay," Rapunzel assured him, stepping out from behind her friend to approach him. "We didn't think there was going to be anyone else out here, either. Are you okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Not the first time I've tripped on my own feet." The boy waved off, holding out his hand with a friendly smile. "I'm Varian."
They didn't notice Cass's eyes widen slightly when she heard his name.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Rap–Rhapsody." Rapunzel quickly changed her name, remembering no one could know she and Cass were out there. She took the boy's hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Varian."
"Likewise."
Cass watched their friendly exchange with mixed emotions. She had heard the name 'Varian' before from rumors about a wizard who lived in the farming village on the mainland, Old Corona. Not much was known about Varian, and what was known wasn't good. The main thing they say is that he's dangerous.
Yet, the boy standing in front of them didn't seem dangerous, not at all. Then again, he could just have the same name as the wizard, and the Varian she had heard of was someone else. Besides, she had only ever heard rumors, nothing that was a concrete fact. Just in case, she moved closer to Rapunzel. She was supposed to protect her, after all.
Remembering they weren't alone, Rapunzel gestured to her lady-in-waiting as she introduced her. "Oh, this is Cassandra, my best friend."
"Hi," Varian smiled slightly at the warrior. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Cassandra."
"Call me Cass." Cass corrected gently, returning the smile.
"So, Varian, why are you in the woods, anyway?" Rapunzel asked.
"I was collecting components for my alchemy." The younger boy answered.
"Alchemy?"
"It's a complex kind of science that involves changing something into something else. A known goal of an alchemist is turning lead into gold."
"Really?" Rapunzel gasped a little.
"Mhm. Now, I can't turn lead into gold–yet," He added quietly, causing the princess to giggle. "But I have made other stuff. One time, I made this solution to use on the crops and make them grow faster."
"Did it work?"
"Yup… until someone bumped into me, and I ended up dropping the whole solution on the crops, making them grow like the legend of the giant beanstalk," Varian explained, sounding annoyed as he mentioned the accident.
Rapunzel giggled while Cass snorted a laugh. "Wow, that sounds like a mess!"
"Heh, yeah," The alchemist nodded. "It got handled, but I was scolded about experimenting on the crops. Anyway, I came out here looking for ingredients for a different solution."
"Why go beyond the wall at night?" Cass asked.
"Well, there are spots in the woods of Corona where I can find them, but I've already taken some from those areas a few times now. It's important not to pick a spot clean; otherwise, it upsets the ecosystem of that area." Varian explained. "As for being out at night, there are some ingredients I can only find after dark."
"Okay, that makes sense." The handmaiden nodded.
Varian smiled before becoming concerned. "Mind if I ask why you two are out here? I mean, Miss Cassandra's armed, you have horses, and you're alone beyond the wall. Are you running away from something?"
"No, no, we…." Rapunzel sighed, playing with her hair. "It's a long story…"
"I've got some time," Varian assured her. "My dad's not gonna notice I'm gone for a while yet."
Taking off his helmet and putting it in a satchel, he walked over to sit on some rocks, patting the spot next to him. Rapunzel walked over and sat beside him while Cass leaned against a tree next to them. The horses took the opportunity to rest in the grass nearby.
With his helmet off, the girls got a better look at the boy they had met. He was younger than them for sure, maybe fourteen if they had to take a guess. His hair was short and messy, black with brown highlights and a teal streak on the left side of his bangs, while brown goggles too big for him sat on his head. He had freckles that went across his nose and tanned cheeks that made his big blue eyes stand out and add to his young look.
After taking a minute to gather her thoughts, Rapunzel began to tell Varian her story. "I got proposed to earlier…."
"I'm guessing this is not a 'congratulations' moment." He frowned.
"Definitely not," Cass shook his head.
"I do love this man, and I wanna marry him someday, but… the time just didn't feel right. So many people were around, and he was talking about us never leaving home after we got married and…." The princess sighed before going back to the beginning. "I was separated from my birth family when I was a baby and raised by a single mother in a strict household. She never let me go outside, or make friends, or speak my mind… when I found out that she wasn't my real mother, I found my birth parents. I was so happy at first, but then my real father turned out to be just as bad as her…."
She wiped at her eyes when they started to tear up. The princess was surprised when Varian held out a handkerchief but took it gratefully. "Thank you."
"Parents come in all types." Varian sympathized. "I'm sorry you got two of the same type."
"All I ever wanted is to see the world, to experience things I only dreamed of, to learn and grow as a person, not be this… trophy or object to be protected." She went on as she sniffled. "I just… wanted to be free. But, then this… proposal, and the things he was saying with all the people around, judging me, taunting me… I felt like I was going to fall apart, and they'd just laugh at me…."
She clutched at the handkerchief, unable to take it anymore, and started crying. Varian put a comforting hand on her back, letting her get her tears out.
"After she ran out after the proposal, I suggested we sneak out so she could have some space," Cass finished, feeling sorry for her friend. "It's been a really stressful weekend for her."
Actually, Cass was now starting to think that was the understatement of the century. She knew Rapunzel was having difficulty adjusting to life as a princess, but she hadn't realized how bad it was. Cassandra had never seen Rapunzel cry in the short time they'd known each other, so seeing her openly sob like this unnerved her to a degree. It made her feel guilty in a way. She was Rapunzel's best friend and the person closest to her besides her ex-thief boyfriend. She should have had a better picture of what her mental state was before now.
After a minute of crying, Rapunzel sniffled again as she started to calm down. "Sorry about that…"
"Hey, don't worry about it," Varian assured her. "I know what it's like to have ideas about your life and not have your parents agree."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
The boy sighed, feeling the weight of his own troubles emerge. "My dad and I… we don't see eye to eye about my alchemy."
"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the plant incident wasn't the only one." Cassandra theorized.
Varian shook his head, disheartened. "I'm kinda the town menace because of my failed experiments. I don't mean to cause problems, but that doesn't matter to anyone. It makes me feel like my dad only sees me as a disappointment. Sometimes, I wonder if he wishes I was someone else… Someone more like the other kids in the village."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Rapunzel reached out and took his gloved hand in hers. "Well, I don't think you're a disappointment or a menace… and I like the alchemist more than just another kid from the village."
"Well, you would be the first," He smiled a bit at her. "And I don't think you're an object or a trophy."
Rapunzel smiled back, both teens feeling like they found a kindred spirit.
While they were talking, Cass watched them closely, mostly Varian. The more he talked about himself, the more she started figuring out who he was. She now thought that the Varian from the rumors and the Varian in front of them were the same people. However, she was also starting to believe that the rumors were, in fact, just that, rumors. Baseless claims born from mishaps like the one he described with the crops. Maybe he wasn't as dangerous as he was made out to be…
"So, did you girls have somewhere specific you were going to go, or were you just following the wind?" Varian asked as he slipped his hand from Rapunzel's and took back his handkerchief.
"Well, Cass had somewhere she wanted to show me, but we kinda got sidetracked exploring. Do you wanna come with us?"
"Sure, as long as Cass doesn't mind." The alchemist looked at the warrior.
"I don't see a problem," She shrugged. "Do you need to find any more ingredients?"
"Nothing that can't wait another day."
"Then it's settled. Let's go!" Rapunzel said eagerly as they got up.
The trio went over to the horses and climbed on, Rapunzel giving Varian a boost onto Maximus. Once saddled up, Cass led the way in the direction they needed to go.
"How far have you gone when you come out here?" The princess asked their new friend.
"Not far. The furthest I've gone is to the Sundrop Monument."
"The Sundrop Monument?" Rapunzel questioned.
"It's where the flower used to heal the queen and princess was taken from. My dad goes out there a lot, and one time, I was curious enough to follow him. Just don't tell my dad." He chuckled bashfully. "He'd ground me for life if he found out I'd snuck outside the kingdom."
"Yeah, mine too," The princess nodded. "But you gotta admit, it adds to the thrill."
"Heh, yeah." Varian agreed. "I guess so."
After a short ride later, they slowed to a stop when they reached an old, ruined bridge.
"Just remember, no one can ever know I took you outside the walls of Corona." Cass reminded the princess.
"Don't worry," Rapunzel assured her. "No one is gonna find out. Right, Varian?"
"Right." Varian nodded. "Though, we might wanna go on foot from here. This bridge has been here for years and is falling apart."
"Good idea." Cassandra agreed as she climbed off Fidella.
Maximus looked at the princess worriedly before she patted him reassuringly. "We won't be long, Max. I promise."
Once off the horses, the three humans headed across the bridge, leaving them behind. Max looked at Fidella, whose ear dropped at the humans going alone. A chunk of the bridge fell off as they walked, causing the horses to look at each other skeptically.
"So, what did you want to show me?" Rapunzel asked excitedly as Cass led them down a stone staircase on the side of a cliff.
The older girl looked around to ensure the coast was clear before leading them further along. "Believe me, it's better if you see it for yourself."
When they stopped, the group was on the end of an outcrop across from a monument with several sharp-looking black rocks surrounding it.
"They're… beautiful," Rapunzel murmured, looking at the rocks curiously. "What are they?"
"Don't know. They just kinda sprouted up here about a year ago." Cassandra said, pulling out her sword before holding the blade up. "And watch this. Uh, y-you might wanna stand back for this one."
Rapunzel and Varian inched back a little before Cass swung her sword against the black rock. The blade shattered into pieces without scratching the rock's surface. The teens recoiled back a bit, Rapunzel looking amazed while Varian looked fascinated.
"Wow!" The princess said in awe.
"They're unbreakable," Cassandra whispered, putting her broken sword away.
"Fascinating," Varian murmured. "I've never seen anything like these."
"Wanna know the weirdest part?" Cass walked over to them before looking at the dust-covered monument. Rapunzel followed her gaze before walking to the memorial to look closer. "This is where they found the miracle flower that saved the queen."
"This is the monument?" Rapunzel breathed in awe.
"Yup," Varian confirmed. "I don't know exactly how long, but my dad's been coming here for years. At least once a week."
"Why?" Cass asked.
"No idea. He just comes out here, looks around for a few minutes, and then leaves."
As they talked, Rapunzel looked closer at the monument, wiping the dust off the plaque. When her hand got close to the rocks, it started glowing bright blue, startling Rapunzel as the other two turned back to her.
Curious, Rapunzel reached out to touch one, the rocks glowing brighter and brighter as her hand got closer. A breeze seemed to pick up from nowhere and blew her cloak back as the spikes lit up. When the princess touched it, a strange blue light burst out, cutting off their screams as they were all knocked to the ground.
The light spread out, splitting into waves of energy that fired off over the kingdom. The water grew wild and splashed close to the outcrop before slowly calming down. Then all was silent.
Knocked out by the blast, it was unknown how long the trio was out before they began to come around. However long it was, they started to slowly awaken, pushing themselves off the ground.
Holding her head, Rapunzel felt something hanging in her face. When she blinked open her eyes, she realized with a start it was a piece of her hair. Her glowing golden-yellow hair. She tugged at the strand in shock before a black rock burst from the ground near her. The princess jumped back toward Cass, who was still getting up, Varian sliding over on the other side.
Another one soon appeared, stabbing out of the ground around the now broken monument, causing the group to gape in shock. Then another burst out before, to their horror, a mass of dark rocks started to sprout quickly, charging straight at them and prompting the trio to run. Bypassing the stairs, the group climbed back up the cliff and took off, the rocks following in hot pursuit.
"Wait, what is–" Rapunzel tried to ask as they fled.
"Get to the horses as fast as you can," Cass ordered. "And don't look back, you two!"
The rocks continued bursting out of the ground in front of them and the cliff beside them. Rapunzel grabbed Varian's hand as they ran, ducking under and around a few of them. Cass glanced behind her, seeing more of them coming. When they passed an archway held up by a tree, she stopped and urged them on.
"Don't stop, you two! Keep going!" She shouted as the teens ran ahead.
Cassandra started kicking at the tree as hard as she could, the vibrations causing the overhanging rocks to collapse. Cass ran after the others as the path to the monument was blocked, slowing the rocks down for a moment.
Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Varian raced through the dark woods, which were starting to become illuminated as Rapunzel's glowing hair began to flash brighter. Varian was forced to shield his eyes with his free hand before finally closing them as Rapunzel led the way.
When they reached the hilltop, the friends jumped to avoid running down it. Rapunzel's hair gave one last bright flash, and when they landed, the princess felt dread in her stomach when they heard something heavy land behind them with a thud. Turning around, Varian's mouth dropped open at what he saw.
"Um, Cassandra!" Rapunzel called.
"Keep moving, you two!" Cassandra ran out of the woods. "We need to get–whoa, what?!"
The handmaiden stopped abruptly, staring in shock at Rapunzel's seventy feet of restored golden hair. The princess examined the strands of her hair, grimacing with a helpless shrug as Varian stared in shock.
"What happened?!" Cass cried once she snapped out of her shock.
"I have no idea!" Rapunzel responded, equally distressed.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! You're the princess?!" Varian spoke up, reminding the girls he was still here.
"Uh, yes, I'm sorry I lied, but we'll have to explain things later!" The princess said when they heard a familiar sound echoing towards them. "Let's go!"
She grabbed their hands and pulled them towards the bridge, the black rocks appearing behind them out of the woods. They started running across the bridge as fast as possible to reach the two horses on the other side.
Maximus could tell something was wrong when he saw them coming. He stepped forward, trying to see what was happening, but a piece of the bridge cracked and broke away under his weight. He stepped back quickly as a sizable gap formed.
As if setting off a chain reaction, another piece broke off, causing the bridge to lurch to the side. The sudden motion sent the two women and Varian tumbling to the ground. Cassandra swiped a piece of golden hair from her face before they all scrambled to their feet.
They kept running until Rapunzel was suddenly yanked back with a startled yelp.
"Cassandra! Varian!" She cried, causing them to turn around to see her pulling on her locks. "My hair!"
Her hair had gotten caught in a crack in the bridge. To make matters worse, the rocks caught up with them, knocking over trees as they approached the bridge.
Cass and Varian ran back to Rapunzel, pulling as hard as they could to free her hair, but they could do nothing as the rocks smashed into the bridge. The force caused the bridge to break from the earth, sending it flying into the air. The trio stared, frozen in shock, thinking it would fall on them before the slab fell back down, knocking them off their feet again.
The three looked at each other before getting up and staring at the bridge. The overpass was now broken into four parts, slowly crumbling further beneath them. Rapunzel gritted her teeth as she was pulled forward again, her hair still caught on the stones on the other side. Cass ran forward, planning to cut her hair free as she drew her weapon. However, when she saw her broken sword, she threw it away. She then jumped over the pass with Varian following behind her as they ran toward the piece of hair that was caught. They were forced to stop when the section holding Rapunzel's hair lowered more.
Rapunzel struggled to keep her footing as she slid on the stones. Seeing her in trouble, Cass and Varian ran back to help her. The princess was almost yanked off the platform when the alchemist and lady-in-waiting grabbed her cloak, struggling against the bridge.
"Whoa!" She shouted as they all started to slide forward again.
Suddenly, Maximus came to the rescue with a loud whinny. Jumping over the gap, the horse ran to the end of Rapunzel's hair, trying not to focus on the bridge falling apart beneath him. It was a race between him and the black rocks to see who could get there first. Just as the rocks appeared along the cliff face, Max stomped on the stone holding Rapunzel's hair, knocking her hair loose. The trio snapped backward, being thrown to the ground as the princess was freed.
However, now they had another problem. The trio was stuck on the bridge section they were standing on because either side had fallen away. They got to their feet and stood back to back in a dangerous balancing act to keep from falling. Meanwhile, Max was cornered on the other side as the rocks continued to burst out of the earth. Not seeing any other choice, the guard horse jumped off the crumbling section, running as fast as possible to return to the trio.
The girls and Varian cringed as their piece of bridge swayed, falling to their knees as they looked at the unforgiving abyss below. Just as they started to fall over, Max jumped across the gap, prompting them to leap to safety. Rapunzel and Varian managed to land on his saddle, but Cass fell short, grabbing Rapunzel's hair in a desperate bid to save herself. Max made it with the teens while the handmaiden screamed as she grabbed the ledge.
Before she could pull herself up, Cass started to lose her grip.
"Cassandra!" Rapunzel yelped as Varian and Max gasped in fear.
Just as Cass started to fall, her scream was cut off when Fidella caught her by the back of her tunic. As the horse pulled the handmaiden back onto solid ground, the bridge gave out entirely with an enormous thud. Dust and debris bellowed around them from the chasm. When the smoke cleared, the group stood in silence for a moment. Varian, Rapunzel, and Max were panting from the chase while Cass and Fidella stared into the empty canyon before them.
The handmaiden dusted herself off before looking at the teens. "You two okay?"
"I think I've had enough adventure for tonight," Varian responded.
Rapunzel huffed out a giggle before frowning, knowing the conversation that was coming next. "So, yeah… I'm the princess… and Cass is my lady-in-waiting…"
He straightened up with a stretch before focusing on her. "I'm assuming there's a reason you didn't tell me?"
"Well, the main one was Cass could get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out she snuck me out of the castle. But the other reason is…" She started to say before sighing. "When I first left the tower, I traveled through the woods, met new people, and all they saw was a girl with a dream to see the 'floating lights.' When I got to the city on my birthday, I met more people and just got to be… me. No one knew me as the princess. I was just a face in the crowd. I could relax, be happy, and not worry about guards, rules, or expectations."
She looked down as she continued. "When we met you, I thought, maybe I could have that again for a while. And it was great spending time with you, talking without being worried if I was going to say or do something "rude…""
She sighed again, feeling drained and tired after a long night and the days before. "Back home, all I am to everyone is the lost princess. And because I was lost for so long, they feel like they have to protect me from everyone and everything. Then there's Eugene, my boyfriend, who has seen so much of the world, and I thought he would show me those things, but he just wanted to lock me away inside the kingdom like everyone else."
Feeling like she had said all she needed to, she turned back to him. "Varian, I'm so sorry I lied to you. You deserve a better friend than that, especially after we put you in danger. I understand if you… if you don't want anything to do with me after this."
She bowed her head once she said her piece, leaving it up to Varian for what happened next. However, instead of getting angry, the alchemist smiled softly and gently took one of her hands.
"Rapunzel, it's okay. I get it, really. If you'd told me who you were from the start, I probably would've acted all subject-y and maybe tried to convince you to go back to the castle because that's what my father would've wanted me to do. But since you hid who you were, I got to meet the real Rapunzel, not the princess. And I'm happy I got to meet her." He gently squeezed her hand. "Of course, I still want to be friends, Rapunzel. None of us expected the danger tonight, so aside from that, I had fun with you guys, and no titles or whatever can change that."
"Thank you." Rapunzel smiled at him, grateful he was so understanding.
"And I promise not to tell anyone I saw you out here," Varian promised, glancing at Cass.
"Thanks, kid." She smiled slightly, thankful for his support.
Rapunzel kept smiling at them for a minute before sighing as she touched her long hair. "Now, what are we going to do about the seventy feet of 'my father's going to kill me' growing from my head…?"
"Well, let's try cutting it. That's how it worked before, right?" Varian reached into his satchel and pulled out a knife as Rapunzel turned around. Taking some of her hair into his hand, he tried to cut it, only to stumble back in surprise and find his knife bent out of shape.
"Uh oh." He said, Cass looking at the knife in shock.
"'Uh-oh?' What uh-oh?" Rapunzel turned around. Varian simply showed her the ruined knife. "Oh, uh, sorry."
"It's fine, I can get another. I'm more concerned about the fact your hair wasn't cut."
"Was it this strong before?" Cassandra asked.
"No, it was easy to cut before." The princess responded.
Varian looked at her hair thoughtfully. "I wonder what else has changed?"
"We'll have to figure it out later," Cass said. "The moon's starting to go down, and I need to get Rapunzel back to the castle before dawn."
"You're right. And I need to get home before my dad realizes I'm gone."
"Varian!" A man's voice called from the side, making the teen cringe.
"Okay, now we're in trouble."
They all turned and saw a large man running to them, pulling Varian into a tight, enveloping hug when he reached them. "Varian, what are you doing out here?!"
"Well…" Varian started sheepishly before his dad noticed the two women with him.
"Princess Rapunzel?" He questioned in surprise, especially since she had her magic hair again.
"Uhm… hi." She waved shyly.
"Sir Quirin." Cassandra nodded in greeting like they hadn't just been caught beyond the kingdom walls.
Quirin looked at the two women, then the rocks on the other side of the gap, before turning to his son as he stepped back to look him in the eye. "Varian, what is going on?"
Varian glanced back at the girls before sighing. "We don't know exactly what happened, but I found the princess in the woods earlier. I didn't know who she was at the time, but she was upset, and I wanted to cheer her up. We explored for a while, and then I remembered following you here once, and I thought she'd like to see the Sundrop Monument."
"When I got close to the strange rocks there, they started to glow. I touched one of them, and then some kind of… explosion knocked us out. When we woke up, my hair started turning golden-yellow again, and the rocks started growing. We ran, and they chased us, and… well, by the time we got back here, my hair had returned." Rapunzel finished explaining and approached Varian's father. "Please, don't be mad at Varian. The blame lies solely with me. I ran away from the castle, I lied about who I was, and I just… I needed some space."
Quirin stared at her briefly before sighing as he rubbed Varian's head. "The king will need to be informed about this. Let me get my horse, and we'll all go to the castle."
"Yes, sir." Cassandra nodded.
Quirin led Varian back the way he came from while the girls got back on the horses and followed them.
"Thanks for not mentioning me," Cass whispered to her friend.
"No problem," Rapunzel whispered back.
As they walked back to Corona, Rapunzel looked over her shoulder at the rocks, wondering what they were and where they came from before focusing back on the road. None noticed a smaller black appear out of the ground behind them.
And here's the first chapter. I hope people like it. I honestly struggled to figure out where to introduce Varian in a good spot.
This one was on my third list, and the next one to be updated from there is "Hunter Noceda." So, I'll see you all soon, assuming I don't have to leave my computer at the shop again.