Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled. I only own this story idea.
"How did these get here?" Varian murmured as he looked at the black rocks that had appeared near town. Most of Old Corona had cleared out to go to the Goodwill Festival so Varian could practice in semi-privacy without the fear of being seen. Imagine his surprise when he found a cluster of rocks on the hills where he had been exploring with Rapunzel and Cass not too long ago.
Varian wasn't sure how they got here, but he knew he needed to get rid of them before anyone else saw them. Taking off a glove, he reached out a hand to touch the rocks, closing his eyes as he did. His streak started to glow before it spread out to the rest of his hair, his brow furrowing.
In his mind's eye, he began to see visions. He saw the moon, the ocean, and a dark castle in a desolate wasteland. He saw a glowing, blue stone encased in a cage in a dark place. He saw a red-haired woman humming as she rocked a baby with a teal stripe in his hair to sleep.
"Face your destiny."
Varian gasped, opening his eyes as he stumbled back.
"What… what was that?" He whispered.
Shaking his head, Varian turned back to the black rocks before he focused, trying to make them lower. To his surprise, they didn't lower back into the ground.
"I can't… control these." He blinked in shock as his hair and eyes stopped glowing.
Stepping back, Varian ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He'll work on it later. He was just wasting energy trying to mess with these. Besides, he wanted to get in some parkour training before people started returning from the festival.
Changing into his Phantom outfit, minus the cloak, he walked on into the woods. However, he didn't get far when he heard his father calling his name.
"Varian!" Quirin called, looking around for his son. "Varian, are you out here?!"
Hiding behind a tree, Varian quickly changed back before bringing his satchel out of a rock. He stepped out from behind the tree like nothing was wrong.
"Over here, Dad!" He called, getting the older man's attention. "I was just, uh, collecting alchemy ingredients, you know. Enjoying the lack of people around."
"I see," Quirin raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat. "Actually, Varian, I was wondering if you would like to go to the Goodwill Festival this year?"
Varian blinked in surprise. "Uh, well, I wasn't planning to…."
He hoped to use the day to train and visit the wolf pack on the west side of the forest. Besides, his dad never suggested things like this out of the blue. Something felt… off.
"I know, but I was thinking that this was going to be Rapunzel's first Goodwill Festival," Quirin explained, placing a hand on Varian's shoulder. "And, as her friend, she would appreciate your attendance."
Varian had to admit his father had a point. It would be a good idea to go, especially if something goes wrong, like at the coronation. The teen alchemist thought about it for a minute before nodding. "Well, when you put it that way, I can put my work on hold for today. Just let me drop my stuff off in my lab first."
"Excellent," Quirin smiled, pleased that his son agreed as they walked back to the manor. "I already made a quick lunch before coming to get you. I'll get the cart set up while you eat."
"Are you gonna come, too?"
"I still have some things to attend to in town, but give my regards to the princess and your friends."
"Sure, Dad." Varian smiled at him. He still had suspicions about his dad's motives, but at least he would see Rapunzel and the others again.
(The Goodwill Festival)
When Varian reached the capital, the festival was well underway. The Gopher Grab would start in a few hours. After finding a place to park the cart, Varian decided to look for the others. Following his connection to Rapunzel (he didn't even need to take off his gloves for that anymore), he made his way to the tents near the Gopher Grab arena.
He arrived just in time to see Rapunzel walking toward one of the tents, looking exhausted and upset. Figuring something was up, Varian followed her just in time to see her face plant into a chaise pillow with a groan. Eugene sat by the tent flap, eating berries while Cass brushed Gregorio the Goodwill Gopher.
"He hates me…." The princess muttered into the pillow.
"Okay, come on, Raps, give it up," Cass glanced at her before focusing back on brushing the gopher. "Clearly, this jerk's got serious problems."
"What jerk?" Varian asked, startling everyone.
"Holy quiet shoes, kid!" Eugene gasped, barely saving his snack. "Make some noise when you move!"
"Oh, Varian!" Rapunzel chuckled, catching her breath with a slight chuckle as she sat up. "You startled us!"
"Sorry," Varian apologized, blushing a little before clearing his throat. "Anyway, what's going on?"
"Blondie's dealing with someone not liking her for the first time," Eugene explained.
Varian looked at him before glancing at Rapunzel, who was looking at her lap sadly. "I take it it's not going well."
"Nope," Cass responded.
"I just don't understand why," Rapunzel lamented. "If I could just get Monty to see that I–"
"Wait, wait, wait," Varian interrupted her in surprise, waving his hands. "Monty? As in Monty's Sweet Shoppe, Monty?"
Cass turned around in shock. "Monty's the guy who hates you?!"
"Ugh, let me guess?" Rapunzel groaned. "You two love him."
Eugene waved his hands, warning them not to say it. The last thing Rapunzel needed was someone else loving him.
"No, me?" Cas gestured to herself, chuckling nervously. "Love him? No, I hate that guy."
Varian stared at them for a minute before rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry, my rational brain is trying to figure out how the two most loved people in Corona don't get along."
"I don't know!" Rapunzel agreed. "I don't even know why he hates me in the first place!"
"Okay, let's backtrack a minute," Varian said, needing all the facts. "How did you even find out that Monty didn't like you?"
"Well, at my Dad's speech this morning, someone booed at me while everyone cheered for the new goodwill seal I designed. I didn't even know what being booed meant! Anyway, I was sitting at the cafe to clear my head when the same person passed me in a carriage and booed at me again."
"Whoa, hold on!" Varian interrupted again. "Monty booed you? Publicly?"
"Twice."
"That… doesn't make any sense." The alchemist shook his head, still confused.
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked, not understanding what Varian was seeing.
"I've known Monty my whole life. He's a staunch supporter of the royal family. This just sounds so out of character for him."
"Look, Raps," Cass kneeled next to the chaise, putting a hand on the princess's back. "You'll just have to accept that Uncle Mont–Monty doesn't like you, and there's nothing you can do to change that."
"You're right… there is nothing I can do," Rapunzel smirked as she got a new idea.
"Why do I feel worried?" Varian murmured to Eugene and Cass. They both shrugged before Varian decided to take his leave. "Okay, I'm going to look around the festival some more. I'll see you guys at the Gopher Grab."
"See ya, kid." Eugene waved, still munching on berries.
Leaving the tent, Varian knew precisely where he needed to go next. He didn't know what the feud was about, but someone needed to get to the bottom of it before things got out of hand.
Soon, Varian was in front of the Sweet Shoppe. He smiled fondly at the place, glancing at the displays Monty kept in the window. He opened the door, looking at all the candy and decorations.
Monty was adjusting one of the sun decorations when he turned to Varian. "Varian, my boy! It's good to see you! I'll be right with you, so help yourself to anything you want!"
"Thanks, Uncle Monty," Varian smiled, going to the lollipop section. He was thinking his usual and maybe some chocolate. "Do you still have any chocolate gophers?"
"You bet! I'll go get more from back!"
The shop bell rang as a young woman in an orange dress with brown hair tied in a bun and glasses opened the door. Despite being in disguise, Varian could sense the Sundrop's magic.
"Oh, boy," He murmured, trying not to meet her eyes.
"Can I help you, young lady?" Monty asked her.
"Good afternoon, sir," She adjusted her glasses. As she stepped inside, she tripped on a chocolate sculpture of Monty's head. "Whoa!"
Acting quickly, Varian caught her. "Got ya!"
"Oh, thank you, young man." Rapunzel thanked him, staying in character as he helped her up.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Monty apologized when he joined them. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, don't worry about a thing! I'm fine!" Rapunzel assured him, dusting herself off.
"What is this anyway?" Varian asked as the three stared at the sculpture.
"I got that thing as a gift, and I'm trying to find some use for it," Monty explained. "Gotta tell ya, it's not even useful as a doorstop."
"Yeah, dumb and totally useless thing…." Rapunzel agreed, rolling her eyes. Monty looked up at her before she scoffed lightly, Varian biting his lip as he glanced away.
"I sure hope the foolish, though clearly well-intentioned person who made it regrets it," She continued as she lightly kicked it away. "Even though it probably took her, or him, who knows, hours to *ahem* get it just right."
Varian had to restrain himself from running his hand down his face. Clearly, she got a little desperate at one point.
"Yes… right, well," Monty said, finding the woman odd but letting the matter drop. "What can I get for you, Miss… um…."
"Um… Miss Missy–Misty! Miss Misty!" Rapunzel said after struggling to find a fake name before placing her order. "And I will have some jelly beans… every kind but green because I–I hate green."
"Ha ha!" Monty placed an arm around her. "A girl after my own heart. I'll tell you what: I've got a personal stash where I've already picked out all the green ones. Let me get them~."
Rapunzel smiled as she watched him leave. Once he was gone, Varian glanced at her with a deadpan expression. "Princess, what are you doing?"
"If he warms up to me, I'll find out why he doesn't like me!" Rapunzel whispered to him.
While Varian knew he could argue on the matter, he decided against it. Besides, he wanted to know what this was about, too.
(A few minutes later)
Once Monty returned with the jelly beans and Varian got his own treats, the trio hung out in the sweet shop while snacking. Rapunzel snacked on jelly beans while Varian worked on his lollipop. At some point, Monty started telling stories about his family and the Gopher Grab.
"And I'm tellin' ya, my great grand-dad would've won the Gopher Grab that year… but he was running the wrong way!" Monty laughed, and so did the others.
"That grab means a lot to you, huh?" Rapunzel said, taking another jelly bean.
"You know, Misty, Varian, I've never told this to anyone, but I feel like I can trust you," Monty said, tapping his fingers together before picking up a chocolate gopher. "I come from a long line of Gopher Grab champions. Oh, they used to say that our family had the gift for grab, and it was my dream to carry on our family tradition…."
Monty's smile fell as he turned to the medals on the wall. "But no matter how hard I tried, that little rascal always managed to slip through my fingers. And while I've never admitted this out loud before, sometimes… deep down… I can't help but feel ashamed."
He placed the chocolate gopher back on the counter as Rapunzel put her hand on his, causing him to smile at her. She smiled back while Varian smiled at them from his spot on the counter.
"Ah, that's enough of the weepies," Monty said after a minute before getting an idea. "Hey, I know. I've got just the thing to cheer us up."
Rapunzel smiled, wondering what it could be.
(A short time later)
As it turns out, Monty's idea involved throwing tomatoes at a statue of Rapunzel.
"Yes! Right in the royal kisser!" Monty laughed as Varian and Rapunzel just looked at him.
The candy maker threw another tomato, and Rapunzel laughed a little uncomfortable. "Wow. You really don't like the princess."
"Well, I wouldn't say I don't like her, but I would say I can't stand her!" Monty said before throwing another tomato.
"Why?" Rapunzel asked in slight agony before catching herself. "I mean, why?"
"Monty…" Varian spoke up. Monty turned to Varian, seeing a look in his eyes he had never seen in the teen before. It made him look more like his father, sincere, honest, serious, and assertive. "I don't know the whole story, but have you considered that maybe you're being a little hard on the princess?"
"What do you mean, Varian?"
Rapunzel watched silently as Varian talked to Monty.
"Monty, Rapunzel spent the last eighteen years of her life locked in a tower, almost completely isolated. She's still trying to figure out how to function in the real world, much less how to be a princess. What seems obvious to us may not be obvious to her."
Monty looked at the bucket of tomatoes, thinking over Varian's words.
"I spent time with her during her coronation weekend, and I can tell you she's not as okay as she looks. She's barely handling the pressure of being royalty, and I'm sure there are moments when she would've rather gone back to the tower than deal with this life."
Rapunzel bit her lip at Varian's words, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. He was right. She did feel like that sometimes.
"Now, I don't know what Rapunzel did or what you feel she did that upset you, but it's not fair to be mad at her for something she doesn't know. She's never dealt with someone not liking her before, so she doesn't know how to handle… this." Varian gestured to the tomato-splattered statue.
"I never thought about it that way before…." Monty said, realizing Varian had a point.
"What she needs are people to be patient with her. She hasn't figured out yet that her actions affect people, either directly or indirectly, or that sometimes people may not like some of the things she does or says, and we're going to have to be okay with that. If not, accept it."
Monty was quiet for a few minutes, glancing at the statue before nodding.
"You know what, you're right, Varian. I was being too hard on her," He conceded before sighing. "I should probably apologize when I see her again."
Rapunzel smiled slightly at Varian, silently thanking him for standing up for her. Suddenly, a bell went off, catching their attention.
"It's Gopher Grab time!" Monty cheered. "Come on, Misty, Varian, let's go!"
He ran off with Rapunzel and Varian behind him.
"You know, we could watch the Gopher Grab, but it's also not too late to sign up," Rapunzel suggested as they stopped.
"Wait, you mean… you want me to compete?"
"Ah, trust me, Monty," She waved it off. "Sometimes you just gotta say, the heck with it!"
"Maybe… but I couldn't. No, I mean, I–I don't even have a partner."
"Well, guess what?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You do now!"
He smiled happily as Varian looked on with a small smile before the candymaker turned to him. "What about you, Varian?"
"No thanks," Varian shook his head. "This is just for you. I don't want to get in your way. But I'll be there to cheer you on."
Rapunzel and Monty smiled in appreciation before making their way to the arena.
(Gopher Grab Arena)
Everyone was gathered for the Gopher Grab. Each team had their legs tied together like in a three-legged race. The object was to work together to catch the gopher. Rapunzel and Monty gathered with the other competitors while Varian sat in the stand, waiting for the show to start.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer spoke. "It's nearly time for this year's Gopher Grab!"
Suddenly, to everyone's confusion, Eugene got on top of a crate in front of the crowd. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen!"
"What is he doing?" Varian whispered, starting to get a bad feeling.
"I know we're all anxious to see Gregorio the Gopher do his thing. I know I am," He chuckled before continuing. "But before we get started, I'd like to say a few words about the true meaning… of goodwill."
The crowd started murmuring, causing him to glance around and spot Varian eyeing him weirdly. After that, Eugene began to rambling out about "goodwill." Although, it sounded like Eugene had no clue what he was talking about. And the more he went, the more Varian's bad feeling worsened.
"I mean, you gotta ask yourself, am I spreading goodwill? Or am I spreading good-won't?" The arena doors opened, and Eugene saw Cass enter with the gopher. At that moment, Varian's ominous feeling had skyrocketed.
"So, in conclusion, spread goodwill! Thank you for your time, bye!" Eugene said quickly before walking away.
Rapunzel and Monty smiled widely while the teen alchemist watched warily from his front-row seat. Cass walked to the center of the arena, holding up the cage as the crowd and competitors cheered. She then set it down, and a song started playing from the case.
Monty and Rapunzel grinned eagerly as stairs extended from the carrier, and Cass walked over to stand next to Eugene. The cage door opened, and a castle servant blew a whistle, the handmaiden cringing at the noise. However, nothing happened to everyone's confusion.
Cass cringed before running to the cage. She knelt to look inside. "What the–"
The next thing Varian saw was Cass being knocked over by Gregorio as he ran out, her headdress falling off as she yelled in surprise.
"Cass!" Varian called out, jumping out of his seat and running towards her. He got onto the field and knelt beside the handmaiden as she picked herself up. "Are you okay?!"
They looked up as the gopher bared his teeth with a roar, his eyes swirling. It sprinted past the contestants as they tried to circle him. He ran around with a speed that had never been seen before, shocking the crowd.
Gregorio dodged a pair when they tried to dive on him before two more tried the same. He ran over to Rapunzel and Monty, who caught him in their hands. However, the gopher broke free, nearly knocking Rapunzel's wig off. She quickly adjusted, giggling sheepishly when Monty looked at her.
The crowd cheered in excitement, stomping their feet and clapping their hands. Some even hugged the person next to them to symbolize catching the gopher. "Grab that gopher! Grab that gopher!"
Gregorio's speed was so fast that he could run along the arena's wall, still dodging competitors.
Eugene just laughed as he munched on a bowl of berries while Varian and Cass stared in shock and disappointment, respectively. "Oh, boy."
"Whoa!" Varian's eyes widened in alarm as they all ducked in time.
"You guys really undersold this whole Gopher Grab thing," Eugene commented, thoroughly entertained.
"He's not supposed to do that, right?" Varian asked the handmaiden.
"I just don't understand it. Why would Gregorio react to bimberries like this?" Cass murmured as they watched the mayhem unfold.
"You mean dimberries," Eugene corrected, tossing another berry into his mouth.
"Dim what?" Cass looked at him. "No! Bimberries."
"Dimberries. No–"
"I thought you said bimberries–"
"You mean–"
"Wait, you've been talking about–"
"What do you mean?"
The three ducked again, and Varian took over the conversation. "Eugene, did you give him dimberries? Yes or no?"
"Yes."
"These were supposed to be bimberries!" Cass growled at him.
"You know, for someone who is careless enough to leave–" Eugene started a comeback but was cut off when they had to duck again.
"Don't you know dimberries cause hyperactivity in rodents?!" Cass asked him in disbelief.
"Uh, yeah, who doesn't?" Eugene replied with a grin, even though he didn't know.
"Looks are all you've got going for you, aren't they, Flynn?" Varian deadpanned.
"Hey!" Eugene glared at him.
"Is there anything we can do to stop him?" Cass asked Varian.
"He'll wear himself out eventually. Until then, we need to keep him contained."
Gregorio slipped past more contestants as they tried to grab him.
"Good boy, good boy," Rapunzel tried to calm him down before he jumped at them, knocking the pair over. They held on as he dragged them along the ground before losing their grip. "Yup, not so fun…."
Growling, the gopher ran toward the wall and started digging underneath it. He surprised Stan and Pete when he popped up on the other side before sprinting off. The guards looked at each other in confusion before Monty threw open the doors, knocking them over. "Come on, Misty! Let's show these youngsters how a gopher's really caught!"
Rapunzel ran off with Monty, catching Varian's attention. Glancing at Eugene, he motioned for him to keep Cass here while he went after them. Eugene popped another berry into his mouth, giving a subtle nod that he understood.
Varian slipped out of the stadium, running into the woods after the team. Though he had lost sight of them, he was now alone to don his Phantom disguise. The sun was starting to go down. He had to find them before night fell.
Varian focused on his connection to Rapunzel, picking up the trail. Following the link, he ran toward the river. Reaching the riverbank, Varian's eyes widened when he saw Rapunzel dive off a decaying bridge by a waterfall. Not seeing Monty anywhere, he quickly figured out why the Princess did that.
Varian raced toward the bridge to help, but by the time he got there, he saw Rapunzel's hair latch around the bridge. She swung back up with Monty, landing on the grass together, safe and sound. Varian sighed in relief before moving to watch them from the shadows.
Monty peeked out through the blond hair. "Princess Rapunzel?"
Rapunzel chuckled nervously. "Surprise…!"
They got off the ground, the older man moving to sit on a rock with a deep frown. "Your Majesty, you went through all of this just to win my favor?"
"I know, I know, it's a little crazy," Rapunzel agreed as she finished retying her braid before taking off her disguise. "But… I just had to know why you booed me."
The older man sighed. "You really wanna know why I booed?"
Rapunzel knelt in front of him. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh."
"The seal." He said simply.
"Wait… The Goodwill Seal?" She asked in confusion.
Varian frowned. That's what this was about?
"Look, Princess," Monty went on. "When you get to be my age, you stop welcoming change. Especially if you don't see a reason for it."
"So… You're saying you don't like the new seal." Rapunzel pieced together.
"No, I do not." He conceded patiently.
"I–I'm sorry?" Rapunzel stammered.
"No, Princess, you don't need to apologize," Monty assured her, holding up his hand. "Varian was right. I was overreacting on the matter."
"Okay…"
The man got up as he continued. "Believe me, Princess. I'm thrilled you're home at last, but ever since you've returned, everything's changed. I mean, come on, a royal in bare feet? Pub thugs in the castle? The list goes on! When I was your age, most of that list was unheard of! Or considered inappropriate! I understand you're free-spirited, but I've never liked the idea of change for the sake of change."
Varian decided this was his cue to add his two cents, stepping out of the tree line. "Not all change is bad."
"Phantom!" Rapunzel looked at him. "I didn't see you there!"
"Stealth is a must for me, Princess." He nodded a greeting before turning to the candy maker, who was stunned to see the face of one of Corona's wanted posters standing barely four feet away. "I don't see change as a bad thing, sir. After all, not too long ago, we had a daily execution. I doubt anyone protested that change. Yes, there are pub thugs in the castle. Are they causing trouble?"
"No." Monty shook his head.
"Then, what's the big deal? They saved our princess, so I say they've earned the privilege of being welcome in the castle. As for her wanting to be barefoot, that's just how she grew up. It's what she knows and what she feels comfortable with. And at the end of the day, it's her choice, and we're just going to have to be okay with it. And if not, accept it."
Monty's eyes widened for a minute. That sentence sounded familiar…
"My point is, yes, things have changed, but they've changed for the better. I know the pub thugs don't fit what Corona has always considered "normal," but they can be just as much a part of society as anyone else. All they needed was for someone to give them a chance. The seal being redesigned is just one more change that people have to adjust to. If you gave it a chance, maybe you'd see it's not as bad as you thought."
The older man was quiet for a minute before nodding with a smile. "Well put, young man."
Varian smiled under his mask before gesturing to the princess. "Now, I believe the princess is owed an apology."
The man nodded before looking at Rapunzel. "I'm sorry, Rapunzel. I didn't see it like that before. But he's right. Things change. I just preferred the old design and took it out on you in the name of 'tradition.'"
"It's alright, Monty," Rapunzel said gently. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't plan to replace the old design. I was so excited about the Gopher Grab that I was inspired to paint my own seal. When my father saw it, he thought we could use my design to mark the occasion since this would be the 500th anniversary and my first Goodwill Festival home."
"It's okay, Rapunzel, I understand. Besides, I've started to realize that that free spirit, the heck with it attitude, isn't so bad after all."
"Really?" Rapunzel asked, a smile starting to form on her lips.
"Well, you did inspire me to achieve my life's dream…." He opened his apron pocket, revealing Gregorio back to normal as Varian predicted.
Phantom chuckled, surprised yet not at the same time. "'The gift of grab.'"
Rapunzel giggled as well before speaking to Monty again. "So, does this mean… we're friends?"
"Well…" Monty thought it over. "I don't know about friends. I'm a little upset about this charade you put on. But I can promise to be civil with you. And more patient."
"I can work with that." She smiled before offering her hand. Monty shakes it to seal their agreement before Rapunzel turns to the Moonlight Phantom. "Thank you, Phantom–"
She cut herself off when she saw that he was gone. "How does he do that?"
"I have no idea," Monty said, equally bewildered. "Well, we better start heading back, Your Highness. It'll be getting dark soon."
"Right."
The Gopher Grab partners then head back, Varian watching them leave with a smile in his eyes before making his way back.
(A Short Time Later)
Once Varian dropped his Phantom disguise, he slipped into the crowd and acted like he was always there. At one point, Rapunzel found him and offered to have him stand on stage with her and the others. Everyone gathered around the stage for the winner to be announced, Varian standing next to the princess with her boyfriend on the other side.
"Alright, alright, as you know, the Gopher Grab is a sacred tradition…" Frederic started to announce.
"So, Blondie," Eugene looked to her as the king continued talking. "Feeling okay about how you left things with Monty?"
"Yeah," Rapunzel answered, sharing a grateful smile with Varian. "I am."
"Just remember, Princess, not everyone's gonna like you for any number of reasons," Varian reminded her. "Sometimes, you're just gonna have to agree to disagree."
"As long we can come to the same agreement as me and Monty, I think I can live with that."
"And the winner of this year's Gopher Grab," The king read from a scroll. "Is good old Uncle Monty."
The crowd cheered for him as he smiled, shaking hands with the butcher before walking on stage to receive his medal. Rapunzel smiled as she clapped for the man, who smiled back when their eyes met. Varian did the same, giving the man a thumbs-up.
(After the Festival)
Monty framed his medal, smiling as he hung his prize on the wall next to the rest of his family's medals. His reflection showed back in the glass as he looked at the flower framed in the bottom corner. A moment later, Varian entered his shop. "Ah, Varian. You're still in town?"
"I just came to get a snack for the road." Varian smiled.
"Sure thing." Monty nodded.
Varian noticed the medal and the flower, smiling a little. "So, what do you think of the princess now?"
"Well, she's definitely not as bad as I thought," Monty conceded. "You were right… Mr. Phantom."
Varian stumbled over his feet when Monty said that. He looked at the candy maker in shock, who winked at him with a smile. The young alchemist laughed slightly in shock. "How did you–?"
"Just some things the Phantom said, like your 'gift of grab' comment. Only two people knew about that, and one of them was right in front of me."
Varian chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess you got me…."
"Well, I am smarter than the average candy maker," Monty joked before turning serious. "But Varian, I gotta ask, how did this happen?"
Knowing he was asking about his powers, Varian sighed. He had known Monty ever since he was a boy. He couldn't keep secrets from him. "It's a long story… but just know that I'm not doing this to spite the king or anything like that. I'm doing this to help people. Things in Corona aren't as perfect as the king would like everyone to believe, and people are getting hurt because of that. I'm standing up for them since no one else will."
Monty looked at him momentarily before nodding, giving the teen an understanding smile. "I understand. Tell you what, how about you stay at my place tonight, and then you can head home in the morning? While I'm sure you can handle yourself, I know your dad would prefer you to not travel after dark."
"Yeah, you're right," Varian agreed. "How about I help you close up as a thank you?"
"You've got a deal, my boy." Monty nodded before they started moving around the shop. "And in the morning, you could sample my newest lollipop flavor."
"You bet!"
(At the castle)
Rapunzel walked down the hall, humming as she headed for her room. Despite some things that happened, she felt good about the day. Rapunzel was happy to see Varian again, and he and Phantom helped her repair the rift between her and Monty. Plus, it was nice to have someone not sing his praises when he was brought up and then awkwardly backstep when she said he didn't like her.
"Hey, Sunshine," Eugene said, joining her. "You have fun at the festival today?"
"Uh-huh!" She opened her bedroom door and walked in, casually moving the painting of Monty out of the way to start on a new one.
Eugene walked over as she began to paint something new, starting a portrait of Varian. "Painting the kid, huh?"
"Mmhm. He was a big help today. He helped Monty and me patch things up." She said happily and continued painting.
Eugene moved to sit on her bed as he watched her work. "He's a good kid, isn't he?"
"He's a sweetheart," Rapunzel agreed before frowning slightly. "I don't get why people say those things about him."
"What things?" Eugene asked.
"Just things like he's dangerous and unstable." Rapunzel turned to him, setting down her paint stuff. "He's a good kid who's smart and passionate about science. It's nothing to worry about. Besides, he was the one person not to try to convince me to just put up with Monty being mean to me."
Eugene winced a little, rubbing the back of his neck as he remembered what he said earlier. "I'm sorry, Blondie."
"It's okay, Eugene," She smiled. "I get you were just trying to teach me something."
Eugene smiled back as she returned to her art. "Sounds like he's looking out for you."
"Not just him. The Moonlight Phantom appeared and stood up for me, too."
"Really? When did he show up?"
"While Monty and I were looking for Gregorio. He even defended the ducklings."
"The 'ducklings?'"
"The guys from the Snuggly Duckling."
"Hah, yeah. You do like ducklings." Eugene said fondly.
Rapunzel giggled, looking at her painting fondly. "They're a lot alike, aren't they…"
She didn't notice Eugene tense when she said that. "Wha–What do you mean, Blondie?"
"Varian and the Moonlight Phantom. They're similar. They're both kind people who help others, but everyone's afraid of them," Rapunzel said, her gaze becoming sad. "I just wish people would give them a chance and get to know them. Maybe they'd see they're not as bad as they think."
Eugene smiled sadly, knowing how she felt. Sometimes, all it took was one person to say they believed in you for someone to turn their life around. He and the pub thugs were proof of that.
Eugene got up and kissed her head gently. "I know, Sunshine. Life's not always fair, even when it's supposed to be. But, hey, at least the kid's got a supporter in you. Phantom, too. I'd say things are already lookin' up for them."
"Thanks, Eugene." She smiled up at him. "Hey, do you know what Monty's favorite color is?"
"I think it's blue. Why?"
"I was going to make Monty an apology present later for stalking him all day."
"I'll leave you to that then, Sunshine. G' night."
"Good night, Eugene."
He smiled fondly and left her to her painting, heading out of the room as Rapunzel carefully used her brush to paint the young alchemist she had befriended.
(With Eugene)
As Eugene walked the castle halls, he realized that Varian might be just as much a miracle worker as Rapunzel. Maybe even more so. He managed to get Uncle Monty to apologize and ease off of Rapunzel just like that. Perhaps they won't be friends, but at least he's not going to boo her in public anymore. For Eugene's part in it, he's just glad Rapunzel wasn't mad at him for not standing up for her. He was only trying to show her one of the more complicated sides of the real world.
Twice now, Varian's come to the rescue just when Rapunzel needed it most. While Eugene was happy Rapunzel had someone in her corner like that, he couldn't help but feel worried.
After leaving Varian's place when they last saw him, Rapunzel had a private talk with Eugene about what had happened to her hair. He knew about her sneaking out with Cass and Varian. While he didn't really care for Cass, he was starting to care about the kid and didn't want him to get in trouble. If the king was willing to confine Rapunzel to the walls of Corona for getting near these rocks, what would he do to Varian if he learned he could summon them?
Eugene sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked out the window. "Please be okay…."
"What's up? You're not your usual irritating self." He turned to see Cassandra approaching him.
"Nothin'. It's just been a long day. Rapunzel patched things up with Monty, by the way. Varian helped." He grew quiet for a minute before speaking again. "Mind if I ask you something?"
"You just did, but fine," Cass raised an eyebrow.
"The Moonlight Phantom. What's your opinion of him?"
Cassandra's eyes widened, surprised to hear this from Eugene. Sighing, she mulled over her answer before speaking. "Well… I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt since he did help us at the coronation. Still, my dad and the king want him caught, so that's what's going to happen if they get their way."
"Mm…." Eugene hummed, thinking about something. "Why does the king want him caught so badly anyway? It doesn't sound like he's committed any crimes."
"Well, not at the scale of what you've done before, but he has been known to interfere with arrests," Cassandra explained. "The biggest thing against him is that he led a prison breakout a month before you found Rapunzel."
"Really?" Eugene's eyes widened.
"I think the king's worried about possible anarchy and keeping order."
"What about his magic?"
"That's probably a reason, too." She conceded before walking to Rapunzel's room.
"Cass?!" He called after her.
She looked over her shoulder at him. Eugene was about to speak again but then stopped. While he would never admit it out loud, Cass was smart. If he dug too much, she would get suspicious. Even though Eugene once thrived on taking risks, he needed to play it safe this time. The consequences wouldn't just be on him if he didn't.
"Nothing! Never mind!" He backtracked, waving off his unsaid question. "Night, Cass!"
"… Whatever, Eugene." She responded, shaking her head as she walked off.
Eugene sighed in relief once she was gone. He looked back out the window, wondering if the kid was out tonight, keeping watch over the city. If Varian ever needed help, Eugene would be more than willing to give it.
"Okay, kid." He sighed. "You do what you need to. I've got your back."
And with that, we're done with this story for a while. The next update will be "Outcasts of Old Corona."
See you all soon!
Note: Okay, in one of my last updates, I said I would add another chapter to this story. However, after the deep-dive editing I did for this story, I decided to leave the changes as the update and move on.
I will edit a different story and see if I can update "Hunter Noceda" before New Year's. After the calendar turns, I'm gonna reset the list to something else. So, I'll see you all soon.