Varian loved his family, but if there was one thing he had learned about them by now it was that he couldn't trust them. They were all selfish liars in their own ways. It was infuriating, but Varian had come to accept it. He knew that he was a selfish liar too.
Varian hated when his family lied to him, and that they'd lied about him to uncle Hector. He wished deceit wasn't second-nature to them, but he knew that was probably too much to ask for. He didn't know a lot about the Brotherhood and their training, but he knew it was harsher than what he considered to be normal. They were trained to be ruthless warriors who dedicated every part of their lives to serving the Moon, whatever that meant.
As much as he didn't understand his family sometimes, and as much as he hated the lies, they were still his family. He still loved them, and he didn't want anything to happen to any of them. So when Adira went off to do something that was probably illegal, Varian wanted to help her. He knew she'd explicitly told him to stay out of it, and she'd asked the same thing of his dad, but he couldn't just leave her alone. Not when he'd seen the lengths she would go to to protect her family.
She was willing to hurt their family in the name of protecting them. What would she be capable of doing to strangers to save Hector? Varian didn't really know, and he didn't want to think about it. He just wanted to stop his aunt from making a big mistake.
The problem was that Varian didn't know what his aunt's plans were. How could he stop her if he didn't know where she was? He tried to follow her, but Quirin stepped in and stopped him from going after her. Quirin took Varian out of Old Corona to go see to the people of their village who had sought refuge and sanctuary elsewhere.
Varian had been worried about his neighbors and friends, and any other day he would be eager to visit them and see if there was anything he could do to help, but not today. Today he saw this as the distraction it was. He knew that his dad was going right back to covering for Adira, even if he didn't agree with what she was doing, and Varian thought that enough was enough.
Varian tried to argue with his dad about going to the neighboring village, but Quirin's mind was made up. He couldn't control Adira, but he wasn't going to let Varian get dragged down with her.
Varian appreciated that his dad was protective, but he was protective of his family too. He had an idea of what Adira was going to do, and he couldn't just sit here and wait while she potentially threw her life away. She didn't know what the people of Corona did to people that they saw as criminals. Varian didn't want her to end up in a situation where she found out first-hand.
Quirin kept a very close eye on him and Varian knew that if he tried to slip away then he would be caught and stopped, and then his dad would keep an even closer eye on him. So he played the part of an obedient son. He visited the neighbors. He played with kids for a few minutes while his dad talked to their parents, asking if there was anything they needed and something he could do to help.
After a few hours of Varian acting like he'd forgotten about trying to get away and go after his aunt, his dad stopped paying such close attention to him. As far as he was concerned, he didn't think there was a reason to watch him.
Varian kept a close eye on his dad out of the corner of his eyes, and after Quirin didn't even glance his way for nearly an hour he thought it was safe to act. Varian paused just long enough to tell one of the Old Coronan citizens that he was tired and going to go home to get started on dinner, in case Quirin asked. He then hurried back home.
He didn't know if that was where Aunt Adira would go, but she had said that she was going to free Hector, and she couldn't really do that if she was away from him. Varian knew she had to go back to Old Corona sooner or later, and he was going to be there when she did.
Varian ran down the road, desperate to get back to Old Corona before Aunt Adira did anything or his dad realized he was gone and came after him. Maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe he was just making a big deal out of nothing, but he needed to try. If there was anything at all that he could do to save his family he had to do it.
The village wasn't too far from Old Corona, but it seemed to take far too long to get there. Varian was about halfway home when started to hear horses running behind him. It sounded like they were running frantically, and it was far more than just two or three horses. It sounded like a whole brigade.
Varian knew he should step to the side and wait for the horses to pass, but he was too frantic and worried about his family to stop for even a few seconds. He kept running, just scooting to the side of the road so that they would have room to go past him.
As the horses got closer Varian heard someone yell at him to get out of the way. He finally stepped off the road , though he didn't move far. Just enough that he shouldn't be trampled, but he didn't have to slow down too much.
"Kid!" A concerned and nearly angry voice called out just before a white horse ran up right at the edge of the road, inches from where Varian was. The boy knew he was out of the way of the horse, but the close distance was more unnerving than he'd expected. Varian let out a startled cry and stumbled away from the horse, almost tripping over his own feet and falling into a thorn bush. Firm hands grabbed his arms and steadied him.
Varian clutched at the strong hands, reassuring himself that he was fine. Now that he wasn't running he realized how out of breath he felt. He looked up at the person who had saved him, and he felt like his heart stopped when he saw a familiar face.
""F-Flynn Rider?!" Varian stared up at him in awe, a broad smile on his face. As worried as he was, he couldn't help his child-like excitement.
Flynn gave him an awkward smile. "You're probably the only person I've met who has said that name with happiness in their voice." His smile fell, a scolding and concerned look coming to his eyes as he adjusted his grip on Varian so he was holding his shoulders instead of his arms. "What are you doing running in the middle of the road? You're going to get yourself run over."
"I was fine." Varian said defensively. He may have underestimated how close the horse would be, but he wouldn't have gotten hurt. The only reason it had been so close was because Flynn had brought his white horse so close to the edge of the path. That white horse was still standing in the same spot, taking up a protective position. Varian realized that he was blocking any of the other horses that were running past them from coming too close.
"You were going to get hit by a stampeding horse." Flynn Rider said. "But yeah, sure, let's just go with fine." His gaze softened. "What's your hurry?"
Varian's star-struck awe plummeted as he was reminded of the situation. "I need to get to Old Corona. My aunt, I think…I think she's going to do something bad." Maybe he shouldn't confess as much out in the open, especially when he could see that the riders of the horses that had run past were Coronan guards, but if anybody could understand doing something not so good in the name of something great, it would be Flynn Rider. Maybe he could help.
Flynn frowned. "Like what?"
"I don't know." Varian confessed. "She wouldn't tell me, because she doesn't want me to get in trouble too."
Flynn glanced down the road, where the guards were getting further and further away. "Where is your aunt now?"
"I don't know." Varian said. "I-I was going to go home, just in case she came back." Varian frowned as he watched the guards ride away. There were so many of them. Whatever they were dealing with had to be important. Varian wouldn't be surprised if every guard in the kingdom was there.
And they were all heading straight for Old Corona.
Varian felt a chill go down his spine. "What's happening?"
Flynn was quiet for a long moment, debating whether he should tell the truth or not. Finally he sighed and knelt to be closer to Varian's level. The boy was reminded of when his family would talk to him, urging him to understand something that he really didn't get.
"The princess is missing." Flynn said. "She didn't tell anybody where she was going, and that just isn't like her. When we asked around, someone reported seeing a bloody ghost with hair as white as snow fly up to Rapunzel's balcony. And some citizens remembered seeing Rapunzel leave the island with that same ghost."
Varian was still out of breath from running, but now he felt like he couldn't breathe at all. "That's not a ghost, that's my aunt!"
Flynn gave him a look of disbelief. "Your aunt kidnapped the princess?"
Varian scowled. From what Flynn had said Varian doubted that he and the guards actually knew for certain that the princess had been kidnapped at all. It sounded like she'd just gone out for a walk. The princess was known for her impulsiveness and tendency to be flighty. He didn't think this warranted this much urgency from the guards.
But Varian couldn't defend his aunt, because he honestly didn't know. Varian didn't know how the princess could possibly save Uncle Hector, but if Aunt Adira thought she could then she would stop at nothing to make it happen. Even temporarily kidnapping or threatening the princess.
Varian doubted that Adira would actually hurt her, because what reason would she have to do so? But the guards didn't know his aunt like he did, and Varian doubted they would stop long enough to listen.
"I need to stop them!" Varian tried to run again, but Flynn grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Hang on." Flynn said. "Stop who?"
"The guards." Varian said. Flynn looked at him like he was crazy.
"The guards are trying to save the princess, and you want to stop them?" Flynn asked.
"Adira wouldn't hurt her." Varian said. "The guards are overreacting, and they're going to kill her because of a paranoid king!" He knew what he was saying was bordering on treason in and of itself, but he couldn't help himself. He was scared, frustrated, and very tired.
"Okay, okay, calm down." Flynn said reassuringly. "Look, do you think you can talk your aunt down from…whatever she's doing?"
Varian brightened. "Yes." He would make her listen to him. All he needed was the chance.
Flynn took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go." He got onto his horse's back. He held a hand out to Varian to help him up. Varian wasn't used to riding horses. He just held on tight as the horse dashed off, going faster than any horse Varian had ever seen. It didn't take too long for them to not only catch up to but pass the guards.
"Do you have any idea what your aunt might want with Rapunzel?" Flynn asked as they went.
"Adira just wants to save my uncle." Varian said. "He's…trapped. Imprisoned in amber that was mutated from black rocks."
Flynn looked at the black rocks, which were getting more and more numerous the further they went. "Where did these things come from?"
"They're native to somewhere called the Dark Kingdom." Varian said. "That's where my family comes from. But I don't know why the black rocks are here. My family's kinda freaking out about it."
"Rocks?" Flynn frowned. "All of this is over a bunch of rocks?"
"They're not just normal rocks." Varian said. "They're completely indestructible. My uncle says they're created by the moonstone."
"The what now?" Flynn asked.
"A magical item that embodies the power of the moon." Varian said. He felt absolutely ridiculous speaking these words. "It's a force of pure destruction."
He expected Flynn to mock him, but when he looked at the man who looked thoughtful. "It sounds like the sundrop."
Varian perked. He'd vaguely heard of the sundrop. Adira mentioned it sometimes, and Coronans talked about it like it was a legend. "The flower with healing powers?"
There was a dark look in Flynn's eyes. "Or Rapunzel herself." Varian felt Flynn's grip around him tighten. "Do you think your aunt might believe that these indestructible rocks can be destroyed by the sundrop? By Rapunzel?"
Varian felt a pit in his stomach when he realized that might be exactly what had happened. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."
Flynn swore under his breath and urged the horse to go faster, which it somehow did. It wasn't too long before they got to Old Corona. Varian's home was straight ahead. The boy jumped off the horse, stumbling a little at the rough landing, but he didn't let it stop him. He ran to the door of his lab. He hadn't been down here since the night of the blizzard. His dad had forbidden it, not wanting him to see his uncle in the trapped state.
Varian was nervous about what he would find, but if Adira was here at all it was down there. He went down the stairs, but with every step he took he felt colder and more breathless. He could hear some haunting singing that was beautiful but also filled his soul with dread. Something was wrong. Every part of him was demanding that he turn back. But he couldn't stop now.
Varian forced himself to continue down the stairs and go into his lab. He saw a few things immediately. There was the princess, but her blonde hair was black for some odd reason. Varian barely spared that a second thought, because he could see the amber, and it looked like it was melting. Whatever Aunt Adira's plan had been, it was working.
He wished he could be relieved about that, but Varian was too horrified by what he saw from Aunt Adira. She was standing near Rapunzel, pointing a sword at her, clearly having threatened her into doing…whatever it was she was doing.
"Aunt Adira!" Varian ran up to his aunt. As he got closer to his aunt and the princess he felt like he was going to be sick. It felt like something was draining him of all his energy. He coughed. He couldn't breathe.
"Varian?" Adira sounded as breathless and horrified as Varian felt. His vision was swimming and he stumbled a bit as he came closer. He would have fallen if Adira didn't drop the sword and grab onto him. "What are you doing here?! It's not safe."
"I couldn't…couldn't…" His voice got caught in his throat. He coughed again, feeling ill.
Flynn came into the lab shortly behind him, and his eyes were only on the princess. "Rapunzel!" He ran towards her, reaching out to her. Adira's eyes widened in alarm.
"No, don't touch her!" Adira said urgently. Flynn ignored her. He stepped in front of Rapunzel and wrapped his arms around her. Varian was alarmed to see his clothes melt away at the points that were in contact with the princess. Varian didn't know how it was happening, but he was terrified that Flynn Rider's skin would get burned horribly too. But he was fine. He didn't so much as grimace in pain. He just stood there holding Rapunzel, whispering to her, pleading with her to stop.
Varian watched them tensely for a minute before he looked to his aunt. "W-what did you do?"
"I asked for help." Adira said.
"With a sword?!" Varian tried to raise his voice, but his voice fell away into a cough again. He whimpered. He felt so tired.
"She was having doubts." Adira said. "I did what I had to do." She looked towards the amber. "And it was worth it." Varian followed her gaze and he saw that the amber had melted enough that Hector was no longer trapped. He was slumped over on the ground, but he was breathing, and he was free.
"H-Hector." Varian stumbled to his uncle.
"Rapunzel!" Flynn said with concern. Varian turned to see that the princess had grown limp in his arms. She wasn't singing anymore and her hair had returned to the usual blonde. The air suddenly felt lighter. Everything seemed like it should be fine now, but Varian still felt like the worst was yet to come.
Rapunzel wasn't down for long. She groaned and looked at Flynn. "E-Eugene. What…what happened?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Flynn (Eugene?) looked back towards Adira, a protective fury in his eyes. "Why did you kidnap my girlfriend?"
"I didn't kidnap anybody." Adira said. "I asked for help."
"Do you usually ask for help by pointing a sword at people?" Eugene gestured to the weapon at Adira's feet. "Do you think it's normal to ask people to get possessed by your weird moon magic?" Varian didn't know if that was what happened, but it had certainly looked that way to him.
"I didn't have a choice." Adira snapped. Varian wasn't used to hearing anger in her voice. "She was the only one who could save my brother." They all looked at Hector, who was staring at Eugene numbly. His eyes were so glazed over that Varian wondered if he was actually seeing him at all.
"You touched her." Hector said. "She was using the decay incantation, and you touched her and don't have a mark on you." He got to his feet. He looked unsteady on his feet, but when Adira stepped towards him to help he took his black rock sword and pointed it at her without even glancing her way. The message was clear. He didn't want Adira anywhere near him.
Hector walked up to Eugene. "I've seen what that incantation can do to people. The only ones who can touch the source of the decay without getting burned are those blessed by the moon. Her servants," He gestured to himself and Adira. He gave Eugene a pointed look. "And their descendants."
"What are you talking about?" Eugene said. Hector took a step closer to him until he was face to face with Eugene. Varian knew first-hand how unsettling this could be, even for those who knew Hector.
"You look just like him." Hector said. "I would have told myself it was just a coincidence, but you wouldn't have been able to withstand the powers of the moon if you weren't one of her chosen, Horace."
Eugene looked at Varian. "Your uncle's out of his mind." And Varian didn't know how to respond to that, because he was starting to worry about the same thing. Hector was acting weirdly, even for him.
Varian wanted to make sure his uncle was okay, but he heard the muffled sound of neighs and shouting outside. The guards had arrived. Eugene looked towards the lab entrance before he looked back towards Hector and Varian.
"I think you two need to go." Eugene said tensely. "I-I don't think you were involved in whatever this was, but I don't know if I can convince the guards of that."
Varian's throat tightened. He took a protective step towards Adira. "I'm not letting them take her." Adira had taken things too far. She'd threatened the princess, and she might have hurt her by making her use the decay incantation. But the guards had come here with every intention of arresting Adira before they had any idea of what she had done. As soon as they found out about any of it they would throw her in a cell without listening to just a single explanation.
Adira had messed up, but she didn't deserve this
"Varian, you shouldn't even be here." Adira said. "I knew what I was doing."
"But-" Varian started. Hector didn't let him continue. Varian yelped as his uncle grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. He ran past the others and up the stairs, carrying Varian. The boy didn't know how they were going to get away when the guards were all right outside and watching for them, but they had no issues. The attention of the guards was on the front door, and Hector was easily able to slip past them and run towards the woods.
"No, no!" Varian hit his uncle's back. "We can't leave her. She-"
"She's dealing with the consequences of her actions." Hector growled. Varian flinched.
"She just wanted to save you." Varian said quietly. Hector's grip on him tightened. It was bordering on painful now, but hadn't quite crossed the line.
"She shouldn't have bothered." Hector said. Varian felt tears gather in his eyes. He knew the kinds of thoughts that came to Hector's mind, but it didn't get any easier to hear.
"Uncle Hector." Varian's voice trembled. Hector slowed down, coming to a stop. He lowered Varian to the ground but still kept a grip on him.
"I'm sorry, kid." Hector said.
"What do we do now?" Varian asked. Was he really supposed to stand around and let his aunt get arrested, never to be seen again? "We're not abandoning Adira, are we?"
Hector's mouth thinned. He looked so tired. "What we're doing is getting you back to your dad." Hector said. "After that…" He sighed. "I'll take care of it."
Varian wanted to trust him. He really did. But he really didn't know how to trust his family anymore.