Happy Tuesday Everyone! Not going to keep you here long I know a lot of you are looking forward to meeting the two alternate Varians. (This week's title might be one of my favorites.)

Content warning: Mention of death, grieving, lies, rebellion, betrayal, self realization, guilt and more.

Chapter 20

Variants

After their rescue by the mysterious Peacock figure Eugene, Lance and Cassandra were stunned after he transformed back. They knew this person but…why would he help them?

"Varian?" Lance asked, sounding very confused. "Is that you?"

"Of course it's me. I know I've been gone for a while but I haven't changed that much have I?" Eugene, looking just as stunned as his friend pointed to his head.

"The red hair is new, and didn't you used to have blue eyes?" Varian instinctively grabbed his long ponytail looking back equally confused.

"W-What are you talking about? I've always been a redhead. And what's wrong with my eyes they're like, the only thing I inherited from my Dad." Cassandra raised her sword and pointed it at the imposter.

"I don't know who you are or what you're playing at but you're not Varian. And even if you were, you're still wanted for terrorism and escaping custody." Varian's eyes went wide not just at the sword but at the realization that these weren't his friends.

"Ah ha ha. Oh God, you guys are from yet another dimension, aren't you?!" He laughed, seemingly getting a little hysterical. "I somehow got pulled into yet another Paris, France and here I am with a different group of my friends and there's also another me running around somewhere." He sank to his knees holding his head in his hand.

"Ha ha, I'm never getting home am I?"

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Rapunzel blinked at this person in front of her who claimed to be Varian. Only the Varian she knew didn't have glasses and he only had one teal stripe in his hair, not three different colors. He also hated her so why was he calling her "Your Majesty?"

"Varian?"

"Who else? So what are you doing in," he quickly looked around. "France? I just got here myself, not sure how but it probably has something to do with that weird crack in the sky." He kept talking a mile a minute as if they were having a normal conversation between friends. "Anyway, the more important question is, when did your blond hair come back?" She blinked even more confused.

"My hair?"

"Yeah, did you just grow it out and dye it or did you get your powers back somehow?"

"Back?" She sputtered. "Waitwait, what are you talking about?" Varian blink.

"Rapunzel, are you OK?" The question just seemed to throw her more for a loop.

"Am I…why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Rapunzel, if I've said something to upset you just tell me and we can talk this out."

"That! Pretending to care and that you're still not furious with me! How can you-" she paused and glanced at his hands. "No gloves." she whispered.

"My what now?" he still seemed genuinely confused.

"Can…can I ask you a favor?" he raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Can…can I see your wrist?" He was still very confused by this but rolled up the sleeves on his brown leather jacket revealing a lack of scars. She backed away slightly.

"Yo-you're not Varian!"

"What are you talking about of course-" and that's when he looked back up at the crack in the sky and suddenly everything clicked. "Oh…crap."

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The Brotherhood along with Varian and Adrien settled down for the night in one of the buildings abandoned by the rocks. While it looked a little unstable it would do for the evening. Adrien apparently had clothes and supplies stashed around town in case he needed a quick change from Chat Noir or was escaping from his fans. He even had some food which he shared with the grateful group.

Neither boy wanted to use their cards or phones for fear Gabriel could track them but Varian planned ahead and took out a decent amount of cash beforehand. For the time being the group set up a quick sleeping area since everyone was physically and emotionally tired. Adrien and Varian had let their kwami's out to roam for a bit when a sudden 'eek!' caught everyone's attention.

Varian's bag had started to move when suddenly a tiny white head popped out meowing for attention. "What the? Amber? How did you get in there?" Varian asked while the cat jumped out and settled in his lap.

"Cats are liquid." Adrien commented off hand before quickly turning away. Varian frowned but he wasn't going to force Adrien to talk if he wasn't ready. Hector came up casually inspecting the creature while giving it some food.

"A little small for battle but potentially useful for scouting and getting into small spaces." Adira rolled her eyes.

"Hector, it's a domestic cat, not one of your beasts."

"Hey don't mock my allies, they're more loyal than some people I know." He observed how comfortable the cat seemed in Varian presents. "She's already loyal; it wouldn't be hard to train her." Varian was a bit hesitant at the idea of training Amber to be a tool used for battle not wanting to see her hurt. Hector however seemed to think very highly of his animals so maybe he could give it a try. He did want to get to know his supposed Uncles and Aunt after all.

"Maybe just something simple to start." Hector smiled, kneeling down giving Varian some tips about how to start. Adira rolled her eyes but watched anyway.

King Edmund was double checking the Moonstone just to be safe. He kept it in a sealed pouch marked with spells to prevent any of its power from getting out or anyone from trying to track it. He had taken it out when they first got here to see if it could lead to the Moonstone's stolen power. Now that they knew where they were going he felt it best to keep it magically sealed, especially if that Shadow Moth guy was still on the loose.

Meanwhile Adrien watched from the other end of the room. Emilie was right, he wanted to talk to Varian but he had no idea how to start the conversation without shouting. He turned away pulling the blankets over his head. He hoped his head would be clearer in the morning.

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Eugene was admittedly taken aback when he saw this new…red Varian practically break down in front of him. He honestly didn't know what to do. He knew Varian could be dangerous when provoked but this one also seemed to think they were friends. Thankfully Lance gently pushed a slightly stunned Cassandra out of the way as she put her sword back into its sheath.

"Hey kid, it's OK just take your time and breathe with me. That's it, just match mine in and out." After a few minutes when the kid was not in danger of passing out a small little blue peacock seemed to pop out of the broach he was wearing.

"Oh my goodness, are you OK Vari." The kid seemed to think this was perfectly normal and smiled at it as he held out his hand for it to rest on.

"I'm OK, Duusu. Thanks." Eugene's jaw dropped slightly.

"I'm sorry but what is that?" Red Varian, who also went by Vari, looked a little sheepish, realizing he had revealed his identity to a group of strangers thinking they were his friends.

"Well ah, that's my Kwami Duusu. She's what gives me the power to transform with my Miraculous."

Now this wasn't the first time they had heard this term while in this dimension but they only had a vague idea. Just that this town had some evil wizards and good knights that fought using magic. The question was which one was Varian: wizard or knight. Before they could ask anything else on the subject Cassandra caught something on the kid's hand.

"Hey ah…Vari was it. Where did you get that mark?" Now the others noticed it as well. It was the same mark Hector and Adira had. Eugene noticed it on the man who claimed to be his father as well.

"Are…are you part of the Brotherhood." Eugene asked as this puzzle was becoming more and more complicated.

"Well yeah, we both are. At least me and my Eugene are." The group was still confused by this point.

"Sorry but I don't understand how you can be Varian or Vari and not same person who got us lock up in jail." Varian sighed but Duusu had an idea.

"That's because of the multiverse. There are an infinite number of worlds in existence. Some are very similar to each other while others can be very different. It's usually pretty hard to cross over from world to world but it looks like some disaster has caused the barrier between the worlds to weaken. She pointed to the giant crack in the sky but was only met with blank faces.

"I think you're losing them Duusu." Vari commented trying to think of a simple way to explain their situation.

"Oh, I have an idea.!" she floated down to the dirt covered floor with a stick in her hand. With it she drew a square with four circles, one in each corner. She then pointed her stick at the top circle on the right.

"This is your home world, it's where you and your Varian started from." She then drew a line from the top right circle to the top left circle. "And this is Paris, France where you ended up. That's right here where we all are now." She then pointed to the bottom right circle.

"This is the Corona this Varian or Vari, my partner, comes from." She drew another line to the circle on the lower left of the square. "And this is the Paris France he ended up in. A different Paris than this one." Finally she drew a line back to the upper right circle where they were all right now.

"And we just got dumped here in this world with all of you. Everyone got it?" There were still some confused looks but for the most part everyone seemed to understand.

"There seems to have been some deviation in our history together. Why don't I tell you how we met and you can tell me what happened differently in your world." They all agreed, thankful that they were starting to get some answers here. "I think I should start from the beginning."

And so he did. It started out the same way he met Rapunzel to try and discover the mystery of her hair which ended with the water heater blowing up. Pretty much everything matched, the blizzard came and how his Dad was trapped in the amber and how no one had come to help him when the king's soilers started harassing him. What did change was when he got to the battle of Old Corona.

He had taken Queen Arianna hostage and after she had woken up she noticed something Vari didn't. She could see the tarp covering Quirin but from her angle she also saw a stray black rock had punctured the back. When she pointed this out Vari raced to uncover his Dad only to discover the rock had effectively stabbed him through the back right into his heart.

He was dead, and there was nothing that he or Rapunzel could do that would save him now.

His plans were all forgotten as he broke down and cried not caring who saw him. Arianna's heart went out to the boy remembering how she felt when Rapunzel had been taken from her as a baby. She didn't see a thief or a terrorist at the moment, she saw a child grieving for his parent. She offered what comfort she could and eventually he caved and crawled over to her. She then held him as he continued to weep.

When King Frederic and Rapunzel entered the hideout what greeted them was something neither of them expected. Arianna was holding Vari, already freed from her restraints. One look at Quirin and everything fell into place.

The next question was, what to do with Vari now? He was still arrested; they couldn't ignore the damage the machines had caused or the fact that several people got hurt including the Captain of the guard, Cassandra's Father. But as the listless and grieving child remained in his cell most of the people involved agreed there had to be something else they could do, but what?

The answer came when Rapunzel had a very bad sleepwalking session just two days after the battle and touched the rocks in her sleep, forming a path to her destiny. She had the brilliant idea to bring Vari with her to help with her quest as he was the only one who had been able to translate the text on the scroll which seemed to be very important. He could serve his time while helping the Princess and afterwards his debt would be paid in full.

This proved awkward at first but along the way they met Adira who was a part of the Brotherhood which Varian's Dad also belonged to. He knew a little bit about them but had never met any of them in person bonded pretty well much to Eugene's dismay, until they reached the Great Tree. They found many scrolls there including the decay incarnation but also some very interesting works from Lord Demanitus. Ever eager to translate the works from his idol, Vari found real proof that the Sundrop and the Moonstone needed to come together in order for balance to be restored. If left unchecked it could end up destroying the world.

It took a lot of convincing, and a bit of blood shed but they convinced Hector to take their proof to the King. After more convincing and an awkward family reunion between him and Eugene they were allowed into the Moonstone's chamber…only for Cassandra to steal it.

Disheartened but determined to get the Moonstone back, Vari and Eugene joined the Brotherhood and Vari officially gained a new family. He trained with Eugene and the other members of the Brotherhood and while he wasn't the best warrior out there he used his knowledge to make better weapons and the others were quick to learn he was great at strategizing.

Not long after they returned to Corona, Cassandra tried to kidnap him so she could get him to translate the Moon spell and unlock her full power. Vari went with her willingly and actually managed to convince her that the spirit she was talking to was Zhan Tiri and was using her to free herself not help Cassandra. Unfortunately Zhan Tiri was released before Cassandra realized she was being duped.

The plus side was she was now back on their side while they all tried to find a way to get rid of the demon once and for all. Vari found the notes for the portal and was planning on using it to banish the ancient evil once and for all. What they didn't know was that she had tricked another patsy to help her and when he tried to destroy the portal Vari fell through instead.

He landed in Paris France but with technology far beyond what he had ever seen. He wandered into a group of people trying to get his bearings and was almost immediately attacked. There was a man with green hair wearing black leather, spikes and cat ears. The other was a woman with black hair with a red stripe on the side. She was wearing a red and black suit covered in spots and was looking at the crowd with a cold gaze. He tried to fight them off to help the people in the crowd but the girl had an endless supply of magical weapons and the boy destroyed everything he touched.

Just when he thought he was about to meet his maker another being showed up and started to fight the two villains while another man in light purple took him in his arms before he passed out.

When he came to the man introduced himself as Betterfly and he was the hero of this world working to stop the evil Supreme. The two villains he was fighting were Shadybug and Claw Noir, two of his top generals. Vari left out the man's identity to be on the safe side but went on to explain how the man could read emotions and wanted to help get him home.

He took him in as a foster child much to the dismay of his real son Adrien who wanted nothing to do with him. Betterfly told him he had recently lost his wife when she had tried to use a broken Miraculous to help him in his quest for peace. Adrien was not taking the loss of his mother well and was going through a bit of a rebellious stage. Vari had been trying to reach out to him knowing what it was like to lose a parent but Adrien would never give him the time of day. Betterfly was trying but his son was keeping him away as well.

Vari managed to find some information on the Miraculous and was successfully able to fix the Peacock Miraculous and became Kujaku to help him fight while he and Betterfly tried to find a way back home. Recently they made a breakthrough. His friend and ally Maxx had found a way to search other worlds and Bettermoth had been working on designing a Kamiko that could allow people to cross over. Just when it looked like he might be on his way home the sky cracked during their test and he somehow found himself here.

"After I saw the news broadcast about you guys being arrested I thought you had found me. Now it seems like the dimensions are straining and starting to crack and even the black rocks have made their way to this world." The group looked stunned. This kid had gone through so much and had even been an ally to them and it seems like he helped them a lot. Then there was that bit about Cassandra betraying them to Zhan Tiri. That hadn't happened to them at least not yet. Seems like his world was a little further on than theirs but was it on the same path.

"So," he said, clapping his hands together. "What exactly happened to make you so pissed off at your Varian?" They all looked at each other wondering if they should just lie about what happened but one look from Lance told them that he was having none of it. Eugene sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"OK kid sit down, this…isn't going to be pretty."

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The multicolored hair Varian smiled sheepishly at Rapunzel thinking how to describe the situation they were in.

"OK so, Rapunzel. I take it you came here from another world." She nodded, still debating if she should run or not. "And did your Varian come with you?"

"My Varian? Just who are you?" She was glancing around looking for an escape if needed.

"Take it easy. I am Varian but I'm a different Varian than the one you met." Still looking confused he tried to simplify things. "Most of my friends call me Vee, you can too if that helps." She nodded, still looking unsure. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He was right, this was going to be fun. He thought sarcastically.

He explained about the multiverse and that something big happened making the crack in the sky. He also explained how he came to be here in the first place. As Rapunzel listened to his story it started off pretty much the same until after the blizzard. Afterward she had come to see him. That was a pretty big difference.

She apparently took care of him when he was sick with pneumonia and comforted him while his Dad was trapped in the amber. After he was well enough she promised to help him but she needed to go back to the castle to look for more information. What she didn't know was that Frederic's men were hiding in the forest waiting for her to leave so they could take the boy into custody. Vee escaped and ended up being chased for almost three days when something incredible happened.

He found an abandoned cabin deep in the woods and as he opened the door hoping to barricade himself inside he suddenly found himself in a large city with buildings so tall they touched the clouds. A bald man on the other side of the door looked at him with interest.

"Oh my. I was always afraid to see if my powers could extend to another world and it looks like they can!" Vee would later learn this man's name was Doorman and he had just accidentally brought him to another world to a city called New York in the United States of America. It was a bit chaotic after that.

Two of the guards managed to get through but were quickly tied up by what looked like a metal girl who quickly rushed off because the city was in utter chaos. Vee watched as these weird looking knights started using magic in strange ways until a girl in an Eagle costume seemed to fix them and everything settled down. It took a few hours before the Eagle girl and the Metal girl came back for him and the tied up guards.

Doorman apologies for causing so much trouble but it seems like he was under a spell along with most of the knights. Now that he was back to normal he was returning the things he stole and trying to see if he could help get Vee back home. That's when the guards started shouting at him saying he was wanted by the crown and they were here to arrest him. Vee was terrified these new people would take their side. Fortunately the metal girl who's name was Uncanny Valley, had a built-in lie detector and confirmed that he was innocent.

He then explained what happened with the rock, the snowstorm, his friend Rapunzel and the sudden attack by the guards. He was hoping he could go home right away but Doorman explained that opening a door to another world was dangerous and could tear a hole in the fabric of space and time. It was why he hadn't tried it before today when his inhibitions were stripped away.

When Eagle found them they were all in for a surprise. Ruddiger was now a tiny floating raccoon and apparently the goggles he had were a magical object called a Miraculous. Not only that but Ruddiger recognized the Miraculous she was wearing. Turns out not only was Ruddiger originally from this world but he and the Eagle Kwami Liiri used to live in the same Miraculous box before he made his great escape into Vee's world.

They would spend the next two months in the city and V was enthralled. With all the advanced technology and the vast bustling of the city with school, libraries and museums he was having the time of his life.

Ruddiger on the other hand wasn't so happy to be back home at first. The guardian of the Miracle Box he was from had insisted the Miraculous be returned along with Ruddiger. Needless to say Vee was not about to lose his best friend or the last thing he had to remember his mother by. Thankfully Jessica intervened and they came to a compromise.

Part of the compromise was for Vee to use the Miraculous to help them restore balance to this world. This world may be full of wonder but there was no shortage of corruption in many forms. He was enjoying his life as the hero Azeban, and his foster mothers (who were also the superheroes Knightowl and Majestia) were eager to help with his education so he quickly caught up. But as grand as this life was, he still needed to return. He still needed to find a way to free his father and Rapunzel and the others were probably sick with worry after all this time.

When the time came he admitted he was hesitant about leaving so Doorman gave him a way to come back if he so chose. The one hiccup was Ruddiger. This was his home and while the Guardian wouldn't lock him away any more he had to remain in this world. It was a tearful goodbye but at long last he returned to Corona.

Arriving home was just as messy as when he had arrived in New York. There was apparently a rebellion going on led by none other than his father Quirin. Who was shocked to see him since he thought he was dead by the hands of the king.

Turns out when Rapunzel returned to the castle she discovered her family's long hidden secret. Her own father had been killing off his enemies or whoever was perceived and an enemy in his eyes for years. All under the guise of keeping people safe. She had managed to find Lady Caine who had secretly escaped the dungeon and her own execution and told her all about his sorted history and had proof to back it up.

When she found that Varian was targeted to be his latest victim for knowing too much about the rocks Rapunzel was devastated. With the help of some of the rebel bandits and Adira from the Brotherhood she found the decay incantation and freed Quirin. You can imagine his response after hearing his son was likely dead by his old friend's hand.

Reuniting with his friends and Dad, Vee used what he learned in New York to help turn the tides and with Rapunzel in the lead she proceeded to overthrow her father and was crowned Queen. Her mother had no idea she had been married to a monster and was currently doing whatever she could to help the people heal from her husband's madness.

Unfortunately Frederic escaped with the help of some of the guards and Nigel who were still loyal to him. As much as she wanted to find her father Rapunzel, now queen, still had the rocks to deal with. After several heated talks with the Brotherhood, Rapunzel was finally told about the Moonstone and her connection to it as the Sundrop.

She then came up with a plan with a high risk factor. She had Adira use her sword made from the black rocks to cut off her hair. Since the rock sword was an extension of the Moonstone, like her hair was an extension of the Sundrop, it caused a reaction. And that reaction released the Sundrop from her body but also caused her to lose her powers. They successfully joined the two celestial objects and at long last the rocks receded.

The land now safe but with Frederic still on the loose, Varian talked his Dad into returning with him to New York and his other Family. Ruddiger was very happy to see him and even happier that he was here to stay. He still managed to keep in touch with Rapunzel and his old friends but New York was his home now. And now that his Dad was with him he officially started a new life.

It took his Dad quite a while to adjust to the city but seeing how his son was thriving and doing so much good he learned to find the beauty in this new chaotic world.

Vee was finishing up a small mission with Doorman ready to bring him and his friends home. As he was about to walk through the door however, the world shook and a crack appeared in the sky.

"I originally thought I had just been dropped off in another country but if you're saying you're not the Rapunzel from my world then that's not the case. Especially if there's another Varian running around."

Rapunzel had listened to his whole story and quite frankly was stunned. Stunned to find out there was another Rapunzel who sounds like she actually was a good friend and actually knew what she was doing. And that whole story about her father? She knew now he wasn't the man she thought he was but…

"So, Rapunzel, what exactly happened with your Varian to make him hate you?" He meant it as a joke but a moment later she collapsed and broke into sobs. Vee nervously took a step back from shock. What the hell happened between her and his counterpart?

"I'm sorry Varian, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed as he handed her a napkin from the table. "And Dad I…" Vee tried to pat her on the back to comfort her.

"I'm…sure it's OK. Alright maybe not, but that's just what happened in my world yours could be completely different. Like, maybe whatever happened was a misunderstanding or maybe your Dad isn't…as bad as my king was." She paused looking at his wrists again and actually sobbed harder.

"Oh, you're at that stage now. Well, sounds like you need to get this out of your system." He sat down with her, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "I can stay with you or leave whatever you want. You may not be my Rapunzel but it looks like you still need a friend." She looked back at him still teary eyed. Was this the person Varian would have become if she hadn't been such a coward and so indecisive? She leaned into him as he wrapped a single arm around her for support. She felt bad for taking advantage of his kindness. He'd surely hate her once he heard the truth. But right now she needs some support.

As they stayed together in the refugee camp she made a promise to herself. She would make it up to Varian somehow. Even if he still hated her this was something she needed to do. No indecisiveness this time.

To be continued…

Adrien and Varian need to talk but can they move past Varian's betrayal?