Here we are with the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Tangled. I only own this story idea.

Rapunzel and Varian got the vase back in place just in time. Dinner was a calm event with light-hearted conversations. The Princess led most of the talking with their parents while Varian listened and occasionally added his comments.

In between those moments, Varian mostly thought about what his dad and the King wanted to discuss with them and the Queen. Knowing his dad had wanted to talk to Frederic about something, he wondered if it had something to do with that.

On a side note, Varian wondered as he glanced at where Eugene and Cass would be; where were those two? Rapunzel had devised a plan to help them get along, but it was taking longer than expected. They were going to check on them when dinner was announced, so they didn't get the chance.

Varian hoped they were okay. The ominous feeling from earlier had lingered for hours and had yet to fade away.

"Varian?" Rapunzel got his attention. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Everything's fine, Princess. I was just thinking about something else, that's all." He assured her. She smiled, and then they turned back to the conversation.

"So, Varian, are you working on any new projects right now?" Arianna asked, curious about his inventions.

"Well, I had been working on a system of heaters that would bring instant hot running water, but I had to put that on hold until I could rework my calculations," Varian explained. "However, I have perfected a chemical that acts as a safe, humane animal trap for the farms. It also works as a security system."

"Interesting."

"I just got an idea!" Rapunzel spoke up excitedly, seeing an opportunity. "If Varian can figure out how to make the goo trap portable, we could have the Royal Guard use it to help catch criminals!" She didn't notice the alchemist look at her in surprise. "I've been caught in one of those, and it would not be an easy getaway! Varian needed a second chemical to free."

"That certainly sounds like an idea, but we don't have an alchemist in the castle." Queen Arianna said thoughtfully.

"Well, I mean, I've already been working on a way to use the formula as a portable weapon, so it can be done," Varian explained as he shook off his surprise. "I can mass-produce them and bring them to the castle. Anything to help the Kingdom."

Secretly, though, Varian was nervous about arming the Royal Guard with his inventions since his alter ego was a wanted criminal in their eyes. Then again, they were his inventions, so he knew how to get around them.

"Well…" King Frederic thought about it. "I suppose it is a good idea." He looked at Quirin. "Would you be alright with bringing the shipments?"

"Yes, but perhaps we should make alternate arrangements for when I'm unable," Quirin suggested, a hidden message in their conversation.

"Then, we would gladly accept your help, Varian." King Frederic smiled warmly at him.

"Wow… uh, thank you, Your Majesty," Varian replied, grinning slightly.

"Isn't this great, Varian?" Rapunzel cheered, happy her friend was getting the chance he deserved.

"We'll make sure you're paid for your work," Arianna added.

"I'm speechless…" was all Varian could say. He saw his father give him a proud smile, which made the young teen beyond happy.

As everyone started talking again, Varian glanced to the side in deep thought. Years ago, he would've been over the moon about this… so why did he feel conflicted?

(Later)

After dinner, the two families went to the King's study for their discussion. They all took seats with the King at his desk, Quirin locking the door behind them so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"So, Dad, what did you want to talk to us about?" Rapunzel asked as she and Varian sat on the loveseat.

"Rapunzel, Varian, earlier today, Quirin and I had a discussion," King Frederic said. "We've noticed how close you two have become, and we could imagine you two would want to spend more time together. Given the distance between here and Old Corona, that can be difficult. So, Quirin suggested setting aside a room here at the castle for Varian to use when visiting."

"Set aside a room?" Rapunzel repeated.

"You mean like a reserved guest room?" Varian asked.

"Precisely." The King nodded.

"Your father thought it would be safer for you to have a place to stay instead of going home after sunset." Queen Arianna told the alchemist.

"And since you were going to supply the Guard with your solution, perhaps we could set up a lab for you here to make it easier when your father can't bring the shipments." King Frederic suggested.

"That's a great idea," Rapunzel agreed before looking at Varian. "What do you think, Varian?"

"Well, if your parents are okay with it," He responded, still slightly surprised by the offer.

"Excellent," The King nodded. "Now, it's getting late, so we'll start making arrangements in the morning."

"Okay," Rapunzel nodded before standing up. "I'm gonna stay up a little longer."

Varian stood up as well. "I'm gonna hang out with the Princess."

"Alright. Don't stay up too late, though." Queen Arianna smiled.

"See you later, Dad," Varian said to his dad as he unlocked the door.

"Good night, Son," Quirin smiled at his child as the teens walked off.

"Wow…" Varian breathed as they headed down the hall together.

"You okay?" She asked, looking at him.

"Just a bit… surprised. That was two big offers in one day. I'm just a little overwhelmed." He looked at her.

"Still, it'll be nice to see each other more often," Rapunzel said. "Plus, this is a great chance to show everyone the good your alchemy can do. Maybe even change some people's minds."

"Yeah…" Varian nodded before they entered Rapunzel's room, where their animals were hanging out. "Anyway, where are Eugene and Cass anyway?"

Rapunzel hummed as she looked at the clock, seeing that it was now past ten o'clock. "Yeah, it has been a while. I-I should check on them."

The chameleon raised a brow at her, knowing what she had done. "Don't give me that look," Rapunzel avoided the lizard's gaze. "This absolutely doesn't mean my plan didn't work, Pascal." She crossed her arms, trying to be smug.

"What exactly was your plan?" Varian asked, starting to get concerned.

"I'll tell you on the way to the dungeons," Rapunzel said as Pascal got back on her shoulder before walking out the door.

"… Dungeons?" The alchemist looked after her wide-eyed as his raccoon retook his usual perch.

(Scene Break)

"Okay, the next time you get the idea to lock people in the dungeon to get them to stop fighting, check on them once an hour!" Varian panted as he jogged at the Princess. She had explained that she had locked Cass and Eugene in a cell with a puzzle they had to work together to solve and build a jack to escape. Varian regretted not asking about this earlier.

"Okay, okay, you're right, you're right!" Rapunzel said, knowing her friend was right.

They heard voices as they approached the dungeons while Varian's moon sense skyrocketed. "I hear voices," Rapunzel said as they arrived. "Sounds like my plan worked!" The last word turned into a cringe as they skidded to a stop at the sight of the Captain and his men armed and aiming crossbows. They turned in shock to see Cass and Eugene held hostage by a pair of criminals known as the Stabbington Brothers. "Cass! Eugene! How did this happen?"

"Stay back, Princess," The Captain moved to stand in front of them, the teens trying to look around him. "Guards, lower your weapons." The guards glanced at each other hesitantly but did so anyway.

"It's okay, Blondie and Hairstripe, I'm working on a plan," Eugene called out as they were escorted away.

"Okay, Eugene, let's hear it," Cass glanced at him.

"Uh, I-I-I can't say it now 'cause they can still hear it," Eugene jerked a thumb at the Stabbington with the eyepatch.

The Captain could only watch in horror as he saw them take Cass away. "Captain, they're getting away!" Rapunzel exclaimed, but he just looked at Cass as they rounded the corner out of sight.

The Captain furrowed his brow in anger before charging. "Come on!" he urged the other guards as they gave chase, the teens following closely behind.

They rounded another corner and stopped when they found a grate torn open, revealing a tunnel behind it. The Captain crawled inside, followed by the others, just as Rapunzel and Varian caught up.

"We'll never catch up to them!" Rapunzel panted as they saw the guards disappear into the passage.

Varian was also frustrated since he wouldn't be able to find them. While experimenting with his powers, he learned his moon sight didn't work on anything underground, and knowing the Stabbingtons, it would be too late by the time they hit the surface.

"Wait, but thanks to Cass, I know where the corridor empties!" Rapunzel smiled at the others. "Come on!" The Princess took off, not realizing Varian didn't follow her.

Varian was familiar with the tunnels and passages around the Kingdom, so the vigilante knew how to cut off the Stabbingtons. He nodded to Ruddiger before his eyes flashed blue as he transformed.

Meanwhile, the Stabbingtons were running down the tunnel with their hostages, the guards hot on their tails. "They went this way! Hurry!"

Patchy stopped and looked back at their shadows before noticing the support plank. Getting an idea, he started kicking it, causing a creaking around around the corridor.

"Oh! Hey! Probably not the best idea!" Eugene told him, but he kicked it again, breaking the wood this time. The creaking happened again as the ceiling collapsed in front of the guards.

"Watch out!" one cried as a wall of rocks and dirt separated them from the brothers.

Sidburns smirked as he rejoined his brother. "Time to get rid of the extra baggage," he declared, and they dropped the two hostages. "Say, sayonara," He handed the halberd to Patchy.

The duo braced themselves as he was about to finish them off when a familiar shot of energy broke the halberd's blade, throwing Patchy off guard when the pole became lighter without the blade. All four people looked over in confusion when they saw the blade land in the dirt.

"I have a better idea," They turned to see the Moonlight Phantom standing a few yards away. "Surrender."

Sideburns scoffed as the brothers glared at the intruder. "So, you're Corona's hooded weirdo."

"That's a new one." He commented, stepping back slightly as the brothers came closer. "I've been called many things but never a weirdo."

"Big talk coming from a scared kid." Sideburns threw back as they stopped moving.

"I'm not scared. I just needed you to stand right there for me," he said, gesturing to where they stood.

"Huh?" The brothers looked at their feet in confusion.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Phantom blasted the plank above them. They looked up just as wood and debris fell on their heads, knocking them unconscious. The former thief and lady-in-waiting got up and checked on them to ensure they were okay.

Eugene whistled, "Who needs a halberd when you've got magic." He looked at the Phantom with a slight grin.

The younger man shrugged nonchalantly before the ground started shaking. "Follow me!" He said before running down the tunnel. The adults only managed to get a few steps behind him before the cave collapsed again. Moonlight spun around just in time to see them cut off. "No!" He gasped, running back to the cave-in.

Knowing he couldn't just go blasting through the dirt, the Phantom reached out to the moon and tried to see where Rapunzel was. In his mind's eye, the vigilante saw her seeing dust rising from a hole in the ground and could see the section of the tunnel he was just in through it.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Moonlight rock warped up to the surface, out of sight of the Princess. He dropped his disguise, and Varian slipped in like he had always been behind her.

The teens moved over to the hole, looking down it for their friends. "Hello! Are you guys down there?" Rapunzel called before seeing just the people they were looking for.

"Blondie? Hairstripe?" Eugene and Cass moved towards the hole as Rapunzel let her hair down. Varian helped the Princess pull them onto the surface; Cass first, followed by Eugene. Rapunzel panted slightly before smiling as she hugged her boyfriend.

"We are so glad you're both okay." She said, looking at her friends.

"We should've gone looking for you sooner," Varian commented.

"There they are!" They heard a voice call from below. Eugene peeked into the hole to find the guards had caught up to the Stabbingtons, who were picking themselves off the ground. The friends smiled in relief that they were caught.

The Captain looked up and saw the four. "Cassandra, you okay?" He called out.

"I am now." She placed her hands on her friends' shoulders, smiling at them all.

(Back at the castle)

Rapunzel sighed tiredly as she sat on her bed, her chameleon friend climbing into her lap and up to her shoulder. The chameleon gave her a smirk, and she returned with a smile and an eye-roll. "Yeah, yeah, you were right, Pascal." She laid back slowly so he could safely climb onto her chest as she stared at the ceiling. "What do you think of being able to see Ruddiger more often, buddy? With Varian getting his own room and lab here, Ruddiger's sure to come with him."

Pascal squeaked happily at the idea before she gently stroked his back.

"Hey, Raps." She looked over to see Cassandra had come in. The older woman closed the door behind her and walked over to her.

"Hi, Cass," Rapunzel sat up, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry about the dungeon game. I had no idea it would turn into such a disaster."

"Eh, it's not all your fault," She shrugged as she sat beside Rapunzel. "The Stabbingtons wouldn't have gotten out if we hadn't argued over how to use the jack… and if we hadn't been fighting in the first place." She admitted, knowing that was the cause of this. "So, I'll try not to let Fitzherbert get to me as much as he does."

"Thanks, Cass."

"So, what did we miss while we were locked up?"

"Well… since Varian comes over so much, my parents and Varian's dad agreed to set aside a guest room for him to use when he stays over late."

"Wow," Cassandra blinked. "So, Goggles is gonna be an unofficial resident."

"Yup. I had also suggested to my dad about Varian making some of that goo he trapped us in for the guards to use when catching criminals."

"That stuff is pretty strong, and it would greatly help with our job, given how much some of the guys struggle with catching runners." Cassandra agreed.

"Plus, it'll be nice to see him more often without going all the way to Old Corona."

"True." Cassandra patiently started to unfasten the beads around Rapunzel's braid.

"You don't have to help me tonight, Cass. I can get dressed myself." Rapunzel said as her braid unraveled.

"I may have had a long day, Rapunzel, but I still have a job to do," Cassandra said and got up to get Rapunzel's nightgown. The Princess just smiled, knowing this was typical of Cassandra.

"By the way, where's Eugene?"

"I don't know. He should be up here by now?" Cass looked around, confused.

(With Eugene)

"There you are, kid."

Varian turned to see Eugene walking up to him and Quirin as they were about to enter their room for the night. "Hey, Eugene."

"Mind if we talk real quick?"

Varian looked at his dad, who nodded. "Alright. Just don't take too long."

"Thanks, Dad." The teen walked away with Eugene as Quirin went inside. The boys went outside, and the older man led Varian to the boat dock, where he had seen the royal couple before. Eugene sat on the pier's edge, and Varian walked over and sat beside him.

"Glad to see you made it out of there, kid," Eugene smiled in relief at the younger boy.

"Sorry I worried you," Varian hummed. "And sorry I didn't go looking for your guys sooner. If I had known what Rapunzel's idea had been…"

"Ah, she's had better ideas, but it's not her fault or yours," He frowned, remembering the fighting and mess from earlier. "It must be hard on her with Cass and I going at each other's throats all the time, so from now on, even though I have no idea what she sees in her, I'll try to be nice to the dragon lady–" Varian gave him a look before he corrected himself. "I mean, Cassandra. And thanks for fixing the vase, kid. I really appreciate it."

"What are friends for?" Varian shrugged.

"Speaking of friends, kid, I've been meaning to say this for a while," Eugene added, looking at the younger male sincerely. "Thank you for being Rapunzel's friend."

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"You were there when she needed someone, both as Varian and the Phantom. Especially after some of my goofs," Eugene looked away, still a little guilty about the failed proposal.

"I just know what it's like," Varian said as they stared at the water. "She spent eighteen years being shut down and locked away by someone who claimed to want what's best for her. I've been surrounded by people like that my whole life, who want me to put down the alchemy and be like other boys," He slipped off his gloves and summoned some orbs of moonlight as his hands and hair started shimmering. "It's why I see my powers as a blessing. They gave me the courage to be myself and not let others try to define who I was." Varian frowned as he made the lights dim and vanish. "Rapunzel doesn't see her powers the same way. To her, they're just a reminder of what she's been through and why she went through that. I'm just trying to give her the freedom she wants, or at least a piece of it, by showing her that not everyone is trying to lock her into something she's not ready for."

Eugene looked at him sympathetically before looking down. "I'm trying to do that, too. I didn't want her to feel trapped or give up everything. I just… got ahead of myself with that proposal. I'd never been so happy before or serious about a girl. I was just… ready for something she wasn't."

"It looks like you guys managed to talk things out."

"Yeah, we're taking things slow for right now."

Varian hummed as he nodded. "By the way, my dad and Rapunzel's parents talked to us about setting up a spot for me at the castle when I come over."

"Really?" Eugene said, surprised.

"Yeah." Varian nodded. "They've also commissioned me to supply them with the substance for my humane critter trap to use as a way to catch criminals. They're going to pay me for it and set up a lab for me to use at the castle."

"Dang, kid!" The older man smiled, giving the younger a proud half-hug. "Things are lookin' up for ya!"

Varian chuckled slightly before looking uncertain. "So, why do I feel so confused?"

"What do you mean?" Eugene looked at him as he let go.

"Part of my powers is… I can sense things and feel things. I have intuitive hunches, and they always turn out to be right. Like earlier, I felt something was wrong before even knowing the Stabbingtons escaped."

"That might have been the moment we dropped the jack through the grate in the floor."

"I just feel like my dad and the King have ulterior motives for this, and it's making me nervous."

Eugene smiled assuringly before giving him another hug. "I don't know what you feel, kid, but if you are right, I can at least say you're not alone."

Varian smiled as he hugged Eugene back. "Thanks, Eugene."

(Back at the castle)

Unbeknownst to the boys or Rapunzel, Frederic did have an ulterior motive for Quirin's request. From the things the Captain told him before, the King had developed a theory that Varian may be a connection to the Moonlight Phantom. Therefore, having him nearby in the palace would make it easier to watch him and see if the felon makes contact with the boy.

At the same time, Quirin had his own reason for the request. The rocks were getting closer to the village, and knew Varian would try to investigate them to stop them. He couldn't take that risk. So, he hoped that giving Varian better opportunities to stay at the castle with Rapunzel and her friends would distract him and keep him away from the rocks.

Both men looked out their windows at the moon, the King glaring while the former knight looked determined. "I'll do whatever it takes," They said simultaneously.

(Elsewhere)

A cloaked figure made his way through a secret tunnel that led into Corona. The guards didn't know about the tunnel, but almost everyone in the criminal world knew well, along with the Kingdom's resident masked hero.

The figure looked over his shoulder furtively and hurried on before opening a door at the end and closing it behind him. Then he stepped out of the hidden glade it was in and headed through the woods, whistling nervously.

And that's that. The next chapter will take us into The Return of Strongbow.

In conclusion, I want your opinions on something. As I write this, I'm unsure whether to leave the pairings as is or have Varian become part of Rapunzel and Eugene's relationship. Let me know what you think when you leave a comment.

Until next time!