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Chapter Text

It wasn't uncommon for Rapunzel to ask for his assistance.

Being the Royal Engineer meant he was called upon whenever there was trouble, and they looked to him to help find a solution.

This time, Rapunzel was different. She did not visit him herself; instead, she sent Howard, a new, younger guard, to fetch him.

He felt his heart pound hard against his chest as he followed the shiny new guard into the palace. He lifted his hand and pat the head of the raccoon, napping on his shoulders.

It must be serious. Rapunzel never passed up a chance to see what new invention he was working on.

He knew the threat of war was looming over them, and without the power of the magical Sundrop, Rapunzel wasn't protected like she had been five years ago when she battled Zhan Tiri.

Don't get him wrong, she was a strong, compassionate queen who knew her way around the frying pan, while Eugene and Max were the toughest co-captains in Coronian history. They had a strong defense of guards around the kingdom. The last thing they needed was to rebuild the city again. So he was confident they could get out of this without much combat.

Still, when she got the threatening letter from King Trevor about war, she looked frightened. No doubt, she remembered the last war she had fought in. He was a bit shaken by it himself. At least this time, they weren't fighting one of their close friends.

He was sure the whole kingdom shared a dislike for the neighboring king. So, if war did come, the rest of the kingdom would hopefully stand up and fight.

When he entered the throne room, he saw Rapunzel and Eugene look up from their thrones, confused by his presence.

Rapunzel stood up and walked over to him, her bare feet slapping softly against the cold stone floor. "Varian!" she smiled, pulling him into a friendly, warm hug. "It's good to see you, but..why are you here?" she let out a small chuckle as she looked at the young man standing over her by more than a few inches. "Did one of your water tanks malfunction again? I told you before, you have permission to fix them, and you don't have to apologize-"

Varian looked at the queen just as confused, "Um, no...you summoned me?" he said, gesturing to Howard. "You sent a guard and everything…heh."

Rapunzel looked at the guard, puzzled, "Varian, I didn't send for you,"

"Then who did?" he asked before his eyes fell on Howard. He studied the guard momentarily, seeing how stiff he was and the nervous tick of his fingers against his left thigh.

He looked at the guard's face and paled. Reflected in the guard's eyes were the anger and pain that he once saw in his own eyes. Another strange thing was that there was something off about his eyes, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Were they always that blue?

"It's a trap," his voice shook in shock.

Eugene moved protectively in front of Rapunzel, his arm out and his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Howard," Eugene said slowly, "Why did you bring Varian here? You are supposed to be on Prisoner duty!" The Captain of the Guards narrowed his eyes. And walking the cells twice does not mean you can take a ten-minute break! Math, "apparently," doesn't work like that!"

Howard pulled his sword out from its sheath and pointed it at the trio. "I'm worth more than Prisoner duty! I found a group of people who can see my potential and capabilities!"

Varian wanted to point out that those words meant the exact same thing, but before he could, a familiar woman came crashing through the window, followed by two men who landed on the broken glass.

"Lady Caine?" Rapunzel gasped in disbelief, grabbing Eugene's arm as he pulled out his own sword. Pointing the tip toward the ruffians defensively.

The older woman looked mostly the same, except for her eyes. They didn't have the same "off-ness" as the guards, but something about them still didn't seem right.

"Hello, Queenie." She strolled over towards the door of the throne room. "Long time no see...well, no see of a lot of things, I suppose, since you left me and my crew to rot." She growled. "You are no different than your father!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Rapunzel glared at the woman, "What do you want?"

"Oh, I'm sure you do, Sweetness." Caine rolled her eyes, "But I'm not the main course in this feast; I'm the tasty appetizer." She smirked and opened the door.

Varian's mouth dropped as an alpaca wool-clad, man bun-styled man stepped into the room. He was even still wearing the pink alchemy balls he had made! Varian clenched his fists in anger at seeing him.

"Manbun guy!" Eugene cried out, pointing the sword in his direction, causing the man in question to stop in his tracks and glare.

"You know me, Eugene, I am Andrew, leader of the Separatists of Saporia!" He puffed his chest out in pride. "And this time, I have more than a handful of people on my side," he smirked at them as he stepped aside, letting his men into the room.

Varian felt his heart pound hard in his chest. They were surrounded, and there was no way to alert the guards. It even looked like some guards were on their side!

"Traitors!" Eugene glared at his soldiers, whom he once considered friends, people he took under his wing and trained. He felt betrayed. "Seriously, can we trust anyone? This is starting to get ridiculous! Where did loyalty go?!" he ranted, waving his hands around dramatically.

Rapunzel seemed surprisingly calm, but Varian knew that she was trying to keep her guard up. He caught her free hand and squeezed it, which she returned. "Let's do this," she murmured to the two. Eugene nodded and ran at Andrew with his sword raised.

Andrew dodged out of the way, parrying the attack with his sword. "You're better than last time, but I'm better as well." he bragged, "While I was locked in your prison, I practiced three hours a day, so when we meet again, you will remember the name "Andrew!"

"Was that before or after your bubble head popped?" Eugene smirked as he twisted his wrist and spun his sword. " Did you enjoy being a balloon? I imagine it wasn't any different from what you are used to, being full of hot air and all."

"You think I'm the one full of hot air?!" Andrew roared, charging at Eugene. " No! I practiced so no one would ever mock me again!"

"Ahuh." Eugene raised an eyebrow, blocking his attack easily, "Yeah, you need to get yourself a girl." Eugene replied, already done with the other man's theatrics, "And not use them to get to something in return, seriously, it changes a man for the better." Eugene fought the Saporian, catching him off guard by the sudden subject change.

Eugene noticed Andrew's eyes drift over to Lady Caine, which caused the ex-thief to smirk. "Or, maybe you already found someone, and you practice three hours a day because you cannot woo the lady. But seriously? Caine? To each their own, I guess. I suppose we all have a past of scary women that want revenge, But still, scary!"

Andrew swung his sword more wildly, growling, "I know what you are doing, and it won't work on me!"

"Are you sure? Cause it kind of did." Eugene smirked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Flynn Rider volume 38, "disorientate your opponent by talking about their love life"...ha! Classic." Varian laughed before pulling some of his Alchemy balls from his pocket and throwing them at the Saporian supporters.

Rapunzel ran to her throne and grabbed the frying pan, which she kept there for emergencies such as this.

"Aw, you think that will protect you? How cute." Lady Caine said as she lifted her weapon to the queen.

"Oh, I know it will," Rapunzel replied, putting on the game face Cass helped her perfect years ago.

Varian juggled the colorful balls of chemicals before tossing them at all who came close. He lifted his hand to throw one when his pant leg was pulled hard, and he fell to the floor. Ruddiger, his faithful pet raccoon, had pulled him out of the way before a sharp weapon could take off his head.

"Thanks, buddy!" He pet his oldest friend's head before getting up and running back to the fight

The three of them fought hard and long, but they were soon overpowered by the number of men on Andrew's side. They were forced to their knees, weaponless, guarded by two of the goons that came in with Lady Caine.

Andrew smirked at the three of them as he sat on the throne and looked at Howard. "Good job. Now, send word to King Trevor to let him know phase one is complete. Corona is ours."

"What?" Rapunzel gasped and shared a look with Eugene, "You're working for King Trevor?"

"Eh, more or less, let's just say I scratch his back; he scratches mine."

"Yeah, I imagine your back is pretty itchy. Have you ever washed your vest? Cause, my not-so-friend, it is smeeeeellly!" Eugene plugged his nose, making Andrew look offended

Rapunzel glared at Andrew, ignoring her husband's taunts: "Our Guards will not let this happen. The people of Corona will rise up and fight you. Corona will never be yours!"

"That's where you are wrong." Clementine snickered from behind Andrew, holding up a familiar purple potion. "You really need to tell your Blacksmith to lock the door after him."

"That's the mood-changing potion from Xavier's shop!" Varian gasped.

"It is indeed." Clementine confirmed and then held up the Memory wand, "And with a dip of this...they forget who they are and fall under our complete control!" she crackled

"Was that really all it took to perfect that?" Varian mumbled under his breath, his mind calculating, before being snapped out of it by an elbow in his side from Rapunzel.

He looked down at her and noticed Pascal holding something colorful and familiar. It was the emergency Alchemy ball he made for Rapunzel!

Making sure no one noticed, Pascal slipped it in his hand and gave him a nod. He waited for the opportune moment before throwing the ball, which caused smoke to fill the room.

He, Rapunzel, Pascal, Ruddiger, and Eugene took a deep breath before the smoke reached them and grabbed the hands of each other as they ran from the room while the Saporians were blinded.

They ran down the halls, but there were guards everywhere. They all had a similar blank look on their faces as they hunted them down to capture them.

Once again, their eyes were off. They had the same blue-ish tint in their eyes as Howard did.

Varian wished he had time to write down all his findings because this was just plain weird. They were being controlled somehow, and Varian couldn't understand how the wand and potion could do that. It didn't make sense unless they got their hands on the-

"Oh no." Varian gasped, stopping his steps, which caused Rapunzel and Eugene to stop as well.

"Oh no? What do you mean, oh no?" Eugene exclaimed, "Is it only now sinking in that Corona is being attacked!?"

Varian glared at the Captain and then looked at Rapunzel. "I think I figured out how they are controlling the Guards….the Mind Trap!" he said, causing her to pale at the name of it.

"But that should only work on the Brotherhood, right?" she pointed out, looking confused but also scared.

"Well, what else would it be? What else have we encountered that causes people we love to lose themselves like this?" Varian asked, remembering when his Father was controlled. "Plus, look at the blue tint in their eyes! It makes so much sense!"

"Uh, Guys?" Eugene pointed to a now memory-erased and mind-controlled Stan that was running at them.

The three started to run again towards the treasury, where a copy of King Herz Der Sonne's journal was locked away.

After the first journal was destroyed, Rapunzel gathered all the historians of Corona together to try to recreate it. It wasn't perfect, and some of the tunnels that were in the original book are lost forever, but at least a piece of their history was restored.

Varian panted as they ran and started to regret not accepting Eugene's offer to join the guards for warm-ups to, as Eugene put it, "bulk him up for the ladies."

"I think if they somehow isolated the mind control element in the Mind Trap, plus the mixture of the mood serum and the memory wand...they could have succeeded in a mind control potion, and I don't know if I'd be able to reverse it. At Least not without a sample of the Mind Trap." He explained as they ran into the treasury and locked the door behind them.

Rapunzel sighed as she grabbed the journal and ran her hand over it. She closed her eyes before turning to Varian and holding out the journal for him to take. "Thankfully...the pieces of the Mind Trap were saved."

Varian took the journal and slipped it into his bag. His eyes widened with excitement at the idea of examining the artifact before a flash of his Father being controlled popped up again, causing his excitement to die quickly.

He needed to protect all those who were and will be controlled. He couldn't add an electric plate to every guard's helmet. "Great, where is it?" He asked, looking around the room.

"At the Spire, the Mind Trap was far too dangerous to keep lying around here; we needed to lock it away somewhere safe."

"I don't know; I'm not sure keeping anything dangerous with Calliope would count as "safe." Eugene huffed

"She's gotten better…ish." Rapunzel forced a nervous chuckle, trying not to show her irritation.

"Okay…so we have to get to the Spire." Varian nodded, taking a mental note of where they were heading.

Rapunzel looked at Eugene, taking his hand. They gazed at each other and seemed to have a silent argument before he finally gave in and looked back at Varian.

"Varian, we can't leave Corona."

"What? But-" Varian tried to protest, but Rapunzel cut him off with a raise of her hand.

"I owe it to my people to be there for them and protect them." She walked over to Varian and placed it on his shoulder. "Varian, you must go to the Spire and find a way to fix this."

Varian felt his heart quicken at that and looked between them in shock, "No, no, you can't stay...what about Lettie??" he frowned as Eugene walked over and wrapped his arm around Rapunzel's waist.

"Our daughter is safe." Eugene said, "She's with her grandparents, and they are visiting the kingdom of Bayangor."

"We'll send word to make sure they stay away." Rapunzel took a deep breath, thinking about her child being tangled up in all this.

"Varian." she looked him in the eyes, "I don't think we can take on all of them alone...and if King Trevor is involved, that means Andrew and Lady Caine have two armies at their disposal."

Varian felt his brain reeling before he realized what she meant. "You want me to get…?"

Despite everything that had happened in the last hour, she nodded with a hint of excitement, "It's time to bring Cassandra home."

Varian felt his heart pick up the pace at the mention of the older woman he hadn't seen in five years. It was odd that it had been so long since she wrote to him and even longer since he'd seen her, but his heart still raced at the mere thought of her and her gray-ish green eyes.

Just mentioning her name made his mind switch back to his 14-year-old self, who wanted so much to impress the raven beauty.

No other girl has ever made him feel like this. Sure, a few turned their heads to him, and he turned his head in return. But no one could ever fill the hole that was meant for…

He shook his head. He was twenty-one now, not some teenager with a silly crush. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He looked up at Rapunzel with determination and nodded. "You can count on me."

She smiled and hugged him, "I know...there is no one else I would trust to get her back," she said, causing Eugene to cough loudly, "Do you really think she'd listen to you?" Rapunzel teased.

"She might!"

"Ahuh, sure."

"Uh, guys? One small problem… " Varian rubbed the back of his neck, stressed by all this, "What do I do once I get there? I can't go to my lab. I can't go home. I-I can't risk my dad getting hurt, not again."

Eugene was the one to walk over to him this time and smiled at him, "Go find Lance, he will take you in and help you with whatever you need."

At the mention of Lance, Varian felt mixed feelings. On the one hand, it would be good to see him again, but on the other, he couldn't examine the stone there! Lance and the girls will get in the way!

"That's a good idea, Pascal!" Rapunzel looked at the Chamleon that sat on her shoulder, miming Varian.

"Varian," she looked up at her friend, "Once they realize you're gone, they will go after you."

"Yeah, and the blue streak in your hair is a bit of a big colorful sign saying, "Ooh! I'm right here! Look at me!" Eugene pointed out, "You're going to have to hide it."

Rapunzel let her eyes wander the room before spotting an old reddish-brown cloak.

It's not exactly a treasure, but it will do nicely with what she had planned. She walked over to the Alchemist and wrapped it around him, pulling the hood over his head and smiling when it perfectly covered his streak.

"Use the maps to get out. We'll distract them while you escape." She hugged him one last time before parting. "You got this, Varian. I believe in you." She said before taking Eugene's hand.

"See you soon, kid. Don't do anything I wouldn't, and if you do, make sure you look good while you're doing it." Eugene saluted him before pulling his wife and Pascal out of the room.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Varian mumbled to his animal friend as he stomped his foot, looking for the hatch that led him to the tunnels.

Ruddiger ran to an uneven board on the floor, causing Varian to laugh out of relief: "Thanks, buddy!"

He jumped when he heard banging on the door, which caused him to scoop up the raccoon in his arms before he could wander off.

He bent down and opened the hatch on the floor, "Destiny awaits," he mumbled before jumping into the darkness.

Chapter Text

It had been a few days since Varian left Corona, and news of Corona's Saporian Separatists attack traveled quickly. And like most news of a new power taking control by force, it caused people of the neighboring kingdoms to panic and fear that they were next.

Chaos filled the streets, and those who continued their everyday lives weren't too friendly to strangers who came to their towns and asked questions.

"Excuse me?" Varian asked a man in a green cloak and a golden badge with a bee carving on his chest.

The man turned around and looked at the shorter man with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, hi." Varian cleared his throat, "I was wondering if you knew anyone by the name of Cassandra? I know that name is on the common side, most popular in Greece, but maybe you know the one I'm looking for-."

"Who's asking?" A girl about a year younger than him came up behind the man, sporting a similar badge and long dark braids.

"A friend of hers." He said softly, tugging on the hood of his cloak. This young woman made shivers go down his spine with a single look. It was taking him off guard.

She narrowed her eyes and circled him. Her hand reached out and gave his cloak a slight tug. "Why are you covering your face, then?"

He took a deep breath, hoping he could trust them. "Because I'm from Corona. Queen Rapunzel sent me to find help."

The Deputy rolled her eyes at the name and looked at the Sheriff, wanting to know what he thought of the outsider.

The Sheriff stared at the young man before nodding. "Terrible thing that happened to Corona. Terrible," he finally spoke, tracing his badge thoughtfully with his finger. "I know which Cassandra you mean, boy. When she comes here, she usually goes over to Goat's Milk."

"Goat's Milk," Varian repeated before nodding. Thank you very much!" Varian shook the man's hand, grateful to finally have a lead.

He grabbed the reins of his horse and took off running down a random street, only to sheepishly come back a moment later. "Which...which way is that?" He asked, causing the Sheriff and Deputy to point with rolled eyes.

"Right...Thank you again!" He nodded and hopped on his horse to find the Tavern.

"What a strange kid, that one." The Sheriff told the Deputy, "Come along, Vex, we have criminals to stop."

--

Varian knew Cass used to come to Vardaros quite often on her travels. She said in her letters that she enjoyed the danger and thrill of the city. It was a town full of criminals, so she didn't feel like an outcast or have the looks of judgment thrown her way whenever she passed someone who knew what she did. This was a safe place and the perfect place to start his search.

Varian leaped off his horse, Eden, and patted her snout gently. "Cass, supposedly, comes here often when she's in town. Hopefully, we can find out where she is." He grabbed Ruddiger and sat him on Eden's back with a stern gaze. "This place isn't safe, so both of you will stay here out of trouble."

Ruddiger cocked his head at Varian before curling up on the horse's back to take a nap. Varian let out a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was to go looking for a missing raccoon.

He made sure the hood covered his face before entering the Tavern.

If he were expecting The Snuggly Duckling, he would have been wrong.

This was so much worse; the ruffians were taller, bigger, and had sharper, pointier weapons.

It made him want to turn around and hide, but he knew he needed to do this. He needed to find Cass so they could get to the Spire and save Corona.

He placed his hand on one of his Alchemy balls before moving it to the dagger his father had given him.

If he used Alchemy, it would give him away. He wasn't very comfortable with the dagger, but he at least knew how to use it, thanks to his father showing him.

Varian felt an ache in his chest as he thought of his father and home. Was everything alright? Was his father safe? He felt guilty leaving without saying goodbye, especially after all that had happened. He didn't want to miss any more time with his dad.

If he had his way, he and his dad would never be separated again, but fate favors keeping them apart. All Varian can do is hope to be home soon.

He looked around the Tavern, dodging darts, weapons, and big, sweaty men wrestling on top of tables until he got to a stool at the bar.

The Bartender was a muscular woman whose arms were covered in barbed wire, skulls, and daisies. Varian was surprised by the details of the tattoo, which were pretty well done.

"Your tattoos-." A stray dart flying into the bar beside his hand cut off Varian, causing him to jump back.

The Bartender narrowed her eyes at the dart and then at him before slamming her hands down onto the bar counter, leaning her face into his. "What do you want?"

Varian leaned back at the sudden intrusion of his personal space. He held his hands up in defense. "They are nice, well-detailed. The skulls look realistic…but I can't quite distinguish the red part?"

"That's blood," She looked him up and down before leaning back. She grabbed a mug of what looked like beer and slid it to Varian. "My daddy did them when I was younger. He was an artist." She bragged with pride.

"Well, he seemed to be a very good one." Varian took a sip of the drink and had to stop himself from wheezing from how strong it was. It wasn't his usual hot cocoa.

He set the mug down, subtly pushing it away from him, and leaned on the counter.

"I was wondering if you could help me." He leaned toward the Bartender, "I'm looking for an old friend. Apparently, she comes here often."

The woman on the other side of the bar looked around the Tavern and then back at Varian as if he were crazy, "Most of the people here never go home. Men, women, sometimes even children, take comfort in my Tavern."

"Yes, but this is someone who travels often...Cassandra," he said softly, observing the Bartender, hoping to see recognition.

The Bartender broke out in a wide grin, "Ah! 'Andra the Tundra! Yes, she's a regular when she's in town. She usually brings me some sort of trinket from the last place she explored. And fresh fruit! I tell you, that treat is a hit with my customers!" she exclaimed, fondly shaking her head, "What a fantastic woman."

Varian felt his face break out in a broad grin before he could help it. He was thankful that the hood covered his whole face, or he would have given himself away.

"Where can I find her?" He asked the woman, hoping that Cass wasn't too far away.

The woman's face went from happy to serious in a second, and she glared down at the young man. "Why should I tell you? You might be one of those crazy stalkers I've heard about that tail young women because they're sick in the head."

"What? No!"

"Ah, well, if you want to know more, Beatrice over there has experience." The Bartender pointed at a scary-looking woman in the corner, her face covered in bees.

Varian winced and shook his head, trying to get the woman back on topic. "Cass is an old friend, and I need her help." He spoke honestly: "I need her to help save my home."

The Bartender hummed in thought before smirking at the boy. "Drink a whole mug of my finest moonshine, and I will tell you where she is."

The Bartender pulled a brown growler from under her bar and poured the moonshine into a large mug. She tapped the bottom of the growler to emphasize that it was empty before pushing it over to Varian.

Varian felt like gagging from the mere smell of it. It had a strong alcohol scent with a mixture of heavy chemicals.

It smelled like that one time Ruddiger accidentally knocked over his Alchemy shelf, creating not only a horrible chemical reaction but a god-awful smell. It took weeks for his lab to be fully aired before he could return to work.

Varian looked at the drink disgustedly, not wanting to drink what gave off such an odor, before sighing. It was for Corona, for Rapunzel, and for Cass. Besides, it can't be any worse than what he drank before…right?

"You better write down where she is before I drink this." He told her, causing her to laugh at him and agree.

He took the mug and looked down at the clear liquid. He could have sworn it bubbled like it was boiling, but that could have been his mind playing tricks on him.

He realized that this wouldn't go very quickly if he just drank a few sips, so he took the mug and started to gulp it down.

His throat burned more than the time he was bedridden after spending all night in the snow after a horrible sledding accident as a child. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he forced himself to swallow. He could do this. He might not ever taste again, but he could do this.

"Good?" the Bartender asked, watching the poor man choke down the drink and laughing. "I made it myself. It's my special brew for the toughest men and to kill the cockroaches in the cellar."

The only thing Varian could do in reply was hold up his thumb until he finally set the empty mug down. "We had a deal?" He hiccuped, which caused the woman to laugh more.

"Alright, kid, you've earned it." She wrote down the instructions on how to get to Cass and slid them across the counter to him.

"Thank you." He slurred as he stuffed it in his pocket.

He got off the stool, but everything was swaying back and forth for him. It was as if he were on a ship and getting seasick.

He tried to walk to the door but couldn't walk in a straight line. He needed to leave and find Cassandra!

His head spun, and his stomach rumbled; he tried walking again, only to walk right into a big, intimidating man. He opened his mouth to apologize, only for vomit to splash out of his mouth and onto the man.

The man stood up in anger and looked down at him in disgust. "You are going to pay for that, little shrimp."

Varian tried to reply, but the room was spinning too much, and the man in front of him was suddenly three.

Was this how Shorty felt? No! It was more like the legend Xavier told him about the man with double vision who thought he was a duck, but, in the end, just needed glasses…

…what was he thinking about again?

He felt the man grab hold of his collar.

...Oh. Right.

The man pulled Varian's hood back and revealed his long dark hair, but most importantly, his streak.

The man smirked at the sight of it and nodded to his friends, "Look what we have here, fellas? The Saporians are looking for you. They might give a nice reward if we turn you in." He grinned wickedly at the young Alchemist.

The Bartender gasped when she saw the boy. This must have been the "Varian" Cass had told her about. She didn't feel this emotion often, but she felt guilty for making the young man drink her hard stuff. But she had to know if he was sincere and could be trusted.

She jumped over the counter and glared at the big man on the shoulder. "I have a rule about no one ratting each other out! You know this, Greg!" She cracked her knuckles. "Release him now, or you deal with me."

Greg looked at the Bartender and then the drunk kid in his hands before setting him down.

"You'll pay for this, little shrimp, mark my words." He glared at Varian before storming towards the washroom to clean up.

Varian tried to head to the door again, but stumbled. The Bartender grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Come on, kid, you're staying here for the night."

"But Cass…" he slurred his words together, following her regardless.

"... Isn't going anywhere anytime soon." She moved him to her private room in the back of the Tavern and let him lie on the bed. "Now you go sleep off the Moonshine."

"Thank you," Varian mumbled before letting darkness take over.

Chapter Text

Everything was dark, but it felt like he was floating, or was he falling?

It was hard to tell.

His eyes felt like they had heavyweights keeping them shut. No matter how much he tried, he could not open them.

His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath quickened in panic.

What was going on? Where was he?

He reached his arms out, flailing them around, searching for something to grab onto, but all he found was open air.

He opened his mouth to scream for help, but no sound left him. He was defenseless.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he landed on a hard surface, and his eyes finally opened. He took a deep, calming breath and slowly got to his feet.

He was okay, but where was he?

Big giant flowers loomed over him, and usually, he would be fascinated by them, but something felt off.

He turned and looked around at his surroundings and noticed that everything was void of color.

The flowers were muted pink and green, while the grass had taken on a grayish hue. Even the sky was dark gray and seemed to become darker and darker the more he looked at it.

Another strange thing was that it felt empty. No sound could be heard, not even the wind or the trickle of a river. The only sound he could hear was his own breath.

He swallowed nervously as he observed the eerie-looking plants. The flowers didn't even have a scent.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, when he heard a loud bird screech.

The noise filled his whole body with an icy terror. His feet took off, and he ran through the giant flower field without even realizing it.

He heard the screech again, causing him to run faster and faster.

As he ran, the flowers started to shrink, and trees took their place. The color was completely gone now, and the only thing left was darkness.

He tried to keep going, only to trip on a root. He looked up at the trees and could have sworn there were faces carved in them.

He scrambled to his feet again, but everything was completely black, and he didn't know where to go.

Suddenly, a light glowed over the forest. He reached up to his hair and realized it was coming from his streak.

Well, that's better than it turning into a snake, at least.

The light from his streak started off as a soft blue, but as he walked deeper into the forest, it grew brighter and became blinding white.

He closed his eyes when the light got too bright, but when the light faded, he found himself somewhere completely different.

This new land he found himself in was in contrast to the dark. It was colorful and bright, filled with different kinds of creatures flying and hopping around.

It even had the sweet scent of strawberries, and the breeze sang like a song.

This scared Varian even more.

His hand went to his streak, relieved to find it wasn't a snake.

Yet.

It's been years since he's been there, but he will never forget the horrors he experienced in the Lost Realm.

He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He had made it out of the dark and scary forest; he could get through this meadow of terror.

He glanced around and saw three paths with arrows pointing in different directions.

He approached the sign, hoping to know which way was which, but all the writing had faded away. Only a bit of chipped paint was left as proof words were once there.

He lacked facts and strategy. He needed to find a way home, but in a world without logic, how could he find a logical solution to escape?

"Think like Lance." He mumbled to himself. "Think like Lance."

He closed his eyes before picking at random and ran down the bright pink path.

He ran and ran, only to end up right where he began. He turned and ran down the green path, and the results were the same.

“Is this just a loop?!” He shouted into thin air. The only reply he got was his voice echoing back.

He felt tears of frustration and panic in the back of his eyes, but he quickly rubbed them away. He will get out of here.

He turned to the final path and approached it slowly.

This path was different; it was a sickly, orange-yellow color that looked strangely familiar.

It looked like it was initially a liquid that hardened to a solid, almost like ice, maybe even a crystal.

He bent down and knocked on it to confirm his suspicions. It was artificial.

It was very similar to the chemical reactions he'd dabbled in before—a little too similar.

He stood up and walked down the path, his eyes glued to the yellow road below his feet.

As he walked, he noticed different things inside the path: plants, animals, and even a hammer.

It reminded him of-

He let out a gasp and took a step back, no! It couldn't be!

He clenched his jaw and forced himself to look up. There, trapped inside an Amber, was all of the Kingdom of Corona.

The fast-spreading tree resin covered all the buildings, plants, and even the palace.

Walking closer to the kingdom, he saw the Coronans trapped, Uncle Monty, Atila, and even Xavier. But then, to his horror, he saw Rapunzel and Eugene trapped, hugging each other, with fear laced on their faces.

He shook his head and backed away, only to bump into one with Lance and the girls. His breathing became heavy, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

He turned to run away but saw Cassandra trapped and looking down at him with such hatred…Sadly, he’s seen that look in many nightmares before this one.

He couldn't forget when he accidentally trapped her in Amber five years ago. He will never forget the hint of betrayal in her eyes and the sneer of hatred.

He knew she forgave him; after all, it wasn't actually his fault, but he built it with the intention of trapping her. He never forgave himself for that.

He forced himself to turn away and go down the path he had come from, but was stopped again.

His father was in the middle of the road, trapped in Amber, just like he had been all those years ago.

"No! Dad!"

He ran to the stone in panic. This scene was familiar as he pounded on the hard substance with his fists. He fell to his knees and sobbed harder.

It was all his fault.

"Varian"

He was a monster

"Varian"

He was the one who should have been trapped.

"Varian"

Finally, he looked up at the sound of his name. But he didn't see anyone? He wiped his eyes and looked around.

"Varian."

He heard it again and slowly got on his feet. He looked around, looking for the source of the voice.

"Varian"

In a desperate need to find who was calling for him, he started to run in the direction of the voice.

"Varian!"

He didn't stop running; the closer he got to the voice, the more difficult it became to run.

He looked down and saw Amber sticking to his feet, trying to latch onto him. If he stopped, he would be trapped, too.

"Varian, come here."

He forced himself to keep going until he finally found himself in front of an old cottage. The wood was warped, and ivy grew around it, but something about it drew him to it.

He moved to grab the door handle, but he was too late. He looked down as he was slowly encased in the Amber, trapped like everyone else in the kingdom.

He tried to move, but he was trapped in place—forever frozen with the rest of the kingdom—as a large black cloud started to close in around his home.

“Varian,” the voice whispered again.

He looked up and saw Ruddiger watching him. He was about to call out for his friend when he heard a bird screech as the amber completely encased him.

"Varian...Stardust….”

--

He didn't know how long he had been asleep or even what day it was. All he knew was his head was killing him, and he never wanted to leave his bed again.

Why did people insist on doing this to themselves? It doesn't seem worth forcing down a throat-burning drink that turned you into an idiot.

He slowly opened his eyes and squinted at the light shining in his face with a groan—stupid sun.

He rubbed his aching head as his mind went back to his dream.

It's been a while since he had a nightmare so bad. It wasn't uncommon for him to have them, but this one felt different. Who was the voice that was calling for him?

He shook it off and rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them. It was just a dream, and he didn't have time to focus on whatever his subconscious was trying to tell him.

Moving slowly, he got himself out of bed and into a standing position.

Where was he? He looked around the room, not recognizing it. It's not his bedroom; he didn't remember checking into an inn last night.

He slowly walked over to the door and peeked out.

Oh, he was still in the Goat's Milk.

He returned to the room and remembered the events that had happened the night before. He was so embarrassed by his behavior. He was usually better than that.

He grabbed his cloak and put it on. Then he reached into his pocket and sighed in relief that the instructions to find Cass were still there.

He slipped the hood over his head and stepped into the surprisingly busy tavern. It seemed that business was active throughout the day.

"Ah! The Moonshine Menace has awoken!" The bartender grinned at him. "Have a good snooze?"

All he could get out was a "Yeah" and a shrug of his shoulders.

He cleared his throat and looked up at her, "Thank you for letting me spend the night." He finally could get out.

She shrugged, "Any pal of 'Andra's is a pal of mine!" She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, "Now let's get some food in you, Sweetpea."

"I'm Varian, by the way," he introduced himself to the lady who had been very kind to him.

"Louisa." She smiled at him, "But everyone calls me Lou."

"Nice to meet you, Lou." He murmured as he sat on the stool where she had a plate full of fruits and pastries sitting on the bar.

"You too, Varian." She grinned at him, "Also, if there is anything you need to help with the situation in Corona, you come to me, alright?" She lowered her voice and looked at him thoughtfully.

“Thank you,” He said quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear.

“It's only going to get worse. Rumor is that this Saporian takeover is going to spread. They are going to come here next.” Lou looked at him seriously, “You need to leave as soon as possible. If that Andrew gets more people under his power, he could take over all the seven kingdoms.”

Varian frowned, “If they're coming here, shouldn't I try and help? I'm pretty good when it comes to traps, plus…I'm kind of the Royal Engineer of Corona. I can make Vardaros a security system!”

“Varian!” the older woman snapped. “They already took Corona. Do you think we stand a chance even with some fancy gizmos?”

Varian's shoulders sagged as he realized she was right.

“You were told to find Cassandra, so that's what you should do. Us Vardarians are strong and stubborn. We will fight for what's ours. Vardaros has changed, and so have the people." As she said that, there was a sound of broken glass and yelling, "Well, most of us have. But regardless, we all like a good fight.”

"Now eat up and get out." She pushed the plate closer to him, “Take what you need for your journey.”

Varian felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude for the woman. Although she may look like she could crush you with her bare hands, her heart was soft and big.

Just then, the two fighting men turned into three, and one of the tables broke under the pressure.

“Oh! Now you're in for it, Greg!” She grabbed her club and moved over to the fight to try and break it up. "The Goat's Milk was a family place during the day; roughhousing was for later!"

Varian ducked when a boot flew towards him, causing him to wince from his aching head. He picked up an apple and took a bite.

"Okay, where are you, Cass?" He mumbled under his breath, looking at the note Lou had given him.

He rubbed his head with a groan; it was hard to focus with the splitting headache, but he had to find her.

He pulled out his map and created a route to find Cass. He knew this would be a long trip, but he was ready for the journey ahead.

He took another bite of his apple when he heard more commotion at the tavern's front door. His eyes widened when he saw Weasle there, his eyes shimmering the same blue as the rest of Andrew's minions.

He stood up quickly in fear as Greg, the large man whom he had accidentally vomited on the night before, laughed.

"I told you that you'd regret it, little Shrimp!" He laughed and pointed at him.

The Weasle gave a sinister smile and headed in his direction.

"Well, well, my boss will surely love to get his hands on you," the rodent-looking man sneered.

Before Varian could do anything, Lou and Beatrice ran at the Weasle and Greg.

"Varian, run!' Lou shouted as she put Weasle in a headlock.

"What about you?" He frowned

"We've dealt with worse," she smirked, hearing a crack from the smaller man in her arms, "Now go!"

Quickly gathering his things, he ran out the tavern's back door.

He panicked at first when he didn't see Eden or Ruddiger, but was relieved to see his two companions completely fine, resting on some hay by the Goat Milk's barn.

He tied his things to Eden quickly. All those years of learning different knots finally paid off. He mused as he coaxed the horse up. He climbed on, ensuring the squirming raccoon was in his arms, before giving the horse a gentle kick, leaving Vandaros.

Chapter Text

Legend says the Forest was once so vast that the Great Tree grew at its center—a centerpiece of all things mystical and wonderous.

However, when Zhan Tiri took control of the Tree, the magic was thrown out of whack. Dark energy consumed the forest, burning it to ash.

Only the part of the forest farthest from the tree was spared, but without the tree's magic to keep it controlled, the forest grew wild. Random portals started to pop out of nowhere throughout the forest, making it impossible to hike through, let alone to leave. It is said that some of the portals led to other words, other dimensions.

It is said that if you listen carefully, you can still hear the voices of those lost in the Forest, still looking for a way out. Looping in a constant portal, trapped forever.

It was a tale parents told their children about at night to make sure no one wandered off too far from the village. It was a classic fear technique that, if he were real, Flynnigan Rider would have a field day using.

Varian knew how strange and dangerous it was, but “magic portals to different dimensions” felt pretty far-fetched. Yes, he's done it before, but he used the powers of science to achieve that. How can a bunch of trees use magic? There's no scientific explanation.

The Forest of No Return, of course, got its name from the fact that no one had ever returned after going inside—well, except his Aunt Adira and his friends.

It was a quiet night when his friends told him the stories of their adventures outside the walls of Corona. The hot, rich chocolate slid down his throat as they munched on the sweet pastries made by Atila. Eugene told the stories with theatrics and over-exaggeration to seem more “exciting.” Lance, of course, took credit for each of their victories, while Rapunzel used her journal to go into great detail about what actually happened.

He admits he was envious at first, but after hearing their challenges, he was happy he sat that one out—even if it was in a jail cell.

Each of his friends faced a trial when going through the forest. Eugene had to learn to trust, Lance had to face his fear of Spiders, and Shorty had to…

Well, who really knows what Shorty's challenge was? He said something about his Uncle being a Tree? Random, but that's just Shorty. He doesn't seem to realize people aren't trees.

He learned from those stories that he probably wouldn't come out the same by going through the forest. Like his friends, he was probably going to face challenges, and knowing him, it would probably be something like “facing his inner darkness” or “accepting his past.”

The universe really liked to bring that backup. It was almost like someone was controlling him, writing a path out for him that he didn't want to take. He wanted to stay in the comfort of a familiar chapter in this book that was a metaphor for his life. He wanted to wave his fist at the nameless writer and scream, “Knock it off!”

Still, though, he was doing better; the darkness was overshadowed by the light of the positivity in his life. However, after that nightmare he had a week ago, he couldn't help but fear something terrible was going to happen.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He could do this. He had Ruddiger and Eden and his brain. Nothing can take that away from him.

All that is missing is the map that is supposed to help him navigate through the Forest of No Return, but he isn't worried. If his friends can get through the forest, then so can he!

Let him rephrase. If Lance can make it through, then he can too! He was sure he could figure out a way through with the power of alchemy!

Feeling confident, Varian nudged Eden toward what should have been the forest entrance.

"Where is the swamp that covered the entrance?" he mumbled. He looked around but saw nothing but vibrant, long meadows surrounding him.

It was kind of pretty. The bright, colorful flowers danced with the breeze as they passed through. The wind whistled, sounding like a melody to accompany the dancing vegetation.

Ruddiger jumped down and ran through the flowers. He moved to one pink flower and sniffed it, only to sneeze right after, causing Varian to laugh at his animal companion.

“Careful, buddy,” he called to his raccoon. He reached down and scooped him up into his arms when they got close. “This isn't the kind of place to run wild. It's dangerous.”

He felt Ruddiger jump onto his shoulders and wrap his tail around his neck to comfort him. He petted the raccoon's head gently and grabbed Eden's reins. "Here we go," he said.

"There's a journey ahead,"

He started to sing as they passed through the field. He rubbed his nose, trying to resist the urge to sneeze.

"To bring back the moon, she'll help us win the fight!"

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they crossed the meadow and were at the forest entrance.

Varian took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his nerves. His hand went to his belt to ensure he had all the necessary tools to travel through the forest.

"There's a journey ahead."

He sang again as they stared into the dark, mysterious forest. He licked his lips nervously before pushing his shoulders back; he could do this.

"We'll look to the glow to lead us through the night!"

He pulled the horse's reins again and guided her into the dark forest. He could feel her resist, but he gently soothed her, petting her mane.

He took a couple of his beakers from his bag and tied them to the end of a stick, hoping to use the chemical reactions as a light source.

He held it up in front of him and felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the name "Forest of No Return" written on the tree.

“Uncle Mort,” he chuckled to himself. He ran his hand over the warped and faded sign, glancing around to get his bearings.

"There's a journey ahead,"

He felt his breath leave him when he saw the entrance they had just gone through disappear completely.

He took out his compass, hoping it would help him find his way through the dark forest, but it wouldn't stop spinning. He tapped the glass, hoping to stop it, but it only spun faster.

He closed his eyes in frustration. There must be a strong magnetic pull under the ground's surface. That might be the reason for the forest’s constant movement and ground shifts.

"A long, dangerous journey."

He wished he had a map or some sort of guidance to follow. He looked up at the sky with a sigh; he couldn't even see where the sun was to know which direction to take.

"I must complete this big maze, or I'll be stuck here for days."

He sang, throwing his head up to look for any sign or direction to follow, but only saw trees. He narrowed his eyes in the dark, hoping to spot birds that might help lead him out, but he saw none.

"Please! I have a journey ahead!"

After thinking for a moment, he decided to listen to his gut and follow the one on the right. It was small but smooth, with few rocks or fallen trees to maneuver around.

Since his “rebellious teen phase,” as Eugene puts it, he tried to think things through before running headfirst into them.

When he was younger, his emotions got the best of him and turned him into a monster. He feared the monster was still lurking inside him, waiting to come out. He's scared of what he has done and what he is capable of doing.

"For so long I’ve been wandering,"

Eden jumped over a large blue flower with big, sharp-looking teeth that snapped right after she landed safely on the other side. He released a laugh of relief and patted Eden gently on the neck.

"Trying to find my way home,"

He lifted his staff and looked around the dark forest, feeling uneasy in the pit of his stomach as if he were being watched.

"But a voice deep inside just keeps mocking with snide."

He sang, moving his staff left and right, looking for any sign of a clearing or a way out.

"That I will always be alone."

Riding a little farther, he heard rushing water and turned Eden in that direction. He gently nudged her to encourage her to ride faster. Maybe they could follow the river to find a way out of there!

"In the way that I feel,"

He urged the horse to go faster, causing her to jump over vines and logs. Or at least he assumed they were vines and logs. He didn't want to dwell on it.

"In the way that I think,"

They were almost there! He could feel the air getting colder.

"I will always be turned away, a heart that is meant to sink.”

They went faster and faster. They were almost there when-

Nothing.

Nothing was there.

Ruddiger moved from his shoulders to sit on his head, looking around as if he could figure out where the river was, but he was just a raccoon. They don't do much.

Varian sighed and lifted the raccoon off his head before jumping down from Eden.

"Will I prove I belong? To have my face close to the sun?"

He set Ruddiger down on Eden's saddle before turning to look around the clearing. That feeling of being watched returned, causing his stomach to clench uneasily

"Sure, I'm no moon, but there are stars that shine too…"

He trailed off. The path they had just come from was gone, and he and his friends were lost. He bowed his head in frustration as he tried to think of a way to get out.

"With a kingdom to save, oh, how can I be brave?"

His bottom lip quivered. Varian felt overwhelmed after all that had happened in the last few weeks. He wanted to fall to his knees and cry.

Hopelessness filled his chest as he sang.

"With fear of who's alive or who's dead…"

His voice hitched as he sang, and tears began to slide down his cheeks. He looked up at the big, bushy trees that seemed to keep getting bigger and bigger the longer he stood there.

"There's a journey ahead."

Varian shouted in surprise as he and the rest of his companions fell into a land pit.

—

“Varian!"

His heart pounded as he saw the darkness approaching him at high speed.

"You can't keep hiding, Stardust!"

He tried to run, but the amber trapped him. A bird screeched in the distance, causing him to freeze in terror.

“Varian!”

He covered his head with his hands as the darkness consumed-

—

"Varian." He felt someone shake him, and he groggily let out a groan of annoyance.

His dream always ended in darkness, but why? What was it? It almost felt like an approaching storm, dark gray clouds with the center a never-ending black, but something in him knew it was more.

"Varian, son of Quirin." The voice shook him one last time before he pried his eyes open, only to be greeted by Adira's half-red face.

"Adira!" He leaped to his feet and opened his arms to hug the woman. He was so glad she found him, but he quickly remembered her touch aversion and let his arms fall to his sides.

"Wait, what?" he frowned, feeling something sticky and wet seeping into his clothes.

He touched it and brought it to his nose, only to turn and gag from the stench. It smelled like a rotting corpse or Shorty during “No Bath November.” But no matter how bad it smelled, Lou's Moonshine was still worse.

"Druips," Adira said, pointing above her. "They are carnivorous plants that grow at the highest part of the trees and then swing down on their long stems to gobble up their prey. You."

She walked over to the tree and carved a circle on it. “I wouldn't stay in the same spot too long if I were you.”

"What? But how? I was...what?" He frowned, feeling dazed and confused. He looked up at the seemingly innocent vines above them.

"Oh, you fell through a land pit and were instantly attacked. It had you in its mouth about to gobble you down, but I saved you." She turned to face him, "You're not plant food; you’re welcome."

"Oh, um, thank you." He scratched the back of his head only to wince when feeling the same slime on his head.

She took out her map and hummed to herself, "Alright. Follow me, Little Quirin."

"Wait. Shouldn't I get cleaned off first?" He gestured to himself, causing her to frown and shake her head.

"It's best not to waste any time." She walked over to one of Varian’s bags attached to Eden and peeked inside, “Besides, the Druips won't attack you again if you are covered in their bulb’s mucus.”

“Charming.”

She looked up at the trees again and closed her eyes. "The forest has changed; it's more dangerous." She turned to look at Varian again. "Which means you were stupid to come here alone." She shook her head. "Fortunately, I found you, so I can take you out of the Forest of No Return."

“I’m not alone; I have Eden and Ruddiger,” Varian said, grabbing the reins of his horse as the older woman started to walk through the forest.

She hummed and looked at his animal companions thoughtfully, “True, but neither can read a map, can they?”

“Well, no, but-”

“I rest my case,” Adira said, taking out a new map of the forest.

“Wait, I thought that was lost?” Varian frowned at it

“I was given another.”

“By who?” Varian asked, following her as they started to walk.

“Friends”

“What “friends?” Varian asked, confused.

“I don't appreciate the rudeness, little Quirn,” she frowns, looking down at her map, “I have friends, people like me. I'm very likable.”

“I never said you weren't…”

“Great!” She smiled as she made a sharp left turn, “Onwards!”

---

It was surprisingly quiet as they walked.

Now and then, Adira would stop him and point him in a new direction, but unlike how she usually acted, she stayed primarily silent. She didn’t even retell how she defeated the Druips and saved his life. He was worried.

"So, Adira…" he started, watching the woman before him. "How is the Dark Kingdom doing?"

"Very well. King Edmund is slowly rebuilding the kingdom, and the citizens are slowly returning." She cut a vine with her sword, stopped in her tracks, looked down at her map, and went in a different direction.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, shifting his bag on his shoulder. "You seem quiet."

She eyed him momentarily before speaking, "I'm waiting."

"For what?" He frowned in confusion, causing her to roll her eyes and walk down the new path the map told her to follow.

He fidgeted with his bag strap and sighed, "Corona was overthrown." He kicked a stone, only to jump back when it hissed at him.

"I know this."

He nodded and swallowed hard, "I'm nervous about what will happen when I return...What I will find." He finally voiced out loud, swallowing hard. "What everyone will think of me…"

"Is that why you broke out in song?" She turned to look at Varian, "You have a nice voice." She complimented, "I, too, have a nice voice, but I have bronchitis, and I don't sing my feelings.”

He chuckled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed that she heard that. He shrugged, "It's a Corona thing."

She stopped and pulled Varian away from a purple bush with green flowers. "Wahrheitsblume." She pointed at it, "The Truth Flower. If you are close to it, you must tell the truth with or without your consent."

"Oh! I heard about this! It is the main ingredient for my truth serum, and it is incredibly hard to harvest." He leaned down closer to the flower, his excitement growing. "I caused chaos with it, and I haven't been able to recover from the guilt since." He covered his mouth quickly, shocked by the plant's effect.

Adira looked at the young man and grabbed Eden's reins from him. She touched his shoulder and pushed him away from the plant.

After a few minutes, the awkwardness subsided, and he looked at Adira. "I'm sure you are wondering why I'm here."

"Not really." She looked down at him, "I know what happened because your father asked me to watch out for you. He was worried, especially when Old Corona was attacked."

Varian stopped in his tracks, his breathing getting heavier as he realized that they had taken not only Corona but also his village, his home.

"Is...is he okay?" He asked, a tremble in his voice. If something happened to his dad...well, there was nothing that could stop him from killing Andrew. People still saw him as the dark, former villain? Fine, then they shouldn't be surprised if the monster takes over--

Adira grabbed his arm and yanked him away from a black flower with thick red thorns. These flowers tend to amplify fear, guilt, and negative emotions, and from the look on the young man's face, she knew it was best if he stayed away from them.

"Your father has been captured. Since you were gone, he was the only one who knew how to craft those water tanks of yours." She walked ahead of him, her hands behind her back. "That is why King Blonde Beard agreed to Manbun's plan."

"He wanted my tanks?" Surprised and a little flattered that a king wanted to go to war over hot running water, he was also disgusted that they took his dad.

She nodded, "In exchange, the Saporians have access to his army and armory." She stopped and turned to face him suddenly, causing him to stumble back. "They may be the face of this fight, but something more dark and evil is pulling the strings of this attack. Let out all your feelings now because you don't want them to weigh you down when it is time to face your destiny."

Adira turned from him, pulled back a wall of vines, and showed the missing swamp.

Varian moved forward, eyeing the now rotten tree across the swamp like a bridge. He was about to ask if they had to cross it when Adira removed her sword and chopped down a new tree beside it.

"Adira…" he trailed off and then looked up at her, "Will you help me fight to set Corona free?"

"That is what I was waiting for." She turned to him and smiled proudly, "And yes."

He broke out in a grin and helped Eden and Ruddiger onto the makeshift bridge. "Thank you, Adira."

"I know. I'm awesome. Go me!" she cheered. "Now, when you see her, tell Short Hair. "I said, "Hi!"

“Wait, you're not coming with us?” Varian frowned

“No, the path to your destiny does not intertwine with mine just yet,” she said cryptically. "But worry not, young Varian; we will meet again.” She looks down at her map and then back at him, "soon."

Varian watched as the woman backed into the darkened forest.

His aunt was sure…something.

He climbed onto the giant tree and started to cross with his companions. Each step he took brought him closer to finding Cassandra and saving his home.

“Don't worry, Dad,” he whispered to the wind, “I'll find a way to save you,”

He looked down at his now normal working compass and nudged his horse North.

“There’s a Journey ahead…”