Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Varian let out a soft sigh as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Ruddiger stood on his shoulder, holding a wrench in his paw. It had been a long two years, he had to admit, but his work had paid off. Several months ago, he was able to finally finish installing water heaters all over Corona. They were stable. They didn't blow up in his face, and thankfully, anybody else's either. After doing some calculations, he found that they were practically perfect. Of course, he'd have to check up on them every couple of years to make sure they were functioning properly—but he could always tweak them a bit to make that period of time longer.

 He didn't know how to feel about the fame that came with being the youngest royal engineer in the seven kingdoms—or the first person to successfully bring hot running water to one of them. The first time his dad told him he'd been in the newspaper, he was shocked. He didn't like to be perceived, and he didn't like that people could form opinions on him. But he'd yet to see anything negative come up with his name, so that was a huge relief.

 He packed up his tools and stood from where he had been sat. He had just installed an automated sprinkler system into one of his neighbor's crop fields. It was an elderly woman who had recently become widowed. She wanted to keep up her husband's crops, but watering them every day was becoming a huge challenge for her. 

 He heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see the kind smile of the woman, "Thank you so much, dear" she told him. Her hands shook as she reached one up to place on his shoulder. Her body trembled as she walked, and her steps were slow, even with her walker. One with wheels, that Varian had made for her. She told him once that it was a lot easier to get around with than her cane.

 His face lit up with a smile, though he felt his heart swelling within his chest. He knew she didn't have much time left, like her late husband. But if this made her happy? Varian didn't mind spending time with her, or working on small projects that would make the end of her life a bit easier, "it's no problem at all, Mrs. Minnie! Your husband took such good care of them. The fruits are already showing. The tomatoes are going to be huge." 

 She laughed with him as he made an overdramatic motion with his arms, "Oh, he always took such pride in his tomatoes" she told him, a fond look in her eyes.

 Varian smiled, "you've also been doing a wonderful job with them."

 She smiled brightly, "I haven't killed them yet! Let's hope they turn out under my care."

 "I'm sure they will" he told her, "just let me know if you ever need help with anything. And not just from your garden. I can whip up a mean ham sandwich" he joked.

 She let out a laugh, "Oh, you! Some things never change. I remember babysitting you as a youngling. Ran out of ham one time and tried to use turkey. That's a day i'll never forget."

 "Well, ham is superior!" He let out a genuine laugh. He felt his heart ache as he walked her back to her home. She really was just alone. He knew that her children were going to visit her soon. But they were all grown and had lives of their own to live. He just hoped they'd be willing to stay with her for a while—the time she had left was limited. But he was going to make sure her husband's fields stayed. That his legacy would continue through the community.

People came and went all the time. But the legacy they left behind, the impact they had on those around them, it lingered forever, whether good or bad.

——————————————————————

 These days, Varian was better. Sure, he still had his trauma. He still had his triggers, but he had gotten the help he needed and been able to talk about the things that bothered him the most. He'd had a pretty boring life after recovery, on the account that nobody trusted him to not randomly drop dead and die. 

 So, when Varian said he wanted his eighteenth birthday to be an interesting day for once, this was not what he had in mind. But here he was, blindfolded only god knows where, with two pairs of hands carrying him away. He tried to calm his heart, to stop it from beating so fast. He would be screaming if it weren't for the gag in his mouth.

 He wasn't on their shoulders for long. He kicked and thrashed for a bit, but he was put down after a few minutes, and his blindfold was taken off, the gag ripped from his mouth. But it was still pitch black, and he cried out, immediately getting in a defensive stance—one that Adira and Hector had taught him during their many visits.

"Wh—where am I?—"

"SUPRISE!" A group of voices shouted in unison as the lights were flipped on. Varian let out a scream that they didn't even know a boy could be capable of. 

 "What—oh, oh my sun" Varian cried, his entire body shaking. He placed a hand over his heart, "what, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the hell was that?!"

 Adira let out a laugh, "the sundrop tasked me and Hector with getting you here. Also, your form for that stance was perfect. I can tell you've been practicing."

 Varian blushed at the praise, but focused more on being angry, "Why would they do that?! You all know they have a history of kidnapping me!" He cried, "I don't even think I screamed that loud when the guards would thrash me within an inch of my life!"

 "Woah now!" Lance exclaimed, "that was uncalled for."

 "Yeah, no need to be a party pooper" Cassandra said with a frown.

 "Let me emphasize—I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GETTING KIDNAPPED!" He yelled, "the last time i got kidnapped, I was raped and beaten by my abusers, who in the seven kingdoms thought that this was a good idea?!" Varian couldn't say that he was actually mad. Getting kidnapped was a staple in his life at this point. But, it was funny to guilt trip the adults. Maybe dropping the rape bomb on his birthday wasn't the best idea. Especially in front of Rapunzel, just thinking about it could easily reduce her to tears.

 "Oh, shit..." Cassandra muttered, "we did not think of that."

 "Whoops. Trauma O'clock" Eugene said sheepishly.

 Rapunzel frowned, "I'm so sorry, Varian, I can't believe I didn't think of all the bad memories this would bring up—"

 "Okay!" Varian interrupted before Rapunzel could pin all the blame onto herself, "sorry for being a downer. It's fine, guys—I shouldn’t have said that, it was in poor taste. Moving on—why was I even kidnapped anyway?" He thought for a moment, "Stop kidnapping me!"

 "We kidnapped you with good intentions this time!" Hector exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Varian. He gave into the hug instantly.

Lance ruined it, of course, with a loud "aweee!" 

So, Varian decided to push away from Hector and pretend to be bratty again, "This is so unfair!" Varian cried jokingly, stomping his foot. Except his foot went right through the floor boards.

 "Ha! Good job, hairstripe. Just imagine your father finishing the final touches on your birthday cake, slaving away in the kitchen, only to find that his son is destroying the house."

 "I didn't mean to! I was being dramatic—wait. My dad is baking? Sun have mercy, we're all doomed!" Varian cried, "wait it's actually my birthday?!"

 "I heard that!" Quirin chimed in from the kitchen.

 "That's what you choose to focus on?!" Varian cried, taking his foot out of the hole to examine it, "darn, I can't believe I did that."

 "He said it!" Cassandra yelled.

 "He actually said it!" Eugene cried with glee.

 "What?!" Varian asked as he bent down to examine the hole he'd made. Huh. That wood shouldn't have broken so easily. Wait, did he see something down there...?

 "Darn!" Both of them snickered in unison.

"He really is just a little country boy" Lance chuckled.

 Rapunzel rolled her eyes, "okay, leave the boy alone, it's his birthday—Varian! What are you doing?!"

 Everybody whipped their heads over towards the boy to find him tearing up the floorboards.

 "Varian!" Hector hissed, "your father will have our heads for allowing you to do this."

 "I'll fix it" Varian muttered, not even registering the conversation as he stared, wide eyed at a book—journal? Underneath the floor boards.

 The book was hard-covered, and completely coated with grey fuzz. It was huge. He used his gloved hands to swipe the thick layer of dust off, fully dropping to his knees as he read the name engraved on the hard-leather cover. He let out a shaky breath.

Ulla

 He dropped it back into the hole, his shoulders tensing as a cloud of dust rose around him. That was his mother's name. A million thoughts began to run through his mind. One kept rising above the rest: why was it hidden? Why—why was his dad hiding it from him?

"Kid? What is it?" Naturally, Eugene was the first one by his side, a strong hand on his shoulder.

 "Mom?" Varian whispered. Adira and Hector whipped their heads over, and everyone gathered closer around. He picked up the book again with reverence. Afraid that if he held it too tightly, it would just wither away. He did a quick flip through the book and sure enough, it was filled to the brim with notes, scribblings, drawings—everything. 

 The first page read: The Seven Trials. Key to the Eternal Library.

 And it was in her handwriting. A rush of excitement coursed through his veins. This was his chance to figure out more about his mother! After reaching elbow-deep into the hole, he found a few more journals. However, they were smaller and more like notebooks than anything. They seemed to be filled with ramblings, equations, and recipes for alchemy.  

 He skimmed the first few pages of the larger book. That one was like a map, fully loaded with instructions. This was—it was like directions, to seven different 'trials' as Ulla called them. What was so special about the library, though? He wanted nothing more than to hole himself up in his room and read the entire thing.

 "Varian? I heard a whole lot of nothing and decided to come check up on you—is everything okay?" Quirin asked.

 His son was on his knees on the floor, his back facing him.

 Slowly, Varian stood up, "Dad?" He whispered, before turning to him, "what is this?" He held the large book in his arms? Hugging it to his chest. Between his arms, the large, printed name of his late wife was visible.

 Quirin's eyes widened as soon as he saw the floorboards. His fear was confirmed when he saw the large book in Varian's arms.

 "Varian. Put it down. You don't need to read that. I—I never wanted you to see that" he said quickly, "give it to me. You were never supposed to—I should have gotten rid of that years ago."

 "What?! No, what are you talking about—what are you going to do to it?" Varian hugged it closer. He hated disobeying his father. It was actually a rare sight, to see him disagree or fight back on something he deemed unfair. Quirin initially thought that’d be a good thing, but after a while it just felt more sad than anything. It was something Varian was trying to work through with his therapist. It was still sort of a trauma response. Saying no, or arguing usually led him to get hurt back when he was in prison. But this? This was important to him. This could change his life.

 "What I should have a long time ago—I should have burned the damn thing when that awful woman your mother called a friend returned it to me" Quirin said coldly, "Ulla got herself killed chasing that legend. Her research partner came back with scars from a battle i'm sure she shared with your mother. I can't prove it, but she always felt sketchy—I'm not letting you do the same."

 The rest of the gang stood back. Oh, shit. They were getting some serious lore. A mysterious journal from Varian's mother's past?  This was awesome.

 Rapunzel, of course had to ruin everything.

 "Um, would you like us to give you some privacy?" She questioned.

 Everybody else gave her a what the hell is wrong with you look.

 Quirin took a deep breath, "yes, princess, I think that would be for the best. Thank you" he offered her a kind smile.

 "Great! We'll go give Prometheus a bath while you two talk it out!" She smiled.

 "Oh, princess, you don't have to do that—"

 "Oh, nonsense! You've shown us so much hospitality, we can handle the sweet donkey! We'll be outside if  you need us!"

 With that, Rapunzel dragged Cass, Lance and Eugene out. Adira and Hector followed, albeit begrudgingly.

 As soon as the door was shut behind them, Varian backed away from his father, "what's in the book? Why can't I read it, what's happening? You can't just burn her life's work! You can't just destroy her legacy!"

 "I never wanted you to see that sun forsaken book. You are her legacy, and I don’t need you to destroy yourself over this. Give it to me, now" he ordered, "I should have burned it the second you started taking an interest in alchemy."

 "No! If this was mom's then—then I have to know about it!" Varian cried.

 "I can tell you all you need to know! She got killed chasing some—some fantasy!" He cried, attempting to snatch the book from his son's hands, but the kid was quick and sneaky.

"Dad, stop, will you just talk to me?! This journal, it—it—" he stammered.

 "It was your mother's life work, Varian—"

"And you were just going to burn it?! The seven trials, what is that? I have to—I have to do this, I have to go—go find the Eternal Library, I—

"You aren't going" Quirin told him seriously.

"Dad, come on! Her life's work?! Give me one good reason why—"

"Because, Varian, it killed your mother!" Quirin snapped, his voice booming. Ruddiger chittered and hid behind Varian, whose shoulders tensed. But he didn’t flinch. No matter how upset his father appeared, Varian knew with 100% certainty that he would never hurt him.

“This quest, this hopeless mission, it—it's been a weight on my chest that i've kept to myself for years. Like a curse that's poisoned my entire life. Your mother, she died for this, Varian. She never came back. Her research partner, she...she returned the journal to me and told me that Ulla hadn't made it!"

Quirin was left breathless from the pure emotion that had overtaken his voice. Varian was silent in shock, but only for a few seconds. "How—how did she die?" Varian asked, his voice a mere whisper.

 "I don't know." Quirin replied after a pause, "And that's the worst part. I have high suspicions, though, that her partner, Donella, murdered her. They made it to the end. Finished the trials. The legend, it—I think it was real. The end of this book was written moments before she died. She scribbled in a note that it had worked, but they both had different views on how the library should be used."

 "What do you mean?" Varian questioned.

"She didn't write any specifics. But I think Donella double crossed her at the last second to keep the loot to herself, or something similar. I never liked her, she always seemed shady, and now, she has a reputation as a criminal. She has a whole army of goons." Quirin said, "your mother and her, they were research partners and best or friends for a long while before the journey. I—I don't know if the library killed her. If it was too much power for a mortal. I don't know if she and her partner fought. I never got that closure."

 Varian was quiet for a few seconds, before he set the book down and wrapped his arms around his father, "i'm sorry, dad."

 Quirin sighed through his nose, "i'm okay, Varian, i've come to terms with what happened. I just can't lose you, too."

 Varian pulled away, biting his lip before he spoke again, "Dad, I—I have to do this. If there's any chance that I can find out what really happened to mom, I should take it! And aside from that—" he opened the book and began scanning over it, "these are trials that unlock seven separate totems to a small scale Demanitus Device! It has to be real, we of all people know that Demanitus isn't just some crazy scientist, his works aren't just some legend! And look!" He flipped the book pages, "you're right, she found it. She unlocked the last trial! She could have died in the library, she—this place, it could have all the answers!"

 "Varian, can't you see? The reason that I never wanted you to persue alchemy was because of your mother. Because she died for it" Quirin sighed. But he knew that Varian wasn't going to give in so easily, "what am I supposed to do, Varian? Let you travel across the seven kingdoms, all on your own? You've never been outside of Corona before! You're so young, for sun's sake! You've just turned 18 today! You don't know anything about navigation, or—or—"

 "Dad, I can get a compass and a map, and—and it's not like i'm leaving today! You could teach me these things, I can learn everything I need to, and maybe on the way, I can find some nice people who would be willing to help! This is something that I know I have to do" he pleaded. 

 Quirin could never say no to Ulla's puppy dog eyes. To that face filled with passion and determination. It seemed as though Varian inherited those same eyes. 

 But Quirin was not going to make the same mistake. He wouldn't send Varian off on some crazy mission across the seven kingdoms—not without everything he needed. With Ulla, he had let her go with nothing more than a kiss goodbye. A promise that they'd see each other again.

 "You...." Quirin sighed, "alright. But, you should probably speak to Xavier if this has anything to do with a legend."

 Varian looked up at his father in complete and utter disbelief. He hadnt expected that to work. To say he was shocked was an understatement.

 Quirin ran a hand down his face, "you can go, son. But you have to promise to keep in touch, and please be safe."

 Varian's eyes lit up, "thank you so much, dad!" He hugged him tightly, "don't worry. I'm not going to have some—some crazy research partner who's going to double cross me at the last second" he chuckled.

 "You can take Prometheus with you. And...and in the journal your mother has charted maps of where exactly in the kingdom those totems should be. But they're called trials for a reason. You're going to have to earn them" Quirin said.

 Varian hugged the book to his chest, "thank you, dad."

 "Don't die and make me regret this decision" Quirin breathed, bringing his son in for a hug. He kissed the top of his head and held him close.

 Varian could see his father's tears as he was pulled back from the hug, but didn't comment on them. Instead, he just smiled and reassured his father that he would be okay. 

 Varian could only count the amount of times his dad had gotten so emotional on one hand. Usually, Quirin was a very cut and dry person, never very easy to read.

 Ever since the whole amber and Varian almost dying in prison situation, he had warmed up to allowing his emotions to show. He was certainly much more friendly and open.

 Though it was a weird adjustment, Varian had to admit that it was a welcomed change. 

"Just you wait until the other's hear about this" Quirin smirked, "you'll be in for it."

"Oh no" Varian groaned.

————————————————————

 When they welcomed everybody back inside, Varian only got out one sentence before Rapunzel was screaming.

 "My baby brother is leaving?! Quirin, how could you let this happen?" She demanded, before abandoning her question in favor of practically attacking Varian, she scooped him up and looked him in the eyes, "what about magic hair twins?! What about alchemy buddies?!"

 "Forget that, what about team awesome?!" Eugene cried, "Varian, kid—i'm going to miss you! You can't go!"

 Cassandra frowned, "whose gonna help me do the laundry now?" Rapunzel elbowed her, "ow! I was kidding!"

 Lance shook his head, "I won't allow this."

 "Guys, come on! Let me explain myself!" Varian cried.

 "You'll be lonely. No friends going with you?" Hector asked, "don't kids these days need friendship?"

 "Come on, the first fourteen years of my life I had no friends, i'm used to being alone" Varian said off-handedly.

 "Stop making everything sad all the time!" Cassandra chastised, "it's sad enough that you're leaving! Why are you even going?!"

 "If you guys would all be quiet for a moment, and just let me explain, then you'd know!" He snapped, "look, the thought of leaving home, I have to admit, is kind of scary. There are still people out there who hate me. Probably want me dead, and I—well, I don't care. This journal, these trials—they were my mother's legacy."

 "Varian, it doesn't have to be yours" Rapunzel told him, "what if it turns out that—that there's nothing?"

 "Then i'll know. And that's worth a lot more than you can imagine" Varian said, "If there's really something out there that she searched for and cared about so much, then I want to find what she died searching for" Varian told them, "and if it turns out there's nothing? I'll at least know, and not drown myself in the what if's."

"Varian, are you sure? That you—you want to make a journey like this?" Cassandra asked.

 "I am. Seven trials. Seven kingdoms. Corona is the last kingdom on the list. I'm basically just going in a huge, complex circle. It'll wrap around, by the looks of it. So I guess i'll open the library here, if it's true. I'll talk to Xavier about it" Varian said. 

Quirin's heart clenched in his chest. He hated to think that Ulla died so close to home. So close, but her body was never recovered. It didn't make any sense.

 "I can already hear his rants—the legend of the Eternal Library" Cassandra mocked with a smirk.

 "Hey, Xavier has a lot of knowledge in that old head of his" Rapunzel said.

 "Please don't leave me" Lance pouted.

 "You'll have your hands full with Angry and Red" Varian chuckled, "you won't even notice i'm gone."

 "Um, if your water heaters break down we certainly will!" Eugene cried, "you're Corona's royal engineer, what will we do without you?"

"I think you'll last a couple months without hot water" Varian said dryly, "and trust me. They aren't going to break down."

 "If you're certain that you want to do this...I won't hold you back" Rapunzel told him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm certain. I have to know what exactly she died for" he bit his lip, "what she left me for."

"There he goes, making things sad again" Adira commented.

 "He has a knack for that" Hector said, "well, since we have to get back to Edmund eventually, we'll race ya to the dark kingdom, kid. Since you have to make so many stops, we'll give you a head start."

 Varian rolled his eyes, "Adira would find a way to make the trip in like, four days. Still unfair no matter how many advantages i'll have."

 Varian chuckled when he noticed that Lance was holding his hand and Rapunzel was hugging him tightly, "shouldn't take longer than a year, guys. I'll be back in your hair before you know it."

 "You'd better!" Rapunzel said, wiping a tear from her eye.

 "You act like i'm leaving today! I have to pack and prepare, and study the journals so I know just what i'm getting myself into—honestly, you're all so dramatic. For today, i'm just gonna put this thing away, fix the hole in the floor, and hang out with my family. I'm eighteen, someone get me a beer."

 "The drinking age is twenty-one" Eugene commented.

 "You've been downing whiskey since you were like, seven" Lance smirked.

 "I think I've had enough traumatizing life experience to earn a drink" Varian said.

"Yeah, I think he deserves one" Cassandra said, grinning at Adira.

 Adira nodded, "yes. I agree."

 "We have the crowned princess of Corona in the room with us, can't you make it legal for the day?" Hector asked.

 Rapunzel looked to Quirin for help, but the man only smirked, "Oh, what's the worst that could happen?"

Before Lance could run off and grab a beer, Varian began to disagree, "Nooo! Guys I was kidding! I have to save that milestone for twenty-one. Me and dad are gonna hit up the snuggly duckling" he said seriously.

"I've seen you high off sleeping pills. I do not want to see you drunk" Quirin joked.

 "I actually don't want to see him drink anything to he honest. Unhealthy coping mechanism" Cassandra said.

"On second thought, I think a drink or two is in order. Just to make Cassandra mad" Varian said, smirking as Eugene laughed. He certainly would miss his family, once he left. But he just wouldn't be able to live with himself if he missed out on learning the truth about his mother. And it wasn't just for him—it was for his father.

 The man who, even after over two decades, never remarried. The man who above all else deserved closure. Deserved to know the reason his wife wasn't able to make it home. He was ready to get the answers. Ready as he'd ever be.

Chapter Text

Varian wasn't sure what to think when the day he was both dreading and excited for was approaching. The day where he would leave the only home he'd ever known, and journey around the seven kingdoms. It was certainly scary, and his anxiety was spiking high, but he was sure that it was all for a good cause. He felt a rush of excitement amidst all the doubts.

 He knew he'd miss his family dearly, but he also knew that if he stayed and gave up on the idea of finishing his mother's work, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Countless possibilities of what could have been would run through his mind. If he didn't go, he would regret it.

 The journals weren't necessarily connected. The smaller ones were more like prototypes. Just vague ideas that were expressed completely in the larger journal. They were filled with scribblings and ramblings about her journey. Almost like a diary. Varian learned a lot about his mother's personality, and about her research partner. They seemed to have a lot of good adventures and memories together. Varian couldn't imagine how his dad cane to the conclusion that she was betrayed by the woman. At least from how his mother told the story, they were best friends. They were very close.

While the larger one was more professional, he could still feel his mother's bright personality within the words, like her warmth was seeping from within the pages. 

Although his father had told him he could go, Varian could tell that his heart wasn't in that answer. He was half-concerned that he would end up changing his mind and forbid him from leaving, so he tried not to talk about the topic much around him, despite how excited he was as he planned his journey. 

 The months leading up to his departure he made sure to do everything that was expected of him: eat well, balance work and social life, and better his sleep schedule. He had set a strict 10 o'clock bed time and didn't allow himself to sleep in past 9am. Unsurprisingly, he found that his mental health benefited from the changes. It became habit for him, after a while, and he'd allow himself some leeway for staying up later to cause mischief with Rapunzel, and sleeping in later if he didn't have much to do.

 The only thing that he felt was keeping him in Corona, making him want to stay just a bit longer wasn't even his family and friends, although he loved them dearly and would miss them with all his heart. What was making him reluctant to leave was Mrs. Minnie. 

 Varian wouldn't say that she was dependent on him. But she expected him to come to her house nearly every day, not that it was a burden on him at all, he enjoyed it. Whether it was to cook or clean for her, tend to her late husband's crops, or even just talk to her—she loved hearing about and seeing demonstrations of his latest inventions—he felt that it was an important part of her day, and he didn't want to mess with that routine.  

 His whole life, she had been almost motherly towards him. At first a babysitter, then a neighbor, and now a friend. But she treated him with such fondest, and talked to him with a kindness that he could only associate with a mom.  She was growing older—even when Varian was a baby, she had been old. Older than his father was now. He would hate to leave her for so long, and he didn't like to think about how there was a very high possibility that she could pass away while he was gone. 

 Varian pressed his palms against his eyes. Don't cry. The doctors said she's healthy. They said her condition is stable. He let out a shaky breath. Before he left he was going to make sure to visit as often as he could, and once he was gone he would invest in getting the woman her very own communication bird that'd send letters back and forth between the two. One thing about her was that she loved to write letters. She didn't receive many these days.

 The day was coming up. His maps were planned, and he had a pretty good idea of what he'd be doing for the trials He had spent countless early mornings doing research (and maybe testing out all of his mother's alchemy recipes...ones his dad had told him were a bit dangerous) and had gone to Xavier more times than he could count. The man had been very helpful with his planning, and giving him all the knowledge he could be missing about the Eternal Library.

The first time he'd gone to Xavier had been the very next day after he found the journals.

 "The legend of the eternal library" Xavier breathed, picking up Ulla's journal from Varian's hands, "your mother...she actually found all of the items? A way to open it?"

  Varian smiled, his whole body filling with a rush of excitement, because it was real, it wasn't just some hopeless legend, his mother didn't die for nothing, "I've spent the past two weeks reading her journals, it seems like she must have opened it."

 Xavier nodded, briefly flipping through the pages and scanning the journal's contents, "your mother was certainly a bright woman. She obviously knew what she was talking about."

 "So..." Varian began, beaming with joy, "it'll be worth the journey."

 "Certainly. The seven kingdoms all have seven separate items—your mother called them totems in this journal. The totems are all separate pieces of a model of the Demanitus Device. When you complete the trial's scientific task, you are rewarded with a totem. Using what you've learned, you must rebuild the small scale version of the device to open the library."

 "Of course it all ties into Demanitus somehow" Varian said, rolling his eyes.

 Xavier laughed, "they always do, in your case. What an exciting journey that awaits you!"

 They talked some more, before Xavier sent Varian off with the knowledge of everything he knew about the seven trials and Eternal library, and even gave Varian some books and scrolls on the subject matter.

 "This will be a huge adventure, Varian" Xavier had told him, "I have the faith that this will all workout in your favor. Be sure to tell me all about it when you get back!"

When you get back Varian thought, not if. Xavier already had faith that he wouldn't die on this mission. He wished his father had the same mindset. 

 But Varian understood. When you lose someone who was so important to you, it must be hard to allow your own son to go off and do the very same thing that got them killed.

  This wouldn't be like what happened with his mother. His mother was stabbed in the back at the last second by someone she thought she could trust. 

 That wasn't going to happen with Varian.

—————————————————————————

 "Double checking everything?" Rapunzel asked from behind Varian. He jumped at her voice from where he was standing with a list in his hand, over the wagon Prometheus was attached to.

 "Quadruple checking, actually" Cassandra answered for him.

 "Actually, if he hasn't left the wagon since he got out here, it technically counts as only one time" Lance chimed in.

"Oh, come on! I'm just worried i'll forget something!" Varian cried, 'it's not like I can just turn around and come back. Because then i'll want to stay' he added in his head.

 "You made a list. In alphabetical order, and you've checked every box at least six thousand times. What could you possibly be forgetting?" Hector asked.

"You never know what i'll need for these trials! There are seven!"

 "How are you possibly going to do seven trials when you couldn't even handle one?" Eugene joked.

 "Knowing your level of intelligence," Varian began, "I'm actually almost afraid to believe that you genuinely think that these are that type of trial."

 Cassandra snorted at that, covering her mouth as she snickered, high fiving Varian, "sick burn!"

 "You know what, hairstripe, i'm going to let you have that one. But only because i'm going to miss you so much" Eugene said, ruffling the boy's hair.

 "Spoken like a man who doesn't have the brain power to come up with an insult" Adira commented. 

 "Alright" Quirin said, a box in his hands as he revealed himself, "enough banter. Son, I got you enough food to last you few weeks. That should be enough time for you to find a city in Bayangor. Based upon your map? It isn't terribly too far."

 "Thanks, dad" Varian said, taking the box and putting it in his wagon. He hugged his father tightly. He hugged him for longer than he knew was socially acceptable, but he didn't care. He bit his lip, "dad...i'm really going to miss you..."

"I will too. And hey. We've been apart before, you know" Quirin chuckled.

 Varian snorted, "yeah, I guess...."

 He wasn't a kid anymore. He didn't need his dad to come with him and be there when things got hard. 

 A part of him knew, that no matter how old he got, he would still need his dad, but this freedom—it gave him a rush. He was doing this alone. He had independence. No Rapunzel breathing down his neck, making sure he was being safe. No Cassandra, or Eugene fighting all the time or fussing over how he was just a kid, or Lance, forcing him to eat and sleep. It was just him. 

And that was scary—but he wasn't completely alone. He had Prometheus, Ruddiger, and a small wagon filled with everything he would need, at least for a little while. As the royal engineer, his salary was more than enough to fund his trip. His father even set him up something called a "transaction account."

 It was a new system for travel that helped with things like protecting your money from getting stolen. So, if you were going on a long trip, you didn't have to carry all of your money on you and risk it getting all taken away if you just so happened to get robbed. Which Varian knew was very likely.

 Apparently, all he had to do was keep his transaction card safe with him and in any kingdom there would be a place he could go to take his money out of.

 If he used the money, Corona's transaction center would be notified and they'd send any money Varian used from his account to the other kingdom. It was smart, and practical. 

"Sun above, dad I thought you said this would be enough food for couple of weeks, not enough for the entire duration of my trip" Varian said.

 Rapunzel squinted her eyes, "speaking of."

 Dear sun what have I done he thought.

 "You're lucky we're letting you go at all, mister! You still have a weak stomach, and now that i'm thinking about it, I don't think you're capable of being outside for so long, with all the walking, and—"

 "Raps, as much as I hate to disagree with you on this" Cassandra began, "the kid's been doctor-cleared. He's been drinking and eating more lately, and was even told that this would be good for his health."

 "Oh, I know" Rapunzel sighed, turning to Varian, "it's just—you forget to eat a lot and i'm worried that you'll just wither away!"

 "Ruddiger will keep him in line" Lance said, shudders running down his spine, "Ruddiger is a force to be reckoned with."

 Varian laughed, "I promise to eat and drink, guys. It'll be easy with Ruddiger and Prometheus, because you know, I also have to feed them. And Prometheus will have to take breaks."

"Good" Eugene said, nodding to him, "you take care of yourself out there. Just think; what would Eugene do?"

"Get himself killed" Varian said blankly.

 They laughed for a second, before Varian sighed and looked out into the distance, "Well. I really should be going if I want to make a good amount of progress before night fall" Varian said. 

 "Okay..." Rapunzel mumbled. She knew that if her voice was any louder, she would burst into tears.

"I—I can't take it anymore!" Lance cried, "group hug!"

 He pulled Varian and Rapunzel in, and the princess pulled in Eugene. They all forced Cassandra in, and the three brotherhood decided to join as well.

 Okay, so Adira didn't really join. She gave Varian head pats though. And that was as good as it was going to get from her.

 "Oh, Varian! All that double-checking and you almost left your glow stick behind" Eugene said, holding up Varian's alchemy stick.

 "It is not a glow stick!" Varian cried, before giggling along with the others. The moment was bittersweet. It was the last time that he was going to see any of their faces for a while. And sure, they could send letters, back and forth, however many they pleased—but it just wasn't the same as hearing their voices.

 Varian knew what it was like to forget your loved one's voices. He couldn't remember his own mother's, and while his father was in the amber, and he was in prison, he had nearly forgotten his father's as well.

 There were some voices he wished he could forget, but knew he never would. Jeffery and Frank, voices low and rough, hot breath rolling down his neck and sending unwelcome shivers up his spine—

No, he wasn't going to think about them. He wouldn't allow himself to think about them.

"Bye, guys" Varian smiled as they all broke from the hug, "remember what I said about Mrs. Minnie?" He asked anxiously.

 Cassandra's eyes softened, "we'll take good care of her. Remind her to write and help around the house and everything."

Rapunzel nodded, "yeah! Lance has had Angry and Red pick her apple tree for her. She taught them how to make apple pie the other week. It was a lot of fun for all of them, and I think having kids around was good for her. I'd never seen her smile that much" she recalled fondly. 

 Varian gasped, "that's why she had apple pie, oh my sun I had no idea Angry and Red were capable of cooking something!"

"Hey" Lance joked, "that's my daughter's you're talking about!"

Varian laughed as he pulled Prometheus's ropes closer to him, "i'll miss you all."

 "Wait, Varian" Quirin said, his eyes shining with tears as he took his son's hand. Varian was shocked by the sudden display of emotions, "i'm not going to try and stop you—not anymore. I know i've been quiet lately. But I can see just how much this means to you, so I won't hold you back" he sucked in a breath. 

 Varian did the same.

 "But," Quirin continued, "the day your mother left, I was certain I would see her again. I'm just as certain that i'll see you again as well, but when your mother left, I didn't—didn't get the chance for a proper goodbye. She knew how much I loved her, and I knew I couldn't stop her, but if I could change one thing about that day, I would have told her those words a thousand more times. I would have kissed her face and given her every compliment under the sun."

 Varian hopped off Prometheus, and his father cupped his face in his hand. Varian leaned into the touch, welcoming his father's affection. They touched foreheads. Quirin closed his eyes, "Now, you're not my wife, so i'm not going to do quite as much as what I said" Varian snorted, trying not to roll his eyes when he saw Rapunzel crying. He wasn't too far off from doing the same, but he'd never admit it, "Varian, I don't think i've ever loved anyone as much as I love you. I'm so proud of you, and the man you've become. Be smart. Be safe. And know that no matter what happens on your journey, nothing will change the fact that I love you."

 Varian let the tears slip down his cheeks, and allowed his father to engulf him in a long, tight hug. The others watched on, Rapunzel leaning against Eugene with shining eyes, Cassandra and Adira with soft smiles on their faces, and Lance and Hector bawling against each other.

 Everybody shouted out various goodbyes as Varian pulled away from his father, told him how much he loved him, and began to walk away, Ruddiger on his shoulders, Prometheus by his side.

They all stood there and watched, until his figure faded out of view, and he was too far away for them to see anymore.

"I'm going to write him a letter" Rapunzel said, sniffling.