Chapter Text
Rapunzel and Varian gasped as they looked at their hair, one yellow one blue, both lifted up in the air and moving as if they were underwater. Neither of them moved, not wanting to stop whatever was happening until Varian saw his father's hand begin to glow. Looking at his father, Quirin lifted his hand and looked at it worriedly before he looked at his son, "d-dad", the teen said, "w-what.... What's h-happening?"
"I... I don't know", the retired knight replied, "I've never seen this before...."
For a moment, nothing happened, their hair glowed and swayed, but that was it, after a while, the moon began to lower and their hair returned to normal as Quirin's mark stopped glowing. No one spoke for a long time, not knowing what to say before Eugene sighed, "I think I just got my answer...."
"Yeah", Rapunzel agreed, "whatever happens now, I think... I think you're a part of this Varian... More than I thought"
"What do you mean?" The teen asked worriedly
"Well..." The princess sighed, "Remember before.... Before the Seporians and the amber.... before all of that... I came looking for you after you sent me the piece of the Demanitus scroll?" She saw the alchemist nod, "I had... Dreams about you.... Several actually... And when I did the black rocks were surrounding you and seemed to... To follow you in a way"
"T-they did?"
"Yes, you kept telling me to 'face my destiny', then ran at me, and you were so... so angry.... But before you reached me there was a bright flash of light and then I woke up... you always seemed like you were trying to reach out to me.... I..." She stopped, remembering how abandoned the teen had felt before as her guilt swirled in her stomach, "...I wish I'd done something to help you back then...."
"Rapunzel it.... It's okay", Varian replied gently, "l-look what happened between us.... Happened... I-I'm not completely over it but... B-but I'm not angry at you anymore...."
The princess looked at the teen sadly, "Varian you'd.... you'd tell me if you were still upset... Wouldn't you?"
This took the alchemist by surprise as he blinked at her for a moment or two before letting out a sigh, "I.... Would try"
"You would try?"
"I.... Rapunzel I can't tell you with 100% certainty that I'll be completely honest with how I feel about you every time... I can't... B-because there's... There's times where the memories get really bad... A-and I.. I have to stop myself from saying anything about them... B-because you're not like that anymore...B-but there's still some really... D-dark feelings that I can't really g-get rid of.... So I can't tell you what I'm feeling every time b-because there's times where I get a-angry at you for no good reason, t-there are times where I wanna yell at you, there are even times where I just.... Just want you to leave me alone... B-but it's not because of what you're doing or what you're saying, i-it's because of my feelings about the past, b-but I don't want you to feel like I hate you or anything! I-I don't I'm just... Just...."
"Scarred?" Quirin offered with a gentle smile
"Y-yeah... Scarred... Physically and mentally.... A-and it's gonna take some time for those scars to heal... S-some of them are still p-pretty bad a-and Lance is helping me handle them but..."
"....But they can get to a point where the feelings come back and you feel like you did back then even though you're not going through it anymore?" Rapunzel asked with a smile, "yeah I... I've felt that way too.... A-about mo-I mean Gothel.... She would disregard my feelings and make me feel so much less than her without having to raise a hand against me... And if I did anything against her I would be more afraid of disappointing her over what danger I could be in outside...."
"That... Sounds familiar", Varian replied as he looked up at his father with a smile, "minus the abusive part"
Quirin smiled back, kissing his son's forehead lovingly, "I could've been better to you", he admitted
"You're better now, and you weren't horrible to me back that, you just didn't understand, and that's okay, you weren't Gothel...." He looked at Rapunzel, "I was lucky in that regard, and I'm sorry you had to go through all of that... But yeah... You... you definitely understand.... I-I wish you didn't to be honest, because then you wouldn't know what it's like to feel like that..."
The princess smiled sadly, "I wish you didn't know what that feels like either, it's not fair to you.... It's not"
Varian chuckled bitterly before he looked up at the moon, "that connection between us, our destinies.... Do you really think it's real?"
"I think so, in a way, we just need to figure out what you're meant to do", the princess replied, "why? Does it scare you?"
Varian shook his head, "surprisingly no, I'm fascinated by it.... a-and a little nervous... And scared-B-but I'm interested!"
The princess giggled as Quirin wrapped his arms around his son and hugged him happily before looking over to the Nezerdnia Market, "well... This turned out to be a bust huh?"
"I wouldn't call it a complete bust, I mean me and Hugo made a cool antidote and I got my copper plated elements", Varian replied, "also, Catalina and Angry gave back the money they stole... OH! I almost forgot!" The teen exclaimed before he wiggled out of his father's arms and got up, "I-I'll be right back!" He stated before running off to the caravan, Ruddigar following behind him.
Eugene chuckled, "can't stay sitting for very long, can he?"
"Nope", the retired knight agreed with a smile, "he's a jumper"
"Jumper?"
"Jumps from one thing to the other as soon as it pops in his mind, jumper"
"Oh, makes sense"
Rapunzel smiled as she watched the alchemist disappear into the caravan before she frowned and looked down sadly, "I.... I really hurt him back then, didn't I?...."
Both men looked at her, "hey it's.... It's gonna be okay Sunshine", Eugene tried
"How?" Rapunzel asked, looking at the Dark Prince, "he's got so many things he's afraid of now! So many anxious thoughts and flashbacks that he shouldn't have to deal with! A-and it's all because of me! Because I didn't help him when I needed to!" She sighed and looked at the ground again, "I... I hurt him... I hurt one of my best friends and... And now he's got so much weight on his shoulders... And then this", she looked at her hair, "now he's apart of this and he'll have to do something with the Moonstone just like I do and... And it's just... It's too much... For him... For me... For Quirin...."
"Me?" The Villager Leader asked
"Yes you", the princess stated, looking at the retired knight, "he's your son! You already have trauma with these rocks and the Dark Kingdom in general and now he's being pulled away again! And it's all my fault...."
"Rapunzel, you didn't make Varian have some powers of the Moonstone", Quirin stated, "you didn't force him into this role, you didn't tell him he has to help you, it just happened to be that way".
"It wouldn't have been had I-!"
"Had you what? Not been born?" Rapunzel stayed silent, "princess you... You don't blame yourself for the black rocks... Do you?"
"....How could I not?" Rapunzel asked quietly, "had mom and I not gotten sick then my dad wouldn't have needed to use it to heal us... Then we would've passed on and Varian wouldn't have to deal with this..."
"Rapunze-!" Eugene stared
"No!" The princess snapped, "no I don't want to hear that this isn't my fault anymore! I don't want to hear that what Varian went through isn't my fault! Because it is! It's all my fault! *I* got sick so *my* father used the flower petals on *me*! Then Cass's mom kidnapped *me* and took *me* away for years until Eugene found *me*! Then *I* snuck out and touched the black rock when *I* shouldn't have! *My* hair grew and tied *me* and Varian to this destiny! It's all! *MY*! *FAULT*!"
"....I-It's not...." A voice stated from behind her, the princess turned to see Varian standing there with three objects in his hands, "R-Rapunzel i-it... It's not your fault...."
"V-Varian I-!"
"No", the alchemist said, "it's not your fault! Y-you didn't ask to be sick, y-you weren't even *born*! A-and you didn't *tell* your father to use the flower, i-in fact *my* dad tried to stop him! That was *his* choice not yours! A-after that Gothel kidnapped you against your will, you were a *baby*, you have no choice in that! When Eugene rescued you that was *his* choice, he *wanted* to rescue you! Ok so maybe you didn't *need* to sneak out and touch the black rock, b-but you didn't *know* what was gonna happen when you did! A-and after that.... Y-you didn't link me to this destiny... I... I was already linked to it Rapunzel".
"B-but-!"
"Y-you think that because you came around my destiny changed? T-that you had something to do with it? Y-you didn't, dad was always a member of the Brotherhood, he made that choice before either of us were born. Eugene was always the lost prince of the Dark Kingdom, you being in his life may have helped him find that out but he would still have that blood running through his veins. C-Cassandra was always Gothel's daughter, e-even if she hadn't kidnapped you I *highly* doubt C-Cassie would've been any better off than she is now. A-and then there's me, I was always dad's.... Always *Quirin's* son, always, and I'm *proud* to be his son! My destiny may have come at a later or sooner time had you not been here, but it would've been the same", he smiled at her, "princess the o-only thing you have to feel responsible for it the fact that I'm not doing this alone, and I'm very glad I d-don't, because I wouldn't know what to do or who to talk to about this. M-my dad doesn't have moon powers, I never would've met Eugene or Lance, same with Catalina and Angry, I knew C-Cassandra before but distantly, she would've never come to my home h-had you not been there. Rapunzel you... You don't have to feel responsible f-for me having a destiny because it was going to happen either way, that's how destinies work. Y-yeah some people can make them different, b-but they're still gonna happen, so... Please", he looked at her sadly, "s-stop feeling guilty for things you can't control, b-because they're not your fault Rapunzel, you... Y-you made bad decisions with me, yes, a-and that's gonna take time, b-but you feeling guilty for the Sundrop and Moonstone is not part of that, b-because no matter what choice you made, I would still have these powers, and if not you, then s-someone else would have the Sundrop, again, that's how it works sis".
He smiled at Rapunzel, who had her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes before she ran over and hugged him tightly, "....thank you for that Varian", she stated as her tears dripped onto his head, "I... I really needed that"
He hugged her back as Ruddigar took the objects from his boy's hands, holding onto them safely, "you're welcome.... I.... I love you Rapunzel, e-even if we don't always get along, a-and there are things we need to work out... I really do love you, you're my big sister, and I couldn't ask for anyone better, I mean that"
Rapunzel smiled as Eugene and Quirin watched the pair happily, "I love you too Varian, you're the best little brother anyone could ask for". They stayed that way for a little bit longer before Rapunzel broke the hug, sniffling a bit before noticing Ruddigar, "oh! Sorry I.. I didn't mean to put a damper on... this?"
Varian giggled, "I picked up a few things from the market that I was gonna give you guys, I had to sneak it from Eugene because he was with me when I picked them out"
"Wait you got *me* a present?" Eugene asked, a little startled by that
"Yep! You, dad, Hugo, Rapunzel, Lance, the girls, Adira, Hector, and Grandpa", he looked back at the caravan before looking back with an excited smile, "I'm giving them theirs tomorrow, but I thought it would be nice to give you guys yours right now!"
Ruddigar climbed up his boy's shoulder and chittered
"I got you something too buddy, but it'll have to wait a little longer, oki?"
The raccoon hesitated before nodding and handing the three gifts to the teen
"You're the best you know that?"
Ruddigar chitter cockily
Varian giggled, "you're also a brat, but that's okay", he smirked, "so it dad"
Quirin raised a brow, "oh really?"
"You heard *nothing*!" The teen giggled before he gave the princess her gift, "I picked it out based off of... Recent, events"
The princess giggled when she saw the clam box he'd given her, "I think I caught the reference", she replied before she opened the clam and gasped as a coronan necklace sat in front of her, the sun symbol made out of sunstone as the golden chain shined in the night, "Varian this is.... Thank you so much! How did you find, and afford, this?!"
"Remember when me, Lance, Eugene, and the girls were playing Uno during the 'Devotion Festival'? Yeah Lance and Eugene really need to learn to stop betting against me with that game"
Eugene huffed, "I *still* think you cheated!"
"And you're really bad at Uno"
"I am not!"
The princess giggled, "thank you so much! This... Really means a lot to me"
Varian beamed happily, "I'm glad you like it because now I have to give cranky his present"
"Oi!" Eugene exclaimed
"Are you not grumpy?"
"I... It's not me being grumpy, it's me being huffy at your inaccurate accusation that *I* am bad at Uno"
"Did you win?"
"No"
"Then you're at least worse than me"
"PFFT!" Quirin clapped a hand over his mouth as he laughed quietly
Eugene gave the retired knight the stink eye before standing up and ruffling the teen's hair, "you really are a brat you know that?"
Varian bapped the man's hands away with a giggle before he handed him the wrapped gift, "I know"
Eugene accepted it with a smirk and opened it up to see a Flynn Rider utility belt, "oh my-!"
"It's got his knife and even a rope too"
The Dark Prince took the pocket knife out of it's holder and flipped it open, staring at it, his eyes twinkling at the engraving, it said, 'if something is not impossible, it's not worth doing!'. The man stared at that knife for a long time before he silently closed it, put it back in the holder, handed Rapunzel the belt, lifted Varian up, making the alchemist let out a startled 'meep!', and hugged him tightly. The teen hugging him back as he giggled, "thank you kiddo!" Eugene stated, "this is the best thing anyone has ever given me!"
Varian smiled wide, "you're welcome! Anything for *my* Flynn Rider"
Again, they stayed that way for a little while, but this time Quirin stood up and walked over to the two with a grin, "are you gonna try and steal him?" The retired knight teased
"I might!" Eugene replied, getting Varian to laugh before the Dark Prince finally set him down, getting the belt back and playing with it
Varian held the last present close to him as he walked over to his father and handed it over, "I hope you like it, i-it's kinda special"
Quirin smiled, "I love everything you give to me, this will be no different"
The alchemist smiled wide as he watched his father open and look at the gift, he pulled out the dagger made of titanium with a rainbow finish, smiling happily as he turned it in his hands before he felt something else inside. Turning the dagger's holder over, he felt something drop onto his glove, looking at it he saw a small necklace, it was a sapphire right half of the moon with a silver chain, he looked at Varian, who then pulled out another necklace, this one was a ruby left half of the moon with a silver chain. The teen walked over and put the two necklaces together, getting Quirin to notice they fit perfectly together and form a red and blue moon, "now you'll have me with you, and I'll have you with me", Varian explained with a smile.
Quirin stared at the necklaces before he smiled wide and wrapped his arm around his son, leaning his head against the teen's, "thank you son, I love it, a lot"
"You're welcome dad", Varian replied, "I love you"
His father kissed his head and hugged him closer, "I love you too"