Chapter Text
"I spy with my incredibly handsome eye-!" Eugene started
"Humble", Hugo interrupted
"Shut up. I spy.... Somethiiiiiing red!"
"Is it that pole?" Varian asked
"Nope"
"Is it that guy's shirt?" Hugo asked
"Not quite, you're on the right track though"
".....Dad's shirt!" Varian exclaimed
"Yup!"
The blue eyed alchemist giggled as he waved at his father, who was waving goodbye as they rode in a caravan back to Old Corona, "YOU HELPED ME WIN A GAME OF EYE SPY DAD!!!!!! THAAAANKS!"
"HAPPY TO HELP!!!!!!!" Quirin called with a smile
The freckled teen giggled before he noticed Hugo's pout, "aw come on, don't be a poor sport, here, I'll make the next one easy. I spy-!"
"With your sexy eye?" The blond asked with a smirk
"Oi! No nerdy flirting on this trip", Eugene stated
"Says the guy who will randomly kiss the princess when everyone is watching"
"That's different, I can't resist that"
"I can't resist flirting", Hugo retorted
"I-!" The Dark Prince stopped, unable to come up with an argument for that
"Princess got your tongue?" The bespeckled teen asked
"So Eye Spy is now over", Varian stated with a sigh, stroking Ruddigar's fur happily
Eugene huffed, "I have half a mind to put you in time out mister"
"Oh no, not time out!" Hugo exclaimed sarcastically, "how will I ever survive sitting in a corner?"
"Guys-!", Varian tried
"Well isn't somebody feeling sassy today, I take it you're feeling a little embarrassed about you and Quirin's little moment together earlier?" Eugene retorted
"Guys!-!" Varian tried again
"Beats telling myself I'm handsome every 20 seconds because I constantly need to remind myself of that", Hugo stated
"*GUYS*!!!!!" Varian yelled, "you're *both* pretty, can we move on now please?"
The two looked at the blue eyed alchemist and blushed, "uh, yeah, sure we can kid", Eugene replied
"I was just... Waiting for you to continue Eye Spy Freckles", Hugo added
Varian giggled, "you two I swear"
****
"So this is the tunnel Quirin told you to stay away from huh?" Eugene asked
"Yeah, this is also where the silver eyed ghost is supposed to be", Varian replied, "you think it's real?"
"Yup"
"Well, I'm about to prove you wrong", the freckled teen stated with a smirk
"Alrighty then, how about you go first?"
"With pleasure", the teen walked inside the tunnel, Hugo and Eugene following after and closing the entrance behind them
"Fuck, it's pitch black down here!" The Dark Prince stated
"Hey! Hugo don't touch me there!" Varian exclaimed
"Sorry, it's too dark for me to see where I'm touching", the blond replied
"I can *hear* the smile on your face you know...."
"Noted"
"So.... Torch? Light? Something in that bag of yours kiddo?"
"Yeah, hold on one...... GOT IT!" There was a smashing sound before the two former thieves saw a torch in Varian's hand, "woah! That came from your bag? How?" Hugo asked
"I used one of my alchemy balls to keep the fluids inside and placed it on a stick, when I need to use one, I just hit the ball against the wall and the friction combined with the chemicals mixing together causes a chemical reaction and makes fire! The stick draws it's flames because it's wood! So a safer way to light a torch and make it mobile!"
"Clever"
"Thanks! Now lets go find our 'ghost'"
As Varian began to walk, Eugene walked to the front of their group, "hang on there kiddo, you're very capable and I have no doubt in my mind that you and Hugo can take care of yourselves, but I'll take the lead. *Only* because I can spot a trap a bit easier since I have experience"
Both alchemists raised their brows, "seriously?" Hugo said
"I'm not saying that to chastise either of you, I'm only saying it because I wanna keep you both safe. You're both extremely strong, but you're both also teenagers that are in my care. I'm responsible and I told Quirin I'd watch over the two of you"
"When?" Varian asked
"While you two were packing your alchemy equipment together"
The two sighed, but the blue eyed alchemist nodded, "alright, but if you get into danger, we're helping no matter what"
"Understood", Eugene replied with a smile, "couldn't trust anyone better to watch my back even if I tried"
This made Varian smile as he handed over his torch to Eugene and he and Hugo followed the Dark Prince throughout the tunnel, "so what do you think we'll hear when the whispering starts?" Hugo asked
"If it's even whispering", his boyfriend added
"Maybe it'll tell us life's secrets", Eugene said, "or how Varian's outfit could use a dash of blue to match his hairstripe"
"Hey!"
"Just saying"
Hugo snickered, "Vaaaaariaaaaan~" He began in a spooky voice, "your color pallet is veeeeery~ duuuuuuuull~"
"Thanks Mr. Ghost friend to whom I don't believe exists, say, would you mind telling me what I had for dinner last night?" The blue eyed alchemist asked sarcastically
"Gross fooooooood~" Hugo replied, "you had ham and beeeeeeeeeeans~"
Varian giggled, "I liked the ham to be fair"
"To many BEEEEEEEEEEANS~"
"HUHUHUHUGO!"
The blond giggled, "sohohorry"
Eugene shook his head at the pair before he stopped, "sh!" He said, instantly getting the two teen's attention. All was quiet for a moment or two before they heard something coming from the back of the tunnel, "what is that?"
"It sounds like..... Whispering", Hugo replied, "Varian?"
"I..... Yeah it does", his lover replied
"So we've found the spot, whatcha wanna do Mr. IDon'tBelieveinThings?" Eugene asked, looking directly at Varian
The teen raised a brow before he heard the whispers again, he hummed with thought before he saw something glinting in the distance and got an idea, "Eugene, can I have to torch?"
"Why?"
"We need to get closer"
"Wait-wait-wait, you wanna go *towards* the creepy whispering in a spooky trap filled cave with nothing but a torch?" The Dark Prince asked
"Yes"
".....Alright, you've officially lost it"
"Trust me, this isn't real, and I can prove it", Varian stated, holding his hand out for the torch, "trust me"
Eugene hesitated before he sighed, "alright, just be careful, I've got your back, okay?"
"Understood", taking the torch in hand, Varian made his way towards the whispering, Hugo and Eugene following behind him. They grew closer and closer, the whispering becoming louder and louder until Hugo froze, "what's wrong?"
"Eyes...."
"What?"
"Eyes.... Silver eyes.... Right there", the blond pointed in front of him and go the other two to look, sure enough, there was a pair of silver eyes staring straight at the three
Ruddigar chittered nervously but stayed atop his boy's head, Olivia did the same with Hugo
Varian smirked, "that's not a ghost"
"What?" Eugene stated, "how is that not a ghost?!"
"Watch what happens when I move my torch", Varian stated, he moved the item from side to side, getting the other two to notice the eyes following the light, "a ghost wouldn't stand there and follow the light like that, they would come after us!"
"I..... Well not all the time", Eugene argued
"Ok, but light wouldn't reflect off of them either would it? Not like a normal human, they'd make their own light but it'd take a much strong source to reflect it off of them", Varian explained, "plus there isn't much of an anything over there, just the eyes"
"Well the rest of them don't really need to be there do they?" Hugo asked
"While that's true, I happen to know there's a wall back there", Varian stated, "and if we walk closer to it", he walked a little closer and close before he suddenly jumped back as the floor below him opened, "yup, trap, I told you there were like 3,000 traps down here! And look, the 'ghost' hasn't moved"
Eugene and Hugo stared at the ghost for a moment, "huh... You're right", the Dark Prince stated, "but we can't really get past this hole in the ground to investigate more can we?"
"Yes we can", the freckled teen said, "Ruddy, do your thing!"
The racoon chittered, saluting his boy before he hopped off the teen's shoulders and sniffed around. Finally finding something, Ruddigar began to climb using a vine he'd found before he waddled across the wall, landing on the floor opposite to them. He then sniffed around some more before he chittered excitedly and waddled out of sight
"Uh.... Varian...." Eugene began
"Three.... Two.... One...." Varian pointed to the floor, which closed right as he pointed before Ruddigar hopped into view with a proud grin on his face, "you're such a god boy Ruddy!!!!!" Varian cooed, walking over and scooping his best friend up in his arms, "you're such a good boy! That was so good, thank you!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small nut and gave it to Ruddigar, who happily took it and nibbled, chittering happily, "you deserve every bite bud!"
The racoon climbed back on his boy's shoulders and continued to munch on the nut
Eugene and Hugo smiled, "good raccoon", the Dark Prince stated
"Best raccoon", Hugo added
"Couldn't agree more, though you may wanna look at you 'ghost'", Varian stated before he pointed to the silver eyes they'd seen before
The two looked and saw an air vent, the screws reflecting the light of Varian's torch. The duo blinked before they looked at Varian, "b-but, the whispering, what about the whispering?" The Dark Prince asked
"The wind flowing through the vent and echoing down the tunnel", the blue eyed alchemist explained, "the fake floor is a trap laid out in the tunnels, and the eyes were the screws on the vent reflecting whatever light source came down here. Mystery busted!"
Hugo walked over to the vent and searched it for a moment before he chuckled, "guess it is, alright, so the 'Silver Eyed Ghost' was just a light reflecting air vent with wind and a trapdoor in the floor"
Varian smirked, "Eugene?"
The Dark Prince sighed, "alright so this one's a bust, but we've still got three others to investigate! One of them we already know is true, and two that you couldn't explain away!"
"There are many things the dark can do to your mind and make you see things that aren't there", the freckled teen argued
"We'll see, the Shadows and the Ghost wolf aren't in a tunnel though kid"
Varian smiled, "your 'spirit' is embracing"
"Won't give up the 'ghost' will you Eugene?" Hugo added with a grin
"Ugh.... Let's just get to the other mysteries...." Eugene said
"Whatever puts the 'wind' in your sails Eugene", the blond stated, getting Varian to giggle
"Stop it"
"Come on Eugene, you can 'vent' to us", Varian teased
"You're both as bad as Lance!" The Dark Prince exclaimed, getting the two teens to giggle as they left the tunnels and headed to the next mystery!