Destined Couple

Judgement

"Hm." The judge seemed impressed. "Well, it's a contender. Next one."

"It's time." Adira smiled at Varian, and he nodded before they brought over their invention. "You ready?"

"Don't ask me that, I'll get nervous." He said, looking at her. "I'm fine. We got this."

She nodded and then they stepped out with the invention. "Behold, the power of alchemy!" He declared, as Adira pulled off the cloth with a flourish. "I give you, the Elemental Remogrifier! "

There were ohhs and ahhs and even the judge looked impressed. He smiled at Adira, who picked up a bag set next to the machine and started to pour the contents inside as he walked ove rto a lever and knelt to turn a wheel below it a bit as she pulled the bag up and held it at her side. "Here we go." He said to himself, then straightened up to grip the lever and pull it, starting up the device, which started to spin counter-clockwise. "The rotation causes friction, which heats the sand, while the counter-centrifugal force promotes particle compression." He explained as the device continued to run. "The end result?" He pulled the lever again, shutting it off, then walked over to reach into it. "Fifty pounds of sand turns into..." he pulled out a beautiful purple stone, "this."

The crowd gasped, ohh'd and ahh'd. He smiled brightly as he held up the element for all to see. "I'm calling this new element Rapunzium, for our beautiful princess."

"Aww!" Rapunzel said from backstage.

"That...was very impressive." The judge admitted. "A definite contender for first place."

Varian bowed at the waist and then went backstage with Adira and his invention, slipping the new stone into his pocket for later before he moved close to the stage, Adira taking up post on the other side.

Fernanda Pizazzo walked past him with her own invention. "Cute machine, kid, but let me show you how a pro does it."

Varian raised an eyebrow.

She approached the curtains, then threw down alchemy bombs, creating a pink smoke just like before as she threw open the curtains dramatically. "Everybody at this expo, make some noise!" She cried. "This is the momensational moment you've all been waiting for! But, first!" She yanked a rope she'd been holding and something was fired out of a strange device she had with her. "I give you...chocolate!"

Varian quickly caught one and opened it, eyeing her suspiciously. On the surface, it didn't seem too dangerous. Maybe just a bribe for favor. But, he had learned to always trust his gut, and he created a knife out of black rocks and cut into it carefully, gasping when he saw what was inside. "DON'T EAT IT!"

"What? Why?" Someone asked.

He held up the chocolate, the silver-green "cream" oozing out. "Because they're not chocolate!"

"What is this?" De Croix asked as the woman looked at him with wide eyes. "Did you put something in these chocolates?"

"Don't be silly, he must've done it himself!" She insisted.

People started breaking open their chocolates, finding the same strange "cream". She stepped back in alarm as Royal Guard came to apprehend her for suspicious substances. "Oh, come on, it's just a little bit of alchemy!" She insisted. "Just something to increase the endorphins in thechocolate!"

"Take her away!" The Captain ordered.

"You didn't eat any, right?" Cassandra asked De Croix with concern.

"I almost did." He cringed.

"I'm sorry, I should've never let it get near you." She said, bowing her head.