The Secret of the Moondrop

Chapter 6

A Truth or a Lie

Varian stares down at Maximus, Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, Owl, and Pascal, up in a tree. Cassandra said "Look who came back." Varian seems taken back by this and said "I didn't run away!" Eugene said "Really? Then where did you go?" Varian said, his voice shaky "I was kidnapped! But I got something." Rapunzel said "Let's just hear what Varian has to say." Varian grabs something from his bag, it was torn pieces of paper. He said "I think these are the missing pieces of the scroll."
He climbs down the tree, he looked tried and hungry. His hair was all messy and his clothes were dirty. He hands the torn pieces of paper to Rapunzel. Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra looks at the paper, they were words and a picture. It was the dark rocks with a dark flower in the middle of the rocks. He said "I didn't have time to translate it."
Cassandra grabs her sword and points it at Varian, his eyes widen and he puts up his hands. She said "Doesn't this all seem fishy, he leaves about a week, but then he comes back with these pieces of torn paper?" Varian said "But what I'm saying is true!" Eugene said "I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Cassandra." Rapunzel rubs her arm and said "I don't know..... Wait where is Rudiger?" Varian said "I don't know.... I tried to look all over the place but I couldn't find him..."
Rapunzel said "How about you show us the place." Varian said "Ok.. But I don't know if I could find it.... It took me a while to find Old Corona." Cassandra said "Just proves my point." Varian said "I can try."
They walk around for a day or two before finding a tunnel opening. Varian said "This is the place." Cassandra looks at it and said "Interesting." All of them walk into the tunnel, little did they know someone was watching them.
Varian leads the way before seeing the tunnel going in five different directions. Varian picks one and he whispers "This is where people guards guard the entrance." They stop to see a few people with swords deeper into the tunnel.
Cassandra ask "Does anyone have a weapon?" Rapunzel lets her hair down, Eugene and Maximus gets a frying pan somehow, and Cassandra has a sword out. Varian said "I don't...." Cassandra ask "Then how did you sneak out!?" Varian said "I use all of my remaining potions." Cassandra rolls her eyes and said "You stay in the back." Varian said "But-" He stops himself. He watches as the rest of the group attack the guards. He turns around as he feels like someone is watching them, he doesn't see anyone.
Varian steps out of the corner and follows the rest of the group. Rapunzel walks to the back where he is and said "It is ok Varian." He sighs and walks faster. Rapunzel frowns before quickly following.
Eugene peaks into another room, loads of people were in that room. Rapunzel leans onto the side of the wall, she falls down as the wall goes more into the wall, showing a secret entrance. Cassandra said "Rapunzel! You found a secret entrance!" Rapunzel smiles and said "Let's go!" They all go into the secret entrance. They walk into a room with no one in it. Varian recognizes the room immediately:
.
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*5 days ago*

Varian was tied to a chair, he struggles as a man comes in. He said "Weren't you the one who tried and failed to destroy Corona?" Varian said "Yea. Why does it matter to you?" The man smirks and said "You look less older then 13 to 14." Varian said "If you don't let me go.... My....friends....will come and find me." The man chuckles and said "Then why haven't they found you yet? I haven't heard anything from Corona about a missing child, only a few missing prisoners." Varian looks down and the man contained "If they were real friends they would of found you already." Varian frowns, hanging his head.

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*In the present*

Varian looks at the room, remembering that memory, he tries to push that memory away but hangs around in his mind. Varian sees a piece of paper and grabs it, he looks at it before putting it in his pocket. Cassandra sees that but says nothing.
They hear footsteps coming into the room and they all hide. Two men came into the room, a teenager and an adult, they basically look identical expect the adult had green eyes while the teenager had brown. The teen said "But father! I deserve to know! I have helped this group more ways than one!" The adult said "No David." David stomps his foot and said "Why not?! If I find the boy could I know?" The adult shakes his head and David said "I didn't want to be in this stupid group anyway! No one trust me!" He grabs his things before heading out. The adult said "David wait!" David leaves, instead of following him the adult just stands their.
Cassandra sneaks up on the male and knocks him out with a frying pan. She said "These things are good for knocking people out." Eugene said "Right?!"
Everyone steps out of their hiding place and Cassandra said "So this was the place you were kidnapped to?? And these people to?" Varian nods. Rapunzel said "So now we know that Varian didn't lie to us!" Cassandra said "He could be working with them." Varian said "I'm not!" Cassandra just shrugs and said "Sure." She walks away as anger crawls up Varian, but trying to stay calm and he takes deep breaths.
Varian looks around calling out Rudiger's name, frowning when he didn't get a response. Rapunzel walks up to him and ask "What's the matter?" Varian sighs and said "It's Rudiger... I haven't seen him in a week and what if something happen to him? Because of me?" Rapunzel said "It wouldn't be your fault, Varian." Varian thinks in his mind 'Everything feels like my fault.' He keeps that to himself and keeps looking around in the room.
Cassandra said "Nothing is here." Varian said "Let's check in one other room?" Eugene ask "Why do you want to look everywhere?" Varian said "They took Rudiger. I want to find him!" Cassandra said "We can look in one other room." Varian smiles and nods.
They climb through some secret tunnels before finding another room. It was empty and was filled with lots of things. Varian sees that in the corner of the room is caged animals and he said "Rudiger?" He hears a raccoon sound and he smiles, it was Rudiger! He walks to the cages to see Rudiger in one of them, he said "It needs a key to open it." Eugene quickly finds a key and tosses it to Varian, he fails to catch it and picks it up from the floor and unlocks Rudiger's cage. He said "Rudiger! I misses you so much!" He hugs Rudiger, Rudiger makes a happy sound and he climbs onto Varian's shoulder, he smiles. Rudiger looked fine, expect that he looked kind of hungry (as always) and was a little bit dusty. It seemed strange to Varian as they said they would harm Rudiger but he puts that to the back of his mind. He said "Let's go!"
They walk out without being notice and goes back to Corona, halfway their they hear a stick creak and Cassandra turns around and grabs her sword. She said "Someone is with us." The bushes rustle as a bunny hops out. Eugene laughs and looks at the bunny.
Cassandra rolls her eyes, annoyed at herself and said "Come on. We need to get to Old Corona by nightfall." Before they get far she turns towards Varian and ask "What was that piece of paper you grabbed earlier?" It took Varian a second top remember what she was talking about and he said "It had information about the rocks, why?" Cassandra ask "When we're you going to tell us about it?" Varian said "When we got to Corona." Cassandra said "Or are you just saying that and wasn't going to tell us." It surprised Varian alot and said "I was going to tell you!" Cassandra said "Hand it over then." Varian remembers when he was kidnapped and the man said that no one would trust him. He clenches his fist before giving Cassandra a rolled up scroll. Cassandra smiles before they head off to Corona. Varian sneaks off from the group with Rudiger and goes back to Old Corona, to his home.