Varian x Reader - Tangled the Series x Wingfeather Saga crossover

Chapter 11 - Moonlighter

"What should we do now?" Varian spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. You glanced at him,

"I guess there's nowhere to go but forward.... So to the forest, I suppose." When the two of you stood at the edge of the forest, peering in, you were the first to march right in, without hesitation. Varian raised an eyebrow, before following you, the two of you walking in silence for some time.

The atmosphere was serene, and the air had a pleasant, earthy fragrance. You looked all around you, taking in the lush green colors, with the occasional splash of yellow, purple, or pink flowers. The sky above you was a brilliant blue color, more vibrant than almost anything you had ever seen. Almost as beautiful as Varian's eyes.... What the heck was that? Why did I think that? Is something wrong with me? Varian is my friend, I don't like him like.... That. Heck, I haven't even known him for- You were pulled from your thoughts when you heard Varian express some interest in some of the nearby foliage.

"Fascinating! I've never seen anything like it. This plant is like nothing else in this forest." You turned to see him extending a hand to touch a leaf on a large plant, standing about 7 feet high, which had heart shaped leaves covered in countless tiny hairs, running all along the stem.

"Varian, don't touch that!" you exclaimed, grabbing his wrist before he could touch it. Varian turned to you, giving you a confused expression, before you explained, "That's a moonlighter, also known as a suicide plant. You see those hairs covering the leaves?" You pointed at them, to which Varian nodded, "If you touch them, they'll break off from the plant and inject you with a neurotoxin. It's one of the most painful feelings in the world." Varian looked at the plant, rubbed his wrist, which you had just released from your grip, and turned back to you.

"Thank you." You smiled, and continued walking the same way you had been going before. You continued in silence for several more minutes, before Varian spoke up again. "So you're interested in botany?" You looked over your shoulder at him,

"A little. I had to learn what I know on my own though, I was always raised to be independent, and there weren't any botany books or people who knew much about it. So I only studied the plants in the forest outside town." You paused, then smirked at Varian, "I'm glad I studied them, otherwise you'd be in a whole world of pain." Varian smiled at that, before the smile slowly left his face.

"Wait... You said everything you know, you learned from observing the plants, by yourself?" You nodded, before turning to face the way you were walking, just in time to avoid a spider web you had almost walked into. "You... got stung by the plant yourself?" Your smile faded as you thought of the memory.

"Mmhmm," was all you gave for an answer. Varian went silent, and you were certain he was feeling sorry for you, so you continued, "It's fine though. It was a while ago, I hardly remember it anymore." That was a lie, and you knew it. It was only a few months ago, and it was one of the strongest memories you had. No doubt, it had been burned into your mind's eye for the rest of your life. You can't just forget a pain like that, especially with the scar it had left behind. (Idk if the plant actually leaves a scar, just go with it)

You continued on in a slightly uncomfortable silence, or at least you perceived it that way. You hadn't seen another moonlighter this whole time, and eventually the thick trees had become less dense, thinning out the further you walked. You entered a small clearing, mostly covered by the branches of the surrounding trees. A dim light shone through the branches, slightly illuminating the clearing. The sky was transitioning from blue to a light orange, the clouds highlighted in a vibrant pink. You turned to Varian,

"Should we set up here for the night?" Varian nodded,

"It's almost night, we should stop somewhere. May as well be here." You responded by slinging your bag from your shoulder, onto the ground. You knelt down next to it and began to rifle through its contents, finding a small amount of food inside, as well as a singular sleeping bag, and a rolled up piece of paper, which you assumed the man at the clothing store must have packed for you. Once you had completely emptied the bag, you found a zipper (or the Corona equivalent) embedded in its fabric. You pulled it, and found that the bag could be turned inside out, and transformed into a sleeping bag. You smiled, before tossing the rolled up sleeping bag you had unpacked at Varian, which he caught after it bounced off his chest. You decided to start a fire to try to cook some of the food that had been in your bag, so you started looking for some wood to use. You wandered off into the surrounding forest, noting the location of a small river nearby, and soon came back with several sticks and logs to use.

You were met with Varian, who sat on the edge of a sleeping bag, both of which he had already rolled out, seeming very focused on something in his hand. As you drew closer you saw what looked like a bow, and Varian looked up and handed it to you. It took you a second before you realized, it was for the fire. You had heard of the bow drill method, and knew how it worked, but you had never actually done it before. You sat down on the ground, choosing the starting board for the fire, as well as the drill used to start the fire. You used the bow to saw back and forth, and though for a second you thought you saw an ember, nothing happened.

"Here," said a voice, and you realized Varian sat right next to you, peering over your shoulder. You jumped slightly, and he chuckled. "May I?" He held out his hands, and you handed him the bow and the stick used for the drill. He slid further forward, your shoulders now touching. He began sawing the bow back and forth, and soon there was an ember, which started a fire. The red-orange color reflected in his eyes, contrasting with his blue irises. He turned to look at you, smiling.

"Thanks," you said, brushing some hair out from in front of your eyes, and looking away. He stood, and helped you to your feet.

You tended the fire as you cooked the food (imagine what you want), and then gave some to Varian, and took some for yourself. You two sat around the fire, making small talk about whatever crossed your minds. Soon, the two of you had finished, and the sky was dark, stars scattered throughout it. "You should probably try to get some sleep," you told him.

"What about you?"

"I'll keep first watch," you muttered, since you probably wouldn't be asleep for a while anyways. And you wanted to contribute as much as you could, after all, it was your fault the both of you were on the run. At least, partially.

"Okay," Varian said, seeming to hesitate. "Wake me up in a few hours, alright? You need to sleep too." You nodded, taking a seat on the edge of your sleeping bag. Varian's sleeping bag rustled as he sidled into it, and you put out the fire, the logs still glowing orange with heat. All was silent, but for the quiet sound of leaves blowing in the slight wind.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

A/n: Hey peeps! Its been a while! I missed one more week than I thought I would, sorry about that. But I'm back, and I'm going to try to get back onto more or less a schedule. I have a bit of an idea of where I'm going with the next couple chapters, so that should help. As always, if you have any requests, for this story or anything else, feel free to reach out.

This chapter was a bit weird, but I learned about the Gympie plant (aka moonlighter) a few days ago, and I thought it was sort of cool, and thought it could be a conversation starter with Varian.

Stay safe, and have a great week!

VarianWolf; I am working on your story, sorry it couldn't be published on Halloween.