^ low effort drawing, but eh its still there for no reason
Rapunzel didn't what was going on. Everything was dark. Cold. Silent. Eerie. It was...so strange. She felt like she had been here before, yet everything seemed unfamiliar. It was so comfortable, yet out-of-place.
Wha-? Where am I? What's happening? Am I dreaming? Or?
All around her she could feel a sort-of warmth, like she used too when using her hair to heal someone. But this was different. It was more...rough, than her power.
Suddenly, the ground, or what felt like ground, even though she couldn't see it, began to shake. Shake violently. Then, silence. Again. Nothing. Nothing at all...
~~~
"WHA-?" Rapunzel yelped as her body shot up.
"WHAH! R-Rapunzel?!" Varian replied in shock.
"Varian?" Rapunzel said, her voice calming down. "What are you doing? Where are we?"
"Oh, um, I was...trying to help you...wake up. We're in my lab back at the castle. Eugene is here too." Varian responded, pointing towards the now startled Eugene who had been watching Varian work. Understanding the indirect question pointed towards him, Eugene got up and walked over to the table where Rapunzel and Varian were.
"Hey, sunshine. Don't worry, we really are at the castle. I brought you here after you collapsed from the energy surge that happened earlier." Eugene comforted Rapunzel.
"Oh...ok..." Rapunzel muttered. "Well, uh, thanks Varian, for your help. I'm not sure what happened, but I think you pulled me out."
"Oh, no problem princess...anything I can do to help...especially when it's mostly my fault." Varian replied, getting quieter as he spoke.
"Your fault?" Rapunzel questioned.
"Ehem...yeah...we'll talk about that later." Eugene said, shooting Varian a look of both compassion and anger. "For now sunshine, we need to make sure you're completely alright. Let Varian look at you once more, and then we'll go outside somewhere to talk."
"Mhm." Rapunzel nodded, before sitting up completely so the young alchemist could check on her.
"Everything's fine, as far as I can tell." Varian said, smiling to Rapunzel.
"Thanks!" Rapunzel replied, her mood seemingly already lifting.
Then, the group got up, Varian grabbed his bag, and they headed out towards the courtyard.
~~~
"So, what happened?" Rapunzel asked.
"..."
"..."
"Well?" Rapunzel asked again, more impactfully.
"I-" Varian began, before getting cut off by Eugene.
"The kid experimented with his powers, and couldn't control them." Eugene stated matter-of-factly.
"..."
"I'm sorry! I really am! Listen, I already told Eugene what happened for the most part! I was doing research on the Stardrop and the corresponding scroll, and I was able to translate the incantation from it. I wanted to know what it would do, so I went out back to the field behind Attila's place...and tried it out. I didn't realize it was going to do so much yet nothing at the same time!" Varian pleaded.
"It's ok, it's ok Varian. Calm down. I'm not mad, or anything of the sorts. Just a bit confused. Why didn't you tell me? Or Eugene?" Rapunzel asked, her voice calm and collected.
"Because I didn't want to bother you...I thought I could do some research on it and try to learn about it on my own. I was gonna tell you afterwards, but then, well, you were unconscious." Varian responded, his head hanging low.
"Alright. It's ok, seriously. That makes sense, but please don't worry about being a bother! If something had happened we wouldn't have known!" Rapunzel said, cheering Varian up. Having the princess tell him its "all ok" made him feel much better. Though, it didn't answer any of his endless questions about his power or the effects.
"Anyways, since you did the experiment, what did you find out?" Rapunzel asked, shooting Eugene an annoyed look when he seemed about to scold the teen.
"Well, that's a good question." Varian began. "When I tried them just by themselves, nothing really seemed to happen. All I was able to do was make really small star-rocks, that's what I've deemed them, and if I tried hard enough, make one big one. Whenever I use the power, my hair strip glows, and I feel, I dunno, lighter? It's weird. Anyways, when I said the incantation, I began to float! I was then able to make a really big rock, but it soon disappeared completely. When I used the incantation the first time, I felt the energy pulse and the aftershock wave come from inside my 'soul' and radiate outwards. It was like I could feel everything that was alive in the proximity of the pulse, even you Rapunzel. But afterwards, it disappeared too, and I couldn't find any evidence of anything happening!"
"Hmm...Intriguing." Rapunzel muttered, mostly to herself.
"Are you sure there's nothing to see or find kid?" Eugene asked, having calmed down from his spike of annoyance earlier.
Varian shook his head. "I'm sure. I check all over before deciding to come back to the castle. The only thing I could find were really small rocks, and some damage to the ground where I was standing."
"Alright then..." Eugene replied.
...
"Varian, have you tried again since?" Rapunzel asked.
Varian nodded. "I did to try to help you. I couldn't find anything physically wrong with you, so I decided to use the power to try to see if it was a magical thing. Though, I can't tell you even now if it was or not. As soon as I let some of my power flow into you, you woke up."
"I see. So you used your power to wake me up...that's what that strange feeling must've been..." Rapunzel murmured. "So, does that mean you were able to control it?"
"I'm not sure." Varian said, shaking his head again. "I used the full incantation that time, but I'm not sure if I was in control of it or if it was in control of me. Every time I use it it feels...strange."
"Hmm." Rapunzel hummed.
"Well, you didn't create any rocks or nothing when you used it inside, so I would say you must've had some control over it." Eugene said, trying to cheer the teen up, since he looked so uneasy.
"I guess..." Varian whispered. "Anyways, whatever the case, I was able to wake Rapunzel up, and that was my goal. Maybe that had something to do with it? Having a purpose, a goal?"
"That could be it." Rapunzel agreed. "With my hair, I had to think about what it was I wanted to heal for my power to work. I'm not sure if it's the same, but it would be a good place to start."
"Yeah, I'd agree with that. Although Varian's power is supposedly a combination of the Sun and the Moon powers. We know he can create rocks, like the Moonstone, so does that mean he can heal or grow things like the Sun?" Eugene questioned.
No one responded.
"Well, either way, I think we should look more into this. But together this time. I think we should go find your father Eugene." Rapunzel said, breaking the quick silence.
"Ugggggh, fine. I know he's probably our best bet...I just don't wanna deal with him at the moment..." Eugene grudgingly agreed.
"Sorry, but he is our best chance." Rapunzel said, laughing. Eugene just glared at her, but not in an angry way.
"Right, I guess we head to the Dark Kingdom then." Varian spoke up. He'd never been there. He was excited. And nervous. And worried. But also relieved. He had a direction to move in, and someone who might have answers to talk to. Maybe this would help him unravel the mystery of his powers and his mother's endeavors.
"Fine fine fine, let's get prepared then." Eugene said, heading back towards the castle. "Of course he left just a week ago to go back, and now we have to walk ALL the way over to him."
Rapunzel smiled as she watched her beloved walk off. Then she turned to the young alchemist, watching as his expressions rapidly changed. "Come on Varian, we're going on a trip!" She then said, her voice full of excitement.
Varian looked up at the princess and smiled. "Right."
Wow, look at that, a bunch of chapters at once! I might take a break for a week now, but who knows, I'm just doing this as I think of it and as I remember it.
Anyways, thanks for reading. Leave a vote or comment if you enjoyed and feel like it. : )