Three days till finals are over!!!
Trigger warnings: attempted murder (It's Hector; what did we expect?)
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Varian frowned as he looked over the recipe. "So it says here that once we make it, we have to let it simmer overnight," he grumbled. "Well, it is what it is. Let's get started!"
"Sorry, Varian," the princess said. "I know you were excited about this."
"It's fine. Just one more night." He looked at the cauldron over the fire. "Shall we get started?"
Her smile looked a little too forced as she agreed. Varian was nervous. Was this actually a memory cure, or was this another one of their lies? Maybe a poison? No, he didn't think they wanted him dead. They'd've done it already. But they wouldn't give his memories back if they were lying to him!
"Right!" Lance exclaimed. "Let's get this potion made!"
"Serum," Varian corrected. "Or cure, if you prefer. 'Potion' sounds like magic. I don't believe in magic. No, I am a man of science!" he placed his hand against his chest dramatically. "Although the recipe does mention a Wand of Oblivium. Don't know what that is, but it sounds like magic. Are you sure this is going to fix memory loss from a head injury?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Cassandra insisted. "Does it matter if the cause of memory loss is magical or physical?"
"Probably, but it's not like we have any better options, so I suppose we'll try this. And I don't believe in magic—"
"Really? I'm shocked."
"So it's probably just a generic memory cure. Right, now I need my equipment. Could one of you run and grab it, please?"
He watched their faces carefully. The princess and her crew didn't seem to notice anything amiss. Hector and Adira, however, shared a knowing look that he didn't like. Hector stepped forward. "Do you need it?"
"I'd like it. I lost half my vision in an explosion. I don't want to take any chances. Where are my goggles?"
They looked at each other again. "We don't have them," Hector continued. "Haven't for the whole trip."
"Why don't I have my goggles? What about the rest of my stuff?"
"You don't do alchemy right now." At Hector's words, Varian saw the princess's eyes widened. "Not since the... incident."
"Why would I stop? It's not like I haven't had 'incidents' in the past. Alchemy is my life! What did you guys bring me for if I don't do that anymore?"
"You're brilliant," the princess interjected. "Just because you don't do alchemy doesn't mean you don't do other stuff."
Varian frowned but turned back to the cauldron. "Okay. I'll just be careful, then. It'll probably be fine." He was more certain than ever. A little explosion would have never kept him from doing what he loved. Not even if it cost him his eye.
So where was his stuff?
O‴O‴O‴
Varian suspected them.
That much was obvious. The way his eyes darted around suspiciously, the way he intentionally chose targeted questions, the way his voice held a false camaraderie as he chatted with the others, thinly concealing a tone of distrust. Maybe the princess's group hadn't noticed, but to Hector, it was as obvious as the sun rising.
Varian tossed the ingredients one by one into the cauldron, measuring them carefully as he did and ordering the others about without so much as a by-your-leave. He was in his element now, and they snapped to attention to follow his orders.
The princess came over to Hector. "Why doesn't he do alchemy anymore?" she whispered. "That was kind of his whole thing."
He shook his head. "He's not just an alchemist. Maybe if you'd stop trying to fit him into a little box, you'd see that. He hasn't done alchemy the whole time I've known him."
"Do you know why?"
"Yep."
"... Are you going to tell me?"
"Nope." He cut a side glare. "It's his story to tell. If he chooses not to say, that's his business. And may I say, I admire your ability to lie to him so easily. If it gets cold, we'll wait till your skirt catches on fire."
She humphed and turned back to the makeshift lab, where Varian was fussing at Lance.
"I said don't touch anything!" he growled. "And what did you do?"
"I touched it," he muttered, wilting under the glare of the tiny child. "Sorry."
"Well, now we need a new one. And because I can't trust you to mess with it, I'll have to go get it myself."
"What's the matter?" Hector came up behind Varian and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Lance ate the storm swallow egg!"
"I was hungry!"
"Yeah, and I've got no memory of what, the last year? Year and a half? You can be hungry for a minute while I make this."
"I'll go get another one," Fitzherbert offered. "I got the first one. I know where they are."
"Cool. I'll come with you."
"Not by yourself," Hector growled. "Me or Adira one is coming. I don't want you by yourself."
"I won't be by myself. Fly—Eugene'll be with me."
"Even worse."
"Is there something wrong with him? Because if not, I don't see why all of us have to go." Varian handed the book to Cassandra. "Mind finishing this, m'lady? The ingredients don't have to be in order."
"What did you call me?" she choked out. "Y—whatever. Just go." She buried her face in the book, but Hector didn't miss her grimace. Varian and Fitzherbert turned to go. As they walked off, Hector snapped and motioned for Riki to follow, noting with interest that Varian had ordered Ruddiger to stay behind. Varian turned and gave him a skeptical look but didn't argue.
"Okay," Lance said as soon as they were gone. "We've got maybe five minutes. What's up with Varian?"
"You ate the egg on purpose, didn't you?" Cassandra growled. Lance smirked and pulled it out of his pocket.
"He doesn't trust us. I knew he'd demand to go get it himself."
"And if he hadn't?"
"I'd've found another way. Seriously, we've got to talk."
Hector crossed his arms. "Yeah, he knows we're lying. Well, some of us. Problem is, we can't back down now. We tell him the truth, he won't take that potion. Not if you guys are telling him to. And he doesn't trust me and Adira now. I hate it, but for now, the less we say, the better."
"What do we do about it?" the princess asked. "If he refuses to take the potion because he thinks we're trying to poison him or something, how do we get his memories back?"
"Oh, now you want to?"
She twisted her hair uncomfortably. "Maybe I was a bit overeager to suggest keeping him this way. Sorry. But you're right; he does seem to be doing better. I don't trust him still, but I won't say he can't be better. Fair?"
"As fair as it can be, I suppose. And I know he wanted to talk things out with you, but after this, I really don't want you two around each other. Never did, but especially not now. And now that we've got time, one of you tell me how this happened."
The girls looked at each other awkwardly. "Well..." Cassandra began...
O‴O‴O‴
"Okay, so why exactly did you have to come with me?" Eugene asked. "I mean, you were busy and I could have just gotten it myself. Not that I'm not thrilled to have you with me, of course, just... seriously, why did you come?"
Varian cast a skeptical look towards the watchful red eyes of his guard. He hadn't known Hector was going to get the bearcat to tag along, and there was no way he was having this conversation in front of a spy. But the fact that Hector didn't trust him alone with Eugene was more proof that the man was lying and the others didn't know. Otherwise he could have just let Eugene guard him.
He thought quickly. There had to be a way to talk to him without the risk of word making its way back to Hector. He gasped as an idea hit him. "Can you keep a secret?"
Eugene laughed nervously. "Secret? Kid, this man is a vault!"
Varian raised an eyebrow, not encouraged at all. "I'm worried. This feels way too much like Landon's role in Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia when he and Flynn first met."
I'm surrounded by enemies and don't know who to trust.
Eugene's eyes widened as he picked up on the clue. "I see. Well, have you considered Lady Lucy and her mother in The Silver Isle?"
People are lying to protect you.
Varian frowned. "It's not the same."
"Why not?"
He looked around skeptically again. How to explain this? Seeing this, the bearcat huffed and trudged off to watch them from a distance, giving them space to talk. Unsure how good binturongs' hearing was, Varian kept his voice low. "Nothing's making sense! My dad wouldn't lie to me about family. Why wouldn't he tell me about Hector and Adira? And why would I stop doing alchemy? What did you bring me for? Why am I dressed like this? And why... why am I covered in scars? They're not shrapnel wounds. These are intentional. What's really going on here?"
"Kid, I really do think you're overreacting!"
"Do you think Hector and Adira are related to me? They don't look anything like my dad!"
He held up his hands. "Look, just finish up the cure. It'll all make sense after that. You just have to be patient! And yeah, from what I hear, Hector and Adira are sort of unofficial family. Not blood related."
Varian scowled. So then Eugene did believe them. "Can you at least tell me why I look like I got run over by a plow?"
"Eh, that's a no. I'm not having this conversation with you. Hector would literally kill me. I'm not exaggerating. He's a little... protective."
"Possessive?"
"That's one way to describe it. But you're reading this the wrong way! He's not out to get you. He's done nothing but watch out for you."
Varian fiddled with the symbol on his cloak. "Maybe you're right. I'm probably just being paranoid. Anyway, let's get that egg!" He fixed a fake grin on his face and kept walking.
Eugene definitely believed Hector, then. Varian was pretty good at reading people, if he so humbly said so, and this one probably had no clue Hector was lying. Hector didn't seem to trust him either, judging by his reluctance to let Varian go with him. Unfortunately, that meant Eugene was probably the most trustworthy one here. Besides, if he was a Flynn Rider fan, he was probably okay.
O‴O‴O‴
They made their way back to the fire to find Hector looking furious and the girls looking terrified. Eugene immediately went to stand in front of them, and Varian hung back awkwardly.
"What's going on here?" the brunet demanded. "I thought we had a truce!"
Adira, who stood in front of Hector to keep him from attacking, snapped, "A truce is only good as long as both sides work to keep it. Hector and I are doing our part. Keep your side in line, princess, and we'll be fine."
"I told you, it was an accident!" the princess exclaimed.
"Convenient." Hector struggled to get away from Adira, but she kept a hand on his arm. "As accidents go, this one was awfully beneficial for you, wasn't it?"
"I'm not trying to take advantage of him," she insisted.
"Really? Because it sounds like that's exactly what you're doing!"
Lance stepped in between the two groups. "Hey, they're back! So let's get that po—serum made, huh? I think the little guy's ready to get his memories back. Right?"
Varian watched the scene in shock. "Yeah," he murmured. "Let's get back to work. How far did you get?"
"Almost done," Cassandra answered, a strained tone to her voice. "We got to the pine sap."
Varian set back to work over the cauldron again. The two sides stood on opposite sides of the fire, watching each other warily. Varian didn't know what they had been discussing, but this seemed like a bad time to ask. He finished up and gave the mixture one last stir. "Okay, I think it's done! Now all that's left is to let it sit. We can take turns watching tonight to make sure nothing happens to it."
"The word you're looking for is 'you,' not 'we,'" Hector corrected. "You, mister, are going to bed, and you're going to stay there."
"I feel fine! I don't even feel sick anymore. And I slept most of the afternoon anyway!"
"Don't care. Go back to the caravan and go to bed."
"Aww, let him stay," Lance pleaded. "It's not cold out. We can all sleep around the fire!"
"And we can tell stories!" the princess added.
Hector groaned. "This isn't a camping trip, princess. This is a truce. Don't pretend it's more than it is."
"It can't hurt, can it?" Varian asked, crossing his arms. "What are you worried about? I'm not coughing anymore, and Lance was right; it's warm out tonight."
Blue eyes (eye; whatever) met yellow in a test of wills. Varian knew Hector suspected something, but he wouldn't cause a scene. Probably. It was hard to tell with him. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a sword. It was Adira who broke it.
"It probably won't hurt," she said softly. "Hector, it's not a big deal."
His eyes narrowed, and he glared at his sister briefly before nodding. "Fine. But he doesn't keep watch. He needs to sleep." With that, he stalked back to the caravan and returned bearing blankets and pillows. Varian tried to let himself relax. Out in the open, with everyone around, it was probably safer.
He hoped so, at least.
O‴O‴O‴
Hector stared into the fire, watching the flames leap and tag each other in their childlike dance. If Adira wasn't keeping watch, he wouldn't dare look at the fire this way; he'd keep his eyes fixed on the darkness, adjusted and ready for an attack.
The others sat around talking cheerily. Varian, Lance, and Fitzherbert were discussing the Flynn Rider books, and it appeared his nephew was once more certain that those books were an accurate description of proper fighting techniques. Hector hoped this cure worked; if not, he'd have to teach him everything all over again.
It was bittersweet, seeing him like this. His face lit up with excitement, and he grinned wildly, showing off his little buck teeth, one of which was chipped just slightly. Maybe from prison, maybe from one of his experiments. With a gasp of outrage, he quickly corrected Fitzherbert on a quote from the book, and the man howled dramatically and flopped over as if dead.
Every once in a while, though, he'd look over at Hector and Adira, and that momentary flash of distrust would dart across his features before being replaced by that aggravating neutrality. He had to admit, the kid's expression was good; if he could get it on his face quicker, he'd make a pretty good spy.
The fact that Varian trusted the others over his family hurt. Where had Hector gone wrong? What had he done? What had he said? Had he somehow betrayed this innocent, wide-eyed boy who had no memories of the scars of his past? Had he somehow struck a nerve in him, something that his mind would not let him remember? A word, a motion, anything that had forced him to recall those horrible days?
Had it been their talk about alchemy?
Hector gritted his teeth. That had to be it. To tell a child who adored the science that he no longer performed it would have made him skeptical at best. But how else was he supposed to explain the lack of equipment? Lie?
And that was the heart of his frustration. The princess and her friends had lied and earned his trust. Hector had told the truth and was now watched like a dangerous animal. If it were only a matter of the two of them, Hector wouldn't care. If push came to shove, he was sure he could convince his boy of his honesty; he had the first time, after all, when Varian had even less reason to trust him. No, it was that he was so quick to trust them, the people who had taken his trust before and stepped on it. And once Varian got the potion, he would see their lies and be broken all over again.
"Hey, princess?" Varian turned to the blonde with that curious tilt to his head.
She smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Please, call me Rapunzel!"
Hector tensed. What was she doing? She didn't like him well enough to let him call her that, did she? Red flooded his vision as it clicked with him. She was trying to act like Varian's friend so he'd react better when he learned the truth! So he wouldn't be mad because he'd still have at least a day's worth of good memories with her. When Hector told her to figure it out, pretending to be his friend wasn't what he had meant! This was only going to make it worse. How did she not see that?
"Really? Oh, okay!" Varian shared none of his concerns. How could he? He didn't understand her deception. "Well, Rapunzel, what exactly is our mission? No one explained that yet."
"Oh. Are you sure you don't just want to wait until tomorrow morning and take the poti—serum?"
"Why does everyone keep saying that? If I'm going to figure it out anyway, what's the harm in telling me now?" He crossed his arms.
The princess was in a corner and she knew it. With fake enthusiasm, she explained, "We're following the black rocks to their source." She pointed over to the path near the caravan. "They're leading us to the Dark Kingdom."
Varian's head tilted, and his gaze narrowed. Hector tried to figure what had set him off, but his innocent expression returned, and he asked, "What's the Dark Kingdom?"
Hector rolled his eyes, unable to hide a grin. "The Dark Kingdom is a kingdom. It's dark." His sister whacked the back of his head.
"The Dark Kingdom is the home of the Moonstone," Adira informed him. "That's what created the rocks. The princess is the Sundrop, the counterpart to the Moonstone. That's what made her hair grow like that."
"So what am I doing here if I'm not doing alchemy?" Varian stood and walked over to the black rock path. "Oh, wow, this is fascinating! I'd love to study their alchemical composition!"
Slight panic skittered across the other's faces. Hector winced. The princess continued, "You were translating a scroll for us. The Demanitus scroll."
"The Demanitus scroll?" he gasped in amazement. "That's... as in Lord Demanitus, the alchemist and engineer who fought Zhan Tiri? Some people say he was magical, but personally, I don't believe that. All magic is just science. Which is why I am very curious about your hair!" He paced behind her and examined the long braid. "Have I studied this yet?"
"Yep!" Her smile widened, and the panic in her eyes grew. "Back when we first met."
"Oh. What did I come up with?"
"Not sure," Fitzherbert interjected. "Your little machine thingy got destroyed when the boilers blew up."
"Ah." He crossed back over to Fitzherbert and Lance and sat down.
Hector looked up at the sky. "Right, bedtime. I've got first watch." He motioned to a pallet he'd set up for the kid. "Get some sleep. It's past time you were in bed."
Varian gave a mock pout. "You're not my dad." He looked around. "Speaking of, is anyone going to explain why he's not here? What did he say when you two came to Old Corona?"
"We... didn't speak to him," Hector admitted. "Haven't in years, actually."
"Neither of you?"
Both he and Adira shook their heads. "We joined the princess's group a little after," Adira explained.
"Quirin... he didn't come," Hector added. "But he'd be proud of you."
"Y-you think so?"
"I know so. Now go to bed."
Varian fidgeted uncomfortably. He whispered something to Fitzherbert, who nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. Then the boy climbed under the blankets and turned over—onto his right side, Hector noted.
Turning away from the fire, he stared out at the darkening night. Just a few more hours. Then everything would be back to normal. Or as normal as things ever were around them. By morning, Varian would be... broken again.
He used a rag to polish his blade as the night passed slowly, too slowly, flecking away nonexistent specks of dirt. The metal gleamed in the starlight, and he tilted the blade to reflect his eyes. It seemed impossible that it had been less than a week ago that he had seen his reflection in the sword of his sister as he attempted to kill the very people he was now traveling with. That he was letting his nephew travel with. That had stolen his memories and replaced them with false hopes—
He spun and grabbed the extended arm behind him, twisting to throw the man to the ground. Fitzherbert started to yell in surprise, but Hector's hand clamped over his mouth. "What the crap! You got a death wish or something?"
Fitzherbert mumbled something behind Hector's palm. He rolled his eyes and yanked the man to his feet with one hand. "Oww."
"Talk."
"It's Varian."
Hector sat on the log and motioned for him to continue, resuming polishing his sword.
Fitzherbert joined him and explained, "I figured it's only fair to tell you he doesn't trust you."
"Could've fooled me. Do you have anything useful to add?"
"Before he went to sleep, he asked me to stay up and keep watch on you to make sure you didn't do anything."
"And you're telling me? You're a horrible spy."
"Look, I just thought you had a right to know, okay? Right now he trusts me because I'm... I dunno, Flynn Rider or something. Not that I've done anything to earn his trust, but that's why he went with me to get the egg. He wanted to ask me about you and why he's all... you know."
"Scarred? Say it. He's scarred."
"Okay. Scarred. Happy?"
"No."
Fitzherbert groaned and put his head in his hands. "I'm trying here, okay?" He looked up at the warrior. "So I bet you're struggling with this a little bit."
"Which part, specifically?"
"The fact that your nephew trusts us over you. That's gotta sting a little."
Hector rolled his eyes. "This isn't about my emotional state. I'll be fine. I see the bigger picture here. What I'm upset about is the fact that he chose to trust the people who hurt him so badly in the first place and have done nothing but hurt him since."
"We're not—"
"He still has a handprint on his face." Hector's eyes narrowed in cold anger.
"Right, yeah, Cassandra's a little... ice demon-y. But in her defense, last time they saw each other, he tried to kill her."
"Yeah, yeah, he told me all about that. Told me all the bad he did before he even said you guys abandoned him." He pinched the bridge of his nose, where his scar crossed. "The kid's pretty tore up inside about what he did. Do me a favor and don't make this harder on him, 'kay? He didn't go off ranting about all the stuff you did wrong. Just kept telling me about how he didn't deserve my help because he was a horrible person. But you guys weren't much better, leaving an orphan alone like that after he begged for help. Letting him get beat by the royal guard day in and day out before he did anything wrong. And I can't help but wonder if he expected his hero Flynn Rider to rush to the rescue. You are the princess's boyfriend, after all, so she would have told you he needed help. Can you blame me for being worried you'll let him down again?"
Something settled in the man's dark eyes, something sad and unpleasant and...regretful. "I suppose not," he murmured. "Blondie told me how he said he waited for her. About the guards interrogating him. I guess I can't blame him for snapping if they hurt him like you said. But he shouldn't have—"
"Whatever you're about to say, he knows. Trust me. There's nothing you can hold against him he doesn't already hate himself for. Just—I'm trying to help him heal. He's doing better. Don't set him back again. Don't force him to relive his dark past when all he wants to do is leave it behind."
Fitzherbert ran a hand through his hair. Hector supposed that meant he was pretty upset, considering how much time the man spent grooming himself. "Wow. I don't know, I guess I thought that he was still... like that."
"He's not." Hector rolled his eyes. "Yeesh, when did I become a therapist for you jerks? This is what happens when I'm not allowed to kill people."
"Yeah, no, you just have to make them see your way, huh?"
"Do you now?"
He shrugged. "A little bit, I think. Better than before. I'm still mad, but maybe I'll try to talk to him later. See what he was going through back then. I get what it is to be an orphan who thinks crime is the only option, so... I'll try to be nicer. How's that sound?"
"Not as horrible of a decision as you could have made, so I'll let you live for now." He rubbed the sword one last time with the rag and held it up to examine it.
Fitzherbert drew back slightly. "I appreciate that. And for the record, he's lucky to have someone like you."
Hector bit back a nasty comment about how he was one of the only ones who was willing to be the person Varian needed and instead responded, "Thanks." He looked back over to where his nephew lay.
Or was supposed to be laying.
Varian's pallet was empty.
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Fun trivia fact I meant to mention in the last chapter and forgot; it was a toss-up to see if Varian or Hector got their memory erased. Hector would have gone back to before he met Varian and assumed he was an enemy like the others. This would have been very bad for Varian's mental state, so I suppose it's good I chose the alternative. This is at least slightly better.
As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless!