You have no idea how long I've been wanting to write this chapter! And oh boy is this chapter going to change the way the rest of the story plays out! 😊
Also, because no one has still responded to my question, but do you all like it when I put songs in this story? Please let me know!
With the help of Ride- Eugene, he and Hugo began a rapid search for the younger alchemist. The blond stumbled his first few steps, but his balance soon returned as he made a mad dash around the marketplace.
The streets were busy this time around, which didn't help the search. People were shoving trying to get the last of bakery goods as attempted bargains turned into yelling wars.
And this all didn't seem to help Hugo with his worriness, nor his ever-growing headache.
Hugo didn't know what had happened when he was being held against the alleyway wall. But he didn't care at the moment. All his mind playing was the broken, sorrow-filled voice Varian had in his apology to him. The way his voice cracked was what would seemingly happen when he was about to cry.
He searched harder after that memory.
He and Eugene continued the search until they heard it. A strangled cry coming from behind the shoe repair shop.
Hugo could feel his heart racing against time, his mind and vision blurring as he ran. Eugene tried to follow closely behind him, but Hugo had lost him. The blond was quicker.
And as soon as he was behind the shop his heart stopped.
Varian was being held up against the wall by the collar of his shirt, which was already torn in a spot or two. Crimson liquid was dripping down his forehead, sticking to his skin that grew paler by the minute.
His eyes were still open, yet they seemed hollowed out by fear. A few crystal tears were present as they slid down his face in a rather quick manner.
One knife was pressed against his throat. Tiny streams of blood trickling out as the knife was pressed against him more. The other knife was in the hand of a woman.
" Aw, come on, Dearie. " The woman's voice was sickly sweet as she twirled the knife and threw it. Varian squeaked as the sharp objects embedded itself into the wall just above his head. " What's the matter, Magic Freak? I thought you wanted to show the world your magic? "
Hugo could see the look of annoyance on the younger alchemist's face. Just why the heck did people think alchemy was magic? People thought that magic was fake and a myth long ago. So why did they think alchemy was a myth if magic was present nowadays? Science and magic are two different spectrums people!
" Yeah, come on, Dearie, " the man said with a mocking tone, " you're already a betrayer to Corona. So why should it matter if you hurt more people like- "
" Leave him alone! "
Hugo's face was red with fury as the people looked towards him. An unsettling smirk formed on the man's face before he nodded towards the woman, who seemed to have gotten the same idea the man did. And all Hugo could do was to try to maintain his anger and not walk up and punch the smirk off his face.
" Oh, so you got a friend now, eh? " The man's gaze returned to Varian's own, which was filled with panic once more. " Does he know about your crimes too, Magic Freak? "
Hugo could sense the stupidity radiating off of the two. It was quite obvious really. But that stupidity couldn't stop him from seething with rage.
So he would just have to be the sarcastic alchemist he was. Simple. Easy. Smart-Mode Hugo was almost effortless- and mother of Demanitus, was he gonna screw up-
" Well, as a fellow 'Magic Freak' myself, I'd have to say your vocabulary is incorrect, Good Sir. You see, this boy and I are known alchemists, to which we study the wonders of alchemy. Apart from the science mainly being based on changing the chemical compound elements of matter, we also use it to help create our own chemical compounds. Of course, with the education you two have, I'll have to dumb it down for you both. "
Hugo felt a smirk tug at his lips. Varian looked like he was going to kick Hugo for making fun of people the moment he was let go of. The man and woman, however, were what Hugo had expected: dumb looking idiots who didn't even know what the heck he was talking about. Or at least that was until both of them looked to have steam blowing out of their ears.
But Hugo wasn't done.
" We, " he gestured to himself and Varian, " use certain things provided from nature to create better things. Of course, we also can create machines with metals and such, but that's basic elementary so you both should know exactly what I'm talking about. Isn't that right, folks? "
And before Hugo knew it, he was dodging rocks being thrown at him. Nonetheless, he, of course, was successful in doing so. Hey, being an ex-thief had its pros.
Apparently, if you dodge rocks for so long, said person throwing rocks is gonna get mad and try to charge at you. Who knew that would happen? Oh yeah, Hugo did!
As soon as the woman was a mere few inches away from Hugo, he dropped to the ground and kicked his leg towards her ankles, causing her to fall backwards. He quickly jumped back up and glared at the man still holding Varian against the wall. He could see the man was trembling.
" Now, why don't you let Varian go, punk? Unless you wanna go through the same thing your wife did. " He felt venom drip through his words saying that. His glare pierced through the man's heart as he suddenly dropped the boy and backed away shakily.
Hugo couldn't help but let an unsettling smirk etched on his face. " Grab your wife and run along now. And don't ever come towards Varian again. Think you can do that with your pea sized brain, Buddy, or do I gotta dumb it down for you? "
The man shook his head as he ran towards his wife and quickly ran down the alleyway. And as Eugene finally made it to the destination, Hugo made his way to Varian.
The younger alchemist was leaning against the filthy wall of the shoe shop. His head wound had stopped bleeding, which was good, though he knew the sight of blood made the younger faint. So it didn't exactly help when it had dripped dry down the side of his face and that the blood on his neck had also dried.
" Hey, Goggles. . . "
" H-hey, Hugo. . . " Varian's voice was softer than the blond could remember. He felt a hand touch the back of his head, and saw Varian pull it back to see red flakes and disoriented eyes.
" Hey now, don't faint in me now, " Hugo jokingly said through another painful pulse from his headache. Yet all he saw was the pained look in Varian's eyes.
" H-how did you get hurt? "
" Why don't we worry about you first? " Hugo pulled out an orange handkerchief from his pocket and licked a part of it. " Not the most sanitary method, but it'll do. "
" Is that Varian's? " A new voice popped in.
" Mhmm. " Hugo nodded to Eugene, who watched as the blond cleaned the dried blood off Varian.
~
Varian stayed silent during his cleaning. His mind wandered to what those people had said.
' They're right, ' he thought. And he knew they were: he always knew. But after not hearing it during his journey that much, he thought he wasn't that anymore.
He was wrong.
He was always wrong.
" So why should it matter if you hurt more people like- "
" The monster you are. . . " Varian mumbled under his breath.
" Whatcha say, Goggles? "
Varian snapped back to reality to see Eugene looking at him with confusion. Hugo, however, knew he heard him.
" N-nothin', " he replied. Standing up, he looked towards the faint woods. " I-I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon. "
" Oh hell no! After what just happened- " Eugene was interrupted by a smack on the back of his head from Hugo, who glared at him before facing towards Varian once more.
" Just don't be too long, Goggles. " He pressed his lips to Varian's forehead for a few seconds before pulling back.
Varian felt his world crumble right before him.
Eugene sucked in a breath.
Varian left after that.
~
Once in the forest, Varian found a little stream and dropped to his knees. The wind blew his hair wildly as the only sound came from the movements of the stream.
In the forest he was alone. No townspeople. No royalty. No friends. No family.
No Hugo.
" It used to be so simple
It was a world I understood. "
Varian began to think about the people he'd met on his travels around the seven kingdoms. How each and every person he'd met was different from each other.
" I didn't know what I didn't know
And life seemed pretty good. "
A smile was brought upon his face as he thought of Yong, Nuru, and Hugo, and everything he'd done with them. Their adventures weren't exactly perfect. But they made Varian happy.
But after today, Varian's face fell a bit. He wishes everything would go back to that time.
" But now the darkness rises
From somewhere deep inside of me. "
Today has been a disaster from the very start. Everything he had feared was coming to the light.
Everything he ever wanted to take back was returning once more. And he couldn't prevent any of it.
" The power overtakes me
Can I keep this midnight from getting free? "
He'd wished these few days would pass. Heck, he even wished he'd never came back.
Yet the love for his family drove him back to Corona. But was that love even worth the pain he would have to endure once more?
" If I could stay with the light, I know I'd be free
And I could start to be whole, I could start to be me! "
He didn't know what was right or wrong in his life anymore. Everything he'd ever thought was bad was good in the eyes of the people of Corona.
And everything he ever thought was good was bad in the eyes of the people.
" But instead, I am struggling with all that I see
And these friends. . . "
And to Varian, Hugo was a part of him. Hugo was something good in Varian's life. And that meant he was bad to the eyes of Corona.
Varian couldn't hold back any longer, and the tears of regret began to fall like rain drops.
" Mustn't see the midnight in me!
The midnight in me! "
And as Varian shakily stood back up from the ground, panic still overwhelmed his body and mind. He wasn't ready to go back- he never would be.
Yet he still has some explaining to do.
" They mustn't see the midnight in me. . . "
Varian being accepted was never an option anyways.
~
" Alright, what gives? What's with that look on your face, Eugene? "
Eugene was still frozen in shock. He couldn't believe- didn't Varian-. He regained his composure and slid down the shop's walls. He patted the ground next to him for the latter to take a seat.
And once he did Eugene couldn't help but grimace. He looked Hugo straight into his eyes before speaking softly.
" You. . . you really love Goggles, don't you? "
The blond gave a confused look and a nod. Apparently he didn't know. No wonder why Varian's been acting weird.
Eugene gave a shaky breath before looking at the blond with sorrowful eyes. He placed a hand on his shoulder before speaking once more.
" Look, Hugo. It's- it's illegal for you guys to be together here. "
AND NOW THE TRUTH HAS BEEN REVEALED! This was something I thought of when I first started reading VAT7K fanfiction.
Have a wonderific day/night to you all! 😊
~ Brooklyn