"Uh oh." Adira frowned, looking at her map.
"What is it?" Rapunzel asked, walking over to her.
They'd stopped at the base of a cliff, to which Eugene had sarcastically commented about how he would've done a much better job of getting them through here. Adira looked up from her map and sighed, walking over to Quirin. "Brother, we need to talk."
"About?" He asked, getting up from helping Varian check on the wheels of their caravan.
She sighed. "These caravans. We have to scale the cliff, according to the map, so we're going to have to let the forest take them."
"'Take them'?" Quirin raised an eyebrow.
Rapunzel came over to join them, looking concerned.
"When I came through here before, I encountered a man that had been lost for a few hours before I showed up. He had lost his horse and cart to a sinkhole, and was desperate. So, I helped him get out and we found his horse and cart on the other side. So, I'm thinking that if we let your caravans be taken, we'll find them waiting for us outside the forest. But, I don't know what would happen if a person went through a sinkhole..."
Quirin sighed. "Well, I know better than to question magic forests. I'll go inform everyone that we're traveling on foot for a little while." He walked off with Varian at his side.
"I...guess I better tell my group, too." Rapunzel said, heading back to them.
–
"Raps, are you insane?" Cassandra hissed. "We're just going to follow her advice blindly?"
"Quirin is trusting her and he has an entire village to look out for. Besides, like he said..." she looked over at Quirin, who was talking to his people, "'I know better than to question magic forests'."
Eugene sighed heavily. "Alright, then. Let's go pack."
He headed into the caravan and Cassandra looked over at the colony doing the same. "They...really trust him. They follow him like he's their King."
"He's their leader." Rapunzel smiled. "I only hope I can have as powerful a presence as he does when I am Queen."
After they packed the essentials into backpacks and made sure everyone was out, they all stepped out and joined Adira. "How long will this take?" Quirin asked her.
"About fifteen minutes. We should move on." Adira suggested.
"Right." Eugene nodded, tying a rope to his side and starting to climb the cliff. "I'll climb up first and you guys can--"
"Whoever gets to the top last has to eat Tina's cooking!" Clyde called motioning for the kids to follow him to the wall.
"Hey!" A young woman said with an offended tone.
Eugene stared in disbelief as he saw Varian and the other kids climbing up the wall without any kind of rope, quicker than he was doing it. Then Adira fired an arrow that created a ladder and he groaned as everyone else started to climb up it, continuing his own ascent.
"Guess Mr. Rider's going to eat Tina's cooking." Varian said teasingly as he offered him a hand up.
"It's Eu-- ...nevermind." Eugene sighed heavily as he got up and dusted himself off. "Thanks, kid."
"No problem!" He hurried on with the others and Eugene followed behind.
"That kid does not look that athletically-inclined." Eugene muttered, shaking his head.
–
"Did we have to ditch the caravans?" Eugene muttered as they all walked through the rain together.
Varian said something to his father, then pulled four adults aside before he pulled something out of his bag that looked like four sticks connected by a tarp. Then they each took one and started to walk away from each other, spreading it out, and Varian went around to each one as the tarp straightened out, pushing each side higher and locking it in place. Then they went over to the group with this weird little shelter and Eugene found the rain didn't hit them anymore as they kept walking.
Varian went back to his father's side and got an affectionate rub on the head.
"Huh...kid's pretty smart." Eugene said, smiling a bit.
Adira was looking up at the shelter curiously. "I'm surprised it's covering all of us."
"Varian made this so we could cook and eat outside without worrying about rain." One of the villagers – colonists? – said cheerfully.
Rapunzel wrung out her hair, now that it wasn't getting all wet. "Wow, thanks, Varian!"
He smiled shyly. "I'm just...doing my part. Heh."
–
The kids had somehow gotten themselves caught in some tricky vines and Rapunzel, Cassandra and Lance, in an effort to help them, also got caught. Quirin and Eugene tried to cut them free and Eugene kept trying while Quirin turned to Adira. "Alright, how do we get them out?"
"These vines are as indestructible as the rocks." Varian said thoughtfully about his bindings.
"Moreso, my sword can't cut them." Adira informed him. "They just need to relax and it will let them all out."
"Alright." Quirin nodded.
"We just need to relax?" Rapunzel asked. "Okay."
Eugene kept trying to cut her free. "Stupid vines! Cut!"
Deciding to humor him, Rapunzel let Eugene keep trying while everyone else got free.
"Come on, Mr. Rider." Varian walked over to him.
Eugene groaned and slumped his shoulders. "Fine."
Rapunzel relaxed and got free. "It's alright." She kissed Eugene's cheek. "You're still amazing."
"Yeah!" Varian assured him.
"Let's set up camp here." Adira called from nearby.
They walked over to help everyone set up camp and Adira volunteered to make them all food from ingredients found in the forest.
"It's supposed to be Varian's turn to cook, though." A girl looked at him.
"I'll take my turn next time." He assured her. "Besides, don't you want to try Aunt Adira's cooking?"
"Hm, if her cooking is better than Tina's." The girl smirked.
"I will whack you both with a wooden spoon." Tina said, frowning at them. They both giggled in reply.
Adira smiled and went around collecting ingredients while they set up a fire for her to cook at before they all gathered around it.
"I still can't believe this is your entire village." Rapunzel said, looking at them. "I expected there to be more."
Quirin's expression became grim. "Well...we lost...a lot of people to the rocks." He admitted quietly. "We try not to think about it."
"Oh." Rapunzel gasped, bringing her hand to her lips.
Quirin looked over at Varian, who was playing cards with Lance, Eugene, Clyde and a few kids while Cassandra watched. "I never wanted him to see that kind of thing...I tried to shield him, but..."
Rapunzel reached out and placed her hand on his. "I think you did okay. He seems happy."
"My son is very good at hiding his true feelings." Quirin said quietly.
Adira came back over and started to cook and Rapunzel got up and walked over to sit next to Varian so the two siblings could talk privately. "Having fun?"
"Mmm...I'm actually kind of bored." Varian admitted.
"Bored? How can you be bored if you're winning?" Eugene asked with exasperation.
"I am?" Varian asked with surprise.
Clyde chuckled. "Yes, Varian, you are."
Varian looked at the raccoon on his shoulders. "Did you know that?"
Ruddiger yawned in response and nuzzled him. "Yeah, I guess we've been walking a while, huh? It's okay, though, we'll be out soon." He assured his friend.
"Assuming Adira is actually leading us out and not to the Drexis to die." Cassandra said sarcastically.
"My dad trusts her." Varian said calmly. "He wouldn't trust her unless he knew she knew what to do."
Rapunzel looked over at Adira and Quirin. "How come you never met her before now?"
"My father didn't talk about his past. That includes introducing me to his family members, I suppose." Varian shrugged.
Lance chuckled. "Well, speaking of introductions, I just realized you never got introduced to us. I'm Lance Strongbow, pretty much Eugene's brother."
"You were Flynn Rider's partner-in-crime for many years." Varian said, picking out a card and putting it down. "I know who you are."
"Oh, you study up on criminals?" Lance asked with amused interest.
Varian shrugged. "I listen, I learn. I mostly focus on Flynn Rider, but it's important to know the other big names."
"I'm not sure if I should be disturbed or flattered." Eugene admitted.
"Hey, you're the one that repurposed an already famous name." Cassandra smirked and walked over to check on Adira's cooking.
"Is your dad really planning to take everyone here to the Dark Kingdom?" Rapunzel asked, looking around them.
"If we can take down the Moonstone, the land will be restored, and it'll be far from your dad." Varian nodded.
Rapunzel sighed. "It's so far, though..." She pulled out a map. "How could I see you again?"
Varian raised an eyebrow and set down his cards, getting up. "No offense, Princess, but you didn't exactly make an effort to visit me when I was only a few hours away." He walked over to his father.
"He's got a point." Clyde remarked.
"And who are you, anyway?" Eugene asked.
"Clyde Miller, a friend of Varian's. We grew up together." He set down his cards and got up to follow him.
Rapunzel sighed. "He's right. I need to try to make a better effort to be a friend to him. Starting now!" She got up and walked over to Varian, who was watching his aunt cook. "Varian, uhm, can we talk?"
"About?" He asked, then made a face. "And what is THAT for?"
"The chameleon." Adira said as she put together a snack for Pascal. He licked his lips on Rapunzel's shoulder and she chuckled. "Not yet."
"I just wanted to...you know, talk. Get to know you. I just realized I don't know anything about you aside from you being an alchemist." Rapunzel said sheepishly.
Varian hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I'm the son of the Mayor of Old Corona, but you probably knew that." She blushed, nodding. "I like reading, my favorite book series is the Flynn Rider books, and I like to draw and play with Ruddiger in my free time."
"He also sings and plays piano and guitar and--" Clyde laughed as Varian shoved him away with a exasperated expression. "He gets bored a lot." He added and Varian got up and chased him off, Clyde laughing as they ran off together.
"Don't go too far!" Adira called after them. "The Pupshrooms might get you."
"What are pup—whoa!" Varian yelped as both boys quickly jumped back from a mushroom that tried to eat them. They quickly ran back to the safety of the fire and their respective dads.
Rapunzel giggled a bit and then sighed, thinking of her own father. She missed him so much, and it'd only been half a month since she saw him last. She smiled fondly as Varian and Clyde hid under their fathers' arms, sticking out their tongues childishly. It was nice to see him acting like a child instead of the little adult he tried to be around her.
"Food's ready." Adira informed them all, and they all gathered around as she started to served them up a delicious meal of roasted trout, blackberry salad, a fruit cobbler and Gouda cheese. The meal was accompanied by a barrel of apple juice that had been packed along by someone and they happily ate and drank.
"You're a pretty good cook!" One of the kids said cheerfully.
"Thank you." She smiled at him as she sipped her drink. "Mm, this is tasty."
"Squeezed from the apples from Old Corona. We took some seeds with us for the new location." Quirin smiled wistfully. "Building a new home will take time, of course, but we will persevere."
"Hear, hear!" The adult citizens all said.
Rapunzel smiled as Pascal ate the fruit and fly spiced medley that Adira had made him and then looked over as Varian offered Ruddiger an apple and stroked his fur fondly. He really seemed to care for the raccoon. "So...Varian," she caught his attention and he looked at her, "how did you get Ruddiger?"
"You remember when you came to my lab, the raccoon that kept trying to come in? That's him." He chuckled. "He kept coming in through windows or the chimney or darting in the door so dad finally just told me I could keep him as long as I kept him out of trouble."
Adira chuckled. "You remind me of Hector."
"Hector?" Varian asked. "Is that one of the others?"
"Hector is the one that went to guard the Dark Kingdom from intruders, yes." Quirin confirmed. "He, like you, had a fascination with wild animals."
"If you're going to get this...colony into the Dark Kingdom, you're going to have to get past him through the Great Tree." She looked at her brother incredulously. "Which is even more foolish a plan than going through this forest."
"We can handle it!" Clyde's father assured her, and the others cheered.
Adira shrugged. "Well...we'll see, brother. We'll see. This is a LOT of people to keep track of."
"It is, but it's worth it." Quirin assured her. "I refuse to let my people down."
Adira sighed and looked at Varian. "And, what do you think about all this, hm?"
"I mean, I was just trying to stop people from going to the King, and then suddenly they were all talking about leaving Corona so I came up with the caravans idea." Varian shrugged. "If dad thinks we can all safely migrate to the Dark Kingdom, then we'll do it."
"You have a lot of faith in your father, huh?" Lance smiled.
"Mmhm." Varian nodded. "Even if I don't always understand why he does what he does, I have faith it'll all work out." He tugged on his gloves a bit, smiling up at his father.
Quirin smiled and gently rubbed his shoulder affectionately.
Adira sighed and shook her head with a faint smile. Usually it'd be Quirin being the voice of reason, so she had no idea what to do about him being so attached to these people that he was making an irrational decision.
"Well...we have a long way to go until then. Let's not worry about it." Rapunzel suggested.
–
After the meal, they packed up and continued on at Adira's urging. Rapunzel noticed Clyde pick up one of the smaller kids that seemed to be getting tired and lift her on his shoulders before Varian came over and walked alongside them.
"If you drop me, I'm setting you on fire." She heard the girl say to the boys, and they laughed in response.
"I really should make an effort to get to know everyone here." Rapunzel said thoughtfully. "I mean, seeing as we're traveling together and all."
"Hmm, but then you'll be all weepy when you have to separate from them." Cassandra said teasingly.
"I'm worried about this...migration, honestly." Eugene admitted. "I mean, there's no way we can actually get all these people safely to the Dark Kingdom, no matter how good a leader Quirin is."
"Varian has faith he can." Rapunzel nodded. "So, I'm having faith, too."
"Honestly," Hookfoot admitted, "I'm just hoping we can get through this forest."
"Ahh! I said 'don't drop me'!" The girl with Varian and Clyde said.
"I dropped you into Varian's arms, you're fine!" Clyde said with a big grin.
"Yeah, I got you." Varian assured her.
"Kids, no roughhousing in the cursed woods." Quirin said as he walked over with Clyde's dad and probably the dad of the girl.
"Who knew he'd actually have friends?" Cassandra remarked. "I mean, all those rumors, and he didn't have them helping him at the expo..."
"Maybe he was deliberately going without help because he wanted you to help him." Rapunzel theorized, and Cassandra winced a bit.
He had been pretty quick to ask her, and then...she'd let him down.
"Think Maximus, Fidella and the other animals are okay?" Eugene asked, changing the subject.
"Adira seemed pretty confident they might be." Lance shrugged.
"We put them inside the barn, so if the barn turned up outside with the other caravans, we should find them outside." A farmer assured him.
"Let's get going, people." Adira called, and they hurried on.
–
"How much longer?" One of Varian's friends asked as she yawned, Varian carrying her on his back. "So sleepy..."
"Shouldn't be much longer." He assured her. "Aunt Adira is showing us the way, and she's been through here before."
"Look alive, people." Adira called to them, and Varian looked over to see Adira standing in front of a bubbling, steaming lake. "We have to pass over this to get through."
"Uhm...how?" Eugene asked.
"Well, we could do this one of two ways. Quirin and I take a few of you at a time over with our unique dexterity, or we can go along the edge there single-file and pray no one trips." Adira turned to them. "So, which should we do?"
"Hm..." Eugene looked thoughtful. "Varian, you got anything that could cross this?"
"I'm an alchemist, not a god." Varian raised an eyebrow. "And, contrary to the rumors, I'm not a wizard, either." He added, earning giggling from the other kids.
Quirin cleared his throat. "I think it would be quicker to go with the first idea, Adira."
"Alright." She nodded. "Let's start with the kids and the Princess."
"Oh, actually," Rapunzel let down her hair and quite a few people gawked at the length. "I'm going to swing across. Anyone want to hold onto me?" She invited. "Varian, how about you?"
"Go on." Clyde nudged him with a grin.
Varian shrugged and walked over to her with the girl still on his shoulders. "Think you can carry both of us and Ruddiger?" He asked as he maneuvered the girl to his front.
"I think so." She smiled and then swung her hair up. They watched as it caught on a branch. She tugged on it, hard, a few times, then wrapped her hair around them both. "Okay...do you trust me?"
Varian smiled. "Yeah."
"I think so." The girl said as she clung to Varian nervously.
Ruddiger chittered his agreement from around Varian's neck.
"Okay." Rapunzel nodded and tightened her hair around them, then stepped back a few feet before she took a running start and swung them all over the lake below. Varian clung to her tightly and watched below them and the girl let out a scream half with fear and half with excitement before they landed on the other side safely.
"There!" Rapunzel said as she unwrapped them. "Alright, that was fun, huh?"
Varian nodded with a big, nervous smile and then they watched as Adira and Quirin picked up some of the villagers and jumped between walls and trees to get over. Some of the others had decided to get across by climbing trees and scaling the wall while some others moved along the edge.
Somehow, to everyone's amazement, they managed to get everyone over safely. "Alright," Adira said after they did headcounts and confirmed everyone was accounted for and unharmed, "let's press on."
"Great job, everyone." Quirin praised them and affectionately rubbed Varian's head, earning a beaming smile. "We're going to get through this."
"We're almost out." Adira assured them, then pointed to an ominous pink blob in the air. "Once we pass through that, we'll be out."
"...Okay, you can't be serious." Eugene said.
"The map says we have to pass through." Adira assured him. "Unless, of course you want to ignore the map, end up back at the beginning and possibly encounter a Drexis?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Into the pink blob we go." Rapunzel said cheerfully, walking on ahead of the others.
They all passed through it, the rest of Rapunzel's group expecting something horrific and deadly outside, and they were all pleasantly surprised to find themselves staring out at clear skies and no trees and the road onward, with the caravans all parked nearby.
"We made it!" Varian cheered with the other kids, and they all ran over to check on the caravans.
"I've never been so happy to see those black rocks!" Rapunzel said excitedly.
"I'm so happy, I could kiss someone!" Hookfoot picked up the closest person to kiss them, which happened to be a very receptive Shorty, and dropped him. "Ehhh, nevermind."
Quirin sighed with relief. "Thank you, sister."
Adira nodded. "Mmhm. I am amazing." She said smugly.
"Yes, yes you are." Quirin chuckled. "Why don't you travel with us?"
"I have some things to attend to, but I'll meet up with you again." She assured him. "Be careful, and have safe travels."
He nodded and looked over at the horses being brought out of the barn to hitch them up again. "You too."
"Dad, Louie's being stubborn!" Varian called.
Quirin sighed and walked over to help him get one of the horses out of the barn. "Come on, Lou. Let's get you hitched up."
The other adults went over to help get the caravans all set up, leaving Adira with Rapunzel's group.
Adira smiled fondly at them, then turned to Rapunzel. "Well, this is where I leave you."
"Adira," Eugene started, "thankyou for ev--"
"Everything?" She smiled smugly. "I know, I'm amazing." She raised her fist high and clenched it triumphantly. "Once again, I have conquered The Forest of No Return and not only got you out of a dire strait, but also an entire migrating colony." She started to walk off. "Proving that I am a champion. Take care, everyone."
"Oh, champion of my heart." Lance swooned after her.
Eugene smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I hate to admit it," Cassandra remarked, "but she's growin' on me."
"Well, that's no surprise." Eugene chuckled. "Look how long it took me to win you over."
"Bye, Aunt Adira!" Varian waved from where he was sitting up front with his father. "Princess, come on! We've got a long way to go to get to the Dark Kingdom!"
"Come on!" Rapunzel said, laughing a bit as she ran over to where Maximus and Fidella were already hitched up.
–
"You know, for the record, I'm pretty confident I could've gotten us out of there." Eugene said as they continued on down the road, their caravan behind Quirin's since he, clearly, knew the way to go better. "But, I figured, you know, Adira's clearly got some attention issues, why not throw her a bone and let her lead the way?"
"That was very nice of you, Eugene." Rapunzel said with a smile.
They heard a horn blowing and noticed Quirin's caravan moving to the side and followed suit. Rapunzel cringed when she saw the large rock in the middle of the road that they had to move around.
"So, how confident do you feel about us all getting to the Dark Kingdom?" Cassandra asked.
"With Quirin guiding us?" Rapunzel smiled. "I think we'll be fine."