Sorry if this chapter goes all over the place, but there is drama in this, so be prepared.
And the song, "If I Could Take That Moment Back", was my motivation for this chapter.
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Chapter 25 -
Two Sides Of The Same Coin
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Red and Angry took Andrew and Eugene to question them with Rapunzel and Cassandra. Leaving you with Varian. You smile a bit then hit your head on the bars.
“I didn't know Eugene was going to do this.”
Varian sighs, “You know it's still bad that you guys got caught.”
“I know. It's just…..Eugene was acting a little off. One thing's for sure, he kept calling himself Flynn Rider.”
Varian runs his hand through his hair, “There could be anything going on here, though it could be because he was upset about losing the ring.”
You think back and sigh, “I guess. He wanted to get another ring…..but the reason he had wasn't himself. Well I mean it would be him, but…” You glare at the cuffs which were the ones that cut off your power. “I don't know….he did try to kidnap me and Andrew stopped him.”
“Varian?” Cass comes in. “The Royal Duke wants to see you.”
“Why?” Varian asked.
Cass shrugs, “I don't know.”
Varian looks back at you and you nod for him to go while you sit on the bench.
Red and Angry now watched Varian while Cass took the liberty to watch over Andrew and Eugene. Varian was nervous though Rapunzel was with the Duke.
Rapunzel was confused when the Duke said she will have to be a witness. Witness for what?
The Duke towers over Varian as he smiles nervously at the tall man.
There were no words until the Duke knelt down and held out the Scepter. “This is what your friends were after, but instead of stealing….you could have asked and would have received.”
Varian was beyond confused and took the scepter, “Uh…..thank you?” Varian examines it and glaces at Rapunzel who shrugs.
“You're welcome and if you need anything, let us know.”
Varian blinks then is about to say something, but Angry, Red, Cass, and Andrew run in.
“Eugene escaped and he took (____).” Cass says.
Varian immediately switches moods and furrows his brows, turning to the Duke and giving him the scepter. “We'll be back. We have things to take care of and I am sorry for the trouble we caused.”
The Duke nods and gestures for them to leave.
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“Eugene! Put me down! What's wrong with you?” You struggle and gettin tired of being carried like a sack of potatoes over Eugene's shoulders.
“No can do, Little Lady. I'm not really into the whole kidnapping business, but you are worth a kingdom!” Eugene sighs happily.
You reach up to your hair and pull out a pin which you try to unlock the cuffs but you dropped it.
“Ugh.”
You're sat in a chair now and you try to trip Eugene.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! No. Nooooo.” Eugene scowls you and you stick your tongue out at him. He huffs, “Yeah, very mature.”
“Good job, Rider.” Baron smiles and hands Eugene of a cup of wine.
Eugene leans on the table and shrugs, “It was fun while it lasted.”
You hear heavy coughing near you and a cloud heavy cloud of smoke blows right into your face. You cough and cover your mouth as a sickening laugh is near your ear.
“How’s that taste, Shooting Star?”
You glare at the potbelly man and growl, “Gillick. You poisonous toadstool!” You get up but Baron holds you down. “Of course. All this drama happening around here.”
Gillick snorts, “Yeah, yeah. Partially, my Dear. Humans tend to…...cause drama themselves. So quick to judge.” He stares at you, “Just like how you have a hard time fitting in. This is all your fault, correct?”
You didn't really know what to say. Sometimes you had doubts about yourself.
“They're here.” Eugene says and sits on the window sill, looking out at the front.
Your senses kept telling to look at the giant mirror in the room and you wondered why. Until you seen it.
Eugene didn't have a reflection.
Gillick snaps his fingers as a few figures made of cigar ashes appear. “Flynn Rider. Maybe want to ESCORT your friends here.”
“I don't have friends, well….there is Lance, but I'll escort these guys.” He grin and walks out with the figures following him.
You sneak your way over to the mirror and notice a gold coin on the floor. You pick it up and see another leading a trail.
“Hey!” Baron runs toward you.
Your eyes widen and you run too while following the trail. It lead to a wall, but you notice a button that blended in with the wall design.
“Ah!” You yell in pain when your grabbed by the hair and lifted up.
Baron laughs in triumph but you're dropped and Baron faceplants the floor. He was out cold. You rub your head and glance up to see Andrew.
“You alright, Sunshine?” He helps you up with a sword in hand.
You nod, “Yeah.” Your eyes stare at the button and you press it while hearing loud obnoxious complaining.
You and Andrew gave a look to each other.
“Eugene.”
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“Hey, Blondie, Varatos, Red, Angry….Iceberg.”
Cass glares at the nickname and holds her sword close when she sees the ash figures standing behind Eugene.
Rapunzel desperately looks at Eugene, “Eugene. What are you doing?”
“Flynn. Flynn Rider. And I'm not doing anything. I'm doing whatever I want and what I enjoy. I just don't get why I wanted to marry you in the first place.” He descends the stairs in thought.
Varian held his mother's sword out and ready to use just in case.
“Oh wait!” Flynn smirks, “I wanted to marry YOU so I can live in a castle. Have it all because I married a PRINCESS. Oh the luxury life is so close.”
Rapunzel looks a little sad, “Eugene….That….that's not the only reason.”
“Actually, I can get another Princess. It's easy. I've got the looks.” He runs a hand through his hair. “You're just so….” He waves his hands, “Clingy.”
Rapunzel holds back tears and Cass places a hand on her shoulder.
“Shut it, Fitzherbert!”
Flynn groans, “Flynn!!! RIDER! And you know what Cassandra? I'm surprised you're still here. Don't you get annoyed by Rapunzel too, clearly you do.”
Cass steps forward, but Varian pushes her back.
“One more thing, Rapunzel. You're always the perfect one to always be used. There was Gothel, Varian, me, oh and guess what? You're lady in waiting too!”
“You're not Eugene!” Rapunzel yells with tears, wiping her eyes.
Flynn hums and grins, “Honestly, I am Eugene. I'm a part of him….myself. However you want to see it. Two sides of the same coin. A reflection.”
The ash figures now jump at the group and splitting them up. Flynn runs away.
“Eugene!” Varian yells and dodges the figures, following Flynn.
“Red! Angry! Follow Varian! Raps and I got these things!” Cass slices through one as it disappears.
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You and Andrew see Eugene on a table, buckled by his ankles and wrists. Above him was a bucket full of something that stunk.
“THIS ISN'T SANITARY! SOMEONE HELP!”
Andrew smirks, “Is this your first time being a damsel in distress?”
Eugene glares, “Shut up and untie me.”
You and Andrew undo the buckles and you hold up your cuffs to Eugene. He quickly unlocks them.
“What happened Eugene?” You ask.
“Long story short. Baron was the one who took the ring, he kidnapped me, made me doubt my life, AND brought out the part of me that I never want to go back to.”
You stood up, “Gillick. He put a spell on that mirror in the room with the organ.”
“Oh yeah. That mirror.” Eugene chuckles a little.
“We need to get back now. The others are here and if any of them touc-” You're cut off by Eugene holding his stomach.
“Oh! Ow…...it felt like someone kicked me. OW!” He holds his cheek.
“We need to go now!” You say and you three run out with Eugene complaining.
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Flynn laughs and stumbles back after a kick from Angry and a sorry punch from Red. “Wow. You two really know how to handle yourselves.”
Cass and Rapunzel come in right when you, Eugene, and Andrew do too.
“Eugene?!” Rapunzel gasps.
Cass blinks, “Uh, creepy much?” She swings as an ash person jumps at her.
“Blondie!” Eugene grins.
Their moment is cut short when you’re suddenly picked up by green magic and thrown onto wall.
“(_____)!!” Everyone yells.
No one noticed a dazed figure behind a knocked over table with a sword laying away from them.
Varian runs over to Rapunzel as the Ash figures just disappear. “What happened?” He asked.
“I don't know.” Rapunzel glances around.
Cass somehow ended up by Eugene and Andrew, fighting the ash people. Red and Angry were dealing with Flynn. You were fighting Gillick
“You should know!” Varian tackles Rapunzel to the floor.
“Varian!” Rapunzel stares fearfully as he sneers.
“You never forgave me, did you?”
“I do. I forgave you!”
“Then why are you still scared of me, huh?” Varian laughs evilly, “Are you afraid I'll hurt your family again or maybe your friends?” He frowns, “ADMIT IT, PRINCESS! You never really forgave me for what I did! I know I didn't either! You hurt me! You broke me!”
Rapunzel’s hair grabs Varian and pins him down as Rapunzel glares at him. “Enough! It-it…..” Her hair loosens and Varian pins her now.
“Come on. You know you want to hurt me.” He chuckled darkly, “After what I did to your mom. I nearly sealed her away and I nearly crushed her and Cassie.”
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You were making black rocks shot up wherever Gillick appeared though he managed to get a few hard hits.
“Varian!”
Your eyes widen by Cass yelling out and running over to the figure behind the table. That was enough for Gillick to pin you against the wall. Over his shoulder, you can see Varian’s other to side dealing with Rapunzel.
Red and Angry had Flynn tied to a chair and watching him closely.
“You're gonna watch and see what happens to your human friend. Rapunzel isn't as strong as she seems anyone can snap if they pull the right string.” He coughs and grins evilly.
You glare harshly and reach a hand out before pull it back. Gillick dodges it, but screams inhumanly when it cuts his side. He glares and pulls you to another room.
Cass gives him a worried look. “Varian. Are you okay?”
He nods then hisses in pain while holding his arm. There was a cut and it was deep.
Cass panics and yells at Rapunzel, “Rapunzel! Don't do anything rash! You're hurting Varian!”
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“You're hurting Varian!”
Rapunzel glares and doesn't really listen to Cass, until the next thing Eugene said made her look to him.
“That's Varian's reflection, whatever you do to him, you do to our Varian!”
Rapunzel drops the shard of mirror once she sees the cut on the Varian with her and the Varian with Cass.
“Great! You messed up again!” Varian laughs sarcastically, “How can you even help a kingdom if you can't even help yourself from this!” He lifts up a strand of her hair.
The anger and sadness Rapunzel held in an annoyed expression, but she just sat there
“What? Afraid to do anything?”
Rapunzel looks to the floor then stares at him in the eye. “Yes…..I am. What you did was UNFORGIVABLE Varian.”
Varian smirks, “I knew you didn't forgive me.”
“But doesn't mean I still can't forgive you another time. If you're really this angry at me, then go ahead.”
Varian raises a brow, “And What?”
“Hurt me. If I really did hurt you to point of this, then do the same to me.”
Varian stares at her and gets angry, but doesn't do anything. “Shut up.”
Rapunzel still looks at him.
“Stop it!”
Rapunzel suddenly pulls him into a tight embrace and Varian struggles.
“Let go! Don't touch me!!!”
Rapunzel keeps a hold on him and hugs him while tearing up. “I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry.”
Varian is tearing up, still trying to push her off and not long after he starts crying. “Y-you don't m-mean it. You're-you're lying.”
“You're my friend, Varian. I may break promises, but I would NEVER lie to someone in need. Especially, my friends and family.” Rapunzel loosens her arms and now holds Varian in a warm hug. “No one's perfect. Not me, not you, not anyone. Just have a little faith in me.”
Varian clings to her and cries on her shoulder.
Rapunzel still holds onto him until she feels him start to fade. She sits there and wipes her face.
“Eugene, watch Varian.” Cass walks over to Rapunzel, who glances at her. Cass smiles a little and pulls Rapunzel into a hug.
“Where's (_____)?” Varian asks after Eugene bandaged him up. He catches Rapunzel’s gaze and they look away.
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“Come on, Angry, Red. Thieving is fun, right? You understand.” Flynn said.
Angry narrows her eyes, “I'll admit. It is fun and it feels good once you get away with whatever you wanted.”
Red now speaks very softly with a small smile, “But it feels more good when you stop taking things for yourself because what you get in return means more than what you wanted.”
Flynn stared at them then groans, “When did you two become so much smarter than me?” He smiles lightly at the two girls then shifts his gaze to Rapunzel. Flynn Rider disappeared with a guilty expression.
Eugene looks at Rapunzel sadly and gently takes her hands, “Rapunzel.”
Rapunzel has her eyes downcast then she smiles faintly. She pulls her hands away and lays one on Eugene's chest. “Not now, Eugene.”
“But-”
“Please?” She looks at him sadly.
He nods slightly and watches her go to Cass and Andrew.
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You stood there in a defensive stance, but Gillick just leaned on the table with a chuckle.
“My Dear, that Serpent was right. That human boy will be the end of you.” He laughs and coughs. “Just like his mother.”
You stomp up to him and pull him up by the shirt angrily. “Don't you dare.”
“It's true. Her boy was the end of her. You could have saved her, but you let her die.” He laughs more. “YOU. KILLED. THE BOY’S MOTHER.”
With that, you felt madness, guilt, and anger course through you and your hands glowed brightly.
Gillick disappears in a poof of green magic, now gone for good.
You pant and fall to your knees, silently crying. Why was everything your fault?
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Varian heard commotion coming from a room nearby and readied his mother's sword, but held a hand to his small pouch of chemballs.
“-You could have saved her, but you let her die.”
He heard a man’s horrid laugh and peeked around the doorframe. You held the pot bellied man in your grasp.
“YOU. KILLED. THE BOY’S MOTHER.”
Varian felt his blood run cold and watched you immediately disintegrated the man. Varian’s expression held uncertainty.
“What did he mean?”
You turn around to face Varian with a shocked expression. “Varian-”
He stepped in slowly and you could tell a lot of things were running through his head. “Was he talking my mom?”
“Varian, listen-” You hold out your hands.
“WAS he talking about MY MOM?” He raised his voice.
“Yes, Varian.” It hurt. The look on his face.”Please, you heard-”
“I heard enough. Just…..I need to think.” Varian turns away.
You stare at him then run up, hugging his back and try to hold back tears. “Varian, what you heard isn't the whole truth.”
Varian places his hands on yours, feeling your grip tighten. You feel him softly pull your hands away, “Not now, (____).”
His fingers brush against your palms, leaving your hands empty as he walks out.