Happy New Year To Everyone !

Guilt

Sooo- I hadn’t planned to write anything for Halloween, but then I got this idea and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I know I’m a day late (typical me), but since it is done I might as well post it, right ? This One Shot is part of the Varitas AU (basically an evil Varian ahah), and I fear I got inspired by the rp blogs : @royal-engineer-of-corona and @v-a-r-i-t-a-s TW !! Amber, knife, death (there is no graphic description except a mention of blood)- if there is anything else that you think I should tag, don’t hesitate to yell at me in the comments. Takes place between Be very Afraid and Cassandra's revenge !

If most people had to describe Varian, they would use the word 'dangerous' because of what the kid could do, and what he had already done. Although the alchemist had saved Corona and been forgiven by the royal family, everyone still saw him as the criminal who kidnapped their queen, who attacked the kingdom with automatons and a mutant raccoon. Everyone still saw him as the threat he used to be and could still be, even Varian himself : if the alchemist couldn't forgive himself, why would others act any differently ? But Eugene saw things differently. Unlike the rest of the Coronans, the former thief spend most of his days with the young alchemist ever since the latter got out of jail; he had of course been wary of him at first, the memory of Varian attacking Rapunzel and the kingdom still painfully fresh in his memory like in everyone else's. But day after day, he had soon come to accept that the kid was very different from this idea that everyone had of him. Everything about him, whether it was his actions or his words, illustrated his regrets about his past actions; and Eugene could see how hard the kid was trying to make amends. That was why the word he associated with Varian was not 'dangerous', but 'guilt'. It was both an observation of the alchemist's behavior, his doubts and culpability, and also a protection against others' judgment. Varian had regrets. Varian had changed. Varian was no longer dangerous. He wanted nothing more than for everyone, the kid included, to see that and to be able to move on; for people to realize all the good Varian could make, and for Varian to see that as well- that it wasn't too late for him to be who he wanted to be. That he could still be happy. Such a shame that he had to be proved wrong. It had all happened really fast : the automatons, attacking the island one morning. They were numerous, and more just kept coming in an endless flow; even though they had no idea what was happening or why, Rapunzel had focused on going and protecting the Coronans first, getting answers after that. That was the plan. Pretty easy, hard to mess up- or, it should have been. Because now as the cold, metal hand of the automaton was firmly holding Eugene prisoner, the latter having no choice but to face the woman he loved encased in amber and surrounded by two other automatons, the former thief was left wondering how could things have possibly gone this wrong. "Well, it looks like Corona no longer has her beloved leader- if she could even be called that in the first place." And of course, how could he possibly forget the one whose satisfied tone was awakening in Eugene a deep hatred, one like he had never felt before. Varian was standing in front of the statue, looking absolutely triumphant, and how could he not be after taking over Corona and defeating their princess, their Sundrop ? The broken wall of the throne room, the latter being only a remnant of what it used to be, only added to his glorious victory, offering an heartbreaking view on the completely destroyed kingdom. His eyes were shining with an eerie joy, and a wide grin appeared on his lips as he admired the consequences of his actions; encased in amber, Rapunzel's painful and horrified expression was a terrible contrast with the alchemist's ominous one. "Don't worry, Eugene," the alchemist said after some time, finally looking away from the amber to the former thief, trapped in an other kind of prison, "She's not dead. She doesn't deserve such a fate." The alchemist confidently walked up to him, leaning against the metal hand. "No, she deserves a sentence far worse than that." The alchemist's voice was dangerously low as he stared at Eugene, watching his every reaction. The former thief didn't look away in return, instead glaring at the kid who had taken so much from him and went as far as to laugh about it too. He just- Eugene simply couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. Varian- Varian had made amends. He had apologized, and they'd forgiven him. He had been working ever since to help Corona, to fix his mistakes and stop Cassandra. Varian had changed- he had. Hadn't he ? But then, why would he go back on that ? Why did he all of a sudden attack Corona with these- these automatons, destroying the island, trapping Rapunzel in that same amber that destroyed his life once before ? Why would he do that to his friends, to Team Awesome ? Was it all just a wicked scheme to fool them ? Eugene stared at the kid in front of him. He was exactly like Varian- same outfit, same black hair with this odd blue stripe, same blue eyes. No, not the same. Varian's eyes weren't merciless, mocking and cold, so cold. Varian's eyes were warm, friendly and guilty. "Who..." Eugene hissed, glaring all the more. "Who are you ? What have you done to Varian ?" Varian wouldn't do something like that, Eugene was sure of it. The other half of Team Awesome, the kid who liked ham sandwiches and often forgot to take care of himself when working was not the same as the one who encased Rapunzel in amber. The alchemist who fought his fears in order to save Corona, that kid would never do something like that. Still, he didn't expect... him, to simply smirk, that same threatening smirk he thought -he hoped- he'd never see again on this face. "You know, I never thought you were right when you said that people don't give you enough credit. You are clever, aren't you ?" "What does that mean ?" He was just done talking when the door of the throne room opened with noise. Eugene tried to look behind him to see the source of the noise, in vain : the robot's grip was keeping him from making any movement. However, he had a really good view of Varian raising his head in surprise, before cautiously taking a few steps back, furious eyes staring at... whoever just came in, Eugene guessed. Said person walked closer, as Eugene could tell from the footsteps sounds, before stopping right beside him; turning his head to the side, Eugene saw... Varian. It took his mind a minute to process the information. "Wait wait wait," Eugene narrowed his eyes, "Am I seeing 2 Varians ? Is that- is that some sort of evil twin story, or...?" Varian number 2 didn't react, but Varian number 1's smirk only widened. "I guess you could say that." He did a mocking bow in front of the other two, "I am Varitas, 'the mean one'- because someone has to take the blame, and who's better to replace Varian at it than Varian himself ? You Coronians aren't really creative, you know : get yourself someone else to blame, or even better, an actual justice system." It took all of Eugene's might not to give in and harshly tell him that he was absolutely guilty for what he had done to everyone; he barely restrained himself from doing so, realization hitting him hard. That was what that Varitas guy wanted. He had been provoking him since the beginning, trying to push him to his limits; and although Eugene wasn't really one to give in to anger, what could that kind of behavior do to someone who would, someone whose guilt would make them an easy prey ? For example, someone who definitely would be the target of his own double... Oh no. "I'm so-sorry..." Varian whispered, his voice cracking. His glassy eyes were filled with tears that streamed down his cheeks, highlighting how unusually pale he was, or how dark and big the bags under his eyes were in contrast. "It's all my fault..." "Kid-no. This is not your fault, none of it is." Eugene insisted. Varian clearly seemed exhausted, on the verge of breaking down, and with all of that accumulated guilt ready to burst free, he was basically an emotional time bomb. A really, really unstable emotional time bomb that could possibly become a problem if nothing was done to calm him down before. When did that start ? Why hadn’t he noticed before, why hadn’t he done anything to protect Varian ? Varian didn’t react, clearly not believing him; it broke Eugene’s heart to see him in such a state. Of course, that's the moment Varitas chose to speak up. "You're right, Eugene : it's not his fault nor is it mine, but it is actually yours, it has always been. I know how talented you are all in the field of lies and deceit and breaking promises, but you have to be incredibly good to make him believe that you actually care about him and are his friends without him ever questioning it. Again." Varian shivered, looking down at the ground, and Eugene could only imagine the thoughts going through his head; anger and guilt and feeling of betrayal and self-loathing, all of them feeding a dangerous hatred that was definitely what Varitas was planning to use. Oh, how much Eugene hated that Varitas kid. He hated him for taking Rapunzel away, for torturing Varian; he hated how powerless he felt. "If you know us as well as you say you do, then you should also know these are not lies." Eugene growled, but Varian once again didn’t react. Varitas only rolled his eyes, fully aware that he was in control of the situation. "Oh, you are good- but thank you for proving my point." He then turned to Varian, and Eugene tensed up. Whatever he had planned, Eugene feared the kid wasn't in a good enough state to fight against. "I'm sorry I started without you," Varitas smiled, something almost warm, outstretching his hand towards Varian, "but you can still join me and serve justice, like we wanted to." Unlike his kind words, his tone was very clear : obey, or face the consequences. Varian stared at Varitas' hand for a moment, before his glassy eyes moved to the hole in the wall and the destruction beyond, then to the amber and finally, to Eugene. Eugene's heart ached as he met Varian's eyes. The raging storm of the kid's emotions was frightening, and Varian seemed completely lost. Eugene wanted to reassure him, to tell him that these were all lies, that none of it was true, that they did care about him- but he also wasn’t stupid. “Please, kid... Don’t...” Was all Eugene said, because he saw in these eyes that Varian... Varian would not believe him, or anything else he’d say. That Varitas's poisoned words, playing with Varian's deepest fears and guilt, had already had their effect on the kid. Where was he when Varian needed him ? Why was he stuck, unable to help when the kid needed him the most ? Varitas was right- just like before, he couldn't give Varian the help he so desperately needed. Varian stared at him for a while longer, before looking back at Varitas. Extending his hand, he took the other's in his own. Then, harshly pulling Varitas forward, he threw in the latter's face a green ball that exploded in a flash of blinding light. Varitas immediately shoved Varian away, rubbing his eyes with his hands; his hiss of pain morphed into a low chuckle. "Alright, looks like you've made your choice..." Eugene felt his heart drop as the two other automatons -the ones not currently holding Eugene- walked toward the alchemist, responding to Varitas's order. He knew his friend hardly stood a chance; above all, he knew Varian was fighting a losing battle, because he himself didn’t even know what he was fighting for, or if he wanted to. It was clear as day that Varian was fighting back like a wounded animal, with the energy of despair, and that this would end very badly. Eugene tried once again to free himself, even if he knew there was no way he could get out. Varian acted quickly, trapping the first automaton's feet in goo, effectively stopping him. Varitas threw at him a green ball that Varian barely managed to avoid; not fast enough to recover, the alchemist couldn't dodge a hit from the second automaton that made him fall to the ground. Not wasting any time, Varian sent a pink ball on the second automaton, trapping him the same way; he however didn't see the third ennemy attacking him from behind. "Watch out !!" Eugene stopped struggling a moment to yell in alarm. Varian startled and turned around just in time to catch Varitas's wrists, keeping him from using his knife- because yes, he had a knife, a real one. "Why are you fighting for them ?!" Varitas shouted, furious. "They are responsible for Dad being encased, for all of our woes- you should want to serve justice ! You used to want that, so why would you believe their lies again ?!" Varian didn't answer, simply staring at the knife held right between the two of them. "It was the price to pay to become their friend again, wasn't it ? Ha- you're pathetic. They will betray you just like they already did, and the worst of all is that they'll be right : you'll have no one to blame but yourself, for being stupid enough to trust them again." Varitas's eyes were filled with disgust, sadness. No answer. Varian's grip loosened a bit, his face reflecting some hesitation. “Varian, no- don’t listen to him ! He’s trying to get in your head !!” The alchemist no longer seemed to be able to hear him, his attention entirely focused on Varitas. Eugene’s voice was only a quiet noise, drowned out by Varitas’s own voice and Varian’s thoughts. "I hope you're happy. I hope you'll believe their lies that make you think that this is what's best for you, this is what you have always wanted. You won : enjoy your golden cage, Varian." "Kid !!" Eugene shouted, alarmed, and that finally snapped Varian out of it. Kicking his opponent, the alchemist made Varitas fall backwards; the latter harshly hit the ground, his grip loosening on the knife. Eugene watched with horror as the alchemist quickly took the knife from Varitas and held it at the other's throat. "Don’t do that Varian ! You are angry- we all are kid, but killing him isn't the solution !" "He's right," Varitas added, "You can go ahead and kill me, but that won't change anything. You know that I'm right, and getting rid of me won't change the truth." Varian gritted his teeth, his grip getting just the tiniest bit firmer on the knife, and Varitas let a vicious smile appear on his lips. "You and me, we're just good for destruction, hurting others, taking the blame. I know it, they know it : that's why they let you down, and will let you down again. There's no denying it anymore, Varian. If you don't kill me, I will just keep destroying everything, and you'll be to blame for not stopping me when you had the chance : but if you do stop me, that you dare kill me if you’re even able to, then you will become the villain, the murderer, the mean one, because neither of us are part of the people whose faults are all forgiven. No matter what you choose, you will lose, just like I kept telling you." Varian stared at Varitas as he was talking, unable to stop listening to him. He knew he shouldn't listen or even consider his words, but something in them struck a chord within him, reaching doubts he tried to muffle, thoughts he tried to get rid of and amplifying them to the point that he could no longer ignore them or bury them again; and even though he thought he could hear Eugene's voice, he couldn't actually hear his words. Varitas smirked, knowing that despite the appearances, he had the upper hand. Reaching in his pocket, he got out a purple ball. "It's over, Varian." The alchemist's eyes widened in realization as the ball hit the ground, exploding and covering the whole room in a cloud of purple smoke. Eugene felt his blood froze in his veins as he heard fighting noises, the sound of metal clashing against skin and a cry of pain, then a body hitting the ground; and after that, nothing. In the heavy silence that followed, the cloud slowly escaped the room through the hole in the wall, joining its peers in the sky. Eugene then saw with horror a body lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. Standing next to him, its double was panting, holding without trembling the knife stained with blood. At that single moment, a terrible truth dawned on Eugene who felt his heart come to a stop. Even if it was impossible to distinguish the twins, one thing remained certain : one of them was now dead, killed by the other. And therefore, it didn't matter which one came out a winner in this battle, because the result was the same either way. Varitas had won, and their Varian was gone.

Finally in summer holidays, I’m gonna make the most of these two months

Duty (DK AU)

I know I’m late to the party, but hey, this one is getting a bit old and I thought why not share it ! Based on @finnoky ‘s wonderful Dark Kingdom AU, and its angsty fanarts ! This is my first tumblr post (how does this website even work ahah) and I’m proud to say it is an angsty One shot. I hope you’ll enjoy it and that it’s okay !

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 Varian took a shaky breath, the air cold in his lungs, as cold as the black rocks, as cold as the electric blue eyes watching him.  What happened ?  Under his feet, Varian could feel the black rocks pulsing with energy, one that had always been there, and would always be; they were filled with a different energy now, but it was one nonetheless.  Why did he do that ?  Across from the bridge, where the Moonstone once rested, was Eugene; or someone resembling him instead.  Eugene didn't have blue hair.  Eugene didn't have blue eyes.  Above all, Eugene didn't look at Varian without joy or care. Before, there used to always be something warm in his smiles or words, something that was odd for the teen supposed to protect him.  When he was first given the duty to look after Eugene, Varian had tried to stay neutral, to remain by Eugene's side because it was just that- his duty as a member of the Brotherhood. He was expected to keep the Prince safe, and that was all : it was actually his first task given after joining the Brotherhood, so he was determined to do it right.  But day after day, year after year, him and Eugene had grown closer. There was just something about the older man's personality, his humor and adventurous side that Varian couldn't help but enjoy. Varian knew it was his fault : he was just a kid, and having to protect the Prince himself resulting in said Prince starting to give him attention, well... Of course he soon craved for his friendship and to get to know him better.  That's not what happened, though. More than friends, they quickly became brothers, despite not being from the same family. Eugene was caring for Varian and protected him -which the teen was always kind of ashamed of, because wasn't he supposed to be the one protecting the Prince ?-, taking the blame when one of their pranks went wrong- because yes, Eugene initiated the young teen to pranks. Varian wasn't sure when it started or why, but he was glad it happened nonetheless.  The truth was that when Eugene first saw this kid with his back straightened and serious expression, he felt a pang in his chest. He didn't want someone protecting him -especially a kid, like come on he was so small-, and he didn't want... that. As the Prince of the Dark Kingdom, he wasn't really allowed to see other people, and he was craving to get human interactions; but that kid ? He was lacking any personnality, any... humanity.  He knew he wasn't going to be able to get rid of him -"The Brotherhood is really important and have sworn loyalty blablabla"-, but he might be able to at least make him more... I don't know, alive ?  It was pretty difficult at first, because man the kid was "loyal" and "devoted to his duty"; but with enough time, Varian -because yes, he had a name- started to loosen up a little. It was then that Eugene made discoveries, like the kid was actually extremely clever, curious or pretty chatty; it was also then that Eugene came to see of him as a little brother. He finally had someone to spare him from his dull life, and something told him the feeling was mutual.  Maybe that's why it hurt that much for things to come to this.  Eugene had planned everything before taking the Moonstone. Everything, even what this would imply for Varian. I can't fail now, he thought as he reached out to the Mind Trap. In front of him, he saw Varian's eyes go wide, because of course he recognized the Talisman : to his eyes, it could be the end of him, after all. Varian didn't say a word, only staring at Eugene, and the latter ignored the sorrow and pain he could see there. He had to do this, and this was not the end of their friendship- their family. Once he used the Mind Trap, then-  An arrow hit the talisman, sending it flying away; luckily, it didn't fall off of the bridge. Varian took another one of his arrows and pointed his bow at Eugene this time. Now that there wasn't the threat of the Mind trap, he only needed one shot to pull his target down. He had to, it was his duty as member of the Brotherhood to keep the Moonstone safe, to keep others safe.  Eugene moved to reach the talisman, and Varian followed him with his bow, ready to shoot.  Memories flooded his mind. Eugene and him stealing in the royal kitchens. Eugene and him playing hide and seek. Eugene and him going out of the royal palace to see the town and its inhabitants.  He had to shoot now because once Eugene would get the Mind Trap back, then he was done for.  Eugene actually celebrating the alchemist’s birthday, offering him a special gift he went to buy in town just for the occasion. Them both reading the tales of Flynnigan Rider. Their games, their pranks, their silly nickname- "Team Awesome".  Eugene outstretched his hand.  The day he realized both that he cared too much about Eugene and that this would be his doom.  That day was today.  Eugene snatched the talisman, slightly damaged by the arrow, and felt anger rising in him. The Dark Prince had no choice but to do that, and he wanted Varian to be by his side, together like they always have been ! But Varian- he had nearly destroyed their last chance at happiness. Turning to the younger man, Eugene grabbed the Mind Trap with both of his hands, focusing his power in it to activate it. "That's enough, Varian." Why would Varian fight him ?  The symbol on it immediatly glowed a bright blue, the same blue as Eugene's hair and eyes. The Moonstone wielder heard the sound of Varian's bow hitting the ground and saw him fall to his knees.  The same blue as both of their eyes.  Eugene walked to Varian, his emotions a mix of concern and relief. He did it. He used the Mind Trap on him. Putting the talisman away, the dark prince gently helped Varian up and the boy limply went along. This was good. This was what had to be done. Patting the younger's head, Eugene smiled. "See kid ? I knew you'd come around eventually." Of course, Varian didn't answer, not even looking at him with his glowing, lifeless eyes. Eugene winced, as if finally realizing what all of this implied- what he had done to another human being- what he had done to Varian, his brother-  He shook his head and walked away, the alchemist following him. It was too late for regrets anyway.  Varian's mind was blank. There was nothing, no thoughts, no feelings; but that nothingness was sometimes troubled by flashes of memories that something deep down within was fighting to make resurface.  A warm smile.  Books.  A birthday celebration.  Gentle brown eyes.  But that was stupid. The only eyes he knew were not brown, they were electric blue, blue like the Moonstone. And since he swore loyalty to it, then these blue eyes were all that he had to care about; not the books, not the celebrations, and not the brown eyes as well. So he buried these flashes of memories as soon as they resurfaced, because they didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was protecting the man with blue eyes.  And he would protect him, for the sole reason that it was his duty.

Yooo this is stunning !! I’m glad you’re back, can’t wait to see more amazing art !

Well I’m all caught up on Owl House

Rival Kingdoms fanfic: Unedited versions of the Tangled Tarot Cards and Zhan Tiri’s Mural 

Plus est en vous

This One Shot is part of my Impersonator!AU, which is Varian-centric and whose basic plot is this : everything is the same as in the show except that Cassandra refuses to team up with Zhan Tiri. There are not a few changes, mainly that Cassandra gets her redemption faster (because she isn’t manipulated by Zhan Tiri in staying angry at Raps) and that Zhan Tiri has to find another way to get the Ultimate Power. This takes place during the finale, and yes the title is both an indication and a pun. I hope you’ll like it ! Trigger Warnings for possession and threats to use violence (which of course remain threats, no violence shown here) -----

Rapunzel was silent as she walked down the corridor, letting her steps guide her through the castle. Her mother whom she just left had told her that king Edmund was on his way and would reach Corona in a matter of hours. Hours, and he would take the Moonstone back to the Dark Kingdom it should never have left in the first place. She should feel relieved. After all these months of trying to get through to Cassandra, things were finally about to get back to normal : Rapunzel and her friends -her family- right by her side, having their happily ever after at long last. She should feel relieved, yet she wasn’t. She couldn’t help the bad feeling gnawing at her insides, warning her to be on her guard, whispering that there was more coming. And there was. When Cassandra handed her the Moonstone, she told her about that mysterious ghost girl who had appeared to her. The warrior had of course been wary, refusing to listen to the spectre and feeling that there may be more going on than what she was letting on. Truthfully, Cassandra had hesitated to turn to the ghost, but her suspicion had been too strong; she didn’t know who she was, but that girl gave her the same impression that the servants of Zhan Tiri had -something ancient and powerful-. Cassandra had sent her away and the ghost had no choice but to do as told : before she disappeared however, she had made the threat to get her hands on the Ultimate power one way or the other. Rapunzel was no fool : she knew that threat was not to be taken lightly. That ghost girl, whoever she was, had almost gotten through to Cassandra of all people. Although she had fortunately not revealed herself for now, Rapunzel knew it was just a matter of time. She had to be lurking around, watching them at any time, waiting for them to make even the slightest misstep : and when one of them irremediably would, spiraling into dangerous thoughts, indulging in the wrong feeling for a little too long, then she would be there. No one was safe. No one but Edmund could be fully trusted, King Edmund who had already endured the Moonstone’s tricks for decades. That was why the princess had not taken any risk- she couldn’t take any risk, not with magic that could quite literally destroy the world as they knew it. Ever since Cassandra had given the Moonstone back, it had been locked away in a chest- a piece of ancient Corona metallurgy whose only key was guarded at all time by Rapunzel, and Rapunzel only. But the princess was only one person, and so it had been decided that a tag-team of sort would be formed so as to have at least one person watching over the chest at all time. Rapunzel had of course chosen people she trusted with her life : Eugene, Lance, Varian and Cassandra. She had gotten a lot of reproaches for this choice, but the princess had stood her ground : they were all redeemed, good people who wanted to do what was right- to protect the world. All of them were. A faint sizzling sound caught her attention, so subtle she almost missed it, soon followed by the muffled sound of glass breaking. But- there wasn’t anyone else in the empty corridors, just like there was no glass nor fire. In the span of a second, Rapunzel became extremely aware of her surroundings. Without her noticing it, her steps had led her near the royal vault, where no one was ever wandering and where the Moonstone had been hidden for that exact reason. Rapunzel didn’t think. She couldn’t think as she ran to the vault’s door and threw it open. Someone had to be in there, one of her friends as they had intended and surely they were the cause of that sound although there was no glass or fire in the vault, nothing but a chest and someone watching over it- There was indeed someone in here. There was one of her friends. That’s what she should think. That’s what she would think, if the chest was closed. Instead, the chest was wide open, its lock completely melted; if Rapunzel had to guess, she’d say it was because of whatever had been inside the small vial, now mere shards of glass on the floor. The room was bathed in a soft blue glow, illuminating the walls, the ceiling and the face of the person towering over the chest- over the opal. Varian. For a second, Rapunzel thought she was mistaken. The room was oddly dark, except for the blue glow : surely this wasn’t her friend, it had to be someone else, and even if that would be far more alarming it would be better in a way. Everything would be better than seeing Varian’s blue eyes staring at the opal gently floating in front of him, seemingly mesmerized. But then she heard Pascal croak in her ear, and she knew this was reality. This was actually happening -being betrayed, the Moonstone getting stolen- and she had to do something. She had to protect the Moonstone and stop Varian now before it was too late. She shared a look with Pascal, and the chameleon on her shoulder immediately understood, going invisible before climbing down. With that out of her mind, Rapunzel took a deep breath, air finally filling her lungs again : as she exhaled, evacuating both air and bad thoughts, Varian turned his attention towards her, finally noticing her presence. "Varian. What are you doing ?" The moment their eyes met, the moment she spoke these words, a race against time started. The clock was ticking now, and it was up to Rapunzel to buy as much time as she possibly could in order to avoid the worst case scenario. "Nothing to worry about, princess : simply what I must." Varian's voice was calm, too calm in a situation like this, and Rapunzel hated it. She wanted him to be scared, to be regretful, to be sorrowful : she wanted a proof that he was acting against his will, that he didn't want to betray her once again. She wanted to trust him. So she did. "Varian, you don’t have to do anything. Whatever this ghost girl has told you, it's all lies : she's only using you as a tool.” Chancing a small step forward, she extended her hand, “Please, let me help you." She had been expecting many responses -denial, lashing out, pleading-, but the chuckle that escaped Varian was not one of them. The sound of it wasn't malicious or condescending, but genuinely amused instead : it reminded the princess of the afternoons they would spend together, exchanging jokes and funny memories. "Oh no- you've got it all wrong, princess. Well, except for one point," He replied with a smirk, "I am afraid I have indeed been using him as a tool." Rapunzel's brain stopped completely. Him ? What...? All this time, she had been afraid the ghost would use one of them to reach the Moonstone. All this time, the princess had been so sure their enemy was trying to divide and conquer. She had never thought she would only conquer, never thought she would use one of her friends that way. But as realization crashed into her, Rapunzel had to face the horrible truth that the person right in front of her had not betrayed her, for the sole reason that they had never been her friend. "Who- are you ?" She whispered, her voice gone because of the shock. This- this couldn't be. Varian was- he was- "What have you done to him ?" "Don't look at me that way. I needed a body, and your little friend here appeared to be needing some sort of break. It is an arrangement, if you please." 'Varian' replied, and Rapunzel wasn't sure if she was more horrified by the fact that a child -her friend- was being possessed or by the casualty with which the ghost had told her the news. "As for my name, it would be rather difficult to provide you with an answer : you see, I was given many names throughout the centuries, tales or even forms I have taken." She waved Varian's hand -no, her hand because Varian was no longer in control of his own body, if he was even there- with a knowing smile. "A warlock. A demon. Even a blizzard. But I think most of your kind knows me as-" "Zhan Tiri." Rapunzel whispered. "Indeed." The demon replied with glee, as if Rapunzel's heart wasn't sinking in her chest, as if her whole worldview wasn't being shattered. Zhan Tiri was real- she was there. She had taken over Varian's body, and was using her friend to take the Ultimate Power for herself. What was she supposed to do...? "Now, if you'll excuse me-" Rapunzel felt her heart stop as the demon outstretched her arm, reaching for the floating opal. At that exact moment, Pascal reappeared next to the chest, sending his tongue right into Zhan Tiri's left eye : the demon stumbled back, more surprised than actually hurt, and Rapunzel didn't waste a second. Throwing her air, she caught one of Zhan Tiri’s wrist, restraining her and keeping her from going anywhere near the Moonstone. The demon was however quick to respond, grabbing one of her alchemy ball and throwing it at the princess. Rapunzel heard Pascal shriek in fear but she was quick to step aside, avoiding the pink goo as it expanded on the floor. When she brought her eyes back to the demon however, it was to see that Zhan Tiri had managed to get ahold of Pascal during their short fight, holding the chameleon with her free hand. "I advise you stand down, Sundrop." The demon laughed, and Rapunzel quickly thought of her options. She was all alone with a demon who was possessing one of her friends and wouldn't hesitate to hurt the other; no one ever went to the vault and the next shift, which was Cassandra's, wasn't before another ten minutes. Could she hold on that long without getting any of her friends hurt ? As if she had read her mind, Zhan Tiri's grip on Pascal tightened, urging the princess to make her choice. "Well ? What will it be, Sundrop ?" Rapunzel watched in horror as Pascal let out small croaks of pain and terror in Zhan Tiri's vicious grip, the demon threatening to hit him on the sharp side of the chest. "Let him go, please !!" Rapunzel blurted out, unable to stand the thought of her best friend getting severely hurt, or worse. "Let both of them go." Zhan Tiri only loosened a bit her grip on Pascal, eyeing Rapunzel in an insistent and impatient kind of way. With a defeated sigh, the princess released the demon's wrist : the latter immediately opened her hand, freeing the chameleon who ran out of reach of Zhan Tiri. "And Varian ?" The princess insisted, staring at the demon as she waited for her to complete her part of the deal. She couldn't really attack her as long as she was hiding under Varian's skin like a human shield, but once he was free she could- "I can't let the alchemist go for now, I'm afraid : as long as I don't have a body of my own, I will need to use his. I have been doing so for some time now after all, and I don't see the point in fixing something that isn't broken." The demon raised one of her hands to her head, brushing the raven bangs back in place as if she was merely taking care of something that was hers; Rapunzel was fuming, feeling an unfamiliar, unbridled anger surge through her, making her see red. "No- you can't just-" She cried in anger, gripping her hair more firmly : she wanted to fight, had to fight, but- could she do so without hurting Varian ? "Give him back !!" "Oh, don't worry your Heigness," In a smooth gesture, Zhan Tiri took Varian's goggles off of her head and let them fall to the ground, a gleeful smirk appearing at her lips at the sound of the lens breaking on impact. Finally, with all of her enemies rendered powerless, the demon could get rid of her disguise : no more pretending to be this pathetic alchemist. She would show them all who she really was, and they would fear her. "Your friend won't suffer nearly as much as the rest of Corona." Zhan Tiri finished, outstretching her arm and closing her hand around the Moonstone; Rapunzel let out a cry of terror as power exploded, filling the room before everything was drowned in a sea of blue and white.

One thing that will NEVER get old for me is the fact that I have no memory whatsoever of the fanfictions I write. Not in the "I keep forgetting details mentioned in previous chapters" kind of way, but instead in the "If this got written and posted after 2am then I'll wake up hours later and read it like any other fanfiction because my brain will not remember writing this in the slightest"

So I almost always finish a chapter around 4/5 am, solely for the fun that is my family just chilling at midday and all of a sudden me barging in screaming "HE LOOKED AT THE SUN ?! AT 2 AM ??"

My friends still aren’t watching Tangled - A Villain!Varian edition

Truer words have never been spoken

VARIAN BEING ADORABLE APPRECIATION POST

OH WAIT... THAT'S EVERY TIME HE'S ON SCREEN

1) These are so so so good, I’m in love with this art style !! 2) I had never thought about it but I now need it so bad, the comedic potential is outstanding !

Thinking about a vat7k heist episode.........more on this tomorrow I need to sleep