A New Mistake

Gone 'Fishing'

Rapunzel woke, stretching her arms out wide, as Pascal squealed awake beside her. Hopping up, she danced to the window, throwing it open.
"Good morning Corona!" She yelled to the wind.
It was sunny, and warm, a beautiful day, nothing could faze her. As she continued her dance around her room, she span past the mirror. And stopped. And doubled back.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

***

"So, you're telling me your hair just, came back? I won't believe that lie a second time dear."
"I swear dad, I don't know what happened. I didn't leave the castle yesterday at all, and I haven't touched any rocks...Where's Varian?"

The doors slammed open, and Cassandra stood breathless. She looked up, shocked.
"Your hair's back?"
"You're back?" Rapunzel countered.
"I couldn't leave, not yet. I want to make sure Varian is okay. He was determined to save me, I want to be here in case he needs saving too. Where is he?"
"In his room?" Rapunzel shrugged.

"Never mind."
His room was empty, clean and kept as if he hadn't even been there, if it wasn't for the glowing stones that lined the floor; red, white, green, and blue.
"Wow, colour upgrades. Anyone know what they mean?" Cass asked.
"Fear, panic, I'm not sure what green is, and sadness." Eugene answered, pointing to each colour as he said it.
"Where could he be? There are plenty of places he could have gone-" Rapunzel started
"-And the guards should have seen him." Eugene finished.
"He wouldn't have just run off, he would have left a clue, like he does."
"Think like Varian..." He made way in front of the mirror, and stared into it. Nothing. But-?

A sheet of paper barely stuck out from where it was wedged between the wall and the mirror. Eugene pulled it out, and read it:

Trust me, there's nothing to hide, what would I hide? Alchemy?

"He's hidden something for us to find." Eugene said, handing the note to the girls. "He said that to me that first day he used the moonstone, when I asked if he was hiding something."
"There aren't many places he could hide it, start by checking the drawers-"
"Found it. It was in the topmost drawer."
"That was easy..." Cass remarked.
"Guess he wanted us to find it. What is it?"
The Prince held up two glass beakers, with coloured liquids.
"OH I know that! That green one is the amber chemical! Maybe he wants us to go to his house, that's we're he first used it?" Rapunzel said.
"Makes sense."
"No, wait, there's something written on them."
Amber Make
Amber Melt

"Amber melt? What does that mean?" Cass asked.
"It melts the amber, thought that would be obvious." Eugene deadpanned.
"His lab!"
"Seems like it. Let's go!"

"I still hate this walk." Cass filled the silence.
"Same."
"I'm worried about Varian." Rapunzel changed the subject. Her face was downcast and she fiddled with her hair anxiously.
"Hey, don't worry Blondie, we'll find him."
"Yeah Raps, he can't have gone far."

They arrived at the lab after saying nothing more. It was relatively the same, aside from a giant structure that grew on the far side.
"It looks kinda like a tree..." Rapunzel noted, but Cass had already started climbing it.
"There's something at the top!"

Meanwhile, Eugene searched his desk. It was clear, aside for some unlabelled chemicals, and a book labelled
Notes/Diary
Picking it up, he quickly flicked through it, but there didn't seem to be anything of importance in it, so he slammed it shut again.
A page stuck out, just a bit, but enough to get noticed, almost a replica of that story he told Varian about the map in Cass's journal. He pulled it out, whispering "Clever kid, pays attention."

Help.
Gone fishing.

That was all that was on it, with a picture of some cliffs on the back.
"This kid really likes playing games with us, doesn't he? First that cryptograph in his house, then this. Crazy."

Cass had reached the top of the 'tree', and retrieved a note.

Hey Cass-Not-Cassie,
Glad you came back, or at least I hope this is you, because Eugene won't be able to figure out the other note without you.
I think night time is so pretty- but don't tell Rapunzel or she'll tease me for forever.

"Whats it say?" Rapunzel yelled up to her.
"Hold on, let me come down and I'll show you!" She leapt from branch to branch, until she reached the ground again with a heavy landing. The trio regrouped.
"All my note says is "Help. Gone Fishing." With a drawing on the back." He showed them.
"Hey I know that place! I took him there in that day out! He's a good artist." She noted. "My note says this:
Hey Cass-Not-Cassie,
Glad you came back, or at least I hope this is you, because Eugene won't figure out the other note without you.
I think night time is so pretty- but don't tell Rapunzel or she'll tease me-"
"-for forever!"
"What?"
"When I snuck Varian out of the castle-"
"-you what?!"
"- I said that to him. He has an amazing memory it seems. He always appears so flustered though..."

"So, the cliffs I took him to, and something you said about night time. You guys figure it out, or do I have to say it?"
"He wants us to meet him there, tonight." Rapunzel said.
"Yeah."