The Impossible Cure

Prologue

A/N: Hi!!! I'm really excited to start this story. This is actually a rewrite of a fic I wrote a while ago, but I'm changing it up cuz I really didn't like it (plus it was a little dark for my taste) XD anywayyy I'm going to try to update every Thursday, but I have a weird schedule so no guarantees! This is your warning :)

Enjoy!!!!!

~()~

Varian had never seen himself as a criminal, but now, he sure felt like one.

If the manacles around his wrists weren't enough, the procession of guards accompanying him down to the dark, windowless cell would have convinced him. By the path they were taking, he was being led to the lowest level of the dungeon. The guards even took Ruddiger away, with the promise to "take care of him". As if Varian wasn't capable of that himself.

The moment the iron bars clanged shut, Varian immediately kicked them. He wasn't sure if it helped much, but it felt good to relieve himself of some anger. Even if the throbbing in his foot clouded his senses with pain. He closed his eyes and leaned against the bars.

"Careful, kid, you'll hurt yourself," came a voice from across the hall. Varian didn't respond, didn't even look up. He had no intention of associating with vagrants who called him "kid" in Corona's deepest dungeons.

He pushed away from the bars and trudged towards the bed at the wall- if you could call it a bed. It was more like a hard plank of concrete with a pillow, and almost broke his back when he laid down. He wished Ruddiger was with him, but what did it matter now? Not even his raccoon's warmth could keep out this chill. It was more than the flat air around him that froze his bones- the saying was that revenge was a dish best served cold, and his failed revenge was definitely subzero. It was the kind of failure that spread from his toes to his heart, the kind that shamed him from the inside out. And the knowledge that he would have succeeded if not for the Princess was even worse.

The thing was, he didn't know what would have happened, had he succeeded. At the moment, all he had been fixated on was revenge. After his original plan had failed, he just wanted the Princess to suffer. He almost killed Cassandra and the Queen- the Queen! The rage-induced adrenaline had not completely worn off yet, but now he could see that the consequences of his actions were enormous. And yet, when the Princess tamed the black rocks... even his awe and rational judgment could not tame the betrayal he felt. Those were the tools to his father's imprisonment, and now, thanks to her, they were the tools to his.

"Rough day, huh?"

There was that voice again. This time, Varian sat up. Anyone this willing to annoy him was more than an ordinary prison vagrant.

The speaker was the only other person within the nearby cells. He was tall and thin, with a messy man bun on the back of his head. His outfit, his hair, his demeanor... something about him was distinctly non-Coronan.

After a moment, Varian said, "You're Saporian."

The prisoner raised his eyebrows. "And you're quick. What are you, some kind of genius? Is that why they locked you up?"

Varian smiled a little. "Sort of. But you drew a Saporian Separatist symbol on your wall."

The other man turned to look at it. "I forgot about that. I found some chalk a while back." He glanced at the teenager again. "Still, it's impressive that you recognized it on sight. Why did they put you in here? You're, like, ten. Don't you have parents?"

Immediately, Varian turned away. The thought of his father was almost too much to bear, and he barely remembered his mother. Still, he answered the question. "Even if they were available right now, I'm pretty sure what I did surpasses parental judgment."

"Must be pretty bad, if they put you down here." The man stopped, evidently awaiting an explanation.

Varian decided to oblige. "Well, it was probably thanks to the fact I almost killed the royal family and took over Corona."

That silenced the prisoner for a while. Then, finally, he gave a short laugh. "I think I like you, smart kid. I wouldn't believe you, but seeing as I've also attempted to take over Corona, it makes sense that they'd put you with me."

Just then, the hall door opened and four guards walked in. They stopped in front of the other man's cell.

Their leader began to unlock the door. "You're being relocated," he said. "This block is only for important prisoners."

The man raised his eyebrows again. He picked something up off the ground and threw it to Varian, who caught it. "I'll see you around, VIP. When my friends come to bail me out, I'll find you."

"Quiet!" said the lead guard. Then they were gone, and Varian was alone with his thoughts.

He looked down at his hand. The man had thrown a piece of chalk at him. Suddenly, he got an idea. He may not have his equipment, but he could still come up with formulas. If he could conceive the right one, he may be able to achieve the revenge he had sought.

Thoughts swirling inside his head, he put the chalk to the wall and began to write.