The Moon Calls

4

As punishment for their little nighttime trip out into the woods, Varian and Rapunzel were kept apart for a month. Cassandra took pity on them and lent Rapunzel her Owl so they could send messages back and forth to keep in contact.

"Oh, listen to this, Cass!" Rapunzel said as she read one of Varian's messages. "Varian says that he's studying the rocks using alchemy, since his powers aren't getting rid of them. Also, he misses you. Awww." She giggled. "I think he's got a crush."

Cassandra rolled her eyes as she folded Rapunzel's laundry.

"Apparently, there are more rocks now. They've expanded to be all along the wall, he says. He's keeping a close eye on their progress." She turned and started to write out her reply. "Too bad he's going to miss the gopher festival today."

--

Varian sighed and pulled up his goggles. "Okay...so, that didn't work." He said, sitting down and looking up at one of black-rock spikes that bordered the kingdom like an extra wall. 'If it wasn't in fact, an invasion, that might not be so bad.' He thought, pursing his lips. 'How do I stop it?' He stood up and ran his hands through his bangs before he walked back home.

Quirin looked up as he came in. "Any luck?"

Varian shook his head. "No. Not even a dent." He walked over and sat at the table, staring at his gloves. "...Do you think...mom would be able to stop them?"

"Your mother was a great alchemist, Varian, but she wasn't a goddess." Quirin smiled wryly.

"What about her partner? Maybe she could help—"

"No!" Quirin snapped, and Varian flinched back. "...I'm sorry, Varian."

"No, I...I should've never mentioned her." Varian wrapped his arms around himself. "I'm just...so scared."

"With the Sundrop Flower no longer standing vigil to keep the darkness away, the Moonstone will cover this continent in black rocks." Quirin said grimly. "I told King Fredric this before...but, he decided it was worth the risk for his family."

"Would you?" Varian asked.

Quirin looked at him, startled by the question. "...Yes." He admitted, looking back down at his hands. "I would."

--

"Apparently, Rapunzel somehow got Uncle Monty to hate her." Varian said as he read a letter from Rapunzel full of drawings of her being distressed. "She's asking my advice." He laughed. "Does she know how many people don't like me? She should, by now." He shook his head and wrote a reply.

"How many?" Quirin asked as he stirred their food.

"Let's start with everyone in Old Corona. Then there's every criminal I've ever faced, besides Eugene, I think that Nigel guy has a problem with me and most of the guards in Corona are either scared of me or just don't trust me. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Gothel hated me up until she died." Varian laughed a bit. "How am I supposed to tell her how to get someone to not hate her?"

"That's...not a good thing, Varian."

"Meh, my life sucks and I cope with it by laughing through my pain." Varian got up and brought the message he just wrote to Owl. "Good luck to her, though. I don't know why anyone would hate her. She's the embodiment of sunshine." He said as Owl flew off. "And me?" He looked at the black rocks still in his home from his childhood tantrums. Little, just like he was. "I'm the darkness."

Quirin pursed his lips grimly.

--

Every day was another adventure for Rapunzel. She wrote to him constantly, and he always stopped working to read them and write a reply before going back to his work. He finished writing the message and set it off before running his hands over his face.