Power of the Moon (a tangled Fanfic)

Chapter Six

Pete bit his thumbnail, making his thumb join his knawed on fingernails.
This was wrong, so, so wrong. Yet he had to do it, he just had to.
No he shouldn't do this, it would be a crime if he did.
Yes. No. Yes. No!
Pete the guard sat on his bed in indecision, his mind warring himself.
"Hey Pete!", Stan greeted as he entered Pete's room.
Pete jumped in surprise and then recovered smiling, "Hi Stan, how's it going?"
"Great! In fact I got us tickets to see Hookhand in concert tonight! How great is that?", Stan said his mustache smiling as much as his mouth.
"Really great, but I don't think I can make it.", he said apologetically.
Stan's smile dropped, "What's wrong?", he asked immediately, sensing Pete was upset.
Pete shook his head, "Nothing, I mean I just don't feel up to a concert."
"Come on Pete you can tell me! I'm your best friend and I want to help. We tell each other everything!", Stan said as he sat down on the bed beside Pete.
Pete looked at his friend and that's when he made up his mind, he was going to do it.
"I'm busting Varian out of jail.", Pete announced his face firm.
Stan gasped.
After a few moments Stan finally found his voice, "But Pete, it's against the book, the law, everything! Why?!?", he whispered out.
Pete sighed, "I have to get Varian out Stan. The king and the Captain, I don't think they're being fair to him."
"What do you mean? They're not starving him, are they?"
"What? No! At least I don't think so.", Pete's airhead trailed off, "What do prisoners eat anyway?"
Stan shrugged, "I don't know, maybe potatoes or roast beef?"
"Why roast beef?", he asked.
"Because I don't like roast beef, I mean, don't prisoners eat what we don't want or something like that?"
Pete looked at him in shock, "Wait, you don't like roast beef? I thought you loved roast beef! I gave you that roast beef last month and you said you loved it!"
"I was just trying to spare your feelings! I'm sorry!"
"Do you even know how long it took me to make that Stan? Four weeks. Four long weeks."
"I'm sorry, I had no idea. But if it makes you feel any better Attila thought it was delicious.", Stan apologized.
Pete shook his head, "Wait, why are we talking about this?"
"You know I think prisoners eat bad oatmeal or something, gruel or whatever it's called.", Stan said thoughtfully.
"Gruel? Huh, I've never heard of that. What's in it... no wait we're getting back off track. We were talking about Varian.", Pete directed.
Stan scratched his chin, "We were? Oh yah, right. In that case, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?", he yelled shaking him.
Pete pulled away, "I gotta do this, the kid deserves a second chance. And since the king doesn't seem to want to give it anytime soon, I'm doing it for him.
"I don't care if I lose my job or even maybe my life, depending on the king's temper, if it means Varian is getting the chance he deserves. I can't just stand by when he's falling apart the way he is."
Stan's eyes closed for a moment as he fully processed what his best friend was saying.
"I need to save him from them, as sad as it sounds. They're hearts still hold a grudge and don't see that he wants to change, but once he's free maybe they'll see.", Pete said.
"He's still a criminal Pete. He made those bad decisions willingly, he knew what he was getting himself into.", Stan said his head lowered down and his eyes still closed. "I can't let you free him."
"Stan, listen to me. Varian's mind is being broken along with his spirit, he's only a teenager that's suffering now. He's not going to be hurting anybody while he's in that condition.", Pete reasoned.
Stan stood up and blocked the exit, "Did you ever consider he's faking it? I can't let you do this."
"You too? He's not faking it, every bit of his suffering is real! Now get out of my way, I don't want to fight you.", Pete said his heart aching.
"No."
Brushing away his hurt, Pete charged his friend and punched him square in the jaw.
Stan was unprepared and went flying into the wall.
Dazed, Stan stood up, but was cut down as Pete delivered a series of kicks to the stomach forcing him to the ground.
"I'm sorry.", Pete cried in despair as he tied his best friend up. "But it has to be this way."
Then he locked the door from the outside as he left the room, leaving a shocked and tied-up Stan behind.
Stan sat there in utter shock as the door shut and replayed what had just happened.
Pete, his best friend and partner, had attacked him. Attacked him!
He knew or had thought he had knew that Pete was going to bluff the attack. Turned out he was wrong, Stan realized as he tried to wriggle free.
He had to stop Pete from his terrible decision and make sure that Varian didn't get free.