Tangled: Stardust and the 12 Zodiacs (Varian Fanfiction)

Chapter 27: Toru, Scorpio's protector

*Mentions of slight blood. Injury cleaning*

*Meanwhile, back in Aradia*

"Hey, Samuel. Do you think we forgot to tell Soul and the others some important information?" Clara asked as she watched Samuel mop the floor.

Samuel stopped mopping as he thought about what Clara said before casually shrugging. "I don't know."

The black-haired woman continued to rack her brain for what she forgot before deciding to just forget about it.

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Staying quiet, Soul slowly sat up as she looked out the window. Max and Oren were leading the caravan to a small cave in the underpass. Her eyes scanned the cave, and who knew that a cave could look like a home?

"I know you're awake." Toru said, not looking at the girl. Soul froze in her seat, eyes wide as she held her breath. "I still know you're awake. Pretending not to exist won't help you."

Letting out a deep breath, she stood up and slowly walked towards the bench by the coachmen's booth when she walked past the sleeping alchemist. She paused for a second, examining his sleeping face when she noticed him shifting around, shivering every once in a while. Giving him a soft smile, she crouched down beside him to adjust his blanket before walking towards her original destination.

Though her foot was no longer aching in pain like before, every step she took still sends jolts through her body. She just didn't want to inconvenience Varian anymore than she already has, so she kept insisting she was alright.

After a few moments of silently planning, the caravan stopped moving and she tensed, seeing Toru enter the caravan.

"Alright, girly. Help me move your friends out." He commanded.

Soul didn't answer but did as she was told anyway, scared of what the man would do to her if she disobeyed. Despite her foot still hurting, she picked up Kiera and followed where Toru went to place Rapunzel. "Here, place her here. Only the girls, though." He instructed, gesturing to the small room inside the cave.

Soul placed Kiera next to Rapunzel as she went back to the caravan to get Catalina. Once she placed the red-haired girl next to her sister, she watched Toru tie up the boys on the chairs. Sensing someone staring at him, he turned his head to see Soul watching him. He looked at the boys then back at the girl as he realized what she was looking at. "Oh, they might kill me if I don't tie them, unlike you girls." He explained in a casual tone.

The man's words irked the astrologer as she glared at him. "Are you implying that we girls can't kill you? Because I can. And I think I waited long enough to do this." Soul growled, grabbing an alchemy ball in her satchel. Ruddiger, Flick, Hoots, and Pascal stood next to her, also growling at the man. Even with his mask on, Soul knew that Toru was looking at them boredly.

"Kid, chemicals don't work on me. If they did, I also would have been knocked out from the gas I released earlier." Toru stated as he stood up, walking closer to the girl.

Soul took a step back, her knees shook as she stared up at the man in front of her, trying to conceal her fear. "Now." He started. Her grip on the alchemy ball slightly tightened as she waited for the man to continue. "Do you know how to do first aid?" Toru queried as he took off his mask.

"I- What?" Soul asked.

"I said, do you know how to do first aid? To be specific, on the nose." He repeated as he poked his bleeding and swollen nose, wincing from the pain.