Varian and the Seven Kingdoms (Varian's Seven Trials)

Saying Goodbye

There was a strange feeling like missing a step as Hugo entered the portal. His heart felt as though it had fallen into his stomach then all of a sudden, he was in the library. It was different than how he imagined it, but it was definitely unlimited knowledge if he'd ever seen it. Bookcases shifted and moved before him.
The blonde wasted no time in looking for Varian. He walked down each aisle, his walk becoming a run before long.
"Varian!?" He called out into the endless chamber. He turned corner after corner until he spotted a short, dark-haired boy facing away from him up ahead.
"Varian!" He yelled, reaching the boy and pulling him around to face him. He was shocked to see the boy's eyes were glowing green.
Hugo backed away, unsure what sort of magic he was dealing with.
Varian wore an unsettling smile and the streak in his hair glowed the same green as his eyes.
"You must be Hugo." An unfamiliar voice spoke from Varian's mouth, "I've heard about you." It said, bitterly.
"Ulla..." Hugo assumed, his eyes darting from Varian's glowing hair to his eyes, "What've you done?"
She laughed,
"I'm going to leave the library and finish what I started with Donella so many years ago!" Varian swiped a hand through the air and green energy pulsed from his fingers, sending Hugo flying across the aisle, crashing into a bookshelf with a grunt.
Varian made a turn, moving towards the gateway, so Hugo pulled himself from the ground and ran after him.
"Ulla, you don't have to do this!"
Varian stopped and slowly turned to Hugo, "Oh, I've heard that before. I suppose the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. After all, Donella betrayed me; just like you betrayed Varian."
"You don't know what you're taking about!" Hugo yelled, "I care about Varian- and whatever magical possession you've got him under- it's not right- you need to let him go!"
"Varian wants to help me leave the library! You're standing in his way!" Varian swung his hand through the air again and Hugo rolled out of the way of the blow. When he stood, he aimed his wrist bracer at the boy, hesitating as his finger hovered over the trigger.
Ulla laughed,
"You won't do it. If you try to harm me, you only hurt him."
Hugo took a heavy breath then forced a smirk,
"Who said anything about hurting you?" He turned a dial on his wrist bracer then shot a purple bomb at Varian. He moved to dodge so Hugo shot another. Varian dodged it once again and Ulla's voice growled,
"Enough!" She yelled and to Hugo's surprise, Varian's body rose into the air, "I've had enough of your games! If you know what's good for you, you'll stand down!"
Hugo clenched his jaw and aimed his wrist bracer at Varian again,
"Y'know, I've never really been too good at knowin' what's good for me." He joked, shooting at Varian. The orbs weren't picking up enough momentum to reach him in the air, so Hugo looked around and, thinking quickly, began climbing a nearby bookshelf.
All while avoiding persistent attacks from Ulla, Hugo climbed half way up one of the moving bookcases and when it moved behind Varian, he shot a bomb his way.
It hit the boy and his body collapsed to the ground. Hugo's eyes widened and he climbed down, jumping to the floor and running to Varian's side.
"V- are you ok?" He knelt by the boy and placed his hands on his shoulders.
Ulla's voice laughed from somewhere within the boy,
"You think you'll beat me so easily?"
"Get out of him!" Hugo growled and Ulla continued to laugh.
"Varian...please..." Hugo held the boy's cheek in his hand and brushed his thumb across it,
"I know you're still in there and...if you can hear me, you have to fight. I- I know you're mad and I don't blame you." His eyes began watering, "I don't need you to forgive me- I just...I want you to know it wasn't all a lie and I need you to get through this- you can't give up...I know I haven't been a good friend and- and..." He pressed his forehead to Varian's, "I'm sorry..." The blonde choked back tears, Ulla's laughter ringing in his ears, "I love you...Varian."
The green light from the boy's eyes opening made Hugo move away, and he watched as Varian's body rose into the air again.
"How touching." Ulla said from the boy, "It's a shame he can't hear-"
At that moment, Varian's body froze up in midair.
Hugo watched intently,
"Varian?" He asked, cautiously.
The boy's body began emitting a bright green light as it bobbed in the air.
Hugo shielded his eyes and when the light faded, Varian's eyes were back to their normal blue but the streak in his hair still glowed green in colour. To Hugo's surprise, the stripe split into two, one the original teal colour, and the other bright green. Varian's body fell and Hugo ran forwards to catch him.
Breathing heavily, Hugo knelt on the ground with Varian in his arms and gently patted his cheek to wake him,
"Varian?"