The Third Power: TTS AU

Chapter Thirty-One

Okay, so, maybe this hadn't been Rapunzel's wisest idea.

But seeing the door glow and slide open, Varian stepping inside, thinking about the very little that they knew about what Varian could do... her feet had started moving before she could properly consider her idea of following.

"Princess," came Varian's shocked whisper from somewhere in the shadows, "why did you..."

"I, uh, I know that this was just supposed to be you, but, um..." Yeah, no, the words weren't flowing.

It went horribly silent. Then Varian moved past her and back towards the door. The quiet lingered a little longer until the alchemist groaned under his breath. "The door's not opening."

"What?" Rapunzel asked as she looked in his general direction. "Are we trapped in here?"

"Relax, it'll probably open again once I have the Seastone," he told her with a huff. He brushed past her again as he walked back further into the room. "And you wouldn't be trapped if you hadn't followed."

Rapunzel couldn't help but flinch back at the venom in his voice. She hadn't heard that kind of anger since...

This was really starting to seem like a bad idea.

—————

To say that Varian was angry would be an understatement.

She didn't trust him. Rapunzel didn't trust him. Even after saying she would try to keep an open mind... what had he been expecting? It's not like she'd done a good job of keeping her promises in the past.

Promise. Even after so long the word still felt wrong in his mouth. Varian'd thought that that vile taste it left had washed away, but clearly it was adamant about sticking around. Still, as long as he got this over with quickly, he could leave the cave with the Seastone and... he was really considering it? He could show Rapunzel that there was nothing to worry about. He'd show her that his powers weren't dangerous.

But first they had to actually get the stone, which was already seeming difficult with the lack of light.

"What's this?"

Varian wasn't really paying the princess any attention. That is until a soft blue light filled the room.

"What-" He blinked as his eyes adjusted and looked to Rapunzel who was staring up at the light, clearly just as shocked as he was.

She caught him staring and just shrugged. "I just ran my hand along the wall and felt something. I guess it was a switch of some kind?" she said uncertainly. Her expression had shifted into something along the lines of shy, awkward, but not quite. Varian didn't have a word for it. Still, he checked out this switch she'd apparently found.

It was simple in design, like something he'd have on one of his machines. Still, a switch that manipulated light like this? How did that work? It could be a huge improvement to the lighting in Corona - a nice upgrade from their torches.

If he ever went back to Corona.

Woah, where'd that idea come from? Of course he'd go back; he had to see his dad again.

He shook his head slightly. Now wasn't the time to think about that. He had a stone to find.

He spared Rapunzel one more look before he looked around the room again. It was empty except for some statues lining the walls. They were statues of merfolk and some of a pearl. Some of the merfolk statues were holding the pearl in their hands, as if presenting it to whoever stood before them. The statues alternated between these three until they ended at a trapdoor in the floor at the very end of the room.

That's it. That's where he needed to go.

He started forwards. He heard Rapunzel's footsteps following. It took all of his self control not to snap at her as he turned back around and said, "Princess, I get that you're worried and don't believe the Seastone to be safe, but this is supposed to be something I do alone." Yeah, so his stiff posture was probably giving his frustration away, sue him.

Rapunzel looked somewhat hurt by his words. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. This went on for a few more seconds before she pulled herself together and got her words out.

"I believe the Seastone would be safer with you, but not right now. Not until..." She hesitated, but Varian was pretty sure he got the gist. And it made him feel even worse.

"You don't..." The words were hard to get out. His fists clenched. "You don't actually believe that mind control idea, do you?"

A beat of silence, then, "Varian, look-"

His eyes went wide. "You do?!"

"No!" the princess hurried to say, reaching out a hand like he might try to run from her. She drew it back almost at once. "I mean- may- I don't know? Just-"

Varian didn't need to hear any more of her rambling - didn't want to hear any more of her rambling. He could practically feel his ray of hope from earlier succumbing to bleak shadows.

Rapunzel really didn't believe him.

Well... if that's how it's going to be, then, fine, he decided. I have a stone to get. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he mumbled, "If that's what you think, princess..." He turned away towards the door.

"Varian, wait!" she called after him. Even though he couldn't see her, he could hear the desperation dripping from every word. "I mean, alone? Isn't two people better than-"

"Mari said I had to go alone," he cut in, barely holding back the snap in his voice. Varian's fingers were now doing their best to sink into his arms in a poor attempt to control his temper. "I'll see you when I come out." The malice in his own voice almost scared him.

—————

As Varian knelt down next to the trapdoor to open it, Rapunzel found herself unable to move. She'd made a mistake. She'd made a huge mistake.

Varian was so angry with her wasn't he? Maybe... could it be that he wasn't mind controlled. Maybe he'd genuinely done this of his own free will and... and she'd messed up?

But then why did he side with Cassandra? There was no way Varian could have known about the Seastone beforehand so that couldn't be the reason. But what else was there? Nothing, so far as the princess could think. Varian hated magic. Why would he willingly go on a quest that would end with him having magic?

Nothing made sense. This was all so strange, even by the standards Rapunzel had built over her year travelling along the black rock trail.

Couldn't things just go back to normal?