Destined Couple

Alchemy

Rapunzel woke up from a nightmare about Gothel. It had started out nice enough, with her playing hide and seek with Pascal and hugging her parents and kissing Eugene on the cheek, but then she'd entered her room and Gothel was there in front of her window

She'd taunted her about her hair being long again, taunted her with the title she used to use for her, with the fact that she raised her as her false daughter for so many years. Then she'd thrown up her arms and the black rocks had appeared. Terrified, Rapunzel fled and then her hair began to glow and broke free of its braid as she was surrounded by the rocks.

"Don't be afraid." A voice said, and she looked up to see Gothel was gone and the stranger with glowing blue hair was here again. "They don't want to hurt you."

She cried out in alarm as her hair drifted into the air, pointed towards the sky.

"Let's get back to your tower, where you will be safe and secure." Gothel said, appearing in the black rocks

"Don't be afraid." The stranger said again, their own long hair drifting around them like they were submerged in deep water.

"How can I not be afraid?!" Rapunzel cried, looking up at the rocks fearfully. "I feel trapped!"

The stranger stepped towards her, their features dark and unable to be seen as they stood in the shadows.

"Don't be afraid." He repeated. "I'm never too far away."

She gasped, the words sounding familiar to her. "V?"

A mist started to form around them and she cried out in alarm as she was no longer able to see him, the mist covering him up completely so she couldn't even see the glowing of his hair any longer. She heard Gothel's mocking laughter and covered her ears, letting out a scream.

And then she'd woken up, with her hair defying gravity above her bed for a few moments before it fell to the floor.

"...That...was weird." She decided.

--

With the morning's light, it was business as usual. Their fancy clothes set aside, they resumed their daily lives with Quirin working on the farm and attending to the town and Varian getting into alchemy mischief with Adira watching over him.

"So, what's this do?" She asked, leaning over a bit as she watched him filling a ball with the alchemy solution he just finished.

"Well, if it does as planned, then it should create a liquid-like compound that will harden to secure anyone caught in it. It's a humane trap for the critters that keep stealing from the gardens. Rabbits and raccoons and the like."

"Sounds useful." She hummed. "Might be good for in a fight, too."

"Oh, for sure. Anyone caught in this compound would be rendered completely helpless!" He said cheerfully.

"As usual, kid, you're terrifying." She said, chuckling.

"Mmhm." He smiled at her.

"Well, how about I go an d get you something to eat. You think you'll be alright without me for a bit?" She rubbed his head.

He looked up at her. "I'll be fine, go on."

She nodded and headed through the door to get to the rest of the manor.

He hummed happily, setting up a test trap and then going back to work. He noticed something outside his window and paused, looking closer.

Rapunzel was here, accompanied by the woman in the blue dress. Only, she wasn't in a blue dress this time, she was wearing clothes that looked more masculine. He felt his heart pick up in pace and went to put on his overcoat and mask before tossing one of his fog bombs. Then he pulled a lever to open the outside door for them and hid behind a table, watching as they came in.