Varian's Tangled Trials

A New Journey

Now being translated to Spanish! Read that version here:
 https://archiveofourown.org/works/41164089/chapters/103190334

Crouched down next to a giant copper tank, Varian leaned in close to a small meter, watching it carefully as he adjusted the various dials and switches underneath. A swath of dark, blue striped hair fell into his vision, and he brushed it back hastily. This process was a delicate one and required all of his concentration. He took a slow calming breath as the needle on the dial came closer and closer to just the right spot...

Something collided with the side of the tank with a resounding ring sending vibrations through Varian's bones and making him jump back with a shamefully alarmed shriek. He snapped his head up to find the Captain of the Guard, Eugene Fitzherbert leaning against the tank, having apparently just smacked it with his hand.

"So Goggles, just so we're clear," said Eugene, his grin clearly masking concern, "This is the same device that you were working on when we first met. The same machine that nearly took out your whole village. The same machine that almost crushed mine and Rapunzel's beautiful faces."

"Oh Eugene, I'm sure it's fine," said Princess Rapunzel, coming to stand next to her husband to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Varian knows what he's doing this time around. He and his dad have been working on this for months now, right Varian?"

Varian took a quick look back down at the meter and felt a smile tug the corner of his mouth when he saw that it was at precisely the correct setting. "Right you are, Princess," said Varian. "Those other machines were built when I was just a naive kid starting bravely on the path of science." He jumped up and pulled a lever with gusto. "Now..." He jumped past Eugene, forcing him to take a few steps back, "I'm older..." He grabbed a wheel on the side of the device and sent it spinning. "Wiser, aaand..." He put his hand on another big lever. "I've had a chance to adjust my calculations to a margin of error of just point five two percent!" He yanked the handle down.

Eugene and Rapunzel jumped, and Varian's raccoon Ruddiger scampered away as the whole machine began to tremble. The pipes jutting off of it started to shake. "Uh... Varian?!" Rapunzel blurted, bracing herself and her husband for the worst.

Varian watched the meters calmly, hushing the voice in his head that kept telling him he was about to blow them all to smithereens. The tank started banging as steam began to roll out of small cracks. The commotion moved up the pipes and across the room until it finally arrived at a metal piece full of holes Varian had engineered to spout hot water in an approximation of rainwater.

Sure enough, they all watched as first, a burst of steam rolled out of the holes, and then a gentle stream of warm water sprayed harmlessly down into a metal wash bin. Varian's smile grew as Rapunzel's friend and companion, the chameleon Pascal, crawled onto the wash bin and felt the warm shower water with apprehension. Once Pascal realized how nice it felt, though, the chameleon relaxed and turned a soft shade of pink in approval.

"Yes! It worked! It really worked!" cried Varian, jumping up and punching the air with excitement before remembering how 'old' and 'wise' he was supposed to be. He calmed himself and focused on speaking more appropriately to his royal company. "Um... I'm mean, of course it worked." He moved back over to the dials and adjusted them slightly to stabilize the machine and calm the vibrations. "As I was just saying, I've grown a lot these past few years."

Rapunzel took one of Varian's hands in hers and looked at him in that way that always made Varian feel safe and secure. "You really have, Varian," She said softly. "After everything we've been through, you have really shown how smart and capable you are. And as the Royal Engineer, you'll be able to really help the people of Corona."