The Understudy of an Alchemist

67. Project Obsidian

"Please??????" "No."

Varian made an expression of what was most likely dramatised annoyance. "Why don't you trust me?" He demands, at which I sigh loudly, waving my hands slightly as I did so. "I do trust you." I falter for a moment, before I resume twisting the cyan streak around my index finger as I force myself to continue. "But I'm not going to impale anyone." Yet Varian isn't giving up so easily. "I never specifically stated impaling. I just think that you're the best defence that we have." I shake my head adamantly at the sheer suggestion. "No. Cassandra is our friend, I am not going to hurt her in anyway." "But you said to Ivy-" I cut him off, not wanting him to make the unfounded connection. "I said that I wanted to fight Zhan Tiri. Not someone who used to be our friend. It's our job to protect her from the MoonDrop, not to attack her. Rapunzel will have our heads on a pike if we initiate some attack against her without her permission."

He sighs once more, before attempting to make his eyes wider. "Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase??" I roll my eyes now, as I turn away from him. I refused to give in to those beautiful eyes. "The addition of puppy eyes and elongating the word 'please' makes no difference. The answer is still no. Stop asking." Varian's face fell, defeated. "Alright." Noticing the sad tone in his voice, I uncrossed my arms and turned back to face him, my expression softening. "Look." I reached across and took his hand, at which he squeezed it two times. At least he wasn't mad at me.

"I know that you have good intentions, and.....I do believe that we need to take defensive matters against Cassandra. She still is a threat, after all. But I don't think that my rocks are the best option, after.......well, last time." For a moment, he remained silent, before eventually nodding, and remaking eye-contact with me. "That's alright. I understand that you're uncomfortable. But what you said earlier is right. We do need a defence system against Cassandra." Varian then squeezed my hand once more, and I looked back up to face him, as he gave me an almost pleading look.

He sighed at my own sad looking expression, before continuing. "But I'm going to need your help with making the defence system. I can't do this without you. I can't do this alone." I hesitated, and stared into his wide, cornflower blue eyes. They seemed so honest, so sincere. I knew that he wouldn't let me use the weapon on Cassandra, never in a million years. But at the same time, it felt so wrong. It was odd, I didn't even know or think that Cassandra and I had even really been friends before she'd taken the moonstone. More accurately, she'd technically been my rival, since Varian had once had a crush on her.

Yet now, now that she was my enemy, I felt the need to sympathise with her. It didn't feel right to hurt her. I had no idea where this sudden surge of compassion had come from. Technically, she kind of deserved it. She'd hurt Varian, as well as Eugene, and even Rapunzel at one point. But maybe it was the dream with Zhan Tiri outlining the details of her plan that had spurred me to change my mind. I knew that she wasn't thinking clearly. Something was corrupting her, hurting her, and I knew that attacking her would make it even worse.

Yet at the same time Varian was right. If we didn't defend ourselves, she'd demolish us. My duty now was to protect the SunDrop, to protect Rapunzel; and Cassandra's first priority would certainly be to confront Rapunzel, and take the SunDrop, at Zhan Tiri's command. I knew what happened last time I tried to reason with her.

So what was I supposed to do??

I turned my gaze back to Varian, and loosened my grip upon his hand. "I......I'm sorry." His face fell, and the regret hit me like a tidal wave. For a moment, I pondered if he were going to yell at me. Yet as he relaxed his face, he suddenly pulled me forward into a warm, tight hug. "No." He cut me off, as I tried to mumble an apology into his ear. "This isn't your fault. I shouldn't have put that much pressure on you, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."