#eugene fitzherbert

What would be in to romeo and juliet AU?

I’m not sure if you’re asking me whether or not I would be into a Romeo & Juliet AU or asking me what might be featured in such an AU. The answer to the first question is a maybe. @chiscribbs​ has an Enemy Kingdoms AU which isn’t exactly Romeo and Juliet but it is very similar in some ways and I am really like it. To the second question, I imagine it probably would feature a lot of the same things as that AU. 

thefoghaslifted:

everyone shut up i’m getting emotional over him again

rocksandrobots:

 "The Lucky Cat…“ Rapunzel read the sign on the cafe door out loud. Normally she would have found the inviting atmosphere of the cafe exciting, but knowing that Varian might be inside, waiting for her, tied her stomach into knots.

 Thus far she hadn’t allowed herself to think about what their meeting would be like after so many years. Would he still hate her? Did he still blame her for everything? Would he attack her again, and endanger all of the people here, or would he simply sulk and make vague threats to her? Would he be remorseful of anything? Would he even care about helping Corona? It was once his home too, but he had vowed to destroy the place himself many times before, and had come very close to doing just that on more than one occasion.

 "Quick question,” Lance said, interrupting her bad memories. “How are we supposed to get Varian to go along with anything? I mean, it’s not like we can arrest him and drag him back to Corona with us like this… Can we?”

 As if to prove his point, he tried to open the door and his hand went through the door handle.

 Eugene sighed, “I don’t know, but he doesn’t have to know that we can’t… Let’s just ask him about the scroll first and go from there.”

 Just then a customer walked out of the cafe, and Rapunzel tried to shove all her doubts away as the trio hurried through the open door. Only to find out when they entered that she had been worried over nothing. Varian wasn’t there.

 "Hi, Welcome to The Lucky Cat!“ A petite woman with short brown hair called out to them. She was all smiles as she placed a coffee pot on a stand next to a bunch of cups and wooden stirrers. “Happy Halloween! Today’s special is our mean green matcha mocha. How may I help you?”

 Rapunzel started to breathe easier. This was the warmest welcome that they had received since arriving in San Fransokyo and Rapunzel decided that she liked this enthusiastic woman. “Hi, nice to meet you. Oooh, what’s a mocha?”

 The woman blinked in surprise, but then quickly recovered with another beaming smile. “Oh, well usually it’s hot chocolate mixed with coffee, but in our matcha mocha special, it’s matcha green tea with white chocolate.”

 "Both those sound great!“ Lance said. You could practically see his mouth watering.

 "Oh wonderful… so you like one of each?” The woman said as she walked around the counter to take their orders. “We’re also offering a special ‘trick or treat’ sale today. Buy any drink and get one of our specialty made treats, like our monster muffins or ghostly donuts for half off.”

 "Oh cuuute!“ Rapunzel bent down to see the decorated sweets behind the glass counter. The ‘ghostly donuts’ were frosted beignets; round and covered in powdered sugar with black frosting forming eyes and mouths.

 Eugene lightly coughed in his hand to gain his friends’ attention and put them back on task. "As delightful as that sounds, we unfortunately don’t have any money.” This announcement elected disappointed frowns from everyone present, but Eugene ignored them. “We’re actually new in town and we’re looking for a particular person. We were told, by an old acquaintance, that we might find him here.”

 The woman behind the counter tilted her head. “Oh… and who’s that?”

 "His name is Varian.“ Rapunzel said. "We saw his raccoon outside and figured that he was here.”

 "Yes an honest assumption to make seeing as how he’s never seen without the little vermin,“ Eugene hastily added before the woman found the explanation odd,"Does… does he frequent this place often?”

 The woman gave a soft laugh. “Well, I should say so. He lives here! Oh, but I’m sorry, you’ve just missed him. He’s probably at the school by now.”

 "The school?“ Eugene echoed.

 "Oh yeah, they’re holding a big Halloween event at the SFIT campus. It’ll go on all night, so you still have time to get there. Are you three from the art institute instead?”

 The trio exchanged confused looks with each other, unsure how to respond to that question.

 "Umm… not exactly…“ Eugene stuttered, debating on what to tell the woman. He decided to turn the tables instead. "How do you know him, by the way?”

 The woman smiled again and offered her hand to them. “Oh, I’m his Aunt Cass.”

 "Cass?“ Rapunzel whispered. They may have shared a name but she couldn’t picture two women being more opposite than this baker and their Cassandra.

 However, Lance was far more interested in the woman’s title than her name. "Aunt? You mean we have another aunt!?” he excitedly blurted out.

 Eugene gave Lance a warning glare, and the taller man shrank back as he realized that he had given too much away.

 For the first time however, the smile faded away upon the kind woman’s face. “Wh-what do you mean… 'we’?”

 Eugene coughed again, “What my brother means… is… you wouldn’t happen to know an Edmund would you… or maybe a Quirin?”

 "Or an Adira, or a Hector?“ Lance added, despite himself.

 Aunt Cass slowly lowered her hand and Rapunzel could see the transformation on her face as her friendly demeanor was replaced with a more guarded one.

 "Quirin? You mean Varian’s father. You’re from Corona.” It was a statement not a question.

 Eugene sighed, there was no point in skirting the truth now. “Yes, we’re from Corona. I’m Eugene Fitzherbert, this is my adopted brother Lance…” Lance waved at her enthusiastically, “and my lovely girlfriend Rap-”

 "Just call me Raps.“ Rapunzel hastily interjected. She didn’t want a repeat of the conversation with the police officer, and there was no telling what Varian had told the woman.

 "Yes, well, as it turns out that my father, Edmund, and Varian’s father, Quirin, were brothers, and we only just all found each other again after several years of being separated.” Eugene gave a nervous chuckle, “Honestly, we’re still trying to piece together the whole family tree as it is, and we were just wondering how you may fit into it.”

 The woman closed her eyes as realization hit her and her beaming smile returned. “Oh… now I see.” She gave her own awkward laugh. “Sorry, no, y-you wouldn’t recognize me. I’m not his biological Aunt… I’ve just been fostering Varian while he’s here in the states.”

 "The states?“ Rapunzel echoed.

 "Oh, yes, the US. ” Aunt Cass noticed the trio still staring blankly at her… “the United States of America.”

 "Oh.. America!?“ Rapunzel shouted. "Yes… I can’t tell how exciting it is to finally see the Americas. I’ve only gotten to read about it in books before. They really undersell how insanely amazing this place is. Like those horseless carriages everyone rides around in. I’ve never seen those before.”

 'You… you mean… cars?“ Aunt Cass asked surprised. "They don’t have automobiles in Corona?”

 Rapunzel shook her head, not understanding why the woman was surprised. “Oh no. Everyone has horses in Corona. Like Maxumis, he’s the best horse ever! So sweet… Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any horses here at all. Do they just not have them in America?”

 Aunt Cass tried her best not to laugh at that question. “Oh, no, we do have horses here, just not everybody owns them. Especially here in the big city.” She flashed them another wide smile. “Listen, there’s no other customers right now. I can take a short break. Why don’t you all have a seat and I’ll bring us some drinks. On the house. Would you prefer coffee or tea?”

 Eugene tried to politely turn down the invite, not the least of which because they couldn’t drink anything in this state. “Oh no, you don’t have to go out of your way just for us.”

 "Nonsense, any family of Varian’s is more than welcome in my home.“ She insisted. "How about I brew up some of that matcha? I’ll go put the kettle on.” And with that she walked behind a swing door into the cafe’s kitchen.

 "Quick, we need to get out of here.“ Eugene whispered in a panic.

 "We can’t just run away now.” Rapunzel whispered back. “She’ll think something is wrong for sure and warn Varian. Besides, we might learn a thing or two by talking to her.”

 "Like what? How to brew tea?“ Eugene hissed. "In case you haven’t noticed right now, we’re kind of incorporeal right now.”

 As if to prove this point, Lance tried to take a seat in one of the chairs and fell right through it. He rubbed his backside as she stood up again.

 "Oooff… Incorporeal or not, it still hurts when you land on your rear end.“

 "See!?’ Eugene squeaked. "If we don’t get out of here now, she’ll definitely know that something is wrong.”

 "Ooh… where is that white chocolate…“ They overheard the woman’s voice call out to them. "Hey, do you mind if we just had plain green tea instead?”

 "Uhhh… anything is fine with us!“ Rapunzel awkwardly called back into the kitchen. "Heh… Take your time. No rush.”

 No sooner were the words out of her mouth before everyone started running around the cafe looking for a solution. Yet everything they touched passed through their hands as if made of air.  

 "Do you want any sugar?“ Aunt Cass called out again.

 "That’d be wonderful, thank you!” Eugene yelled back as he tried and failed to get on a bar stool. Beside him Rapunzel sunk through a booth; only her nose and eyes were visible over the top of the seat cushion.

 "Whatta we do?“ Lance whimpered.

 Eugene widely cast his eyes around for anything that might help.

 Then Rapunzel stood up and grabbed their hands. "Quick. I have an idea!”

Keep reading

A Rapunzel piece to go with my tarot theme~

Eugene Fitzherbert (aka Flynn Rider)

Tangled (2010)

Flynn Rider

Hmm….well, I have been meaning to give Tangled a try….and Moonstone Eugene is popular, right?

So who wants Moonstone Eugene and Varian interaction?

It’s not like that could go horribly!  :D

_____________________

Things for Varian since meeting with Rapunzel again had…not gone as expected, to say the least.

When he first saw her return to the kingdom with one of her party not present, he admittedly hadn’t thought much of it at the time.

Rapunzel was his main enemy and thus his focus. Cassandra was an excellent fighter and one he had to keep his eye on, of course. And Pascal…well, he had to be cautious, sure, but there was only so much the lizard would be able to do.

It didn’t strike him as odd that Eugene wasn’t there.

At most, he assumed they had split up as part of some plan to take back the kingdom, and there was a part of him that equally anticipated and dreaded seeing the other man again. Still, he planned for the eventual rescue that Eugene would no doubt stage on Rapunzel’s behalf…

…it never came.

It wasn’t until well after the Kingdom was restored to normal that he found out the reason why. And just what had happened in the Dark Kingdom.

As it stood, Rapunzel had talked him around on her own and he kicked himself for being so foolish. This was…not what he wanted his father to wake up to once he was saved. And at the end, wasn’t that all he had wanted? His father safe?

Rapunzel had promised him that. And she had delivered. He just…should have been patient. If he had, he could have gone with them. Maybe he could have done something to prevent what happened to Eugene?

Their journey led them to the Dark Kingdom where the counterpart of the Sundrop was kept.

The Moonstone.

Varian would have loved to have seen it.

It was apparently what had been calling to Rapunzel. And what was responsible for the dark rocks invading Corona. The end goal seemed to be for Rapunzel to unite the Sundrop within her with the Moonstone.

It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

In the process of reaching that goal, they had discovered that the Dark Kingdom was all but abandoned except for its King. And that Eugene was actually the long lost Prince of the kingdom.

Seriously? Eugene Fitzherbert? Flynn Rider? A Prince? How crazy was that?

Maybe as much as just happening to discover the long lost Princess in a tower…

Heh. Sounds like Eugene’s luck. But what happened to him?

The way both women tensed and went quiet…was not a good answer.

Something had happened. His attempts at questioning and pushing only got him so much information.

“It had been an accident.”

Cassandra was tight lipped about it and wouldn’t speak of what happened. She became downright angry and would snap at him if he tried to press the matter. It seemed that the incident had hit her pretty hard and she was blaming herself. He wanted to reassure her, but couldn’t know what to say.

Rapunzel herself didn’t know how it happened. She had crossed the bridge to the dais where the Moonstone was. She had been focused only on completing her destiny and putting the forces to rest. She regretted not paying more attention to what was going on behind her, because all she knew was that one minute the Moonstone was just within her reach and the next…

There had been a shout. A hand shoving her out of place. A burst of light.

And a scream.

Eugene’s scream.

From what she had said, when Rapunzel regained her senses, Eugene was in front of her, only he wasn’t as she last saw him.

Hair as black as night. Vibrant blue that encompassed the entirety of his eyes. Dark armor that wasn’t fitting of the Eugene they had all come to know.

And the way he looked at them…

Rapunzel still broke into tears at the memory and wasn’t able to explain much further. She tried to give a few poor excuses, that maybe he was protecting them? Or that there was something else going on?

King Edmund seemed to believe that Eugene had been corrupted by the Moonstone. That he possibly had been for years since before he was taken from the Dark Kingdom as an infant. Which—wow, way to write off your own kid. The man’s hatred for the Moonstone knew no bounds, which was understandable given everything he had suffered because of it. But still…it wasn’t logical and it didn’t make much sense. Especially as the father had no will to do anything to save his son. He had just given up.

Cass…only remained quiet. But her eyes and far off gaze suggested more than she was letting on, though why she wouldn’t share, he couldn’t tell.

Varian knew he didn’t have the full story. But Rapunzel had saved his father and reunited him with the person who mattered most to him. Even after everything he had done, she had kept her promise and helped him. Not just with his father but with his status as a criminal. He felt…the least he could do was return the favor and bring the one she loved back to her.

And Eugene was his friend, too.

That was why Varian had poured his all into research. About the Sundrop. About the Moonstone. What they were. Where they came from. Their sordid history. Anything.

Answers were unfortunately limited. But he didn’t let that stop him.

He had thought he could help. By translating the scroll with the incantations. By coming up with a weakness to the rocks. By figuring out a way to separate Eugene from the Moonstone without killing him, in hopes of snapping him out of whatever this was. Just…figure out something to give them an edge when they confronted him next.

And it was yet another foolish move on his part that led Varian to attempt to do so.

Alone.

And all too soon.

Through his efforts, he had thought he had crafted a means to separate Eugene from the Moonstone and force him back to normal. And desperate to test it, he had sought out where Eugene had gone. Through his research and talks with Lance and the others, he had managed to narrow down the search and track Eugene to his current location in order to confront him once and for all.

Which was how Varian had found himself in the cage of rocks within Eugene’s new….tower.

It was a tall and grand tower. Given what he knew of Rapunzel and Eugene’s history and how they met, Varian suspected that the there was some symbolism to his choice of base.

…he wasn’t sure he liked that symbolism.

Perhaps it was a warning? A testament to the new Eugene. Foretelling of just how much Eugene had changed.

…Varian should have taken it more seriously then.

Though he at least made it up to the center of the tower before the floor itself seemed to shift and black rocks sprung up and around him. Leaving him trapped alone, except for…

He heard the footsteps approach before he saw him. And once he did, he could understand Rapunzel’s previous state.

Encased in armor that appeared to be made of the black rocks.

Hair as dark as night.

Blue eyes.

It was different…

But sure enough, it was him.

“Hello, Eugene.” Varian greeted shakily from within the miniature prison, giving a weak wave. “Long…long time no see.”

Eugene just…stared at him.

“I—uh…like your new look?” He tried. “Though I kind of thought you’d get a cape…or a crown…or something?”

And…nothing.

This wasn’t right. Everything seemed completely off, and it wasn’t just his new outfit. Eugene hadn’t spoke a word. Or emoted. Or…anything.

At most, he had simply gestured and Varian found himself imprisoned. The rocks closed in on him—not enough to injure him, but certainly enough to ensure he wouldn’t do anything. He could barely move his arm, much less reach his bag where his various supplies and defensive weaponry were.

So…yeah. Admittedly this had not gone according to plan. And may not have been his brightest move in the first place.

He honestly expected this…may just be it for him. It would only take a single gesture from Eugene to end him. And he was…trying very very hard not to imagine all the ways he could do it.

After Varian was successfully captured, however, Eugene did nothing else. He didn’t talk to Varian. He didn’t respond when Varian tried to talk to him. He didn’t question Varian or anything. He almost seemed to ignore him, which Varian probably would have taken offense to if his brain wasn’t already in the process of attempting to find a way out of this. Since he was being afforded the opportunity, he attempted to survey their surroundings, seeking any sort of hints or indicators of what the man had been planning.

The setup of the main room they were in was…simple. Almost empty. There was no bed or furniture. The most he seemed to have was something that could be considered a throne if one was was being generous. It was just a seat made out of a multitude of black spiked rocks that made it look…rather dangerous and not at all comfortable. Not that Eugene seemed to particularly care for it other than as a place to rest.

Otherwise, the only decorations were a few sparse spikes that he assumed were made of the same material that made up the rest of the tower, only they seemed to glow—offering some measure of light to the room.

All in all, it was a very dark and imposing room.

The room was bare of anything. There wasn’t even much in the way of architecture or lead up to the room. There was a window that gave a good view of the sky and surrounding countryside, he supposed. But there were no other rooms. No way in from the ground—his earlier attempts to enter at the ground level revealed that the entire base of the tower was pure rock. As it was, Varian had just ended up using the window itself to get in and he was already right there.

It was basic. It was simplistic. It was minimalistic.

And completely nothing like Eugene.

As much as Varian admired Eugene both as himself and as his time as Flynn Rider, he knew full well that Eugene was still one to want the fancier things in life if he could get them. If Eugene had control of the rocks and could make them into anything, why just this? Why not make a palace? Why not create an extravagant room? Eugene was certainly more creative than this! Why not make more than the absolute bare minimum that this tower seemed to be? Why not show off?

There were no marks of practice. No signs of trial and error. Surely if Eugene had just taken the Moonstone—regardless of his reasons, he would need to work with it before being able to control it so well, right? There should be indicators—signs of his struggle. But everything both in and outside of the tower seemed so smooth. Impeccable. Flawless. No practice needed…like he already knew perfectly well what to do? But that didn’t make any sense!

Then there was how Eugene himself simply moved back to the throne and waited.

No demanding of why Varian was there. No interrogation. No questions about Rapunzel. No greetings to a former friend whom as far as he should have known, was still an enemy. Nothing.

This…this wasn’t right.

Both before and after Eugene gave up the moniker of ‘Flynn Rider’, he liked to talk. Talking was his strong point. It was what he was good at. If nothing else, it bought him time for a clever move.

He was also restless. Frequently moving or acting. Engaged. Rarely staying in one place for long without reason.

For him to be so silent and still was…unnerving.

This Eugene…he was starting to understand why Rapunzel had responded so poorly to his prodding. If he hadn’t been informed ahead of time of the changes, he wouldn’t have thought this man in front of him was Eugene at all.

His eyes glowed with unmistakeable power. But the rest of his face was drawn and blank. When he was close enough for Varian to see properly, he observed clear dark bags beneath his eyes.

They were the most he could see of humanity in the man before him.

Was this…even the man he knew at all?

But…he had changed, hadn’t he? Upon interfering with Rapunzel’s goal and taking the Moonstone.

Except Eugene wouldn’t do that.

And he wouldn’t do this. Not this tower. Not this blankness. And certainly not leaving Rapunzel.

Given how much he loved her, Eugene would never leave Rapunzel. Not the way he had. Not to become…this.

Varian’s analytical mind took in everything he was seeing and everything he had been told. There were many unknowns. But if none of this was like Eugene…then…wasn’t it possible that it…wasn’t?

A theory was forming, though Varian wasn’t sure he liked it. Wasn’t sure he wanted to believe it.

And the only way to know for sure…

Varian took a breath.

“Eugene.”

The other shifted, but otherwise made no indication of noticing him.

“Flynn.”

There was no response at all this time.

Varian swallowed. Just…just one more thing to test then?

“…Moonstone.”

The reaction was immediate. Those bright eyes snapped open and fixed onto Varian. It was a fluid movement—too quick and too natural to be anything other than automatic.

The revelation hit him with the force and weight of a punch to his gut. Varian forced himself to take a breath. To hazard his guess.

“You are…the Moonstone. Aren’t you?”

And the other answered.

“You sound surprised.”

“It is quite a surprise, yes.” Varian replied shakily, quite possibly on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Yet you called to me. So surely you must have known.”

No, he took it back. Hyperventilating required him to breathe. “It was a guess! I didn’t think I was RIGHT!”

Eugene—no,The Moonstone looked unimpressed. And…okay. Okay, that was a thing now. Apparently the mystical force of nature that came from the moon could take over a human and use their body as a meat suit. Okay. That was good to know.

It only obliterated his understanding of science, the world, and the cosmic forces that governed reality as he knew it. But he was fine!

“Aren’t humans supposed to breathe?“

“I’m fine!” He squeaked.

Just…just give him a minute to come to terms with the fact he was conversing with the conscious manifestation of a fragment of primordial power.

A full minute passed. Then another. To his credit, the Moonstone did not push him, though Varian half suspected that was more likely due to the stone’s own acceptance of silence than any true concern for his wellbeing.

Just…okay. Moonstone. This was The Moonstone he was talking to. It was just in a Eugene shape right now. That meant…it could talk, right? He could ask it questions and it could respond.

How much could Varian learn…

But for all the questions Varian would have wanted to ask, only one came to mind.

“Just…why do this?”

The Moonstone frowned, perhaps the first show of expression it displayed since he had arrived.

“I refuse to be a tool once more for another.”

The power in human form approached Varian’s cage with apparent calm that belied an underlying yet ever growing tension.

“Surrounded on all sides by greed and fools, I protected myself for centuries. Defying all who attempted to take my power for their own. Or use me for their desires.”

Around them, the black rocks trembled as if in response.

“Once my defenses were no longer enough, I simply chose an alternative means to maintain my will.”

Alternative means?

No…wait.

“Rapunzel…” Varian whispered, forcing himself to speak past the growing numbness and fear. “She said Eugene took the Moonstone.”

He gave a shaky chuckle as the true realization hit him. “But…but that wasn’t it, was it?”

Somehow, he mustered the strength to grip the rock keeping him imprisoned. Perhaps the only thing keeping him upright.

“In that moment, you were the one who took him.”

Not the other way around. Because Eugene wouldn’t have taken this thing for himself. Not if he knew what it was. Not after knowing what it had done to his family. Not if doing so would hurt Rapunzel.

Eugene had died for Rapunzel once. He had put himself on the line for her time and again. And even when he temporarily aided his father against her in the Dark Kingdom, it was still out of concern for her. Out of everyone, Varian couldn’t imaging Eugene betraying her.

But…this?

How…

“Why?”

The Moonstone simply stared straight at Varian, seemingly through him. No guilt. No remorse. Though could he have expected an entity such as this to be capable of such feelings?

Still, it surprisingly seemed inclined to respond to him.

“It was necessary.”

“Necessary?!” Varian barked back. “How was this necessary?! Rapunzel was right there! Fully willing to unite you with the Sundrop! That was what you wanted, right? It was why are you sent to the black rocks to us in the first place! Why you were invading Corona. And my father…” He clenched his fists. “So why did you stop her when she was only inches away?!”

“The Sundrop was there.” It agreed. Then its eyes narrowed in the closest semblance of anger the being was probably capable of.

“But so was the Abomination.”

Varian frowned in surprise, not expecting that answer. “Abomination?”

“There was a threat. I was obligated to respond—just as I did when the inhabitants of this Kingdom sought to use me for their ends.”

“Wait—what threat?”

“The Traitor.” The Moonstone hissed. “At the will of the Abomination, she sought to take me for herself. And would have had I not acted first.”

“Traitor?” Varian murmured in confusion. It had called Rapunzel ‘Princess’ and didn’t seem to bear any ill will towards her. And it wasn’t talking about Eugene. The only other person there…

“Cassandra.” Varian gasped. “She tried to steal you?! But why?!”

“I neither know nor care of her reasons.” The Moonstone replied briskly. “The matter remained that she was a threat and would have aided the Abomination had I not intervened.”

He tensed. “You don’t know that! Cass isn’t like that!”

“But she is. Whatever words that thing spoke to her. Whatever promises it offered.” It clenched its fist. “She accepted. Wholeheartedly. I care not why.”

He shook his head.

Because she wouldn’t…

Cass would never!

But the Moonstone didn’t seem to care. And Varian—as much as he wanted to—couldn’t argue. Not against this thing. Not when he didn’t even know why.

“So…you chose to act first?” He asked instead.

The Moonstone seemed to calm somewhat. “My Other was bound—held within the vessel of your Princess and thus unable to respond except to her will, and she remained unaware of the threat. As the only one still capable to act freely, what else could I do but act to protect us both?”

That made sense, except…

“But…you could have rejoined with the Sundrop!” Varian argued. “Rapunzel was right there! Wouldn’t that have solved things then?”

“No good would come of uniting us be when That One was just waiting to take advantage.” It stated. “She would have used the opportunity to regain her form, and with it, our power.” It clenched its fist. “I do not desire to be used for something so petty as conquering and desolation.”

Varian nodded.

Okay. So it…didn’t want world domination. Or destruction. Or anything.

Good. That’s…that was good. That meant everything was pretty much a non-issue right? No reason to fight. No reason for conflict. Right? Right!

“So why not just talk to Rapunzel?” He suggested. “Tell her your intentions. She only wants to help!”

“She is a fool and trusts too easily.” The Moonstone replied. “It would be a waste.”

It turned away from Varian, towards the window and sole entrance to this place.

“So I have come here. To hide. And wait. The Traitor will either be exposed or she will realize the truth of the Abomination. And if she comes…”

A stalagmite shot up from the floor of the tower, gleaming with an almost sinister light.

“She will be dealt with.”

“Then…” Varian took a breath. “What about Rapunzel?”

“She will die. And when she does…I will take my other half. And we will rejoin once more.”

Varian gaped. “No! Eugene, no! It’s Rapunzel! You can’t just—”

“I will not harm her, if that is your concern.” It spoke, somehow in a way that reassured him for the frankness of it and infuriated him for its dismissiveness. Like Rapunzel wasn’t his friend or the love of his life. Like Eugene just…didn’t care.

Which, if he really was the Moonstone…it probably didn’t.

“Then…what are you going to do?”

There was silence.

“I have waited centuries.” The Moonstone stated. He…It turned to face Varian with a look of such blankness that no human should ever have.

“A human lifetime is but few decades more.”

Varian felt something in him go cold at that.

Eugene…The Moonstone wouldn’t hurt Rapunzel.

But it was going to wait however long it took for her life to end naturally…and keep Eugene as a host in the process.

Somehow…that felt worse.

At least if it was targeting Rapunzel, that meant there was a reason. That she was a threat to it. That meant there was something they could do. Some means they could fight it. Some method they could use to stop it and get Eugene back.

But if it was like this…

It meant that the Moonstone wasn’t just stealing Eugene’s body. It was taking away his future—his entire life. Wholly and completely, in a way even death couldn’t. What would happen to him once it was done? Would Eugene die then?

…would it be a mercy?

Varian tensed, his mind continuing to race.

And then there was Rapunzel herself.

The Moonstone may have Eugene’s body, but it clearly didn’t know everything about his life. It expected Rapunzel to just give up and continue her life as normal now that the Moonstone was out of reach and the black rocks were no longer a problem. It expected that she would just accept the loss and do nothing.

It didn’t know her at all.

Rapunzel wouldn’t give up. 

She didn’t give up on her dream to see the lanterns.

She didn’t give up fighting for her freedom.

She didn’t give up on Varian. Even after everything he’d done.

And she wouldn’t give up on Eugene.

Even if…

“Oh no.”

She was going to track him down.

And Varian’s own search attempts would no doubt end up helping her to find him.

But…

He clenched the bars of his cage.

How would she handle what she would find?

“Rapunzel…”

For the sake of your own heart, please…

Don’t come.

__________________

“Varian!”

“Rapunzel?”

“Varian! There you are!”

“I was afraid you’d find me.“

“What were you thinking coming here alone?”

“I thought…no, look. Now’s not the time. You have to leave before he comes back!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“He’s going to leave you and Corona alone, but there’s no telling how patient he’ll be if we test him—”

“I don’t care! I am taking you and Eugene back to Corona. We’ll figure this out together.”

“No, Rapunzel, you don’t get it! He isn’t—it’s not Eugene anymore!”

“Then I’ll just knock some sense into him if I have to!”

“No! I mean it’s NOT Eugene!”

A door slammed. Several spires of black rock shot out of the ground to block the exit door.

“Sundrop.”

A sigh.

Varian looked up hopelessly.

“It’s just the Moonstone now.”