Elizabeth's POV: months later

"What's this?" I asked.

"Oh! It's a solution i created, it's supposed to help me stop Ruddiger from destroying my lab by trapping him in it till i let him out" he explained.

Suddenly we heard a door open and the trap went off.

Varian laughed a little "watch this" he said going to grab a mask that when he put it on his eyes glowed a yellowish-greenish color.

He went to investigate what set off the trap and i heard him talking.

"What do you want?" I heard him say, were there people there?

"Hi, um...we're looking for Varian" a voice said, i went to see what was going on.

"I am Varian!" Varian said.

I noticed the princess, she started talking "Um hi. So sorry to bother you, sir. I wanted to ask you about my hair. Because you're such a magic exp-"

"Magic?! I do not work with magic!" Varian yelled interrupting her before pulling his mask up.

"I mean, technically, it's not magic. It's alchemy, but yeah don't don't sweat it." He said.

The princess laughed nervously "Got it. So, what is this?" She asked gesturing towards the goopy stuff stuck to her feet.

"Oh, it's it's a chemical compound of my own design. Thank you. See, we have a bit of a critter problem out here, and, through the miracle of modern alchemy, I have found a humane way to solve the problem." Varian said helping Ruddiger who was also in the trap out and leading him outside.

"This is riveting, but could you get us out of here?" A woman standing next to the princess who was also stuck asked.

"Ha! Where is that neutralizing parti-" Varian said before Ruddiger tried to get back in "Oh! C-come on, get outta here!" He said tossing him outside.

He took out a vial with a neutralizing particle and let the princess and the other woman out of the trap.

"I am so sorry, Your Highness." He laughed.

"'Your Highness'? Wait. You know who I am?" The princess asked.

Varian laughed "Uh, how could I not? Look at your hair! Ha! Your highness." He said clearing his throat.

I noticed the princess' long blonde hair...the stories were true.

"Oh, please. Just Rapunzel." She said, she's really nice!

"Wow. Really? Okay. So, fantastical stories of your hair returning have spread throughout Corona. Yeah, people say it's magic, but personally, I don't really believe that. Now, as you have probably guessed, I am a man of science" Varian explained.

"- specifically, al-" he started to say before being cut off by the other woman standing by the princess.

"Alchemy. We know. Now listen, kid. We need your help, but let me make something clear. What happens here stays here, you got it?" She said grabbing the collar of Varian's shirt and lifting him off the ground.

"Varian!" I yelled getting everyone's attention.

"I'm ok, Ellie!" He said, before the lady dropped him.

"Hi!" The princess said.

I waved at her "don't be shy, i'm Rapunzel, but i'm guessing you knew that" she said, i nodded.

"and this is Cassandra, my lady-in-waiting" she gestured towards the other lady.

"What seems to be going on with it?" Varian asked, looking at Rapunzel's hair.

"It just grew back out of nowhere and we can't cut it, it's like it's indestructible" Rapunzel explained.

"This way" Varian led us to a table and had Rapunzel lay down on it.

He pulled i giant piece of glass over his face and looked at her hair through it.

"Oh, yes, this this Ah is it's very...long. Oh, no, don't worry, Your High- Rapunzel. I am sure that I, Varian, can unlock the mystery of your hair with the power of science!" He said swinging the piece of glass around not noticing it was about to hit his head.

"No sweat, it's just a little-" he started to say before passing out from seeing the blood on his glove "Varian? Are you ok?" I asked "i'm fine" he said "i can fix this" Rapunzel said, taking her hair out of the braid it was in, we all sat down and Rapunzel wrapped her hair around Varian's head and started singing:

Flower, Gleam, and Glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine

Heal what has been hurt
Change the fate's design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine

"What once was mine" she finished moving her hair "Better?" She asked.

Varian felt his head "Oh, yeah- No!" He said looking at his hand and covering up the blood stain.

"Huh that used to work." Rapunzel said.

"Well, silver lining: We've acquired some critical data about your hair. It no longer possesses its legendary healing power. Progress!" He said.

"Now let's figure out exactly what this hair is made of. This machine can analyze any substance for chemical makeup, bitopic composition, and urgu-structural integrity." He said, revealing a machine he had built "I built it myself."

"Nice!" Rapunzel said excitedly.

"If I'm right, this should tell us all there is know about your hair." Varian said.

"Raps, are you sure you wanna - Rapunzel?" Cassandra said, realizing Rapunzel was no longer standing next to her.

"Let's do this." Rapunzel said, already strapped into Varian's machine.

"Okay! Rapunzel. Now, um, this may get a little-" Varian said trying to find the right word to say, i could think of a few: scary, dangerous, chaotic-

"Exciting?" Rapunzel said, not one of the things i would have said.

"Um, sure! Yeah! That's a good word for it." Varian said, causing me to facepalm.

Varian turned the machine on and the first test started.

"Whoa-kay! Whaaa! Whoa!"

"And there we are! Done." Varian stopped the machine.

"right. Not super fun, but it's over." Rapunzel said, i sighed.

"Ha! Oh, sorry. Yeah, I- I meant done with the first test. But don't worry, only 86 more to go!" Varian said before starting the next test.

We ran a another test and something broke off of Varian's machine.

"Amazing! You were right, it's absolutely unbreakable!" Varian yelled over the noise excitedly.

"But I'm betting you're not! Let her go!" Some crazy guy broke down the door, wait..he looked familiar.

"Eugene! Hey!" Rapunzel laughed nervously.

"Blondie! You're okay! You wanna tell me what's goin' on here?" This guy, Eugene, asked, Rapunzel laughed nervously "You know what? I don't care. I'm gettin' you outta there." Eugene said.

"Hey! You're Flynn Rider!" Varian said, then i realized....oh boy...

"No. You don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen you before in my life. You can't prove anything!" Eugene yelled.

"I'm your biggest fan!" Varian laughed revealing a little shrine he had shown me a few days ago "See?"

"Hey, now! Flynn Rider, nice to be met." Eugene (Flynn? I don't even know!) said.

"I used to see your wanted posters all the time! You're my hero!" Varian said excitedly, i couldn't help but laugh a little at his excitment.

"Oh, well, 'hero' is a bit much." Eugene said.

"I've read every single book about you!" Varian said showing all his books.

"Oh well, um, you see, that's not actually me. I just took the name from the book." Eugene said, i knew it!

"Hey, hey! Remember the time you dueled that evil knight, blindfolded?" Varian asked, i smiled at how excited he was.

"No, no, not me. Do you wanna put that down?" Eugene said, Varian was swinging around this crazy sword thing he had.

"This isn't right, Cassandra. I have to tell him what's going on." Rapunzel said, i looked over wondering what they were talking about.

"No. Rapunzel, I want to trust you, and I trust that you trust Eugene, but I don't trust Eugene, and if I can't trust Eugene, I can't trust you, and you're just going to have to trust me. Trust me, that logic tracks." Cassandra said, now i was confused.

"Tell me about how you took on the Earl of Camembert!" Varian said excitedly, getting my attention.

"Also not me. Would someone please explain to me who this child is?" Eugene asked.

"I'm Varian!" Varian said knocking over a vile which led to the table being broken in half "Hot, hot, hot, hot!" He said before accidentally throwing his sword thing at the Flynn Rider wanted poster.

"Oh, come on!" Eugene yelled. The ground began to shake. Varian! Your machine!

"What was that trembling?" Eugene asked.

"Trembling? I didn't notice any trembling. Oh! Yeah! Ellie! We almost forgot to get the spectrometric press! It's the only way we can read the results of the test!" Varian said.

"Flynn Rider! Wanna come with?" He asked Eugene.

"Oooh! No." He answered.

"Hey! If- If- If you come, we can show you something really special, but, um, you've got to keep it a secret." Varian said as we were starting to leave.

"You want to tell me a secret? Did you hear that, everyone? Varitas-V- Var-" Eugene said struggling to say Varian's name.

"Varian!" Varian said.

"A complete stranger wants to tell me a secret!" Eugene said, i guess now willing to come with us.

When we got outside Eugene got our attention "Listen, kids, I need you to tell me everything that the princess told you."

"Oh, yeah. Well, okay, first, she said, 'We're looking for Varian,' and then I said, 'I am Varian!' And then she said,
'Uh, hi, sorry to bother you, sir, but I wanna ask you about my hair.' Wait, oh, I'm sorry, let me back up. I forgot to tell you about the raccoon trap. So, there was...-" Varian explained.

"Yes, that's great, but what I meant is, tell me all the important stuff
she said." Eugene explained.

"Mr. Rider, when the Princess of
Corona speaks directly to you, every word is important." Varian said.

A few minutes later

"I know that press is here somewhere, Flynn." Varian said as we searched for the press.

"Again, it's Eugene." Eugene said for i think the 7th time, i lost count.

"Here it is! And, once the tests are done, it'll print the results on parchment paper..." Varian explained.

"That's muy interesante, but getting back to what the princess said..." Eugene tried to change the subject.

The ground shook again. Varian! Check your machines!

"Whoa, whoa! Why does that keep happening?" Eugene asked.

Varian opened a trap door leading into the caverns, finally!

"Flynn Rider! I believe I promised you...a secret." Varian said as we climbed down the ladder.

"Now, if my dad knew I was down here, he'd kill me. Of course, if he knew what I was actually doing down here, he'd probably be impressed, or at least I hope he'd be impressed." Varian said, he was always trying to impress his dad.

"These tunnels run through my entire village, which make them perfect for my project." Varian explained.

"What project?" Eugene asked.

"This project." Varian said.

"I don't get it." Eugene said.

"Through the miracle of alchemy... not magic... I have found a way to heat this entire tank of water with a single drop of my newest, yet to be named compound... which I'll call Flynnoelum!" He explained.

"I still don't get it." Eugene said.

"I'm gonna surprise my village by bringing the people hot, running water!" Varian explained.

"I've constructed five of these babies all throughout the caverns." He said.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. These... these tremors... your machines are causing them?" Eugene asked.

"No, no, no. My machines are not causing them. The chemical reactions they trigger do." Varian said, adding a drop of the Flynnoelum to the machine making a small explosion.

"And no one else besides pigtails over here knows you're doing this?" Eugene asked holding up one of my braids which i pulled away from him.

"Well..." Varian laughed nervously.

"Okay, listen, kiddo. I'm no expert in...whatever this is, but anything that can cause earthquakes cannot be safe. We've gotta warn people about this." Eugene said.

"No! We can't! Okay? You gave me your word you'd keep this a secret. And besides, I am an expert, and this is all perfectly safe." Varian said as a bolt from the machine flew past them.

"You were saying, V?" I asked.

"Yeah, it does... Does that all the time." Varian said.

"Seriously?" I said, he gave me a nervous smile.

We went back up to where Cassandra and Rapunzel were.

"Team Awesome is ba-aaack!" Varian said excitedly.

"Now, Rapunzel, I know my tests have been a pain in the hm-hm." Varian said, i laughed a little.

"Aw, I wouldn't say pain." Rapunzel said.

"In a moment, this little guy...he'll give us all the answers we want." Varian said.

"Woo-hoo! Answers!" Rapunzel said.

"So, Eugene! Got yourself a secret, huh?" Cassandra asked.

"If you wanna call it that. The kids ha... uh-uh, nice try, Cass" Eugene said before moving over to Varian.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

"Of course! That's what Team Awesome does..." Varian said before Eugene pulled him away.

I followed them, i was still a little nervous being in a room with the princess.

"Those things down there are dangerous!" Eugene said.

"Dangerous? No, they're not dangerous, I... I have adjusted my calculations for every possible outcome. The margin of error is...
is less than .56 percent or... now, wait, was it .57?" Varian said.

"I don't know! Look, Varian. I think you're a good kid, a... a... a smart kid,
and you got great intentions." Eugene said "But I'm asking you...pleading with you...For the love of my life,
and your entire village, to please shut off those machines until a seisma-quake-atologist can come inspect 'em! Please! Do it for Team Awesome!"

"Ohhhh! I suppose I can turn them down... a bit." Varian said as he went back to where the machines were.

"Varian wait!" I said following after him.

"They can't be that dangerous right?" He asked me.

"Uh...explain that then" i said, pointing to the machine which was going crazy.

Varian noticed too and laughed nervously "Okay. I... I guess it was .57. Heh." He said.

"We should get out of here" i said.

"No no! I can fix it!" He said running to the table next to the machine.

"Varian! This isn't safe!" I said.

"It's fine! I'll fix this!" He said before knocking something over.

"Oh, no... the Flynnoleum!" He yelled trying to go clean it up.

"Varian! This thing is gonna blow!" I said, he turned the switch off and we ran out of the caverns.

Stuff started blowing up everywhere!

Suddenly someone grabbed our arms.

"Listen, kids! We gotta get outta here!" Cassandra said.

"No, no! No, I've got three pumps to shut off, and I can't let this happen again!" Varian yelled.

"Look out!" Cassandra yelled pulling us both close to her as a pipe fell around us.

We waited for the explosions to stop before Cassandra lifted us both up.

"Thank you, m'lady." Varian said causing both me and Cassandra to cringe.

"Kids!" A familiar voice called for us "kids!"

"Quirin! Thank goodness you're here!"

"Uh-oh. It's my dad." Varian said as we climbed out of the pipe.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Quirin asked us.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Varian said.

"Not again, Varian."

"But, Dad..." He reached out to him but he turned to the rest of the village.

"Is everybody okay?"

"Quirin, what do we do?" Someone asked.