(Caution: Small Plot Twist)

(Warning: Singing Ahead/
Two songs in One chapter)

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Chapter 72 -
Secret Of The Sundrop
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Slowly you step into Quirin's room and careful of the broken glass. Mimi nuzzles your neck and you stare at the chest with the mark on it, but sigh.

The castle's silhouette is in the distance and perfectly aligned in the frames of the window.

You go up to the window and place your hand on the sill, "Locked inside your home. Kept behind a wall. Sheltered from a world you've barely known." You glance sadly at the portrait of Quirin, Varian's Mom, and Baby Varian.

"That's the way they treat you and what's worst of all. Who's to blame? Just you and you alone." Your fingers gently graze over baby Varian.

You narrow your eyes in determination, "There's much more inside of you than anyone can see." You pull your journal and flip through the pages.

"And now the choice is yours. Life waits beyond the doors. So step on through, the time has come and only you can set yourself free!" You smile happily at all the drawings you had of you and Varian.

"No one else can tell you what to do or who to be!" You see a faint memory of a little younger you and Varian as you two lay in the grass with fireflies around you.

"No one gets to say if you will stay or go. So use the gifts you're given." You hold the medal from the science expo, then hang it back up.

"Make the world your own. Look inside your heart and find the key!" You remember the dance and see yourself and Varian waltz around on the ballroom floor. "And set yourself free!"

In the lab, you frown once you see all the chaos littering around, "Bound up by your worries. Trapped by your mistakes." You look at the amber, "Forced to play a role you never chose."

A memory of Varian appears as he holds you close as the Flynn Glider crashes, "Why not test your limits?"

You now see you and Varian laughing while shocking each other with the electric crystals, "You've got what it takes. Let it out and follow where it goes!"

You go out the door and run, "No more letting someone else define you to a "T". You know that you are strong. You've known it all along! So seize the day and let it go! You'll find a way to set yourself free!"

You grin when spotting you and Varian running and rolling down the grassy hill, "Now it's up to you and what you'll do and who you'll be!"

You now see that day Varian helped around the village with his hydrating chemballs and he wasn't worried on making his dad proud.

"You get to decide how far and wide you go. So look to the horizon. Open up your wings!" You smile with your eyes closed, feeling when you two did a barrel roll in the sky, "Fly away to find your destiny!"

"And set yourself free!" You pant and you're at the bridge that leads to the Corona.

You took a deep breath and continue toward the castle.

A big fog surrounds the town and mostly likely the bottom of the castle. You knew you couldn't see through there, but also relieved that no one else can see you.

Sneakily you make your way to the secret passageway that Cassandra snuck Rapunzel out.

“I have asked for help and I have been ignored! I Will NOT be IGNORED ANY LONGER!”

You stop when you hear Varian's voice speaking out to everyone and it was hard to tell where he was at.

“And to make sure I have your attention! I've developed a new serum and created something special for you all!” He says angrily.

You hear something growl before screeching a little. You gasps a bit, “Rudiger.” You gently take Mimi, “Mimi, you have to help Rudiger go back to normal. While I try to find Varian.”

She nod and hugs your cheek before jumping down and running off where Rudiger should be. You make your way to the passageway again and slip in.

Your mark glows so you could see around and you push the crates out of the way. Inside the castle, there were no guards anywhere while you run down the halls.

No Varian.

No Varian.

You skid to a stop when you see two guards passed out on the floor where the King and Queen's room is located.

You push the door open and Varian is stalking up on an unaware Arianna. You tackles Varian down and he groans as his metal mask tumbles off.

He shoves you off and you roll by the Queen. She looks a bit fearful, but also looks worried. “Varian?”

Varian gets up and glares at the Queen, “Hello, Your Majesty.” His eyes shift to you and he chuckles a bit darkly, shaking his head. “I was wondering when you’d show up.” He raises a brow, smirking, “Couldn't stay away from me, huh (____)?”

You roll your eyes, “Say the one who shackled me so I could stay.”

Varian holds a hand to his heart, “Oh….That hurt.” He rolls his eyes. “(____). I already knew you'd escape and luckily I planned everything ahead, even for you.”

What Varian said had confused you.

You frown, “Varian, please take a moment and find yourself. Ask yourself if this is what you REALLY want and need to do.”

Varian still stares a bit angrily and glances away.

Carefully you made your way to him, “Varian, it can't fall apart like this.” You hesitantly take his hands, “Take a moment to think of flexibility, love, and trust. It's okay.”

Varian's expression falls a bit.

“What someone said had harmed you, I know and it's just all confusing. It all made you lose site of everything.” You pull him into a hug, “Varian, I'm scared I might lose you.”

Varian shakily holds you until his eyes land on the Queen. “Any moment now, Your Highness.” He shoves you to the floor and towers over you while pulling out three contraptions from his coat.

“Believe me I know, I've sunk pretty low, but whatever I've done they deserve.” He tosses one contraption to you as it starts to turn and you realize it's an axle of an automaton.

“Varian.” Queen Arianna says in concern.

Varian snaps at her, “Quiet!”

“I'm the bad guy that's fine." He goes to the window, opening it and tosses the two other axle contraptions down into the courtyard. “It's no fault of mine.”

Everyone looks up at the window where the contraption came from and Varian rolls his eyes at them. “And some justice last will be served!”

In the throne room where Rapunzel's presents are, some of the boxes break open and parts for automatons roll to their power source.

You throw the axle as parts begin to form an automaton. “Varian, please just listen!”

He ignores you and stares at the automaton, pointing to you and Arianna. “It's time to rise up or it's time to back down.” He doesn't look as the automaton grabs you two and holds a fist to his heart, “And there's only one answer for me.”

Varian clenches his fists and gestures the automaton to follow while walking out to the halls. “And I'll stand up and fight ‘cause I know that I'm right.”

"And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready!" Varian walks through the tunnels with the automaton leading the way back to Old Corona. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

There wasn't any use talking to Varian and you knew you had to wait at the right moment to try again.

Everyone who wasn't injured during Rudiger's game of hide and seek, fought off the two automatons on the courtyard. Rapunzel and the thugs took one down while Eugene and Cass took the other.

Cassandra rips out the axle with her sword and stands on the fallen automaton, "Now it's time to rise up or it's time to stand down! And the answer is easy to see!"

The sword is held high and Cass looks to everyone seriously, "And I swear by the sword, if you're in, get on board! Are you ready?"

Eugene sings while stepping up with a sword, "I'm ready!"

Others volunteer, "We're ready! We're ready!"

Cass looks too her dad and the Captain nods at her. She hops down, "Ready as I'll ever be!"

"Cass, my dad and I will head on from behind and sneak my mom out while you take the front to create a diversion." Rapunzel says seriously to her best friend.

"Sure, but you two be careful." Cass hops on a horse.

Rapunzel grabs an iron pan from a stand nearby and Frederic walks up with an unsure expression, "Are you quite sure we can do this?"

Rapunzel turns to him and smiles warmly, wrapping an arm around his arm, "Together we will guarantee!"

Varian had chained both you and Arianna next to each other, "I'll make them hear me!"

"Now it's time to redeem or it's time to resolve!" Everyone now rode on horses toward Old Corona.

"Prove they can trust me!" Cass leads them all.

"And the outcome will hardly come free!"

Rapunzel glances back at the castle in sadness and rides with her dad, "I'll save my home and family!" The two now part from the group.

"Now the line's in the sand! And our moment's at hand!" They got closer and see Old Corona in view.

"And I'm ready!" Eugene sings determined.

"I'm ready!" Cass glares ahead.

"I'm ready!" Rapunzel sings while her and her dad go through the tunnel that lead to Varian's lab.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Varian finishes the automaton he could control himself and closes the bigger trap door as the automaton is lowered.

Varian looks out the window and spots the cavalry coming through the black rock overgrowth. He hums in amusement, “What a happy family reunion this will be.”

The way Varian's voice sounded wickedly happy sent shivers through you. He turns and gives you and Arianna a vile smirk. “For both of us.”

You weren't going to lie and you really hated yourself for even mentally saying it, but you subconsciously blush at the way Varian acted.

Your eyes widen once Varian grins more and strolls up to you. He had definitely noticed your expression and kneels down.

“Oh, WHAT do we have here?”

You avoid his gaze, but his gloved hand gently lifts your head to have you look at him.

Varian examines your face, “Really?” He chuckles, “(____), (____), (____), (____). You are just too adorable.”

He frowns, “Open up your eyes, (____). See this from where I stand.”

You stare at him, “I do Varian, but I'm not the blind one. You've seem to have missed a few steps and it's never too late to go back to start over.”

He doesn't say anything and gets up.

You move your gaze to your chains then blink at them in confusion. Why did he put ordinary chains on your wrists?

Varian stares at you before grabbing the curtains and closing them.