Varian had been working in his new lab day and night. He felt empty inside, like he was missing everything. Ruddiger wasn't there, Aquaria wasn't there, his father was still trapped in the amber, and his new friends just didn't feel like real friends.

He was starting to drive himself crazy without Aqua in the lab with him.

"Don't leave the flame on, Var."

"Thank you, Aqua," Varian murmured to himself, knowing that it was just her voice in his mind. He turned off the flame and looked down at his calculations.

"I've tried everything, Aqua. How am I supposed to get this into a substance that can become a gas? Nothing is working. It keeps exploding," Varian said to himself.

"Did you try adding more of the mineral and some water? Grind up the gems and add the water before adding the wand's power into the formula."

"You're a genius, Aqua!" Varian quickly got to work and Andrew watched him through the slightly open door.

After he walked away, Andrew met up with the other Saporians.

"That boy is losing him mind," Kai said but Andrew hummed.

"As long as he gets the Quirineon to work, I don't care if he talks to himself. He's on our side and he knows the weaknesses of both princesses. We need him. For now at least," Andrew said to which the others nodded.

💧

Aquaria walked into the castle, being met by Elsa and Anna as soon as she walked in the front doors.

"Aqua! You're back! Kristoff told us you went to see Grand Pabbie so we didn't know when you were coming back!" Anna hugged her tightly when she saw that Aqua was crying.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked as she wrapped her arms around her sister and Aqua.

"I just... I had some memories and... I just need some rest..." Aquaria's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Come on, I think I know what you need," Anna said gently.

The three of them went to Aquaria's room and got snuggled into bed.

Anna let Aquaria curl up against her as Elsa gently rubbed the young girl's back. Ruddiger curled himself against Aqua's chest.

"Where the northwind meets the sea, there's a river full of memory," Anna started to sing and Aqua closed her eyes.

"Sleep, my darling, safe and sound. For in this river all is found." Anna's voice faded into Varian's voice. Aqua pictured him holding her close as he sang.

"In her waters, deep and true, lie the answers and a path for you. Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drown," Varian's voice rang in her head.

"Yes she will sing to those who'll hear and in her song all magic flows. But can you brave what you most fear? Can you face what the river knows? Where the northwind meets the sea, there's a mother full of memory. Come, my darling, homeward bound. When all is lost, then all is found."

Aquaria cried into Anna's side until she fell asleep.

Anna felt horrible for Aquaria, not wanting to know how hard it must be for her. She wanted to help but she knew that she couldn't just erase Aqua's feelings for Varian.

She looked at Elsa and sighed softly. "It's been over a year. She cries herself to sleep almost every night and it feels like it's getting worse."

"I'm not sure what we can do. She blames herself and it wears on her, that much is obvious," Elsa said quietly.

"Hopefully she'll start to feel better soon," Anna murmured before they left Aquaria and Ruddiger asleep.

🧪

Varian was walking through the halls of the palace when he came across Aquaria's room. He frowned and opened the door.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to her desk. He saw the picture she had drawn of him, Ruddiger, his father, and herself.

He pulled out the picture of just the two of them from his pocket and then sat on her bed as tears came to his eyes.

"What have I done?"

He had a moment of realization that he would never get Aquaria back by his side if she saw what he had done, what he was planning to do.

"She has to forget too... she'll hate me forever if she remembers... but then she'll forget everything we had together... she won't love me anymore... she'll never forgive me though..."

Varian cried as he thought about everything he had said to her. He didn't hate her and he really wanted to see her again. He needed her.

"We'll be able to start over. She'll love me again eventually," Varian said as he looked at the drawing in his hands.

He left her room to go back to his lab when he heard Eugene's voice. He smirked and walked through the side entrance of the throne room.

He grabbed a pink orb and threw it at Eugene's feet.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel ran over to her boyfriend who's feet were now stuck.

"What the- goop?" Eugene struggled to get out of the chemical compound.

Andrew chuckled lightly before say, "we didn't do this alone. You might recognize my former cellmate."

Varian walked through the pink smoke and smirked as he put his goggles on his head, letting his bandana fall from his face.

"Welcome home, Rapunzel," Varian said as he looked at the princess.

Rapunzel gasped, not having expected Varian to be there.

"Oh, I see you've already met my new friends," Varian said as he walked over to the Saporians, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ah! Varian! My most trusted advisor!" Frederic smiled from the throne.

"Varian?! Mom! Dad! Uh, don't you remember what he's done?!" Rapunzel was so worried and confused.

Varian laughed as he looked at Rapunzel before saying, "no, no. They don't."

"They don't remember?"

Clementine twirled her wand and Rapunzel gasped.

"That's a Saporian wand of oblivium! You have erased their memories!" Rapunzel realized.

"Oh me?" Varian pointed to himself dramatically and let out a laugh. "No, not really. Actually, as you know, I'm all about the science, but, Clementine here, she added a bit of uh..." Variansearched for the right word. "Texture!"

"Magic," Clementine rasped.

"Yes. Today the king and queen. Tomorrow, Corona. I'm synthesizing the wands power into a gas that will erase the memories of everyone in Corona! And, I named it Quirineon, so no will ever forget they turned their back on my father!"

"But once the people are affected by this gas, they will forget that they turned their back on your father," Eugene pointed out as he lowered his sword and thought about it.

"Yep, that's some flawed logic right there," Lance agreed.

"No, y- so? You know what I mean!" Varian shouted.

"I can't let you get away with this!" Rapunzel challenged with a glare. "Hey, guys! Let's send these Saporians back where they came from!" She let down her hair and got ready to attack.

"I thought you might say that. Saporians!" Andrew raised his sword and Rapunzel charged at him with a loud cry but Varian smirked, throwing down a smoke bomb.

"Oh! They got the alchemy!" Lance cried dramatically and Varian stood behind Kai.

Out of nowhere, Shorty flew over Kai, snatching his sword as he said, "thank you!"

Rapunzel lassoed her hair around Kai and threw him out of the way.

"Oh, I've got more tricks up my sleeves." Varian smirked at Rapunzel.

"Bring it," she dared as she grabbed her hair, thwipping it at Varian with Pascal riding on it.

Varian laughed three balls of his goo, getting Rapunzel's hair stuck. He didn't see Pascal jumping onto him but he was startled when the chameleon shot his tongue into his ear.

"Ah! Pascal! Get off me!" Varian tried to shake Pascal off but the lizard grabbed one of his orbs. "Hey! Get back here with that!" Varian through a blue orb at Pascal and watched as the chameleon slipped on the substance from the orb.

"Pascal!" Rapunzel watched in fear as Varian picked up the lizard.

Varian froze and thought of what Aquaria would think about this. He was torn from his thoughts when Maximus fell from above after his bubble was popped.

He dove to the side and then looked at his hand to see that Pascal was gone. "Huh?"

He got up quickly when Max ran after him.

He grabbed a green orb and threw it at Max's feet, disorientating the stallion.

Varian ran over and joined his 'friends' as they backed the group of Coronans against a wall.

"Varian! Tell them to stand down!" Rapunzel ordered.

"Never!" Varian shouted but Andrew put a hand in front of him.

"Why would we when we have the upper hand?" Andrew held up one of Varian's contraptions. He threw it at the princess and her friends, causing a huge explosion.

When everything cleared, Varian walked with Andrew up to the hole in the wall from the explosion. Varian was horrified by the sight but he tried to hide it.

"Powerful stuff, kid. This is gonna be fun. Come on," Andrew said with a grin as he walked away.

Varian took one last glance, imagining what Aquaria and his father's reaction would be to this.

"There's no going back now..."