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Knock, knock, who's there?

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The room was much nicer than you had imagined it to be. When you had asked for a room, you had expected a broom closet or a cupboard under the stairs, just like Harry Potter, but this was far better. You had been given a large room, with a king-sized bed and own balcony. Rapunzel really took this deal seriously, huh? 

You jumped onto the bed, sighing in relief. As a criminal, you had been used to a life on the run. You couldn't stay at the same place for too long, and this meant sleeping anywhere as long as there was shelter. Abandoned houses, stolen rooms, sheds, in a bush under a tree, things like that. This was pure luxury to you. 

You ran your fingers across the soft silk sheets, slowly laying down. Yep, you could get used to this. 

Rapunzel had just left the room after the two of you had run things through. You and Varian would leave in the early morning and would come back the day after, if everything went as planned. It was an okay-long walk to Argo's hideout, and it would take some time to walk there. 

The Queen had offered you to borrow some horses, but you had politely turned the offer down. Horses were loud, big and difficult to hide if necessary. It was too much of a risk. And of course, it would be much faster, but then again, you weren't really in that much of a hurry.  

You took off your brown boots and placed them beside your bed. Then you took the hidden knife and lighter up from them. The boots had been the only spots where the guards hadn't checked you from carrying any weapons. They really were dumb. 

You put the small knife in your pocket and examined the lighter. It was your very own invention. Not that you were a nerd or anything, but you have always had great knowledge, when it came to fire... Mostly from effort and books, but also own experiences. 

It was a butane lighter. It worked by releasing liquid butane, stored in a pressurized chamber, in a narrow stream of gas - inside it. You pressed the button down and watched the blue and orange flame appear. It reflected in your (E/c) eyes, that immediately grew distant. The sounds around you disappeared,  and then the flashbacks came, as always. 

-

"Mom? Mommy?" a 5-year old girl, cried out in fear. She pressed herself against the wall, in attempt to get as far away from the figure in front of her. "W-What are you doing, mommy?"

"You've been a naughty girl. We don't steal in this family." The grown woman spoke, the torch in her hand, lightening up the room, even making the shadows run away in fear. 

"I'm sorry!" The little girl sobbed, falling to her knees. "I-It was a mistake. It was only a little piece of fabric! I didn't want Mr. Cuddly Bear to freeze!" 

The woman kept coming closer, taking the bear up in her free hand. Then, when she had her daughter's fullest attention, she began bringing her two hands together. The fire came closer and closer to the teddy. 

The little girl didn't say anything, as she saw her favorite teddy bear burning up before her eyes. She just sat there, crying. She hid her head in her hands because she knew what would come next. She knew what her mother would do now. 

"Get up here!" The woman demanded with a firm voice. Despise the flaming teddy in her hands, there still was a shadow, hiding her face. The girl slowly got up. She knew the routine, so she slowly lifted her shirt up. 

The mother brought the torch near her daughter's bare skin. The little girl could feel the warmth from the object, but she had never felt colder inside. 

She didn't scream, when the flames danced up her body, burning her flesh. She bit her lip so hard, that the blood fell down her chin. Another burn to her collection. 

"Now, (Y/n)" The woman spoke, putting out the fire. "Behave"

What a weak little girl...

-

You calmly let go of the button, watching the flame die out. You slowly breathed out, as the memories fled.  Every time you looked into fire, you got reminded of your past. Your very dark (oR shOulD I sAy... LiT uP) past. And that's why you always sought towards the flames. 

Not because it reminds you of who you are, but of why you are who you are. And it somehow gave you strength. 

Believe me, it had taken a lot of effort to get this way. At first, whenever you saw a fire, you would get some serious anxiety attacks. It had been your biggest weakness. 

But as a criminal, you needed to turn your weaknesses into strengths. And that was what you had done. Over the years, the fire had become your signature. A part of who you were. Because every time you looked into it, you would be filled with rage. And it would motivate you. 

You looked up at the high ceiling, resting your head on the many pillows. Your eyelids slowly began to get heavy, and you closed them with a sigh. 

Soon after that, you fell asleep.

Not even a nice room like this could keep the nightmares away.

 -

Usually, you would wake up by screaming, in a whole puddle of sweat. But this time, it was three knocks on your door that did the trick. 

You sat up with a start, panting heavily. Once again your throat felt like it had swallowed sandpaper. You looked at the large door in confusion. Who would want to talk to you? Was it dinner time?

You wiped away the drops of sweat from your face and walked over to the door. You checked that the knife was still safe and sound inside your pocket. 

You opened the door, with a little bit of struggle (You were used to breaking through doors, not opening them), and besides, this one had many locks. 

When you finally managed, you opened the door to reveal the one and only Varian. His hands were in his pockets, and his nose and ears were red - he must've been outside. 

"Hey, (Y/n)" He said carefully. You blinked a few times, before taking on your crminal-like facade.  Had he heard your screaming? Did you even scream this time? Was the walls in the castle sound-proof?

"What's up?" You rose your one brow, leaning against the door, crossing your arms. 

"O-Oh, yeah, uh, you see I was wondering if..." Varian began, but he quickly shook his head, rephrasing. "No, I mean, I came to you because I want to know why - Well, I didn't just come to you, I came to the others first, but they didn't seem to know either, because you won't really tell them, and therefore I'm standing here right now, in, uh, your doorway, which you probably already know, to ask you the question of why you-" 

You sighed, interrupting him. "You want to know why I chose you to tag along on tomorrow's quest?"

He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. he had promised himself not to ramble. "Yeah, uh,  exactly." 

You stared at Varian, narrowing your eyes. The boy blinked a few times, but he stared back. Then you nodded, clicking your tongue. You stepped aside, gesturing for Varian to step inside. 

Varian hesitated a little, right before going in. He flinched when you closed the door. Not because he was scared. Well, even though you were a little intimidating. He just found it really hard to believe that he was currently alone with the second most skilled criminal, and he hadn't really been alone with a girl before. Well, at the same age as him, that is. And the fact that he would go out on an adventure with you tomorrow, all alone, was... Yeah, the thought of it caught him a little off guard. 

And Varian still couldn't believe, that you had chosen him to tag along on the little visit to Argo's secrete layer.  But that was why he had come here. Hopefully, he would get some answers out of you. 

"So, Varian!" You clapped your hands, turning around to face him. "I see why you're confused. After all, I've only told you about 10% of what's happening - and believe me that's for the best. But for your question, you should know that I chose you to be my partner, because of three reasons."

Varian followed you with the eyes. You continued. "First, is because not many will recognize you. If I asked Rapunzel, for example, to tag along, everyone would know who she is, and we would be done for. You, however, would be easy to bring with me."

Varian nodded, as saying: That's fair.  He ran a gloved hand through his dark hair, his blue eyes still looking at yours. 

"Secondly." You spoke. "You're smart. Very smart in fact, and you have a lot of useful potions. Truth serum. Sleep powder. I could use a brain on the mission. Besides that, you're patient and light on your feet."

"How do you-"

"I'm a criminal, I know my tricks." You winked at him, which caused the boy's eyes to flicker. 

He cleared his throat. "A-And, uh... The third reason?" 

You quickly looked down, considering how much you should say. When decided, you once again looked up. "I'm just trying to keep a promise I made once. It's nothing you need to know." 

Varian nodded, but he still looked nervous. You furrowed your brows, taking a step towards him. "Listen, Varian, it's going to be fine. I hope you're up for this. If I were you, I'd find my best alchemy gear, and get ready. Tomorrow's events are not going to be easy. Prepare for the worst, and say goodbye to your loved ones. You might never come back." 

You held your poker-face for a few seconds, before bursting out into laughter at Varians face-expression. "Relax pretty boy, the last thing was obviously a joke." You laughed, but then turned serious again. "But for real, I would start packing, if I were you."  

Varian seemed to be taken aback for a few moments, but then he nodded, heading for the door. You followed him out, with crossed arms. 

To your surprise, Varian suddenly stopped in the middle of the doorway. He turned around, and once again the two of you had a little staring contest. Then he spoke up.

"Look, I want you to know that I think it was very brave of you, to turn yourself in like that and offer your help. If what you're saying is true, we really need it." 

Now it was your turn to be a little taken back. You hadn't really pictured Varian to be this nice. You, a criminal, had literally forced him to go on a dangerous mission with you, and now he just stood there, thanking you? 

Damn. 

 You didn't really know what to do, so you just nodded. You waited for Varian to leave, so you, yourself, could start packing. But the royal engineer just took a few steps out in the hallway, before turning around once again.

"And by the way, (Y/n)." He spoke rather softly. "The walls in this castle are thin, and... I just want you to know that I'm here if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

You shut the door.

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For those of you who didn't understand the last part: Varian heard you scream in your sleep. Yeah.

That's nice.