This story is mostly about past-cannon ideas with Varian, because I really wanted to have a go at writing about what he went through, and how he's coping.

This is also for my Starshard!Varian idea. You can find the drawing I made for it on Tumblr or Deviantart (Same username as here) to get a fair idea on what's about to happen. Or, you can surprise yourself!

Hope you enjoy!

Synopsis:

The world has always tested Varian. He will admit, he hasn't had the most pleasant past few years, but he's making it work.

But when old mistakes, enemies and scars come back, he will be tested again. If that wasn't bad enough, a lingering magic inside him is revealed, one that he doesn't know if he can handle.

Characters:

Varian

Ruddiger

Eugene

Warning: Nothing really, but there is small talks about manipulation and bits of past trauma.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled!

It had been over a year since Zhan Tiri and Cassandra's attack, and you could see the damage that still lingered in Corona. Nothing overly noticeable nowadays, but if you squinted, you could see the dents, cracks and cuts all over the place.

Plenty of holes, left behind from the tunnelling black rocks, still needed to be filled in or worked around. Broken buildings needing to be replaced. And the hidden pathways under the Kingdom were even more dangerous to wander through, having lost a lot of its structural support system.

But they were managing well, Varian could tell. It helped that most neighbouring Kingdoms and cities were offering their aid after what happened. Perhaps as a thanks for stopping a power-driven demon from taking over the world.

The alchemist, when not working on personal tasks or royal projects, would often be helping in the repairs. A lot of his upgrades had improved the city beyond belief, like adding in his heated water system. It was a great way to fill in some of the holes underground. And today, he was again helping with rebuilding. Joining Eugene and the other guards in fixing the dungeon.

If he were completely honest, he wasn't entirely comfortable with the job. It's a place he never wanted to revisit, and, in some ways, remake. Too many raw memories resonated down there.

But he pushed himself. He had to get over it eventually, and running away from it all wasn't going to solve his problem. He already knew how well that would end.

Yet, as his eyes read the blueprints in front of him, he couldn't help but pull his gaze up, hesitating right at the entrance. His breathing became sharp, throat tightening. For a moment, all sounds faded away. His wrists began to ache, like there was a ghostly pain haunting him. He could still remember how cold it could get down there.

A small voice twitched alive in the back of his head. It reminded him how lucky he was that most forgave him, that Rapunzel forgave him. Shivering up his spine with a warning, telling him to be so thankful. That, if he messed it up again, he would be right back in that cage, locked away from the world again.

He bit his tongue, trying to push that voice away. He couldn't think like that. The Princess would never let that happen anyways. At least, he hoped so.

Before that whisper could strike again, a white gloved hand clasped his shoulder. He flinched, snapping back to reality. Flicking his head around, he relaxed when he realised it was just Eugene.

The man's smile vanished when he saw the boy's nervousness. He didn't miss the way Varian responded to his touch. The factors behind the teen's reaction always made the Captain a little guilty. It's not the kind of behaviour you'd want someone so young to act like. So alert and unsure, thinking past traumas will come back out of nowhere.

"You good there, goggles?" He inquired as gently as he could, slipping his hand away.

Blinking, Varian cleared his throat and looked forward again, clutching the papers in his hand a little too tightly. "A-Ah um, yes. Sorry, lost in thought."

He wasn't exactly lying. Besides, it's not like Eugene couldn't guess what spooked the young scientist. He had long talks with the older man and Rapunzel about what happened to him, so they knew what triggered him half the time.

A sympathetic smile tugged at the Captain's lip. "Hey, I get it. I was in a cell for a day, and even I don't like coming back here." It still felt ironic to him, seeing how back then, he would never picture himself wearing this uniform. "I know it's rough for you."

Varian only gave a hum in a response, eyes still glued to the door. He didn't know what he was bracing for. It's not like the place was about to explode. Maybe he feared he wasn't ready to go back there. Maybe he was scared he could never leave again, for whatever reason. Or maybe, he expected to see someone down there, someone he hoped to never talk to again. But that was nonsense, as there was no way he could see them.

"You don't have to be here if you don't want to." Eugene offered, in no way wanting to push the boy. Rapunzel would have his head if this ended in a panic attack.

The boy frowned, eyes glaring down at his papers. He was too stubborn to back down. Plus, he knew prolonging this was only going to make it worse. He also didn't want to hand off his plans to anyone else. Last time that happened, they had somehow built his project inside out. To this day, he doesn't know how they accomplished that.

Shaking his head, Varian began moving forward. "It's fine. Besides, with the damages done to this place, it at least gives the excuse to rebuild this place." He emphasised this by kicking fragmented stones in their path, pieces of the wall that cracked off. "You've got to admit, this place was awful at keeping its prisoner caged." He gave a light chuckle, a little weak albeit.

Eugene returned with his own warm chuckle. "Which is why you're helping." He patted the teen's back. "We're making a lot of step-ups from the original security."

They made their way down the flight of stairs, passing by other guards or people already starting the makeover process. Most cells were reasonably empty, beyond the few with petty criminals inside them.

After the battle over Corona, many of the criminals found nowadays were simple thieves or the occasional brawlers. The more threatening foes had vanished when they had the chance, probably trying to find their footing before trying again. Or maybe they were scared of the Kingdom after what they achieved. Most wouldn't want to take on the people who took down an ancient evil.

But the thought of that made Varian's eyes wander again. His sight locked onto one particular cell. It caused him to come to a halt, staring into it as a cold feeling latched onto him. He remembered their whispering threats, thick glares through the cell bars, the one with green eyes scared him the most.

Eugene took a few more steps before realising his young friend had stopped. Shuffling around, he raised a brow in confusion. A twinge of worry began crawling up him, as it was fairly evident that the alchemist was lost in old thoughts again.

"Kid?" He called out.

He failed to grab the boy's attention. Varian didn't even blink, eyes squinting as thoughts rushed to his head. The man didn't like the look on the teen's face. He seemed suddenly so distant, as if it was only him and the cell that existed. So Eugene made his way back over to him, following the boy's gaze.

At first, he didn't get it. But after a moment, he remembered who used to live in this very cage. Or rather the group that used to reside here.

After Cassandra's outburst, followed by Zhan Tiri's final attack, the dungeons had been torn apart from the rocks. Of course, the majority of the prisoners used this to escape. Including Andrew the Saporian, along with his little gang.

A bitter taste washed over Eugene. That man had put a manipulative leash around the boy, when they were in prison together. To use a broken child to try and take over a Kingdom, it was a low blow. Sure, the kid had done plenty of wrong things, but they knew he was broken and needed desperate help. And how did that end up? Rooming him with a known terrorist, who would do anything if it meant the end of Corona. Including taking advantage of a mentally unstable, yet incredibly intelligent, teen.

He thought back to when Varian opened up to them, explaining his time in prison. The way he described Andrew, how the man treated him before, it was disgusting to think about. Rapunzel had ended up feeling a sorrowful connection with the boy, as she suffered through gaslighting and guilt-tripping most of her life. It wasn't the kind of thing she would want to wish on anyone. It's why, out of anyone, the Princess had been the most protective over the young teen. Every time someone brought up the Saporians, you could see her face twist into aggression and sourness.

He remembered how Varian reacted when they first told him that Andrew was gone. The poor teen froze up, silent panic painted over his face. For a while, it didn't seem like he could speak, until he uttered one sentence.

'Traitors of Saporia pay with their lives'

It was no secret that the boy pissed them off, and they would be back for revenge. And now with them out and about, it could happen anytime without warning. They could only hope they would be there for him when that time came, stop it before it goes too far. His last kidnapping hadn't been fun, and that was with someone who didn't want to hurt him. The Saporians on the other hand...

Biting his lip, Eugene rested his hand on the alchemist's shoulder, no flinching this time. "We'll find them, don't worry." He softened his eyes when Varian looked up at him, baby blue eyes subconsciously looking for comfort. "You know what Saporian's are like, they always like to make a loud show of how they're about to win. They'll be back eventually."

He wasn't wrong. If there was one thing Varian learnt when he was around those people, they were loud when they were proud. He remembered the small but bombastic celebration they threw, after mind wiping the King and Queen. He had gotten uncomfortable and wanted to leave, but Andrew encouraged him to stay. Mostly through guilt-tripping or using praises to lure him. How glad he was that the Princess could be understanding when he felt too nervous to be at a party.

Feeling the older man take his hand, he allowed Eugene to drag him away. Varian forced himself to look forward, he couldn't waste his day by staring at an empty cell. Yet those haunting voices gnawed at his brain.

Giving the boy a light squeeze, the Captain chuckled. "Then again, maybe we should give you sword lessons." He joked, looking the teenager up and down.

That seemed to push the dreaded thoughts away, as Varian raised a judging brow. "Ha, nope." He smirked, pointing his eyes away.

"Come on, kid! You could impress your weird 'aunt' and 'uncle'." Eugene insisted, tacking on the bargain.

Ah yes, Adira and Hector. It had been a fun encounter when they finally got to meet, as they had stayed at his place after the attack. Strange characters, but the three of them got along, surprisingly. They had started calling each other by family name, nephew, aunt and uncle, as a joke at first, but it seemed to become genuine over time.

It was still an odd thought to think that his dad, the pumpkin farming father, used to be a part of this deadly group of warriors. He wasn't even sure if he believed half the stories that Adira told him about their adventures. It made him hope they would visit again sometime, as it had been months since they left to live at the Dark Kingdom.

Made him wonder how things were going for them. Unlike Corona, their repairs and reconstruction would take years. He made a mental note to write them a letter some time.

"I'll stick to alchemy, thanks." He patted his belt, gesturing to the hidden vials it carried.

Eugene shrugged. "Suit yourself." But he tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "Though a horse would do you good. You were pretty good with Fidella."

Varian smiled, thinking about that horse. He briefly wondered how she and Cass were doing. "You learn a lot about how to work with animals on a farm."

The man looked at him again. He pulled his hand over and brushed the back of the boy's hair, letting it fall through his fingers. The sudden touch nearly made the boy falter in his walk, looking up at him with light surprise.

"You also need to get a hair tie sometime." Eugene suggested, giving a teasing tone.

A light blush washed over Varian's cheek, giving a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head. Over the past year, he had been growing his hair out. Mostly because he was so busy lately that he kept forgetting about it. It now reached just under his shoulders, but not by much.

He briefly pondered the idea on what to do with it. His dad had suggested a haircut, but Varian had been coming around on the idea of growing it out. After his time in prison, it had grown rather long, and back then he liked the idea of keeping it, styling it even. But Andrew had him cut it, saying he looked like a mop. Which, now that he thinks about it, was rather hypocritical coming from the guy with a man-bun.

Maybe getting a hair tie was a good suggestion.

Demantius's Tomb was always an odd, yet interesting place to visit. The inside coloured a pale and dull magenta, the lively green vegetation providing a colour contrast. Unlike the outside world just out the door, it held more of a tropical vibe. Strange, given they were on a snowy mountain. Varian had his theories that an invention, somewhere in the walls or roof, was providing the warmth and moisture to allow such plants to grow.

Choosing to think about that later, he brushed his hand past the shelves of scrolls and books, clearing the dust with his glove. Rapunzel had given Varian the task to collect Demantius old things, researching them and seeing what they could offer for Corona. He was unsure, at first, thinking they were disturbing the historical figure's tomb. But the Princess believed that he wouldn't mind, especially if it helped out his old home. Besides, she also said the man would have been fond of the young alchemist, having someone to continue his work.

So, with her blessing, he's been making tracks to this site for a while now. Every so often, he and a group of guards would come, fill up a cart with things Varian wanted to read or test, then head back to the Kingdom where he would start his research. Anything they didn't need or require anymore would be brought back, out of respect.

Despite already having been here a few times, the young teen always would bubble with excitement. Each time they came, he would discover more and more that rested in the tomb. Plenty of hidden scrolls just waiting to be read. How glad he was that the monkeys calmed down, now used to their presence. It probably helped that they would bring peace offering, like other fruit besides bananas.

He slipped out a couple of books, rather large in his lanky arms. Vaguely translating the ancient texts and titles on the covers in his head, he settled with his selection and headed back to the wagon. Some of the guards joined him, carrying items he requested, that he couldn't carry himself.

His loyal raccoon, Ruddiger, raced past him. The grey critter wanted to help, so he was carrying a scroll, proudly. Varian smiled fondly at his friend, watching him dart past the guards and climbing one of the wheels.

Carefully, they all placed the items in the cart, making sure nothing broke or had the risk of falling out. Varian settled the book down, resting them on the other books he picked out.

One guard looked over the collection, clearing his throat to gain the boy's attention. "The cart is almost filled to the brink, kid. I think we'll have to come back another day."

Varian shrugged, offering a satisfied smile. "That's alright. It'll take me time to look through most of this stuff anyway." He gestured to the pile in front of them, before one hand reached over and scratched Ruddiger's head, making the animal chitter happily.

The guard nodded lightly, looking to his colleagues. "We'll connect the horses back on. You can have a quick skim around to see if there's anything else you might want to bring back."

Waving his hand lightly, the other guards followed orders. Two made sure everything was safe, covering it with a sheet and tying ropes over it to secure their haul. A couple of others jogged outside, preparing the horses.

A light grinned shined on Varian. "Oh, thanks!"

He flicked around, eyes darting as he couldn't begin to think on what to pick. There was just too much good stuff in this place. He decided something small would be fine, something he could carry on the way back. Excitement bubbled in him again, not caring if he looked like a young child eager to open presents or something.

He waved his hand to get his companion's attention. "Come on, bud."

Ruddiger cackled and squealed, always so happy to see his boy excited. Hopping off the wagon, he followed behind and began searching with Varian. The teen went off to search through the shelves he was looking through previously, while Ruddiger sniffed, wanting to find something special.

The raccoon briefly looked at his human, light pride swelling up inside. Even when Varian went through his villain phase, he knew the child was still good on the inside. Now look at him, the royal engineer, father back, a group of supporting friends and carrying on a legend's work. Just seeing the curious glint in those baby blue eyes made the animal happy with his placement by Varian's side.

Wanting to expand that joy, he was hoping to find something different, something to distract the boy. When Varian got home after helping in the dungeons, Ruddiger hadn't missed how tense and unsettled the alchemist was. Not like he could blame him, the small animal had spent many days in that cell too, doing whatever he could to support his human. So, he knows very well what will take his mind off things.

He crawled by Varian's feet, vaguely hearing the boy murmuring as he read the ancient language, written across everything. Ruddiger began shuffling through the bottom shelf, slinking through the many books and scrolls. They mostly looked the same, though he couldn't read them, so he didn't know what they talked about.

Huffing, his tail swished side to side. Nothing caught his sharp eye. But, when he reached the back, he saw something against the wall. Or rather, a part of the wall. Some kind of symbol, round with an emblem in the middle, star-shaped. His ears twitching in curiosity, he sauntered closer.

Sniffing it, he didn't find anything unusual about its earthly scent. But he knew it had to mean something, as nothing else was across this wall. Making light clicking noises, he patted the symbol with a paw. To his surprise, the star shape moved into the wall. Judging by the shuffling of it, Ruddiger realised he could twist it around.

Like Varian, he loved puzzles, so he wasted no time in moving the star shape around. He twisted around, clockwise and anticlockwise. He didn't know what he was doing, but he did hear a clicking noise at one point. One tip of the star glimmered faintly, so he moved it again. Click, and another tip lit up. Grinning, he continued until all five points shimmered.

After a moment, the lights faded. The star, and the circle it was located in, pressed into the wall before swinging inward, revealing that it was a hatch to a hidden hole. Beaming, Ruddiger poked his head in, large eyes scanning the small space.

Inside laid one singular scroll. It wasn't tied up, just open and laying there, collecting dust. Pouting, he brushed a paw over it, cleaning it a little. Something about it seemed familiar, like he had seen a scroll like this before. It intrigued him, but he knew someone else that would have a better idea on what this is.

Shuffling forward, he nudged the scroll to roll it up, before picking it up with his mouth, as delicate as he could. It took him a moment to back up, out of the tiny chamber, passing all the books he twisted through before.

Hearing his pet trying to escape the bottom self, Varian crouched down. He raised a brow, seeing his friend's tail sticking out as he got stuck momentarily. Chuckling softly, he reached in and helped his little buddy out. The raccoon took a moment to realise it was him, but he perked up and held his head high, showing off the treasure he found. Varian blinked, noticing the item in his friend's mouth.

"Ruddiger, what did you find?" The boy questioned, placing down the animal.

The grey rodent made muffled chittering sounds, before placing the scroll on the ground. It unfurled immediately, dust fluttering off it. When it settled, Ruddiger happily tapped a paw on it, eager for Varian to see his findings.

Tilting his head, the teen lowered himself, kneeling on one knee. Something about this piece of paper seemed so familiar. The writing, the symbols, the colouring, even the material. It looked fairly old too, worn around the edges, light tears here and there. Reaching a gloved hand out, he brushed off the rest of the dust.

He squinted, pulling his hand back. "Huh...you know, this looks a lot like…"

And that's when it hit him. It looked like the Demantius Scroll. The very thing that talked about the Moonstone and Sundrop, hiding away the four incantations. But this one was different. The symbols weren't the same, and the writing was talking about something else. There were a couple of new words he hadn't translated before.

Whatever was on this scroll must have been important, given it was supposedly hidden away and looked like the past one he had. Maybe it was related to the Celestial stone, another story perhaps? That might mean it was worthless, since those artifacts of power were long gone. But when did that ever stop him?

A knowing smile formed on his lips, lifting his gaze to Ruddiger. "Looks like we're doing some late-night deciphering!" He cheered, eagerly pumping his fist.

The raccoon shuffled onto his hind legs, clapping quietly with his paws. He cheered too, cooing and chittering, a light purr to his voice. As Varian began to stand, the animal rolled the scroll up for him and carried it, climbing up the boy's back and perching himself on his human's shoulder.

After letting Ruddiger find his footing, Varian twisted around and jogged back to the guards. They had already clipped the wagon to the horses, waiting on the young teen. He found his way to the front, taking a seat.

The leading guard raised a brow at him, before noticing the scroll in the raccoon's mouth. "All set?"

Varian gave a light nodded, a warm hum under his breath. Without any other words, the guards and horses began to move, exiting the warm tomb, to the freezing, snowy mountain trail. For once, Varian didn't mind the cold.

He reached for the paper that Ruddiger was holding, the animal handing over with no protest. The boy pulled it close to him, already so eager to learn what secrets lay within this scroll.