Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Sorry about not updating for so long, but I've been busy with family and school. With a little three year old sister, you never get some peace and quiet around to write. But, with school now, I have more peace to write in the library or computer lab than I ever do at home. This chapter would have been published yesterday night if my sister had given me an hour alone to finish editing it. So, today, before I go to work, I thought I quickly publish this chapter. I've didn't realized how much time went by since my last update. I've been working on this chapter for months now and finally, it's finished! It's longer than usual, but I thought that could make up for all that time you guys had to wait. My chapters used to be 4-7 pages long in 12 pt font, but then the count went up to 13-14 pages. And this chapter is defiantly the longest at 34 pages in the same font size as before. You would think the plot would move on faster with all these pages, but I'm a very descriptive writer who takes her time. If I could split this chapter into two, I would, but I don't think it would work as well. I'm going to start writing chapters at this length to help speed things up a bit. I'll like to thank all the people who followed, favorited, and reviewed this fanfic. Without all of you, I wouldn't be even continuing this fic. Now, to address some reviews.

Troy: Varian will be spanked for belittling himself eventually, but I want to give it some time to make Eugene realize how much Varian puts himself down. And thank you for telling me my story is more than a year old now. I didn't even notice that till you pointed that out for me. Hope to read your next review soon!

Drew: Yes! He gets his little friend back!

IloveBBRae: It's nice to know you took the time to review. I know how you feel. I read so many fanfics on her and ao3, then most of the time, I just subscribe, favorite, and kudos, but not take the time to review. Glad to know you're becoming a fan! I happy to see you approve my writing and how humorous this fic can be at times. I'm a big fan of Varian as well and he is one of my favorite characters (Though at the moment, I'm into Voltron because the latest season just came out a while ago and I am in love with a character named James Griffin). Yes, I have . . . cliffhanged you! How could I indeed?! Yes, it is Rudiger. Thanks for reviewing!

I.c.: Yes, I will make all the episodes still take place, but at a slower pace, unlike the show.

WhiteCatInDisguise: Yes, I will continue this fic . . . till the end.

Vfan: Happy to get your review since you don't write many of them! I'm the same way with reviews. I read tons of fanfiction daily, for years now, but I only started writing some reviews in the last few years. Yeah, I liked the idea of Eugene being a big brother character to Varian, which inspired this fic! The Cass and Varian scenes will come, soon enough! Thanks for the review!

Moanafan: I'm trying to get back on some kind of writing schedule, but it's going to be hard with school and work. And sorry about not responding to your PM. I read it and loved the idea. That piece is almost done, just got to finish up the ending and I will post it soon in October. Thanks for the review!

Crystal: Thanks! I will be coming back with more chapters soon . . . I hope.

Joyfox7: Hmmm . . . Thank you? Nice to know you think my story is nice!

MD: I'm sure you will love this chapter. I bing read fanfics all the time, so to heard you binged this fanfic is great to know how much you like it! Yes, I wonder who it could be! Thanks for the praise! I have gotten 17,000+ views on this fic, just it has shown that in the comments, favorites, and follows. From my side, I can see all the reviews quite clearly and I am surprised to even get that much attention to this fic. Hope to read your reviews again soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled or any of its amazing characters.

Chapter 9

It was . . .

"RUDIGER!" Varian shouted as he fell down in shock when the grey furred creature jumped out of the bush onto him. The boy started giggling as the animals pink tongued started to lick his face as if it was his way of greeting him. Once he was able to get the squirming mammal off of him, he realized something.

"Rudiger! What are you doing here?!" he asked in shock, wondering how the small creature traveled all the way from the forests surrounding Old Corona to the busy capital of the Kingdom on foot. Not that he wasn't happy to see his beloved friend. He was just baffled by how he had gotten to the castle. 'Is a raccoon's nose strong enough to follow my scent all the way here?!' he wondered as he sat back under the apple tree, with his hand petting the animal in his lap.

Though it would be hard to explain Rudiger to explain to others, he was relieved to have his best friend back by his side. After his mom was no longer in his life, Varian had no one left except his father. Though he started to isolate himself from everyone around him, including his only son. By the time his dad had realized what he had done in his grief, the only relation he couldn't fix was the one he had with his son. His friends fast to forgive, knowing how hard life can without the love of your life their alongside you. Everyone except Varian forgave him, building a thin wall between their worlds.

It was during this time, he had met Rudiger. The creature was only a squirming ball of fur, orphaned by the dangers of nature before he could even walk. The young boy found him lying next to his dead parents and siblings. He was starving and about ready to die when Varian decided to save him. He understood how it felt to lose family. It felt as if you were the only person in the world and had no one to depend on. So, he took him in.

It was hard. Parenting a baby raccoon is difficult, especially if the baby raccoon thinks you are his mother. His father was too distracted by his own problems to realize he agreed to let a wild animal be raised in his house. Varian did everything in his ability to save him. He asked a local animal rescuer to help him. The older man set him up with some special feeding bottles and other supplies to start out with.

The first few weeks were difficult. He woke up early every morning to feed him. The first few hours of the day consisted of him making a special drink to feed him throughout the day. The fire in the living room was never doused until late into the night. Varian soon started to feel more drawn to the small little fellow as he started to get stronger. Every small cry he heard from the tiny body had him rushing to him in worry as if he was going slip away like sand in his fingers, similar to how his mother disappeared from his life.

Over time, Rudiger grew up, in size and mind. He was smarter than other raccoons in many ways. He was able to recognize that Varian was not his mother or father because they looked nothing alike. Though it didn't really matter in his books, since Varian would always be his parent for raising him. He was also able to recognize that there was some kind of turmoil between him and his father. So, he did the only thing thought would help this situation. The only way to help Varian was to love, protect, and never leave his side. He was a smart raccoon, along with being a great friend.

Once Quirin made the connection that Rudiger was not just some friend his son talks about, he made the hard verdict. Rudiger had to go. At this point, the raccoon was one year old and mentally an adult. As much as Quirin did not want to hurt his son more than he already has, he knew this was a decision that had to be made, no matter how much it pained him to do so.

After Varian was able to train his friend to live in the wild, he let him go. His friend must have understood why he was being forced to leave the only home he had ever known, so he did. Rudiger gave his friend, his boy, one last nuzzle before scampering away into the wild. The young boy had thought that was the end of it. The end of his friendship with Rudiger.

That was what he had thought until a week later, when that the grey furred animal showed up in his makeshift lab, in one of the newly found tunnels he discovered near his home. Ever since, Rudiger has always been a part of his life, no matter how much other people told him 'keeping wild animals was a bad habit'. 'Besides, it's not like I keep every wild raccoon the wanders by!' he thought to himself every time he was faced with this 'advice' from those who thought they knew better than him.

The small creature came and went as he pleased. Sometimes, he would be sitting on Varian's bed, always using the open window for entrance. Other times, he would not visit him for days because he was too busy building his supplies for the winter. Most raccoons don't hibernate, but they do tend to hide their food to snack on later, as he discovered when he first found scattered nuts and seeds in his shoes. Their friendship was a relaxed one, though it didn't make it any less special than another. So, to find out his friend, not his pet, followed him all the way from Old Corona just for him, was a shocking, but meaningful surprise for him.

"How could I forget to tell you, Rudiger?!" he cried as he tightened his grip on the bundle in his arms, "I'm sorry! I was so preoccupied with other things, I completely forgot to tell you I was going to be out of town for a while! Well, from now on, I will always remember to tell you about not being around ahead of time."

Varian held on to his furry little friend for a little bit longer till he noticed how low the sun was. He suddenly remembered something important.

"The dinner! Oh no! I promised to back an hour before the dinner and it's already way past that. I hope Eugene's not going to be too mad at me!" The boy quickly gathered his stuff when he remembered an important detail. 'Rudiger! How I am going to explain him? I can always tell Eugene I fell asleep and forgot about the time, which is partly true. But, an unexplainable raccoon is way harder to explain than being late for something? Maybe I can hide him in my room for now. It could be like their unspoken system back home. He could play in the garden all day and sneak back into my room for the night. I don't need to tell Eugene anything.'

Varian finished thinking up a plan for his new roommate before he figured out a way to sneak Rudiger in for now. He emptied out his satchel, hiding his things under a distinct bush, before convincing his friend to hide in the bag till they get to his room.

With his trusted companion hidden at his side, Varian left the gardens hastily. He was already late because he fell asleep and had an impromptu reunion with a dear friend. 'Oh, Eugene's going to be so angry at me. If Dad was here, he would whoop me good before letting us go to dinner with the royal family,' he thought to himself, 'Thank goodness he isn't here and that Eugene is so not my dad.'

Varian was able to find his way back to the suite without getting lost or encountering anyone else. He opened the unlocked door, a sure sign of his new guardian being inside, and entered quietly as he could. Tiptoeing towards the ajar door of his room, he almost reached his safe haven when something unexpected happened. A loose board he stepped on let out a loud squeak.

"Varian? Is that you?" Eugene called out from his room, his heavy steps coming closer towards the passage between the two rooms.

"Quick, into that room!" Varian whispered to Rudiger as he opened his bag, letting the grey creature zoom into the room he was pointing at. The raccoon barely zipped into the open crack of the door by the time Eugene came out.

"Varian! Where have you been? We need to be in the dining room in ten minutes!" Eugene declared before he started ushering the teen towards his own room instead of the teens. "Never mind where you've been for now. We can talk about that later. You need to get ready now!"

"Wait! My room's that way. Why are taking me to your room?" Varian questions as he was pulled into the older man's living quarters.

"Because you're going to take too long getting ready if you're surrounded by your alchemy supplies. I'm not going to explain to the King and Queen that we were late because you started writing out some new ideas instead of getting ready. Besides, I got you some clothes to wear. Now, chop, chop! Get dressed," the man ordered as he gave the young alchemist a pile of clothes before he turned himself towards a mirror to finish combing his own hair.

"B-but! You don't have a dressing screen!" Varian complained.

"You don't need one. No one else is here and I'm not looking at you, so there's no need to hide behind on. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen your naked behind before," Eugene responded, teasing him a little.

The young boy pouted before he finally got changed into the set of clothes he was given. Once dressed, he approached Eugene. The older man stepped aside to let him use the only full body mirror to get his first look at himself. He was wearing a light blue long sleeved shirt with a darker green waistcoat with gold swirls near the collar. A pair of dress shoes that matched his dark slacks were handed to him to put on while Eugene tried to comb his dark mob of hair.

"Where did you get these? And in my size as well?" the teen questioned, as he tried putting on the footwear on.

"Stan got them for me. His son outgrew them a few years ago, but his wife kept all his old clothes. She was more than willing to let you use them. By the way, she wants to meet you so she could smolder you in hugs and sweets," his newly appointed hairdresser answered as he got out the last few knots in the dark mess of hair in front of him.

With the lad's hair tamed as much as possible, Eugene lead him out, making sure the doors were locked behind them. Varian didn't even get a chance to tell Rudiger to stay in his room until he comes back, with some food for him of course.

The two made it to the specified dining room quickly, but they were already twenty minutes late as it is. Cassandra was waiting outside, her foot tapping a speedy beat which stopped as soon as she spotted them.

"There you two are!" she exclaimed as they got closer to her.

"I know, I know! We're late, so no need for a lecture on how to tell time. I just need to know, how mad is the King?" Eugene verbalized his thoughts, hoping his one chance to impress the King does not go awry once more.

Cassandra smirked as she leads them to a small door right next to the entrance to the dining room. She opened the door and motioned the two behind to enter as she spoke.

"I had a feeling you boys would be late, so I told you the dinner would start at six, but it really starts at seven. Now, you guys are here earlier and can join the royal family in the sitting room for the next thirty minutes or so. Now, aren't you happy I was able to get you two here one time, early even," she said as they continued down the short hall.

"You mean to tell me I rushed through spending some time with my girlfriend, hunting down some clothes for Varian, and getting ready for dinner just to find out you planned to get us here early," Eugene whispered dangerously as his eyes narrowed at the young woman in front of him.

"Well, yes. But, now you can impress the King by being early to a dinner instead of being late," she responded back, with no fear at the man in front of her. Her father was the Captain of the Royal Guard and she was personally trained by him. Of course, she would not be afraid of a man she can take down in at least ten different ways with only her head veil alone.

"Thank you, Cassandra. I appreciate the thought, but I would prefer you to tell me about these kinds of things up front instead of being sneaky about them," Eugene was able to tell her gruffly, but he knew she was correct in her thinking and being early will be to his advantage.

"Your welcome, Eugene Fitzherbert. I will take your advice into consideration," she replied with a smile as they reached the final door at the end of the hallway.

"This door leads to the sitting room, where the King, Queen, and Rapunzel are at the moment. Rapunzel told me if you guys get here early, then she will love it if you two will join them before dinner," Cassandra explained.

"Okay, Varian?" the older man asked his young companion, who finally shook himself out of his wonder of how amazing Cassandra was, to listen to his words. "Are you ready for this? I've only known you for a few days so far, but I've already been impressed with you so far. I'm sure you'll amaze everyone in this room as well. So, there is no need to be nervous or shy about this dinner. Okay?"

Varian's mind was so full of new information, that he didn't know how to process it all. He's staying in the castle. He has his own room made just for him. His best friend from home followed him here. His mentor went through a lot of effort getting him these clothes. He might have a chance with the most beautiful person around. And he's about to meet the King and Queen for dinner. He cannot believe all that has happened in this one day.

Eugene's calm voice brought him back. His reassuring words calmed him down slowly, bringing Varian back to that ornate hallway, standing in front of the artistic doors before him. The older man placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled Varian into a half hug of sorts.

"Are you feeling better, Varian?" Eugene's voice came as the teen leaned onto his shoulder.

Varian wasn't sure what was happening to him, but all he knew was that he felt safe and comfortable to be held by this man he's only known for two days now.

"I'm okay. Just needed a moment," he responded, taking a deep breath before pulling away from Eugene, "I'm ready."

"Okay, but don't hesitate to tell me if you need to leave the room if you don't feel okay," the taller man said as he opened one of the dual doors.

Inside, the room was filled with light that danced onto the golden walls as the sun continued its slow descent in the sky. Lush violet carpets lined the floors and irreplaceable tapestries covered the walls. The three cream sofas, that surrounded a lavish wooden table, were occupied by the three royals. The King was sitting on the loveseat while the Queen and Rapunzel were seated next to each other a few feet over, both women hunched over some kind of circle with cloth in it. All eyes look up as the two men entered the room.

Eugene stepped forwards and bowed, with Varian following his lead. The ex-con gulped as he lifted his head to meet his eyes with the inexpressive eyes of the powerful man in front of him.

"Your Majesties, I would be pleased to introduce you all to my newly appointed apprentice, Varian of Old Corona," he greeted, grateful he took an etiquette class with Rapunzel a few months back. Unsurprisingly, Eugene had a natural knack for making animal shapes with his napkins.

"Ah, this is the young alchemist I've been hearing about from my daughter since yesterday," the King expressed as he approached the raven-haired boy. Varian lifted his hand to shake, but it was ignored for a more personal welcome, a strong hug.

Shocked, the teen stood there wondering why in Corona was the King hugging him? 'Well, now I know where Rapunzel gets her power of hugs from. Wow, maybe I could do an experiment involving this weird phenomenon based on the fact everyone who ever hugs me makes me feel different. The basis for this . . .'

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the King let him go. The crowned man chucked when he saw the bewildered looks on both the two men in front of him. He wondered if they knew how similar they were together.

"I've known your father since I put him in charge of Old Corona. You were just a little baby the last time I saw you," he explained.

The King knew he should have visited his old friend more often, but he couldn't stand the thought of seeing him and his son together. It would only serve to remind him of what he had lost. But, now it would be different. His daughter was home again. She was in love with someone, who's questionable past worries him, but he was thankful for the fact he brought her back home. His wife was no longer making anger fueled posters criminals to let out her fury on the noses of their faces. And he had a new opportunity to connect with the son of a close friend who he greatly missed. This was his chance to make things better everyone. To makes things . . . right once more.

Varian almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father knew the royal family of Corona?! How was this possible? And . . . why didn't he tell him? Before he could mull on these thoughts any longer, a small hand on his shoulder brought him back to the world. He looked up to see the soft green eyes of the Queen. As she gently embraced him, all Varian could do was melt into her arms. Her hug was like a warm blanket, enveloping him as if she could protect him from the world. It almost felt like . . . he was back in the arms of his . . . mom. He pulled away from the Queen, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Is everything alright, Varian?" the Queen's soft voice made him look up, to see all the worried faces staring back at him.

"Um, yes. My allergies are acting up. Probably because I was in the garden for so long." Varian knew it was a bad excuse, but he couldn't think of a better excuse at the moment.

Eugene was pretty sure that Varian did not have allergies. They traveled to the Capital of the Kingdom through a thick forest full of various pollinated plants and herbs. If Varian wasn't bothered by all of that, then he was pretty sure he doesn't have any plant allergies. But, it was probably best not to push the matter if they wanted to have a nice dinner.

"Okay, why don't we all have a seat," Eugene said as he tried to distract everyone from Varian. Everyone other than the teen seemed to understand his intent, so they all sat down. Varian was so thankful that everyone was not looked at him anymore as he sat next to Eugene.

"Oh, Varian! Look at this! Mom's showing me how to embroider!" Rapunzel cheerfully explained as she showed him the wooden circle with cloth in it. A small incomplete flower was partly filling in with a golden colored thread. "What do you think of it so far?"

"Hmmm. . . it's looking good so far. Though if I were you, I would chain stitch the outline of this flower first before filling it in with a satin stitch," Varian advised before he started to demonstrate. "See, now that's what you want to do with each petal before filling it in, one by one." He handed the wooden circle back to Rapunzel before he looked up to see the surprised faces all around him.

"What?" Varian questioned, wondering why everyone was staring at him.

"Nothing, Varian. We're just surprised at how much you know about embroidery," the Queen consoled, hoping to avoid any miscommunication with the teen.

"I can't believe you know how to embroider! Now, you and Mom can both teach me! You should join us for our evening tea we have a few times a week. That's when we usually work on this kind of stuff!" Rapunzel explained brightly.

"Oh, no! You don't have to invite me," the boy tried to clarify, knowing how the Queen might just want to have some alone time with her only daughter after going so many years with her. He knew how it felt to lose . . . someone important.

"But, we would love to have you join us, Varian. I would really be happy if you would join us during tomorrow," the Queen said, hoping that Varian would say yes. She wanted to get to know Varian more than the baby she knew many years ago.

Varian wasn't sure if he should be intruding on their special time together, but the Queen seemed so nice and happy to him so far. 'I don't want to disappoint her by saying no,' he thought to himself. 'I'll say yes and join them sometimes, but not every time.'

"Okay, if you're sure I'm not going to be in the way, then I'll join you two for tea tomorrow."

All of the people around him frowned, even Rapunzel, who's always so cheery. The teen wasn't sure why, but he hoped it wasn't because of something he did without realizing. He didn't want to be in trouble already.

"Varian, I'm sure the Queen doesn't think you'll be in their way. In fact, you won't be in anyone's way because we want you to be here. You understand?" Eugene knew he promised Varian a spanking for degrading himself and these kinds of comments count as well. But, the kid just got here and he probably didn't realize what he was saying. But, he had to be firmer if he wanted to be a good mentor. He can't just promise to do something and not act when the time comes for that promise to be fulfilled. 'If Varian talks badly about himself or gets into any other trouble, I will have to spank him,' Eugene thought to himself.

Varian nodded in response to Eugene's words and looked at the floor, not sure what to say anymore. Before anyone else could say anything, a loud knock was heard. Cassandra walked in.

"Dinner is ready to be served," she announced as she opened a door connected to the sitting room, to reveal a larger room. Everyone got up and followed her in. The dining room was very elegantly decked in stunning gold ribbons that complements the soft lavender walls. A wooden dining table was in the center of the room, with six chairs around it.

"We use this table for family dinners a few times a week," the Queen explained as she sat in her chair at one end of the table.

"Though we only use it when we're not busy," the King continued as he took his seat at the other end of the table.

Rapunzel sat down on the closest seat to her mother, while Varian sat across from her. Either way, Eugene was forced to sit next to the King anyway possible, so he sat next to Varian. He thought this would give him some silent support. As they started to eat and talk, time flew by.

By the time everyone was finished with their dessert, Varian felt more relaxed and less anxious then he was before. He was kind of surprised when everyone made sure to include him in the conversation, especially because it seemed like the King and Queen were actually interested in talking to him. He already got to talk to Rapunzel yesterday and a lot more with Eugene, but the rulers of Corona?! That was something he never realized could actually happen in his life. But, after talking to them both, along with the other two, he felt more comfortable living in the Castle now.

As everyone got out of their seats to retreat to their rooms, the Queen made a small announcement before anyone was out the door.

"Eugene, Varian. We all enjoyed this lovely dinner tonight, so I would like to continue having dinners like this from now on. Maybe once or twice a week, we can all join for dinner. We can discuss which days tomorrow. Oh, and Varian! Remember, tea is at three in the afternoon. Rapunzel, would you be able to take Varian to the patio?"

"Sure, Mom. Oh, I can't wait till then. Good night, Mom, Dad, Eugene, and Varian!"

"Good night, everyone," the young teen declared as he turned to leave.

"Same to all," Eugene called out as he turned to follow Varian when the King abruptly spoke.

"Oh, Eugene. Do you have some time to talk to me? My study's nearby."

"Of course, your majesty," the young man replied with a nervous chuckle, hoping this wasn't the end of his life. He turned to Varian, handing him the keys to their suite.

"Varian, get ready for bed. You don't have to go to sleep, so if you want to wait up for me, you can, okay?"

"Okay, Eugene," the teen replied before he hurried off.

Eugene turned to the King and followed him out.

Varian tried not to run as he rushed toward their room. He got their quite fast and quickly unlocked the door. He kicked off his dress shoes and left the keys on the table next to the door. Varian took out a napkin full of scraps from the dinner as he walked toward his room.

"Rudiger, I'm back! Come see what I brought you!" he called out as he walked into his room before he noticed something. There was no squeaky chattering or a small ball of fur coming towards him. Varian looked around in his room before he found the source of his problem . . . the window . . . is open!

"Oh no! Rudiger got out! I have to find him before Eugene comes back!" the boy cried as he raced towards the door. He put on his black boots, ignoring the dress shoes from earlier, and hurried out of the suite. He forgot to grab the keys or even close the door completely in his rush.

'Hopefully, I can find Rudiger before anyone sees him or worse, before Eugene finds out I'm not in our apartment,' Varian thought to himself as he sunk out to the courtyard. A set of muddy paw prints trialed out, giving him a place to start his unexpected game of hide and go seek with a sneaky raccoon.

In the meantime, Eugene was seated in the King's study, waiting for the older man to speak up first. He hoped he was not in trouble for something.

"Eugene, I wanted to talk to you because I have been . . . impressed with your actions recently."

"Okay! I'm sorr-Wait! What?"

"Yes, I know. It's quite surprising after I have been acting . . . strict towards you for your past actions. But, now, I'm truly seeing you in a new light. When Rapunzel told me, you agreed to mentor a young child, I was very shocked and quite worried. But, after seeing you and Varian together today, I have no more worried about you being a bad mentor. I'm sure you will be a great source of guidance for him."

"Your majesty, I'm stunned and quite frankly, worried you've been replaced by a lookalike. But, I'm not sure I will be a good mentor at all. I have a hard time relating to the kid and being strict with him is out of the picture."

"Oh, Eugene. I'm sure you will be able to find a way to connect with him. In fact, you might have already done so. As for being strict with him, that can be difficult for someone who has never been in a position of authority before. But, once you get over the first few hurdles, I'm sure you'll be able to get the hang of it."

"I know, but Quirin wants me to punish Varian just like he does, But, I've never spa-punished anyone before."

"So, you're unsure of how to punish Varian because you never spanked anyone before."

"Wha-how did you know I would have to spank him?"

"Well, most parents spank their kids. As a young prince, I traveled quite a bit before I became King. I mentored a few princes during that time, so I did have to punish some of them with this method."

"You did? But, I always thought royalty never gets punished."

"Oh, Eugene. Of course not. Royal families are like normal families as well."

"Uh, yes! Royalty is normal. Right."

"So, where was I? Oh, yes! The first time I tried to be a mentor, I had a hard time being strict. My student was a prince who is now the King of his kingdom. He's become a symbol of strength as his people went through some disasters a few years back. But, he wasn't always like that."

"What do you mean?"

"As a young teen, he was always getting into trouble and things were getting out of hand. No matter what I did, it wouldn't work out."

"So, what did you do?"

"I was just about ready to give up until I had a long talk with his father, the King at the time. He told me that he had not been able to give his son enough attention since his wife died. He promised to spend more time with him and be stricter when I was going to leave in a month. But, at the moment he wanted me to punish his son like he used to."

"You don't mean?"

"Yes. He wanted me to spank his son while I was his mentor. Though I was nervous, I spanked him the next time he acted up. It worked pretty well. His behavior drastically improved and we actually got to bond more without any problems. Though I left, I made sure to visit a few times and stayed in contact with him. His father kept the promise he made. Now, I'm proud to receive letters from him asking for advice."

"So, you think spanking Varian will make a big difference if he acts up?"

"Yes. I highly advise you to not go easy on him when you spank him for the first time."

"Why not?"

"Because if you don't make that first spanking memorable, he will try to test you and get into more trouble faster."

"Okay, I'll . . . try to be strict on him if I have to spank him."

"I'm sure you eventually will. Varian seemed like a pretty good kid, but he's still a teen. Every teen gets into some trouble once in a while."

"Yeah. I sure got into trouble quite often at that age."

The two continued to talk, forgetting about the difficulties they used to have a few months ago. Now, it felt like they were just two old friends talking about old times. Eugene never thought he would be having this kind of light-hearted conversation with the King six months ago and definitely not a few years ago. It seems everything was working out just fine.

Elsewhere in the Castle, Varian found a set of footprints leading to the stables. Before he even checked out the wooden building, he made sure to erase the small raccoon footprints in the dirt and pavement as best as he could. 'I don't want anyone to even suspect there is a raccoon in the castle all because I forgot to hide these tracks,' the boy thought to himself.

As soon as he was done, he stood in front of the stable doors. 'I really hope Rudiger is here," he wished to himself.

Varian opened the doors to see the room was dimly lit by a single lantern on a table nearby. All the horses were surprisingly awake and it was clear to see why. There was a large barrel of apples that seemed to be dancing with the way it was shaking and Varian had a really good guess of who in it. He approached the vat of produce and out popped . . . Rudiger!

"Rudiger, there you are!" he called out as he grabbed his beloved friend who was also happy to see him. Before he could say anything else, a loud neigh got Varian attention. He turned around to see Maximus in his stall. The boy nervously smiled as he approached the tall horse, who was giving him a sharp glare.

"Um . . . hey, Max! You wouldn't be willing to keep this little night time visitor a secret, would you?" Varian tried to convince the horse with his puppy dog eyes, but the stallion would not budge. Max motioned his head out towards the barrel of apples and Varian sighed.

"You'll keep our visit a secret if I give you some extra apples?"

Max let out a shrill whinny and moved his head towards the other horses.

"Okay, okay! I'll give you and your friends some apples, as long Eugene or anyone else for that matter don't find out about this situation, okay?"

The equine nuzzled the boy's face in return. Varian let out a few giggles and ran his hands through the horse's mane.

"Thanks for the affection, Max. But, I gotta go soon. I'll get you all your apples and then we'll have to go."

After making sure all the horses had some apples in their troughs, Varian said his good nights to Maximus and left the stables. He tried his best to be quiet as he snuck back into the castle. Thankfully, Rudiger was content with tangling himself around the teen's neck like a scarf. He was so sure he would be able to make it back to their room without any guards noticing when suddenly he bumped into something.

*CRASH*

Down came the suit of armor he stumbled into. Though he was pretty sure it was not broken, it unquestionably alerted the guards. Lanterns started lighting the hallways as the guards came near.

"Who's there?!" a loud voice echoed behind him.

Varian hurried down the hallways, trying to make sure he was going the right way. 'If I can reach the suite, maybe the guards won't realize that was me!' he thought to himself as ran down the corridor, trying to keep ahead of the guards.

In the King's study, Eugene didn't realize what time it was till he took a look at the grandfather clock in the corner. He got up from his seat as he spoke.

"Your majesty, this talk has truly been enjoyable. But, as much as I would love to continue to talk, I really must be going now. It's been at least an hour we've been talking and Varian might still be waiting up for me. If I knew I was going to be this late coming back, I would have told him to not wait up on me."

"I understand, Eugene. I enjoyed our conversation as well. Don't worry. We will most likely be able to talk like this more in the future. Now, you might as well get going. Varian's probably falling asleep as we speak."

"Have a good night," Eugene said as he started to step out of the study.

"Good night to you as well," the King said as he started to turn back when a loud commotion brought his attention to the closest intersection hallway. He and Eugene looked on as a scrawny figure rushed out from there and started to turn. A few guards were right behind him and the closest one was able to grab the intruder's wrist. The guard proceeded to hold on to the trespasser in a strong bear hug.

"I got him! I got him!" the guard yelled out as his fellow comrades stopped moving as they panted in place. Eugene could recognize Pete's voice anywhere, but he wondered how he was holding on to their intruder so easily. The Caption sprinted up to the group.

"Good job, Pete!" Stan praised as he approached his friend when suddenly Pete let out a scream.

"What's wrong?" the Captain asked cautiously.

"There's some kind of creature with him! I can feel its fur against my face!" the young guard whispered fearfully.

"What is going on here?!" the King asked sharply as he and Eugene strolled forward. "And would anyone light up these lanterns so we can actually see?"

A few of the guards used their small lanterns to light up the ones in the hallways and suddenly they could all see their so-called 'intruder.' Most of them clearly recognized the skinny teen with his raven black mob of hair and shiny blue eyes. Eugene was flabbergasted to see his ward instead of a seedy criminal.

"Varian?" the older man uttered softly as he took in the scene. He noticed the muddy boots and the grey raccoon as he slowly realized what was going on. He didn't know everything, but he was sure of a few things. Varian disobeyed him and snuck out of the castle for this animal! Eugene's surprise turned into anger as he realized how much danger Varian could have been in if the guards decided to use their swords instead of their arms to catch him. Eugene might have been nervous about spanking him earlier, but now, he couldn't think of a more just punishment even if he tried.

The King, realizing this was a personal issue Eugene had to address with Varian, turned to talk to the Captain discreetly.

"Captain, this seems to be a misunderstanding," the King explained.

"I understand, sir. But, if it would be possible, would it be possible for me to have a chance to talk to the boy sometime tomorrow. I want to make sure he won't lead my men on a wild goose chase like this again," the Captain replied back.

"Of course, Captain. I'll tell Eugene to send Varian your way tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." The Captain motioned his men to follow him. Pete had already let of Varian at this point. Eventually, Varian was left to the clutches of Eugene with only the King to calm the angered man down.

"Varian! What is going on? Why were you creeping around the castle like a thief? And why do you have that creature with you?" Eugene is usually a pretty chill kind of guy, but after this long day and finding out Varian has been getting into trouble so soon has really stressed the man out.

"Eugene, calm down. Scaring Varian will not help this situation at all. Take a few deep breaths before you speak," the King told Eugene. While Eugene tried to calm down, the King turned to Varian.

"Varian, please go to your room and get ready for bed. Eugene will be there soon. And . . . we can talk about keeping the raccoon in the morning, okay?"

The teen nodded his head and turned around, keeping his raccoon close to him as he walked down the hall.

The King reentered his study to find Eugene pacing around the room.

"Eugene, try to relax and calm down. Take a seat and tell me what you want to do now," the King suggested as he sat down.

Eugene sat down and tried to calm down, but his face still gave away how he felt.

"I don't know what to do now! I mean I was angry just a few minutes ago, but now, all I feel is worry!"

"Worry for Varian?"

"Yes. I mean, at first, I was angry at him for disobeying me and running around causing trouble. But, then I realized that he wasn't just causing trouble, he was putting himself in danger. The guards could have hurt him! He could have tripped and hurt himself! Even that raccoon he had could have been rabid! I don't think I can handle being a mentor if this is how every day will be!"

"Calm down, Eugene. Everything's fine. Varian's not hurt. But, you're right. He could have been seriously hurt today. So, this means you have to step up as his teacher and punish him for his mistakes. And I'm sure every day will not be like today was."

"Okay, I think I feel better now. I just needed to let out my worries." Even though he got his panicking out of the way, he still wanted to hide out here for a few more hours. But, he knew that was not an option. He had to go back to their room and deal with Varian. 'I hope he didn't fall asleep, but if he did, then I'll just have to spank him in the morning,' he thought to himself.

"I think I now realize why his dad spanks Varian. Whenever he gets into any trouble, he's putting himself and others in danger. Even though I only have known him for two days, I feel a connection to him and a need to protect him. If I have to spank him to protect him, then I rather do that then see him get hurt."

The King smiled at Eugene after hearing his thoughts. His opinion on Eugene was very different a few days ago, even months ago. A year ago, he had thought Flynn Rider was a no good thief from what he heard from others. But, after he brought his daughter back to him, he realized there was more to Flynn Rider. That 'more' was Eugene Fitzherbert. Eugene tried his best to change his ways to date his daughter. In truth, the King didn't hate Eugene. But, he did try to act like the disapproving father because Eugene was dating his long-lost daughter. If he was just Rapunzel's rescuer and not her boyfriend, the King would have been much more welcoming upfront. Besides, if he really hated the ex-thief, he would have tried to throw him out already. Not that he would have succeeded, since his wife has practically adopted the young man into their family the moment he returned their daughter to them and Rapunzel would probably run away just be with him. Now that Varian was here, Eugene has already started to change himself to guide another. 'In a way, he reminds me of . . . myself,' the King thought to himself.

"It's good to hear you say that, Eugene. Now, you better go before Varian gets himself into a frenzy while waiting for you. We can talk about the raccoon in the morning," the King said as both men got up. They parted their way after leaving the room, both going to their separate ways that are still intertwined with one another.

In their suite, Varian sat on his bed, dressed in his pajamas, anxious about his fate. He was so sure everything was going so well, but he just had to go ruin it. He should have told Eugene about Rudiger right away. He might have even let him keep his friend. Worst case scenario, he would have been sent back to Old Corona. Now, both of them might get sent back to Corona. He just buried his head in his pillow and wished he could stop getting into trouble all the time.

Rudiger tried to comfort his human, but nothing would work. He tried to cuddle, tickle him, plus he even brought him toys like the Funny Hair's rope or the weird claw with fur in it. When Varian gave him no response, the raccoon tossed the now soggy rope to the side, along with the furry claw. Finally, he just dragged the napkin full of scraps to the living room and sat in the corner. The animal hoped Funny Hair can help Varian, even if he had to help him like Big Man used to with his hand.

Eugene entered the suite and was relieved to see Varian's boots by the door. He noticed the raccoon in the corner of the room and grabbed some berries from the fruit bowl in the kitchen for him. He quietly set them in front of the animal and hoped it wouldn't claw out his eyes. The creature got closer and instead of eating the food or attacking, it touched Eugene's hand with its paw. The man was surprised, but something made him feel that this animal understood a lot more than most people would assume. The animal looked towards the hallway and Eugene realized he was worried about Varian. He petted the raccoons head and reassured him before he got up.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Varian. You can come in after I'm done punishing him."

The creature sat back down as Eugene went to his room. He looked in his bags till he found it, the hairbrush. He had hoped he would never have a use for it, but now he had one. He had to get through Varian's head that what he did tonight was dangerous and the hairbrush was the key to that. He had to let Varian know that from now on, if he puts his life in danger, then he can always expect the hairbrush to accompany his spanking. He took the hairbrush out of the wooden box and put it in his back pocket. He left his room, going to the one across from his. He knocked on the door before entering.

When Varian heard the knock, he sat up and wiped away the few tears he shed. He looked down as Eugene entered. The older man pulled out the desk's wooden chair and beckoned Varian to sit directly in front of him. After the teen did so, the man started to speak.

"I should have told you about the rules earlier today, but I never got the chance to. Now, we have to talk about certain rules that will be in place. The first rule is to always be respectful. That means no attitude, backtalk, or lying. Second rule, I expect you to be back in our suite by 8 pm every night. I don't expect you to be cooped up in here all the time, so once you make a few friends in town, I'm sure you'll lose track of time. But, that will not excuse not being back here on time. The last and most important rule is not to do anything that will put you in danger, which includes sneaking out and doing experiments. Do you understand these rules, Varian?"

Eugene waited until Varian looked up and nodded his head before he continued.

"I know you probably didn't realize or mean to, but you technically broke the most important rule by mistake. If it were any of the other rules, I would have let it go because you didn't know any of the rules on your first day."

Varian looked up, hopeful that this meant he might not be in trouble. Eugene didn't want to take away his hope, but he had no other choice.

"But, I can't ignore the fact that you disobeyed me. I told you to get ready for bed and instead you go running around the castle putting yourself in danger. I used to be a thief, a very good one, but I was never strong or dangerous like some of the more rugged thugs. I know better than anyone else in this castle on how dangerous the guards can be if they start pulling out their weapons. I never got caught, but I did get injured way more than people might have assumed. What you did tonight was dangerous and foolish? If the guards had to chase you a bit longer, the Captain would have ordered them to start using their weapons. You could have been seriously hurt today, which is why . . . I have to spank you."

Varian was feeling guiltier as Eugene continued to scold him about his actions tonight. When finished talking and declared he would be spanking him, his heart dropped. He knew Eugene had permission to spank him, but Varian never expected him to actually go through with it.

"NO! You can't! I promise to listen to you from now on! I'll follow all the rules from now on!" the boy cried, scared at the prospect of going over his hero's lap.

"Yes, I can spank you and I will. This will be a reminder for you to listen and follow the rules I have given you today. Now, I want you to come over here and let's get this over with," Eugene sternly told the boy, trying his best to into his want of forgoing the punishment.

Varian knew he had no option left by to obey him. His father already approved of Eugene to spank me, so if he tried to get out of this, he knew his father would be displeased and he would have an even worse spanking waiting for him. So, the teen slowly stood up and hesitantly started to cross the small space between him and Eugene.

The older man patiently waited until Varian got close enough. He gently tipped the boy over his lap and contemplated on what to do next. Eugene never had to spank anyone before, so he had no idea on how to do this. Using his memory of Quirin spanking Varian, he started to pull down the kid's britches and underclothing. Varian was dreading the spanking that would soon come as he was pulled over the man's lap. When Eugene started to bare him, Varian was mortified and hoped this would soon end.

Once Varian's backside was bared, Eugene had no other choice, but to begin. He raised his hand and brought down his hand softly on the bottom before him. When Varian didn't react as he did with the spanking he got yesterday, Eugene tried again, this time with some more power. When the boy gave a small yelp, the man continued with those kinds of swats. Soon, he got some kind of pattern going as the spanking continued.

Varian was tense when the first swat came down and surprisingly, it did not hurt at all! 'Maybe Eugene's never spanked anyone before. Hopefully, the rest of the spanking will be like this,' he thought to himself. But, his hopes were dashed as the next swat felt remarkably like how his father's. He let out a yelp at the sharp swat, but he didn't have much time to adjust to the new change as the swats continued to rain down on his backside. Soon his cried and yelps were the only sounds as a familiar burning sensation started to take over his bottom.

Eugene may have never spanked anyone before, but he was a quick learner as he used the knowledge he learned from the day before. His worries about Varian's safety helped him ignore the boy's cries. As the teen's bottom started to take on a dark pink-almost reddish hue, Eugene tried to remember what Quirin did next. 'I think he lifted his knee and smacked down here,' the man followed his thought process by lifting his right knee and aimed for Varian's undercurve.

When Varian felt Eugene shift his leg up, he knew what was coming and he did not like it one bit. His squirming elevated to kicking. The burning in his bottom just transformed into a full forest fire.

When one of Varian's feet almost hit him, Eugene knew he had to do something. 'But, what could I do?' he thought to himself. There was no one to hold down his legs and he hasn't even used the hairbrush yet. So, he decided to try warning Varian to stop.

"Varian, stop it with the kicking right now unless . . . you want to have another conversation like this tomorrow," Eugene warned. He didn't want to threaten the kid, but he had no idea of what else to do. He'd better send Quirin a letter alongside Varian's sometime this week.

"No! I'll stop kicking!" Varian didn't want another spanking lined up before he even got through this one. He forced his legs to stay down.

Eugene was grateful to see Varian listen to him. He really didn't want to promise him another spanking before this one wasn't even over. With his legs out of the way, Eugene gave Varian's under curve a few more swats before he lowered his leg and returned to the boy's pinkened cheeks.

Varian was relieved when Eugene lowered his leg, but inwardly groaned when the spanking did not end.

Eugene wanted to end the spanking, but he wanted to make sure Varian knew the error of his ways before he finished off with the hairbrush.

"E-ugene! Please stop!"

"We're almost done. I just need you to answer one question for me, okay?"

Varian hated to be asked questions whenever he's being spanked. His Dad liked using this quite a lot. But, like always, he had no other choice if he ever wanted this spanking to end.

"O-okay."

"Good. Now, why are being spanked today?"

Eugene slowed his swats down, giving some time in between each one. They were crisp enough to sting, but not enough to do much more damage to the dusty pink bottom before him.

Varian welcomed the more bearable spanking, but he would have preferred it to end completely.

"Because I snuck Rudiger in. And I made you look bad in front of the King."

Eugene sighed at the answer he received. He had basically spelled out what he did wrong before the spanking and Varian was still thinking about the situation in a way that put more blame on him rather than his actions. The older man amped up his swats and aimed lower towards Varian's sit-spots. Varian let out a yelp in protest at the change of pace.

"No, Varian. That is not why you're being spanked. I would have like you to tell me about the raccoon instead of trying to hide him, but that would not have earned you your first spanking from me. And you did not make me look bad in front of the King. Even if you did, I wouldn't care about that. Now, let's get back on topic," Eugene slowed down the spanking once more. "Why are you being spanked?"

Varian was so overwhelmed with everything that he decided to just give up. He hid his face in his hands and just sobbed.

"I don't know!"

Eugene felt horrible to be the person whose bring Varian to tears like this, but he knew it had to be down. He lessened his swats to soft pats before he prompted the teen.

"Come on, Varian. I know you know the answer already. You just need to remember it."

Varian tried to wipe some of the tears on his face away, but he was unsuccessful at that. He thought about what he did wrong and how Eugene was explaining the rules to him. Suddenly, he knew the answer.

"I know what I did wrong! I put myself in danger by sneaking out."

Eugene was proud of Varian for not giving up. Now, he can move on to the last part of the spanking. He stopped spanking and rested his hand on the Varian's dark pink bottom. Varian was relieved when the spanking stopped, but he was slightly worried when he wasn't let up.

"Varian, I'm proud of you for finding the right answer and admitting your mistake in a way. Sometimes we try to avoid talking about our mistakes even when we should, which is why I asked you that question. I wish we could end this matter right now, but we can't."

Eugene took out the hairbrush from his back pocket and tapped it on one of the boy's cheeks.

"From now on, you can expect a spanking when you do anything that will earn you one. And this is what you can expect to feel any time you endanger yourself or others. You're lucky you're only getting a taste of it today."

Varian turned his head back to see Eugene raised the dreaded hairbrush. He let out a wail as it landed. Eugene brought the hairbrush down four times in total, covering each of Varian's cheeks and sit-spots. The teen continued to sob, not even noticing that the spanking ended.

Eugene placed the hairbrush down and rubbed Varian's back. Eventually, Varian's sobs and cries subsided to just sniffles. Eugene stood the boy up and leaned down to pull his britches up. Varian let out a whimper as the clothing brushed over his scorching bottom, but quieted down as Eugene pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Varian, your dad gave me that hairbrush so I can use it to take care of you. I never thought I might actually have to use it . . . until today. Now, I realized that taking care of you included spanking you at times. I would rather spank you then risk you losing your life because I wasn't strict enough with you. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know how I would live knowing it was because of me."

Varian felt bad for making Eugene feel this way. He didn't realize how much his actions would have affected his mentor. He promised himself to be better tomorrow.

"I'm . . . sorry, Eugene."

"I know, buddy. I know."

Eugene patted Varian's back, consoling him with his silent gesture.

"After being punished, whether it being a spanking or just being grounded, you'll always be forgiven, Varian."

The two stayed like this for a few more minutes of peach before Varian let out a yawn.

"Okay, Var. Let's get you to bed, now."

Varian didn't protest as Eugene picked him up and laid him down in bed, bottom side up. Eugene sat down on the edge of the bed and stayed with him. He ran his fingers through Varian's mob of hair quietly as he reflected on the sequence of events that occurred today. 'If every day was anything like today, then I will have my hands full with Varian," he thought to himself before he remembered something. 'But, I won't be alone. Rapunzel will be at my side. And her parents will most likely help out as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be happy to help me take care of Varian, if how Cassandra interacting with him and Stan's wife lending clothes was anything to go by. I think we'll be just fine.'

Eugene stopped his fingers as he saw the teen asleep. He covered him up before getting up to leave, making sure to turn the lamp off. As soon as he opened the door, Rudiger darted in. He settled himself on the bed, right next to Varian. The teen loosely looped an arm around him. Eugene smiled at the scene before he left the room, making sure the door was cracked open.

The stars and moon shined outside, while Eugene and Varian both slumbered peacefully for the night.