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Chapter Text

Crouched down next to a giant copper tank, Varian leaned in close to a small meter, watching it carefully as he adjusted the various dials and switches underneath. A swath of dark, blue striped hair fell into his vision and he brushed it back hastily. This process was a delicate one and required all of his concentration. He took a slow calming breath as the needle on the dial came closer and closer to just the right spot…

Something collided with the side of the tank with a resounding ring, sending vibrations through Varian's bones and making him jump back with a shamefully alarmed shriek. He snapped his head up to find the Captain of the Guard, Eugene Fitzherbert, leaning against the tank, having apparently just smacked it with his hand.

"So Goggles, just so we're clear," said Eugene, his grin clearly masking concern, "This is the same device that you were working on when we first met. The same machine that nearly took out your whole village. The same machine that almost crushed mine and Rapunzel's beautiful faces."

"Oh Eugene, I'm sure it's fine," said Princess Rapunzel, coming to stand next to her husband to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Varian knows what he's doing this time around. He and his dad have been working on this for months now, right Varian?"

Varian took a quick look back down at the meter and felt a smile tug the corner of his mouth when he saw that it was at precisely the correct setting. "Right you are, Princess," said Varian, "Those other machines were built when I was just a naive kid starting bravely on the path of science." He jumped up and pulled a lever with gusto. "Now…" He jumped past Eugene, forcing him to take a few steps back, "I'm older..." He grabbed a wheel on the side of the device and sent it spinning. "Wiser, aaand…" He put his hand on another big lever. "I've had a chance to adjust my calculations to a margin of error of just point five two percent!" He yanked the handle down.

Eugene and Rapunzel jumped, and Varian's raccoon Ruddiger scampered away as the whole machine began to tremble. The pipes jutting off of it started to shake. "Uh… Varian?!" Rapunzel blurted, bracing herself and her husband for the worst.

Varian watched the meters calmly, hushing the voice in his head that kept telling him he was about to blow them all to smithereens. The tank started banging as steam began to roll out of small cracks. The commotion moved up the pipes and across the room until it finally arrived at a metal piece full of holes that Varian had engineered to spout hot water in an approximation of rainwater.
Sure enough, they all watched as first, a burst of steam rolled out of the holes, and then a gentle stream of warm water sprayed harmlessly down into the metal wash bin. Varian's smile grew as Rapunzel's friend and companion, the chameleon Pascal, crawled onto the wash bin and felt the warm shower water with apprehension. Once Pascal realized how nice it felt, though, the chameleon relaxed and turned a soft shade of pink in approval.

"Yes! It worked! It really worked!" cried Varian, jumping up and punching the air with excitement before remembering how 'old' and 'wise' he was supposed to be. He calmed himself and focused on speaking more appropriately to his royal company. "Um... I'm mean, of course it worked." He moved back over to the dials and adjusted them slightly to stabilize the machine and calm the vibrations. "As I was just saying, I've grown a lot these past few years."

Rapunzel took one of Varian's hands in hers and looked at him in that way that always made Varian feel safe and secure, "You really have, Varian," She said softly. "After everything we've been through, you have really shown how smart and capable you are. And as the Royal Engineer, you'll be able to really help the people of Corona."

"Yeah," said Eugene, "And everyone will totally forget about your whole evil villain phase."

Varian flinched as dark memories flooded his mind, dredged up by the guard captain's comment.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel chided. "That has long been forgiven."

"Kidding, kidding," replied Eugene hastily. He seemed to realize that his joking had gone too far and Varian watched as the older man looked at him with a more genuine gaze. "In all seriousness, Kid," he said, placing a gentle hand on Varian's shoulder, "you've done an amazing job here. We're really proud of you. I'll bet your dad is as well."

Varian felt a small blush rise in his cheeks at the praise from two of his closest friends. "Thanks, I think so too."

~ * ~

Varian felt lighter than a helium particle. He nearly skipped back to Old Corona, ready to tell his father, Quirin, that he'd finally completed his latest hot water prototype for the castle. As the alchemist passed through the small village, Ruddiger, who had been riding along on his shoulders, hopped off. Varian followed the raccoon with his eyes as he pounced over to two familiar faces.

Catalina giggled and accidentally dropped the bucket of apples she'd been carrying with Kiera as Ruddiger jumped up into her bright red hair. A few apples went rolling into the dirt, and Ruddiger eagerly dashed back down, snatched one up, and returned to Varian's shoulders. Varian winced as Kiera shot him a glare.

"Uh, sorry about that," he stammered.

"Oh no worries," said Kiera. "We'll just bill you for it later."

Lance came running over with a giant sack on his shoulder. "I got the flour! Now, are you girls ready to head home and make my legendary apple pie?" He looked up and finally noticed the person his adoptive daughters were talking to. "Oh- Hi, Varian! You in on some pie? It's my special secret recipe," he sang.

"That actually sounds incredible," said Varian, very much tempted by the offer. "But I really want to see my dad. Maybe I'll come around later?"

"Don't come too late, or I'll have already finished it all off," taunted Catalina.

Varian laughed and waved goodbye as he continued on his way home. A moment later, he swung open the front door and raced inside.

"Dad! Dad, guess what? It finally worked! I finished it, I -" Varian cut himself off as he realized he was speaking to no one. "Dad?" He looked around, but the main room of his home was most definitely empty. Ruddiger jumped onto a shelf, and Varian looked at him with a shrug. "Maybe he had to go out?"

Just as he said that, though, he heard a noise coming from his father's bedroom. "Dad, you there?" Once again, no one responded. Instead, he heard what sounded like a bang. Varian moved swiftly to the door and opened it. "Dad, you o-"

Varian froze as he saw his father's bedroom wholly ransacked. His bed had been overturned, and the floorboards had been pulled up. Varian watched in shock as a figure who was definitely not his father leaned over an open chest next to the hole in the floor, emptying its contents. The stranger looked up, and Varian snapped back to his senses.

"Hey! Put that down right now!" He barked.

The figure stood up, tucking books and papers under his arm, and Varian was able to get a better look at him. He was tall but entirely hidden under a mask and dark clothes. He cocked his head as he looked at Varian but didn't speak.

Then the figure bolted for the window. Varian shoved his hand into his pocket and grasped a glass bottle. Hoping it was the compound he thought it was, he hurled it at the open window. With a smash, the bottle burst, and a thick pink mass of goo blocked the exit.

Varian let out a whoop of triumph. "Ah, ha! Alchemy strikes again! If you want to get out, you'll have to go through me!" The figure skidded to a halt and snapped his head toward Varian. "Uh oh… um..."

The stranger rushed towards him. Varian yelped and tossed another bottle at the oncoming stranger. The stranger dodged as the bottle hit the wall, and large transparent bubbles filled the room. With surprising agility, the stranger avoided the bubbles. A split second later, Varian was shoved into the doorframe as the stranger pushed past him and sprinted out of the house.

"Hey!" Varian leaped up and ran outside, his eyes darting around for the thief. He watched as the dark figure disappeared around a wall. Varian pursued the stranger through alleyways and side streets until they turned a corner. Varian saw him run past Lance, Catalina, and Kiera.

"Thief!" shouted Varian.

His three friends threw their hands up in a show of innocence, apples once again tumbling to the ground along with the bag of flour.

"No! Not you! Him! He just stole from my dad! Help me!" Varian waved desperately toward the fleeing stranger until his friends spotted him and started off after him.

Varian began to follow but then stopped and doubled over panting with exhaustion. If anyone could catch a criminal it would be Lance, Catalina, and Kiera, but if they couldn't he had to think of another way. He had to use his brain.

Moments later, Varian was carefully crawling to the peak of one of Old Corona's buildings. The projectile device he just cobbled together hung over his shoulder. His foot slid on a shingle, and he steadied himself with a deep breath as he looked out and tried to find the thief once more. It was easier than expected. Lance and the girls had been playing cat and mouse with the stranger, and they hadn't exactly been quiet about it. Yet another crash alerted Varian. He looked over to where the stranger was just barely slipping through Kiera's tiny grasp before checking her into a wall.

Varian gritted his teeth and lifted his device to his shoulder. He took aim on the bundle of books and papers under the thief's arm. He breathed out, pulled the trigger, and with a jolt, a claw shot out of the barrel, propelled towards the stranger. It closed in around the books, and quickly Varian pulled a lever on the side of his device to start reeling the claw back towards him.

The books and papers slipped from under the stranger's arm, but he quickly whipped around and took hold of the pile with his hands. Suddenly, Varian was in a tug of war with the thief, leaning back on his precarious place on the roof to try to break his opponent's grip. As if the thief realized this weakness, he stopped resisting and let himself be pulled forward. This threw Varian's balance off, and the alchemist went tumbling back over the side of the building. He screamed and braced himself for the ground but found a soft landing in Lance's arms instead.

"I'm worried about this becoming a thing with you," said Lance. But Varian was already scrambling back onto his feet.

"Come on! He's getting away!" He cried.

"Right," agreed Lance as they sprinted. "You got any more bright ideas, cause this guy is speedy."

Varian looked around desperate for a plan. Then he spotted a cart nearby. "Then, we have to be faster. Lance, I need you to get him over to that intersection somehow."

"Kid, you got it," said Lance, running off. Varian hopped onto the cart and started rummaging through his bag.

"If I can just create enough propulsion…" He grabbed a bucket and, with shaking hands, combined a few powders into the bottom of it. Then he pulled out a bottle of Flynnolium.

"Now, Varian!" shouted Lance.

Varian poured the explosive green liquid into the bucket then quickly turned it to face the back of the cart.

With a boom, the bucket spouted a burst of flaming energy. Varian was delighted to feel himself and the cart rocket towards the intersection until he collided with something and heard a loud scream.

He peeked over the front of the cart to see that his last-second plan had worked perfectly. The thief was splayed on the ground where the collision had flung him, and the books and papers were scattered on the ground.

"Ha! Yes!" Shouted Varian. He sprung from the cart to give Lance a high five as Catalina and Kiera joined them. "That's what I'm talking about!" He looked around at what the thief had been trying to steal. The papers looked like a series of letters, but Varian was more curious about the two books. He looked closer at the one next to him and felt a jolt when he saw that it was covered with alchemical symbols. "What?" he whispered.

He heard a groan, and a moment later, the thief was back on his feet. Varian snatched up the book he'd been looking at just as the stranger grabbed the other. The stranger seemed to consider trying for both books but then looked between the four people surrounding him and chose to bolt instead. They all gave chase but were so tired from running around that within moments they'd lost track of him completely. Varian sighed in defeat and hugged the remaining book to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Varian. We tried our best. Guess we're a bit rusty," said Lance.

"Speak for yourself," said Kiera. "I would have totally caught him if you losers hadn't gotten in my way."

"What was he trying to steal anyway?" asked Catalina.

Varian looked down at the book. "I don't know… I've never seen them before in my life…" He flipped to the middle. "It's some sort of alchemy journal... but why would my dad have this... And why would he have hidden it?" Varian flipped to the front of the journal, and his eyes widened in shock. Tucked into the inside of the cover was a family portrait. Varian as a baby, his dad, and- "Mom?" Varian's eyes darted to the opposite page where his mom's name, Ulla, was clearly written.

"Varian. Varian, are you okay?" Quirin jogged over to the group as Varian stared down at the journal. "Varian?"

"Dad," said Varian, his voice weak, "What's this?"

~ * ~

Varian stood in the middle of the room. His hands were still clutching the book as Quirin sat in an armchair, his head down, shuffling half-heartedly through the letters they'd retrieved from the ground. He'd refused to speak about anything until they were home alone.

"Those were your mother's journals, Varian. Your mother..." he said finally. "... was a smart, beautiful, capable woman. You are every bit her son. No more so than in your love of science. Ulla was an alchemist just like you. She dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge. She spent hours researching and experimenting.

'One day, she had to leave to pursue her research. Ulla was reluctant to go. She didn't want to leave us. But I encouraged her. Told her to follow her dreams. Assured her we'd be there for her when she returned.

'For months, everything was fine. Every day Ulla would send a letter, and every night I would read them to you, dreaming of the day we'd all be together once again." Varian listened intently as his father let the letters fall and laid his head in his hands. "But she never did return. The letters stopped. Weeks later, Ulla's research partner, a woman named Donella, arrived to tell me what I already feared. That your mom had gotten herself into danger and had not survived it."

"Dad," said Varian, softly teetering between heartbreak and frustration. "Why did you never tell me this? I've asked you countless times about mom. Asked about what happened to her. Why did you hide it? Why keep her things locked away?"

"Why do you think I tried to keep you from practicing alchemy, Varian?" said Quirin, looking back up at him with mournful eyes. "I was trying to protect you. I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you the same way I lost her. Please understand that I just wanted you to be safe."

"So you lied to me…" Varian muttered.

"I lied to you," repeated Quirin, getting up from his chair and placing his hands on Varian's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Varian."

Though still bitter about the years of being kept in the dark, the small apology was enough to soothe Varian for now. "But why was someone trying to steal this? There was another book that they got away with."

"Yes, there were two journals. Three, actually, but the third one was lost with your mother… and as for why someone wanted them, I don't know. There could be fans of her work out there, but I don't know who would go so far as to steal it."

Varian clutched the journal closer and looked back up at his father. "Can I at least read it now? Now that you've told me everything?" He could see the reluctance in his father's face, but after a few moments, Quirin sighed.

"Yes, of course."

~ * ~

"It's incredible," gushed Varian, flipping through the pages of the journal as he paced around Rapunzel's room. The princess was sitting cross-legged with Pascal on the window seat. She had been listening to Varian's babbling for about the last hour with a supportive smile. "Her theories. Her formulas. Most of them are in code… I guess to keep others from stealing her work. And I think some are only half complete, but others are sheer genius. Rapunzel, she figured out a compound that can make plants grow twice as fast."

"That's amazing, Varian," said Rapunzel. "I'm so glad you're finally getting the chance to know your mother."

"I mean… hehe… it all makes sense now when you think about it. Why I'm such a prodigy," Varian said with smug delight. "It's been in my blood this whole time. This whole time this was always meant to be my legacy."

"Legacy?"

"Rapunzel, I've been pouring over this journal for days now. I haven't cracked her code yet, but there are some parts I've started to figure out." Varian flipped more furiously through the pages looking for a specific spot. "My mom, she wasn't just doing regular old research, no, no, she was looking for something." He dropped down next to Rapunzel on the window seat to show Rapunzel what was sketched on the open page. "The Eternal Library."

Rapunzel's eyes widened, and Pascal crawled over to get a closer look.

Varian continued. "Now, I'm not entirely sure what it is yet… and it's possible I got it wrong, and it's actually the Infernal Library... but most of her notes seem to be about it and how to get to it. I think… it's like some kind of real-life legend. If I just knew more about it, it would be so much easier to figure out my mom's code." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "But trying to ask my dad for help is useless. To be honest, I don't know how much he even knows."

Rapunzel thought for a moment then gave Varian a sly smile. "Hm… an obscure legend... I think I might know who could help…"

He looked up at her, suddenly realizing who she was talking about.

~ * ~

"The Eternal Library, you say," said Xavier. "Yes, I know it well."

"Really!?" exclaimed Varian. Xavier walked over to an absurdly large bookshelf.

"Indeed. The Legend of the Eternal Library features a man you are already familiar with," he pulled a book off the shelf and turned to a page with an illustration of Lord Demanitus.

"He really does keep popping up, huh?" said Varian in an aside to Rapunzel. Xavier put the book away on the shelf and continued searching for another tomb. Finally, he pulled a different one down. He opened it up to an illustration that looked very much like the depiction of the Library in Ulla's journal.

"It is said," recounted Xavier, "that The Eternal Library is a place of great knowledge that exists far beyond the borders of our realm. Many have heard of its secrets, but only one man was ever able to find it."

"Demanitus…" whispered Rapunzel.

"Precisely. Through his great wisdom and skill, he built a device able to open a door to the Library. For years he used the door and learned the secrets of alchemy and magic. But as you know, Lord Demanitus had his enemies, and they wished to use these secrets for their own dark designs."

"Zhan Tiri," muttered Varian.

"Believing the Library's knowledge should only be known to those that were worthy, Demanitus destroyed his device. In its place, he created seven trials in each of the seven kingdoms, representing seven different elements." Xavier flipped the pages to show the depictions of the different kingdoms. "Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Dark, Iron, and Light."

"Hey…" said Rapunzel, leaning closer. "That kingdom of light. That's…"

"Corona," finished Xavier with a nod. "Legends claim that if someone were to complete these trials, they could recreate Demanitus' device and gain access to the Eternal Library once more."

Varian stared at Xavier in awe, then shook his head and dropped down to sit cross-legged on the floor. He pulled out his mother's journal and started flipping the pages again. "Yes, yes... Okay, I'm getting it now… this is about those trials. How to do them… how to find the Library. This is it! This is why she left Rapunzel. My mom was looking for the Library. And I'll bet it's all here. If I can decode her notes, I can figure out how she got through the trials, and maybe I could… could figure out what really happened to her…"

Rapunzel knelt down next to him. "Varian, that's amazing. A real-life quest."

"Heh, not like you're a stranger to quests," said Varian.

Rapunzel carded her fingers through her short brown hair. "Well, I don't like to brag, but yeah, I could give you a few pointers."

"But someone was after these," said Varian in dark realization.

"And if someone is looking for your mom's journals," continued Rapunzel, catching on. "That must mean they're looking for that Library."

"Exactly." Varian hopped up and posed with one fist high in the air and the other at his hip. "Which is why I need to honor my mother's legacy and find it first!"

"This is so exciting!" cried Rapunzel, her hands clasped under her chin.

"I know!" agreed Varian.

With the help of Xavier and Rapunzel, Varian set to work, trying to decode at least the first part of his mother's journal to figure out what the first trial was. With his mother's pictures and diagrams, it was not too tricky.

"And this… this must be... if that word is fire… yeah, the first trial."

Rapunzel leaned over his shoulder and looked at the kingdom depicted in the journal. "That looks like The Kingdom of Bayangor."

"Then that's where I need to go." He looked into Rapunzel's joyful eyes. "Rapunzel… this… I would have to step down as Royal Engineer."

"Oh, you know you'd get your position back as soon as you returned," said Rapunzel. "I'm sure Eugene can wait a little longer for you to install that jacuzzi tub you promised him."

Varian laughed, but then reality came crashing down on him, and he let out a big sigh. "Not that any of that matters because there's no way my dad would ever agree to let me go."

Rapunzel moved closer with an assuring smile. "Varian, you can't know that unless you ask. If this is your dream, you need to at least talk to him about it."

"Yeah, you're right."

~ * ~

"No, Varian," snapped Quirin, making Varian and Rapunzel take a step back.

"But, dad, this could be my chance, our chance to find out what really happened to mom."

"I said no," Quirin growled. "This is exactly what I was afraid of. Give me the journal, Varian."

"Dad, no," said Varian, clutching the journal even closer to his chest. "Dad, I can do this! Why can't you trust me just once?"

Rapunzel stepped forward. "Don't you think Varian deserves the chance to at least try? He-"

"With all due respect, Your Highness," said Quirin, giving Rapunzel a short controlled bow. "This is a family matter and not subject to a royal decree." He looked back at Varian. "Your mother died for this. Do you think I'm going to watch the same thing happen to you? Give me the journal."

He held out his hand. His demeanor was calm but firm, and his eyes bored into Varians until slowly Varian broke and in inches handed the journal over to his father. He hung his head as Rapunzel placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

~ * ~

Later that night, Varian leaned on his windowsill, rolling one of his alchemy vials back and forth with a dejected disinterest. Ruddiger hopped up on the sill and nudged Varian in concern as the vial accidentally went over the edge. A tiny puff of harmless pink smoke came up from below, and Varian dropped his head down to the sill with a groan.

"I don't get it, Ruddiger," grumbled Varian, his voice muffled by the wood. "After all this time..." He turned his face towards the raccoon. "Why is it still so hard to make him understand me?" Ruddiger cocked his head, and Varian sighed.

He pushed himself back up and looked up at the stars. "I just… I feel like… like I have to do this. Like there's a voice calling my name. Like mom wrote that journal so I could be the one to continue her work…"

Ruddiger pawed at Varian's shoulder with concern, and Varian, despite himself, smiled at the gesture before letting out another groan of frustration.

"What I can't stand is the thought that if I don't do something that thief… that… that lowlife with my mom's other journal… he could do the trials. And if he's dirty enough to steal my mom's work, he's definitely not worthy of the greatest secrets unknown to all of mankind."

Varian punched his hand and fist together and scrunched his eyes closed, grappling with a decision. After a moment, his eyes snapped back open. "I can't let that happen."

Varian hastily threw a bag of supplies together. After catching on, Ruddiger helped as well, tossing in a few apples. Then Varian grabbed a couple of vials of shimmering blue liquid, tiptoed to his father's room, and pressed his ear to the door. When he heard snoring, he slowly pushed open the door and crept inside. "Where is it?" said Varian under his breath. His eyes darted around at each surface, and he ducked his head under each piece of furniture. Then, finally, he saw the dark corner of a book poking out from under the mattress.

"Ruddiger," Varian whispered and gestured toward the journal's hiding spot. Ruttiger nodded and padded over to retrieve it with his deft raccoon fingers. "Carefully."

Ruddiger did as he was told at first, tugging ever so gently on the corner of the journal. But when that was failing to dislodge it, he gave a much bigger tug. The journal was freed from its soft prison, but it also sent Ruddiger flying back into the drawers behind him. The resulting thud made Varian wince, and he panicked as his father started to wake.

In an instant, Varian uncorked one of his bottles and hastily splashed a sleeping solution into his father's eyes. With a soft groan, Quirin's head dropped back down, and he started snoring once more.

Varian let out a sigh of relief then looked at his father regretfully. "I'm so sorry, dad. I just have to do this."

Moments later, Varian was walking briskly under cover of dark towards the walls of Old Corona, Ruddiger bounding by his side. "This is the only way. If he refuses to listen, then I'll just have to show him."

When he'd gone far enough, Varian looked back to take in his childhood home one last time. "I promise you, dad…" said Varian solemnly, "I will make you proud of me." he turned to start walking once more, "When I get- AH!"

Something caught Varian's foot and sent him crashing to the ground.

"Now, that is impressive. You were completely right, Sunshine. He was about to up and sneak out on us."

"Eugene?" Varian looked up from where he was splayed on the ground to see none other than Fitzherbert himself, holding one end of a rope. Varian followed it to see Rapunzel walking over with the other end.

"Well, it's the sort of thing I would have tried to do," she said matter of factly.

"If I recall, you more than tried. You did it on multiple occasions. Now, Kid," Eugene offered Varian a hand, and Varian let himself be pulled up onto his feet. "You weren't really going to just leave us without saying goodbye, were you?"

Varian looked away. "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm eighteen. If my dad can't see that- If he can't support me, then I need to leave before he can stop me."

"Varian," said Rapunzel. "You know I want you to follow your mother's journal. I fully support you going on this journey, but you can't do it like this."

"I have no choice!" Pleaded Varian, his eyes snapping up to hers. "Rapunzel, you heard him. He wasn't listening to me… to anyone. He'll never let me go."

"So you disappear into the night. And then what?" asked Eugene.

"Then I prove to him that I have what it takes," said Varian.

"Which is a great plan," agreed Eugene. "But let's say, just as a little thought experiment, that instead of proving yourself, you wind up dying a horrible and sudden death." Varian flinched at the thought as Eugene continued. "What then? You want your dad's last memory of you to be an argument?"

"No… of course not..."

"So don't leave like this," said Rapunzel.

"And what am I supposed to do?" snapped Varian, his frustration building. "Let my dad keep me trapped here like you were!?"

There was a moment of stunned silence as Varian realized what he said. "Ugh... I'm sorry I didn't mean that I just-"

"No," said Rapunzel, cutting him off with a firm voice. "You're right, Varian. I do know what it's like… to have your freedom taken in the name of safety. And it's something I had to fight for every day. My dad and I... it took time for us to understand each other." She took a deep breath and continued. "You told me that your mother left on her own journey years ago, and she never came back. Now you might be about to do the same thing. Can't you see how that must terrify your dad?"

Eugene put a hand on Varian's back. "I don't think it's that he doesn't believe you're ready or that he doesn't trust you. He's scared to lose you, Varian. To be honest, Rapunzel and I are too. The difference is we realize that we have to let you take that chance. You just need to make your dad see that too."

"How?"

"Just talk to him," said Rapunzel. "More importantly, listen to him. Try to get him to open up to you. Let him know you see things from his point of view."

"If he still doesn't listen," added Eugene, "Then Rapunzel and I will personally bust you out of here ourselves. But you have to at least try to make things right with your old man. The world is a wonderful but scary place. You have no idea what you might face out there. You're going to be at your best if you know he has your back."

Varian looked between the two of them until his face finally melted into a weak smile. "Okay, okay, I'll talk to him," he relented.

~ * ~

Varian couldn't have slept that night if he tried. After returning home, he carefully shoved the journal back under his father's mattress and then got to work in the kitchen. With hours left before sunrise, he had time to do a lot of baking and a lot of thinking. By the time Quirin sleepily walked out of his room, Varian was sitting in front of a considerable spread of bread and sweets, offering a nervous smile.

"Breakfast?" he asked.

His father stared in confusion at Varian, then back down to the table of food. Varian waited anxiously for him to process what was in front of him and was rewarded with a humoring smile. "Sure."

They ate silently for a while as Varian internally debated which of the thousands of things he'd rehearsed in his head to say to his father. To his surprise, it was Quirin who spoke first.

"Is this your attempt to change my mind?" he asked.

Varian frowned and kept his eyes on his cinnamon roll as he replied. "This is me… trying to talk. I.. I was very close to running away last night-"

"Varian-?"

"But the Princess stopped me. She made me realize that as much as I want to go on this journey, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't have your support. And I know you're scared. I get it..."

"Do you?" asked Quirin. "Varian, you're young, so it's harder for you to realize… the guilt I've carried after supporting Ulla's dreams only to have her leave us…"

"Dad, I'm sorry, but do you really think you need to talk to me about guilt? Or even about what it feels like to think you've lost someone forever?" Varian locked eyes with his father. "I may be young, but I've been through... a lot, and I understand what the risks are. But just because there are risks, that doesn't mean it's not worth trying. I have to believe that mom felt the same."

Silence hung in the air until finally, Quirin rose from the table and walked away. Varian slumped down in his chair, feeling defeated until he realized his father's footsteps were returning. He turned to see him holding the journal. Varian stared, mouth open.

"You really are just like her. Your mother... she would have been so proud of you, Varian. If you truly feel that this is your destiny, then I will support you. Just…" he held out the journal for Varian to take. "Please promise me you'll take care of yourself."

Varian let his father place the journal in his hands then looked up at him with a smile which Quirin returned. Varian, feeling like his heart might burst with joy, leaped up out of his chair and threw his arms around his dad. "I promise," he said.

~ * ~

Days later, Varian was checking and rechecking the supplies in his bag as Ruddiger pranced around him. His friends stood close, ready to wish him the best on his impending journey. There was even a banner that read 'Good Luck Varian!" which Rapunzel just spent the last ten minutes stringing up between two trees.

Finally satisfied, Varian hoisted the pack up and set about buckling it onto Prometheus, his father's old donkey.

"Sure have a lot of things there," said Eugene.

"I still don't know what sort of trials I'm going to be facing," said Varian. "I want to be ready for anything."

"I'm sure you will be. Just don't get too cocky. And try to say out of trouble best you can, okay?"

"So just don't do whatever you would do," said Varian with a sly grin.

"Oh, haha, very funny."

Varian laughed and held his palm up. "Team Awesome?"

"Team Awesome," replied Eugene with a high five.

"So…" said Kiera, "You're going on this big epic quest. Facing countless dangers. Possibly even certain doom, and there's not even going to be a big treasure at the end? Just some dusty old books?"

"That does seem like a bit of a rip-off," agreed Lance.

Varian tutted at his doubters, "This is why I'm so misunderstood around here. No one appreciates the power of knowledge like I do. These are challenges put in place by Lord Demantitus himself!"

"That guy really does keep popping up, huh?" said Eugene.

"Heh, not to mention a library that holds the greatest alchemical and magical secrets is bound to also have the secret of turning lead to gold."

Lance seemed to suddenly reconsider his opinion. "Lead to gold? Uh… you don't have room for two on that donkey, do you."

Varian chuckled and bent to grab his larger pack, only to jump back as Shorty's head poked out of the top. "Or three?" slurred the drunk as he took a bite of one of the sandwiches Varian had made for the trip.

"Hey, get out of there!" Eugene exclaimed, yanking Shorty out of the bag and chucking him away. Varian glared with annoyance into the bag as he saw that Shorty had made his way through half of his food supplies.

"Don't worry, Varian. I made extras," said Quirin, stepping forward and handing Varian a package of food.

"Thanks, Dad," said Varian. "And thanks for letting me do this. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I expect you to tell me all about it when you return."

Rapunzel stepped closer, holding something folded in her arms. "I made you something too, Varian. I figured you might want some good travel clothes, so I created this vest for you." She handed it over, and Varian wasted no time putting it on. "I sewed pockets on the inside so you can stow some notes or bottles. I hope you like it."

Varian stared down at the vest, already messing with the pockets. "Heh, heh, I love it. This is perfect. Thank you," he looked back up at her. "Really. Thank you. For everything... Rapunzel, I have no idea where I would be without you. You always believed in me when no one else would. And you saved me from yet another big mistake by convincing me to talk to my dad."

"That's what friends do, Varian," said Rapunzel warmly. "Go find your dream, but remember that Corona will always be here when you need it." They hugged each other tightly before Varian reluctantly pulled away.

He grabbed Prometheus's lead as Ruddiger hopped onto his shoulder. Varian took one last look at everyone and nodded goodbye. Then he turned and started down the road, ready for a new journey.

~ * ~

Donella stared down in disapproval at the single journal that had just been tossed onto her desk.

"And the other one? Where is it?" she demanded.

Across the room, the tall figure in black stepped closer and pulled off his hood and mask so that Donella could clearly see Hugo's pale, freckled face was full of annoyance. "I'll admit, I ran into more trouble than I expected. Though if you'd let me use some of my tricks-"

"As I told you already, this mission required discretion. I don't need that husband of hers tracing this back to me and causing unnecessary drama. It's unusual of you to disappoint me like this."

"I know, right?" said Hugo with a shrug. "Not my best work. It was a bit unfair, actually… four on one. And who knew that backwater Corona would have someone actually trained in alchemy… even if it was very crude.."

"There was an alchemist in Old Corona?" spat Donella.

"Yeah, some scrawny dark-haired kid. I'm actually pretty grateful I had that mask on. Losing to him is definitely not something I want anyone to know about."

Donella stroked her fingers down her former partner's journal, considering the implications of this new information. "Hugo, I have a new mission for you. I want you to figure out who this alchemist is. Don't engage yet. Just watch him for me."

She opened the front cover of the journal to where a painting of a small dark-haired baby was secured to the front page. "I'd like to confirm a suspicion…"

Chapter Text

Varian sat astride Prometheus, the donkey, and took in a deep breath of fresh air. “Isn’t it exciting, Ruddiger? We’re out on a grand adventure, facing the world on our own. Who knows what kind of new discoveries and exotic places we’ll find?”

He smiled down at the raccoon. Ruddiger raised an eyebrow then looked around at the quiet, manure-filled sheep pasture they were currently dredging through. He looked back, clearly unimpressed.

“Okay, I know, the past couple weeks haven't been that exciting yet,” he rubbed his sore neck. “And I’m still getting used to roughing it, but that just means the best is still ahead of us, right?” Ruddiger thought about this, then chirped in agreement.

They continued on, Varian checking his maps to make sure they were on the right track to Bayangor’s capital city. Eventually, it was lunchtime. As they reached a small wooded area of the road, Varian hopped off Prometheus so he could go through the bag strapped to the donkey’s side. Ruddiger waited with anticipation as he rummaged.

“Oh, uh… We seem to be a little low on food,” he said, pulling out a package that had little more than a few scraps of bread. Ruddiger quickly snatched the pieces up and stuffed them in his mouth before sniffing the cloth in an attempt to find more. Varian’s own stomach growled in sympathy. “Here’s hoping we find a village or an inn soon. Not really going to be a grand adventure if we starve two weeks in.”

“You’re in luck, kid,” came a voice from the trees. Varian whipped around to see three men step out onto the path in front of him. All were burly, dressed in dark ragged clothes, and the man who was speaking had a long dark goatee. “You’re just a few miles from Xiang Dui.” Though his voice was sweet, Varian was not oblivious to his sinister smile.

“Oh, uh- good to know,” said Varian, backing up slowly as the three approached. “We’d better be on our way then.”

“Oh, but to get to Xiang Dui, you have to pay us the toll,” the man said.

“What? No! Why would I give you anything?” said Varian defiantly. All three men pulled out weapons. The ring leader had a long sword he pointed straight at Varian’s throat. “Oh, I see your point.”

“We’ll be taking your things now,” said Mr. Goatee. “And maybe your cat too. Look’s tasty.”

“Well, first of all,” said Varian, “Ruddiger is a raccoon. And second of all-” Varian pointed behind the three goons and shouted as desperately as he could “Oh my god! What is that? We’re all going to die!”

“What? There’s nothing-” but even as Mr. Goatee said that he turned his head away just enough for Varian to reach into his bag and set off a smoke bomb. Varian grabbed onto Prometheus and Ruddiger and started running as fast as possible into the trees. Behind him, he could hear shouting and arguing. He didn’t let them stop moving until the voices were entirely out of earshot.

He looked around just to be sure they were safe as he panted from the exertion. “There you go, Ruddiger,” he said. “There’s some excitement for you.” He patted Prometheus’s side. The donkey looked even more exhausted from running than he did. “We’re going to have to get in better shape.”

~ * ~

They walked on, carefully staying off the main road to avoid more trouble. Not long after, they passed another farm. Varian jumped as they heard someone cry out in pain. After their previous encounter, Varian, Prometheus, and Ruddiger approached the noise cautiously. They crested a hill and saw a farmer out in his field. It looked like he had been in the middle of plowing but was now crumpled down on the ground.

Varian rushed forward. “Hey, are you okay?” He knelt down to see the man was nursing his right leg, currently in a makeshift brace.

The farmer looked up with a strained smile. He had an older, weathered face with kind eyes. “Hello there, young man. Just need to rest my leg for a minute. But then maybe you can help me up so I can continue my work.”

Varian frowned. “What’s wrong with it? It looks broken. Why are you still trying to work on it? You should be resting.”

The farmer’s face darkened and he looked away. “You’re right. But if I don’t have these fields plowed in time for planting my family won’t have enough to eat this year.”

Varian looked at him aghast. His eyes darted to the plow and the wheels started to turn in his head. He rose and walked around it, thinking out loud. “What if I could make it so you didn’t have to be on that leg? What if I could make this thing run on its own?”

The farmer looked incredulous. “Impossible.”

“Oh no, I assure you, it’s very possible. I could engineer this plow so that it moves on its own. You’d only have to steer it. It would help if I had some more parts though…”

The farmer thought for a second. “I have old farming equipment you could use.”

Moments later Varian stood in front of a pile of bent old tools and parts in the farmer’s barn. It was pretty rusty but still workable with the right expertise. “Perfect,” Varian said. “Uh…” He looked up at the farmer hopefully. “Do you think if I do this, I could spend the night, and maybe have something to eat?”

The farmer smiled, leaning on a wooden crutch for support. “I still don’t know what you plan on doing, but you seem like a nice enough young man. Of course, you can stay here. My name is Su Chen.”

“I’m Varian.”

“Varian, you make yourself at home here. And I’ll send my son out to bring you food while you’re working.” Su Chen hobbled slowly out of the barn as Varian turned back to the pile of junk. Ruddiger hopped onto one of the pieces and looked at Varian with interest as Prometheus found himself a bale of hay to snack on.

“Well, we better get started,” said Varian.

~ * ~

It wasn’t long until Varian had the plow rigged up to a big metal machine. Varian had the side of it open as he worked on the internal mechanisms. With some effort, he attached two pieces of piping together then reached out behind him. “Hey, Ruddiger, can you hand me my wrench?” There was a short pause before he felt the hard metal bar being placed in his gloved hand. “Thanks, buddy.”

“No problem!”

“Huh?!” Varian, shocked to hear his raccoon talking, turned around to realize it hadn’t been Ruddiger at all, but a squat, rosy-cheeked kid holding a tray of food. “Oh... hi there.”

“My dad told me to bring you this,” said the kid, raising the tray. “It’s my mom’s dumplings.”

Ruddiger, who had apparently been napping in the rafters, poked his head over the side. At the promise of a meal, he pattered down to take a look. Varian pulled himself out of the side of his machine, similarly compelled by the prospect of eating.

Varian took the tray from the kid and then popped one of the soft little balls of dough into his mouth. Realizing how good it tasted he downed a couple more right away. “Mwow, fanks,” he said, mouth stuffed with dumping. Ruddiger, encouraged by Varian’s positive review, hopped on his shoulder and snatched a few dumplings for himself.

“Yeah, my mom’s a pretty good cook,” said the kid as he walked past Varian, towards the machine. “Whatcha making?” He reached out to touch one of the levers on the side.

“Oh, hey, woah, woah, woah,” said Varian, quickly giving the tray to Ruddiger before running over. “Don’t touch that!”

The kid paused. He seemed to think for a moment and then reached for another lever.

“Oh, no, definitely don’t touch that either.” Varian gently grabbed the kid’s wrist and pulled it away from his machine. The kid looked up at Varian with such disappointment that it caught him off guard. “Um… uh, I’m sorry,” he said, letting go of the kid’s hand. “It’s just that this stuff can be pretty dangerous for a little guy like you.”

“You’re little.”

Varian glared at the audacity of this statement. “I’ll have you know I’m a perfectly normal height, and anyway, that’s not the point. I mean it’s dangerous for kids.”

“Oh, okay, I understand,” said the kid.

Varian sighed and pulled out his wrench to continue working.

“Can I help?” asked the kid brightly.

Varian turned back, and leaned on the machine, looking at the kid with amusement. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, this,” He tapped on the side of the engine compartment, “heh, is far too complicated and intricate for just anyone to work on. It could take years for you to fully grasp its inner workings.”

The kid peered inside the compartment Varian had been working on. “Well…” he said thoughtfully. “It looks like you’re using a heating element to turn the water in that chamber into steam, which, when compressed, will generate enough force to push a piston inside of that cylinder, which will then, in turn, push the bars attached to the wheels, moving the plow.”

Varian stared at the kid, dumbfounded. “Well… yeah… actually… What’s your name?”

“I’m Yong!” he chirped.

“Yong, huh?” Varian couldn’t help but smile. “I’m Varian. It seems you have the mind of a scientist. Well, heh, in that case, I guess I can take you under my wing. Show you the ropes. Let you see how an invention like this comes together.”

“Yes, please!” said Yong.

Together they ducked down next to the open compartment and Varian started to rattle on about his invention.

~ * ~

Yong listened intently as his new friend Varian spoke. He was eager to learn everything he could.

“Now here’s the part I’m still working on,” Varian said. “Normally, I would construct the heating chamber to house my chemical compounds. But I want your dad to be able to use this without me, so I need a more accessible fuel source. I mean, a wood furnace could work but it might not be powerful enough to-”

“I have an idea,” Yong blurted. Without waiting for a response he rushed away. When he saw that Varian hadn’t moved he waved him over. “Come on, let me show you.” After a moment's hesitation his new friend finally followed. Yong led him to a large pile in the corner of the barn covered with a large cloth. “You need something that gives off heat and energy that we have easy access to. Well, how about this.”

Yong pulled back the cloth to reveal crates filled with fireworks and barrels brimming with- “Black powder!”

“Woah,” whispered Varian. He stepped forward to pinch some of the powder between his gloved fingers. “I’ve heard about this stuff… but I’ve never had a chance to see it in person before.” He brought it to his nose to sniff.

“Yeah,” said Yong proudly, “In Bayangor it’s used to make fireworks. They're a pretty big deal around here. In fact, two days from now is the annual Dragon’s Fire Festival where people from near and far come to show off the special firework displays they’ve created.”

He continued to ramble on as Varian took out a small magnifying glass to inspect the powder more closely. “My older brother, he’s actually won the competition a few times. You should see his fireworks. They form all sorts of shapes and designs. They’re like works of art.”

Varian looked back up. “I notice you have some fireworks here. Were you planning on entering the competition?”

Yong blushed and looked away. “Oh, I entered last year.”

Yong recalled last year's festival in vivid detail, when his creation collapsed in on itself, exploded, and set fire to the stage.

“Yeah, I’m not allowed back,” said Yong meekly.

“Oh... I’m sorry. That must be really frustrating,” said Varian.

“I can’t seem to make anything without it ending in disaster,” said Yong miserably. “I once tried to bake a cake for my mom’s birthday and even that exploded. Turns out flour is very flammable.” He sighed “I just want to show everyone I can make something amazing… without it blowing up in my face all the time.”

“Oh ho, trust me, I’ve caused an explosion or two in my day,” laughed Varian. “You’ll grow out of it eventually. And I’m sure if you don’t give up, you’ll end up making great things. One day, they might even be begging you to come back to the competition.”

Yong smiled hopefully at his new friend until his dad’s voice cut through the moment.

“Please, just leave us alone! You’ve already done enough harm!”

Yong ran to the barn door with Varian right behind him. They peeked around to see the crook, Sankar with his long dark goatee. He had his two thugs, Raj and Ram, backing him up as he stood menacingly outside the farmhouse door. Yong’s dad was there, poking his head out.

“Oh yeah?” said Sankar. “I think it wasn’t enough, seeing as how you still don’t have my money.”

“Hey, I’ve seen those guys,” said Varian quietly. “They tried to rob me on the road today.”

“Yeah,” said Yong sadly, “That’s Sankar. He and his followers have been terrorizing people for ages now. He’s the reason my dad’s leg is broken.”

“I told you!” said Yong’s dad, “We have nothing more to give. Leave us alone!”

“Someone has to do something!” said Varian.

“We’ve tried to get help,” said Yong. “But everyone’s too scared. And our town’s guard is useless.”

“You have one more day,” said Sankar. “If I come back tomorrow, and I don’t see my money, I’ll make sure you regret it.” He turned to go. Yong looked back at Varian, who seemed deep in thought.

“One day, huh?” he said.

“Varian?” asked Yong.

Varian looked at him and smiled. “They like scaring people? I think it’s time someone scared them instead. Maybe with a little science? What do you say?”

~ * ~

It took the rest of the day and most of the evening to finish. Still, with Yong’s help, Varian was able to use the steam engine he was already working on to build something he was sure would drive off Mr. Goatee and his goons.

A few hours later, Varian found a spot in the hayloft to lay out his bedroll. He sat next to the loft window and pulled out his mother’s journal. He flipped through pages already marked with his own notes and transcriptions. Ruddiger looked on as Varian began decoding the text once more.

“Once we take care of things here, we’ll have to be moving on,” said Varian. “And then we’ll be in Bayangor’s capital so we’ll need to figure out where to find the first trial.” He studied the text with a frown. “What I don’t get is she keeps mentioning this ‘River of Fire’, but I don’t know what that is. I mean...” He pulled out a map. “There’s Mount Huana, but it’s been dormant for hundreds of years, how could it make a river of fire?”

“River of Fire?”

Varian jumped and looked over to see Yong poking his head up into the hayloft. “Oh! Yong. I didn’t know you were there. I thought you’d gone to bed already.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” said Yong, crawling over to sit next to Varian. “I’m too excited for tomorrow. Do you really think that big creepy thing you made will be enough to make Sankar leave us alone?”

“I told you, it’s a mechanical physical enhancement defense suit, and if it doesn't work, nothing will. I made it look like the scariest thing I could think of. There’s no way those creeps won’t be needing a change of pants.”

Yong laughed then looked down at the journal. “What’s that?”

“This?” said Varian softly. “Well, um… this is the reason I’m out here, actually. It was my mom’s journal. She dedicated her life to finding a special, secret, treasure.”

“Oh, what?” Yong gasped, his eyes wide.

“The Eternal Library,” said Varian dramatically. “Legends tell of its vast knowledge of science and magic but only those who complete the seven trials are worthy to walk its shelves.”

“Wow!”

“Yeah, I know. My mom, she did the trials when I was very young, but… she never returned.” Varian sighed, then continued. “My dad believes she’s dead… and, I guess she probably is… but now that I have her notes, I can use them to find both her and the library.” Varian grinned at Yong’s face full of wonderment. “It’s just… I’m a little stuck. My mom’s notes talk about a ‘River of Fire,’ and I don’t know what that means.”

Yong’s face scrunched in thought. “Does she mean the canal?”

“Huh?”

“There’s a canal that runs through the capital that’s fed by the mouth of a giant stone dragon. Every year, during the Dragon’s Fire Festival, there’s a ceremony where a huge bunch of candles are sent floating down the canal. The candles make it look almost like the dragon is breathing fire. People call it-”

“The River of Fire,” Varian finished, already looking back through his mom’s notes with this new revelation. “Yes. Yes. She even says ‘the mouth of the River of Fire.’ That must be the dragon statue, which means that’s where the entrance to the trial is! Yong, thank you, that’s exactly what I needed!”

“Can I come with you?” asked Yong.

Varian’s smile faded. “Um… Yong. You’re great and all… And I’ll admit, you’re pretty smart, but this is kind of like a personal journey for me. It’s the kind of thing I have to do alone.”

“Oh,” said Yong, disappointed.

“And besides,” said Varian. “Surely your family would worry about you. You need to stay here, and work on your fireworks.” Varian tapped his fist to his chest. “Leave adventuring to the big boys.”

Yong laughed. “Alright.”

~ * ~

High up on the roof of the barn Hugo lounged back on the soft thatching, tuning out whatever the dimwits below him were talking about. He’d already gotten exactly what he needed to please his employer. “The dragon statue, huh? Good to know.” He yawned and stretched lazily before carefully getting up and nimbly hopping his way down the side of the barn to the ground.

He pulled a small clockwork timepiece out of his bag and looked at it. “Oh, time for my date already.” He slipped the device back into his pouch before slipping himself into the night.

It wasn’t long until he reemerged in the tiny town of Xiang Dui and found Donella’s muscle man waiting down a back alley. “Cyrus!” said Hugo. “You made it!”

“You’re late,” growled Cyrus.

“And yet, you still waited for me. I’m so flattered,” said Hugo.

“Why are we even here? I thought your target was in Corona?”

“This is going to come as a shock to you.” said Hugo, leaning on the larger man’s shoulder, “But, people have the ability to move around using these amazing things called legs.” He used his fingers to demonstrate walking to his grumpy companion. “As it turns out, my target was using his. The people of Corona are very into their gossip, and it took no time to find out he was heading for Bayangor. So, I tracked him out to the middle of nowhere, and here we are.”

Cyrus glared and spoke through gritted teeth. “Just tell me what you’ve found out. Now.”

Hugo sighed and straightened back up. “And here I was, trying to have a nice chat. Very well. His name is Varian. He’s the son of Ulla. He pals around with a dirty raccoon, and he’s trying to complete the trials using the journal.”

“The journal you failed to secure,” Cyrus pointed out.

“So cruel, reminding me of my failures,” said Hugo. “Especially when I’ve found out exactly how to get to the first trial.”

Cyrus looked ready to throttle him. “I’m listening…”

“The canal in Bayangor’s main city is fed by a big old dragon statue. The statue is the entrance.”

Cyrus nodded. “I’ll get this information to Donella. In the meantime, wait for more instructions.”

“And what do we have here?” said a voice Hugo didn’t recognize. He turned to see a gang of thugs coming down the alley. “Haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Oh yes,” said Hugo calmly. “We’re tourists. Can you point the way to the gift shop?”

“You trying to be smart with me?” shouted the leader.

“Oh, I don’t have to try,” said Hugo. With that, he leaped up onto a pile of crates, then up onto the opposite roof.

“Huh!? Hugo!” Called Cyrus “What the-. You can’t just leave me with these idiots!”

Hugo looked over the edge and gave Cyrus a thumbs up. “You’ve got this, buddy. I believe in you!” He could hear Cyrus’s groan of frustration as he dashed away.

~ * ~

Varian walked around the dark exterior of his mechanical suit, tightening bolts and making sure it was ready for the goons’ return. Then he climbed up to inspect the cockpit… to find Yong inside, pulling levers.

“Pew pew! Pow! Rrrrrrrrr kploooow! RAWR! Haha! Fear me! For I am-”

“Yong!” snapped Varian. Yong jumped and turned around with a guilty smile. “What did I say about getting in here?”

“Not to do it?” said Yong. Varian just looked back at Yong with silent judgment. “I’m sorry. It’s just so cool!”

“Yes, well, it’ll be even cooler when it works and that’s not going to happen if you’re in here messing with things.” Varian helped Yong climb out.

“I just want to help,” said Yong dejectedly .

Varian sighed. “I know, but you’re gonna have to trust that I got this.”

Laughter came from outside and Ruddiger came running into the barn pointing out at the road. “They’re here,” said Varian. “Yong, try to stay back so you don’t get hurt!” He climbed back up and into the seat inside his machine. He hit the activation switch to start the engine before pulling down a viewfinder to see what was happening outside.

He watched as the same three goons as before strode up the path getting ready to harass Yong’s family once more. “It’s showtime,” Varian whispered before hitting a big red button.

The mech lurched forward on its wheels.

“Hey, old man!” shouted Sankar. “It’s payday! Come out now before we decide to set your house on fire.”

Three pink balls came flying down and burst at the goons’ feet. They looked down to see themselves covered in bright pink goo. “What the- ?” Before Sankar could finish the thought smoke started to surround them. Then a tall dark shape with curled horns appeared in the fog. “What in the blazes is that?!”

Varian lowered his voice and spoke into a megaphone inside the cockpit. “I AM ZHAN TIRI. FEAR ME, MORTALS, FOR I HAVE COME TO CONSUME THIS FARM AND EVERYONE WHO DARES COME NEAR! MUAHAHAHAHA!”

He watched with glee as the three bullies began to squirm in fear. “Uhh… boss?” said the one on the left, desperately trying to free himself from the goo.

“What kind of joke is this?” shouted Sankar.

Varian flipped a switch and a bolt of electricity shot out of a hole in the side of the machine, shocking the three villains. “YOU DARE TO QUESTION ME?! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY DEARLY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!” He flipped another switch and fire roared harmlessly out the sides of the rig. This was enough for Sankar’s friends, and they pulled their feet straight out of their boots so they could run away. Varian flipped a third switch-

And everything exploded.

Varian, covered in soot, flew through the air and landed painfully on the ground as shrapnel scattered everywhere. He groaned and coughed.

“Varian!” Yong ran over and knelt next to him. “Varian, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“What…” said Varian painfully, “Did. You. Do?”

“Uh... I thought the engine could be more efficient… so I made some adjustments… “

“Well, well…” mused Sankar. Varian looked up to see he’d landed right in front of Mr. Goatee, himself. Sankar reached down and hoisted Varian up in the air by his front collar. “You’re the kid from yesterday. Thought you could mess with us, huh?”

“Hey! Let him go!” yelled Yong swinging an ineffectual punch at Sankar. Sankar just kicked Yong to the ground then looked back at Varian, who was struggling as best he could in the man’s iron grip.

“You’re going to regret ever being born when I’m done with you.” He lifted a fist, and Varian braced for impact.

“That’s enough, Sankar. Leave that young man alone.” Su Chen hobbled forward as Sankar paused his assault. “I have what you came for. Take it and leave.”

Sankar smiled wickedly. He threw Varian to the ground, then took the large sack of coin Su Chen held out. He looked at Yong and Varian briefly, before backhanding Su Chen.
“Dad!” cried Yong.

Varian saw one of his bottles of chemicals close by and, with great effort, reached out for it. Before he could, Sankar stepped on his hand. Varian screamed in pain.

“Don’t even think about using your magic on me again, boy,” said Sankar. “You better leave this town because next time I won’t let some old man stop me from turning you black and blue.” Sankar looked around then back down at Varian. “And I think, to teach you a lesson, I’ll be taking that stupid cat and donkey of yours.”

“What?! No!” pleaded Varian. Sankar walked away. Varian tried to scramble up, but the blast still had him too sore and dizzy to stand up properly. He watched as Sankar and his men, who returned after the explosion went off, snatched up Ruddiger and Prometheus, then walked away. “No! Ruddiger! Stop, please!” But Varian’s pleas went unanswered as the three villains disappeared from view.

“Varian?” came Yong’s timid voice.

Varian’s head hung low, and his fists clenched by his sides. He didn’t respond.

“Varian, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to mess things up so bad,” said Yong.

Varian looked out to where he last saw Ruddiger, feeling numb. “I know,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You were just trying to help.” Without looking at Yong he turned and walked over to the barn. Yong followed nervously and watched as Varian lifted his bag to his shoulder.

“Wait. Where are you going?” asked Yong.

“I have to get Ruddiger, and Prometheus back.”

“Let me come with-”

“No!” shouted Varian, finally looking straight at Yong. He grimaced, then continued with a more even voice. “No, Yong. I think it’s better if you stay here. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you and your family.”

Varian walked away, not even looking back, as he headed off to find his companions.

~ * ~

Keeping up with Sankar, and his men wasn’t too hard. They kept themselves distracted with their own bickering. They were also having a hard time getting Prometheus to move. Varian followed at a distance. He was not eager to face them head-on again.

He tracked them all the way to Xiang Dui and watched them arrive at an impressive-looking house. They tied Prometheus to a pole. Ruddiger, who had been thrown into a sack, was hung up from a hook on the side of the house. Varian ducked when Sankar looked around at the otherwise empty street, then knocked on the door. After a moment, a woman dressed in a fine jade cheongsam with sleek black hair answered. She also looked around hurriedly, before pulling Sankar inside.

Varian, curious, looked over to where the two goons were posted by the animals. They were okay for the moment. He snuck around the side and looked in through the windows until he could see Sankar and the woman again. He watched as Sankar handed her the bag of gold he’d received from Su Chen.

“Finally,” said the woman. “It took you long enough. You’re growing soft giving those peasants so many warnings.”

“I enjoy making them squirm,” said Sankar.

“Hmm, yeah you do,” she said, looking Sankar up and down. Varian gagged audibly. “What was that?”

Varian hid in a bush, as the woman walked to the window. “I didn’t hear anything,” said Sankar.

“Can’t be too careful,” said the woman. “This whole town knows me as the sweet, benevolent, Mayor Beatrice. Wouldn’t want to spoil that by letting them know I’m the one squeezing them for their precious coins.”

“Wow, that’s messed up,” whispered Varian. “Ugh, I need to get out of here.” He crept back around to where he could see the goons guarding Ruddiger and Prometheus. Still concealed in the bushes, Varian rummaged through his bag, looking for something he could use as a distraction. He pulled out a couple of bottles with a smile. “This should do nicely,” he said.

He mixed the two liquids together, shook the bottle then turned it in time to allow the whole thing to shoot up into the air. It shattered against a tree making the two goons whip their heads around.

“Hey! Who’s there?” said the one on the left. They both jogged over to the sound, and Varian sprung into action. He ran over to where the squirming sack was hanging and untied it. Ruddiger emerged and gratefully jumped into Varian’s arms.

“Hey there, buddy. Everything’s gonna be okay now.” He let the raccoon climb onto his shoulder then untied Prometheus from the pole.

“What’s the plan?”

Startled, Varian turned to see Yong emerging from the bushes, a bunch of firecrackers strapped to his leg. “What? Yong? What are you doing here? And what are you doing with those?” he hissed gesturing to the fireworks.

“I felt so bad about what happened,” Yong whispered. “I just wanted to make it up to you. So, I came to help. I thought I could use these to fight!”

“What?” said Varian.

“Keep looking around! Someone is definitely here!” said a goon. Varian grabbed both Prometheus and Yong. He dragged them around the corner of the house, and into the woods. Once out of sight, he rounded on Yong.

“No, no, no, no one is fighting anyone. Those guys would wipe the floor with us. No, I’m taking Ruddiger and Prometheus, and getting out of here. And you should be going home.”

“But they’re not going to stop. You’re the one who said we had to do something.”

“And I tried to help, but that didn’t work out, did it? I’m sorry, Yong.”

“But, Varian-”

“That’s enough, Yong! You’ll end up just blowing everything up, anyway. You’re not ready for all this!”

Yong looked up in shock, as tears sprung into his eyes. Varian felt instant regret. He reached for Yong’s shoulder, but Yong pulled back and glared at Varian. “Fine,” he said, before running off.

Varian watched him go, then sighed. He grabbed Prometheus’s lead and started walking away. Ruddiger began to chatter in his ear. Then he hopped onto Prometheus’s back. Varian looked over to see the raccoon was also glaring at him.

“Wha? Uck… don’t look at me like that, Ruddiger,” said Varian, continuing to walk. Ruddiger pounced down in front of him and looked up with little arms crossed. Varian stopped. “Ruddiger, I know… that was… harsh… And I want to help, I do. But, look at what happened!” Varian presented his soot-covered form. “What are we even supposed to do?” Ruddiger climbed up and pulled one of Varian’s alchemy bottles out of his bag. He placed it in Varian’s hand. Varian looked down at the bright green concoction. He noticed his own face in the bottle’s reflection, and guilt struck him. He gripped the bottle tighter. “Alright, you win.”

~ * ~

Yong rubbed the tears from his eyes as he crept back toward the house. “I’ll show you, Varian,” he muttered. “I’ll show you, my family, and everyone that I can do this.”

He peered through the leaves to find Raj and Ram only now discovering that the animals were gone. They were arguing about it, shouting and pushing each other. It made sneaking by them an easy task. He poked his head into the front door before slipping the rest of the way into the house. He couldn’t see Sankar yet, but what he did see were piles of goods all around the room. There were crates of durian, apples, and pears. Bags of soybeans, rice, and flour. Chests full of coins. “Everything they’ve stolen.” whispered Yong. “If the town guards could just see this…”

“What do we have here.”

Yong looked up to see Sankar standing in a doorway. A woman came up behind Sankar and leaned on his shoulder. Yong’s eyes widened. "Mayor Beatrice?” he said dumbfounded. He hadn’t even realized this was her house.

“Sankar, what on earth is this?” Beatrice asked

“Just some farmer’s boy,” said Sankar.

“Yes, but what’s he doing here?” she replied.

“I’m here to make you pay for everything you’ve done!” shouted Yong, proudly.

Sankar and Beatrice both laughed.

“How cute,” said Beatrice. “Sankar, dear, this boy knows my secret now. I need you to take care of him for me.”

Sankar drew his sword. “Consider it done.”

Yong took a few steps back, before gathering his courage. He lit a firework and tossed it at Sankar. It exploded right next to the villain, forcing him to duck and shield himself. Yong, emboldened by this success, threw two more fireworks.

Sankar danced around to avoid the blasts. He swung his sword wildly when the next firework came, slicing it in two and diverting the explosion.

“Ha! Take that!” Shouted Yong. He looked down and realized he’d accidentally lit the line of fireworks strapped to his leg. “Huh? Oh no…” He scrambled to release the straps, and flung the fireworks in the air. They went off right by his head, leaving him dazed. Yong felt Sankar’s heavy boot kick him to the ground. He looked up, eyes wide with fear, as Sankar lifted his sword up high.

With a shattering of glass, green smoke filled the air and Sankar watched with horror as his sword turned green and dissolved before his eyes. “What is this magic?” he snarled.

“Not magic. Alchemy.”

Varian stood in the entrance, his hands holding more fluorescent bottles. Ruddiger sat growling on his shoulder.

“Varian!” exclaimed Yong. Varian looked at him with soft eyes.

“Yong, I’m sorry for what I said. I shouldn’t have given up on you.”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave, cat-boy?” Shouted Sankar running for Varian with his fist raised.

“Seriously, how have you never seen a raccoon before?” asked Varian as he ducked out of the way.

Ruddiger leapt onto Sankar, scratching his face, before bounding away. Yong pulled out another firework and tossed it at Sankar. Varian, in turn, threw two vials which also exploded against Sankar’s body. They went back and forth, evading Sankar while pelting him with their projectiles.

Until finally, Sankar had enough. He clenched his fists tight, and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Raj! Ram! Get in here!” Sankar’s thugs ran into the room. Mayor Beatrice also entered, now carrying a sword of her own. Yong and Varian stood back to back, as the four villains surrounded them.

“What do we do now?” whispered Yong.

“I’m thinking, just give me a second,” hissed Varian.

“The fun and games are over, boys,” said Beatrice.

“Use more alchemy!” breathed Yong.

Varian shook his head. “I’m all out. I used most of it on the mech suit. What about your fireworks?”

“I only have one left.” Yong’s eyes darted around for some kind of exit until they landed on a pile of flour against the exterior wall. “Varian, do you remember my mom’s birthday cake?”

Varian followed Yong’s gaze to the flour. “Are you sure about that?”

“No,” said Yong, honestly.

“Just do it!”

“End of the line,” said Mayor Beatrice, raising her sword.

Yong lit his last rocket and tossed it at the flour. It wedged between two bags and sparks poured out. Varian grabbed Yong and pulled them both to the floor as the whole wall went up in a fiery explosion.

Yong looked up cautiously to see that he’d punched a sizable hole in the wall and that the timbers were still alight with a blazing fire. Sankar, Raj, and Ram, who had been closest to the blast, were unconscious on the floor. Mayor Beatrice was busy putting out the flames in her hair.

Five guards rushed into the building. “What is going on, here?” shouted the Captain.

Beatrice pointed at Yong and Varian. “Captain!” She screeched. “Arrest these two boys! They have attacked me, and ruined my home!”

“Sir, please listen,” said Yong, getting to his feet. “You know Sankar and his men have been terrorizing, and stealing from the farmers, and townsfolk for ages. Just look, please! It’s all here. All the things they’ve taken. They’ve been working with the mayor this whole time.”

“Liar!” spat Beatrice.

The Captain looked around at the piles of goods as the other guards worked on putting out the fire. “And yet, Sankar is here in your home along with all the things that have been reported stolen. Just enough evidence to take you for questioning.”

“You can’t do that!” said Beatrice.

“I can. It’s about time we put an end to this crime spree.” The Captain signaled the guards. They grabbed Beatrice, then worked on hauling out the other villains, as well. The Captain walked over to Yong, and Varian. “And what are you doing here?”

“Um…” said Yong.

“We’re here cause they stole from me,” said Varian, standing next to Yong. “We were just trying to get back what was ours, and everything kind of got out of hand.”

“I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this,” said the Captain. “But, I have to thank you. I suspected the Mayor was up to no good for a while now, but had nothing concrete to go on.”

“No problem,” said Yong. “Glad to help.”

The Captain walked away. As Varian let out a sigh of relief, Yong threw his arms around him in a big hug.

“Thank you, Varian,” said Yong. “Thank you for coming back.”

“Well, we’re friends now, right? Friends have to be there for each other,” said Varian softly, returning the hug. “And besides, we make a pretty good team.”

Ruddiger suddenly jumped up between them, getting in on the hug. Yong laughed. “Thank you, too, Ruddiger.”

“Alright,” said Varian. “Now, let's get you home.”

~ * ~

That evening, Hugo sat in the Xiang Dui town bar sipping from a flagon, until Cyrus entered. He sat down next to Hugo, grumpy as ever.

“Cyrus, you’re alive! I’m so glad,” said Hugo.

“No thanks to you,” grumbled Cyrus.

“We both know fighting isn’t really my style. Which is why I’ll be happy to get out of this town as soon as possible. Did you hear they had to arrest their own mayor today? What a dangerous place.”

“Donella has a new mission for you,” said Cyrus.

“Oh? That was quick.”

“We will deal with the target. You are to go retrieve the totem from the first trial.”

“Oh boy, sounds like fun,” said Hugo as he downed the rest of his drink. He winked at Cyrus. “You know I love a good treasure hunt.”

~ * ~

Warm sunlight shone down on Varian as he put the finishing touches on the newly built steam-powered plow. He stood up straight and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“It’s done?” asked Yong eagerly, running to Varian’s side.

“All done! With this baby, your dad will be able to plow the whole field in no time!” Boasted Varian. “Oh! And I also attached a device to the bottom that will plant seeds as he goes!”

“It’s truly remarkable,” said Su Chen, as he slowly limped over. “Thank you, Varian. You have done so much for us.”

Varian rubbed his head bashfully. “Um, it’s nothing really. I’m just glad it all turned out.”

Su Chen nodded and held out a large package. “This is for you. This should help keep you fed for at least a few days on your journey.”

“Thank you so much,” said Varian.

“Yong tells me you’re heading for the Bayangor capital city. It’s only about an hour by horse from here. You are fortunate to be arriving on the day of the Dragon’s Fire Festival.”

“Dad, can I go with him?” asked Yong. “I promise I won’t go anywhere near the Firework Contest.”

Su Chen smiled. “That sounds like a fine idea. But only if it’s okay with Varian.”

Yong looked up at Varian with huge, puppy dog eyes. “I’ll be able to show you the way to the dragon statue. I promise I won’t get in your way.”

Varian looked back apprehensively but then relaxed with a smile. “You know what? Sure. Of course you can come with me. But when it’s time for my…” His eyes darted to Su Chen, then back to Yong. “My appointment... You’ll have to wait outside.”

“Deal,” agreed Yong, smiling brightly once more.

Varian laughed. He’d been so certain that his journey had to be a solo one. He hadn’t realized until now how lonely that had been. It would be nice to have someone with him. At least for a little while.

Chapter Text

Compared to the quiet countryside and sleepy towns Varian had traveled through, the capital of Bayangor was fervent with sounds, smells, and energy. Bright red and gold kites soared through the air, catching the light of the setting sun. Lanterns dotted the rooftops, lending their glow to the bustle below. Banners carrying the kingdom's insignia fluttered from large brass poles. The streets were teeming with people of all ages performing music, dancing, and playing games. Pop up stands and colorful carts were everywhere selling goods, putting on puppet shows, and offering chances to win prizes.

It was nearly overwhelming, and Varian had to stop to take it all in. "Wow, this…"

"I know. It's awesome," said Yong confidently.

"Yeah," laughed Varian. "So many people. It's like this every year?"

"Yep," said Yong. "We used to come as a family all the time, but with my parents getting older it's harder for them to travel. And my brothers never come to visit anymore."

Varian frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but then Yong was pointing through the crowd. "Do you see that? They're juggling flaming torches!"

Varian followed his finger to find that there were indeed big sticks of fire flying through the air. "That's cool, but I really need to be getting to the-"

"Let's go check it out!" said Yong running into the crowd of spectators.

"-to the first trial," finished Varian quietly. On his shoulder, Ruddiger started sniffing rapidly and then pointed toward a stand of delicious-looking food. "Looks good, buddy. But we don't really have time-" Varian stopped as Ruddiger ignored him and bounded away. Varian turned and eyed Prometheus to see if he was next. The donkey seemed to give an apathetic shrug. Varian sighed, but then his eyes focused on a stand just beyond Prometheus's head. Upon it sat an assortment of bright red boxes and vases, all intricately carved.

Varian walked over slowly with wide eyes.

"Why hello there, young man," said the old lady working the stand. "Admiring the craftsmanship?"

Varian's fists had migrated up to his mouth in eagerness. He lowered them slightly to speak. "What did you use to dye them?" he asked hopefully. "Is that… cinnabar?"

"Well, yes. It is."

"Do you have any more? That I could buy?"

The lady looked confused but pulled out a bottle of red powder. "I suppose. If that's what you really want."

Varian looked at his remaining companion, practically bouncing with excitement. "Prometheus! Do you realize what that is? Heh heh hnn, cinnabar can be roasted to make mercury! Mercury! Can you believe it?" Prometheus stared back with little indication of how much he believed.

Varian thought for a second then straightened up a bit. "Heh, I guess, hanging out at this festival for a little while wouldn't be such a bad idea," he conceded.

Varian found a stable to put up Prometheus for the night and then joined in the festivities. The next few hours Varian, Yong, and Ruddiger took in as much of the Dragon's Fire Festival as they could.

They watched with awe as more street performers showed off daring tricks and acrobatics. They ate satay, rojak, lok-lok, and nasi lemak until they were full to bursting. They laughed at puppet shows with zany, over the top characters. Varian spent at least an hour calculating the trajectory of a ball so he could win Yong a panda doll from a carnival game.

And Varian bought plenty of alchemical supplies.

~ * ~

Yong was having a fantastic night. He hugged his new panda doll to his side as he walked alongside Varian.

"So," Varian took a quick bite of satay before continuing. "You heat it for up to ten minutes, but you have to make sure the heat is extreme so that it can undergo thermal decomposition. Then you need the water cause you dissolve the calcium oxide until-" Varian cut off as a resounding crack cut through the air, followed by little pops.

Yong looked ahead of them to see the sky overhead filled with brightly colored sparks forming beautiful shapes and patterns. Below the display was the stage for the firework contest where a contestant was currently dazzling the crowd.

Yong stopped in his tracks. He frowned and hugged the panda tighter.

"Oh," said Varian, looking between Yong and the stage. "Is that?"

"The contest," confirmed Yong with a nod before bringing the panda up to hide his face in embarrassment. He couldn't let anyone see him here.

"Yong? Is that you?" Too late. Yong turned towards the familiar voice. A large, brightly dressed man stood smiling at him.

"Hi Ru," Yong said nervously.

"It's been so long," said Ru with a laugh. "I mean, I've been so busy, you know. Just about everyone wants to see my fireworks, and I've had to plan non-stop for the festival for weeks now. Who's your friend?"

"This is Varian," said Yong. "Varian, this is my brother Ru."

Ru held out a broad hand for Varian. Varian took it and Ru shook it with so much strength that Yong could tell it was painful. "So nice of you to babysit my brother like this," Ru said bombastically. Yong blushed harder at the word babysit. "Though I'm surprised dad let him come within a hundred feet of this place after what happened last time."

Varian pulled his hand back, his brow furrowing. "Actually, Yong is here helping me out."

"Helping you?" Ru laughed. "With what?"

Varian straightened up and pointed to himself proudly. "I happen to be Corona's Royal Engineer. Yong is assisting me with a project here in the city."

"Heh. Unless your project is to demolish a city block, you probably want to rethink that," said Ru. He put a hand on Yong and ruffled his hair. "My little brother here can't touch anything without it becoming a fiery mess."

Yong shrunk down in shame as Ru continued. "You should have seen him at the festival last year. I tried to warn him that his design was destined for failure but-"

"Stop that!" snapped Varian. Yong peeked up to see Varian squaring up to Ru. "How can you talk about him like that? He's your brother! And so you know, Yong just took out a gang of bullies terrorizing your hometown. He might mess up sometimes, but he's still learning. And maybe if your head wasn't so far up your own ego you'd actually realize how smart and amazing he is. Come on, Yong."

Varian grabbed Yong's wrist and pulled him away. Ruddiger stayed behind only long enough to chatter indignantly at Ru before following as well.

Varian stomped along until they were out of sight of both Ru and the firework contest. Then he dropped Yong's hand and looked down at him angrily. Yong flinched back, and Varian's face quickly softened.

"Hey," said Varian gently. "Don't listen to him."

"He's right, though," said Yong tearfully. "I mess everything up all the time."

Varian bent down and put his hands on Yong's shoulders so that their faces were level. "That can't be true," he said. "And even if it was, so what? That doesn't mean you stop trying. Sometimes," Varian looked down as if he were recalling a memory. "-you just need someone who believes in you." He looked back up with a smile, and Yong smiled too.

Yong sniffed and wiped his eyes as Varian stood up straight. Then he looked around. He realized where they were and pointed down the street. "We're close to the canal. It's right over there. I think it's almost time for the River of Fire ceremony." Ready to forget about his brother, Yong started leading Varian past a row of carnival games towards the water.

~ * ~

Hugo twirled a wooden ring around his finger as he watched the motley crew walk by, raccoon in tow, as always.

"Hey, pal. You gonna throw that or what? Other people want to play!" said the man standing in line behind him. Hugo looked back at the man's annoyed face with a sweet smile.

"No need to fuss. Was just strategizing," Hugo said before turning back to look at the array of bottles on the far table. His tongue poked out slightly as he took aim and then tossed the ring towards the center. The ring pinged off one of the bottles before falling to the table.

"Ha!" laughed the man behind him. "So much for strategy, loser."

"Sorry, sir," said the worker from behind the counter. "Did you want to try again?"

"That's fine," said Hugo, turning to go. The man in line behind him was still chortling. "I have other games to play."

He pushed the laughing man out the way with his shoulder and kept walking as he tucked the man's wallet into his pocket.

After a moment, he caught sight of Cyrus. He was around a corner with at least five more of Donella's crew. Hugo tilted his head towards where Varian and the kid had gone. Cyrus nodded and started walking in that direction.

Hugo turned the other way. "Time to get to work," he said under his breath.

~ * ~

Varian and Yong sat with their feet dangling off the stone wall of the canal. Below about three feet down the water sparkled in the lantern light. Ruddiger lay propped against Yong's back, dozing off.

"Do you see it?" asked Yong, pointing up the hill. "You can just barely make it out, but that's the statue. After the ceremony, I can show you how to get up there, and you can do your trial." Yong crossed his legs and looked back down into the water. "Today was the most fun I've had in a long time."

Varian looked down, too, seeing their reflections in the dark ripples. "Me too. I, uh, have a lot of friends back in Corona. And they're awesome. But they don't really understand my interests. It's nice to hang out with someone who gets it."

They sat silently for a moment until Yong shouted. "Varian, look!"

Varian looked back up the hill and saw a soft light glowing. It grew and became stronger. Then it seemed to flow down and wind through the city towards them. It went in and out of sight behind walls and buildings, but the glow was still there coming closer and closer. Varian watched happily as the 'River of Fire' formed before his eyes. He glanced back down at the water to look at his reflection again.

There was someone else reflected in the water. A burly man, scared over his eye and wearing dark green armor, was standing over them. Varian whipped around and got to his feet defensively. "Can I help you?" he asked. Yong and Ruddiger looked up as they caught on to what was happening.

"The journal," the man said. "Hand it over now."

"Heh, I don't know what you're talking about," said Varian. He put a protective arm out as Yong stood up beside him. Yong's panda doll toppled down to the water behind them.

"We know you have it," the man said. Varian watched with dread as five more people in dark green armor emerged from the crowd surrounding them. "Give it to us, and there won't be any trouble."

Varian thought for a moment then finally shrugged. "Fine then. If you want it so bad." He swung his bag off his shoulder and started rummaging in it. Mr. Scar Man smirked in victory.

"Varian, no," said Yong aghast.

"No, no, it's fine," said Varian. "Now, where did I put the darn thing…"

Inside the bag, Varian carefully used his thumb to uncork a bottle. Then as fast as he could, he flung it up at the man's face. Pink goo formed around his head, and he stumbled back, blinded. Varian grabbed some more bottles, put his bag back on, and grabbed Yong. "Come on!" He threw down a smoke bomb as Ruddiger jumped on his shoulder. Then they pushed into the crowd.

They ran down the street as fast they could, squeezing through the throngs of people.

"Who were those guys?" asked Yong. "How do they know about your mom's journal?"

"Well, um," started Varian as they ran around a corner, "Back in Corona, someone tried to steal it too. He actually got away with another of my mom's journals."

They skidded to a halt as two of the green guys came into view. They ran the other way and took a different street. Varian continued. "These guys might be his friends. No idea who they are, though." They passed some vendors, and in desperation, Yong grabbed a handful of firecrackers from a basket. He started lighting it until Varian grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" said Varian. "There are too many people. You'll hurt someone."

"But-" Yong tried to object, but Varian just tugged him along.

Their pursuers appeared before them. Varian and Yong darted to the left and stumbled upon a ladder attached to the side of a building. "Up here," said Varian urgently. He let Yong climb and then followed as the green armored men caught up.

Halfway up the ladder, Varian felt a tug on his ankle, and he slipped down. "Waaahh!" He looked down to see one of the bad guys had him in a tight grip. He tried kicking him, but couldn't get the right leverage.

"Varian!" Having reached the rooftop, Yong was peaking over, raising a firecracker.

"No, Yong! Wait! I've got this!" said Varian frantically, not prepared to be blown off the side of the building. Varian's foot finally collided with the man's face, but it seemed to only make him angrier.

Ruddiger rushed down, climbing over Varian until he could jump onto the man and scratch at his eyes. The man finally released Varian's foot, and Varian scrambled up the ladder. Ruddiger climbed back up as soon as Varian got away.

Once on top, they took off running again. Shingles fell away beneath their feet, forcing them to slip and slide as they tried to maneuver across the rooftops. Banners and lanterns fluttered into their faces, getting in the way of their escape. It was not long until they were cut off again by the bad guys climbing up to the roof's edge they'd been just about to leap from.

One of the men, looking frustrated, drew a sword and swung it at Varian. Varian twisted behind a banner pole to protect himself. The force snapped the pole straight off its setting. Varian grabbed it. As the man turned to swing at Yong, Varian stepped in front of him and held the brass pole up.

The sword connected with the pole and the impact sent vibrations straight through Varian's body. Even so, he stayed put and kept the pole up in defense as the man continued to rain down blows. With each strike Varian and Yong were forced to slide further and further down the roof.

Pebbles skipped off the side of the roof and down to the busy street below as the two boys were pushed to the edge.

"Varian?" said Yong, panic in his voice, as he looked down.

Varian glanced down as well. He noticed a rope holding up a string of lanterns and made a quick decision. "Hang onto me!" He pulled Yong's arm around him, then swung the pole up and over the rope. He held onto both sides then jumped.

They zipped down the rope, lanterns popping off and flying into the air. When they were low enough, Varian let go of one end of the pole, and they fell down to the ground. As they stood back up, Varian heard the sound of fireworks. He looked up, realizing they'd wound up at the contest again. They ran to hide backstage.

Varian peaked out from behind a curtain to see the green armored men were still hot on their trail. Behind him, Yong was looking at the firework designs. He eyed over a massive rocket shaped like a dragon's head.

"Yong, we've got to get to the trial before they catch us," said Varian, watching the men come closer and closer.

"Got it," said Yong.

Varian turned to see him messing with the rocket. "Yong now's not the time to-"

"Get on!" With a surprising amount of strength, Yong shoved Varian on top of the rocket and lit the fuse. Ruddiger, realizing what was about to happen, hid inside Varian's bag.

"What are you d-aaaahhh!" The rocket took off, Yong riding in back and Varian clutching desperately to the side as it soared into the sky. More fireworks burst around them as they flew, and Varian realized their ride might explode too. "Yong?" He shouted.

"Jump!" Yong yelled back.

They let go just before the dragon head burst into a shower of colorful sparks. They tumbled down and landed on the cloth roof of a cart. This promptly ripped, and they crashed down into a bed of green, leafy, cabbages.

"Hey!" shouted the vendor.

"Sorry," Varian and Yong said simultaneously as they jumped up to keep running. They raced up the hill towards the start of the canal. The rocket had bought them enough time to reach it unhindered.

They stopped in front of the giant stone statue, and Varian pulled out his mom's journal. "How do we get in, mom?" He flipped rapidly through the pages for the answer. "Over here," he said, guiding them behind the immense spout of water. It was harder to see here in the shadows. Still, with the help of his mom's drawings, Varian found a scale on the dragon that gave way when he pressed it.

A door slid open, and wasting no time, Varian and Yong rushed inside. The door immediately started to close behind them, and they were thrown into complete darkness.

~ * ~

Compared to the rest of the city, the square that held the giant stone dragon statue was calm and tranquil. The festival, it seemed, was starting to come to a close, and there were only a few families still milling about.

Hugo came closer, watching the steady stream of water pour from the dragon's mouth. His eyes trailed downward, trying to decide where the secret entrance hid. The statue had so much detail that there were plenty of nooks and crannies with potential. He started feeling along the surface.

Until Hugo heard rapid footsteps. The sound was approached quickly. Hugo ducked down into a shadow. He could hardly believe it as he watched Varian, the kid, and the raccoon racing across the square. Hugo shrank down further into the dark, so as not to be seen.

Varian pulled out his book and flipped through the pages. In moments the stone cracked open to reveal a passage, and the three misfits ran inside.

Hugo wasted no time slipping in behind and immediately hiding once more in a dark corner.

~ * ~

Everything was pitch black.

"Varian?" said Yong.

"Yeah, I'm here, hold on." Varian pulled out a glass ball filled with one of his chemicals and shook it until it started to glow a soft green light. Yong's face appeared in the dark, and Varian moved closer to him as they both looked around.

They were in a long, tall tunnel, lined with row after row of pillars. Round, brass sconces hung on the posts waiting to be lit. Instead, Varian looked between them and the ball of green light in his hand. He reached up and snapped off one of the metal rings. With some adjustments, Varian was able to fix the ball inside. Then he attached the ring to his banner pole.

"So we can have light as we go," he explained.

Yong nodded in understanding. Ruddiger hopped onto the shorter boy's shoulder, and the three of them started walking down the passage. After a while, everything started to slope downwards. They skidded on the stone a couple of times as they went. Finally, the journey ended in a large door. As they got closer, they could see letters written on the door.

This belongs to you but is often used by others.

"Belongs to you, but used by others," muttered Varian thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?" asked Yong, Ruddiger still tucked on his shoulder.

"It's a riddle," said Varian. "Apparently, Demanitus was a fan. Hrm… Used by others… time? No, that can't be it."

"An umbrella?" suggested Yong. "I use my mom's all the time."

Varian shook his head. "Belongs… he probably means it metaphorically. Like your mind… or your name…" Varian looked back up at the inscription. "A name."

The letters flashed with red light but then when dark again.

"My name is Yong," he said politely.

Letters formed on the door in bright red font as if written by an invisible hand until they formed Yong. The boys smiled at each other, then Varian looked back up.

"Varian," he said. Right beneath Yong's name, new letters formed to write Varian.

Then, before their eyes, the letters began to smoke and burst into flames. The flames engulfed the door, forcing the boys to stumble back in surprise. In moments the door was reduced to ash, revealing a new passage. Varian shared a look with Yong.

"Maybe you should wait here," said Varian. "We don't know what's coming up next. It could be dangerous."

Yong frowned in disappointment. "I can handle it," he said. "And anyway, if those green guys get in, I'll be in danger out here by myself."

Varian struggled with this a moment, weighing their options. "Okay," he said. "Just stay close and try not to touch anything."

~ * ~

Hugo watched the two boys enter the passage beyond the burned-down door. He waited a moment and then rushed forward to follow them. Before he could cross the threshold, a new door snapped up in the former's place.

"What? How?" asked Hugo, caught off guard. He stood straight and crossed his arms, composing himself. "So, you want a name? But can you tell if it's authentic? Hmm... My name is Alan."

He waited, but nothing appeared on the door. "Glenn?" he tried. "Flynn Ryder." Still, nothing happened. Hugo sighed. "Fine. Hugo."

In blazing red letters, the name Hugo appeared on the door, and just like before fire engulfed the whole thing leaving an opening lined with ashes. Hugo stepped over them and onto the next part.

~ * ~

Varian and Yong continued walking carefully down the dark chamber, the bright green glow from Varian's staff casting long dark shadows on the walls and pillars. They slowed as they saw something towards the end of the hall. A towering figure loomed but didn't move. They crept forward until they realized it was an inanimate dragon statue. It stared at them, its eyes black as night.

Varian looked around, realizing there was no door or hallway ahead of them.

"What now?" asked Yong.

"There must be a secret door somewhere," said Varian. He went to the closest wall and started to feel each stone, testing for a trigger.

Yong watched him for a moment before looking back at the dragon statue. On closer inspection, he saw there was something written on it. He brushed aside some dust to make it out.

I am born to be destroyed. I am reborn to bring joy to others.

"Destroyed?" Yong whispered. He walked around the statue, looking for more clues until something on the floor caught his eye. The light of Varian's staff had glinted off of something in front of the statue.

Yong came around and looked down to see that about two feet in front of the dragon were three hexagonal-shaped stones. Each had a different symbol on them. Ruddiger jumped down from his shoulder, also inspecting the rocks. "That's…sulfur," Yong told the raccoon. "And then, that's…" Yong gasped. "That's potassium nitrate! That must mean…' I exist to be destroyed.' A firework? So that... that must be charcoal." He looked up at the dragon and hesitantly pressed down on the symbol for charcoal."

A dim light began to creep up the dragon, starting at the bottom and moving up almost like a glass filling with water. Yong pulled his hand away, and the light paused its accent. "Varian!"

"Hold on, Yong, I think I found something," said Varian, distracted by a loose brick.

"Me too." Yong thought for a moment. "To make a firework, you need fifteen percent charcoal." He pressed down on the charcoal symbol until the light climbed up about fifteen percent of the way. "Ten percent sulfur." Yong pressed the symbol for sulfur down and watched the light rise until about a quarter was lit up. "And then the rest is potassium nitrate." He placed his hand down on the correct symbol and watched the statue fill with light. Then the whole thing burst into a spray of fireworks.

"Yong? What did you do?" Varian rushed over to Yong's side, his eyes wide with worry. Before Yong could respond, he felt the floor drop down. They both looked down to see that the floor was sliding down into a ramp. They tried to scramble away, but before they could even stand, they were tumbling down into a long dark tunnel.

Varian held out his staff and tried to use it to stop his slide downward. Finally, he managed to wedge it into the sides right before the tunnel let out. Unfortunately, Yong was still falling, and as soon as he hit Varian's back, the two of them, along with Ruddiger, went falling out to the room below.

Yong groaned and slowly moved to get up. Varian was already next to him. "Yong, what was that? What did you do?"

"It was a puzzle," said Yong.

"More like a trap," said Varian. "Yong, I told you not to touch anything."

Yong wanted to object, but not wanting a fight, he clammed up. Instead, he looked around to get an idea of where they'd been deposited.

The room was a massive cavern stretching hundreds of feet across with stalactites jutting down from a reddish-brown ceiling. All around, coming out of the walls were giant dragon head statues. Each had eyes set with a different color; all stared down in cold judgment. In the center of everything, attached firmly to the stone ceiling, was a golden gleaming metal pillar. It's circumference big enough it could have fit several tree trunks inside its structure. It had a set of dark gears towards the top, suggesting it could be rotated somehow.

"Woah," said Yong.

"Okay, Demanitus, what's this all about?" asked Varian, getting to his feet, "And why is it so hot down here?"

Yong got up too and looked down. The floor, like the pillar, was clearly manmade. It was composed of hexagonal tiles, similar to the ones Yong saw before, but about three feet wide this time. They made a platform stretching out from the pillar. The edge had a soft orange glow, but they couldn't see what was creating the light from where they stood. Most of the tiles were blank, but some had symbols on them, just like before.

Only moments after they'd taken this all in a massive click echoed through the cavern, and the gears of the pillar began to move. The platform slowly began to spin. Yong and Varian stood back to back, bracing themselves. Then, the floor started to split apart. The tiles, once flush together, separated. They each side-stepped onto one so as not to fall. Beneath, they saw that each tile was held up separately by long spindly mechanical arms. Each attached to rings on the central pillar. Revealed fifty feet down, churning and spraying, was what they realized as the reason for the heat.

Varian smacked his forehead. "Why did you even ask, Varian?" he asked himself, "Of course there's lava."

The tiles started to move apart more rapidly, swinging around the room. The thin metal arms jerked up and down as they went in quick, random patterns. Yong and Varian fought to keep their balance on their own tiles as they whipped around at a dizzying pace. Ruddiger climbed onto Varian and wiggled into his bag for safety.

Varian slid his staff securely behind his back and knelt down to inspect his tile. He ran his fingers over a symbol carved into the top. Nothing seemed to happen. He continued to search as he clung to the moving metal platform. He tried looking underneath and found buttons in the form of arrows lining the underside. He pressed one, and the metal arm holding him up jerked violently to the right, nearly unseating him from the tile.

He inched back into place and tried another arrow, this time with a gentler touch. The arm started veering to the left. "Hey!" shouted Varian as he sped past Yong. "We can control them! There are buttons!"

Yong, laying down flat against his tile, worked up the nerve to look over the edge and saw the controls Varian was talking about. He tried to reach for one, but the tile turned suddenly, and he had to cling desperately to it to keep from falling off.

"Wait, Yong!" Implored Varian, gravely afraid for him. "Just hang on! I'm going to figure this out!" He looked back down at the symbol on his tile. Dark hair whipped into his face, so he pulled down his goggles to see better. "Heh, okay. Okay, I got this. Just gotta figure out what this means, right? Um… that's, that's Copper. And um.."

He looked up and tried to make out the other tiles flying by. One jerked over close to him. "Don't fall, don't fall, don't eeuuhh!" He leaped onto the new tile and clung close to it as he examined the new symbol. "And that's… is that magnesium?" Varian thought for a moment then shouted at his bag. "Ruddiger, is there magnesium in there?"

A little black paw poked out, holding a block of crystal magnesium. Varian took it and tried holding it down on the symbol. Nothing happened. As he pressed down, the tile beneath him jerked upwards. The crystals went flying out of Varian's hand and down to sink into the lava below. A burp of white flame jumped up from the boiling soup.

Meanwhile, Yong held tight to his tile and watched the angry snarls of the dragons go by. Their brightly colored eyes seemed to streak his vision. Red, orange, blue, green, purple, white, yellow. It started again. Red, orange, blue, green… Yong shut his eyes tight as the colors began to make him sick. Even with his eyes closed, he could still see the bursts of color behind his eyelids. Bursts of color. Like- "Fireworks!" he yelled. "Just like before!"

Varian reached under his tile and tried to direct it alongside another. He tried attaching them together, hoping to get a reaction. But whatever he tried, they just flew back apart. "Euh, that didn't work either." Panic rose in Varian's voice. "What do we have to do?"

"Varian!" shouted Yong. "They're fireworks! We have to make fireworks! Look at the statues. They're all different colors!"

Varian looked around skeptically at the fearsome dragons. "The last time you messed with those, it sent us here," he said.

"I know, but now I think that was supposed to happen."

"We were supposed to get tossed into a volcano?"

"Let me try something!" Yong looked around until he saw a tile with the symbol for strontium on it. He looked down nervously at the fifty-foot drop then looked back up. Yong took a deep breath and waited until the other tile was close enough. Then he knelt up and jumped across. His upper body slammed down on the tile, and he slid down with only his arms keeping him aloft.

"No!" screamed Varian.

Yong took another deep breath then pulled himself up onto the tile even as it continued whizzing through the air. Sweat poured off his brow as he looked down for the controls.

"Yong, it's too dangerous," pleaded Varian. "Stop!"

Yong had enough. "No!" He shouted back at Varian. "No! Let me help!" He tried his best to fix Varian with a glare as they both continued to spin around the center. "All those things you said to my brother! About needing someone to believe in me! But you still treat me like he does! Like I'm just a screw-up! Why can't you just trust me, Varian?"

Varian stared in shock as Yong defiantly reached down and worked the controls on his tile. He drove it with determination towards the red-eyed dragon.

"Yong!" Varian shouted.

Yong's tile jabbed into the front of the statue. The dragon's eyes flared. A moment later, Yong ducked as the entire thing burst into fireworks. The fireworks climbed up into the air. They swirled and grew. Yong looked up in amazement as they formed into a sparking red dragon. It swooped around in circles then shot towards the far wall where it splashed against it. Red lines ran down like trickles of water, forming into an arch and the impression of a door.

Yong smiled with vindication and looked at Varian, who was staring back in shock. Yong's grin only widened, and he pointed to the dragon with blue eyes. "Copper makes blue!" he yelled.

Varian pulled himself together and gave Yong a nod. He scanned around for the copper symbol. It came into view, and Varian used the controls on his current tile to move towards it. As the two collided, he hopped onto the copper tile and latched on.

"This way!" directed Yong, continuing to point to the blue-eyed statue. Varian worked the tile's controls and drove it toward the figure. It slid to a halt, and the blue crystals flashed before bursting into sparks.

A shimmering blue dragon rose up and out, making streaks across the air before slamming into the wall. The lines forming the arch deepened and turned purple as the blue seeped down into them. "Your right!" exclaimed Varian. He looked around again. "Um, barium! That makes what, Yong?"

"Green!" Yong pointed to the green-eyed statue and then looked for another tile.

They worked together, driving the tiles back and forth on the swinging metals arms, matching chemicals to colors. Varian let Yong take the lead, and with each success, the lines of the arch deepened more and more, forming a real door in the wall.

Finally, one statue remained, its eyes milky white. "Magnesium!" cried Yong.

"Over there!" said Varian, pointing.

"Got it!" Yong bounded over, but his confidence got the best of him, and he slipped on the tile straight over the edge.

"Yong!" Varian jumped over to the tile and looked down to see Yong clinging to the metal arm. It waved back and forth, and the boy fought to not be flung off. "Yong! Hang on!" Varian pulled out his staff and lowered it down. "Here!"

Yong watched the staff grow closer and reached up to grab the end.

"Yong! Come-" Then suddenly the whole arm shifted directions. Varian had to lay flat on the tile, pulling the staff out of Yong's reach to keep from sliding off. Yong skidded down the arm and was forced to hold tighter, his eyes screwing closed in fear.

The heat of the lava below oppressed Yong's senses, dragging him down. Tears collected in his lashes as he realized this could be the end. He thought of his family. His parent's disappointment. His brother's taunts. Would they even be surprised to know he failed yet again?

This thought sent a jolt of emotion through his body. Anger bubbled up in Yong. He gripped the metal tighter and opened his eyes.

He had to do this. He had to prove himself. Slowly, pushing himself to his limits, Yong forced himself to climb. His hands were wet with sweat, and he slipped down over and over. But Yong persisted, climbing higher and higher, driven by something deep inside himself.

Varian watched with anxious horror. When Yong was close enough, he reached a hand down for him. Yong took it and let Varian pull him up. Varian hugged Yong tight.

Then, once Yong got his breath back, Varian let him go. Together, slowly and carefully, they made their way to the magnesium tile. Yong climbed onto it and guided it towards the white-eyed dragon.

With a shower of sparks, a final white dragon rose from the statue and flew to the wall. White cascaded down, seeped into the cracks, and completed the door.

The central pillar ground to a halt and the metal arms froze in midair. Then slowly and gently, they turned and arranged themselves together, forming a platform once more. This time the platform made a path that reached right over to the wall. Then, the newly created door swung open.

Yong and Varian collapsed down in exhaustion and relief.

~ * ~

Hugo watched the chaos from high above. When he'd fallen down the tunnel, he'd thought fast enough to pull out a dagger, hooking it into the rock. So from the safety and comfort of the tunnel's mouth, Hugo watched as the two boys hopped around like frantic frogs. After a bit, he started climbing along the cavern, finding his own way across the little rocky outcroppings and footholds.

When it became clear what the boys were trying to do, he waited, assuming they'd fall and he'd have to finish the puzzle.

To Hugo's surprise, that's not what happened at all. The strange magically revealed door opened, and both Varian and his sidekick somehow survived the challenge. When they collapsed to the floor, Hugo took his opportunity. He dropped down next to the door and raced through before anyone could realize he was there.

~ * ~

Once the blood stopped pumping in his ears, Yong sat up straight. "I… I did it. I did it!" He jumped up and started dancing in place.

Varian looked up at Yong with a smile, but it quickly faded, and he looked away. "Yong, I'm sorry. I should have trusted you."

Yong stopped dancing and looked back at Varian. "It's okay," he said softly.

"No, it's not," said Varian. His face turned fierce, and he looked Yong in the eye. "I know what it's like to feel like a screw-up, Yong. I know how it feels to think you can't get anything right. To lose people's trust in you. When I see you… Yong, when I look at you, I see me. But I let my pride get in the way of that. I should have realized how I was treating you. I'm sorry, Yong. I won't lose faith in you again."

Yong listened and could feel his eyes filling with tears again. He threw his arms around Varian's shoulders and hugged him tightly. They stayed like that for a moment.

Until Yong pulled back. "Does that mean I can come to do the other trials with you?" he asked hopefully.

Varian's eyes went wide. "What? Yong, you were almost a magma boy."

"But it was all so cool! And as long as we're together, I know I'll be alright."

Varian sighed, but his face melted into a soft smile. "If your dad says it's okay."

Yong hugged him again. This time Varian broke the hug, his eyes on the passage ahead.

"Well," said Varian. "Let's see what Demanitus has waiting for us."

~ * ~

Varian strode boldly through the door and down the passage. Yong ran behind him, still overjoyed from their victory. Varian looked back to share a smile with him as they entered a new room.

He looked forward and stopped. The room was still cavernous but much smaller than before. Gold designs decorated the space around them. Ahead, wrapped with two green dragon statues, were two massive pillars. They flanked a dais where a totem sat on a thin podium.

Or it would have been sitting there if someone wasn't already holding it. Varian gaped at the sight of a tall young man, lithe and pale blonde, standing there with their prize.

"Hey! That totem belongs to us!" barked Varian.

"Yeah," Yong added. "We earned it!"

"Huh, weird," said the young man, his lip curling into a smirk. "Cause I'm sort of the one holding it… So I feel like that sort of means it belongs t-"

"No way!" Varian shouted. "We completed the trial. Not you. Whoever you are…" He swung his staff toward the stranger, pointing it at his face. "Hand over the token."

The young man's smile never wavered as he tucked the token into his bag. "I like your magic wand," he said calmly. "S'pretty."

Yong pulled out his firecrackers and held them up, ready for a fight.

"Ooh!" said the young man. "And some fireworks! How fun…"

Varian watched as the stranger pulled a bright blue ball from his bag and held it up.

"Well," said the stranger. "You two are adorable. But I'm on a schedule. So…" He threw down the ball and, with a flash of light, blue smoke billowed into the air, surrounding Varian and Yong. They coughed and sputtered. As the smoke began to clear, the young man was nowhere to be found.

"He got away!" cried Yong. He began to retch. "Yugh… the sulfur smell is really strong today."

"That's not sulfur," said Varian with disgust. "The smoke bomb he used was also a stink bomb."

"That's kinda genius," said Yong.

"I know…" Varian said, trying not to sound impressed.

~ * ~

Donella observed as the soldier lifted a long device to her shoulder and took aim at a target fifty yards away. They pulled a trigger and metal flew out of the barrel, striking the target.

"This is incredible," said the soldier.

"It's not enough," said Donella. She grabbed the device and brought it over to her worktable. She grabbed a pair of pliers and started working on it.

"If you're busy, I can come back later."

Donella turned to see Hugo holding up a familiar-looking object. Donella's eyes widened, and she dropped her tools to walk over. "The totem," she whispered.

"As you requested," he held it out, and Donella took it into her own hands, turning away to look at it. After a moment, Hugo spoke up again. "I've been wondering. I thought you did this before… these trials. How come you didn't know where this one was."

Donella clutched the totem tighter. "My partner wasn't always the best team player…" she said darkly.

"Heh, that's funny. Her son seems to be all about the power of friendship," laughed Hugo.

Donella whipped her head around to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they were there. At the trial. Basically, did the whole thing for me, actually."

"What?" snapped Donella, stepping forward to loom over Hugo.

Hugo put up his hands. "It's not my fault Cyrus didn't do his job. They somehow got away from him. But I got the stupid thing, so I don't see what the problem is."

"If her spawn is still out there, he can still find the other totems, you idiot!" Donella raised the totem up high as if to strike.

Hugo did not flinch.

Donella paused as a thought popped into her head. "He can still find the other totems," she muttered. "You said he was the one to complete the trial?"

"Um, yeah," said Hugo, still unsure if he was safe.

Donella slowly lowered the totem as she thought. "That's it then," she said, a smile spreading over her face. She held the totem back towards Hugo. He looked at it, confused. "You have a new assignment. Take this back to the boy. Join him. Watch him. Help him get the totems for me."

Hugo looked unsure. "You know I'm not so much about the group dynamic."

"I'm well aware," said Donella calmly, forcing the totem in Hugo's hand. "But you are a good con-man." She took his chin in her hand. "And I know you'll do what you're told."

Hugo pulled away. He straightened up and composed himself before speaking. "Well, as they say, I know which side my bread is buttered on. If you want me to spy on the kid, I'll do it."

"Good," said Donella. "Cyrus will continue to collect reports from you. After I punish him for his failure, of course."

Hugo nodded and backed away. Once he was gone, Donella went back to working on the weapon she'd left on the table. After some adjustments, Donella handed it back to the soldier. "Try this," she said smugly.

The soldier lifted the weapon back up onto her shoulder and pulled the trigger once more. This time the blast that shot from the barrel knocked the head clean off the target.

"Beautiful," said Donella.

Chapter Text

Yong woke up slowly, groaning in discomfort. He pushed himself up from where he'd been laying on Prometheus' back. The donkey stood in the middle of a crossroads. Ruddiger, curled up next to Yong, started to wake as well. Yong looked around and found Varian standing a few feet ahead. He was muttering and pouring over a map.

"Varian?" said Yong groggily. Varian didn't respond. Instead, he knelt in the dirt and pulled out a journal where he started to take notes. "Varian?" Yong slid off of Prometheus's back and walked over. "Varian, shouldn't we stop to eat or something?"

Varian kept his eyes down, focused on his task. "There's food in the saddlebag," he said.

Yong frowned. "No, I mean, we should rest, Varian."

"There's no time. We have to get to the water trial before he does. Heading him off is the only way to catch him."

"I know, but we've been going almost non-stop for three days now. Even when we do stop, you've been working on your mom's journal. Have you slept at all?"

Varian looked up, bags visible under bloodshot eyes. "Yong, we can't let him get away with this."

"We won't." Yong placed a comforting hand on Varian's shoulder. "But it will be hard to face him if you've worked yourself to death."

Varian sighed. "Yeah, okay, you're right." He rubbed his eyes and looked back down at the map. "I was getting nowhere with this anyway. I can't figure out whether to take the main road or the mountain pass. Maybe after a nap, I'll think clearer."

"Well," said a familiar voice. "The mountain pass is temptingly short. I'll give you that." Yong and Varian looked behind them to see their totem thief leaning against Prometheus in broad daylight. "But I hear it's lousy with avalanches this time of year. Probably not the best choice."

They jumped to their feet to face the smarmy cheat.

"You," growled Varian.

"Me!" said the stranger, pleasantly holding out his arms.

Yong jumped forward to tackle the stranger. The thief sidestepped out of the way. Varian pulled a vial out of his bag. Yong swung around and pulled out his firecrackers.

"Hey! Woah there," said the stranger, throwing his hands up. "I'm here to talk."

"Dirty thief!" snapped Varian, vial poised in the air.

"See, this is why Funsize here was right about you getting some sleep. You get cranky, start calling people names…"

"Where is it?" growled Varian.

"Yeah! Hand it over!" demanded Yong.

The stranger lowered his hands slowly. "Yes, the totem. That's what I'm here about. But, if you want it, you're going to have to hear me out."

Varian and Yong exchanged a look. They relaxed slightly but still glared back at the thief to listen.

"What do you want?" asked Varian.

The stranger puffed himself up proudly. "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Hugo, and I hail from the great and powerful nation of Ingvarr. I'm an accomplished alchemist, engineer, and adventurer. So naturally, when I heard about the wonders of the Eternal Library, I had to try to find it for myself."

Varian's eyes narrowed, then darted up and down Hugo's body. Tall, lean, just like the thief from Old Corona. Varian bit his tongue and let Hugo continue. "I'm sure men of science like yourselves would understand." He smiled at the two of them but found only silent stares. "Eh hem… anyway, when I arrived at the first trial, I was as surprised as you were to discover there were others on this noble quest. And how talented you were! But I felt I still needed to test you. See if you required my specialized skills."

"Skills?" asked Varian unconvinced.

Hugo walked toward Varian. Varian leaned back with alarm, but Hugo, seemingly unbothered, took Varian's free hand in his own. Hugo looked at him with somber eyes. "You see, life has not always been easy for me. I was orphaned. Grew up on the streets. Had to learn to adapt. Become streetwise. Be ready for anything." Varian pulled his hand away from Hugo's grip. "You two allowed someone to sneak by you completely undetected. And then, you couldn't stop me from getting away."

"A mistake I won't make again," said Varian about to bring down the bottle. Hugo grabbed his hand to intercept.

"Ah, ah, but you just might. Think of all the other handsome rogues out there who might try to steal from you. Unless you have someone like me there who can watch your back."

Yong cocked his head slightly. "You want to join us?" he asked, confused.

"What? No way!" said Varian, pulling himself away from Hugo again. "Why would we ever trust you?"

"Right," said Hugo. "You need that show of good faith." He opened his bag and pulled out the totem. "And here it is." He tossed it to Varian, who caught it and immediately inspected it. "So, my fine gentlemen, as you can see, I am in no way trying to keep you from your goals. So what do you say? Am I in?"

Varian finished looking over the totem. Seemingly satisfied, he tucked it away in his bag before responding. "No."

Hugo's smile fell.

Varian gathered up the map and journals, packing them on top of the totem before swinging it on his back. "Come on, Yong. We'll take a rest after we get away from him."

"Now, slow down there," said Hugo, as the two other boys grabbed Prometheus and started to walk away. "I gave you the totem back."

"That you stole in the first place," said Yong over his shoulder.

"That I could steal back whenever I wanted!" argued Hugo as they got further away.

"Good luck," said Varian.

~ * ~

They continued down the road, their pace more relaxed now that they had the totem back. Varian made sure to keep his bag on him constantly and charged the raccoon with guarding it either from inside or crouched on top.

Hugo trailed them, keeping his distance for the most part. He felt sure that he could find a way to endear himself with the two travelers somehow. For now, they seemed content with ignoring him as long as he didn't get too close.

As they entered a town, Hugo had to work hard not to lose the boys in the crowded market. He observed them, trying to find an opening. As he scanned around, he noticed a young kid looking suspiciously at people's bags and pockets. Hugo watched him for a moment as he pulled someone's wallet out and tucked it away in his pants. Hugo, now with a bright idea, walked over to where Varian and Yong were shopping for supplies.

"We'll take two," said Yong, pointing to a basket of pies.

"Make that three," said Hugo, cheerfully putting an arm around Varian. "I'm starving."

Varian shot him a glare. He shrugged Hugo's arm off, then looked back at the guy running the stand. "He's not with us. Two, please."

"So heartless," said Hugo. Behind his back, he held the coin purse he'd just lifted from Varian's pocket. He made sure to jingle it quietly, hoping the suspicious kid would take the opening. Hugo looked at Yong. "Come on. You. Firecracker."

"Yong," he said.

"You wouldn't want to see me go hungry, right?"

"I'm fine with it," said Yong.

"Why don't you just steal one?" asked Varian.

Hugo let out a dramatic sigh. "You snatch one lousy ancient artifact, and suddenly you're this big criminal." Hugo felt the purse slip from his fingers.

"Exactly," said Varian. As Yong took the food from the vendor, Varian reached in his pocket to get his coin purse. "Wait… my money..."

As soon as the words left his lips, Hugo pounced into the crowd. He saw exactly where the kid had gone, and it took only a few moments to grab him. He guided the squirming child back towards Varian and Yong.

"Hey. Let go," said the kid.

Hugo pulled the coin purse from the kid and held it up to Varian. "I believe this is yours?" He said sweetly.

Varian took the purse. "Um yeah, thanks."

"You're welcome, Freckles," said Hugo. "It's so lucky I was here to stop this wayward child from getting away with your things. You know, with me keeping an eye out, you would never have to worry about little pickpockets like this."

Varian turned back to the vendor and handed over some coins. "One more pie please," he said.

"I knew you'd come around," said Hugo.

Varian took the extra pie and looked back at Hugo. "Never," he said before handing the pie to the little kid. The kid wrested himself from Hugo's grasp and took off with his free meal. Hugo watched as Varian and Yong walked away as well.

Hugo pouted to himself. "I will do what I'm told," he muttered mockingly. He sighed." This all better be worth it, Donnie."

He continued to follow, persisting as the road peeled away from the town and through a stretch of woods. After a few hours, the path started to wind, and Hugo lost sight of his quarry. Even so, he pressed on, assuming that he'd soon catch up with them.

Then, as he was walking, he noticed a string pulled taut across the path. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Really?" he said with a chuckle. He stepped over the string with confidence. A moment later, a pink ball came flying out of the bushes. Hugo ducked, and the ball exploded against a tree, covering it with pink goo. "You're going to have to do better than that, Pipsqueaks!" He called out.

He heard footsteps running behind him and turned to see Yong fling a lit firecracker. Reflexively Hugo pulled a ball out of his pocket and tossed it in the path of the explosive, forcing it to go off before it could reach him.

Something burst at his feet, and Hugo was lifted into the air by a sizable soap-like bubble formed around his foot. As the bubble flipped him upside-down, Varian emerged from hiding.

"Ha!" he called triumphantly. "Gotcha!"

"How cute," said Hugo, smiling. He pulled a dagger from a pouch on his leg and popped the bubble holding him up. He flipped forward and landed on his feet in front of Varian. "Let me show you how a real alchemist does it."

He pulled a fistful of powder out of his bag and tossed it in the air over his head. Varian's eyes widened as the man seemed to vanish into thin air. A second later, Hugo was behind Varian holding a new chemical. "Hey, Goggles."

Varian turned in time for Hugo to splash the concoction on him. "Argh!" Shouted Varian. As he spoke, cold mist curled out of his mouth, and his teeth began to chatter. "What?" More cold mist emerged.

Varian pulled a green ball out and tossed it at Hugo, but incredibly Hugo's potion made him too slow to hit his nimble target.

Frustrated, Varian raised his staff and swung it at Hugo. However, his limbs still felt lethargic, and Hugo handily caught it with his dagger.

"I think you should chill out," said Hugo.

"You!" hissed Varian as he pressed down on his staff. "Are the most-"

"Brilliant?" said Hugo. "Charming?"

Varian's grimace twisted into a smirk. "Hackneyed."

Hugo stepped back with a gasp.

Varian pulled out a blue ball and tossed it. It missed Hugo and burst behind him instead. Varian swung his staff at Hugo, forcing him backward. "What's wrong?" He asked with another swing. "Can't take constructive." And another. "Criticism?" Hugo stepped back once more and slipped on something, sending him sprawling on his back. He realized Varian had purposefully made a slick patch behind him to trip him up.

Hugo sneered up at Varian. "Like I'd take criticism from a man who fights with soap bubbles."

A firework landed between the two of them and sent them both flying back from the explosion. Hugo got to his feet and looked through the smoke for the others. When he caught sight of Varian, he tossed another ball at him. As it hit him, Varian found himself suddenly unable to move, and he looked down to see his feet starting to encase in growing crystals of ice. "What?" he whispered, eyes going wide and breath quickening.

"Don't freeze up on me now," said Hugo.

The ice climbed higher up Varian's legs, and he ignored Hugo's quip. "Yong!" He called.

Yong was by his side in an instant. Hugo's eyes narrowed as he noticed Varian wasn't even trying to pull himself free. It was like he was already completely frozen over. Yong kicked the ice forming around Varian. After three good kicks, he quickly shattered the crystals and pulled Varian out. Then he turned and tossed more explosives at Hugo.

Hugo darted back and forth. Varian started flinging his chemicals at him, forcing him to move even quicker. He was so focused on them he forgot about the string across the road.

Bright pink balls flew out as the string was triggered, covering Hugo in a gooey mess.

"You okay?" Yong asked Varian.

"I'm fine," said Varian quietly before glaring up at Hugo. "How's the 'real' alchemist doing?"

"Not the first time I've been in a sticky situation," said Hugo.

"I'm sure," said Varian. "Not bad for a couple of pipsqueaks, huh?" He and Yong carefully circled the trap. The little raccoon bounded out of the trees followed by the donkey, and with one last glare, they continued down the road.

Hugo watched them go. "Not bad at all." He wiggled around until he could get some chemicals out of his bag. He mixed a few before pouring his new concoction on his restraints. They began to melt away, and he freed himself from the mess. "Looks like I need a new angle."

~ * ~

Yong poked his head through the flap of the tent and peered into the night.

"Do you see him?" asked Varian, looking up from his work. He was in the middle of reconstructing his staff to house more of his alchemic solutions. Next to them, Ruddiger was happily munching away at a pile of berries he'd found.

"No," said Yong. "Still no sign of him. Not since our fight two days ago." Yong pulled his head back inside. "Do you think he finally gave up?"

Varian looked back down at the staff. "Not likely. Someone as annoying as that? I'm sure he's got something up his sleeve. He's a complete jerk, right? 'Real' alchemist..."

"A complete jerk," agreed Yong.

"Guess we'll have to keep an eye out again tonight."

"I'll do it," said Yong. "You need to sleep." He eyed Varian, who was already nodding off even as he screwed two pieces together.

"Huh?" Varian's head snapped up. "No. I can't. What if he tries something?"

"Then I'll wake you up," said Yong. He pulled some packages out of his pocket. "Anyway, I have my own project to work on."

Varian looked at the packages with concern, seeing different assortments of powder inside each one. "Uh, and what project is that?"

"I got some ideas from the fire trial," said Yong. "Those fireworks we saw. The ones that started moving around like dragons. I want to try to make that."

"You're making fireworks? In here?"

Yong looked up. "Just mixing powders. I promise not to test anything yet," he said defensively.

"Uh, huh," said Varian, still unsure.

A scream cut through the night, startling the two boys in the tent. They dashed out, Yong grabbing his fireworks and Varian grabbing his half rebuilt staff.

Outside, everything was dark and still. Then another scream came through the trees. The boys looked at each other, then ran towards the sound. Ruddiger tried to follow, but Varian kept him back. "You stay here, buddy. Guard our stuff." Ruddiger nodded, and Varian rushed off to join Yong. Leaves rustled, and branches snapped as they struggled through the overgrowth. They approached a clearing and saw the source of the screaming stumble into it.

Hugo was running from something. In his haste, he tripped on a log and landed face first in the dirt. He turned over, looking with wide eyes into the shadows he'd just emerged from. "No… no, please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I don't have it!"

From the dark strode someone familiar to both Varian and Yong. Burly, a scar over one eye, it was the man who had confronted them through the streets of Bayangnor. He marched straight to Hugo and kicked aside the log. He tossed Hugo's bag to the ground, then stomped his boot down on Hugo's chest. The blond let out a strangled cry of pain.

"We know you have that totem!" said the scarred man menacingly. "Now, tell me what you did with it!"

"It's gone," wheezed Hugo.

"Where!" roared the man.

"I don't know." The man pressed down harder on Hugo. "Augh! I don't… I don't know... Please."

The man pulled out his sword and leveled it at Hugo. "Tell me now or-"

"Hey!" Varian stepped out into the clearing, his staff raised. "Get away from him!"

The man turned to look as Yong stepped out of the trees as well. "You," the man growled.

"I said, get away from him!" Varian swung his staff and pushed a button that released one of the colorful balls. It burst against the man's chest, stunning him. His eyes went crossed, and he stumbled backward.

Hugo looked up in confusion as Yong ran to his side. "What?" he gasped. "How?"

"Don't worry. We've got this," said Yong, helping him up.

Varian tossed another ball that sent the scarred man falling down to the ground. Yet another ball and he was held down with pink goo. Varian ran over to the other two, grabbing Hugo's bag. "Come on, let's go!" he said.

Together they helped Hugo back to their camp. They broke it down and then walked on until they felt they were a safe enough distance away from any pursuit. They knelt down under a tree. Hugo propped himself against the trunk with a groan.

"Who was that?" asked Varian, addressing him for the first time since the rescue.

"Don't know," said Hugo, massaging his chest. "He's… he's been following me… ever since the trial. He wants that totem." He winced in pain. "Ugh! He didn't have to be so hard on me."

"Varian, that's the guy who wanted your journal," said Yong.

"What?" asked Hugo

Varian shot Yong a warning look, then he turned back to Hugo. "Is that why you gave it to us? So you wouldn't get hunted by that guy?"

"What!" said Hugo in surprise. "No! Why would I stick around you if I was just trying to get away from him?"

"That's true. He could have just taken off," said Yong.

"Once again, Firecracker is the voice of reason," said Hugo. "I've only been trying to join you."

"So why not tell us about the scary man coming after you?" asked Varian.

"Didn't really give me a chance to, did you?" said Hugo. "And anyway, it sounds like he was already after you. You didn't share that with me."

Varian rolled his eyes. "And you still want to be part of all this after tonight?"

Hugo met Varian's jaded gaze. "Well, yeah. Not that I want to be a doormat again… But I still want to find that Library. It makes sense to pool our resources."

Varian stood up with a huff. He paced a few times in front of the tree. Then he pulled his mom's journal out of his bag. He gave Hugo another hard look, then knelt back down and held the journal in front of his face.

"Where's the other one?" Varian asked.

"What?" asked Hugo, his eyes darting between Varian's face and the journal.

"Where's the other journal? You have it, don't you?"

Hugo's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "I don't know what you're-"

"You're the same size and build as the thief in Old Corona," said Varian. "How else would you know about this quest?"

"Thief? Corona? I know about the quest from my research," said Hugo. "I haven't stolen anything from you. Well… I mean, I took the totem, but I gave that back."

"So you don't mind us checking your bag?" asked Varian, focused on Hugo's reaction.

Hugo looked back at him, unblinking. "Do it. Look in there. I have nothing to hide."

Varian grabbed Hugo's satchel and turned it out onto the grass. There were potion bottles and other alchemy supplies. There were also some small tools, a compass, a watch, grooming items, and general rations. A book was in the pile, but when Varian flipped it open, he saw it was a collection of old legends with a chapter on the Eternal Library bookmarked.

Yong noticed something else had fallen out. A few clumps of rusted-looking metal and gears lay next to the rations. Yong picked these up to get a better look. One of the pieces had two little round discs sticking out of the top.

"What's this?" he asked.

Hugo looked down and away. "Nothing. Just some junk. You done raiding my purse?"

Varian dug through the items again as if the journal might suddenly appear. "I guess… you're telling the truth," he said softly.

"Throw a parade," said Hugo, his eyes still turned away.

Varian got back up and gently grabbed Yong. He pulled him out of earshot of Hugo, and they huddled together.

"Do you trust him?" whispered Varian.

"No," Yong whispered back.

"Right. He's definitely lying about something, right?"

"Obviously."

"Yeah, heh, okay." Varian held his face in his hand. "But apparently we're not getting rid of him anytime soon. Maybe we let him stick around until we figure out what he's up to. At least that way we keep an eye on him."

Yong looked over his shoulder at Hugo, who was holding his hand out to pet Ruddiger. The raccoon snapped at him, and he pulled his hand back, offended. Yong looked back at Varian. "Okay. Yeah, I think we can handle him."

They walked back over and stood in front of Hugo with their arms crossed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Varian. "But, we've decided to let you join us."

Hugo's face lit up.

"For now!" Clarified Varian.

Hugo tried to stand up in his excitement, but pain jolted through his chest, and he laid back down against the tree. "You won't regret this," he said.

Varian and Yong looked at each other.

"We are going to regret this," said Varian.

"Yep," said Yong.

~ * ~

They continued onward, heading for the Kingdom of Galcrest. As they traveled, the weather became colder and the trees more scarce until they finally reached the kingdom's snow-covered tundra. Each day and night, Varian continued to decode his mother's journal, working out their path.

"It says it's in some sort of cave," said Varian, pointing down at the page as Yong leaned over. "The Caverns of Contemplation. We just have to figure out where they are."

"Okay," said Hugo, standing ten feet away, shivering. "Can we figure it out faster? It's freezing out here."

Varian raised an eyebrow. "What about all that ‘growing up on the streets’ stuff?" he asked wryly. "Shouldn't you be used to being out in the cold?"

"Being used to it doesn't mean I have to like it," said Hugo looking around. "Look! Over this hill are some lights. It has to be a village. You can go ask for directions, and I can get warm."

Yong held up one of his rockets. "I have another idea to keep you warm."

Hugo's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes, how thoughtful. I'll be so much warmer when I'm blasted into a thousand pieces."

"It would warm my heart," said Varian, starting down the hill towards the village.

Once amongst the snowy huts, they found a place to get better coats and then started to ask around for the caves. But each person they tried just looked bewildered and shook their heads.

"I'm sorry, I really haven't heard of them," said their eighteenth attempt.

Varian sighed and closed the journal. "I guess we'll have to keep looking then."

The short, long-haired man they just spoke to frowned, apparently feeling sorry for them. "You seem like you've come a long way. My name is Siku. Why don't you come in and have a little something to eat before you go," he said kindly.

They followed him into his small home where another man and two small children sat around a fire, preparing a meal. Back in the corner, an old woman was working on repairing a fishing net. From the way her glossy eyes looked up at the ceiling, she seemed to be almost or entirely blind.

The man by the fire looked up. "Honey, who is this?" he asked.

"Just some travelers," said Siku, giving the man a quick kiss. "They're looking for something. I thought we could offer a little hospitality. Friends, this is my husband, Anik. And my children Ila and Imona. Oh, and my mother, Yuka."

Ruddiger jumped out from Varian's coat and ran over to the fire to sniff the food. The children smiled at the sight of the animal and knelt next to Ruddiger to pet him. Then Ila looked up and rushed over to Varian, Yong, and Hugo.

"What's that?" asked Ila, pointing at Varian's staff.

"Oh, that's his magic wand," said Hugo. "He's a spooky and powerful wizard, so be sure not to anger him." The two kids' eyes widened in horror.

"Uh, not to worry. He thinks he's funny," said Varian, ignoring Hugo's cheeky grin. "It's, eh, not a wand at all. It's just a staff that happens to hold some of my alchemy."

"What's al-al-ka-moany?" stuttered little Imona.

Varian pulled out two bottles. "So glad you asked," he said proudly. "Alchemy seems like magic, but it's actually science! It is the science of figuring out what things are." He uncorked the bottles and swirled the green one in front of the kids. "Breaking them down to their essences and then recombining them to make something completely new!" He put a single drop of the pink bottle into the green, making it puff up a small smoke cloud.

"Woah," said the kids, amazed.

"Yawn," said Hugo.

Varian stared daggers at him.

"You think that's something, you should see what I can do," Hugo bragged. He pulled out blue powder and put some into a vial of liquid. It turned green as he shook it. Then he poured the solution into the palm of his hand. He lit a match and held it close to the liquid until it started to produce a bright blue flame. Hugo twisted his hand around expertly, letting the fire dance over his fingers in a practiced display. The kids oohed and awed then clapped when Hugo finally put the flame out with a dramatic wave.

Varian watched coldly.

"I can show you some fireworks," said Yong.

"Um," Siku interjected. "Maybe that's not the best idea right now. We're about to have dinner anyway."

They gathered around the fire and started digging into the hot meal. Siku helped his mother, Yuki, shuffle over to join them.

"So what are you looking for exactly?" asked Anik.

"Something that's supposed to be here in the Kingdom of Galcrest," said Varian. "Except so far, no one has even heard of it. It's a place called the Caverns of Contemplation."

Anik looked as confused by the name as everyone else, and Varian's shoulders slumped with disappointment.

"Caverns of Contemplation?" asked the old woman, Yuki. Everyone turned to look at her. "I haven't heard that name spoken since I was a little girl."

"You know about it, mother?" asked Siku. "Why haven't we then?"

The old woman nodded. "It was forbidden by my elders to speak a word of it. So many people have entered those caves never to return. They thought it best to keep it a secret."

"Sounds dangerous," said Anik. He looked back at the three boys. "Are you sure that's what you're looking for?"

Varian leaned forward with determination. "It's exactly what we're looking for," he said. "Can you tell us how to get there?"

"And send you to your doom?" Yuki questioned.

"With respect to you and your elders," said Varian seriously. "I know at least one person who made it back from there. I know we can do it too."

Yuki seemed to think about this for a moment. Then she reached for a stick from the fire. She used the ashen tip to draw on the ground.

"It is one day's journey from here," she said. "You must head north to where the Kissimi Glacier meets the sea." She illustrated her directions in the dirt.

"Is that-?" Hugo reached down to touch the glacier drawing until the woman smacked his hand with the stick. Hugo pulled it back.

"Hold questions!" she snapped, her eyes still up towards the ceiling. Varian and Yong struggled not to laugh. The woman resumed her drawings. "Follow the glacier three miles into the ice mountains. You will see the cave entrance lit by the setting sun."

~ * ~

A day later, Varian, Yong, and Hugo, battered by cold winds, stood before the mouth of a massive icy cave. As they looked at it, the light of the sunset behind them hit the ice in a way that made it sparkle and glow.

"Well, this is it," said Varian, stepping carefully over the rocky terrain. They went inside. All around them, the thick ice rippled and curved in innumerable pockets and crevices. Water dripped steadily down the tips of ice that jutted down from the ceiling. As they went deeper, the ice seemed to radiate with an ethereal blue light making it feel like they'd stepped into another world.

"Wow," said Yong breathlessly. "It's so pretty down here." He reached up to touch a smooth stretch of blue crystalline ice.

Varian grinned from ear to ear. "So incredible."

"It's so blue," said Yong.

"It's the way the ice scatters light," said Hugo. "It's like the sky. It's reflecting the blue light back at us."

"Actually, uh, I read about this," said Varian smugly. "This is glacial ice. It's so densely packed and so deep down that as light passes through, it gradually absorbs all red light frequencies until it comes out blue down here."

Hugo's eyes narrowed, but then his face changed into a calm smile. "Hah. Nerd", he said, walking ahead. Varian's fists clenched in annoyance.

They continued to walk, carefully treading over wet rocks and gravel until the cave opened up into a larger room. It seemed more carved into the mountain with half the arching roof made of dark stone rather than crystal blue. All around the ground were dozens of circular pools of water.

"What's this now?" asked Hugo, stepping towards the closest pool. As he looked into it, he let out a shriek. "What! What is this? What happened to me?" Hugo's hands went up to his face, feeling it all over. "Huh?"

Varian and Yong walked over and saw that Hugo's face in the water was utterly wrinkled and spotted. Still, when they looked back up, his face was completely normal.

"It's an illusion," said Varian. He looked in to see that he and Yong's reflections also looked old and grey. Varian looked around again and noticed something in the ice. As he got closer, he realized it was some sort of inscription. He pulled out his mom's journal and flipped to where he'd seen that writing before. "My mom says here that these pools are our way forward. We have to find the reflection that shows our true selves and jump in."

"Well, that's definitely not the right one," said Hugo striding away. "Now this is more like it." He smiled down at a reflection of himself, covered in lavish clothes, holding riches, and looking completely content. Hugo hopped into the pool and disappeared entirely from sight. A moment later, he was violently ejected from another pool and flung to the stone floor.

"Heh, heh, we'll keep looking, then," Varian chuckled.

They checked each pool. Some were almost entirely iced over. Some boiled with heat. All showed clear reflections within.

Some reflections showed them as almost completely different people, like the pool that showed Yong as a tall, muscular man, which he proceeded to flex in front of for a few minutes.

Varian looked in one and was startled to see himself with long golden hair like Rapunzel's. Yong walked over to him and looked in. "Oh, you look pretty," he said. Yong's reflection showed him older, bigger and looking almost exactly like his brother Ru.

Hugo came to look too. "Hah, trying to get into a beauty pageant, Short Stack?"

"Better than you," said Varian, looking over at Hugo's reflection. It had long grey hair and a scar on its face. "You look like you've been through a war." Hugo now noticed his own reflection as well.

"Ugh," he said. "You're right. No, thanks." He quickly walked to the next pool.

Some were more subtle, like the one that made Varian's eyes green instead of blue. Still, others were even tougher as they were physically perfect but portrayed radically different personalities or circumstances. Varian knew one pool was wrong immediately when he saw his reflective self's arm wrapped happily around reflection Hugo's waist.

"Aw, look at us," said Hugo as he looked in as well. "So friendly."

"I think your reflection has a zit in this one," said Varian.

"What? No!" Hugo looked closer as Varian walked away.

"What about this one?" called Yong, pointing down at a pool. Varian and Hugo walked up next to him and looked down. Yong did look completely normal in the reflection, his posture maybe a little straighter and more confident.

Varian looked at his own reflection. He couldn't find any physical defects. What was odd was how good he looked. Weary yes, his eyes still looked tired, but the way his reflection held himself looked very… heroic. Determined and brave. Like how Rapunzel stood when facing down a challenge.

Hugo rubbed his chin as he studied his own double. Again, everything was physically intact. But he was put off by how sad and uncomfortable the image seemed. "Well, look at what I'm dealing with," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?" asked Varian.

"Nothing," said Hugo.

Varian looked at Hugo's reflection. "You're looking pretty sad there, 'Real' Alchemist."

Hugo threw an arm up to his forehead dramatically. "If this is indeed the correct pool, my true self is obviously so insecure because of all the hate and negatively I've been getting from you two."

"It's definitely not because you're hiding something," said Yong facetiously.

"I don't think this is the right one anyway," said Varian, eyes still on his own reflection. "It doesn't seem right."

"I think it's the one," said Yong. "Every other pool had something wrong. This has to be it."

Varian considered this a moment then looked over to where Ruddiger and Prometheus were. "You two look after each other," he said. "We'll be right back." He looked back down at the pool and slowly dipped a toe in the water, sending ripples through it. Then with a deep breath, he jumped inside.

Yong and Hugo waited a beat for Varian to reappear, but nothing happened. They looked at each other then jumped in after Varian.

~ * ~

Varian fell through the dark and landed awkwardly on pale grey stone brick. He pulled himself up from the floor and looked around. He was in a large circular chamber, about twenty feet tall, and lit on all sides by tall windows. He expected to see the pool of water in the ceiling above, but it was stone as well. As he looked at it, a hole opened. Yong and Hugo fell through before the shaft slid shut once more.

"Why do these always involve falling from heights?" asked Hugo bitterly as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

Varian didn't respond. He was looking around at the windows. Except, no, they weren't windows. They were tanks filled with water. The tanks stretched from about a foot from the floor to about a foot from the ceiling. Inside each one, resting on the bottom, were different colored glass orbs.

Varian looked down by his feet in the middle of the room and saw that there were four wheels on the floor. Curious, Varian knelt down and turned the one next to him. At first, nothing happened. But then some of the orbs in the tanks began to rise. Varian's eyes lit up as each one floated gently upwards in the water, each stopping at a different height in the water.

Then the room began to rumble. "Uh oh," said Varian.

With the loud grinding sound, three icy pillars rose from the floor. Hugo had to jump back to not get carried up by one. Then slowly, each platform of ice came to a halt at a different random height. Varian looked for a moment before he realized their heights weren't random at all but instead corresponded to the orb they were in front of. Three orbs had floated up, and three pillars rose to match.

"Amazing," whispered Varian.

"A density challenge," said Hugo with a smirk.

"Yeah, we can see that," said Varian. "These wheels must adjust the temperature of the water."

"Actually," said Hugo, leaning in close to a tank. "With how quickly the adjustments are made, it's definitely not water in there. Probably a kind of ethanol."

"Not that that matters," said Varian. "But, uh, yes. We change the temperature of the ethanol to raise and lower the orbs, which in turn raise or lower the pillars."

"Look!" exclaimed Yong. He pointed up high. Varian and Hugo squinted up and realized Yong was pointing to a cavity near the ceiling with a small podium. On top of the podium was a new totem. "That's where we have to get to."

"So," said Varian. "We need to get the density right, so the pillars form a stair to reach the totem." Still knelt down by the wheels, Varian tried a different one and watched more orbs float up in their tanks.

After a few minutes of trying the different wheels, Varian was having trouble getting the right solution. Yong was having fun jumping and sliding between the pillars, trying to use them to get to the top while Varian worked. Unfortunately, Varian kept getting close but would always be one pillar off from the right answer. Hugo sat next to him. "Let me give it a go, Hairstripe?"

"I almost got it," said Varian.

"Actually, you need to do this one first," said Hugo, turning one of the wheels. Varian sat back reluctantly and watched as Hugo attempted a different pattern. Hugo turned a wheel, and Varian watched as one of the orbs started to float the wrong way. He reached out to turn it back.

"Don't touch that!" said Hugo.

Varian froze and shot a glare at Hugo. Hugo smirked and continued his method. Without taking his eyes off the know-it-all jerk, Varian rebelliously turned the wheel. As soon as Hugo noticed, he grabbed the wheel and tried to turn it back.

"That's not going to work," said Hugo.

"It's going the wrong way," said Varian. His hand was still on the wheel, and he pulled as hard as he could.

"It has to go up to go back down again," said Hugo, holding tight to the wheel

"That makes no sense!" barked Varian.

"Hey! No fighting down there!" called Yong from the pillar he was currently stuck on.

"Ah, your sight is as short as your height," said Hugo, still tugging.

Varian felt something snap inside of him. He was tired of this rude, selfish, idiotic jerk one-upping him at every turn. He used both his hands and all his might to get back control of the wheel.

Which immediately broke off. Varian looked down with shock at the wheel in his hand.

Some of the orbs began to rise and fall randomly. The pillars of ice, in turn, started going up and down like crazy. The platform Yong was on shot towards the ceiling. He quickly jumped over to the next one to not get squished.

"Well done, Hercules," said Hugo.

"I, uh, I didn't mean-" said Varian.

Hugo quickly pulled some tools from his bag. "Just hold it on, I'll put it back together."

The orbs and pillars were still fluctuating up and down like crazy, and the whole room was rumbling. Varian complied, holding the wheel steady on the setting so Hugo could repair the pieces and screw the whole thing back in place. As soon as he did, the orbs and pillars settled down and went back to normal. The room became still again.

"Now," said Hugo. He looked at Varian, who was still staring down at the wheel, guilt prickling his insides. "I know you hate relinquishing your precious control. But can you let me at least attempt to contribute to this team?"

Varian nodded and scooted back so Hugo could work. He watched as Hugo turned the contested wheel back into his desired position. Again, the orb Varian had been watching floated up the wrong way. But then as Hugo turned two of the other wheels, it started sinking back down. The orbs were all slid into place with a few more turns, and the pillars had formed a perfect stair to reach the totem. Yong happily bounced up to retrieve their prize.

Hugo looked at Varian with a huge grin. But Varian turned his eyes down in embarrassment.

"Do I really have a control problem?" Varian asked softly. There was a beat before Hugo spoke.

"Problem?" said Hugo with a shrug. "Problem implies it's a bad thing. Nothing wrong with taking charge. But I have this feeling that where you came from, you were the one having to come up with all the bright ideas. Maybe you just have to realize that you're no longer the only smart kid in the room."

Varian listened and tried to rub the heat from his face before he met Hugo's gaze. The sincere look on his face compelled Varian to know more.

"Why are you here? Why do you want to get to the Library?" Varian asked.

"Me?" asked Hugo. He thought for a second, then smiled. "To sell all its secrets and become fabulously wealthy, of course," he concluded with a wink.

Varian rolled his eyes and stood up.

Up top, Yong grabbed the totem from its podium and started back down the stairs.

"Okay," said Varian. "Time to get out of here. We just have to-"

The room started to rumble again. All the pillars began to sink down into the floor. Yong jumped down to stand next to Varian and Hugo. Once the pillars finished their decent small holes near the ceiling opened up, and water started pouring into the room. It began to flood.

"What's going on?" yelled Yong.

"I don't know!" said Varian as the water splashed against his ankles. He frowned then fixed Hugo with an accusatory glare. "You must have done something wrong!"

"Impossible," said Hugo. "I solved the puzzle perfectly. Don't you think snapping off one of the controls might have triggered something?"

Varian had his hands up as if to fight Hugo, but the water was already at his waist, and the force of it rising pushed him back. They all separated, swimming to the walls to try to find a way out. They pushed and pulled at the stone, desperate to find any kind of trigger or mechanism. Varian and Hugo attempted to demolish the walls with alchemy, mixing various chemicals and exploding them against the sides. The brick resisted everything, and the tanks refused to shatter.

The water seemed to rise faster and faster. They were now all forced to tread the surface as they continued to look for an escape. They clawed and kicked, but all efforts were in vain.

With only a few feet of air left, Hugo swam over to one of the holes and tried to block it off. Varian swung his staff up at the ceiling, trying to open the hole they'd first dropped down through. Yong tried to light his firecrackers, but the fuses were too wet to take. Nothing was working. Only a foot of air remained.

"Varian!" cried Yong.

"Yong! Yong, it's okay!" shouted Varian, unable to keep the panic from his voice.

Hugo was pounding on the walls now. The room was almost completely flooded.

Yong reached out for Varian, and Varian took his hand as the water enveloped them all.

Chapter Text

Varian flailed and twisted, desperate for a way out. He rolled over, felt himself plummet, and crashed onto a stone floor. His eyes snapped open, and he sat up to find himself tangled in a mess of sheets lying next to a lavish bed.

"Huh? Wha-?" Breathed Varian, his heart still racing. He looked around. "Is this-" He was in a beautiful little room. It had painted stone walls with a large fireplace set into one side. The other side was crammed with tables and shelves filled with books and alchemical supplies. All his things were there, but it wasn't Old Corona. It was "...the castle?"

"Varian!" The heavy wooden door opened, and Varian's dad rushed in. "I heard a crash, are you okay, son?"

Varian rushed to stand and free himself from the bedsheets simultaneously. He stumbled a bit and caught himself on his father's vest. "Dad! The water trial! We were trapped! How, wha- how did I get here? What's going on?"

His dad grabbed his shoulders gently, face concerned but calm. "Slow down, Varian. You had a bad dream. That's all."

"What?" said Varian. "No. No, it was real. I was looking for the Eternal Library. We got the totem. And then we… Hugo and Yong." He looked down at his right hand and flexed it, feeling like there should be something there.

"Varian, what are you talking about?" said Quirin. "The eternal what?"

"The Library," said Varian, now feeling unsure. "Don't you remember? The journals? Mom?"

Another person walked through the door, and Varian looked over to see a woman with long auburn hair and bright blue eyes.

"Mom?" he gasped. "Wha... Mom!" Varian rushed over to her and nearly tackled her with a hug. She hugged him back lovingly.

"Really, Varian," said his dad. "I don't know what's gotten into you. You saw your mom just last night. That must have been quite the dream you had."

Varian pulled back from his mom's embrace, wiping his eyes. "Yeah, I guess, heh, I just got confused." He rubbed his forehead, his memories jumbling for a moment before he remembered having dinner with both his parents just the day before. How could he have forgotten?

"Well, you can tell us all about it later," said Quirin.

Varian nodded. He tried to recall what he’d been dreaming about but it had already started to slip away. “Actually, I don’t think it was important,” he said honestly.

"If it was, I’m sure you’ll remember later,” said his dad. “Right now, you need to get going. The Princess has asked to see you."

Varian stood outside the council chambers waiting for Pete the Guard to announce him. "Princess, the Royal Engineer and Councilor of Science is here to see you."

"Varian! Come in!" came Rapunzel's voice.

Varian shyly scooted in through the double doors to find Rapunzel standing next to the long oaken table looking over some scrolls. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Come here! I know it's early, but I have a job for you,” she said.

Varian walked over. As he crossed the room, he began to hear a dripping sound. Annoyed, he tried to find the source. There were a bunch of tables covered up in cloth which was admittedly, a bit odd, but no sign of water. He shrugged it off and looked down at the paper on the table. "Uh, yeah, Rapunzel. What did you need?"

"Well," Rapunzel smiled and unrolled the scroll to reveal a map of the Kingdom of Corona. She pointed to a place a few miles outside the city. “We’ve cleared this area for your water pipes but we need you to go survey and approve it. You’ll have to spend all day making sure everything checks out.”

Varian raised an eyebrow. “You want running water all the way out there?”

“Uh, of course!” said Rapunzel, suddenly looking nervous. “I mean, all those sheep out there in the pastures need water too right?”

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. Something continued to drip in Varian's ear. He looked around again. “Where is that coming from?” He walked away from Rapunzel. He approached one of the covered tables and pulled off the cloth.

“Wait! Don’t look-” said Rapunzel. But it was too late. Covering the table were brightly colored decorations, bundles of flowers, and neatly wrapped presents. Some of the decorations had his face on them. He looked back at Rapunzel.

“Uh, what’s this?” He asked.

“Oh, it was supposed to be a surprise,” said Rapunzel, looking disappointed. She sighed. “Okay, I guess it’s too late now. We were planning a surprise party for you. It was going to be tomorrow. I was trying to get you out of the city so you wouldn’t find out.”

Varian felt his cheeks flush a little at the thought of all that attention. “For me? Why?”

Rapunzel’s smile was back. “You don’t remember? Varian, tomorrow will be five years since you got rid of the black rocks.”

“Yes,” said Varian. The memories flooded his mind easily. “Of course. That’s how we met. You came to ask me to get rid of them.”

“And you did,” said Rapunzel. “You made a chemical that could destroy them. And they’ve been gone ever since. You saved Corona that day Varian. Who knows what the rocks could have done to this Kingdom if you hadn’t stopped them? So it’s only right that we celebrate you for that.”

“Wow, Rapunzel,” said Varian, feeling flattered. “Thank you.”

“I’m just sorry I spoiled the surprise,” said Rapunzel. “I was going to send you on this big wild goose chase to keep you distracted. Cassandra even asked to take the day off from being my personal bodyguard so she could keep an eye on you instead.”

"Varian! Man of the hour! I was looking for you!"

Varian turned to see guard captain Eugene striding into the room. He approached and placed a hand on Varian's shoulder. "Hey! Yeah. So we need you to come to check up on that defense machine thingy you made. It might be just a teeny tiny bit broken."

“Eugene,” said Rapunzel. “He already knows about the celebration. You don’t need to distract him.”

“What?” said Eugene. “Oh well, that’s a shame. But actually this wasn’t a distraction tactic. The defense system is actually broken.”

Varian looked at Eugene admonishingly. "You let Lance touch it again, didn't you?"

"It was only for a second," said Eugene guiltily.

Varian's hand flew to his forehead. "I'll come fix it."

"Good man!" said Eugene happily. "Knew I could count on you!

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Arh! What is that?" asked Varian in frustration.

"What's what, Varian?" asked Rapunzel

"That sound. That dripping. Something must be leaking." He was looking everywhere for it now.

"Hey, now, don't worry about that," said Eugene, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Whatever it is, it's nothing a master engineer like yourself can't fix later. But at this moment, you really should come to check out the defense system cause it may also be a little bit on fire."

"What?" Exclaimed Varian. He let the strange dripping sound fade from his mind and followed Eugene out of the room. Eugene was right. Whatever it was could wait.

~ * ~

Yong felt the pressure weigh on him. Was this it? The end of it all? Would he let himself back down? No! After all he'd accomplished already? He would not let his fears take hold. He had a show to do!

Yong stepped out from behind the curtain.

"Ladies! Gentlemen! All who have graced our fair city with your beautiful personages! Welcome!" Yong stood proudly on the stage of the fireworks show, addressing the hundreds of people gathered around. They listened, waiting on his every word.

"The wonders you are about to behold may shock you. They may even frighten you! But do not be afraid! For I, Yong, have mastered the science of black powder and have it under my complete control!"

The crowd waited with bated breaths as Yong walked over to a beautifully intricate machine rigged up with all his creations. He put on a shrewd smile and struck a match before lighting the fuse.

Rockets erupted from the machine and soared through the air before bursting over the audience. They made an array of little flowers that hung in the air. Others morphed into a rainbow of sparkling butterflies that twirled and fluttered over the heads of the crowd. Small children laughed and pointed up at them.

More fireworks flew up and exploded. This time they seemed to melt down into the form of graceful, long-necked cranes, which danced and looped around each other. Once more, the crowd was awed.

Yong released one final firework which soared straight into the air, then with a loud boom, it was suddenly a grand shining gold dragon. It swooped over the city, lighting it up with its incredible glow. Then it spun back into the sky before bursting into a sea of stars that floated gently down.

The crowd clapped and cheered, some people practically screaming with excitement. People tossed flowers and gifts onto the stage. Yong stood there happily, soaking in the joy that radiated from them.

Yong was backstage, holding a bouquet of flowers he'd been thrown. His parents were there waiting for him, their faces shining with pride. Yong ran to them and hugged them both.

"You did it again, Yong!" said his mom. "Another amazing show. Your fireworks get better every single year." Yong held her tighter, blushing from the praise.

"She's right, Yong," said his dad. "You've really outdone yourself. We're so proud of you."

"Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad," said Yong gratefully. "For everything."

His dad laughed. "My son. We should be thanking you. You could have easily forgotten about us with all this fame and glory. We're just a couple of poor farmers. But you paid our debts. Set us up with a house here in the capitol. You even helped your brother work on his fireworks."

Yong stepped back and handed the flowers to his mom. "Of course. Anything for my family." He felt tears sting his eyes. He put his hand up to brush them away, but they kept on coming. He rubbed his eyes, embarrassed to be getting so emotional.

The tears kept falling. They were pouring down Yong's face now and pooling in his hands. His parents just smiled at him as the water flowed between his fingers.

"Yong!"

Yong turned to see his older brother Ru jogging towards them. He looked down at his hands and was shocked to find them dry. He touched his face, but the tears were gone.

"Yong, I'm glad I found you," said Ru.

"Ru! Hey! Have you come to congratulate me too?" said Yong, trying to shake off whatever just happened.

Ru slowed down and looked away awkwardly, his large frame appearing much smaller. "Um, no. Well, I mean, yes. Of course, I was. And it was really amazing, Yong. But…" He paused as if he was nervous about what he was going to say next. "Well, I'm up next, and I was hoping you'd wish me luck."

Yong's eyes widened. "You entered the contest?"

"Well, you've helped me so much," said Ru. "I really wanted to give it my best shot, you know?"

Yong smiled and put a hand on his brother's arm. It was soaking wet.

Yong pulled his hand back with a shout.

"Yong, is everything okay?" asked Ru. His arm was dry. Yong cautiously placed his hand back. Dry. It felt dry. Why did he think it was wet? What was happening?

"Yeah, of course," said Yong. He ripped his eyes away from his hand and up to his brother's face. "And of course I'm going to wish you good luck. You've worked so hard on this. You deserve to show everyone how far you've come."

Ru's nerves seemed to subside, and he stood up straighter. "Thanks, Yong."

"Yeah. No problem," said Yong, letting himself forget about the weird visions. It was such a perfect night. He just had to focus on that.

~ * ~

It was pitch black. Darkness engulfed everything. Hugo could feel his heart beating fast inside his chest as he held his breath, not daring to let go for a second. Then he heard what he'd been waiting for. Footsteps, oppressive and regimented, passed by his hiding spot. As soon as they were gone, he slipped out of the closet and raced down the now empty hallway.

He arrived at the vault door. With a casual flick of his wrist, he smashed a green ball against the metal door. Acid quickly ate through the barrier and straight to the other side. Hugo smirked and slipped inside.

Once there, he was greeted with the full array of Ingvarr's crown jewels all proudly displayed on soft velvet cushions. He grabbed the nearest crown and lifted it up to admire the gleaming rocks set in gold.

"Oh baby, where have you been all my life?" he asked sweetly. He pulled a small metal device from his bag and attached it to the inside of the crown before placing it on his head. Then he snatched up the other jewels and put them all into his bag. Somewhere in the vault, Hugo heard something dripping. He looked up, but when he couldn't find the source of the sound he shrugged and went back to work.

With a loud creak, the vault door opened. Hugo looked over his shoulder to see a group of guards standing there, weapons drawn. Hugo smiled as they drew closer. "Thought you'd never get here."

He already had two smoke bombs ready, one clutched in each hand. He dropped them simultaneously, and the room filled with thick blue clouds. Hugo used the cover to dance around the guards and back into the hallway. He sprinted away until two more guards blocked his path. He skidded to a stop.

"Give us that crown!" one of them barked, sword out and ready. "That belongs to the King!"

"Oh, but I think I wear it better, don't you?" asked Hugo, adjusting it on his head. When they didn't answer, he let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh well, if you insist. Fetch!" He whipped off the crown and flung it past the guards. They turned to grab it, but it went straight out a window. The guards, shocked and angry, turned back to confront Hugo once more, but he was already gone.

Hugo nearly flew down a flight of stairs and out onto a new floor. More guards were on his tail, and he knew it was time to bring the game to close. He dashed towards another open window. Another line of guards ran to intercept. He tossed one, then two slowness potions at them. Ice started to crystalize on their feet, and they ran slower and slower. It was just enough so he could reach the window and jump!

Hugo flew through the open air. Moonlight streamed down, highlighting the ramparts of the castle. He pulled a grappling hook from his belt and pulled the trigger. It shot off and caught onto the roof ahead of him, propelling him even further into the night.

Hugo let out a whoop of excitement. He'd never felt more free.

He used the hook again, swinging down closer to the ground, then with a flip he landed astride the mechanical bike he'd built himself.

Hugo pulled out a remote and pushed a button on it. "If you love it, let it go." Something whizzed through the air. Hugo threw his other hand up in time to intercept the crown he'd just thrown away. "If it comes back, then you know." He kissed the sparkling crown and popped off the hovering device he'd put on it. Then he shoved it in with the rest of the treasure in his bag.

Hugo revved up his bike and rode off in a cloud of dust and smoke.

He was back at his hideout. Hugo hopped off his bike and strode inside. Gathered around, waiting for news, were all his followers. He smirked and opened his bag to reveal the jewels he just acquired. Everyone's eyes lit up at the bounty. He pulled out the crown before tossing the bag and the rest of its contents at the closest person.

"Get these to our fence in Pittsford. He's been begging for them for ages now. Make sure we take him for all he's worth. I have inventions to fund." Hugo looked down at the crown still in his hand before placing it jauntily on his head. "I think I'll take this one for my personal collection."

He was in his lab. It was a massive room lined from floor to ceiling with machines and contraptions, all of his own design. He settled himself down in a lavish chair that might as well have been a throne. He stretched then grabbed a pen. "Time to design something new."

However, as he was about to put pen to paper, he realized he didn't have any idea what to draw.

"Hmm…" He shifted in his seat, thinking. "Surely, I haven't thought of everything already… There's something else I can create. Something I don't have yet. Hmm."

He tapped the pen on the table, trying to think. Then he noticed a glass of water on the table. Hugo reached for it. As he tried to grab it, the glass slipped from his hand and spilled onto the tabletop. Water, much more than could ever fit in the glass, started pouring out. Hugo watched in alarm as it gushed over the surface and onto the floor.

"Sir?"

Hugo's shoulders tensed, and he turned to see one of his followers at the door. He looked back. The desk was completely dry. The water glass was back where it had been a moment before. Hugo shook his head and looked back at the door. "Yes?" he asked, careful to stay calm.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you," said the man. Hugo waved to allow the visitor entrance and watched as Cyrus walked through the door. Hugo forgot about the glass and smiled wickedly from ear to ear.

"To what do I owe this honor?" asked Hugo sarcastically.

"You should know," said Cyrus, irritably. "I'm here on behalf of Donella. You're late. Her order was supposed to be completed weeks ago, and not a single weapon has been delivered."

Hugo laughed, standing up from his chair. "I'm getting to it. She must realize how long my list of clients is. I can't help being so popular."

"She'll revoke your contract," said Cyrus threateningly.

"Do it!" said Hugo, a smile still on his face. "You think I care? Me! Successful Crime-lord. Genius Inventor. World-Renowned Engineer. I've robbed half this city and built the other half from the ground up. No one dares stop me because they know I'll outsmart them at every turn. I am untouchable. And you think one little contract from some war-mongering weapons dealer means anything to me? You know what? Sure. I'll just sell them to her competitor instead."

Cyrus's face blanched. "Um… that's not necessary."

"I think it is," said Hugo darkly. "You want to throw threats around? I'm willing to follow through. Consider the contract broken."

Cyrus's face twisted into contempt. "You selfish brat! You'd turn on Donella for the sake of your own ego? The only friend you have left in this world!"

"Friend?" Hugo said, laughing more maniacally. "If she was such a friend, she wouldn't send her dog to come talk to me. Friends are for naive children." His smile dropped, and he let his true anger show. "No one ever does anything in this world unless there is something in it for them, and the only reason I'm where I am now is because I realized that before it was too late." Hugo snapped his fingers. "Men! Get him out of here!"

Hugo's followers rushed in and dragged Cyrus from the room. Hugo readjusted the crown on his head and turned back to his workstation. He threw himself down into his chair, his body still tense with anger. "I don't need her. I don't need anyone," he said, fists clenching. "I have everything I could ever want, and I got it on my own."

After a moment, he looked up and around the now silent room. Empty of people but brimming with objects.

"I have everything," he repeated in a whisper.

Something moved in the corner of his eye. Hugo glanced over and caught a small shadow moving behind one of the machines. Curious, he crept over, following it as it darted around. It kept evading him, moving just out of sight at every turn. Hugo had to stop and wait, listening for its little clinking sounds until it finally darted out in front of him.

He pounced, snatched up the little shadow from the ground, and held it up.

It was a little mechanical mouse. It was metallic with just a little rust around the corners. It had all kinds of tiny gears and bolts that turned and whirred as the little creature moved. Hugo's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you?" he asked. "Where did you come from?" The little mouse didn't struggle. It stared up at him with interest, it's slight mechanical nose twitching. Hugo suddenly felt a headache hit him. He rubbed his temple with his free hand, accidentally knocking the crown to the floor.

He saw himself back in the orphanage. He was gathering scraps of metal and little nuts and bolts. His tiny hands grabbed anything he could find and stowed it in his pillow.

He saw himself cross legged in a corner working so hard and so carefully to screw the little pieces together.

"What?" Hugo stared down at the mouse as strange memories flashed in his head.

His small inexperienced fingers fought to hold steady as he put in the final screw. If no one was going to be his friend, he'd make himself one instead.

"No." Hugo dropped the mouse to hold his head in both hands. The little mechanical rodent landed gracefully with a soft clacking of metal. "No," said Hugo. "That's not what happened. I never did that…"

Something was dripping. It was the same sound he'd heard in the vault. Hugo looked up to see a trail of water leading away. He followed it slowly to a chest in the corner. Water was leaking from the lid. Hugo lifted the lid.

The chest was filled with water. Something was floating lifeless inside. No, not something. Someone. A body. His body. Water gushed from the chest.

Hugo stumbled back, crashing into one of his contraptions behind him.

"Sir?"

Hugo's eyes snapped to the door to see one of his followers standing there.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Hugo looked back at the chest, but his body was gone. There was no water either. Instead, it was full of coins and jewels. He walked carefully back to it and hesitantly touched one of the golden coins. It felt real in his hand.

"Sir?"

"Yes! I'm fine!" snapped Hugo. "Leave me alone, already."

"But sir, we fenced the jewels. We have new materials for you to work with as you requested"

"What?" said Hugo, confused. "Already?" He clutched the coin in his hand. "Okay, I'm coming." He flicked the coin back into the chest with a ping and followed the man out of the room.

~ * ~

Varian carefully hammered the final nail into place and stepped back, wiping his brow. "There," he said. "It's all fixed now."

Varian was out in the center of the city. He'd just repaired the defense system like Eugene had asked him to. Eugene clapped him on the back. "You're a real lifesaver, you know that, kid? Don't know where we'd be without you."

Varian blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "With the number of times I've saved one of you from an explosion, you'd probably be goners by now." They both laughed.

"Oh, um, Mr. Royal Engineer, sir?" Varian turned when he heard the muffled voice of Attila, the baker.

Varian smiled kindly. "I'm still only eighteen, Attila. You can just call me Varian."

"Okay... Varian," said Attila. "I'm sorry to bother you. The oven you built me has been so helpful. I've never made such delicious cupcakes in my entire life." Attila held out a basket. "These are for you. To thank you. I was just hoping… maybe you could come by and make me a few more inventions to help out around the place."

"Oh," said Varian, taking the basket. Eugene was already liberating one of the cupcakes from inside. "Yeah, uh, I could come help. No problem."

"Varian!" Feldspar was rushing over. "Varian! Your cobbling machine has been such a huge help in my shop. I've been making nearly a hundred shoes a day. But do you think you could also make me something to help tan leather faster?"

"Um, okay," said Varian, delighted but overwhelmed by all the attention.

"Varian!" Someone else was running over.

"Royal Engineer!" Another townsperson called.

"Yes, excuse me!"

"Would you please-"

"Varian, I need-"

Before Varian knew it, there was a crowd of people surrounding him praising him and begging for more inventions. Varian could hardly think straight as they all tried speaking at once. It was almost too much. Their words started to fade and distort. Their voices became muffled. They sounded distant, almost like they were underwater. Then water began to trickle out of Feldspar's mouth. It flowed through the holes in Attila's helmet. Varian watched horrified as water suddenly poured out of everyone's mouths, flooding the square.

"Alright, people! Break it up! Give the guy some space, will ya?" Cassandra strode into the middle of the crowd, forcing them to part with her sheer force of will. Varian blinked, and everything was fine. Cassandra's voice was clear and normal. The townspeople were normal. All the water was gone. Everything was fine. "All requests for the Royal Engineer must be submitted to the Princess for approval first!"

The crowd groaned in disappointment.

"You heard me!" said Cass. "Leave him alone." The crowd grumbled, but dispersed, leaving only Varian, Eugene, and Cass in the square.

Varian took deep breaths, calming himself down from whatever strange hallucination he was just having. Eugene, by now, was holding the basket of cupcakes, shamelessly eating them, and showing no signs that anything odd had just transpired. Cass smirked at Varian. "You looked like you needed a rescue," she said.

"Um, yeah, thanks, Cassie," said Varian, determined to act normal. "I'm just glad they all like my inventions. Everyone was so happy."

Cass narrowed her eyes at Eugene. "Fitzherbert, can you save at least one of those for the person who actually earned them?"

Eugene put down the cupcake he was about to eat and glared back at her. "Oh, come on. Attila and Uncle Monty both bake him things all the time! He can't possibly eat it all by himself." Cass just kept looking at him until he finally gave in. "You know what? I’m sure someone in the kitchen would be delighted to bake me something.” Eugene pushed the basket back into Varian’s hands and puffed up his chest before swaggering off.

Varian chuckled. It was always the same with these two.

"Hey, Varian," said Cass. Varian looked back at her. "I have something for you. We were supposed to give it to you tomorrow for the celebration but Raps told me she already spoiled the surprise. So I figured, why make you wait?” She pulled out a box and held it up for him. Then she pulled the lid back to reveal a shiny gold medal resting on a velveteen bed. Varian's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "It's from the Doctor St. Croix Institute of Sciences. They're rewarding you for Outstanding Achievements in Alchemy and Engineering."

"Wow," breathed Varian, taking the medal out with reverent fingers. "Cassie. Do you realize what an honor this is? This is the kind of award scientists spend decades trying to get."

"You've earned it," said Cass. There was a pause as Varian fixated on the award before she spoke again. "Hey, Varian." Her voice was soft now in a way that made Varian look up, and the look she gave him made him blush. "You, uh, want to get dinner together sometime?"

Varian's jaw went slack once more. That was the kind of thing he imagined back when he was a young teen with a crush. But that was so long ago. He never actually expected to hear those words. Not from Cassandra. She smiled and glanced away from him. "I mean," she said. "I just thought we could celebrate your award together."

Something was wrong. This wasn't how things were. Varian felt a strange headache take over as images flashed before his eyes.

Cassandra, her hair bright blue, her body covered in dark angular armor, stared down at him. Cassandra glared at him, pulling black rocks out of the floor in sharp spikes as he pleaded with her. Cassandra vowed to destroy Corona because his invention, Project Obsidian, malfunctioned.

"No," said Varian, stepping slowly backward. "That's not what happened. That never happened." The dripping was back. Echoing in his ears. Varian looked around, trying to find where it was coming from.

"Varian!" Cassandra tried to reach for him. Varian pulled away from her and ran, the basket and medal both falling to the ground. He raced past shops and houses, following the sound, trying to find where it was coming from. Drip. He lost track of where he was. Drip. Drip.

He ran straight into his dad.

"Son, what's wrong?" said Quirin.

"I don't know," said Varian, clinging to him. "Something is wrong, but I don't know what. I can't figure it out. Everything… it's…"

"Varian, everything is perfect," said Quirin. He took in Varian's panicked face and sighed. "I should have known all this success would put too much pressure on you. Come on. Come with me, it's going to be alright."

Varian nodded as the dripping noise faded away. He sighed in relief and let his dad steer him back towards the castle. His dad was right. Everything was so perfect. Why was he freaking out? What was wrong with him?

~ * ~

Hugo was lying upside down in his chair, his legs draped over the arms and his head dangling down the other side. He stared out at all his inventions, not really seeing them. He barely registered as footsteps approached.

"Good job on another successful heist, sir," said his man. "King Trevor's prized dance shoes will earn us a hefty sum from our buyer. And then you'll be able to fund more of your amazing projects."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Hugo, not even bothering to look up.

"Sir?"

"So great. Got another thing so I can make more things and then steal more things, so I have lots of things to make things and have things… What's the point?" He jumped up out of the chair. "It's all just stuff! I don't even have to try to get any of it! It just falls in my lap! It's no fun anymore. There's no point to any of it!"

"You're the most powerful man in the world, sir."

"Yeah, well," said Hugo, pacing. "Now I have all that. So now what? I feel like I'm just going in circles. I feel like… there's something... something else. Something that's wrong." He stopped and turned to look at his man. "Who are you?"

The man looked at him quizzically. "What?"

"Who are you?" repeated Hugo. "I'm serious. What's your name?"

"Um… my name, sir… I, it's, uh…"

"You don't know it, do you?" said Hugo. "How can that be? That’s impossible!" Hugo rubbed his face with his hands, trying to make sense of everything. All his memories were a mess. He looked back up and saw something on the man's shoulder. It was the little mechanical mouse again.

"What is that?" asked Hugo, pointing to the mouse. "Is that yours?"

"Is what mine?" asked the man.

"That!" shouted Hugo. "That! That mouse! She-" More memories flashed through his mind.

Hugo giggled as the little mouse crawled up his body and onto his shoulder, nuzzling his neck with her cold little nose. "Ah, Cheese, haha. I love you, too."

"Cheese!" shouted Hugo. "I- I remember… but it's not you. It can't be… you broke. You're not real. This… none of this is real!"

The mouse burst apart with a spray of water. Springs and screws flew to the floor. Hugo's inventions all began to shake. He looked around eyes wide as each of them started to fall to pieces and water gushed from within them. In seconds a tidal wave swept towards Hugo, dragging him under.

Hugo's eyes snapped open. He was floating, water all around him. And there was Varian and Yong, suspended like he was in the water, eyes closed. He couldn't help but notice their hands clasped together, even while unconscious. The water trial. How long had they been there?

Hugo swam forward and shook their shoulders. Their heads rolled slowly, but they did not wake. Hugo looked down and saw that Yong still had the water totem in his hand. He grabbed it and found the other totem in Varian's pack as well. Looking up, Hugo saw the passage they'd initially been dropped from was open again. He could swim to safety. He could get out of here and bring the totems to Donella.

Nothing was stopping him.

~ * ~

Varian was in his room. He'd gotten to work experimenting with different formulas and solutions. He was doing anything to keep his mind busy. He had two beakers going at once and was doing calculations on a scrap of paper when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said distractedly. Soft footsteps walked through the door as Varian continued to work. He squinted through his goggles at the bubbling beakers, trying to focus. He didn't dare let his mind wander for a second.

"Varian?" He recognized the voice and finally looked up.

"Oh, Princess. I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you," said Varian, pushing his goggles back up onto his head.

"I heard about what happened earlier," Rapunzel said softly. "This all must be pretty stressful."

"Yeah, heh," said Varian. "I don't really know what's wrong with me."

Rapunzel was quiet for a moment. "Can I show you something?" she asked.

Varian turned off the burners he'd been using and made sure everything was safe to be left alone. "Yes. What is it?"

They stood in Rapunzel's room. Varian looked up at the walls painted from top to bottom. He had been in here before, but he was still amazed by its beauty every time. Rapunzel really was a talented artist.

"What did you want to show me?" he asked.

"This," said Rapunzel gesturing over to one of the walls. Varian looked over to where she pointed and realized all the scenes were of him. One was of the day they met. The paintings showed how Varian had found his chemical compound capable of dissolving the rocks. It showed him removing the rocks one by one until they were gone forever.

From that day forward, Rapunzel and the Kingdom had come to him to solve all their problems. Blizzards, invasions, and blights. He had conquered each disaster with a new invention. Varian brushed his fingers against the image of one of his creations. He always had the answer. He always had the solution.

"These are all your achievements, Varian," said Rapunzel proudly. "You've done so much for Corona. I realize it can get overwhelming. You might worry about whether you can keep it up or whether you can keep pleasing people. But I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about that." She put her hand on his shoulder. "You're amazing, Varian. No matter what happens, you're going to be able to handle it. You’ll always find the answer."

Varian smiled, feeling much calmer than before. "Thanks, Rapunzel."

"More like, no thanks," said a voice.

They both turned to see a tall blonde man standing in Rapunzel's doorway. Varian couldn't remember his name.

"Hope you had fun in dreamland cause it's time to go now," said the man. He strode forward and grabbed Varian's arm.

"What?" asked Varian, recoiling back. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"How did you get in here?" snapped Rapunzel. Her sweet, soft tone was gone. Instead, she spoke with a cold, demanding voice. "Guards! Get him out of here!"

Four guards stormed into the room and grabbed the man, pulling him away from Varian. The dripping sound was back.

"No, that's not how we're doing this," said the man. He let his body drop and twisted himself out of the guard's grasps. He was back in front of Varian, hands on his shoulders, shaking him. Varian tried to squirm away. The dripping was insistent now.

"Freckles, this isn't real!" he said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Varian. "Of course, it's real."

"Listen to me," said the man. "You know that's not true!" Rapunzel tried to pull the man off Varian now, but he refused to let go. "Whatever this is. Whatever you have, you know it's too good to be true. You know it's too easy. You have to wake up!"

"No," said Varian, shaking his head. "No, you're wrong. It's real! It's-" Rapunzel and the guards finally got the man off of him, and Varian turned to look back at Rapunzel's mural. "It's real. I did all this. I fixed all of it."

Even as he said that he watched in horror as the paintings faded in and out of sight. Some of them left blank spaces. Some were replaced by other pictures. Pictures of things Varian had forgotten. Varian's eyes landed on one with a looming automaton, a single red eye in its center, surrounded by black rocks. Drip. Drip. Drip.

“I fixed it!” Repeated Varian. “No one had to get hurt!”

The man chuckled softly, and Varian looked back at him. The man- Hugo- smiled as if he’d just remembered a good joke. "I know you hate relinquishing your precious control, Short stuff. But let's not drown over it, okay?"

"Hugo," said Varian. Varian remembered now. How Hugo stole the first totem. But he brought it back. They’d traveled to Galcrest together. He, Hugo, and Yong had all worked together to complete the water trial. Hugo helped after Varian broke the wheel. "The trial. The Library.” Varian remembered everything now. “This isn't real!"

A resounding crack shook the room. Varian's head snapped back around to see the mural had split in two. A wave of water cascaded through and washed over him.

Varian woke up and saw a pair of green eyes staring right back into his own. Hugo's forehead was pressed directly against his, and Hugo’s hands were holding the back of his head. Startled, Varian twisted back away from him. Hugo let go without a fight and backed off. Varian looked around to see they were still in the trial chamber, and the room was still flooded with water.

Hugo gestured to Varian and then pointed to Varian's right. Varian looked over to see Yong also suspended in the water. He looked back at Hugo to see him rapidly miming the act of pulling something to his forehead. Varian understood.

He swam to Yong, and without hesitating, he held his friend's head and pressed their foreheads together.

~ * ~

Yong stood in the wings as Ru went out in front of the audience. He was still visibly nervous as he wheeled out a small cart of fireworks.

"Good evening, everyone," shouted Ru. "I'm so excited to be here. It's my first time, and I just hope you like what I made." Someone coughed in the audience.

Ru fumbled a bit as he tried to light a match. When he finally had it lit, it slipped out of his fingers and landed in the middle of the cart.

Yong realized what was about to happen and ran out onto the stage. He pulled Ru out of the way as the whole cart went up in a massive explosion. The crowd screamed and ran away as wood and sparks flew everywhere. Yong guided a shocked and scared Ru away from the destruction then turned back to where the stage was now covered with fire.

Yong pulled out one of his fireworks and lit it confidently. He flicked his wrist and let it fly forward. The firework transformed. This time it became a large blue peacock. It swept over the flames and enveloped them before bursting into a soft white foam. The foam settled down over the fire and slowly but surely snuffed it out.

Yong admired his handiwork as the crowd stopped running. They all realized what happened and turned back and cheered. Yong waved at them happily then quieted them down before speaking.

“Don’t worry. Everything is under control now. My older brother may be a bit of a hazard, but he tried his best. I’ll make sure he’s more careful from now on.” After his speech, Yong turned around expecting to see his brother looking sad and embarrassed.

Instead, he saw a short, dark-haired man. He was rushing straight for him, making Yong step back in surprise.

"Everything is alright now, sir," said Yong. "I've taken care of the fire."

"Yong!" said the man, taking hold of his arms. "Yong, It's me, Varian. You have to wake up. This isn't real."

"What?" said Yong. He tried to wiggle out of the man's grip. "I don't understand."

"Yes, you do," said the man. "You are so smart, Yong. You know there's something wrong about this. I know it feels amazing. I know you want to believe it. But you know it's wrong."

Yong's cheeks felt wet. He raised a hand and felt tears flowing down from his eyes. Images flashed before his eyes. Everything that just happened. The fireworks show went all wrong. The stage caught fire. But it wasn't Ru who messed up. It was him. It was Yong.

He looked back at the man- at his friend Varian. "I don't want to go back," he said.

Varian looked shocked.

"All my mistakes," explained Yong. "Everything I've done wrong. They never happened here, Varian."

Varian frowned and then nodded his head in understanding. "I know, Yong. I wanted to run from my mistakes too. I wanted to forget all the bad things that ever happened. But we can't. Those failures. Those dark moments. They're part of us. They're what make us stronger. Wake up, Yong. You can do it."

Yong tears still streaming down his face looked back at the still cheering crowd then looked at Varian and nodded.

"This isn't real," said Varian, looking up in alarm, and then desperately at Yong. "Say it!"

"This isn't real," said Yong, his voice hitching. The stage beneath them cracked then crumbled, revealing a churning ocean beneath. Yong plummeted down into the depths.

Yong's eyes opened to see Varian was still there, but he was surrounded by water. They were back in the trial room.

Varian tugged Yong, and he realized his friend was pulling him towards a hole in the ceiling. Hugo was already swimming for it. Yong followed in earnest. Now that he was out of the dream, his lungs were burning with the need to breathe.

He kicked as hard as possible as they rose through the stony passage, getting closer and closer to the light.

Finally, Yong, Varian, and Hugo all emerged from the pool, gasping, and coughing. They all crawled out and collapsed with exhaustion to the graveled stone floor.

~ * ~

Hugo sat in the snow and looked out over a small ridge. A half-moon hung in the sky, enough to make the white and blue landscape sparkle and glow. He sat with his back to the campfire, about twenty feet away, which meant he was pretty cold. But he didn't mind it right now. He rummaged in his bag and pulled something out. He held it in his hand without looking at it.

After a while, the snow crunched behind him, and Varian sat down next to him.

"How's the kid doing?" asked Hugo.

"Yong?" asked Varian. "He's dry now at least. Still a little bit shaken. But he's stronger than you'd think. He'll be alright. Well, as alright as you can be after something like that."

Hugo fiddled with the things in his hand, his eyes still out on the horizon. "And what about you?" he asked. "It looked like you had a pretty sweet set up back there. A palace. A princess. People hero-worshiping you. Gonna be able to let that go?"

"It was tempting to stay," Varian admitted softly. "How did you do it?"

"Huh? Do what?" asked Hugo.

"You escaped first," said Varian. "How did you snap out of it?"

"Oh," said Hugo, putting on his confident smile. "I figured it out right away, of course. As you might have guessed, I was offered riches beyond compare. But, I know my way around gold and jewels, and I could tell by their weight that it was a dream."

Hugo was surprised to hear Varian laugh at that. He looked over to see Varian's eye scrunched, and his cheeks flushed from the cold, looking genuinely amused. Hugo looked away again quickly. They were silent for a moment before Varian spoke again.

"I'm sorry."

Hugo looked back at him, his eyebrows knit in confusion. "Why are you sorry?"

"You could have left us," said Varian. "I saw you sneaking the fire totem back into my bag. You could have taken both of them and left. You didn't have to wake us up."

"You really think I would have-?" Hugo began, but Varian continued.

"The point is, you didn't. Even though Yong and I have been giving you such a hard time. Even though we didn't want you to join us. Even when we finally let you stay, we were still suspicious of you. We should have given you a real chance. I’m sorry for not doing that."

It was Hugo's turn to laugh. "Yeah, well, it's perfectly normal to not trust people, Goggles. Most people probably would have left you down there."

"Maybe it's not normal to give trust freely," said Varian. "But now you've earned it. You saved us. So… thank you. I, uh, I’m happy you’re with us."

Varian smiled at him before standing up and walking back over to the fire with Yong, Ruddiger, and Prometheus.

Hugo turned back and finally looked down at what he'd been holding in his hand. It was all the little pieces of metal and clockwork Yong found in his bag when he and Varian had searched it. Hugo rolled the pieces around with his thumb until he could see a little word scratched on the bottom.

Cheese.

Chapter Text

Dark, inky, blackness stretched across the vast open sky and down to the four horizons. The view was barely broken in the north by the jagged peaks of pine trees and in the south by the spiraling pillars of Koto's capital city. Set in this sky like a field of diamonds in a satin gown were myriad stars, their depth, and number only a hint of what the cosmos actually held.

The sparking stars reflected in Nuru's warm amber eyes as she gazed up. Her eyes were wide, and her smile carried the same wonder she'd had as a child.

Her reverie broke only when a small, steadily blinking firefly circled her and landed on the tip of her nose. Nuru shook her head involuntarily at the tickling sensation and laughed. She watched the firefly zig-zag away to find a more stable perch, its little dot of light tracing lines through the air.

A sigh escaped her lips as her expression turned to one of determination. She knelt down in the dewy grass next to her notebook and telescope to get to work. She adjusted the telescope then looked through the viewfinder. After a few more adjustments, she finally caught sight of her subject—a bright, burning ball with a long white trail.

Nuru opened her notebook and jotted a few words and numbers. She looked back at the comet and continued to record her observations. After some time, she looked at the whole of what she'd written, and her eyes went wide. She lifted her notebook and quickly scanned the page, her eyes flying over the data.

"It… can't be…"

Nuru's head lifted back up to the sky, wonder now replaced with apprehension.

~ * ~

"Come on, come on, come on…" muttered Yong.

"It looks like the left lane is gaining!" Varian shouted out, his voice boisterous. "Looks like it's going to take the lead! But will it be enough to take the gold?"

Each boy leaned over their own glass retort, each sitting over an open flame with a liquid bubbling inside. They watched as their liquids rose and started to condense on top, cheering on their respective liquid to go faster.

"Almost there!" said Yong.

"It's a close race, folks!" Varian shouted.

The condensation began to drip down, both bottles were very close, and the boys were practically screaming as Yong's dripped down into his beaker first.

"Yes! I won!" He yelled in triumph.

"No!' Shouted Varian dramatically. "You beat me at my own game! I'll make you pay for that!" Varian reached over and started to tickle Yong.

"Hey! No! Stop, you can't!" said Yong, fighting to not laugh. Varian cackled maniacally as he continued to tickle Yong.

"This is your idea of teaching him alchemy?" asked Hugo. He was apart from the other two, leaning back against a tree, judgment clear on his face. "Oh, sorry, I forgot this is just playtime for Itsy Bitsy Alchemists."

Varian stiffened and blushed at Hugo's words. He pulled away from Yong and cleared his throat.

"Anyway, if we mix this with the solution over here…" he grabbed the beaker of liquid they had just made and mixed it in. "It will become one of the most powerful substances in the world." The mixture started to glow a bright green, and Varian held it out for Yong to see.

"Woah," said Yong, with wide eyes.

"I call it, Flynnolium. And it is extremely reactive. Ready for a demonstration?" Asked Varian. Yong nodded vigorously. Varian pulled out a dropper and extracted a small amount from the beaker then slid over a dish containing a red liquid.

"Don't forget your goggles, Goggles!" Shouted Hugo from his spot.

Varian glared at Hugo and grumpily pulled his goggles down over his eyes before looking back at the dropper. He and Yong watched closely as a single drop squeezed out and plummeting to the dish below. As soon as it made contact, a puff of fire and smoke erupted out, forcing the two boys to take a quick step back.

"That's awesome!" Exclaimed Yong. "You made this when you were fourteen?"

"Yawn!" said Hugo.

"How can you yawn that!" Exclaimed Varian, his frustration peaking as he rounded on Hugo.

"Another explosion. Big deal," said Hugo. "I thought you were trying to teach Firecracker something. He already knows how to blow things up."

"Flynnolium is very versatile!" said Varian defensively. "A few drops of this are enough to bring hot water to half of Corona."

"Yeah," said Hugo. "By making explosions."

"Fine, Real Alchemist. Show us what you've got then!" Challenged Varian.

Hugo shrugged. "Sure. Won't be hard." He stood up and rooted through his bag before pulling out a few bottles. He came over and stood between Varian and Yong. "What you need, Fun Size, isn't firepower. It's finesse. Take this, for example."

He pulled the cork from one of the vials and tugged over Yong's hand. Yong looked apprehensive at being used for the demonstration. Hugo ignored this and continued his presentation. "I've developed a special powder able to divert light away. The result?" He sprinkled the powder over Yong's hand. There was a shimmer, and then it looked like Yong's hand disappeared. Then as the dust settled, his hand appeared once more. "Temporary invisibility. Perfect for slipping past a guard or getting into places undetected."

Yong's eyes were wide with wonder as he listened to Hugo. "That's amazing."

"Oh yes," said Varian sarcastically. "Just teach him to break the law. How wonderful."

"Never bent a rule or two?" Hugo jeered. "Should have realized you were a goodie two shoes."

Varian felt heat rise in his face, and he sputtered a bit. "What? No! I'm not a goodie two shoes. I just don't think that's what we should be teaching Yong!"

"I think it's cool," said Yong, who had the powder now and was sprinkling it on Ruddiger. Ruddiger disappeared from view until he let out a little sneeze, which cleared away the dust.

"See?" said Hugo brightly. "It's fine. Relax, Freckles."

Varian was about to retort when a new voice cut him off.

"Excuse me, young sirs, but do you know the way to the nearest town?" Someone was standing over by the road. They had a broad hulking body, but they were bent over with a cloak and hood over their body and head. Their voice was soft and reedy, making them sound old or sick.

"Oh," said Varian, surprised. "Um, sure. We can help."

"I'll do it!" Said Hugo as he strode forward. "No need for us all to guide him. You two work on cleaning up so we can keep moving."

Varian watched them go a moment, wondering why Hugo was feeling so friendly towards the stranger but shrugged away the thought and turned to help Yong clean up.

~ * ~

Hugo got the stranger around a few bends of the road and behind a grove of trees before stopping.

"Do I get my scout badge now?" he asked wryly.

Cyrus pulled the cloth off himself and stood up straight. He grimaced and rubbed his lower back, clearly feeling stiff from holding his bent position for so long. "Very funny," he grunted.

"Not your best disguise," said Hugo. "You must be trying to get me discovered."

"If you would actually show up to our rendezvous, I wouldn't have to come and get you," said Cyrus.

Hugo shrugged. "I was busy."

"Looked like you're getting real chummy with them," said Cyrus coldly. "Don't forget the plan is to eventually take the totems for Donella. You're not supposed to make friends."

Hugo refused to be bothered by this. "Just goes to show how good an actor I am. I'm playing my part perfectly. Unlike your grandpa routine. What do we even need to talk about anyway? You already know we have the second totem."

Cyrus nodded. "You're going to need help for the next one. Has the boy figured out where the next trial is?"

"Of course. Koto. Somewhere under the palace," said Hugo.

"Yes. But Koto has been under heavy security for the past few months. Donella says it was like this when she did the trial as well. They go dark and refuse travelers because they don't want other kingdoms knowing about the meteor storms."

"The what?" asked Hugo in surprise.

"Yeah. Something to do with a comet that passes by every couple of decades. So you'll have to sneak in. Once in the kingdom, we've secured an easy way to get into the palace."

"And what way is that?"

Cyrus held out an envelope, an address across its front. "Tomorrow night is Koto's Annual Masquerade Ball. Lady Fatimah Kamou will not be attending. So you can go as her very distant cousin. Find her address, and you'll have a place to stay, and you'll be able to secure disguises for the event."

Hugo took the envelope. "When you say she 'will not be attending'..."

"You will tell everyone she is sick," said Cyrus. "Let's just say that Lady Fatimah owes Donella. It was easy to persuade her to take herself and all her household staff on a nice long vacation in the countryside."

Hugo shuddered at the amount of influence and control Donella had. "Donella arranged all this?"

"She'll do whatever she has to to make that device, Hugo. You know this," said Cyrus darkly.

"Well then," said Hugo. "Let's party."

~ * ~

Ribbons of morning light shone through the arched, narrow windows. Nuru, telescope, and notebook under her arm, hurried up one of her palace's spiral stairs. In her haste, she ran straight into her older sister, Zuri. The older girl's immaculate hair and clean dress contrasted with Nuru's disheveled, grass-stained appearance.

"Agh!" Yelped Zuri. "Nuru! Why are you running around this early in the morning? And why do you look like that?"

"Sorry, Zuri. Just heading to my study," said Nuru trying to step around the puffy pink dress.

Zuri's eyes landed on the telescope. "Ugh, you were out there again? Even after mom told you to quit that stuff?"

Nuru rolled her eyes and tried to step around the other way only to have Zuri move into her path. "I'm going to tell her," her sister said, smiling at the notion.

"Very mature, Zuri," said Nuru.

Zuri scowled. "You know we're just worried about your safety. It's dangerous to be outside right now. I don't even understand why you can't at least do that from a window."

Nuru gave up trying to get around Zuri. "First of all, there's too much light down here to see the sky properly. Second of all, the danger is exactly the reason why I need to do it! This is our kingdom, and our people are getting hurt! We should be doing everything we can to help!"

Zuri rolled her eyes. "Nuru, that's what the royal astronomers are for. That's their job. You're a princess. You have other duties." Nuru had heard enough and pushed past Zuri. Unfortunately, Zuri turned and followed her up the stairs. "Duties you've been neglecting I should add because you're too busy playing scientist!"

Nuru whirled around as she reached the top of the stair, glaring daggers down at her sister. Zuri's face, however, was now sad and sympathetic. "I know why you're doing this, Nuru. I remember how dad used to take us out all the time to look at the stars. I loved it too. And I know that doing this is your way of staying close to him. But we're not kids anymore. We have to move on."

Nuru was shocked by her sister's words, but her glare came back quickly. "You think I'm only doing this because I can't get over dad?"

"What are you even hoping to find?" asked Zuri. "Nuru, it's always been like this. Every eighteen years, the Demanitus Comet crosses the sky. Every time our people have endured the meteors crashing into us, and then we rebuilt. What's the point in studying something we already know how to handle?"

Nuru's face darkened. "I'm not sure if it'll be that easy this time," she said. "Something wasn't right."

"Huh? What are you talking about, not right?" Asked Zuri incredulously.

"I'm not sure yet," said Nuru softly. "That's why I have to get to my study. I have to look over the numbers and figure out what it all means."

Zuri shook her head, looking at Nuru like she was crazy. "You're really caught up in this fantasy. You want so bad to be the little hero that saves us all. Well, I am going to tell mom. All this is unhealthy, Nuru." Zuri turned and headed back down the stairs.

Nuru fumed as she watched Zuri walk away. She spun angrily and stomped to her study. She slammed the door behind her before letting out a scream of frustration.

"Iman, dear. Is that you?"

The room was crammed with tables piled high with books and celestial models, so Nuru had to crane her head to find the source of the voice. She finally caught sight of the old woman hair grey and spiraling off her head in chaotic curls. She was sitting calmly in an armchair on the other side of the room, a book resting on her lap.

"It's me, Bibi," she said, relaxing now that she was away from her sister. She put the telescope and notebook down and walked over to her grandmother to kiss her forehead. "Dad's not here anymore, remember?"

"Of course, dear," said Bibi. "He would be so proud of you."

Nuru sighed. "At least someone would be." She turned away and started searching through the piles of books.

"You're upset," said Bibi.

"It's nothing," said Nuru softly. She expected her grandmother to press the issue, but when she didn't say anything more, Nuru looked back to see Bibi trying to get up. Nuru rushed back over to help, but Bibi just batted her away. She rose and wandered off into the study, muttering something Nuru couldn't hear. Nuru decided not to worry about it and went back to looking for the book she was trying to find.

After raiding a few of the tables and shelves, she finally found the volume of records she'd been trying to locate. She plopped it down on a workstation and opened it to a long list of dates and numbers, many of which were already underlined and scribbled next to. Nuru put her own notebook down next to it and started comparing the numbers side by side.

There was the loud thunk of a crank and the whirr of pulleys. Nuru flinched then looked up in time to see an expansive model of the solar system lowering down from the ceiling and jolting to a stop six inches above her head. She looked over to find her Bibi holding the rope attached to the model. She looked very pleased with herself, chuckling quietly. Nuru raised an eyebrow.

"You built this when you were only six years old. You cried when Amali broke one of the strings. You were so proud of it."

Nuru smiled softly and shook her head. "I know all this, Bibi. You've talked about it a thousand times." She watched as her grandmother reached up and pushed one of the swinging planets sending it toward her head. Nuru ducked out of the way and couldn't help but laugh.

"Have I?" She asked thoughtfully. "Well, no matter. Thought it might help you relax. And it might help you think." She shuffled over next to Nuru.

Nuru laughed again and leaned over to give her a hug. "Thanks, Bibi."

"What are you working on?"

Nuru pointed to her numbers. "Using the light from the comet, I've been tracking its movements. I've been hoping I could better predict the meteor showers. There's a huge one coming in two days, by the way. I'm comparing my data to the old records. The problem is… Bibi… it's too close. It's closer than it's ever been."

"Are you certain?" Bibi asked.

Nuru nodded. "I spent all night checking and rechecking my work to make sure I wasn't miscalculating."

Bibi thought about this before speaking up again. "So what does that mean, dear?"

Nuru looked up at the model. "Let's find out."

A few minutes later, Nuru had climbed up onto one of the tables and was measuring the current location of the comet on her model. "So this is where the comet has flown by every eighteen years for the last millennia," she said. "Bibi, hit the switch."

Bibi, who was back over by the wall, did just that, and the model started to move. The planets turned and rotated around the room, flying by each other in a strange circular dance. They watched as the little white streak meant to be the Demantitus Comet sailed by their little Earth then continued on its way out into space. Nuru gave her grandmother the signal to stop the model, and everything slowed to a halt. Nuru hopped over to where the comet was and readjusted its position by retying the model's strings.

"And this is where it is now. Okay, do it again."

Once again, the model came to life, and the little paper mache balls resumed their waltz. But this time, the Demanitus Comet trajectory was different. Nuru's eyes widened as it headed far too close to the Earth. She reached out for it impulsively but could not stop it colliding straight into the pretend Earth sending it swinging wildly on its tether. The two objects got caught up in each other, and the whole machine strained as the tangled strings prevented the rest of the model's movement. Bibi flipped the switch off. Nuru's throat felt dry as she locked eyes with her grandmother.

~ * ~

"I still think we could have tried talking to the guards back at the gate," said Varian as he followed Hugo and Yong down the back allies of Koto's capital city. "I'm the Royal Engineer of Corona, after all. They might have let us through."

"You saw as well as I did that they were turning almost everyone away," said Hugo as he led them around another corner. "For some reason, they're not keen on outsiders right now, and as far as we know, that could even include outside royalty so your little title might be worthless. But sure, go ahead. Go back and chat it up with the guards. Let me know how that goes for you."

Varian sighed. "Okay, so we snuck over the wall, now what? Where are we going?"

Hugo winked at Varian. "This is why you have me along. We need a place to lay low while we figure out our next move." He guided them to a dead end then looked around. "You two wait here. I'm going to do some investigating." He hopped up, and over the brick wall they'd stopped at and disappeared.

Varian crossed his arms as he watched Hugo go. "What do you think, Yong?"

Yong shrugged. "He's got us this far. And he could be right about this place. Why have they cut off trade and travel? Something is weird. It's probably best we stay out of it."

They waited as one, then two hours went by. Varian was starting to think Hugo had just abandoned them when his bespeckled face was back poking over the wall.

"I've got us a place."

Not long after, the three of them were in the back garden of a huge mansion. Prometheus was lazily chewing on a bed of orchids as Ruddiger scampered up the side and opened the window on the second floor.

"Good job, raccoon!" said Hugo. "Now…" he tugged Prometheus to stand beneath the window and climbed up to stand on the donkey's back. "Come on, Yong."

Yong let Hugo take his hand, and Hugo lifted him up to stand on his shoulders so he could reach the windowsill.

"You're sure no one is home?" asked Varian incredulously as he watched Yong try to scramble up onto the windowsill.

"She's some sort of crazy old widow," said Hugo. "Lives alone. Has fired all her staff because she can't get along with them. And she happens to be out of town right now visiting a cousin."

Varian raised an eyebrow. "You learned all this in just two hours?"

"I'm good, huh? You're so lucky to have me," said Hugo with a wink. Yong managed to squeeze into the window freeing Hugo up to reach down for Varian. Varian looked suspiciously at his hand then back up into those confident green eyes. "Come on, Hairstripe. You trust me, right?"

Varian rolled his eyes but smiled. "Somehow, yes." He took Hugo's hand and let the other boy lift him up to climb through the window after Yong.

Once he was inside, he looked around and felt his jaw drop. With polished marble, luxurious furniture, and walls covered floor to ceiling in fine art, the interior was comparable to a palace. His eyes landed on Yong about to touch a big complex sculpture of a unicorn.

"Hey, Yong! Don't do that! We don't want to risk breaking anything!" said Varian.

"Eh," said Hugo as he came through the window. "It's fine. She'd just buy another one with all her money. People like this don't really care about their things. They just like to show off." He picked up a small bronze looking figure with disinterest.

"'People like this,' huh? I thought you wanted to be as rich as this someday?" teased Varian.

Hugo looked up sharply, and Varian was startled to see genuine anger in his eyes. "It's not the same. I'll never be like these people." He tossed the bronze figure back to the table where he'd lifted it, and it hit the surface with a loud crash. Varian and Yong flinched, but Hugo just huffed and walked out of the room.

Varian looked at Yong. "Can you look for a good place to keep Prometheus?"

"Um, yeah, okay," said Yong, heading off towards the back door.

Varian then turned to follow Hugo. He found him in a sort of sitting room standing in front of a side table.

"Uh, hey, you er… okay?" asked Varian hesitantly as he approached.

"Hey Freckles," said Hugo, still turned away. "Where was the entrance to the air trial?"

"Somewhere in the palace, why?" asked Varian.

Hugo looked over his shoulder and held up an envelope between his fingers. He had a sly smile on his face. "I think I found our ticket in."

~ * ~

Nuru clutched a stack of papers in her arms as she raced to the throne room. All around her were countless servants and staff, cleaning, and decorating. Workers were arranging furniture, florists walked by with massive arrangements of flowers. Nuru ignored all of this, her mind focused only on her destination. She ducked under a frilly banner and skirted a large vase before slipping through the double doors.

At the far end of the room, her two older sisters, Zuri and Asha, stood on the dais. Alongside them was her mother, the Queen Ahdra. They were gathered with a few councilors and nobles discussing something. They paused and looked over as Nuru, still disheveled and dirty, skidded to a halt at the dais' steps.

"Nuru?" The Queen looked her up and down with concern. "Nuru, first you're late, and then you show up like this?"

"I'm so sorry, mom," said Nuru. "But I have something important to tell you. Mom, I was tracking the comet last night."

"From the hilltop," said the Queen, cutting her off. "Yes, Zuri told me you were out there again. Even after receiving direct orders to stay in the castle."

Nuru sent a glare at Zuri before looking back up at her mother. "I know, and I'll accept whatever punishment you want to give, but only after you listen to me."

"Forgive me, Queen Ahdra, Your Majesty, we are terribly busy right now," said one of the councilors, eyeing the grass in Nuru's curls. "The Annual Masquerade is only a day away, and with all these storms, we'll barely be ready on time."

Nuru gave the counselor an insincere smile and a small curtsy. "Maybe that's why we should be worried more about the meteors than some silly dance!"
Everyone gathered gasped at the audacity of this idea except for the Queen, who narrowed her eyes at Nuru. She coldly walked to the throne and sat down. "What do you need to say that's so important?" she asked.

Nuru tried to square up to her mother, holding her notes in front of her like a shield. "First of all, the Masquerade should at least be delayed. According to the numbers, we're going to have a terrible meteor storm. It could be the worst one yet."

"Nuru," the Queen sighed. "I understand your concern, but if there's a bad storm, we have our bunkers ready as always. Besides, it's just not possible to put off the Masquerade. Koto has held this ball every year on the same night for hundreds of years. The meteor storms have never stopped us before. I'm not about to let our traditions die under my rule."

Nuru took a deep breath and continued. "That's not all, though." She shuffled through her notes, pointing to the relevant data. "I ran my calculations dozens of times and compared them with all our known records of the Comet's position. Mom, it's coming too close. If it continues on its current path, it won't maintain its orbit. It's going to crash straight into Koto!"

Silence hung over the group as each person processed what Nuru said. Nuru kept her eyes on her mom, pleading with her to listen. The Queen shifted on her throne, looking uncomfortable, but when she spoke, her voice was calm.

"Nuru, that's ridiculous. Why would the Demanitus Comet change its path?" she said.

"I'm not sure," said Nuru. "But if you just looked here, you'd see that it's happening. It's heading straight for us."

The Queen gestured for her to approach, and Nuru stepped closer. She held out the papers. The Queen took them and looked through them, her face unreadable. After a few moments, she looked back up at Nuru. "I'll show this to our scientists. Regardless of what they make of this, Nuru, you have shown me that you are incapable of following my rules. Until further notice, I will be assigning guards to make sure you stay in the castle."

"What?" Cried Nuru. "But, mom!"

"No, Nuru. You said you would accept punishment, and this is what I have decided. You will show me respect like everyone else. Now go clean yourself up. Guards, please escort my daughter to the baths."

Nuru heard heavy boots approach and stop behind her. She huffed but kept her temper and bowed to her mother. "Just please promise me you'll look into this," she said softly.

"It will all be taken care of," said the Queen with a nod.

Nuru stepped away, turned, and walked out of the room, the guards following behind.

~ * ~

Varian carefully buttoned up the dark dress shirt Hugo had found, or more likely stolen, for him and tucked the bottom into his black slacks.

"Do you really think that invite will work?" He called out through the crack in the door. "It's supposed to be for that Lady, right?"

After a moment, Hugo replied. "It's for her and her family. I'll just pretend to be her distant cousin, and we'll say she's too sick to come. We used the ball as a cover to snoop around and bingo, we get to the trial, and no one has to be the wiser."

Varian adjusted his sleeves anxiously before pulling on a black silk vest over it and buttoning that up as well. "What about Yong and I? Who are we going to be?"

"You two could be my vassals or my attendants. If you'd prefer, you could be my date."

Varian fumbled the button he was currently working on.

"Can't we just be your friends?" Asked Yong, also on the other side of the door. "I think rich people have those, too."

"Do they?" asked Hugo. "Maybe ones they've bought. Yes, I suppose that works, too."

Varian breathed out a relieved breath and continued making adjustments to his outfit. "I think this is too tight, Hugo."

"It's supposed to be tight," said Hugo. "Come on. Yong and I are both ready to go."

"Hold on, I'm coming." Varian gave up trying to tie the bow tie around his neck. Instead, he walked over to a mirror to inspect himself. Though the shirt felt tight, the sleeves were puffy with long tapered cuffs. Varian put his hands up to adjust his hair under his goggles, which he'd greased back with a little oil. He blushed a little at his reflection. "This is a new look, Varian. I'm not sure even dad would recognize us," he said softly to himself.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and walked out the door to join the others. They were also wearing formal clothes. Yong had dressed similarly to Varian, save for a stiff white collared shirt, a smart black jacket, and a bright red bow tie. His pants and jacket had clearly been rolled up, but they still looked good on him. Hugo's outfit was nearly the opposite save for his slacks, with a matching ivory vest and a bow tie over his white collared shirt.

Both boys turned to look at Varian as he appeared.

"You look great, Varian!" said Yong. Varian smiled nervously at him as he adjusted his clothes.

"You too, Yong," Varian looked to Hugo now for his approval. He was a little alarmed to see Hugo, eyes wide and darting up and down his outfit like he'd done something wrong. He wasn't saying anything at all, so finally, Varian cleared his throat. "Should I put on something else?"

Hugo shook his head like he was trying to come out of a daydream. "What? No. No, you… you look perfect, Goggles." His eyes shot up. "Speaking of which." Hugo held out a hand, palm up.

"What?" asked Varian.

"The goggles, Goggles," said Hugo. "You're not wearing them to a fancy party."

Varian lifted a hand to feel where his goggles were strapped to his head, reluctant to take them off. "They're not so bad, are they?"

"You'll stick out like a sore, nerdy, thumb," insisted Hugo. "Hand them over."

Varian pouted but complied, pulling off the goggles and putting them in Hugo's outstretched hand.

"Thank you," said Hugo, tucking them into his pocket. "Now…" He stepped into Varian's space and smoothed back Varian's hair where it had been disturbed by the goggles. Then he got to work tying Varian's bow tie. Varian froze as Hugo worked, not used to other people adjusting his appearance.

"Heh, I can do that, you don't have to-" he said.

"Too late," said Hugo. "You already took too long. And anyways, I'm already done." He stepped back and admired his handiwork. "Alright, gentlemen," he said, looking over at Yong. "Let's go see what the bourgeois are up to tonight."

~ * ~

The ballroom was full to the brim with music and laughter. All of Koto's finest nobility gathered together to dance, gossip, and feast, all while wearing the most expensive and intricate masks. Men in suits and women in colorful dresses twirled around the dance floor as over in the corner, the band played Koto's traditional music. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

Nuru leaned against a wall, her own mask clutched in her hands, watching the festivities with resentment. She'd stationed herself near a tall window and kept glancing out as if she thought a flaming rock might come crashing through at any minute. "Mom is taking care of it, right?" she whispered to herself. "She promised." Nuru looked down at her mask. "I should relax."

She heard a throat being cleared and looked up to see Zuri glaring at her. Nuru watched as Zuri gestured for her to put her mask back on. Nuru stuck her tongue out at her sister but complied, pulling the powder blue mask up over her eyes. Still, she couldn't help continuing to glance out the window.

~ * ~

The guard looked down at the invitation then back up to Hugo, who was smiling broadly behind a white mask covered in pearls and gold trim. Varian and Yong stood just behind him. Varian had a more simple black mask with lace trim. Yong's mask was golden with red diamond designs under the eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir, who did you say you were again?" asked the guard.

"What nerve," said Hugo, sounding as offended as possible. I am Lord Johannes Francois III, and these are my good friends Lord Archibald Dewit, and Lord Zheng He. I am the most beloved cousin of Lady Fatimah Kamou and her honored guest on this blessed occasion. She wanted so desperately to come tonight, but illness took her, poor dear. She practically begged me to come in her stead, but if this is the way I'm to be treated here-!"

"Please calm down, My Lord," said the guard, looking flustered. "You can go ahead, I was just asking."

Hugo huffed and stomped in through the doors with Varian and Yong scurrying behind.

"I can't believe that actually worked," hissed Varian, looking behind like he expected the guard to catch wise.

"Guards don't get paid enough to handle some noble causing a fuss," said Hugo with a nod. "You just have to know how to work people, Freckles."

"Woah, this is amazing!" said Yong as he looked around the massive arched ballroom. "There are so many people, and they all look so pretty."

Hugo patted Yong on the shoulder. "Just don't get too excited. We have a job to do, remember?"

Yong looked up, big puppy dog eyes shining through his mask. "We can have fun for just a little bit, though, right?"

Varian was also taking in everything, though his eyes held anxiety instead of excitement. "I don't like this at all. I have barely any of my supplies in these stupid tight pockets. And how are we supposed to slip away to search the palace without getting caught?"

"First, we get the lay of the land," said Hugo.

"Can I go investigate that part of the land?" asked Yong, pointing over to the far side of the room. They followed his finger to see he was pointing at a long buffet table. Varian's hand flew to his face, but Hugo smiled and nodded at Yong.

"Don't make yourself sick and don't get us kicked out, got it?" He warned playfully.

"Got it!" Agreed Yong before bouncing off to eat.

"As for us," said Hugo, his voice a little softer now as he turned to Varian. "We need to be able to move around without looking suspicious. So, Archie," Hugo held out his hand. "Care for a dance?"

Varian's eyes widened, and his face flushed. "What? Uh, heh, I don't-"

"Oh, come on. Don't be shy. There's plenty of other male pairs out on the floor," said Hugo.

"That, heh, is not the issue," sputtered Varian. "I just don't think it's necessary. And I can't even dance, anyway."

"I'll show you," said Hugo. He gave up waiting for Varian to accept and took his hand, pulling him out onto the dance floor. Once amid the other spinning couples, Hugo took Varian's right hand with his left and placed his other hand on the small of Varian's back. He smiled impishly down at Varian's wide blue eyes as they began a waltz.

Varian had apparently been honest about not being a dancer. He stumbled and scrambled to keep up as Hugo spun them around. But Hugo didn't mind. He kept a firm hold of Varian and guided him with his hand at his back. In no time, Varian was relaxing and getting more used to the steps.

"There you go," said Hugo. "You're already getting it."

"I'm a fast learner," said Varian, his freckles still flushed red. "So, now what?"

"Now," said Hugo, as they waltzed into the middle. "We look around to see what we can find. Where the guards are. Where the exits are." He looked out over Varian's head. "Right now, I see three exits aside from the one we came through. But predictably, they all have guards watching them."

Varian looked around too. "There must be other places we could slip away to. Surely there's some sort of powder room."

Hugo nodded and twirled Varian around before bringing him back into his hold. He smiled at how shocked Varian was by the sudden move. "We should also try to find members of the royal family we could chat up for information."

Varian blinked to rid himself of his dizziness. "You really think they'd tell us anything?"

"If we find the right target, they will," said Hugo, looking around again. "Ah, ha. Perfect. Look over there." He nodded over to the right and turned so Varian could see a young girl dressed in blue, leaning over by a wall, looking forlornly out a window. She had a tiara clearly sitting atop her black curls. "One of the princesses. And she's looking pretty lonely, don't you think? She might open up if a handsome man asked her for a dance."

"I wonder where we might find one of those," said Varian cheekily.

Hugo chuckled. "Get ready to watch the magic happen," he said. He twirled Varian away and let him go so he could stride toward the lone princess.

She looked up at him briefly as he came closer, then back out through the window. Hugo bowed deeply in front of her.

"Your Highness," Hugo said sweetly. "I have admired the stars all my life, but never did I imagine I'd behold one here on this earth." He glanced up to see the princess was looking at him now, but her lips were turned down in a frown, and her eyebrow was raised. Hugo quickly switched tactics. "Forgive me, Your Highness. Your beauty just captivated me, and I couldn't help but try to give you a compliment."

"So you tell me I look like a giant blazing ball of gas?" said the princess coldy.

Hugo blushed and stood up straight. "Admittedly not the best line. I'll have to work on it. My name is Lord Johannes. May I be so bold as to ask you for this dance, Princess?" He held out his hand and gave another short bow.

He watched as she looked away into the crowd. He followed her eyes and saw one of the other princesses looking between them and giving her a thumbs up. Hugo looked back to see the princess roll her eyes.

"Yes, very well," she said.

Hugo eagerly took her hand and gently guided her out onto the dance floor. Unlike Varian, this girl was clearly an experienced dancer, and they glided effortlessly through the other couples.

"I'm afraid to admit," said Hugo. "That while I'm familiar with the royal family and I've seen you in paintings, I have never actually seen you in person before. So I don't actually know your name."

Hugo was happy to see a small smile start to form on the princess's face. "I'm Nuru," she said. "This is your first time here then."

"Yes, Your Highness," said Hugo. "My estate is far off in the countryside, and I hardly ever venture from it. I'm so happy I did so today, though, if it means I'm able to dance with you."

He tried to pull her closer, but Nuru kept the space between them. "Very brave of you to be traveling at a time like this," she said.

Hugo hesitated, unsure what she was referring to. "Well, I was in town taking care of my poor sick cousin Lady Fatima."

"Oh," said Nuru. "I didn't know she was sick."

"It came on very suddenly," said Hugo. "But let's not talk about such dark things. Tell me about you and your life here in this beautiful palace."

Nuru hesitated, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, you know, my life is the normal princess fare. Get dressed up and let other people tell me what to say and do."

"Sounds like a real chore," said Hugo with a nod. "You must have some secret spots around here where you can get away from it all."

Nuru's eyebrow shot up again. "Maybe."

Hugo smiled and twirled her around before bringing her in close. He spoke as invitingly as possible. "I'll bet you know everything there is to know about the palace. I'd love to see it. If you'd like, maybe we could ditch the party, and you could show me around."

Nuru's eyes went wide then narrowed in anger. A split second later, Hugo felt a sharp pain in his foot as Nuru brought her heel down onto his toes. He yelped and jumped back from her.

"Oops," she said. "Sorry. How clumsy of me."

Hugo watched her walk off as he nursed his sore foot. A moment later, Varian came to stand beside him.

"So was that the magic, or am I still watching for it?" He said with a smug grin.

"So much for getting information," Muttered Hugo, refusing to look at Varian.

"Yeah, might be better if we just go looking ourselves. Hey, you didn't bring some of that invisibility powder, did you?"

Hugo patted his pocket. "Just the one bottle. I thought you didn't approve of such things."

"You thought wrong," said Varian, looking around. "Now, where did Yong get to?"

Minutes later, the three of them stood by one of the doorways as Yong licked sauce from his fingers. "That was the best chicken I've ever had," he said.

"Yong," said Varian. "Do you have one of your fireworks on you?"

Yong nodded. "Distraction?"

"Exactly," said Varian.

They waited until no one was looking. Then Yong slipped one of his fireworks out and aimed it at a nearby plant. It shot off, and the plant erupted in a shower of sparks.

"What the-?" The guards turned to the explosion and rushed over to check it out. Hugo tossed his dust over the three of them, and they ducked around the corner. They emerged into the empty hallway beyond and crept down until they found an abandoned room to hide in.

"Okay," said Varian as he pulled a few loose pages from his back pocket. The other two gathered close to listen. "My mom says Demanitus built the trial deep underneath the palace. Actually… it came first, and the palace was built on top. The point being that our best bet to find the entrance is to find some stairs down."

"Stairs, got it," said Hugo. He turned to the door and froze when he saw Princess Nuru standing at the threshold.

"Hi boys," she said, crossing her arms and leaning her shoulder against the frame. "What might you be up to?" They all stood to attention, Varian stuffing the papers back into his pocket.

"Your Highness!" Exclaimed Hugo, throwing his arms open in a friendly gesture. "We were just stepping away from the festivities for a moment."

"Sounded like you were planning on stepping even further," said Nuru without moving from her spot. "What's this about Demanitus? What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," said all three boys in unison.

Nuru looked between them clearly skeptical. She opened her mouth with intent to say as much.

But was interrupted by the sound of a terrible explosion.

The whole room quaked, sending all four of them to the floor. Screaming came from the ballroom.

They all looked at Princess Nuru, whose face was pale with horror.

"No…" she said softly. "No. No. No." Her voice grew louder as she jumped to her feet and raced back down the hallway. "No! Not now!"

The room shook once more. Books and other knick-knacks went flying off of shelves, and furniture tipped right over. They could hear more screaming.

"What's happening?" Yong shrieked.

"I don't know," said Varian, getting up and helping Yong to his feet as well. "Is this place under attack?"

"I don't know what it is either," said Hugo as he looked out the door. He could see people running terrified away from the ballroom. "But whatever is happening, this is the perfect cover for us to go find the trial."

"What?" Cried Varian as he rushed out into the hall and saw everyone running. "Hugo, people are in trouble. We have to help!"

"Yeah!" Said Yong. "Come on! Hurry!" He and Varian started to run toward the ballroom, but Hugo grabbed Varian's sleeve.

"Are you crazy?" Hugo barked. "Goggles, this could be our only chance! You don't even know if you can help!"

Varian looked calmly back at Hugo. "I have to at least try," he said. "These people need help now. I can't just turn my back on them. Demanitus can wait."

Hugo let Varian's shirt slip from his fingers. Varian and Yong continued on towards the sounds of distress.

He looked down the other direction then back where the other two were now disappearing into the ballroom. He battled himself for a moment before following. "Crazy," he whispered under his breath.

The ballroom was chaos. People were screaming and running in all directions. Chunks of debris were scattered all around. Hugo looked up to see that something had torn right through the roof of the building opening the room up to the dark skies above.

And there, amidst the smoking wreckage, was an enormous, burning meteor.

Chapter Text

Nuru tore the mask from her face and tossed it aside as she sprinted into the ballroom and saw exactly what she'd been afraid of. The meteor was embedded square in the middle of the room, flames leaping up around it, and debris forming a halo of destruction on the surrounding floor.

Without hesitation, Nuru ran forward, eyes down, and scanning for anyone who might need help. A groan caught her ear, and she followed the sound to a pile of rubble. Nuru tossed aside the heavy bricks, screaming as she forced her muscles beyond their limit until she finally exposed one of the servants who'd been caught underneath. The young woman sobbed but crawled and ran off to safety. Nuru shook the pain from her arms and then looked around for more victims.

~ * ~

Hugo wove through the crowds of people, his head twisting around to find Varian and Yong. Suddenly, another explosion rocked the room, and the ceiling above him gave way to another meteor. Hugo jumped back out of the way and bumped into a woman who started clinging to him. He threw his arms up as she started crying into his chest.

"Hey, lady. You've got to run!" He shouted at her.

"I- I can't. I can't." Her words broke down into sobs as she crumpled into him. Hugo tried to step away, but she was on him like a vice. Hugo took a breath then nodded before scooping her up into his arms.

"Okay. Yeah, okay. I've got you," he said awkwardly. He carried her away towards one of the exits and out into the hall. He saw a few guards there directing people towards the bunker and ran toward them.

"Hey, please help her?" he said, holding up the woman in his arms. "Please, I need to find my friends."

The guards nodded, and one reached out to take her from him. The woman looked back and Hugo with red, tear-filled eyes. "T-thank y-you," she stuttered. Hugo felt his cheeks heat up at the simple words, but he just averted his eyes and ran off once again for the ballroom.

~ * ~

Another thundering crash shook the building as a meteor wedged into the ceiling above, sending heavy brick down to the floor.

Nuru raced forward and pushed a man out of the way before a piece could fall on him. She turned and saw another young woman on the ground. She'd been trapped under a large slab of the roof.

Nuru ran for her but was stopped by an arm around her waist.

"Princess, we have to go. You have to get to the bunker!' The guard shouted in her ear. She fought to get out of his grip.

"Let go of me! I have to help!" She cried.

"Princess, please, you have to get out of here," he said

"No!"

"Princess, the Queen was already hurt."

Nuru froze in his grasp and looked up at the guard. "What? Is she-?"
"She's been taken to the bunker to receive medical attention. Please come with me, so you're not hurt as well."

Nuru wiggled once more in his grip, her eyes back over on the girl on the floor. "I will, just please, let me help her!"

Nuru was determined to at least help the girl who had been trapped. But as she tried to get to her, she saw two boys run over. Both were short, though one was much more so. They both had dark hair. One had a blue streak that had come loose from the rest of the hair plastered down to his head and was now flopping over his face. Together, they found a long beam and wedged it under the slab, using it as a lever to lift it up. Then they both helped the girl up. One of the boys caught eyes with Nuru, who smiled gratefully at them. They nodded and carried the girl away.

Nuru turned and let herself be escorted to safety.

~ * ~

Varian and Yong got the girl out of the ballroom and into the arms of two other girls before turning back to help more people. Before they could move, though, a crash came from above, and the ceiling over them was torn clean off. They could see the dark sky above littered with more balls of fire. One was heading straight for them.

People around them screamed and scattered. Yong pulled a large firework from his jacket.

"Yong," said Varian. "What are you doing."

"Trust me," said Yong as he leveled the rocket at the fast-approaching meteor. He lit the fuse, and it shot off with a deafening scream. It hit the meteor, split it apart, and sent the pieces off in other directions and away from the crowd.

"Yong! That was amazing!" Yelled Varian. They stayed there, Yong keeping an eye on the sky as they waited for the last party-goers to run through to safety. Varian caught sight of one of the guards and was startled to see him eyeing Yong's fireworks with a glare. Varian swallowed and just stayed close to his friend.

A moment later, Hugo was by their side. Varian looked up and could tell his face was flushed even through the mask on his face. "You okay," he asked.

"Everyone to the bunkers! Now!"

Hugo grabbed both Varian and Yong. "That means us, Heroes," he said. This time Yong and Varian let Hugo guide them away from the danger. They joined the crowd through a set of hallways, a long series of stairs, and past a large, vault-like door.

They doubled over, wheezing from exertion. Varian glanced up to see they were in a vast room, the ends of which were far beyond his sight. Pillars lined the sides, and he followed them up to see that the roof was reinforced with a series of crossed beams. People had crammed into the corners of the room. Most were huddled, crying, and comforting each other. On one side of the room, a triage station had been set up, and people were caring for the wounded.

One gentleman was walking by holding a clipboard and speaking with each person as he checked something off a list. Hugo seemed to notice this, as well. He grabbed Varian's arm again and started to drag him and Yong away when the man stopped them.

"You," he said, suspicion thick in his polite mannerisms. "I have everyone accounted for except for you. And I do not recognize you at all. Names, please?"

Hugo straightened up and cleared his throat. "Lord Archibald Dewit, Lord Zheng He, and I am Lord Johannes Francois III! We are special guests of Lady Fatimah Kamou and when she hears-"

"And where is Lady Fatimah?" Asked the gentleman as he looked down at his list.

"Oh well," said Hugo. "She's home sick, poor thing."

"And what relation to her are you?"

"I'm her cousin," said Hugo

The gentleman's eyes narrowed. "Who is your father?" He asked.

Hugo faltered. "Lord Johannes Francois II obviously. I don't understand how you can berate me with questions when we're so devastated about this disaster."

The gentleman nodded. "I happen to know that Lady Fatimah doesn't have an uncle named Johannes. Tell me who you really are."

All three of them stiffened. Hugo opened his mouth to respond, but another voice cut him off.

"They're outsiders!" shouted a guard. Varian recognized him from upstairs. "That one, there! He was using fireworks from Bayangor!"

"Spies, is it?" said the gentleman. "Guards, restrain them until they can be dealt with."

Before they could think to move, they were surrounded by armed guards pulling their hands behind their backs, pulling their masks off, and searching their pockets. The pulled out Yong's fireworks, Varian, and Hugo's alchemy supplies. Then they pulled the journal pages out of Varian's pocket.

"Hey! Give that back!" cried Varian as he tried to pull himself free. But it was no use. As much as he struggled and kicked, he couldn't stop them from taking away their things and dragging them off to a corner of the room.

~ * ~

Nuru knelt down next to the cot where her mother lay. The Queen's eyes were scrunched up in pain, and she was taking ragged breaths. All Nuru sisters and her Bibi were also gathered as they waited for the physician to finish his work.

Finally, he looked up. "It looks like she's going to pull through," he said. There was a collective sigh. "But… her injuries are severe, and it could take weeks for her to recover. Maybe even months."

"Zuri," The Queen's voice was weak, but still commanding as ever. Her eyes barely opened as they fixated on her eldest daughter. "I need… arrgh… to speak with Zuri… alone."

Nuru caught her sister's eyes and saw they were wide with fear. Nuru reached out to squeeze her shoulder before reluctantly walking away with the rest of her family. Her two younger sisters, only kids, were crying, and Nuru knelt down to hold them. Her second older sister Asha was embracing Bibi. They waited without speaking until Zuri finally walked over.

"I'm queen," she said softly. Everyone looked up, shocked. Zuri shook herself, then spoke with a little more strength. "She has decided that until she feels fit to lead again, I am to be Queen Regent. She… she says I'm ready."

Asha put a hand on Zuri's shoulder. "You are. And we're all here to help you. Don't worry."

"Yes," said Nuru. "We'll get through this."

Zuri nodded at all of them and turned to one of the councilors standing by. "Check our stores down here and make sure we have enough water and supplies to last the night. I need every person capable of doing so, tending the wounded. And get blankets for everyone."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said, moving away swiftly to comply.

"Your Majesty!" Another councilor was rushing over.

"Yes?" said Zuri.

"You should know that we just arrested three young men. They seem to be some kind of Bayangor spies. We have them chained up near the emergency barracks."

Nuru's ears perked up, and she listened carefully.

"Spies?" said Zuri, shocked.

"Yes. They claimed to be related to Lady Fatimah, but I saw through their lies instantly."

Nuru's eyes widened. "They were looking for something."

"What?' Asked Zuri, turning to look at Nuru.

"I need to speak with the prisoners," said Nuru. Knowing her sister was likely about to say no, Nuru didn't wait for an answer. She rushed off towards the emergency barracks ignoring the shouts from behind her.

~ * ~

"You two happy with yourselves?" grumbled Hugo.

The three of them were seated on the floor around a pillar. They had their hands chained behind them and to the support. Varian rolled his eyes at Hugo.

"What are you talking about?" He sighed.

"If you two hadn't decided to play hero, we could have been halfway done with the Air Trial by now. This is what you get for being so soft-hearted."

"I'm not running when innocent people are in danger!" Snapped Varian.

"Ha! Innocent. Goggles, every single person here is responsible for the pain and suffering of some poor worker or peasant. None of them are innocent."

"Why do you hate rich people so much?"

"Guess you wouldn't understand, Mr. Royal Engineer!"

"Royal Engineer?" said a new voice.

All three boys looked up to see Nuru standing over them, hands on her hips and eyebrow cocked up in amusement.

"Oh, fantastic," said Hugo. "I was wondering when you'd be coming to rescue me."

Nuru ignored him and knelt down in front of Varian. "Are you really the Royal Engineer of Corona?" she asked, voice filled with admiration.

"Um, well, yeah," said Varian. Her eyes lit up.

"We've been using your mechanical crane designs to rebuild after meteor attacks," she said. "And I've seen your work on creating artificial light. It's fascinating."

"Oh," said Varian, a small blush creeping onto his face. "Heh, wow, um, thank you. I didn't realize I had fans all the way out here."

"I'm here too!" said Yong from the other side of the pillar.

"Oh yeah," said Varian. "Um, that's Yong. I'm Varian. You've already met Hugo."

"I'm Princess Nuru," she said, her smile growing wider.

Varian smiled back. "I'll tell you why we're here, but it's going to sound a little crazy."

"You said something about Demanitus," said Nuru.

Varian nodded. "You know about him?"

"Of course," she said, growing solemn. "He's sort of the reason we're in this mess."

"What?" asked Varian. "What do you mean?"

"The Demanitus Comet. The one causing the meteors. It's named after him for a reason. Demanitus learned the study of astronomy from the ancient Kotoans. They taught him all they knew about this and other worlds. Then one day, our kingdom was nearly destroyed by a wave of meteors. The people of Koto were shocked to discover that a comet had appeared in the sky and rained these rocks down on us. That's when Demanitus returned. He admitted that the comet was his doing. He did everything he could to make it go away, but when that failed, he settled on helping us create these underground safe havens so we could hide any time the comet came back around. Now every eighteen years or so, we're forced to endure these storms."

Varian listened in horror to the story. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea that happened."

"I didn't either," said Yong sadly.

Nuru sighed. "But, anyway, what does Demanitus have to do with you?"

Varian swallowed nervously. "Well, he built something under this palace that we're trying to find. See, Demantitus discovered something, a wealth of knowledge called the Eternal Library. It holds both scientific and magical secrets. Demanitus created trials so that only people who were worthy of that knowledge could find it. One of those trials is here."

"Scientific and magical secrets?" Asked Nuru.

"Yes," said Varian. "And I know it sounds impossible, but we've already been through two of the trials. We're following my mom's research."

Nuru thought for a moment. "Do you think the library might have a way to get rid of the Demantitus Comet?"

Varian shrugged. "It's possible. At the very least, it might have a way to protect your kingdom from it."

Nuru nodded. "Right, then I'm coming with you."

"Wait, what?" said Varian.

Nuru stood up with a smirk, her hands back on her hips. "You want to go do the trial? I'm going to do it, too."

Varian pouted as he considered this. "The trials are really dangerous, you know. We were almost toast a couple of times already."

Nuru laughed and gestured at the bunker full of scared and injured people. "Look around. You think I'm scared of danger? If anything, maybe if I'm with you, it won't be such a close call."

Varian sighed. "Okay, fine. But I need all my stuff back."

"Deal," said Nuru. She pulled out a key from her pocket and unlocked Varian and Yong's cuffs.

"Thanks," said Yong.

Nuru looked over at Hugo. "Does he have to come with us?" She asked.

Varian smiled apologetically. "I know he's a lot at first. But he does grow on you."

Nuru's eyes narrowed. "I don't trust him. Do you know he tried to get me alone before?"

"What!" Said Varian looking appalled over at Hugo.

Hugo looked back, offended. "I was trying to figure out where the trial was! I wasn't going to do anything to her!"

Yong stood by Nuru and put a gentle hand on her arm. "I am so sorry about him. Are you alright?"

Nuru smiled sweetly at Yong. "Yes, I'm alright. Don't worry. I took care of him just fine. Right, Johannes?" She looked back over at Hugo, who huffed at this.

"You know what? Fine. Don't free me. I already freed myself anyway." Hugo pulled his hands from behind his back to show the cuffs were in one hand, a lockpick was in the other.

"Okay, so now I definitely don't trust him," said Nuru, gesturing to the lockpick.

Hugo just grinned, stuffing the pick back into its hiding place. "Well, it's too bad, Starbright, cause the boys, and I are a packaged deal."

Nuru looked at Varian, who shrugged. "Let's just get your things," she said.

Nuru helped them get their possessions back, and moments later, they headed for the bunker door. Nuru went to the closest guard. "We have important business to conduct under the castle. I need you to open the door."

The guard shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I can't let anyone out without permission from the Queen."

Nuru grimaced. "The Queen can't give permission right now. She's hurt very badly."

"I meant Queen Regent Zuri, Your Highness," said the guard politely.

Nuru scoffed. "Zuri is not the boss of me."

"Actually, I really am," said Zuri.

Nuru turned to see her sister striding over to her.

"Nuru! What on earth do you think you're doing?" Asked Zuri. "First, you free these spies, and now you're trying to let them out of here?"

"They're not spies," said Nuru with a shake of her head. She grabbed Varian's arm and pulled him over. "This is the Royal Engineer of Corona."

"Corona?" Repeated Zuri suspiciously.

"He's here on a scientific mission. A mission that could help us too! Zuri, listen to me. This is going to sound crazy, but there might be a way to stop these meteors. There's a place that has almost infinite knowledge, called the-" She looked at Varian.

"The Eternal Library," he finished.

"Yes, the Eternal Library," said Nuru. "It might have the answers we need. But to find it, I have to help these boys."

"Nuru, that's insane," said Zuri. "Scientific mission. He's going to tell everyone about the meteors! Why are you trying to chase some fairy tale with him? Why can't you just accept that this is the way things are? Why do you feel the need to find an answer?"

"Zuri, look at what just happened!" Pleaded Nuru. "You can't just pretend that this isn't a problem. We can't just watch our Kingdom get destroyed like this and act like it's normal. Mom made you Queen because she trusts you to make the right choices. But that doesn't mean you have to do things the way she has. Listen to your own heart, Zuri. You know this isn't right."

Zuri paused, her face softening. "You don't even know if this Library is real. Nuru. They could just be lying to you."

"I won't know unless I give it a try. One of the clues to finding it is supposed to be under the palace. Let me at least see if there's something to this. Zuri, please. For once, just let me try something. If it's nothing, I'll just come right back, and we'll do things your way."

They stared at each other for a moment, Nuru's face pleading, and Zuri's face a mix of confusion and disapproval.

"I'm sorry, Nuru," said Zuri, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I just can't let you go. Not right now. Maybe when the storm is over, and we've had time to talk it through. Right now, it's too dangerous. And you!" She turned to Varian, Yong, and Hugo. "You will be confined here until I decide what is to be done with you!"

Nuru looked frustrated, but she clamped her mouth shut and nodded. "I understand," she said. Nuru gestured to the other three and began to walk away from the door. Zuri seemed satisfied with this and turned to go as well.

The Nuru bent close to Yong and whispered something in his ear. Yong nodded. They whispered back and forth, and Varian watched as he handed her something. Then Nuru came over to Varian. "See that lever?" she whispered, pointing discretely to a spot next to one of the guards.

Varian raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"That opens the door. When I say 'three' you run for it."

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Hissed Hugo, shoving himself between Varian and Nuru.

"Just stick close, Johannes," said Nuru bitterly. Hugo glared, but she was already turning towards the door and counting.

"One."

Varian realized she was holding one of Yong's fireworks.

"Two."

So was Yong. They were each aiming at a different guard. Varian realized what they were doing.

"Three."

Varian ran for the lever as the guard in front of it was blasted back by a shower of sparks. He pulled it down and heard a massive click. Nuru threw herself against the door, forcing it open. She, Varian, Yong, and Hugo ran from the room as shouts rang out behind them.

They continued to run, not daring to stop in case the guards came after them.

"So, where is this trial?" Panted Nuru.

"I'm not sure," breathed Varian. He pulled out the pages of his mother's journal. "We're pretty far down already. Next, she says something about Cha- Chausiku's Rest… whatever that means."

“Chausiku?” questioned Nuru. “Queen Chausiku Kossani?”

"I have no idea," said Varian. "Who is that?"

"Follow me," said Nuru.

She dashed off and around a corner with all three boys following her. She led them through another series of passages and stairs before stopping in front of an old wooden door.

They all breathed heavily from running. Varian leaned against a wall. Yong plopped straight down onto the floor.

Hugo had his hands on his knees. Even though he was exhausted, he still managed a wry smile as he looked at Nuru. "Mind- hah- telling us- huh- where this is?"

Nuru waited for her breath to return before responding. "The catacombs."

"Oh, dead people. How charming," said Hugo.

Varian shot a frightened look at the door.

"You mean we're going to see skeletons!" exclaimed Yong, far more excited than Varian thought appropriate.

Nuru chucked. "They're all inside stone sarcophagus, so you won't actually see them." She tugged on the door handle and frowned when the door stayed put. "Oh, no."

"What?" Asked Yong.

Nuru tugged again, not looking at any of them.

"I know what's wrong," said Hugo delighted.

Nuru tensed. "Do you have any more of those fireworks?" She asked.

"What. Why?" Asked Varian, confused.

Hugo placed a hand on Varian's arm and gave him a smug grin. "The door's locked, but she doesn't want to ask me for help. Princess, you're smart enough to know that trying to blast it isn't going to work."

Varian sighed. "Hugo, just unlock the door then."

"No," said Hugo, crossing his arms. "I want to hear her ask me."

Nuru turned, scowling at Hugo. "What are you, five?"

"I don't think I'm the one acting childish here," said Hugo. "I'm just asking for a simple please."

Nuru sighed. "Open the door, please?"

Hugo relaxed, a massive smile on his face as he approached the door. "Why, Princess, I would love to help you unlock this door with my humble skills."

Nuru shared an exasperated look with Varian. "Is he always like this?"

Varian nodded. "I'm afraid so. But he is helpful…"

The door clicked, and Hugo swung it open before stepping out of the way with a bow. "After you, your highness."

Nuru huffed and walked through. Yong followed close behind. Hugo looked up from his bow at Varian and winked. "Lord Engineer," he teased.

Varian fought down a blush. "Can you at least try not to antagonize her?"

Hugo straightened up. "She is the one antagonizing me. People in her station just can't stand having to acknowledge someone as low class as me."

"Hugo, did something happen to you?' asked Varian with concern." I know you grew up poor, but it feels like this is personal."

"Te, come on," said Hugo, turning away. "Let's go get this over with."

Varian raised his hand to reach for Hugo but thought better of it, letting his hand fall back down. He sighed and followed through the other door.

On the other side was a spacious room. Yong helped Nuru light a lantern, and the flickering firelight cast long shadows around them. The walls had shelves in them, each one supporting a long stone box. Varian walked closer to one to see a dusty inscription on the side in a language he didn't know.

"It's ancient Kotoan," said Nuru. "I know how to read it, but I already know what they all say." She turned and walked over to the far side of a room where a large sarcophagus sat in the middle of an alcove. "This is Queen Chausiku Kossani's. This must be what your notes mean, Varian."

They joined her by the sarcophagus. Nuru held her lamp up and around the alcove. Designs were carved along the walls. The far wall had an array of stars up on top in a kind of circular pattern. Below that was a depiction of what looked like people in a dance on the ground. Varian got closer to the stone tomb and saw it had another inscription. "What does it say? Is it just her name?"

Nuru studied it for a moment. "No… That which is below corresponds to that which is above, and that which is above corresponds to that which is below."

"That sounds like a bunch of nonsense," said Hugo.

"But it might just be our clue," said Nuru. "Varian, what do your notes say?"

Varian checked them. "There's nothing about this." He sighed. "These were my mom's notes. I think she intended them to be intentionally vague in case anyone tried to steal her work."

"That's fine. We can still figure it out," said Nuru. "Below corresponds to that which is above…"

All four of them looked up at the ceiling. The light bounced off a flat, blank surface. They all looked down at their feet and saw dark, dirty, stone brick. Yong started to press down on various bricks hoping they'd give. Nuru walked to the wall where the stars and dancers were. "Below… above…. Above… below." She ran her hand over one of the people and looked up to see a star directly above them. "Hmm…" She looked at the next person and saw that they, too, seemed to correspond to a star. She stepped back to take in the whole mural. One star didn't have a person. Nuru held out her hand and placed it about where the person should have been. It felt warm to the touch.

Suddenly the wall started to slide down into the floor. Nuru turned to smile at the others.

"Hey! Nice one!" said Varian, rushing forward.

"Good job!" shouted Yong.

"Not bad," Hugo grumbled.

The wall had opened into a long dark passage. Varian pulled a green vial from his pocket and shook it to add some more light to Nuru's lantern. There wasn't much to see. The passage stretched out before them with no end in sight. All four of them shared a look and then started to walk.
Varian started to lose track of how long they'd been down there. Every once in a while, the passage would twist, but it never forked. He occasionally checked the walls and floor, trying to make sure not to miss anything, but they were bare of human contact. As they went, though, he noticed they started to crack, and blankets of moss and fungus had begun to grow.

"There's a light!" exclaimed Yong suddenly. Everyone's eyes snapped up to see that there was a faint cold light ahead. Bored of the grimey passage, they rushed forward to find that the light came from a small hole in the ceiling, little larger than an apple. Varian looked up it, but there was little telling what was giving off the light.

It shone down onto a wall with markings, and Varian realized that their path was diverging in two directions for the first time. They all looked closer at the markings. The wall was littered with holes. Varian pulled out the journal pages and scanned over them.

"Your mom have anything to say about this?" asked Hugo.

Varian shook his head. "Just something about 'scales' but I don't know what that means."

"Scales like fish scales?" asked Yong.

"Maybe?" Replied Varian with uncertainty. He looked down closer at the pages as Yong and Hugo huddled close as well.

"No," said Nuru. No one responded to her. They were all still focused on the notes.

"What does that part say?" asked Hugo, pointing to some scribbles.

Varian squinted down at it. "I didn't understand that part. It says kuit. I don't know what that is."

"I do," said Nuru. Again her words fell on deaf ears.

"Your mom took terrible notes, Freckles."

"They're meant to be vague. She didn't want just anyone to understand them."

"Well, a lot of good that does us. Great job, Mrs. Goggles."

"Please don't fight again," whined Yong.

"Guys."

"If Hugo would just lay off my mom we'd be fine," said Varian

"Aw, sorry to hurt your little feelings, mama's boy," teased Hugo.

"Guys!"

"That's it!" Varian dropped the pages and lunged for Hugo.

"LISTEN!"

The boys froze, Varian's hands on Hugo's throat and Yong's hands trying to pull Varian back.

"I have the answer," said Nuru, gesturing to the wall. "Don't you realize what this is?" They all looked up in silence at the holes. Nuru laughed. "They're stars. Look. Look at these. See how they make a pattern? That one's Ursa Major. And over here. These three. That's Pegasus. Scales… she could be referring to Pisces, Yong, but I think she means…" Nuru pointed toward the top right where the light from the hole was striking the wall. "Libra."

Varian smiled wide. "Genius!" He said.

Hugo reached up and ran his hand over the part under the light. "Okay, but so what? What does it mean?"

"Over here," Nuru said with a smile. They looked over as she moved down to the right passage a few steps and held up her lantern. "I noticed there were more holes over here. It's clearly Orion. And I'll bet..." She walked to the other side. "Yes. Canis Major. That's where we are. That's a map, and we're supposed to make our way through these passages to get to where Libra is."

"It still just looks like a bunch of holes to me," said Hugo.

"Well, good thing you have me along then," She said. "Especially since I have a secret weapon that'll be perfect for solving this puzzle." She reached down and lifted the top layer of her skirt. It was sheer and had patterns embroidered in it, and as she held it up, Varian realized the patterns were the same arrangement as the wall.

"This is my favorite dress," continued Nuru. "Because it has a map of the stars on it."

"So then which way do we go?" asked Yong.

Nuru took a moment to look at the map on the wall, then down at her skirt. "This way," she said, stepping down the Orion passage. Varian and Yong followed close behind. Hugo huffed then followed as well.

It went like this for a while. Every time they came to a diverging path, Nuru checked the markings on the wall against her skirt and picked the direction. Even with her leading the way, it still felt like they had been walking for a long time.

"Your Highness," said Varian.

"You can just call me Nuru."

"Heh, Nuru. Um… are you sure you have us going the right way? It's just been a while…"

Nuru shot a glare at him, and Varian stepped back with alarm. But then Nuru's face softened again. "Please just trust me. I know what I'm doing. I've watched the stars almost every night for sixteen years."

Varian looked back seriously and nodded. They continued. Shortly after, the passage opened up, and the ceiling rose up higher and higher until light started poking through again. The hallway they were in opened up into a kind of canyon. Vegetation dotted the rocks here, and the path was lit by a series of bioluminescent mushrooms. They weren't the only source of light either. Above, they could see the real stars twinkle.

Varian sighed, enjoying the fresher air. Nuru stared up at the sky for a moment before continuing to lead. As they walked, Varian looked around. He was very interested in the makeup of the mushrooms. He dug into his pockets and found an empty vial so he could collect some. As he did, he started to notice the canyon had large caves along its walls. Most were higher up, but a few were down on their level. As they passed one, a pair of enormous yellow eyes opened from inside.

Varian yelped and jumped back.

"Varian?" asked Yong walking over to stand by Varian.

A creature stepped out of the cave. It was massive, standing maybe ten feet tall. It had eyes like a toad and scaled blue-grey skin and speckled with gold. It sat on four long bowed legs, and when it opened its mouth, Varian saw sharp teeth jut out.

"W-what is that?" Sputtered Yong.

Nuru whipped her head around and froze. "A Kuit." she whispered, "They live up here in the mountains. This one must have gotten stuck down here. Varian, Yong. It won't hurt you if you move very very slowly."

The kuit hopped forward now closer to the two boys. They tensed.

"What are you talking about? It's already seen them! They need to get out of there!" Hugo hissed back.

"No, it hasn't! Please. Listen to me. Just walk backward slowly,

Yong reached for Varian's hand who accepted it gladly. The two of them stepped back painfully slow, hardly even breathing for fear of the creature. It hopped towards them again, this time landing right in front of them. It opened its mouth wide.

Hugo leaped forward and tossed a vial straight into the kuit's mouth.

"No!" Cried Nuru.

There was a boom, and a puff of green smoke billowed out of its mouth. The kuit let out a terrible screech and started lashing out towards Varian and Yong.

"Run!" Shouted Nuru.

The boys didn't need to be told twice. They bolted, scrambling over rocks and plants in their haste to get away. The kuit pursued, it's yellow eyes bulging and its scaly limbs lashing out with long, razor-sharp claws.

Yong tripped on a root and landed face-first on the ground with a groan. Varian scooped him up in his arm just before the kuit could grab him.

"If you'd listened to me, this wouldn't have happened!" Nuru berated as they dodged and weaved around the canyon, trying to get to the other side.

"It was about to eat them!" Hugo snapped back.

"It hadn't seen them yet! Kuits hunt using sounds!" said Nuru.

They approached the end of the canyon. A new opening was waiting for them, but the kuit was gaining. Yong twisted in Varian's hold and shot a rocket off at the creature. It flinched and jumped back as sparks spilled against its face. But the kuit just shook this off and hopped to catch up again. Nuru looked up and around until she spotted a pile of rocks high up above them. She stopped and picked up a stone from the ground as the boys rushed past her.

She took careful aim then slung her stone at the pile. It hit the pile, unsettling it and raining down a mini avalanche. The kuit stopped and turned toward the sound of the falling rocks.

It was just enough for all four of them to squeeze into the new passage. The creature flung itself against the opening, and Varian and Yong had to scramble back to avoid one of its grasping hands.

Varian stumbled into Hugo, who caught his shoulders to steady him. Varian looked up at him. "Oh, uh, thanks." Then stepped away quickly and found himself face to face with a furious Nuru.

"How can you thank him? He almost got us killed!" she said. Varian wanted to reply, but Nuru spun on her heel and stomped away before he could. Varian sighed and followed once more, Hugo and Yong right behind.

Not long after, the path opened again. This time it was a large circular space. The sides moved up in gradual steps, almost like an amphitheater. Each shelf was covered in the bright glowing mushrooms from before.

In the center, on a large flat rock in the ground, was the carved image of a set of scales and beneath it an inscription. They walked towards it cautiously. Nuru peered down and read aloud what it said.

"Judge your Words, Deceit and Sooth, Discard the Lies, Feed the Truth," she said.

Hugo scoffed. "Can't this Demanitus guy just give a clear direction once in his life?"

"It wouldn't be much of a trial if he just told us what to do," said Varian.

"You don't think nearly getting eaten by a giant toad monster is enough of a challenge?" Said Hugo.

"Wouldn't have been a problem if you just listened to me," said Nuru.

"Right, I've had enough of that," said Hugo turning to Nuru with fire in his eyes. "You think you're so much better than me. Just because you won the lottery when you were born, Princess, doesn't mean you're above the rest of us. You're really just used to people listening to every precious word you say, huh?"

Nuru stared at Hugo in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, and as she did so, a warm yellow light started to shine in her throat. She gasped, and her hands flew up to it as it glowed brighter and brighter. Then the light formed into a fist-sized ball and flew up and out of Nuru's mouth to hang in the air.

"Nuru, wh-" Varian's breath caught, and he couldn't say anymore as he felt something warm forming in his own throat. He looked over and saw both Hugo and Yong were also grasping their necks, balls of yellow light appearing inside them as well. One by one, each ball flew up into the air until all four were suspended.

Nuru tried to grab her orb. Then she tried to shout, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her hands went back to her throat, rubbing it as if she thought that could help her speak again. Her mouth continued to move, trying desperately to be heard. Varian was startled to see tears in the corners of her eyes.

He was struggling as well. He still couldn't quite catch his breath. It was like his lungs weren't working correctly. He started to feel dizzy.

Then the orbs split and shot off to the sides of the room.

They watched as the now hundreds of lights shot into the surrounding mushrooms, changing their blue hue to the warm amber one, and a chorus of voices started to speak.

"No." "Yes." "I'm fine." "It's okay." "I'm good." "I don't know."

It was their own voices all talking over each other, saying random things. Varian tried to listen as he gasped for breath. Through the haze of his lack of air and the chaos of the hundreds of voices, he heard his own voice saying something that caught his attention.

"Not that I'm doing this for Cassandra."

Lies, Varian mouthed.

"A single petal could solve all our problems. That's all we need."

They were all lies.

Varian was pulled from his thoughts by someone shaking his shoulders. He focused and realized Nuru was in front of him, her eyes glistening with tears. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling with her short breaths. Still, she seemed to be fighting hard to ignore it as she pointed back down at the inscription then around at the glowing mushrooms speaking with their voices. He watched as she mouthed, truth. Find the truth.

Nuru then rushed over to Yong to make him understand. Varian looked for Hugo but found him already wading through the sea of mushrooms in a frantic search.

Varian moved into the field of mushrooms as well, listening intently for his voice.

"I didn't touch anything." That was Yong's voice.

"This is all perfectly safe." That was his. Probably a lie. He continued looking.

"Hackneyed." Varian tensed, hearing the word he'd said to Hugo, trying to make him believe he wasn't impressed with his alchemy.

"I'm not really concerned about Corona." Varian gritted his teeth, recalling when he'd said this to Rapunzel so long ago. At the time, he thought it was the truth. But he never really stopped caring about Corona. He'd only pushed that feeling down deep inside of himself. Varian shook himself from the bad memory and continued to search.

~ * ~

Hugo clawed at his own throat as he worked as if he thought that would somehow make it easier to breathe. He listened to each voice, trying to find his truth.

"I am in no way trying to keep you from your goals." Hugo flinched, as his own voice told the dangerous lie. He moved faster. He could think of thousands of things he said to the others that might give him away. He couldn't let them realize they were lies.

"I wasn't wrong. It's not my fault. None of it is. It's her fault." Was that Varian?

"So happy to see you." That was one of Nuru's.

"Yes, I ate my broccoli." Yong.

"I'm fine, really." Varian again.

"I'm perfectly fine, Donnie." His own voice. His mind filled with memories of every time he said something like that to Donella. Hugo would have laughed if he could get the air to do it. Apparently, that was a lie he shared with Varian. His eyes shot over to Varian, who looked like he might pass out any moment. He had to move faster.

~ * ~

Yong moved slower than the others through the voices. He was trying to be careful, slowly taking in as much air as he could manage to keep from panicking. He closed his eyes and tried to just listen to the voices.

"Augh! I don't… I don't know... Please." Hugo's voice.

"I won't, Your Majesty." Nuru's voice.

"It wasn't me!" His own voice. He thought of one of the many times he'd destroyed something and tried desperately to not get in trouble.

"It followed me home, I swear." Him again and still a lie. He smiled weakly, remembering the stray kitten he had tried to hide from his parents before he was forced to give it up.

He continued to focus, trying to figure out where his truth was, eyes closed, walking slowly and carefully. He knew if he could just stay focused, he'd find it.

~ * ~

Nuru furiously wiped her face of tears as she searched. She felt so helpless like this, her voice stolen and used to say every lie she'd ever told. Her hands shook as she stooped to listen closer.

"I'm not crying," she heard her voice say. She closed her eyes, remembering how she'd said that to Bibi. Her grandmother had been trying to comfort her.

"I don't know where your shoes are." Nuru's chest heaved as she tried to laugh with no air. She remembered the stupid lie she'd told Zuri when they were younger. They'd been so much closer than. She remembered how they used to play together all the time.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Her voice again, saying words that felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She'd said those words to a Koto citizen right after the first meteor storm. She'd been so scared at the time. She did not believe what she was saying. But she said those words because it was what she was supposed to say. It was what she had been told to say. And now who knew what kind of devastation her kingdom was in?

Nuru collapsed down. She couldn't breathe. It was making her head fuzzy and her vision dark. She glanced around and saw the boys were also on the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate on all the voices.

"Bibi, why won't anyone listen to me?-"

Nuru's eyes snapped back open and landed on one of the glowing mushrooms. She looked up, and her eyes met Hugo's, his expression unreadable.

"-Mom. Zuri... Nobody takes me seriously! I'm trying to save our kingdom. I just want to help everyone!"

Nuru dove for the mushroom and snatched it up. The light inside it shot out and flew down into Nuru's throat as she took in a long breath of air.

All around, the voices began to quiet. The mushrooms started to go dark one by one until only three were left alight. Three voices spoke.

"As long as we're together, I know I'll be alright."

Yong rushed over and grabbed the mushroom with his voice. The light shot back into his throat.

"I wanted to forget all the bad things that ever happened-" Varian turned his head as he heard his voice and crawled over to the mushroom. "But we can't. Those failures. Those dark moments. They're part of us. They're what make us stronger." He grabbed it and gasped as his voice returned.

The last voice was the small and high pitched voice of a child. "Cheese!" Hugo dove to the dirt for the mushroom. "I love you! You're my-" Hugo almost smashed the mushroom into pieces as he snatched it into his hands.

They all sat panting for a moment. Nuru turned and smiled at Hugo. "What was-?"

"Don't," said Hugo.

They heard a large thump. They all looked up and around, trying to find the source. It happened again, this time closer. Then a shadow jumped down from above and landed square in the middle of them.

The kuit.

They all got to their feet. Hugo pulled out another vial, ready to throw it at the creature.

"Wait," whispered Nuru. Hugo hesitated and looked over at her.

Nuru looked at the kuit. It waddled to face her then opened its mouth wide. The boys tensed, but Nuru waved them down. A big long purple tongue rolled out of its mouth. Nuru stared at it questioningly before reaching forward and placing her mushroom on the outstretched tongue. The kuit slurped up the mushroom and gave a contented croak before opening its mouth again.

The boys, getting the idea, chucked their mushrooms into the creature's mouth. It swallowed them then let out a happy croak, which turned into a cough.

Something flew up and out of its mouth into Nuru's hands.

The third totem.

Nuru looked up at the others, her face a mix of disgust and joy. "What did I tell you?" she said. "Can't scare me with a little danger."

Chapter Text

Zuri paced the long meeting room as the guards watched and waited. She wrung her hands and bit her lip, then walked over to the window. She could see out over the city where people were still battling fires started by the meteor strikes. The sky, though, was finally empty.

She looked up and found the Comet in the sky. It hung in the dark, seemingly unaware and unconcerned of the destruction it just wrought.

"Is this really how we're meant to live?" she whispered to herself.

"Your Majesty."

Zuri turned to see one of her counselors arriving back, two people in long stately robes following behind.

"Your Majesty, all the party guests have safely been escorted home. Also, your family has retired to the emergency quarters to rest, including your mother. Preparations are already underway to repair the castle."

Zuri peered out the window again at the burning homes. "No." She said softly.

The counselor stepped forward. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, what was that?"

"No!" Zuri turned to him. "I don't want a single person touching the castle until the people of Koto are safe. Send everyone available to help put out the fires and rebuild their homes first."

The counselor nodded at this. "Very well, Your Majesty."

"And what about Princess Nuru. Have you found her yet?" Zuri asked, hopefully.

His face dropped into a frown. "I'm afraid not. We've searched everywhere for the princess. No trace so far. Likely that group of hooligan boys kidnapped her."

Zuri laughed nervously. "I'd like to see someone try kidnapping my sister. No. That can't be it. You must have missed something. I want at least two guards to continue the search."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The tallest of the robed people stepped forward. "Pardon, Your Majesty, but we should have a word with you."

"Ah, yes," said the counselor. "Your Majesty, this is Doctor Otieno and Doctor Kariuki. They're two of our esteemed Royal Astronomers."

The two robed astronomers bowed, and Doctor Otieno spoke again. "Queen Ahdra has placed you in charge, Your Majesty. Since it is hard to say how long the Queen's recovery will take, we feel that it is important you be debriefed on our situation."

Zuri's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I already know our situation quite well. We all watched it happen tonight."

The two astronomers looked at each other solemnly before looking back at Zuru. "It's important we speak to you privately."

Zuri, panic swirling in her gut, dismissed the guards and shooed the counselor out, as well. Then she turned back to the two scientists.

"Your Majesty," said Doctor Kariuki. "There were certain things your mother bid us keep secret from everyone else to avoid panic or despair. Now that you're Queen Regent, you must hear those things now."

Zuri nodded, her hands wringing her dress as she listened.

The two astronomers walked to the table in the middle of the room, and Zuri followed. They spread charts and notes out on the table for her to see.

"As you're aware, Your Majesty, the Demantitus Comet has been a recurring problem for Koto for centuries. It returns to us once every eighteen to twenty years and rains down meteors for six to eight months before flying off again into space. But as the Comet approached this time around, we noticed something strange." Doctor Kariuki pointed at a depiction of the Comet's path. "It's not following its normal course. For some time now, we've been aware that it's coming too close to us, creating more violent meteor storms."

Zuri's jaw dropped, hardly believing what she was hearing. "And if the comet continues this new course, what will happen?"

Doctor Otieno sighed. "If it continues, we predict that it will hit Earth in less than a year."

"Oh, Nuru," whispered Zuri. "I'm so sorry." She spoke up louder, her voice shaking. "And my mother knew all this?"

They nodded. "She has already authorized and overseen a new, deeper bunker under the city to prepare for this."

"But Koto would be destroyed," said Zuri.

The two astronomers nodded.

~ * ~

The secret door at the back of the catacombs slid open slowly, and Nuru, Hugo, Varian, and Yong all slid off the kuit's back. Hugo quickly hurried away from the creature, shaking himself of invisible germs.

"This definitely takes top spot as the strangest day of my life," said Hugo.

"Would you believe me if I said it wasn't mine?" asked Varian.

"I would love to hear that story sometime," said Nuru, still holding the totem. It was a little different then the others they'd obtained. This one was more roughly shaped like it was just an ordinary rock, but it gave off a very faint glow.

Yong turned and gave the kuit a big hug. "Thanks for taking us back, buddy!" He said. The kuit's long tongue emerged and gave Yong some appreciative licks, which made Yong giggle.

"Uh, Yong," said Varian with concern. "Maybe don't let it do that. You don't know what germs it might have…" He looked to Nuru for back up, but all her focus was down on the totem.

"This will help us get to the Library?" she asked.

Varian nodded. "That and the other totems will help us create a door to get in. There's four more now. Earth, Dark, Iron, and Light."

"I heard you say us," said Hugo. "While we appreciate your assistance here, don't you have important princess things to get back to? You don't really have time to be traipsing about with us."

Nuru looked up at Hugo with determination. "As a princess, it's my duty to help my people. If this Library could hold the secret to saving us from the Demntitus Comet, then I need to find it." She looked back at Varian, and he was startled by the fire in her eyes. "Please let me come with you."

Varian's surprise warmed into a smile. "Princess Nuru, we'd be honored if you'd join us."

Hugo groaned, and Yong cheered simultaneously.

~ * ~
The throne room was a bit battered but had not been hit as bad as the ballroom. It was here the four of them found Zuri looking out over the city, deep in thought. When she heard approaching footsteps, she turned, and her face lit up when she laid eyes on Nuru.

"Nuru!" She ran forward and threw her arms around Nuru. Nuru threw her own hands up at first, startled by this reaction.

"I thought you'd be angry with me," she said.

Zuri pulled back. "Of course, I'm mad at you!" She said, still smiling. "Running off like that in the middle of the storm. But I'm just so happy you're okay. You… you are okay, right." She turned Nuru's head in her hands, inspecting her.

"Yes, yes, of course, Zuri. I'm fine. I'm more than fine. Look what we found." Varian passed Nuru the totem, and she held it up. "This is what I was looking for, Zuri. It's all real. The Eternal Library. It's not just a story. Please hear me out. If I can find the rest of these and open it up, we could figure out how to stop the Comet. We could save Koto! Please understand, I have to do this!"

"You're right," said Zuri sadly.

"No, you're not listening!" Nuru exclaimed as her sister spoke. Then her actual words sank in. "I need to- wait… what did you say?"

"I said, you're right," Zuri repeated. "You've been right, Nuru. About everything." Zuri stepped back and looked away with shame. "I'm sorry I didn't know that until now."

"Zuri?" asked Nuru.

"I just found out," said Zuri. "Mom has known about it. She knew before you told her. That the Comet isn't just flying by this time. It really is going to hit us. And so far, the only solution she's come up with is for us to hide deeper underground and wait for our kingdom to be smashed to bits."

Nuru gasped. "But why... How could she not tell anyone?"

Zuri shrugged. "She didn't want anyone to worry. I'm sure she thinks she's doing the right thing. Thinks she has it handled and doesn't need anyone else to know." Zuri looked back at Nuru. "Do you really think this Library might be the solution?"

Nuru turned and looked at Varian. He considered the question seriously. "I don't know for certain. But the legend does say that the Library holds both scientific and magical secrets. If there was any way to stop the Comet surely, the Library would have the answer."

Nuru looked back at Zuri, and they nodded to each other.

"Then I will let you go with my blessing, Nuru," said Zuri. "More than that, this will be your official mission from the Queen of Koto. You are to find the Library and figure out a way to save us. In the meantime, I will find a way to tell the people without them panicking so that they can be better prepared in case… in case your quest is not successful."

"What about other kingdoms?" asked Varian. "If the Comet hits, it won't just affect Koto. Other people should be informed, as well."

Zuri nodded. "I will work on opening up communications with the other kingdoms." She took Nuru's hands. "I'm going to try to make this right. I promise."

Nuru smiled, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She embraced Zuri and her sister hugged her back lovingly.

~ * ~

The sun beat down from a bright azure blue sky, and bees hummed a chorus as they rode away from the Kingdom of Koto. They were on the caravan wagon Zuri had provided Nuru for the trip. It wasn't much. It was big enough to store tents for each of them along with supplies to hopefully last them through the end of their journey. The small one-room interior also had some places for passengers to sit. It was enough for them. And indeed, it was as much as Prometheus could pull on his own.

"It was really nice of your sister to give us all this stuff to help us on our journey," said Varian as he drove the wagon. Nuru sat beside him, studying a map. Ruddiger was curled between them, snacking on an apple.

"Yes, it was," she said, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smile. "She even booked us passage on Navos Ferry, which is the fastest way to get to Nesdernia. It's odd. Zuri's always been so mean and bossy to me. Maybe… maybe taking on some responsibility helped her see things more clearly. I never would have imagined being able to reconcile with her."

Varian nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, sometimes it seems so hard for two people to see eye to eye, but it's only because they're not listening properly. I've seen that happen before." He smiled at Nuru. "I'm happy things are better now between you." He laughed and spoke lower. "And Hugo is certainly grateful you swapped tents with him."

They laughed as they remembered the previous night. Hugo side-eyed the large, extravagant purple tent that Nuru's sister had packed for her with poorly concealed envy. Nuru had rolled her eyes and complained loudly that the tent wasn't the exact shade of purple she had wanted.

"If you hate it so much, why don't you let someone else take it?" Hugo had "casually" asked.

Nuru had sighed dramatically. "Fine." Before she could say another word, Hugo practically dove inside the tent, and Nuru took Hugo's normal, but perfectly comfortable tent.

Nuru chuckled again as she looked over the map. "He doesn't seem like he'll ever actually thank me for it, though."

"Eh, yeah, maybe," said Varian. "At least… not out loud, anyway. But he might in other ways. I think Hugo's a lot nicer than he lets on."

"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it," said Nuru with amusement.

Ruddiger jumped three feet in the air as an explosion went off inside the wagon, and something shot out of the side, sending bits of nails and splinters flying. Varian stopped Prometheus, and Varian and Nuru turned to look inside through the hole that was made.

They found Hugo pressed up into the corner of the wagon and Yong sitting there in the middle covered in soot.

"What happened?" asked Varian.

"Really, Goggles?" said Hugo, his voice dripping with malice. "Clearly, the better question is why Sparkles here decided working on fireworks inside this tiny caravan was a good idea."

Yong looked at Varian, his eyes wide with regret and fear. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to go off."

"Sorry doesn't really help us if we all go up in smoke," said Hugo.

Yong began to sniffle. Varian glared at Hugo. "Stop it! Leave him alone."

"Leave- Freckles, he nearly took my arm off!" Shouted Hugo. "He blew a hole in the wagon!"

Nuru sighed. "We'll be able to fix it. It's fine. Yong, next time just wait till we make camp. Oh, and definitely don't work on that stuff while we're on the Ferry."

Yong nodded. "Yeah, okay," he said tearfully.

~ * ~

They arrived, the wagon patched up, where the Ferry was docked and ready to accept passengers. A long line of other carts and wagons waited their turn to board. Still, it seemed that the process had taken long enough for a group of people to come down from their vehicles to form a crowd around something interesting.

Curious, they left their wagon as well and walked over to see what the fuss was about. Ruddiger hopped up onto Varian's head, eager to peak over the crowd. A short spindly woman with brown, greying hair pulled into a messy bun was standing by a small pile of crates. She was in the middle of tucking something into her pocket.

"And that is only one of the amazing creations I have made with the power of science!"

Varian, Hugo, Nuru, and Yong all perked up at the word 'science.' They watched as the lady pulled from one crate a tall glass tube with some sort of metal chamber at the bottom. She placed it down and adjusted something at the bottom. Inside the tube, colorful globs started to rise up and then fall again.

"I, the brilliant Doctor Abbott, give you the Rain Jar! It takes into account atmospheric pressures and temperatures to accurately predict the next rainfall. You see, the rain balls took nine seconds to fall back down again. Therefore, I predict that rain will fall in the next nine days."

The impromptu audience clapped. Varian leaned into the others and whispered. "Actually, it has nothing to do with the weather. She's just using heat at the bottom to change the density of those globs of chemicals so that they float up and down in the water."

Ruddiger's attention was pulled from the spectacle by the scent of food. He looked around and realized a tall, dark woman was feeding nuts to a little orange parrot on her shoulder. Ruddiger's vision zoomed in on the bag of nuts, and he carefully crept off of Varian's shoulder and into the crowd.

The "brilliant" Doctor Abbott put the device away and pulled out a wheel mounted perpendicular to the ground on an axel attached to a long pipe. "And this! This is my very own design for the perpetual motion machine!" The wheel had weights all around the edges. She set it down, keeping one hand near the base to steady it and then spun the wheel. As it spun, the weights swung around, keeping the wheel turning.

"I know it's hard to believe," said Doctor Abbot. "But as you can see, the weights will keep this turning forever!"

"Teh," said Hugo quietly. "Yeah, that's not how it works. She's got her hand on a pump that's turning the wheel."

Ruddiger found his way to the parrot woman's feet and reached up, trying to grab the bag full of peanuts. The little parrot started to take notice. "Below!" It squawked.

Finally, the lady pulled out two long dark bars and held them above her head. "And this? This is my Attracta-clap!" She let go of the bars, and they zoomed together, slapping closed before falling to the ground.

"Magnets," said Hugo and Varian together. Nuru and Yong both giggled at this.

Varian looked around. "Wait, what happened to Ruddiger?"

"Now," said the lady as she put the magnets away. "I have one more fabulous invention. "She patted a shape hiding under a cloth." My Roaming All-terrain Maintenance Benefition Automation. Or the RAMBA! But I'm afraid I must keep it under wraps, for now. If you wish to know what it is, you will have to find me at the Exposition of Sciences, held this year in the beautiful capital of Nesdernia."

Varian stopped looking for Ruddiger and snapped his head back towards the Doctor. "Exposition of Sciences?" he squeaked.

Ruddiger reached up and finally tore a small hole in the bottom of the bag. He opened his mouth happily as the nuts poured down into his mouth.

The parrot puffed up and shrieked. "Thief below! Thief below! Bombs away!"

In defense of its food, the parrot swooped down on Ruddiger, who scampered into the middle of the crowd straight for Doctor Abbot. The parrot pursued, squawking "Bombs away!" and Ruddiger hid under the cloth Doctor Abbot had been using to conceal her invention. A moment later, something clicked and then started to vibrate under the cloth. Then something came rolling out from underneath, with Ruddiger riding on top.

It was a squat cylinder machine with wheels and little arms. As the machine moved forward, its arms scooped up rocks and debris from the ground and sucked them into a little mouth on its side. Ruddiger looked down in surprise as the machine carried him around.

"No!" Exclaimed Doctor Abbot. "Get away from my machine, you filthy animals!"

"Ruddiger!" Called Varian, running forward to try to grab him. Ruddiger was back to fighting off the parrot, whose owner was also running forward.

"Dion! Get away from there!" she shouted.

As Varian, the Doctor, and the parrot's owner converged, they bumped into each other. Ruddiger leapt off the RAMBA and ran in circles as the bird continued the chase. The little robot was accidentally kicked in the chaos and wheeled wildly into the crowd toward a child about Yong's age with long dark hair.

Yong saw this and, without thinking, aimed a rocket at the machine. The rocket hit the machine, sending it spinning away from the child until Doctor Abbot could finally pounce on it and turn it off.

The bird lady managed to grab her parrot, Dion, and Varian got hold of Ruddiger.

Doctor Abbot rounded on the other two. Even though she was about a foot shorter than Varian, she was still intimidating. "How dare you! Those creatures should be caged!"

Both the bird lady and Varian bristled. Suddenly Nuru was between all of them. "Good Doctor Abbott," she said diplomatically. "There's really no need for such extremes. After all, no one was hurt, and your machine seems perfectly intact."

"But-!" Shouted Doctor Abbott.

Nuru squared up to her and held herself as tall and as regally as she could. "But nothing. Time is short. I suggest you work on packing up and getting ready for the Ferry."

The Doctor sputtered a bit more, but the fight had been taken out of her. She huffed and stomped away, mumbling under her breath. Nuru turned around and smiled smugly at the two pet owners.

"Wow," said Varian.

"Yes, very impressive," said the bird lady. She looked sideways at Varian. "I'm sorry about Dion's behavior. He is very possessive of his food. I'm Alethea, by the way."

"Ruddiger gets the same way," said Varian. "I'm Varian, and this is Nuru." He looked around. "I'm not sure where our other friends are."

"Well, we're sure to see each other since the Ferry is a six-hour trip," said Alethea. "Until then." She walked away. The crowd was also dispursing.

Yong had gone over to the long-haired child with a shy smile on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," they said with a nod. "Thank you for saving me."

Yong blushed. "Yeah… no problem."

"I'm Lou," they said brightly, stepping a little closer.

"Yong," he replied. His smile widened.

"So how'd you do that? That explosion?" Lou asked with curiosity.

"My fireworks!" said Yong enthusiastically. He pulled out one of the rockets he used.

"Oh, wow!" said Lou.

"Okay, Romeo, time to go," said Hugo. He grabbed the back of Yong's collar and started dragging him away.

"I'll see you on the Ferry!" said Lou with a wave.

"Okay!" said Yong. He waved back happily as he let himself be pulled away.

~ * ~

Not long after, they were finally on their way across the water. The Ferry had two decks. The lower one was where the vehicles and other cargo were stored while the top deck had indoor and outdoor spaces for passengers to spend the short voyage.

Varian, Nuru, and Yong were up on the top deck, enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Varian was vigorously scribbling in a journal. Nuru was reading. Yong was people-watching. Alethea and Dion, along with other passengers, were looking out over the side at the water.

As Yong looked around the deck, he noticed Lou. He was startled to see them looking worried. They were walking between all the crowds of passengers, eyes darting around with anxious fervor.

Yong rose and walked over to them. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked. Lou seemed to ignore him at first, but then they met Yong's eyes.

"My mom's bracelet. I must have dropped it. I don't know where it is!" said Lou.

"Do you remember when you last had it?" asked Yong.

Lou shook their head. "I had it when we boarded. I think… I don't know."

"I'll help you look for it!" Said Yong enthusiastically.

"Really?" said Lou. "Thank you!"

They both jumped as someone ran up on deck, screaming.

"My ruby necklace!' She cried. "It's gone! It's been stolen!" People rushed to the woman's side as she began to sob. Someone else spoke up.

"Hey, my timepiece is missing too!" The man said as he dug through his pockets.

"My ring is gone!" said another voice.

Yong and Lou both looked at each other.

"Do you think… my bracelet too?" They asked.

Yong nodded. "It seems there is a thief on board…" His eyes narrowed. "And I think I know exactly who is to blame. Come on! Detective Yong is on the case!" He grabbed Lou by the wrist and led them away.

Varian and Nuru, who had been watching all of this, looked at each other.

"Should we help?" asked Nuru.

Varian shrugged. "I think Yong can handle this."

"Really?" said Nuru skeptically. "You don't think this will end with the boat burning down?"

Varan laughed and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. "I made a fire retardant foam for that just in case about two weeks after I met him."

"Okay then," said Nuru, going back to her reading.

~ * ~

Hugo was down on the bottom deck, rummaging in the back of their wagon. Yong planted his feet and pointed dramatically at Hugo's back.

"You!" he shouted.

Hugo jumped and turned around. Annoyance covered his features as he took in Yong's pose. "Funsize, I don't have time to play games with you. Why don't you go play with your new friend there."

Yong didn't waver. "Where is the bracelet?" He demanded.

Hugo had already turned his back and was sorting through the items in the wagon again. "What bracelet?"

"I have not seen you for the past hour," said Yong. "And now suddenly there's jewelry gone missing! You've stolen before. It must have been you! Admit it."

Hugo turned back around. "You really don't trust me. After all, we've been through?" He asked. Yong thought he actually saw some hurt in Hugo's eyes, and his finger drooped down.

"Well," he said, his confidence shaken. "No… it's not that. I just. There was a thief, and you just…"

"Fit the profile?" Said Hugo, crossing his arms. He looked over at Lou. "I'm guessing this is your bracelet that was lost?" They nodded. Hugo looked back at Yong. "If you're trying to make a good impression, maybe don't show your lack of loyalty." Yong blushed in shame. Hugo sighed. "And anyway I had something stolen from me too. That's why I've been gone. I was looking for it."

"What are you missing?" asked Lou.

Hugo looked down and away. "Nothing important. It doesn't really matter. But anyway, I'm not your thief."

"I'm sorry," said Yong sincerely.

Hugo shrugged and ruffled Yong's hair. "Whatever. It's fine. Anyways you wouldn't know how to actually identify a thief, would you? It's not going to be someone staying out of sight. It's gonna be someone acting shifty, hiding in the crowd, and looking for another mark. After so much success they’re probably getting cocky."

Yong considered this advice then turned to Lou. "Sounds good to me. Let's go see who's acting shifty."

~ * ~

Varian was back to scribbling in his journal. Nuru looked up at him.

"What are you working on?" She asked.

"Coming up with ideas for the Expo," he said. "If we're going to be in Nesdernia during the Expo, then this could be my chance."

Nuru raised an eyebrow. "Chance for what?"

Varian looked up at her with a wicked smile. "For revenge. Aha muaha ha ha ha haaa!"

Nuru leaned back at the maniacal nature of Varian's laugh concern plastered on her face. Varian seemed to notice and stopped his laughter with an embarrassed cough.

"Um, it's a bit of a long story," he said. He went back to drawing without further explanation. Nuru watched him for a moment before reluctantly going back to reading.

~ * ~

Yong and Lou stayed close as they walked amongst the ship's passengers. They were both watching each person thoroughly for signs of suspicious behavior. They went on high alert every time someone bumped or brushed into another.

Finally, Lou noticed a man getting uncomfortably close to people. They pointed the man out to Yong, and the two of them watched as he wove through the crowd, seemingly sizing people up. Then he started to slink away inside. Yong and Lou followed. They crept slowly so he wouldn't see them. They had to duck a few times when he looked over his shoulder, checking to see if he was being watched.

He entered a new room and shut the door behind him. Yong and Lou went up to the door and pressed their ears to it.

"Do you hear anything?" whispered Lou.

"No," Yong whispered back. He bent down further to look through the keyhole. It was difficult to see, but he could make out the man walking over to something hidden under a cloth.

"He has the stuff!" Hissed Yong.

Together they barged into the room. Both Yong and Lou pointed at the man and shouted, "You!" The man nearly leapt through the ceiling in surprise and let out a high pitched shriek.

"Ah! Please don't hurt me! I'll give you anything you want just-" The man paused as his eyes focused on the two kids in front of him. "What? Children? What is the meaning of this?"

"You stole my bracelet!" shouted Lou.

"Yeah!" Said Yong. "And all the other missing items!"

"I did no such thing!" The man protested.

"Then what's hiding under there!" said Yong, accusingly. He rushed over to the cloth.

"No! Don't!" Cried the man.

Yong pulled the cloth away and uncovered a strangely shaped lump of...

"Is… is that frosting?" asked Lou, equally confused.

The man pulled the cloth out of Yong's hands indignantly. "Fondant, you imbecile! My deliciously brilliant masterpiece," he spat angrily. "But it's not finished yet." The man turned to the block of frosting and cake and scrutinized it for damage.

Yong watched him and realized that the frosting was actually a partially finished sculpture depicting-

"That's all the passengers," said Lou. "You've… you've been sculpting the passengers."

"Out of cake?" asked Yong incredulously.

"Yes," said the man. "Of course! But I can't finish if I'm being accused of crimes I did not commit by two impetuous children!"

"Oh. We're sorry," said Yong, backing up out of the room. Lou backed up as well.

"Yeah, we're so sorry. We'll leave you to your work."

They turned and bolted the rest of their way out of the room. When they were back on the outside deck, they looked at each other, eyes wide, before bursting into laughter.

~ * ~

Varian and Nuru were both silently focused on their activities when Hugo came over. He grumpily plopped down next to Varian, arms crossed. Nuru looked up from her book.

"What's wrong, Hugo? The well of charm already run dry", she asked. Hugo glared at her, then pouted.

"Well, even I tire of perfection," he said.

"You must be brimming with energy, then," said Nuru.

"How dare you be so mean to me when I've been the victim of theft?" Said Hugo, his voice dramatically mournful.

Varian looked up from his work. "You too?" He said, surprised.

"Didn't think a 'master thief' could be beaten at his own game," said Nuru.

"Master thief?" He said innocently.

"Oh yeah," said Varian. "I may have told her how we met."

"I feel so betrayed," said Hugo.

"You do have a knack for making a horrible first impression," said Varian.

Hugo stood up. "I do not have to put up with this kind of slander." He walked away, but as he did, Nuru and Varian swore they could hear him grumble, "Beaten at my own game… we'll see about that."

~ * ~

Yong was pacing the deck, thinking hard about their next move. "What has gone missing?"

"A bracelet, a ring, a necklace, a… whatever your friend lost…" said Lou.

Yong stopped pacing and nodded. "And what do those things have in common?"

"Uh, they're jewelry?" Said Lou.

"Right," said Yong. "Bright, shiny, jewelry. What is on this boat that might like bright shiny things?"

~ * ~

"You!"

Dion, the parrot, eyed the two kids then squawked. "No, you," back at them.

Their mouths dropped open in shock, but Yong recovered quickly. "What?' he said. "Wait. No. Stop that! Give back everyone's things!"

"Stop that," said Dion, before going back to grooming his tail feathers.

"Is there a reason you're yelling at my bird?" asked Alethea calmly.

"Because he's a thief!" Proclaimed Yong, pointing at Dion. "Who else would want to gather all the shiny things on the boat?"

"Thief below," cawed Dion. "Who else? Thief below! Bombs away!"

Alethea gently lowered his finger. "Except he's been with me the entire trip. He couldn't have stolen all those things."

"She could be lying," said Lou.

Yong sighed. "No, she's right. Now that I think about it, I saw them standing by the railing right before the items went missing."

"They've been up here the whole time in plain sight." They turned to see Hugo standing behind them. "He has a solid alibi."

The two kids deflated as their third theory was busted.

"Hey, uh, don't give up now," said Alethea. "You seem like smart kids. I'm sure you'll figure out who did it eventually."

"Figure it out!" said Dion.

"It would help if you'd stop randomly accusing people and actually use those brains of yours," said Hugo. "Have you tried actually talking to the people who lost things to see if any parts of their stories match up?'

~ * ~

The middle-aged man sat nervously in the cabin, watching as Yong approached him, hands behind his back and eyes judgemental. "So," Yong said, "When did you last see this ring of yours?"

The man looked behind Yong to where Hugo and Lou were watching, arms crossed. Hugo gave the man a "go on" gesture. He looked back at Yong.

"Well, I had it on when we boarded. But I don't remember after that."

"Hm…" Yong thought for a moment. "And have you noticed anything suspicious while you were on the ferry?"

The man shrugged. "No, not really. Well… there was an odd humming sound down on the lower deck earlier."

"Humming?" asked Yong. "Like someone singing?"

The man shook his head. "No… it was low and faint… I've never heard anything like it…"

Yong looked over to Hugo, who was pondering this information. "I think I heard something like that too… when I was down there… but there was no one down there."

"We should go check it out!" Said Lou.

The three of them rushed off, leaving the middle-aged man alone and slightly confused.

~ * ~

Back down on the lower deck, Yong, Lou, and Hugo looked around, passing through all the vehicles and horses, but nothing seemed weird or unusual.

"I don't know, Funsize," said Hugo. "There really isn't anything or anyone-" he stopped talking as they heard a low humming sound. They all looked around but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

Then Yong felt something. It was very light, but there was definitely a tugging on his clothes. He looked down but didn't see anything there. More tugging, but this time behind him. He spun but still saw nothing.

"Yong?" asked Lou as she noticed him spinning around.

"There's something here," said Yong.

Hugo laughed, looking around at the fact that they were still the only ones there. "Maybe it's a ghost," he teased.

They were standing next to a big caravan, and Yong looked down to see a little metal arm slinking back underneath it. Thief below. "Or a monster under the bed," Yong said.

Yong dropped down to the floor and looked under the caravan. There, trundling away, was Doctor Abbott's invention. "Hey!" Yong called out.

He jumped up and ran after the little machine with Hugo and Lou right behind him. It kept scooting under vehicles out of reach until the three of them finally surrounded it, and Yong was able to leap on top and pin it down. He searched around the machine quickly as it's little arms poked and prodded him until he found a switch and flicked it. The machine let out a few puffs then went still.

"Get away from there!" Doctor Abbot ran over to them, her face twisted in anger. "I'm trying to test it!"

"Test what?" asked Lou. "Your ability to rob people blind?"

"How dare you!" Said the Doctor. "This is a cleaning device. Can't you see that?"

"Cleaning people's pockets," said Hugo wryly.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" said Doctor Abbott. "I have done nothing wrong."

"There's one way to find out," said Yong. He popped open the side of the cylinder. A tiny cascade of jewelry, coins, and other small objects slid onto the floor along with one of Yong's rockets.

They all looked at Doctor Abbot.

"I have no idea how those got there!" she said, her face going red. "It uh… it must have malfunctioned."

Yong was already digging through the small pile. He pulled out a simple chain bracelet. "Is this yours?" He asked Lou. They nodded and let Yong pass it to them.

"Thank you, Yong! You're the best detective ever!" Lou leaned over and gave Yong a small peck on his cheek. Yong's face split into a huge grin.

Hugo walked casually to Doctor Abbott and bent close to her, so they were face to face. "That was sloppy," he said in a whisper. "Getting yourself caught by a couple of kids. I would say you should give up being a crook and stick to science, but you're terrible at that as well. In any case," His face darkened, but his voice remained calm. "Don't even think of stealing from me again, or I'll make sure you're exposed for the fraud you are."

The Doctor gave him a frightened look before scooping up her invention and jogging out of sight.

Yong, Lou, and Hugo all worked together to return the stolen goods. A couple of times, Yong caught Hugo trying to sneak a coin into his own pocket, but when this happened, Hugo laughed and said: "just kidding." Lou said goodbye to Yong, then went off to find their mom while Yong and Hugo returned to Varian and Nuru on the top deck. Nuru had put down her book, but Varian was still focused on writing and drawing.

"Do you ever stop working, Goggles?" asked Hugo.

Varian didn't lookup. "I like working. What about you? Enjoying the pleasure cruise?"

"I'd say so," said Hugo. He looked over at Yong with a wink. "Right, Detective?"

Yong giggled and nodded. "Yeah. It's been fun." His eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh! Hugo, I have your-"

Hugo quickly dragged Yong away from the other two until they were out of earshot. Yong looked up at him quizzically. Hugo promptly pulled his hands off of him and stood up straight. "Uh, sorry, Funsize, just… Don't really need everyone knowing about my business, you know? Especially not Princess Pretension." Yong didn't seem to really understand, but he shrugged and fished in his pocket for Hugo's stolen item.

"What is this, anyway?" He held out his hand as Hugo gingerly took back the little bronze pieces and counted them. Once he was satisfied, he closed his hand around them and put them in his pocket.

"Well, not so much an 'is' as a 'was.' Right now, it's nothing but scrap." Despite the dismissive tone, Yong could see how Hugo relaxed as he placed the bits of metal safely away. It piqued his curiosity.

"Then… what was it?" Hugo paused for a second, surprised by his persistence. Finally, after a moment, he shrugged.

"It… was my first invention," He coughed. "Nothing all that impressive. Rickety little thing. Caused me a lot of trouble. Bit like you that way." Yong caught a glimpse of something genuine in Hugos teasing expression. Something soft. But, it left so quick Yong wasn't sure if his eyes had made it up. "Thanks. For finding her."

"I couldn't have done it without you." Another prick of guilt hit Yong. "Again, I'm really, really sorry I accused you. You're not so bad after all." Hugo chuckled.

"You're not so bad yourself, kid." After that, the two fell silent. Hugo seemed to be silently debating himself. Then there it was again. A moment of vulnerability, like a chink in Hugo's strange prideful persona. He seemed tired. Hugo sighed and smiled.

"Say, Sparkles, how about when we set up camp tonight I show you a thing or two about that black powder you've been playing with. Spent a couple years working with the stuff. Might be able to help with the explosion issue. What do you say?" Yong blinked slowly before a large grin grew on his face. He looked up at Hugo, eyes bright and eager.

"Yes!"

Chapter Text

By the time the Ferry arrived at the other shore, Yong had run off again. It took them a few minutes, but they finally found him. He sat cross-legged in front of Alethea, listening attentively as she carefully placed cards down in front of him. Varian, Nuru, and Hugo walked over, and Yong looked up. 

“I’m getting my fortune told!” he chirped. All three of his friends gave him judgemental stares. 

“Yeah?” Asked Nuru. “What’s your future hold?”

“Um…” Yong thought about it. “Something about big changes coming but that I just need to build strong bonds and remember the color of my loyalty… or something like that.”

“What does that even mean?” Asked Hugo.

“I don’t know,” said Yong. “But it sounds cool, doesn’t it.”

“If you’d like, I can read one of your fortunes,” said Alethea, looking up at the three of them. Varian saw Hugo open his mouth to reply but interrupted him before he could say something too rude. 

“I think we’re good. We have to be going anyway,” Varian said as diplomatically as possible. He looked to Nuru and saw her nodding.

“Very well,” said Alethea. “I plan to visit the Exposition of Sciences, so if you change your mind, you can find me there.” She scooped up her things and walked off, leaving Yong to stare sheepishly up at the other three.

“You know all that stuff is just made up, right?” Said Nuru.

“Yes,” said Hugo. “And I would know. I used to pull that trick on people. She just wants your money.”

“But she didn’t charge me,” said Yong. “And it was fun. You guys are just mean.”

“Yong, why have your future read for you when you can build your future yourself!” Said Varian. “You should invent something for the Expo like me!”

Yong’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”

“Actually,” said Nuru, frowning at Varian. “I was thinking about it. Varian, do we really have time to take part in a science fair? We can’t just fool around when we have the trials to complete and the Library to find. We don’t have much time until the Demantitus Comet hits!”

It was Varian’s turn to look sheepish. “You’re right, of course,” he said. “But there’s actually a pretty important reason for us to win the contest at the Expo. Every year the winners become members of the Society of Sciences, which grants them privileged access to any library or database in all the kingdoms. Stuff I wouldn’t even have access to as a Royal Engineer.”

Hugo huffed. “How does getting into the nerd club help us?” 

Varian pulled out his mother’s journal. “I… didn’t want to tell you until I was sure… but my mom’s journal, the one I’ve been using so far… it doesn’t have anything to help us with the Earth Trial. Only that it’s somewhere in Nesdernia. I’ve been scouring the pages to see if there’s anything else, but I’ve found nothing.”

“Is this as far as your mom got?” asked Yong.

Varian shook his head. “There was another journal, but it was stolen from me. It must have what we need to do the next trials, but I don’t know where it is. I assume that those men who were after us in Bayognor might have it, but I don’t know who they are or where to find them.”

Hugo spoke up quietly. “Yeah, they tried to go after me too, remember?”

“Oh yeah,” said Yong. “Do you know anything about them?”

Hugo shrugged. “No, sorry.”

Varian nodded. “Until we figure it out, getting access to the best research possible is our best bet to find the Earth Trial.”

“Well then, we better win,” said Nuru, new determination sparkling in her eyes. “I’ll enter as well!”

They all looked at Hugo, who raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “Okay, yes, I’ll make something, too,” he said.

~ * ~

Nesdernia’s capitol was a bright and colorful place. Everyone was out taking advantage of the warm tropical summer air. The streets were lined with people selling wares, performing music, or just socializing with friends. And everywhere they went, there were preparations underway for the upcoming Expo. 

They traversed the lively streets until they found the sign-up booth for the Expo’s contest. They rushed up excitedly. 

“We’re, uh, here for the contest!” said Varian. The lady pushed a list towards them, and they all started to sign. Just then, a man approached with a sneer on his face, flanked by three guards.

“Goodness, not more children!” he said with disgust.

Varian looked up, and his eyes went wide. “Doctor St. Croix,” he said.

“What a disgrace,” said St. Croix. “This is meant to be the culmination of the brightest minds across the kingdoms, not playtime.”

Varian’s jaw dropped. “But, we’re not…”

Hugo stepped between them. “Hey, you’ve got a problem with us, Grandpa?”

Varian tugged on Hugo sleeve. “Hugo, don’t. That’s Doctor St. Croix. He’s the President of the Society of Sciences and…”

“The soul judge of this competition,” finished St Croix looking down at Hugo with disdain. “So you better watch your tongue, boy, if you have any hopes of winning.”

Hugo’s face set with defiance. “Oh, I’m going to win,” he said. “Won’t even break a sweat doing it. Give me that pen!” Hugo turned and snatched the pen and the sign-up sheet so he could sign his name down. “This is so on!” 

St Croix just chuckled and walked away.

~ * ~

Across the square, a squat woman with long grey hair pulled into two braids on her shoulders sat watching Varian and his three companions. She turned to a large, dark-skinned man beside her as a smile spread across her face. 

“Recognize someone?” she asked mischievously.

“I sure do, Clementine,” he said. “When we fled Corona, I never thought we’d see our old friend again.”

“Indeed,” said Clementine. “His treachery is the reason our plan failed. The reason we now live in exile.”

“We should tell him the boy is here.”

“Not yet, Kai,” said Clementine. “I think he’ll be more pleased if we can also tell him we took care of the traitor ourselves.”

“Oh, an excellent idea. Truly inspired,” said Kai.

“Exactly what I thought,” said Clementine, her smile widening as she stared back at Varian.

~ * ~

Varian found a relatively quiet space and dropped all of his materials and supplies out of the way. Ruddiger pranced around it happily, sniffing at all the little parts with interest.

“Alright, Buddy,” said Varian. “Yong, Hugo, and Nuru are all off working on their own inventions. We have a few hours before we have to meet back up again. Until then, you and I have to make something that’s going to knock the socks right off St Croix.” 

Ruddiger nodded and started picking through the pile for pieces. Varian rolled out a few diagrams. They had been working for a while when someone started shouting.

“Hey! Lira! Give that back! I want a turn!”

Two kids ran down past Varian and Ruddiger and started to circle where they were working. They seemed to be maybe ten years old. They both were scrawny with unruly ginger hair and freckles. They circled a couple of times before the boy stopped next to Varian’s invention, seemingly entranced by it.

“Woah,” he said. His eyes lit up at the series of tubes and dials, leading to a set of round glass containers. Then he turned his face up to Varian, and Varian’s eyes went wide to realize he recognized this kid. He couldn't for the life of him remember from where.

“Huh?” said Varian quietly. 

The boy squinted his green eyes. “You look like my brother, Nick,” he said. “Are you his evil twin?”

Varian sputtered a bit at this. “I… uh… w-what? No! Who are you?”

The boy shrugged, a smile curling back onto his face. “I’m Liam. And that’s my evil twin Lira.” He pointed to the girl who had been in the middle of reaching out to pet a very confused Ruddiger. She looked over as he pointed at her. She also looked alarmingly familiar.

“Hey! I’m going to tell Alec you said that!” Lira whined. 

“Then I’ll tell her you stole my toy!” said Liam

“Uh, heh, hey, you two. Shouldn’t you, uh, be with your parents or something?”

Liam shrugged again. “They’re around here somewhere. They’re getting ready for the Expo.”

“Oh, well,” said Varian brightly. “So am I,” He gestured to his contraption. 

“Show me how it works!’ Said Liam. 

“Oh,” said Varian, rubbing his neck shyly. “It’s not quite done…”

Lira ran up, holding a very irritated Ruddiger. “Oh yeah! Show us!” She insisted.

“Please,” said Liam. 

Varian laughed at being ganged up on by a couple of kids but relented to their enthusiasm. “Oh, okay. Here, I just have to turn these…” 

“Lira! Liam! Where did you get off to?” A young woman walked around the corner, catching sight of them just as Varian hunched over, focusing on his contraption. Gas started to course through the pipes and up into the bulbs, which lit up with bright light. Lira and Liam looked up with awe until the bulbs shattered, showering them with glass and flame. 

Varian looked up in horror and moved quickly to block the kids from the blast. However, the woman was also in the line of fire and had to quickly put out her skirt.

“I’m so sorry,” said Varian. “I shouldn’t have turned it on. I’m sorry, I-”

He stopped as he looked up at the woman, and his breath caught in his throat. With sharp blue eyes and long copper hair, she looked strikingly like… but no, he was seeing things. It was only a stranger. 

He expected her to look at him with anger or disappointment after seeing what he’d just done with his invention. However, she laughed and then looked at him with amusement. “It’s fine,” she said. “This sort of thing happens in my family all the time. You probably just need to recalibrate it, huh?” 

“Oh, uh, yeah,” said Varian, a relieved smile washing over his face. 

~ * ~

Nuru looked down at her design as she walked through the market. She had a bag over her shoulder that contained the materials she was able to find so far. 

“I just need the lenses…” she muttered to herself. She looked up and around at all the shops until she finally found a glass crafter’s shop. She hurried inside to find it seemingly empty. “Uh, hello? Hello? Are you open?” 

There was a bang from the back, and an old man appeared in the door to the backroom. “Huh? Wha? Whatdyouwant?” He mumbled.

Nuru raised an eyebrow but spoke politely. “Sir, I’m sorry to bother, but do you run this place? I need glass for the Expo.”

“What?” Barked the man. “The Expo? Already did my orders for that. I’m done making stuff for you brainiacs. Go away.”

Nuru’s brow furrowed. “Sir. I’m sure you’re feeling tired from all the hard work you’ve put in. I only need a few pieces, and I promise I can pay well.”

“Eh, yeah, right, you’re just a kid,” he said as he stumbled back behind the door.

Nuru puffed herself up to full height and opened her mouth, ready to give a royal command. 

“Hey, Old Man! Get out here and do your job!” 

Nuru jumped a little at the shout from behind her and turned to see a girl about her age with red hair and bright green eyes. Her look of anger and disdain mirrored Nuru’s as she marched into the shop.

“Did you hear me? We need another order, so you better get out here!” said the strange girl.

The man poked his head out. “You again? I already made your family’s order. Get out.” The girl walked straight up to the man and grabbed his ear. “Hey! Let go, you brat.”

“I don’t care if you don’t want to show me respect, but you have a foreign girl in your shop, and she shouldn’t have to see you like this. Stop whining. We pay you handsomely for everything you do. You have no right to go on like this. Now fill this girl’s order, then fill mine, or we’re never using your business again."

The man finally ripped himself from the girl’s grasp. “Fine, fine, you bully. Let me go put a shirt on.” He disappeared into the back, and the girl gave Nuru a wide grin.

Nuru tried desperately not to laugh. “I could have handled him, you know,” she said. 

The girl looked over Nuru and nodded. “Yeah, well, you can get the next one then, okay?”

Nuru did laugh this time and nodded back. “Deal,” she said. “I’m Nuru.” She held out a hand to shake, and the girl took it with a firm grip.

“I’m Amber.”

“Is he always like this, then?” asked Nuru.

“Oh yeah. But don’t be fooled. My family makes so many things that need glass, so he makes a killing off us. He just hates when he has to fill big orders. He’ll be alright, though.” Amber gave Nuru a wink, prompting another giggle from her.

~ * ~

Clementine laid in wait behind a pile of crates outside the glass maker’s shop. Kai huddled beside her.

“Remind me why we’re here, Clementine?” Kai whispered. “The kid isn’t here.”

“No, he’s not,” conceded Clementine with a nod. “But his little friend is. If we want to hurt him, the best way is to cut him off from his companions.”

“Oh, yes, Great idea!” Said Kai. “And how will we do that?”

“You can’t be friends with people who don’t remember you,” said Clementine, pulling out a long wooden wand with a pink gem embedded in the end.

They waited until the girl Nuru walked out of the shop. She was immediately followed by another girl with red hair who seemed to be carrying all the bags. The two were chatting about something they couldn’t hear.

Clementine peered around the crates and took aim at Nuru’s head. One of the bags slipped from the other girl’s hand, and Nuru dipped down to catch it just as a bolt of pink energy darted where her head had previously been. 

Clementine grunted in frustration but retook aim. Nuru pulled a piece of circular glass from the bag and held it up as a new bolt of pink erupted from Clementine’s wand. It ricocheted off the lens and scattered against a chimney. 

She aimed once more but missed yet again as the girl grabbed Nuru’s hand and dragged her off out of sight. 

“Looks like you’re too anxious,” said Kai. “Maybe some herbal tea before we try again?”

~ * ~

Yong had his supplies laid out on a blanket in front of him, and next to him stood a paper cylinder, nearly twice his height, with a peacock painted on the side. He finished making a thin metal frame and reached up to try to put it inside the cylinder before realizing that he was never going to reach. He found a box and tried again. This time he just barely reached the top. He tried stacking another box on top of the first. He tried again, reaching precariously over the cylinder to try inserting the frame. He teetered a little and had to stop himself from falling and crushing the whole thing.

“Need some help?” Yong looked over to see a man roll over in a wheelchair. He had blue eyes and ginger hair with streaks of grey, giving away his age. He looked up at Yong kindly.

“Um…” Yong looked at the man, unsure of what to say without sounding rude. He laughed at Yong’s confusion then pulled a lever on the side of his chair. Yong watched with shock as a scaffold unfolded beneath the chair, raising it to the same level as the cylinder. The man gently took the frame from Yong’s loose fingers and looked down inside.

“Okay, so show me where I should put this,” he said. 

Yong pulled himself together and happily pointed to the right spot. “Your chair is so cool!” he said.

The man’s smile widened. “Thank you. I definitely enjoy surprising people with it. Maybe after you finish your invention, I can show you what else this chair can do.”

Yong gasped. “Yes, please!”

The man laughed. “I’m Olin,” he said happily.

“I’m Yong!”

~ * ~

Clementine and Kai crept up until they were close enough to see the boy Yong was working with the old man.

“The girl may have eluded us, but this boy should give us no trouble,” said Clementine. 

They jumped at the sound of metal hitting stone. They looked up to see that the boy, Yong, had dropped a metal tube, and it started to roll towards their hiding place. Clementine and Kai froze as Yong came around the corner, chasing the piece which stopped at their feet.

Yong looked up at them and smiled. “Oh, hi! I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t get in your way,” he said cheerfully.

“Um…” said Kai, looking between Yong and Clementine. “No… not at all.”

“Oh good,” said Yong. He caught sight of Clementine’s wand. “Oh! What’s that?” 

Clementine quickly hid the wand away. “Nothing you need to be worried about, boy,” she said.

“My friend has something like that except it’s a big staff, not a stick,” Yong babbled. “Oh, and I guess it has chemical vials instead of a gemstone. So I guess it’s nothing like that. But I still think your stick is pretty cool.”

“Maybe he’d like a better look at it,” said Kai, elbowing Clementine and giving her a significant look.

“Oooh, yes. You want to see it up close?” She asked Yong, drawing out the wand again.

“Yeah!” Said Yong excitedly, leaning in as Clementine pointed the tip between his eyes.

“Yong?”

The man’s voice came from around the corner, and Clementine jumped at the unexpected sound. The wand twisted up, and the blast of pink shot into the air.

“Yong?” The older man wheeled himself into sight as Clementine hid the wand again. “You okay over here, little guy?”

“Yeah,” said Yong, who had looked away before he could see the wand go off. “Just grabbing the bottle.” He ducked down and scooped it up to show the man. 

The man looked at Clementine and Kai, and his eyes narrowed slightly. “You folks need anything?” he asked. 

They looked at each other, and Clementine opened her mouth to speak when another voice rang out. 

“Dad! There you are! We need your help with our chemicals.” A boy about fourteen or fifteen looking startling like Varian ran over. A girl about the same age who looked like she could be his sister ran over as well.

“I’ll be right there, Nick,” said the man. 

“Too many witnesses,” Kai whispered in Clementine’s ear. She nodded.

Before the man could look back at them, Clementine and Kai turned and rushed away, back to the main streets. 

“We’ll get him later,” said Clementine.

~ * ~

Hugo had managed to claim the wagon as his workspace, ignoring the dirty looks he got from the others as they were forced to find other places to work. He was happily puttering away at his idea, cross-legged on the floor, carefully fitting parts together. 

There was a sharp rap on the side of the wagon. Hugo looked up. “Hello?” He called out. When there was no response, he put down his work and slowly crept out of the wagon. He looked around and jumped when he saw Donella leaning casually on the side.

“Hello, Hugo,” she said with a small smile.

Hugo’s eyes darted around. “What if someone sees you?” 

“No one is around to see me, we already checked,” she said with a laugh. “Relax. Aren’t you happy to see me? It’s been a while.”

Hugo laughed nervously as he hopped down to the ground. “Oh, just my self-preservation instincts kicking in,” he said. “I figure if you’ve come all the way out here in person, I must have done something wrong.”

Donella looked at him. “Have you?”

He leaned on the wagon as well and smiled. “Have I?”

She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve established a temporary headquarters close by, so coming to see you wasn't out of the way. This will be necessary for what we have to do next.”

“Do next?” Prompted Hugo.

“He needs the next journal, doesn’t he?” Said Donella. 

Hugo’s eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded.

“And you didn’t tell him about me?” She asked.

“Oh yes, gave him your full history and all your dental records,” Hugo quipped. When she gave him a look, he went on. “Of course not. They trust me completely. Gotta keep the act up.”

“Yes, very good,” said Donella. “Cyrus will be sending a group to try to apprehend you and the children. You will drive them all away but one who will spill who has the second journal. Then you will steal it from me.”

“That seems like an awful lot of trouble,” said Hugo. “The totems are right here in this wagon. Why not just take them, and we can finish the trials ourselves?”

She looked behind at the wagon, seemingly considering Hugo’s option. Then she grimaced. “If what you say about Varian is true, that won’t work. He’s too smart. Even without the journals, he’d likely get in our way again.” She looked back at Hugo with a grim smile. “No, having him and his friends do the dirty work is the easiest plan. And as you say, they trust you completely, so why not take advantage?” She stood up straight and walked around him. “And besides, you’ll need people like them to complete the rest of the trials. Demanitus may have been a genius, but that didn’t make him any less of a fool. He specifically crafted his trials to cater to soft and naive hearts. While people who know what the world is really like-” She turned to face him. “People like us are rejected, no matter how right we are.”

Hugo nodded. “And what happens when we get in the Library? What then? How do we take it for ourselves?”

Donella smirked. “You assume getting the Library is the goal.”

Hugo’s brow furrowed.

“Oh, don’t worry about that now. We will take care of all that when the time comes.” Donella stepped closer and patted his cheek. “Just keep up the good work.” She turned to walk away. “Have fun at the Expo.”

Hugo slipped back inside the wagon and closed the door before collapsing against it with a heavy sigh and digging the heel of his hands into his eyes.

~ * ~

Varian wheeled his creation, hidden by a cloth, over to the backstage area where Hugo, Nuru, and Yong were already waiting. They all smiled at him as he approached.

“Everyone ready?” He asked cheerfully.

“We’re the brightest minds in all the seven kingdoms,” said Nuru. “Of course we’re ready. Oh, and also Hugo’s here.”

“Haha, Princess,” said Hugo. “Just try not to be a sore loser when I’m the one who wins.”

“You mean when I win,” said Yong. Hugo laughed and nudged Yong’s arm playfully. The others laughed as well until a voice from the stage cut through the air.

“People of Nesdernia! I know you are all honored to host the forty-fifth annual Exposition of Sciences in your charming little city.” Doctor St. Croix was standing tall and proud in front of the crowd. “You’re also undoubtedly proud to be in my presence once more as I judge who has created the invention most worthy of my praise. Let us hope we don’t have the appalling displays put forth last year in Koto.”

Varian, Hugo, and Yong, all put their hands out to keep Nuru from marching to the stage.

“And so, without further ado,” said St. Croix. “Let the contest begin!”

The first person on stage was an older woman with her hair pulled up tight in a bun. “People of Nesdernia! You work hard all day. When it’s all done, you carry home your aches and pains, but I finally have the solution to make all your cares and worries melt away! With this!”

The woman pulled back the curtain to reveal a bathtub sitting on a kind of rocking device. A man sat in the tub, which had a cover that went all the way up to his neck. He smiled for the crowd as the woman walked over and pulled a lever. The tub began to rock back and forth. “Introducing my Oscillating Bathtub! The rocking motions provide the best home hydrotherapy. It cures stress and detoxifies your body in the process!”

The second person was a wiry man who walked onto the stage, accompanied by a chicken. “I give you!” He paused for dramatic effect. “Chicken!” Another pause as he reached behind him. “Spectacles!” He raised the little wire glasses high into the air before placing them down on the perplexed chicken’s face.

The next person came on, followed by a group of people wheeling something huge behind him. “My people,” said the man. “It is a wild and dangerous world out there. But what if I told you I’d found an easier way to train and tame even the most vicious of beasts?” He held up a small copper whistle. “This whistle I created has just the right frequency to help command the creature I am about to reveal to you. Please do not be afraid. For my training has made him as docile as a lamb. Behold!’ 

He pulled back the cloth to reveal a cage containing a sizable pinkish dragon. He opened the cage and blew a note on his whistle. The dragon bounded out and over to his side. He blew two quick notes, and the dragon sat down. Two short notes followed by a long one and the dragon was lying down and rolling over. The man performed a few more tricks before placing the dragon back in the cage to roaring applause.

Hugo was next. He swaggered onto the stage dragging his covered contraption behind him. He smiled for the crowd giving out a few winks at the ladies before giving a final one to St. Croix. Then he began. “For as long as humanity has existed, we have longed for the skies. To reach them. To claim them. Now, some might have you believe that slow, lazy, balloons are the way of the future, but I’m here to show you a better, much more exciting option.” 

He pulled back his cloth to reveal a sort of wooden seat encased in a wooden frame and topped with wood and cloth propellers. Hugo sauntered over to it and sat down in the chair. He flipped a switch on a central cylinder, and the attached propellers above started to rotate. They picked up speed sending little gusts of wind out into the crowd. Not long after, Hugo was hovering above the stage as the crowd awed. He smiled smugly before hitting the switch again. The device slowly came to a stop as Hugo settled back down on the ground. 

Next on stage was a girl Nuru recognized as Amber. She walked on, hauling a bundle of wheat on her shoulder and holding a flail in her opposite hand. Behind her, four younger kids wheeled a large piece of machinery onto the stage. Varian perked up as he recognized Lira and Liam among them.

Amber threw down the bundle she was carrying and struck it with her flail. “Harvesting wheat is backbreaking work.” She hit the wheat again to demonstrate. “Threshing it can take hours, which means food is that much harder to supply. Now for someone like me, a little work out like this is no big deal.” Amber flexed her right arm before continuing. “But think of the poor children!” 

She gestured to her younger siblings, who all started crying on cue. “Think of what it’s like for them laboring in the fields to put bread on all our tables! Well, no more!” The crying stopped, and her siblings cheered instead. 

Amber picked the wheat back up and tossed it onto the conveyor belt on the side of the machine. Lira turned it on with a lever. The machine started to vibrate, carrying the wheat up to the middle where, sure enough, it started to chomp down on the wheat, separating the grain at a tremendous speed. 

Down in the crowd, three adults were going near crazy, applauding, cheering, and shouting, “We love you! You’re doing so great!”

Nuru smiled as she passed Amber on the way to the stage. Amber smiled back and gave her a thumbs up. With that little extra motivation, she stood in front of the crowd confidently. 

“Now,” said Nuru. “We’ve all had this problem, I’m sure. You’re trying to get a good look at Polaris or Arcturus through your telescope, but you keep having chromatic errors in the image distorting the picture.” She brought out a telescope and used a match to shine a light through it. The light emitted on the other side had some faint discoloration.

“Incredibly frustrating,” continued Nuru. “But, I have been working on a lens that can correct these errors! I realized that by combining lenses composed of different refracting media, one can create what I call an achromatic lens where the effects of the unequal refractions of two colors of light are corrected.” Nuru held up a new telescope for the crowd. She shone light through this one. The light emitted on the other side was clean and white.

“Yawn,” said St. Croix

Nuru’s face transformed from friendly to deadly in a fraction of a second as she looked at St. Croix. Hugo and Varian quickly ran on stage to gently pull Nuru away from the man and back behind the curtain.

“I think it’s really cool, Nuru,” Varian whispered to her. 

~ * ~

Far from them, hiding behind a low wall was Clementine and Kai. They peered around, looking for an opportunity to strike.

“I don’t know, Clementine,” said Kai. “There are so many people around now. How are we supposed to do anything without getting caught?”

Clementine continued to scan the area until her eyes landed on the dragon currently curled up in its cage. She smiled wickedly. “Maybe we need something else to cause trouble for us.” She pointed, and Kai smiled as well.

“Yes,” said Kai. “Let’s free that poor creature from oppression. The whistle its master has will be a problem, though.”

Clementine held up her wand. “Not if it forgets all its training.”

~ * ~

Next on stage was a pair of teens Yong recognized. Nick and his sister. They wheeled a table out onto the stage containing a series of bottles. They seemed very nervous to be standing up in front of a crowd. They gave each other worried glances until the three adults in the audience started shouting encouragement. They blushed, and the sister finally spoke up.

“So, uh,” she said. “My brother Nick and I have uh… we’ve been working on the ways different chemicals can, you know, can have an effect on the body and stuff. So we worked on, uh, synthesizing those chemicals in-into consumable liquid things.”

“They change your voice,” said Nick. He opened one bottle and took a sip. When he spoke next, his voice came out like a squeak. “As you can see, the effects are immediate.” 

He elbowed his sister, and she took a sip of another liquid. When she spoke, her voice was low and booming. “We… uh… think the applications could be numerous with, uh, with the right creative thinking.”

“And they can do this too,” said Nick taking a swing from another bottle. He opened his mouth, and this time started to sing with a voice so beautiful the whole crowd went silent.

Varian was next. Yong patted his back as he readied himself, then wheeled his invention forward. He stopped before stepping through the curtain. “How’s this for flair?” He muttered. He hit something under the cart he was wheeling, and dense fog started to pour out onto the stage, reaching all the way into the crowd. They all gasped, and Varian smiled. 

Then he spoke into a device that projected his voice, loud and omnipresent. “Do not be afraid,” he said darkly. He tossed out a few vials of chemicals which exploded into curls of smoke, creating shadows in the fog. “The world can be a dark and scary place. We can feel helpless. Hopeless. But maybe all we need…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Is someone to light the way.” 

He pulled the cloth from his invention and wheeled it out, still under cover of the fog. He turned a dial sending gas up into a bulb high at the top of his creation. It lit up brightly, cutting through the dark fog. Varian felt a thrill as he heard the audience let out another gasp. He turned another dial, and another lamp lit. Then another. 

He began a little light show, brightening and dimming the various lamps in a silent dance of light. The crowd oohed and awed until he finally lit them all at once and used another chemical explosion to blow away the fog. 

The crowd cheered, and he stood, arms crossed, staring smugly at St. Croix who’s excited smile dropped when he saw who it was. 

“Yes, yes, not bad,” he said begrudgingly. 

Varian was about to argue when there was a tremendous roar. Everyone froze and looked around to find the source.

Then the source, the giant, pink dragon from before, came pouncing down into the middle of the crowd. It was not content and docile like before. Instead, it’s body was tense, muscles tight and bulging, and its eyes were wild and hostile. Smoke curled from its nostrils as it let out another ear-splitting roar.

The crowd screamed and scrambled to run as the dragon swiped out with its front legs, knocking many to the ground. 

Hugo, Nuru, and Yong all ran out from backstage to see what was happening. They were joined moments later by Amber, Nick, his sister, Lira, Liam, and the two little kids. The newcomers were all shouting down into the crowd. Varian realized they were shouting at the three adults that had been cheering them on. Now, they were trying to get away from the dragon but were being nearly crushed by the panicking mob of people.

 Varian and Yong realized two of these people were Alec and Olin. 

“We have to do something!’ Shouted Yong. 

“It’s probably just been scared by something,” said Nuru. “We have to find a way to calm it down.”

“I have an idea!” Said Varian, Hugo, and Nuru all at once. They looked at each other dumbfounded.

St. Croix was cowering behind his podium. His guard ran forward to fight the dragon but was merely flung to the side like everyone else. St. Croix screamed and huddled further down. “Well, don’t just stand there!” He said. “Someone save me!”

The dragon roared once more and sent a blast of flame at the stage. They all scattered and started running in different directions. Nuru pulled out the telescope she’d created and climbed up high on some crates.

Hugo hopped into his flying machine and lifted into the air, tilting it towards the rampaging dragon. 

Varian started pouring chemicals together. Yong ran for his invention. 

Meanwhile, Amber and her siblings pulled their parents and their eldest sister out of the harm’s way. Then all of them huddled together to start strategizing.

Nuru shone a light through her telescope, aiming it next to the dragon. It noticed the light and started swatting at it. Nuru smiled as she carefully twirled the light around, leading the dragon in circles, gradually slowing it down. 

But then Hugo flew by knocking the dragon down and enraging it once more. Nuru glared.

Hugo continued to fly around the dragon, knocking it back as it tried to lash out. He was starting to tire it out as it wasn’t getting up from the ground as fast as before.

Then Varian unleashed the new gas he’d just concocted. It seeped out across the square, obscuring the dragon but also obscuring Hugo’s sight. Unable to see where he was going, he had to retreat so as not to crash. 

“There,” said Varian to himself. “This compound should send the dragon into a nice peaceful sleep.”

There was a loud “A-choo!’ from the midst of the fog, blowing it all away. The dragon continued sneezing over and over.

“Or it will do that,” muttered Varian, “Oops.”

With each sneeze, the flames around the dragon grew hotter and brighter.

“I got this!” Shouted Yong, finally pushing his creation out to the open. He lit the fuse on the bottom, and he covered his ears as with a great bang, it rocketed into the air. 

When it was about fifty feet up, it burst into a soft and pillowy white foam that rained down like snow and blanketed the entire square, extinguishing the flame. 

The dragon, still sneezing, tried to run but slipped in the foam. It slid clean across the ground and went hurdling toward St. Croix’s hiding spot. St. Croix watched in terror as he was about to be crushed under the mighty beast’s hide.

Hugo, who had finally gotten control back, spotted this. He considered his options for a moment, then groaned and swooped down with the flying machine. He reached down one hand and pulled St. Croix out of harm’s way right before the dragon crashed into the podium.

The dragon, filled with more fury than ever before, jumped up and resumed its terrible roar.

“You all ready?” A voice shouted. 

“Let’s do it!” 

The threshing machine came barreling towards the dragon, driven by Amber. She smiled as the ramp on the side of the machine hit the dragon’s legs and forced it to fall on top. The machine jostled the dragon, and it rolled helplessly. 

“Now!” Shouted Amber. 

Her family members ran out, holding rope and blankets. They tossed these over the dragon pinning it down as Amber turned off the machine. The dragon tried to fight, but with all of them holding it down together, it couldn’t gain any ground.

Then Nick stepped forward. He took a swig from the bottle he drank from earlier. He stood in front of the dragon and started to sing soft and low to it, the potion granting his voice a strange otherworldly beauty.

“ Loo, loo, loo. I’ll take you dreaming. Through the rainy night to a place behind the raindrops, where the stars are bright .” The dragon started to calm, focusing now on Nick and his voice.

Varian, Hugo, Nuru, and Yong all rushed over but stopped to watch what was happening.

“ You may not find gold or silver,” sang Nick. “But a richer prize, waits for you behind the raindrops, if you close your eyes .”

Varian felt something on his face. He lifted a hand to his cheek and realized he was crying. He looked at the others. They were watching as well, but they were all dry-eyed.

“ Tonight, tonight, when all the world’s asleep,” continued Nick. The rest of his family started to join in. “ We will tiptoe home with a wondrous star. A star you can always keep .”

Varian suddenly recalled a long-forgotten memory. Swaddled in a warm blanket, held tight in someone’s arms, long copper hair cascading down her shoulder and a smile on her lips as she sang to him.

“ And years from now, when you go dreaming. When you’re very old. Though your crown be rich with rubies, diamonds set in gold .” As the family sang, the dragon’s eyes drooped and started to close. Its breathing slowed, and its body relaxed against its restraints. “ None will shine as bright as the star we’ll find tonight .”

As the memories continued to stir in Varian’s mind, he softly joined the song’s last verse. “ Tonight, tonight, when all the world’s asleep, we will find a star that you can always keep .”

The song finished. The dragon was now sleeping soundly. Varian wiped his eyes and realized his friends had started staring at him. 

“Oh, uh, heh.” He said, embarrassed. “Just got some, uh, foam in my eye.”

“Young man!” 

They all were startled at the sound of Doctor St. Croix’s voice. They turned to see him looking pompous as ever if a bit disheveled. He glared at Hugo, who took a step back in alarm.

“You,” He said solemnly. “Are responsible for saving my life. Therefore I am awarding you the first prize in the contest! Congratulations!” He pinned a ribbon onto Hugo’s chest. Hugo looked both shocked and disgusted. 

Doctor St. Croix walked away, and Hugo tried to take it off. “I don’t want it. Not for saving that idiot’s life.”

“Look at the big hero!” said Nuru teasingly. “We’ll have to celebrate.”

“Please don’t,” said Hugo.

“This is great!” said Yong. “We’ll be able to research the next trial now!”

“Yeah,” said Varian. He looked over to the family, all hugging each other and patting each other’s backs. He walked over. Alec looked up as he approached. 

“Oh hi,” she said. “Varian, right? Your invention turned out really nice.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” he said. “Your family’s inventions were pretty cool too. My dad would love to have a machine like that.”

“Your dad’s a farmer?” Asked Amber as she joined the conversation. The rest of the family were circling around as well. Varian shrank a bit at the attention. 

“Oh, yeah. Always has been… well, I guess not always. He was a knight before I was born…”

“And yet you turned to science,” said Olin with a warm smile.

“Oh yeah,” said Varian. “I heh, get it from my mom. She was an alchemist like me.”

Hugo, Nuru, and Yong walked over as well, and Varian noticed them giving him strange looks. He ignored them, though.

“Oh, is your mom here?” Asked a woman who looked like she was the mother of this family.

“Oh no,” said Varian. “She’s been gone since I was very little… I uh… was actually just thinking about her though… that song you all just sang. I think… I think she used to sing it to me.”

Olin nodded. “It’s our family’s lullaby. Margret and I sing it to the kids all the time. My mom sang it to my sister and me when we were young.”

“Oh cool,” said Varian. 

Nuru spoke up. “Oh, and where’s your sister now?”

Olin looked down sadly. “I haven’t seen her for many years. She was living in Corona, but I’m afraid she disappeared about eighteen years ago.”

Varian felt a jolt to his system. He looked back and Hugo, Nuru, and Yong, who were still giving him looks. He now realized why.

“Is your sister’s name, Ulla?”

Olin nodded. 

Varian felt tears prick his eyes again. “I… I’m her son. I’m your nephew.”

~ * ~

Clementine and Kai watched the happy family reunion from the shadows, anger, and frustration evident in their expressions.

“This complicates things,” she said darkly. 

“Yes,” said Kai. “That family is likely just as much trouble as the boy is.”

Clementine nodded. “We need to tell him the boy’s here. He’ll know what to do.”

“Let’s go,” said Kai. 

The two of them slinked off.

~ * ~

Later, everyone was cleaned up and walking together away from the Expo. Nuru was still teasing Hugo about his first prize. Yong was chatting excitedly with Liam, Lira, and the other kids. Varian was listening to Olin tell stories about his mother. 

Suddenly Yong waved his hand and called out to someone down the street. “Alethea! Hey! Alethea!” 

She smiled and waved from the booth she had set up. On her shoulder, Dion the parrot squawked out, “Hey! Hey!”

“You know what?” said Nuru. “It’s been a crazy day. I’m going to get my fortune told.” She separated from the group and walked over. Varian, Hugo, and Yong followed as Varian’s newly discovered family hung back.

Nuru stopped in front of Alethea and put a coin in front of her. “I’d like my fortune, please.”

Alethea smiled. “It’s nice to see you again. I’d be happy to do that for you.” She held out a deck of cards. “Would you place your hand on top and focus on a question. It can be anything. Your question will probably not be answered, but it will help guide the deck.”

Nuru complied, placing her hand on top and closing her eyes. Then Alethea pulled the deck away and began to shuffle them. She seemed to be concentrating and muttering something under her breath. Then she laid out three cards on the table of her booth.

“Please pick your card.” she said. 

Nuru pointed, and Alethea flipped it over to reveal a girl holding a stick in each hand and looking down at four more sticks.

“Hmm,” said Alethea. “It looks like you have already overcome a challenge in your life. But this is only the beginning. You will have to fight to keep what you have and be ready to face more challenges to find what you’re looking for.” Alethea smiled at Nuru. “But, I think you’ll find that your courage and leadership will carry the day.”

Nuru smiled back. “That wasn’t half bad,” she said. 

“I do my best,” said Alethea.

“Best!” Croaked Dion.

“Yeah?” Said Hugo, placing a coin down. “I want to hear about my courage. Give me my fortune.”

Alethea repeated the process and laid three new cards on the table. Hugo flipped one over. On the card was pictured a woman in a blindfold holding two swords. Hugo raised an eyebrow. 

“You face a difficult choice,” said Alethea. “Your path takes you in two directions, but you can only choose one. And though you may think that choice is impossible, you will know the answer if you look to your loved ones for guidance."

Hugo looked at Alethea for a moment, his face unreadable. Then he laughed. “Well, that was a load of hogwash.”

“Hogwash,” repeated Dion.

Alethea smiled but didn’t reply.

“Are you going to get your fortune, Varian?” asked Yong. 

“Might as well,” said putting a coin down. Once again, Alethea went through the process, and Varian chose the card in the middle. Alethea flipped it over to reveal the image of a tower being struck by lightning. Two people were falling down from the tower. Varian frowned and looked up at Alethea, who was also frowning.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “This means trouble lies ahead. Something bad enough to possibly change your life. You should be ready for change.”

Varian felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He looked over to see Nuru. “Hey,” she said. “This is just for fun. It doesn’t actually mean anything.”

“Yeah,” said Yong. “It’s just fun, right, Alethea?”

Alethea forced a smile. “Sometimes readings don’t always get it right,” she said.

“See, Goggles,” said Hugo brightly. “Nothing to be worried about. It’s all just mind tricks.” 

Nuru, Yong, and Hugo all started walking back towards Varian’s family. He turned to follow them. He jumped as someone grabbed his wrist. He turned back to see that it was Alethea. She’d stood and reached clear across the table, and her eyes were completely white. She tugged him, and he stumbled so that his face was right in front of hers, looking into those white eyes.

“Varian?” She whispered. Her voice seemed strange.

“What? What are you doing?”

“I’m here,” said Alethea. Varian just stared, not understanding. “I’m here. I’m in the Library.” Varian felt a chill down his spine. “I’m here. I’m here. Varian.” 

Alethea’s eyes went back to normal, rolling back into place. She looked confused and quickly let go of Varian. Varian just stared at her. 

“What… what was that?” he asked. 

Alethea’s brows furrowed. She put a hand to her head, rubbing it. “I… I don’t know. It felt like there was someone... here. I apologise, I really don’t know. I blacked out there for a second...”

Varian rushed back to his family and friends. Behind him, Dion was cawing. “I’m here. I’m here.”

Chapter Text

Prometheus sighed happily then ducked down to take a huge bite from an apple currently sitting in a little dish in front of him. As soon as he’d munched through the tasty morsel the dish lifted up, pulling a string attached to a flap high above. Another apple was released from a barrel and it rolled down a long winding chute until it landed in the dish. Pleased at the new offering, the donkey reached down to eat this one too but a flash of black and grey passed by his nose and the apple disappeared. 

Ruddiger, satisfied with his ill-gotten gain scurried toward the adjacent house. It was a building that looked like it had originally been quite small, but had been modified over the years with various additions until it was now a lopsided yet oddly magnificent little mansion. Stranger still, were all the little contraptions tacked onto the house. This included spindly metal devices attached to the roof that turned and whirled in the breeze, various ropes and pulleys holding anything from clothes to shining crystals, and a strange looking water wheel hovering over the river that seemed to use a system of buckets to turn faster than any one might have seen before..

Ruddiger found an open window and wiggled through. Inside, sitting cross legged on a rug were three people. One of them, Yong, watched excitedly as two of Varian’s cousins, a lithe fifteen year old boy and full-figured fourteen year old girl stirred together a strange concoction of chemicals. 

“I think it’s r-ready, Reagan,” said the boy, his blue eyes alight with as much excitement as Yong’s. 

Reagan pushed back a bit of her long auburn hair and poured the creation into a dish that lay between the three of them. Then she looked at her brother. “Do it, Nick!”

Nick pulled out a dropper, filled with another liquid and held it out over the dish. They all watched as a drop squeezed out and into the dish and the contents immediately crystalised.

“Woah!” said all three simultaneously.

Ruddiger jumped from the windowsill to Yong’s lap. Yong happily patted the raccoon’s head before Ruddiger continued on his way to the next room. He ran past a little eight year old girl with long dark hair, clutching a stuffed goat. The girl took no notice, but instead stared blankly over at Hugo who was sittinging in a chair, leg crossed over his knee and arms crossed over his chest. He stared back with a mixture of annoyance and confusion. 

Neither said anything or moved until a spurt of water hit the side of Hugo’s face. He jumped and turned to see two gingered haired twins holding hand held devices made of metal and glass that were filled with water. The girl pulled a trigger and another spurt of water hit Hugo, nearly blasting the glasses off his face. “You little brats!” he growled.

“Hey!” said the boy. “If you're gonna call names- my name is Liam.”

“And I’m Lira!” the girl giggled as she maneuvered around and cornered Hugo.

“Get it right!” They called together as they sprayed the alchemist again with the ice cold water. Hugo sprang to his feet as the twin shot off like rockets out of his grasp.

“Oh, you’re going to get it, alright,” he said.

Ruddiger dodged around Hugo and the twins legs and scampered into the next room, which was a bright, yet cluttered kitchen. He plopped onto the floor to enjoy his stolen apple.  A few people stood about the room, two over by the counter and two sitting at a long, beat up, wooden table.

At the counter, the twenty four year old woman with long copper hair was mixing batter together in a bowl when a twelve year old girl with dark tight curls came over and held up a metallic contraption with a crank on the side.

“Try this, Alec!” said the younger.

“Who made that, Cate?” asked Alec, taking the little contraption from her. 

“It was dad, but I came up with the idea,” said Cate brightly.

“I’ll give it a go.” Alec held the thin metal bits in the batter and turned the crank. It started whisking the batter together so fast it splattered out of the bowl and onto the two of them. They both laughed.

Over at the table Nuru and a seventeen year old girl with ginger hair were also laughing. They had been in the middle of chopping up vegetables. The ginger had a stack of neatly cut carrots while Nuru was fighting through a sloppy mess of tomatoes. Nuru looked between the two piles and frowned in frustration before leaning down and trying to cut more precisely. The ginger laughed again at her determined face.

“Stop laughing at me, Amber!” protested Nuru, even as laughter bubbled through her serious expression.

“You’re laughing, too,” said Amber in defense.

“No, I’m not,” Nuru lied. As she sliced down the knife caught her finger and she pulled it back with a yelp. 

Before blood could even start to blossom on Nuru’s cut finger, Amber grabbed a hand towel and gently wrapped it around. 

“You okay?” asked Amber. 

“Yeah, it was just a little cut,” said Nuru. 

The two girls locked eyes for a moment, but quickly broke each other’s gaze as Ruddiger bounded onto the table to snatch some carrots. Amber shooed him away, but he still managed to grab a handful before making his retreat.

He continued onto the next room where Varian sat by an unlit hearth and listened to his uncle, a wheelchair bound forty something with grey dusted ginger hair, and his aunt, a similarly aged woman with auburn hair pulled into a loose bun, recounted stories of his mother.

“Ulla and Olin were nearly inseparable when I first met your Uncle,” said his aunt.

Uncle Olin chucked. “She’s the only reason I ever even talked to Margret here,” said Uncle Olin. “I was a bit of a mess trying to express myself but Ulla saw how much I liked her and pushed me into it.” 

“Ulla was always the more adventurous one,” said Aunt Margret wistfully.

Uncle Olin nodded. “It’s how I knew our days of being together were always numbered. I was always content with my nose buried in a project. But Ulla… she always wanted more…” He smiled sadly.

Varian echoed his smile as Ruddiger jumped into his lap. Ruddiger settled in as Varian absentmindedly scratched behind his ears. “She went in search of the Library,” he said softly.

“Not at first,” said Uncle Olin. “Though it did start with Demanitus. She was fascinated by his work so when she discovered a mentorship program right here in Nesdernia that followed his teachings she applied without question.” Aunt Margret took Uncle Olin’s hand before he continued. “She loved it. She told me at the end of each day about how much she was learning. She didn’t make many friends but there was one she talked about constantly named Donella.”

Varian sat up, vaguely recognizing the name. “My dad mentioned her. And I’ve seen her name in my mom’s journal.”

“I never liked Donella much,” said Uncle Olin. “She was always too serious and too hard. It confused me how two people who were so different could become such close friends. But Donella was the one who went with Ulla on her journey.” Uncle Olin pressed his eyes closed. “And she was the last one to see my sister alive…”

Varian frowned. His mind echoed with the words that had come from Alethea. 

I’m here. I’m in the Library. I’m here. I’m here.

“What… what if she’s not dead though?” Varian asked hesitantly.

Uncle Olin shook his head. “I won’t lie to you, Varian. Part of me feels like she’s still… But Donella was very certain she passed.. She saw it happen with her own eyes. Some sort of accident when they were searching for the Library.”

Varian’s face was muddled with confusion. Something wasn’t right. But his musings were interrupted by Nick’s voice.

“Hey, V-Varian! Yong said you’d show us your alchemy!” 

Varian looked over to see Nick, Reagan, and Yong waiting with barely contained anticipation. He looked at his aunt and uncle for approval.

“Maybe just do it outside?” suggested Aunt Margaret.

“Yes!” exclaimed the younger three. Varian laughed. Ruddiger climbed up onto his shoulder as he got up to go do science with Yong and his cousins. 

~ * ~

“It was very nice of your uncle to let us stay with him while we’re here in Nesdernia,” said Nuru, as she, Varian, Yong, and Hugo made their way through the Capital City.

“Yeah, heh, they’re all so nice, aren’t they. I.. I never even knew they existed before now. My dad never talked about my mom’s side of the family. Granted he never really talked about my mom… My dad’s not really a talker.”

“Which is so odd since we can never get you to stop talking,” said Hugo with a smirk. 

Varian glared and swatted at Hugo who easily dodged out of reach.

“So you think we’ll find the trial by going through the old Nesdernian records?” asked Yong as they approached the enormous Nesdernian Royal Library.

“I don’t know for certain,” said Varian. “But it’s our best chance right now. We don’t know where the second journal is.”

“Yeah,” agreed Hugo. “Not like that information is gonna fall into our laps…” He looked around almost like he was hoping it would. 

“Besides,” continued Varian. “My mom didn’t just figure it all out on her own. She had to have done research to find the trials. This might be one of the places she went.”

“And now we can get in thanks to Hugo the Hero,” said Nuru smiling teasingly at Hugo. 

Hugo rolled his eyes as his cheeks colored slightly.

“Yes,” said Varian. “Hugo was so brave, selflessly putting himself in danger to save Dr. St Croix.”

“And now he’s in the elite Society of Sciences,” said Nuru. “So posh. Practically a noble.”

Hugo grimaced as the others laughed. “Let’s just get this over with so we can find the trial,” he said.

They approached the door for the royal library and were stopped by the guard. “Only those with an official pass have access.”

Everyone looked at Hugo who huffed and pulled out a badge. “I’m in the Society of Sciences,” he grumbled.

The guard looked down at the badge and his face lit up. “Oh, a new member?” he asked cheerfully.

Hugo nodded reluctantly as his three companions nodded eagerly. The guard ushered them in.

The library was admittedly beautiful, with rich, red tropical wood making up its shelves and breathtaking indoor gardens in the center of the great glass dome overhead. The scent of palm trees and citrus filled the air. Keeping their heads on a swivel, they followed the guard down a winding staircase as he brought them over to a group of noble looking gentlemen. 

“Sirs,” said the guard. “I have a new member of the Society of Sciences here.”

The men looked over and one in particular, a gentleman with a long nose and slicked back, black hair, perked up. 

“Yes! The one who saved Dr St Croix’s life. We’ve already heard about you. Welcome, welcome, welcome. I see you’re already eager to dive into our banks of knowledge.”

“Oh yes,” said Hugo. “Just so eager, I can hardly stand it. We’re just going to go ahead and get started then.”

Hugo started to lead the other three away when the man called out. “But wait!” he said. “You’re a new member and new members are obliged to wear the Junior Society Chapeau!”

“The what?” asked Hugo apprehensively. 

“Oh, it’s one of our oldest traditions,” said the man. “And all society members must follow tradition or else risk losing their membership.”

Hugo grimaced but looked around to see Varian, Nuru,and Yong looking back expectantly. “Um… okay, where is this Chapeau then?”

Minutes later Hugo sat in one of the library chairs looking absolutely murderous with a tall, extravagant hat covered in bows, beads, and feathers perched on his head. Hugo had luckily been able to decline the matching robe, but the resulting contrast from above his neck to below somehow made him look even more ridiculous. The other three did a poor job of stifling their giggles as they started paging through books. 

“If I ever see that St Croix again,” said Hugo bitterly. “This hat is getting shoved right-”

“Hugo!” Nuru chided through giggles. “I can’t believe you would deride such a magnificent hat like that.”

“I think it looks nice,” said Yong, managing to sound at least half sincere.

“You should also be careful about what you say, Hugo,” said Varian. “If you get us kicked out then your humiliation is for nothing.”

“You better believe I’m going to remember this, Goggles,” said Hugo threateningly. Still, he huffed and grabbed the closest book to start skimming.

They stayed in the library for hours, scouring through rows and rows of texts looking for any sign of Demanitus. After a few false starts Hugo finally found a reference to Demantitus spending time in Nesdernia. 

“Hey look,” Hugo said, blowing a stray feather away from his face, “It says here ol’ Manny was in town during the Late Abernethian Period. We should look for historical records from that time.”

With their search narrowed it didn’t take long to find the next clue.

“Look here,” said Yong, holding up a smaller manuscript. “This is supposedly from someone who worked with Demantitus. It says he left a secret in the city and to ‘search when the bear has landed and the swan reaches its peak.”

“What does that mean?” asked Hugo.

“It’s some sort of riddle,” said Varian. “The bear and the swan must be metaphors for something. Hmm… We should check a map.”

“Here’s one,” said Nuru, spreading a map of the Nesdernian capitol onto a table. Varian looked closely. Yong peaked over and pointed to a spot on the map.

“There is a Swan Garden there,” he said. 

“Yeah, but where does the bear come in?” asked Varian, puzzled.

“This might help,’ said Hugo, holding up another book. “This is one of Demanitus’ writings. I’m mostly just boring jargon but there’s this phrase scribbled in the margins over and over again. It says ‘When the ram is o’r the castle you will find the door you seek.”

Everyone looked down at the map again. “Well, there’s the castle,” said Varian. “Maybe we’re supposed to triangulate. Look, over here are the woods. That’s where you would see a bear land, right? So the trial must be the middle of the three locations.” Varian circled the spot on the map.

“It can’t be that easy,” said Hugo, brow furrowed. “No, look there.” He pointed down at the map. This neighborhood is called the Grizzly Eves. Grizzly is a type of bear. Therefore the trial must be over here.” Hugo snatched the quill from Varian and made a new mark on the map. 

“That’s completely ridiculous,” argued Varian. “There’s no way of even knowing if that neighborhood existed when Demantitus was here.

“Hey, it’s better than your ‘forests have bears’ theory, Wiz Kid,” said Hugo.

Varian glared up at Hugo and tugged his fancy hat down over his eyes. Hugo pushed it back up to meet Varian’s glare.

Yong now pointed to the map again. “What about this. It said when the bear lands, well, what makes landfall? Boats. What if he means the docks. There might have been a ship called “The Bear’. That would mean the trial is here.” 

“I don’t know,” said Varian. “I’d be more willing to believe it if there was a record of the ship like that.”

“I’ll go look!” said Yong, rushing off to find the records.

“Oh, so you’re willing to consider Yong’s idea, but not mine,” said Hugo.

“I’m considering all ideas, idiot,” said Varian coldly.

“Didn’t sound like it,” said Hugo “And now you’re just being childish about it which tells me you think my idea is best.”

“Actually,” said Nuru from behind them. “I think you’re all wrong.”

Hugo and Varian turned to look at her. Nuru had her nose buried in yet another book. “I think… You missed the point. Yes, we’re looking for a place on the ground, but I think Demanitus wants us to use the sky to help find it.” She turned her book around to show a map of the stars. “Look here. There’s a constellation that’s meant to represent a bear. At the end of summer, which we’re pretty close to, it touches the horizon at around midnight. And at the same time, the constellation that represents a swan is right above. I think…” Nuru came over to look at the city map. “We need to be out at midnight and stand where we can see the ram constellation over the Nesdernian Castle.”

“Okay, that’s the most convoluted theory yet,” said Hugo.

“Well obviously he’s used stars before,” She gestured down to her skirt but Hugo only stared. 

Varian stared down at the map. “Nuru, how can you be sure it has to be midnight,” he said. 

Nuru held up her book again. “This page has the night sky at exactly midnight in late summer and look,” she pointed to the corner. “His signature is right there.”

“I guess there’s no harm in giving it a try,” said Varian. He looked over to see Hugo pouting. “And if she’s wrong we’ll try your Grizzley idea next,” he said with a small smirk.

Hugo perked up at that, and Varian thought he saw a genuine smile on Hugo’s lips. Varian looked away quickly.

~ * ~

Hugo checked his watch as they walked through the dark streets. It was close to midnight. Varian had his staff lit up and was leading the way to where they hoped the trial was. Hugo was on high alert, looking around. Donella’s words to him echoed in his mind. 

He needs the next journal, doesn’t he?

Cyrus will be sending a group… Who will spill who has the second journal.

Hugo looked over at his companions. “We might not need it after all,” he mumbled.

“What was that?” Varian called back. 

Hugo put a smile back on. “Oh, just wondering what’s taking so long. Have you already gotten us lost, Short Stuff?”

“Would it kill you to be nice at least some of the time?” asked Nuru.

“You know, Princess, I think it might,” said Hugo with all the smarminess he could muster. Then Hugo noticed a few larger shadows passing by about a block away. He stayed calm but watched closely as they came closer. It looked like three men. Not Cyrus, but wearing the green-gray uniforms Hugo was all too familiar with. He waited until they were close enough for him to tip off the others. “Not to alarm anyone, but I think we have company.”

The other three tensed and backed up to form a half circle as Hugo pointed out the approaching men. They were big and intimidating, but Hugo knew they would win this fight. 

“Recognize these guys?” Hugo asked.

“The ones who chased us in Bayagnor,” said Yong. 

“Ugh, come one,” said Varian. “Not now. We’re so close to the next trial.”

“Oh, I think we can take them,” said Hugo whipping out a light blue vial and twirling it around his fingers. But then his arm was grabbed and he was being tugged away. He turned to see that Nuru and Yong had already started running and Varian was dragging him along.

“Hey,” said Hugo. “This could be your chance to find your mom’s other journal”

“Or a chance to get you all hurt,” said Varian. “I’m not risking it. Not when we’re doing fine on our own.”

Hugo pursed his lips and held back from arguing. Varian’s face was determined and he had a feeling there was no convincing him otherwise.

They zig zagged through the streets until Nuru finally came to a halt. She looked up at the clear sky and held up her hand, palm out. Her lips moved as she mumbled something under her breath. She walked backward seemingly attempting to line something up. 

“Here!” said Nuru. “It’s here.”

They looked around their location which was a small little pedestrian plaza. There wasn’t much around aside from a few trees and some low walls. But then Varian pointed down at Nuru’s feet. 

“There’s something written in the brick,” he said.

Nuru knelt down to get a closer look. Hugo stayed upright with his head on a swivel. It seemed they’d lost their pursuit and the moment but they could show up at any moment.

“Where air and earth meet, but man can never reach,” Nuru read out.

“Another riddle?” Hugo called out in annoyance.

“A mountain top?” suggested Varian.

“No, I don’t think that’s it,” said Yong thoughtfully.

“Come on, Freckles, you can do better than that,” said Hugo. “It’s obviously the horizon.” 

“He’s right,” said Nuru, looking both surprised and resentful. “But what does that mean?” 

“Well you better figure it out soon because I hear footsteps,” said Hugo.

“Look over here,” said Yong. On the wall in the center over a small stone fountain was a carved relief of the sun over a beautiful ocean scene. In a traditional Nesdernian fishing boat sat a man pointing over the horizon ahead. Yong fingertips followed the stone man’s gesture to a raised spot on the horizon line.. He pressed it down and they could hear a shifting noise. 

“Stairs!” exclaimed Varian, pointing to a wall where, sure enough, a passage with stars had suddenly appeared. They all rushed into it and watched as the wall slid closed behind them.

~ * ~

With Varian’s staff still lit up they had plenty of light to get them down the stairs and down a long hallway. They passed through a stone arch and into the next room. As each of them walked through they could hear a bell chime from somewhere they could not see. The room they entered was dark until, all of a sudden, torches lit, starting from the walls to their sides and continuing all the way down to the other side of the vast room. It was a massive rectangular space seemingly cut by man from the solid stone. The ceiling, still in shadow, was maybe fifty feet up and the other side of the room seemed to be about three hundred feet away. Aside from the torches the room was empty but there was a clear door at the other side.

“There must be a trap of some kind,” said Hugo. They all stepped forward slowly and cautiously until the floor beneath them started to rumble, forcing them to hold tight to one another for balance. They braced themselves as something started to emerge on the other side of the cavern. It seemed to form straight out of the stone itself. The figure rose up, stretching halfway to the ceiling before ceasing to grow. It was shaped like a man but without any features, but glowing red runes lined its form.

“Get back!” Hugo called to the others.

The four of them all stepped back as Varian lifted his staff defensively between them and this stone giant. But then the floor rumbled again, another figure, almost identical to the first, rose out of the floor. This one was on their side of the room and faced away from them. Its runes glowed soft blue. Varian, Hugo, Nuru, and Yong all exchanged confused glances.

Then the floor rumbled yet again but this time the stone beneath their feet started to move and ripple. It lifted in shallow waves and pulled them from each other grasps.

They all panicked and scrambled to get back to each other. Their feet could find no solid purchase. Hugo and Varian nearly managed to grasp hands but the tides of stone washed them apart. They all watched with fear and confusion as they were carried to equally spaced spots just behind the closest stone giant and raised up onto short circular platforms. 

After the platforms formed Varian looked down to see that his had four runes on it. One rune before him, one behind, one to the left and one to the right. He looked over at the others and saw their platforms had similar runes. Yong reached down to touch the rune in front of him. Varian, Hugo, and Nuru all shouted at him to wait but he pressed on it before they could stop him. The rune lit up and there was a loud shifting noise as the stone giant in front of them lifted its right leg. 

Yong, seeing this, let go of the rune and the leg fell back down with a rumble. Varian could see how the boy’s eyes lit up and he started touching his other runes. The stone giant’s right leg responded each time, moving a different way depending on which rune Yong touched. 

Tentatively, Varian jabbed at one of his runes with his foot. He watched as the stone giant’s right hand lifted into the air. 

“This… is the most amazing thing… ever!” shouted Yong gleefully.

“Aw jeez,” exclaimed Hugo. “Why did I have to be a leg?” He unenthusiastically tapped one of his runes as the giant’s left leg shifted around. “Does someone want to switch?”

“Not a chance,” replied Nuru, hoping from rune to rune as the giant’s left arm twirled around.

As everyone tested out their runes and giant jerked and jolted around, nearly toppling over.

“Hey, everyone hold on!” shouted Varian. “If we want to actually do anything, we’re going to have to work together!”

Another bell chimed and something else started to move. It was the other stone giant. It straightened up then, with large slow strides, started towards them. 

“Look!” yelled Varian.

Varian stepped across his runes, trying to figure out what to do. 

“Head to the right!” Nuru shouted. But either because they couldn’t or wouldn’t, Yong and Hugo didn’t move their giant to the right. Instead, it looked like Yong was trying to move backward and Hugo was trying to move forward and the giant lost its footing and fell over. 

The enemy giant reached their side of the room and raised its fists up high. Varian tried to move his arm to block but Nuru shifted her arm and as the enemy giant’s arms came back down, their giant ended up rolling into the blow. There was a sickening crack as bits of stone and dust flew from their giant and Varian could see that a massive hole had been made in their giant's side.

“Come on! We have to fight back!” shouted Hugo.

“I’m trying,” said Yong. “But you have to go where I go.”

“You two better get it together if you want me or Varian to land any hits,” snapped Nuru, carefully maneuvering her arm to get their giant back up on its feet. 

“Just try to keep up,” said Hugo.

“Watch out! Here it comes again!” warned Varian. Nuru held up her arm to defend as the enemy giant lashed out. Varian didn’t see this and tried to parry the strike. He ended up accidentally hit their giant’s left arm with its right arm right before getting flung to the ground agan by the enemy giant’s attack. 

Nuru glared at Varian and he glared back in frustration. “It was attacking my side,” he said.

“So?” said Nuru. “Come on, you even said that we have to work together.”

“I’m trying!” said Varian.

“Get up! Get up!” Shouted Yong, the leg he controlled flailing as it tried to get traction on the ground. Hugo was pushing his leg down as well. 

Varian and Nuru locked eyes and nodded, calling a silent truce.

“Three,” said Varian.

“Two,” said Nuru.

“One,” they said together as they pushed up and off of the ground. Their giant stumbled forward as Yong and Hugo tried to keep it up right. The enemy giant lurched towards them and Varian looked at Nuru to try to figure out what she wanted to do. She mimed a right handed punch at him and he nodded. Both of them got ready to strike when, suddenly, their giant’s left let rose up in a roundhouse kick towards the enemy giant. The kick landed, but Yong, unprepared for this move, didn’t compensate and their giant landed on the ground once more.

“Hugo!” shouted Nuru and Varian.

“Hey, at least I hit the thing,” retorted Hugo.

The enemy giant took advantage of their prone position and stomped down on their giant, creating fractures all along its body. 

The group continued the fight, trying desperately to coordinate their efforts, but everytime they seemed to make any headway someone fell out of step and their giant took more damage. 

Finally, the enemy giant landed one last hit, it’s fist flying straight through the middle of their giant’s abdomen. Their giant crumbled and landed in a pile of rubble that was slowly absorbed back into the floor.

Varian stared in shock. Next to him, Nuru gasped. Yong was still trying to press his runes but their giant was completely gone and nothing he tried had any effect.

“We lost…” said Nuru softly.

“No…” said Varian. “No, there’s got to be a way to try again.”

“Peh,” said Hugo, dismissively. “This is stupid. The door’s right there. We just have to make a break for it.” He jumped from his platform and rushed across the arena floor. 

“Hugo, no!’ cried Varian.

They watched in horror as Hugo tried to dodge around the enemy giant. But as much as he tried, he couldn’t avoid it. It easily scooped up his skinny figure in its massive hand and flung him back toward the entrance. Varian, thinking fast, threw down one of his alchemy vials and bubbles appeared in the air. One of these broke Hugo’s fall and Varian used another vial to get Hugo down.

“We should try running together,” Yong said. “Confuse it.”

“I don’t know if that’s going to work,” said Nuru, nervously. 

“What choice do we have?” asked Hugo in frustration. 

“They have a point,” said Varian. “We should at least try.”

Nuru nodded in reluctant agreement then gathered up her skirt in one hand to prepare to run. 

“Ready?” asked Varian as he readied himself as well.

“Go!” shouted Hugo.

They rushed forward, spreading out to give the enemy giant more of a challenge. Yong pulled out his fireworks and aimed them at the giant seemingly to try and distract it. Varian and Hugo each hurled chemicals at the giant when it got close to them. Nothing slowed it down and as much as they tried to confuse and distract the giant acted with single minded determination and with little effort intercepted them one by one and flung them back. 

They landed unceremoniously in Varian’s alchemical bubbles. It took them a moment to climb out.

“Okay, so that didn’t work,” said Varian. “But maybe if we-”

He was cut off as another rumble shook the room. Just like before the floor beneath them rippled, but this time it was sending them backward toward the entrance. They all fought but the waves were too fast and too strong. Before they knew it they had been deposited back through the stone archway. Varian looked up in distress as a slab of stone slammed down behind the archway and blocked their way back inside.

“No!” shouted Varian. “No! That can’t be it!”

“Varian,” said Yong, reaching out a comforting hand. “I’m sorry, but we failed.”

“No,” said Varian, quieter this time.

“Short Stack is right, Goggles,” said Hugo bitterly. “As someone who has been tossed out of plenty of places before that was clearly Manny telling us that we’re not wanted.”

“But we need that totem,” said Varian.

“Varian,” said Nuru. “I have to believe that we can come back and try again. This place probably resets after a while. But it looked to me like we’re not ready to try again. We were a total mess in there.”

“Maybe you were a mess,” said Hugo. “I was clearly carrying the fight.”

“Oh please,” said Nuru. “You were tripping over your own foot.”

“Well maybe you should have let me be the arm then,” Hugo shot back.

“The point is,” said Nuru. “Is that we clearly need a plan in order to beat this trial.”

“Or guidance,” said Varian. 

“You mean from your mom,” said Yong.

Varan nodded.

“Well Freckles,” said Hugo. “You know how we can get that.”

“Do you think they’re out there?” Varian asked nervously. 

“There’s one way to find out,” said Nuru.

“But I don’t want to put you all in danger,” Varian protested. “We don’t know what those guys are capable of. Let me go out to confront them.”

“By yourself?” asked Yong. “No way! We have to help you. We won’t be in danger if we’re all together.”

“Yong’s right, Varian,” said Nuru. “We’re all in this together.”

Varian struggled with his thoughts then finally sighed. “Okay, heh, thanks. But let’s try to be careful okay?”

~ * ~

When the outer wall opened up again all four of them poked their heads out and looked around the dark little plaza. It was empty. They all carefully tip toed out, eyes peeled for any sign of the men who had been following them. They flinched as the wall behind them slid shut with a loud grinding sound. 

“Hey, over here!” said a low voice. 

Varian, Yong, Nuru, and Hugo circled up close as the men suddenly approached out of the dark. They were ready, though. Varian and Hugo had alchemy at the ready, Yong had his fireworks. Nuru held up her hands in front of her in tight fists. 

Hugo tossed a green ball and it exploded into a cloud of gas. The men started to cough and gag. Yong sent a rocket flying at one, and Varian tossed a pick ball which burst into pink goo trapping another man.

The third man made it through the smoke and smiled in amusement as Nuru walked forward, fists raised. 

“Very cute,” he said. 

Nuru smiled back, then leapt up and punched the man square in the nose. He stumbled back in shock and Nuru took the opportunity to kick him soundly in the stomach. The princess’s smile never left as she shook out her hand. In fact it only widened as she noticed Yong’s jaw drop. 

“My father insisted that my sisters and I learn how to fight ever since we were little. ‘For a lady, basic self defense is plain common sense’,” she recited, readying another punch as the man tried to recover.

“Princesses- who knew?” said Hugo as he tossed another vial. 

“I knew,” Varian grinned as he swung his staff. 

They continued to fight until the two men not glued to the ground gave up and fled. The remaining man was trying desperately to escape as well but the pink goo could not be overpowered.

“Well, hello here,” said Varian, approaching the trapped man, while keeping out of harm’s reach. The light from Varian’s staff cast strange pink and green hues on both him and his captive. “Pretty rude of you to be accosting a bunch of teenagers in the dead of night. Mind telling us what you’re after.”

“Not telling you nothing,” said the man.

“Oh, so it’s okay if I just leave you here and call the Nesdernian guards to come collect you?” asked Varian sweetly.

“What? No!” said the man. His eyes darted over to Hugo who stepped forward next to Varian.

“Then make it easy on us, friend,” said Hugo. “You give us just a tiny bit of information and in return we give you your freedom.”

The man licked his lips then looked back at Varian. “The journal. She wants it,” he said.

“You mean this?” Varian pulled out his mother’s journal. “Where’s the other one?”

The man seemed to debate answering and then finally said “She has it… She wants them both.”

“Who wants them both?” asked Varian, leaning forward and clearly dying to know the answer.

“The Boss… Donella.”

Hugo watched Varian’s eyes and mouth go wide. 

Chapter Text

Sun shone through the glass dome of the Nesdernian Library and flitted across the old books crowding the tall shelves. The glowing rays grew brighter and fanned out until they caught on long locks of amber hair splayed across a table. The person buried beneath them stirred and slowly sat up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes before shielding them from the bright morning light. 

"Morning, already?" she whined.

She stretched dramatically then looked down at the book her face had just been plastered to. She sighed and prepared to continue reading.

"Don't tell me you were here all night, Ulla?"

Ulla turned to see Donella, young and scar-free, walking toward her with a bag in one hand. She was also frowning in concern.

"I've got to figure out where the Earth Trial is," said Ulla. "I'm so close. Just a little bit longer, and I think I'll crack it."

"You've cracked, alright," said Donella standing next to Ulla to look over the table strewn haphazardly with open books. "You keep pushing yourself like this, you're just going to make yourself sick." She started tugging Ulla up out of the chair.

"Hey, what are you doing?" asked Ulla, trying to push Donella away.

"I'm making you go sleep in the armchair while I take over reading," said Donella sternly.

"No, Ella, I'm so close. Just a little bit longer," begged Ulla. Donella let her go and sighed.

"Fine." Donella sat down in the chair next to Ulla and placed the bag she was carrying in front of Ulla. "I guess I'll give you this now, then."

Ulla looked questioningly at the bag then back at Donella. Donella just rolled her eyes and gestured for Ulla to open it. Ulla reached inside and pulled out a thick, leather-bound book with a strap around it. As she opened it, she realized it was a blank journal.

"I noticed the one you're using now is almost full, so I figured you were going to need a new one," said Donella matter of factly. "Our research requires extensive notes, after all."

Ulla looked up at her, her face bright with joy. "This is perfect. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!" Ulla threw her arms around Donella, who stiffened at the sudden contact. After a few seconds, she gently but firmly peeled her friend from around her and turned away to cough. Ulla just barely missed the red glow hidden behind brown locks. 

"Like I said, it's just so you can keep working," said Donella quickly. "Really, you should have already gotten one yourself, but you're always so scatterbrained."

Ulla smiled and looked back down at the journal. "Should we get back to work, then?"

"Yes," said Donella eagerly.

They both sat down, staring pointedly at the texts in front of them instead of each other. As they worked, though, Ulla chanced a look up at Donella while the other was distracted. She watched her for a moment, a bit of pink starting to dust her cheeks before getting back to work.

Hours went by, and Ulla was close to passing out again on her papery pillow when something in the text caught her eye. 

"Stars," she whispered.

"What?" asked Donella, looking over.

"It's stars. The clues are about different constellations!" Ulla sprung up, suddenly wide awake as she raced across the room and brought back another book. "Look!" She held up the page, which was covered in a map of the night sky. "The bear! The swan! The ram! It's all here. This is how we find the trial!" 

Donella considered this new information. "But why would Demanttus use clues in the sky to find a trial that's supposed to be themed around the earth?"

"The earth is constantly changing," Ulla explained. "Any markers he made- especially in Nesdernia's climate- could disappear in a hundred years. The stars never change."

Donella shook her head, but a small smile curled the corner of her mouth. "It's worth trying, I guess."

"I think I shall record my findings in my new journal," said Ulla happily, reaching for ink and quill.

Her partner gave a rare, real smile, and Ulla knew right then that they would figure this out. Together.

~ * ~ 

The sky had only just started to lighten with the coming of dawn as Varian, Yong, Hugo, and Nuru discussed what they'd just learned in an abandoned little park overlooking the Nesdernian harbor. 

Varian sat crisscrossed on the dewy grass, his mother's journal opened to a passage where Donella's name was clearly written. Yong sat next to him, exuding as much comfort as he could with his little body. Ruddiger was on his other side doing the same. Nuru and Hugo stood in front of them, arms crossed as they processed the information.

"My mom mentions her several times in her journal, but she never gave any details, so I never really thought about it," said Varian. "I didn't think Donella was someone I'd be able to find. But… Donella was supposed to be her partner… not her enemy. Why would she be trying to steal from me?"

"Maybe she just doesn't realize who you are?" suggested Yong. 

Varian shook his head. "No, she sent the first thief to my house. She started by trying to steal the journals from my dad, who she definitely knows. I don't understand. Why? Why not just ask for them?"

"You have no other information about her?" asked Hugo. 

"Uncle Olin told me a little about her," admitted Varian. She's the one who… She's the last person to see my mom alive…"

"Maybe," said Yong. "If she was the last person to see her, maybe your uncle and your dad blame her for it. So she doesn't feel like she can talk to them."

Varian's face darkened. "What if she is to blame, though…"

"You shouldn't say that without proof, Varian," said Nuru. 

Varian sighed and started paging through the journal. "My mom also drew a little sketch of her in here." He stopped and held it up for the others. They inspected carefully, and then Nuru's eyes lit up in recognition. 

"I know that woman," she exclaimed.

"You do?" questioned Hugo in surprise.

"Donella. I knew that name sounded familiar. She's from Ingvarr. While we're at peace with them, Koto doesn't have the friendliest of relationships with Ingvarr. They're obsessed with warfare and treat their citizens like cogs in a machine."

"Hey," said Hugo. "That's my kingdom you're talking about."

"Am I wrong?" Nuru shot back.

"Hmm, well, no, but it's not all about war there. We also have science and industry," argued Hugo.

"Yes, to feed the war machine," said Nuru. "I'm surprised you don't know who Donella is since you're from there."

"Oh, so all Ingvarrians automatically know each other? That's presumptuous of you," said Hugo dramatically.

Nuru sighed and turned back to Varian. "Donella is a skilled engineer who works for the royal family of Ingvarr. She designs and builds weapons for them and their warriors. My sisters saw one of her inventions first hand in Corona, actually. A giant iron lion that could be piloted from the inside."

"What? That was hers?" Varian asked, excitement gripping him. "It was amazing! Just the craftsmanship on the body and the way she did the joints! I always-" 

“Focus, Varian,” said Nuru.

"Right," said Varian, forcing himself to get serious again. "She's very talented then."

"And possibly dangerous," said Nuru. "Her lackey said she has a base nearby, but why? Why set up so far out of Ingvarr? She must be up to something."

"Well, whatever it is, it's far above our paygrade," said Hugo. "She has Varian's other journal. If she's a danger, then the best plan is to sneak in, grab it, and sneak out."

"If she's a danger, we could end up like Varian's mom if we try that," said Nuru.

Varian looked at Nuru with a sad smile. "What happened to proof?"

Nuru grimaced back. "I think being a weapons dealer is proof that she's not too worried about human life."

"But we need the journal, right?" asked Yong. 

"Right," said Varian. "But we can't just run in blindly. We're going to need help." He shut the journal in his lap. "My Uncle knows some things about her. Maybe he'd be willing to help us."

~ * ~

"Absolutely not!" said Uncle Olin emanating stern authority even from his chair. It helped that Aunt Margeret stood behind him with a matching expression. "You need to stay far away from that woman, Varian. She's nothing but trouble."

Varian stood his ground, needing them to understand why this was so important. "But she has mom's other journal, and it's the only way we can get through the rest of Demanitus's trials," he insisted.

He was standing in the middle of the family's living room with Hugo, Nuru, and Yong backing him up and his cousins not-so-secretly watching from the kitchen.

"That can't be true," said Aunt Margret. "You're a bright scientist, just like your mother! Surely you can figure it out on your own." 

Varian looked down.

"Varian," said Uncle Olin. "You're not allowed to pursue this."

"Varian's an adult," said Nuru. "You don't have a say in what he does."

"But- No… no, you're right. He can make his own choices." Varian's uncle sighed. "But I don't have to support him on this. Not when it comes to her. Varian, you don't need to do this. I will help you complete the trials, I promise."

"It's not just about that, though," he said quietly. He clenched his fists and looked back up at his Aunt and Uncle, fire in his eyes. "Donella stole that journal. From my dad. From me. I never got the chance to know my mom. I can't let someone just take the only scraps of her I have left!" 

"Varian-" started Olin, but Varian wasn't listening anymore. He turned and pushed past his friends to rush outside. He ran out to the open field behind the house and didn't stop until he was satisfied he was alone. 

He could hear those words in his head again—her words.

I'm here. I'm here. Varian ...

He pulled out his mom's journal and looked down at it longingly. 

"Mom," he said softly. He paged through the journal for the hundredth time, touching the ink with his fingertips. "I feel you in every page… Every word… Like it's meant for me. Like you meant for me to follow… To get to the bottom of all this… To find you." He closed the journal and held it close to his chest. "Don't worry, mom. Whatever it takes, I will find a way… I promise."

"Goggles?"

Varian turned his head to see Hugo standing at a distance, seemingly unsure if it was okay to approach. Varian relaxed his hold on his mother's journal and faced Hugo, who took this as an invitation to get closer.

"That was pretty dramatic," said Hugo with a half-hearted smirk. "Half expected you to be out here, singing your feelings."

Varian glared and started to turn away again, but Hugo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're really torn up about this, aren't you?" 

Varian nodded. "Alchemy and science have been my life. Ever since I was little, it made me feel… right. Like nothing else did. When I found out about my mom, that she was just like me, it's like everything clicked into place. I feel like…" Varian put his hand over his own heart. "Like it's our connection. When I read her journal, I feel like she's speaking to me." His face grew dark and determined. "I need to know what's in that other journal Hugo. And I need to finish this journey. I need to do it for her. To finish what she started and to find out what happened to her… And Donella… I don't think it's enough to just take the second journal back from her. She has answers, and I need to know what they are."

Hugo put both of his hands on Varian's shoulders now, and Varian noticed he looked worried. "You're not actually thinking of confronting her? You heard Nuru. Even your Uncle. They both think she's dangerous, and I think so too."

"She knows what happened to my mom, Hugo," said Varian, looking straight into Hugo's eyes. "I need to know the truth. I'll do anything to find it. Anything. I don't care how dangerous it is."

"You'll find the truth," said Hugo. "By completing the trials. Which we can do if we get that journal and get out safely. Think of your mom. If you get hurt, you won't be able to finish what she started. You have to stay focused on completing this journey." Varian's face twisted with indecision. "We're going to get that journal back, Freckles. I'll make sure of it. And then you, me, and the other nerds are going to help you complete these trials. We don't need Donella. Trust me."

The tension melted from Varian's face, and he smiled softly before looking back up at Hugo. "I do," he said, his voice genuine. "Thank you."

Hugo smiled back, his typical smirk replaced with a warmer grin to match Varian's. He glanced up, and the smile faltered a bit. He laughed and pulled away from Varian. "You should head back before they all get too worried about you. I'll be there in a second."

For a moment, Varian was about to ask why Hugo was staying outside, but he remembered what he just said about trusting Hugo and decided that he really should go back and not worry about it.

Hugo waited until Varian was out of sight before heading over to a line of trees about fifty feet away from where they'd been. Where he'd seen Cyrus lurking. He found him again a little further into the cover of the foliage and checked to be sure they couldn't be seen from the house before speaking.

"Coming to check on me, Cyrus?" He asked. "You're such a sweetheart."

"Is everything alright with the boy?" asked Cyrus, willfully ignoring Hugo's sass and tilting his head towards where Varian was a few moments ago.

Hugo shrugged nonchalantly. "He's bummed about not beating the Earth Trial. But getting that second journal will cheer him up."

Cyrus nodded, satisfied with this answer. "That's what I'm here for. These are the detailed plans of our Nesdernian base and where you are to go to get the journal." Cyrus pulled the folded paper and handed it to Hugo, who immediately started to scan over it. "We'll have minimal guards stationed. Just enough that they can be easily overcome without raising suspicion. Memorize these directions and then destroy them." 

Hugo's eyes stayed glued to the paper, absorbing the directions into his brain. "Seems easy enough. I assume Donnie's planning on staying out of the action."

Cyrus laughed softly. "She has better things to do than play with children. That's your job."

Hugo stared up at Cyrus with disdain. "At least I haven't been reduced to a glorified messenger boy." He smiled as Cyrus glared back at him and pulled a bottle of acid out of his pocket. "Well, anyway, message received." He poured the bright green liquid onto the paper and let it get eaten through. He dropped the corner just before his fingers got burned. "You can go earn your treat now."

Hugo started to walk back to the house. "You're getting too close to that boy," said Cyrus. Hugo stopped in his tracks. "The way you look at him. Seems like more than your usual con."

Hugo straightened and smiled slyly. "Convincing, isn't it?"

"Just want to be sure you remember whose side you're on," said Cyrus.

Hugo looked back, his relaxed smile was replaced with a sharp scowl. They locked glares for tense seconds as Cyrus awaited the usual annoying quip. Instead, Hugo huffed. He rolled his eyes and turned, rushing back to the house before Cyrus could say anything more. 

He went in to find the living room empty. Varian's aunt and uncle were in the kitchen, but everyone else was oddly absent. He poked around the house a bit more until he could hear low voices coming from one of the bedrooms. He looked inside to find Varian, Nuru, and Yong talking with all Varian's cousins. Ruddiger was curled up asleep on Reagan's lap. Their heads snapped to the door, but they all let out a sigh of relief when they saw it was just Hugo. Alec let him in then shut the door behind him. 

"As I was saying," said Amber, turning back to Varian. "Just cause Mom and Dad might be scared of this Donella lady don't mean the rest of us are. We support you going and getting your journal back."

There were voices of agreement from around the room. Varian smiled wide. 

"Thank you," he said. "But I wouldn't feel right putting you all in danger."

"There is someone else who could help you," said Alec from where she was leaning on the door. "Someone who's made it their business to get themselves into dangerous situations. A hero that's making a name for herself all around the seven kingdoms. The Huntress." Excitement stirred amongst the cousins as the name settled in the air. 

"The Huntress is i-incredible, Varian!" said Nick, barely able to contain his excitement. "She fights bad guys and rescues kids from burning buildings!"

"A friend from the coast told me that The Huntress once sailed through a monsoon to rescue a group of adrift sailors," said Cate, clearly awestruck by this tale.

"There was an avalanche that was gonna wipe out a whole Galcrestian city!" called Lira.

"Yeah," said Liam. "But The Huntress was able to stop it by digging out a trench all by herself! Just in time!"

"They say," added Reagan. "That The Huntress once saved a Bayangorian princess from a volcano."

"The Huntress even died once! But she scared death so bad he sent her back," said Ritter, her eyes wide and tone solemn. 

"Sounds like a bunch of tall tales to me," said Nuru.

Alec laughed. "It's hard to say what's true and what's just rumors," she admitted. "But The Huntress is very real, and she might be willing to help you."

"And we might know where to find her," said Amber. 

"That's great and all," said Hugo, stepping into the middle of the room. "But we don't need outside help getting the journal. We're fine on our own. Right, Hairstripe?"

Varian frowned. "Hugo, I think it's worth asking this person to help us."

"I agree with Varian," said Nuru. "Going after the journal won't be like doing one of the trials. We can't just try again later if we fail. We should use every advantage we can."

"So you get help from some meathead with a sword? We're going to need stealth and precision for this mission, all things you have me for," argued Hugo.

"Not that you aren't good at that. But then what if we're caught?" asked Yong. "It's good to have a backup plan."

Hugo crossed his arms. "Fine, we can at least meet this 'hero.' But I'm telling you, we don't need her."

Varian looked back at Amber. "Take us to her?"

~ * ~

The other cousins stayed behind to cover for them as Amber took Varian, Hugo, Young, and Nuru to find the hero. With only a little bit of asking around, they were directed to where she'd last been seen. 

They heard the commotion before they could see it. They turned a corner and saw a lone hooded fighter, face obscured by an owl-like mask, fighting off a group of three guys. 

"That's her," said Amber.

It became clear pretty quickly that it was the three men who were outmatched. Every time they came at her, she promptly diverted their blows and knocked them back with an effortless punch or kick. Finally, they had enough and started running. The hero crossed her arms and watched them go before turning towards a man who had been watching by his bakery door. 

Something hanging from her neck caught the sunlight. It was a dark uncut gem attached to a beaded necklace. Varian noticed, and his eyes widened. He held out his hand and halted his friends.

"Wait," he muttered.

"Call me again if they come back," said The Huntress "Though I have the feeling they'll be too busy licking their wounds for a while."

"Thank you so much, Huntress," said the man. 

"Just happy to help," she said. A little owl came to perch on her shoulder, and she walked off, waving joyfully to people who recognized her as she went.

They followed, Varian leading the pack now. He walked so fast the rest struggled to keep up. When they'd gotten away from the crowds, Varian went into a full sprint and caught up with The Huntress.

"Cass?" he asked, hopefully.

She turned, and Varian could see the cassandrium necklace clear as day now. Everyone else looked on in confusion, but Varian's eyes were fixed on The Huntress.

"Varian?" She pushed up the mask, revealing those familiar hazel eyes.

"Cass!" Varian threw himself around her and hugged her tight. Ruddiger latched himself to her leg.

"Oof- Hey there, Varian," said Cassandra, returning the embrace. "Good to see you. You too, Ruddiger."

"It's been so long since you've been back to Corona," said Varian, pulling back from her to take her in fully. "I had no idea you had a cool hero persona! That's awesome."

"Heh, yeah, it's been pretty fun," she said. "And it's been my chance to start fresh, you know?" 

"Ah-hem."

Varian turned at the sound of Nuru's voice and realized the four other people there had no idea what was going on.

"Oh, heh, sorry," he said. "Guys, this is Cassandra. She's from Corona, like me. She's a friend!"

"Hey there," said Cassandra.

Nuru, Yong, and Amber all waved happily. Hugo had his arms crossed and was eyeing Cassandra judgmentally. 

"You all must be helping Varian with that trial stuff," she said. She finally noticed Hugo. "What's your problem?"

"Problem?" said Hugo innocently. "No problem. Just wondering what kind of person feels like they have to go around in a costume to play hero."

Cassandra smirked. "The kind who isn't intimidated by some smart-mouthed pretty boy," she said cheerfully. "Who's this ray of sunshine, Var?"

"Oh, that's just Hugo," said Nuru. "Don't worry about him. He antagonizes everyone he meets. I'm Nuru. It's very nice to meet you."

"I'm Amber. I'm Varian's cousin."

"Cousin?" asked Cassandra, looking at Varian.

"Yeah, um, turns out I have a whole extended family," he said.

"And I'm Yong!" he said. "We've heard so much about you! All about the monsoon, and the volcano…"

"Oh, actually, you shouldn't believe half that stuff," said Cassandra. "People like to make up stories about The Huntress."

"I had a feeling," said Nuru. "I knew there was no way you actually died and came back to life."

"Actually, that one is pretty accurate," said Cassandra.

Nuru's jaw dropped.

"Wait," said Amber. "What about the others? Which ones are real?"

"I think I'll leave the rest up to you to figure out," said Cassandra with a wink.

"How did you know about the trials, Cass?" asked Varian.

"Raps, of course," said Cassandra, pulling out a fistful of letters. "She writes to me about five letters a day, so I pretty much know everything that happens in Corona. I knew you were traveling. I just didn't know if we'd actually cross paths."

"I'm so glad we did," said Varian. "I need your help."

~ * ~

Alec sat in the living room, paging through a book on her lap. Instead of reading, her eyes were glued to the kitchen. She could hear Lira and Liam still in there with her parents using all their chaotic energy to keep them distracted as long as possible. 

"Mom, can we make cookies, too?" asked Liam. "Please?"

"We made cookies yesterday, Liam," said Margeret.

"Yes, but we want to make the ginger kind today," said Lira. 

Alec's eyes darted over to the hallway's door and found Reagan, who was standing watch in case Amber, Varian, and his friends returned. Reagan saw her looking and just shook her head.

Margret's head poked out of the kitchen, and Alec looked at her as innocently as possible. 

"Can you get Amber?" she asked. "It's her day to wash dishes."

"I'll do it," Alec volunteered, jumping up immediately.

"Good," said Olin, wheeling himself past her. "Amber wanted to show me her new invention anyway."

Reagan thankfully heard this and came into the room. "Oh, actually, Amber isn't feeling well. She went to lie down."

"Oh?" said Olin, face now painted with concern. "Poor thing. I'll go check on her."

"Actually," said Reagan, trying to think fast. "I have a new potion I wanted you to help me with."

Olin laughed. "Oh, sweetie, you know your mom is better with that kind of stuff. If you give her a little bit, she'll help you. I'm going to make sure Amber is alright."

"She's fine," blurted Alec. "Just needed some sleep."

Olin looked between the two girls and narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," they said simultaneously. 

Olin rolled past Reagan toward Amber's room. They followed him nervously. He opened the door and looked in to see someone was in bed. 

"See?" said Reagan. "Just sleeping. 

Before they could stop him, Olin rolled over to the bed and pulled the covers back.

Nick looked up in surprise and squeaked when he realized who it was. "Uh… h-hi, Dad."

Olin looked back at the two girls in the doorway. "Where is Amber?" he asked. A thought seemed to strike him, and his brow furrowed. "Where is Varian?"

Olin's children all shared guilty glances.

~ * ~

"So this Donella lady has your mom's second journal, and you need me to help you get it back?" asked Cass." Sounds like a great time. I'm in."

They were walking together back to Varian's cousin's house. Ruddiger and Owl followed along playfully getting reacquainted. Yong, Nuru, and Amber all listened in rapt attention to Cassandra and Varian's conversation while Hugo sulked to the side. 

"Are you all really ready to put our lives in the hands of some merc?" spat Hugo.

"Cute, but not a merc," said Cassandra.

"Right, you're a 'hero,'" said Hugo sarcastically. "Even worse. You're going to rush in there with all your heroics and get us all killed."

"You better get that chip off your shoulder, Beanpole," said Cassandra. "If Varian wants my help, I'm going to give it. You're the only one causing a fuss."

"Because I'm the only one who seems to understand what needs to be done," said Hugo. He grabbed Varian's shoulders. "Goggles listen. Trying to brute force our way in is not going to end well. We'll be able to take on a few guys, sure. But who knows how many Donella has? We have to go in quietly and get out quietly. Remember how I broke us into that mansion in Koto?"

"You what?" asked Nuru.

Hugo ignored her. "I can do that again for the four of us! No fighting. No tears. Just a quick and easy job."

Varian frowned and took Hugo's hands off his shoulders. "No one is saying that we can't sneak in, Hugo. But we still might have to fight, and if we're not ready, it'll be a disaster. Cass is a good friend and the best fighter I know." 

Hugo, still not satisfied, just glared at Cassandra, who smiled back.

They were about to reach the house when Alec came rushing outside. She saw the group, taking a moment to take note of Cassandra before gesturing for them to follow her away from her home. They followed until they were out of sight.

"Not a good idea to go in there with her," said Alec. "Mom and Dad found out what you were up to, and they're going to do whatever they can to try to stop you. They let me come out here cause I promised to bring you back, Amber."

Amber's hands went to her hips, and she took a step back from Alec. "What? No way. I'm helping."

Alec smiled at her sister then looked over at Cassandra. "The Huntress, I presume?" She asked.

Cassandra nodded.

"While I don't agree with my parents wanting to stop them, I do agree that it's potentially perilous," Alec's eyes went steely, and her usually warm demeanor disappeared. "Please. Whatever happens, bring them back safely."

Cassandra took note of how serious Alec was and met her with a determined expression of her own. "You can count on me."

"We just need a plan," said Varian.

"Have you heard of Donella, Cassandra?" asked Nuru.

"Can't say I have," said Cassandra. "Though people have been coming to me talking about strange activity out in the Nesdernian rainforest."

"Isn't that where the guy we captured said her base was?" asked Yong thoughtfully.

"Yes, exactly," said Nuru. "I still think she's up to something out there. She could be preparing to launch an attack on behalf of Ingvarr. I don't think it's enough to just take what we want. I think we need to figure out what she's doing out there and put a stop to it." Nuru looked at Yong. "Think you could find a way to blow whatever she's making to smithereens?"

Yong's eyes lit up.

"You are actually insane," said Hugo. "Whatever she's doing out there has nothing to do with us. We need the journal, that's it."

"Spoken like someone who's never had to think about the good of others," said Nuru with a glare at Hugo.

"I'm thinking about others right now," Hugo growled back at her, getting right in her face. "I'm thinking about this whole group winding up hurt, captured, or worse if we try something stupid like that. Yong is just a kid. And what about Amber? You're willing to get her hurt because of your ideals?"

"Hey, hey, calm down, you two. We can work this out without being at each other's throats," said Cassandra, stepping between the two. "And anyway, I agree with Nuru. That woman made the Nemean Lion: The pride of Ingvarr's military. There's no telling what she could unleash on this kingdom. If we find this Donella person is planning something sinister, then I'm not going to be able to just let it happen. 

"You will if it means protecting my family," said Alec fiercely. 

Cassandra seemed startled by this order and looked at Alec, who didn't back down. Cassandra seemed like she was about to give a retort but instead, her face relaxed into a smile of admiration. "Agreed. Protecting Varian and his friends comes first."

"Thank you," said Alec.

"Buuut," said Cassandra slyly. "If the opportunity presents itself to destroy something potentially dangerous…"

Alec laughed, a bit of her warmth returning. "Then, by all means," she agreed.

Hugo shook his head. "You're all insane." He looked at Varian pleadingly. 

Varian nodded. "Right. The plan is to get in and out with my mom's journal as quietly and safely as possible. We only interfere with Donella's plans if-" Varian met Hugo's gaze. "and only if the right reason and opportunity presents itself. Deal?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, satisfied with the compromise. 

"The base is supposed to be a little over a day away," said Varian. He looked at Alec. "Do you think you can distract your parents so we can sneak away Prometheus and our wagon?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that," said Alec. She looked over at Amber. "You're going with them?" 

"Of course," said Amber, throwing an arm around Nuru.

Alec nodded. "Well… I know better than to try to stop you of all people. Just please come back," she said. "I'd never forgive myself if I let you do this, and something horrible happened."

Varian took her hands and smiled up at her. "Don't worry. We can do this."

~ * ~

They retrieved the wagon and started on their way to Donella's base, using the directions the man they'd captured had given them. Nuru made this even easier once it was nighttime, and she could use the stars to track their progress. Eventually, they decided to sleep for the night and continue in the morning.

Hours later, most everyone had gone to sleep. Nuru let Amber share her tent. Varian and Cassandra stayed up and were swapping stories by the dying fire.

"What was it?" asked Cassandra, face full of incredulity.

"A kuit. It's some sort of giant reptile species that lives up in the mountains," said Varian. "But it actually had the totem in its mouth!"

"You're joking," said Cassandra, deadpan.

"No, it spit it right out into Nuru's hands," he said

They laughed, and Cassandra looked at Varian with pride. "It sounds like you've been having quite the adventure," she said. "And you've made some interesting friends. The kid seems sweet. Really reminds me of you way back when. You even found another daring princess. Must be fate they all turned out to be as big of a science dork as you."

"Yeah, I sure am lucky. I've been learning so much," said Varian. "Getting out of Corona. Meeting everyone. Facing Demantitus' trials. It's probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but also the best thing to ever happen to me."

Cassandra nodded in agreement. "Nothing like a journey to help you figure out who you really are." She smiled at Varian. "When I first came out here on my own, I didn't really know what I was looking for. I just knew I needed something of my own. Something that meant I was doing good in the world. Being 'The Huntress' has let me do that better than I ever thought possible. Rapunzel even made the mask for me. It's beautiful isn't it? Hand-carved and everything", She added fondly.

"Yeah, it is… but why? Why the mask and the name?" asked Varian. "Why couldn't you just be yourself?"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. "It's kind of dumb, but it's my way of proving to myself that this is not about fame or glory. I'm doing this because it's my way to try and make up for all the things I've done." Cassandra put a hand over her heart. "I still have nightmares about it. About what I let myself become. I see what might have happened if Zhan Tiri had won. Corona destroyed. Everyone dead. Raps…"

Varian frowned and put a hand out on Cassandra's shoulder.

"You were right," she continued softly. "You tried to warn me back then. This… this guilt never really goes away, does it?"

Varian looked away into the glowing embers, his own crimes echoing in his head. "No… I guess not." He looked back and squeezed her shoulder, ducking his head to catch her eyes. "But we were both given a second chance. With that, we can do more than just make up for our mistakes. We can maybe even leave the world better than we found it. It looks to me like you're well on your way to doing that."

Cassandra smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"When'd you get so wise, kid?"

"Probably the third time I fell off a tower. Puts life in perspective, you know?" They laughed again for a good few minutes before comfortable silence settled over the two old friends.

"Sooo…" she said, her tone more playful now. "That Hugo. Not the best at first impressions, is he?"

Varian laughed and let his arm drop back to his side. "Yeah, he can be pretty annoying. When I first met him, I could barely stand him. But… Now that I've been around him more… Traveling with him… I think it's mostly an act. Because at the end of the day, he does the right thing. He's brave when he needs to be. Clever, probably too much for his own good…"

Cassandra watched Varian closely as he talked about his friend. "Can you even trust him?" she asked gently. "You told me the first thing he ever did was steal from you."

Varian shrugged, a dopey grin on his face. "Well… second chances, right?" He looked back at her, and she smiled as well.

"Yeah. You got me there, V."

~ * ~

Travel the next day was a little slower since they had to leave the main path and travel through the rainforest. Eventually, their efforts were rewarded when they saw a giant iron and concrete complex sitting among the trees and puffing smoke up into the sky. Two large lion statues stood on either side of the entrance as silent sentinels. Four guards in green uniform joined it in keeping watch.i

They all huddled in the undergrowth and considered their options as they took in the intimidating structure.

"We need to sneak around to the back," whispered Hugo.

They crept along, staying low, and in the shadows. When they got all the way around to the other side, they were relieved to see that it was unguarded. Very carefully, they made their way out into the open and over to the back wall. They all begin looking for an entrance. 

"Here," said Hugo, pointing up at a window. "It's unlocked."

Yong cocked his head to the window ten feet above them. "How can you tell?" 

"Because I'm good at what I do," said Hugo. "We can boost ourselves up to the sil."

"Hold on," said Cassandra. "Look what I found." She pushed aside some bushes to show a cellar door hiding behind them. "If we're climbing up into the window, it might put us in a vulnerable position. But if we go in this way, we'd probably be in a storage area."

Hugo crossed his arms and smiled smugly at her. "A little problem with your plan there. The cellar is chained shut." 

Cassandra took out her sword and slid it through some of the chains before twisting them tight. Then she kicked her sword, and the chains pulled apart before sliding useless to the ground.

Everyone stared in shock. Nuru and Amber's cheeks flushed with admiration.

"Heh, well, I guess that solves that problem," said Varian. He looked back and was surprised to see Hugo looking displeased.

"We should still go through the window," said Hugo. "The journal is not going to be in a dusty old basement. It's going to be in a library or an office."

"You don't know that," said Cassandra. 

"No," said Hugo. "But I can guess based on things like logic and reason."

Cassandra sighed. "I still think going through the basement gives us the best chance of moving around without being caught."

"Let's put it to a vote?" suggested Yong. Hugo and Cassandra both crossed their arms and nodded in reluctant assent. "Those in favor of going through the window?"

Hugo raised his hand. Cassandra kept her arms crossed. Nuru, Amber, and Yong all kept their hands still. Varian looked between Hugo and Cassandra, his hand held in front of him, unsure.

"Really, Goggles?" said Hugo, disappointment in his voice. 

"I, uh, kind of agree with Cassandra on this one, Hugo. I'm sorry," said Varian.

"Those in favor of the basement," said Yong needlessly. Cassandra casually raised her hand in the air. Nuru and Amber's hands shot up as high as they could go. Yong also raised his hand. Varian just watched Hugo and thought he saw panic cross the other boy's features.

"What's wrong, Hugo?" he asked.

"He's just sore that he lost," said Cassandra, turning toward the cellar door. The others turned to follow, but Varian kept his eyes on Hugo.

Hugo was looking away at the ground. "It's the wrong way," he muttered. 

"Hugo?" Varian reached to touch Hugo's arm, but Hugo pulled away.

"Tell them to go the other way," said Hugo.

"What?" said Varian, face scrunched in confusion. 

Hugo looked up at Varian, the most serious Varian had ever seen him. "They'll listen to you. Tell them we need to go in the window."

"Hugo, we already had a vote on it," said Varian. "Even if I voted with you, it would have been two against four."

"I don't care about that," said Hugo. "They'll listen to you. Tell them we need to go my way."

"Why is this so important to you?" asked Varian.

Hugo's mouth twisted as he thought about his answer. "I… I can't say why exactly," he said finally. "I just have a feeling. You told me you trust me, Hairstripe. Trust me on this."

"You guys coming?" said Yong's voice. They both looked to see his head poking out from the basement.

Varian looked back and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hugo, it's out of my hands. They've already decided." He backed up towards the basement. "I'm sure it'll be okay, though."

Hugo looked up at the window then reluctantly followed Varian down into the basement.

They descended a short flight of stairs and into a dark, cramped space. Varian made the orbs of his staff light up, and they could now see that the beams and skeletal bars that surrounded them continued on far beyond the ring of light. It all seemed to be part of an interconnected structure that spanned nearly the whole floor. Along it, above their heads, were turning wheels and cogs connected to leather belts that disappeared up into the ceiling. While the outside had been metal and concrete, the inside walls and flooring seemed to be made of worn-out wood.

They carefully crawled through the metal scaffolding, helping each other through particularly tight squeezes. The whole time they were silently straining their ears for any other sign of life.

They reached another side and met a concrete wall. They slid along it before finding a large metal door. Cassandra tried to tug it open, but it wouldn't budge. Hugo pushed her aside and stuck his tongue out at her before bending down to pick the lock. In seconds there was a click, and the door swung open.

Cassandra just rolled her eyes and walked through. Everyone else followed. They found themselves in a rusty stairwell that went both up and down from their current landing. After some silent signaling, they decided to head upwards. 

They passed by some door, and each time looked through the keyhole to see what was on the other side. The first door looked like it held a utility closet. The next was a hallway riddled with guards. The third was another hallway, but this one looked clear. 

"Here," said Hugo. "Let's go through here."

Nuru looked through the keyhole and frowned. "I don't trust it," she said. "Why are there no guards at all?"

"I agree," said Cassandra. "Seems fishy. Let's put a pin in that one and see what's up further first."

"The longer we're here, the more likely we will be caught," said Hugo. "I think we should try this hallway." 

But everyone was already moving further up the stairs. Hugo's hands curled into fists, and he followed. 

The next door seemed to lead into an abandoned room full of boxes. "Here we go," said Cassandra. She tried the door, and it proved to be unlocked. They all slipped through. While everyone else carefully explored the space, Hugo quickly went over to find the next door and pressed his ear to it. 

"I hear footsteps," whispered Hugo. "We should go back and try the other way." 

"Hold on," said Varian. "I want to see what's in these boxes."

Nuru was already helping Cassandra pry one open.

"What? No. We have to look for the journal. Stay focused," said Hugo. 

"Okay," said Amber, marching over to Hugo. "I can't be the only one who is tired of this. Hugo, you're not the only one trying to help here. Can you lay off of us for five minutes?"

Hugo glared down at her, but before he could open his mouth to reply, Yong's voice called them over. "Look at this," he said. 

They all crowded over to the crate Nuru and Cassandra just opened. Inside were strange objects. Varian carefully pulled one out, seeing that it was made of metal, dark, and long. Now that it was out of the box, they could see clearly that it had a chamber for projectiles. 

"Weapons," whispered Nuru. "I knew it."

"Do you think these all have weapons in them?" asked Varian. 

"Probably," said Cassandra. 

"But what do we do about it? We don't have time to destroy them all", said Hugo, heading for the door. "Let's go."

Everyone else stayed over by the boxes, still looking at the weapons. Yong had opened another box, and he, Amber, and Nuru were inspecting the weapons in there as well.

"Hey, let's go," Hugo repeated.

Cassandra straightened up and looked at the others. "As much as I hate to admit it, Beanpole has a point. There's nothing we can do about these right now. Let's go."

"Finally," said Hugo with a smile. "Knew you'd warm up to me eventually, Owl Lady." He leaned back on the wall smugly, and they all heard something click. Hugo turned to see that he'd accidentally hit a button with his shoulder.

The floor beneath the crates dropped down an inch. Everyone but Hugo was still standing on it, and they stumbled and fell at the sudden movement. They all realized in horror that they were on some sort of movable platform.

Hugo saw there was a button next to the one he just pressed and tried hitting it to stop the platform from moving.

It dropped.

The platform gave way entirely, and Cassandra, Yong, Nuru, Amber, Yong, and Varian all fell into the dark with the crates. Hugo ran forward as Varian reached up for him, but a set of iron doors closed over the hole, and they were gone.

~ * ~

As they plummeted, Varian grabbed onto Cassandra for support. Ruddiger was glued to his chest, chittering in panic. Finally, the platform halted, and they all went sprawling to the floor. By the dim light of Varian's staff, they could see they were down some kind of shaft. Before anyone had time to process this information, one part of the wall opened, and they were being tilted forward. They all fought to stay put, but there was nothing to grab onto, and the weight of the crates forced them down into the opening. Suddenly they were all rocking down a chute. Varian watched as Yong, Nuru, and Amber all shot off down one path, and he and Cassandra were forced down another.

Seconds later, Varian, Cassandra, and a very shell shocked Ruddiger were deposited on a pile of crates in a nondescript room.

~ * ~

Hugo hit the button over and over, trying to figure out how to get them back. Nothing was working, and he punched the wall in frustration.

The door behind him opened.

"Looks like things aren't going to plan," said Donella.

Chapter Text

Hugo turned as Donella’s shadow passed over him. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, face calm and cold. 

“Oh, hey, Donnie,” said Hugo, straightening up and giving her a nervous smile. “I um… might have accidentally dropped the targets down a hole in the floor.” He gestured over to where the others had just disappeared. Donella looked over then back at him.

“That’s just the sorter. They’ll be deposited down in the lower levels. Exactly where I didn’t want that little alchemist to go.” Her eyes flashed in anger, and Hugo couldn’t help flinching. The look vanished to be replaced by her usual cold gaze. “But it doesn’t matter. I’ve already given orders to correct the situation.” She turned to head back through the door. “In the meantime, you have a journal to locate. Come along.”

Hugo resented being led along like a child. He looked back over to where the others had just stood, his mind playing over the image of Varian, startled and scared, reaching out for him. Hugo pushed away the thought and relented to following Donella.

~ * ~

Nuru groaned as she pushed herself up to her knees on the dark, dusty floor. “Yong? Amber?” She looked around at the concrete room filled with crates. “Varian?”

“I think he ended up somewhere else,” said Yong softly, a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

“Yeah, The Huntress, too,” said Amber. “There was another shute.”

“Nnngghhh, where’d they go?” asked Nuru, looking around more as if she thought the two would just suddenly spring up.

“Where are we?” asked Yong, getting up.

“Some kind ‘a storage?” suggested Amber as she also rose and offered a hand to Nuru. “C’mon. We’ll find a way out then find my cuz’ and The Huntress.”

“I think I see a door!” shouted Yong. Nuru winced. 

“Lower your voice, Yong”  The princess took Amber’s hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. Then they followed Yong.

The door led into a dark and seemingly abandoned hallway, lined with iron doors. The three friends crept along it. With a flick of a match, soft light flooded the hall from Yong’s makeshift torch. As they ventured down further, the light fell upon a familiar sign marked ‘Storage’. It was identical to the one they had left. Yong tugged Nuru’s skirt. 

“Over here!” He cried, “I bet Varian and Miss Cassandra fell in another room like the one we did!” The three made their way over to the door. Without stopping, the youngest reached for the handle. Amber perked up. Her eyes widened.  

“Kid, wai-”  

Yong threw open the door, revealing a short, burly green-uniformed man. His initial surprise morphed into a sinister smile as he reached for them.

“Lost your way, children?” he said.

Amber pulled Yong back by the collar of his shirt. Nuru got in front of him and struck out, driving the heel of her hand into the man’s nose. He reeled back, clutching it. The princess then slammed the door shut on him with a crash. 

“Oh, wow...” said Amber, looking at Nuru as if seeing her for the first time. “Good one.” Nuru turned back around and grabbed Amber’s wrist, dragging both her companions down the hall. Yong shook out the torch as he ran with them.

They turned a corner, and Amber quickly pressed her ear against a door. After a moment, she nodded and ushered them inside. The trio found themselves in what seemed to be a massive warehouse, filled with rows upon rows of skeletal steel shelves. They found a series of barrels in a corner and dove behind them to hide. The man ran by, still clutching his nose. When his footsteps faded, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Nuru looked at Yong, who was looking down in shame.

“Maybe we should be a little more careful with doors?” she suggested.

“Yeah,” said Yong. He looked up, and Nuru gave him a forgiving smile. Yong relaxed a little and nodded.

~ * ~

Varian held his staff up in front of him, lighting the way as he and Cassandra walked down a dark passage. Cassandra rubbed her side, sore from landing on it further.

“When I get my hands on that Beanpole...” she said.

“Hugo didn’t mean to hit that button,” defended Varian.

“Yeah, well, he did it anyway,” said Cassandra. “And if he had been paying attention instead of trying to come up with witty remarks, we wouldn’t be separated like this.”

“He was really trying to get us to listen to him…” said Varian.

“He just didn’t want to be wrong,” answered Cassandra.

“I don’t know… this seemed different,” Varian frowned, remembering how serious Hugo had gotten with him. Cassandra looked at Varian, taking note of his doubts.

“Okay, Var, let’s just focus on the problem at hand. We can worry about that later.”

Varian nodded and pressed his ear to a door. After a moment, he tried the handle. It jiggled but didn’t budge.

“Step back,” said Cassandra. Varian got out of the way, and she kicked the door three times under the handle. It shuddered and cracked, and on the final kick, it swung open.

Beyond the door was a room filled with tables covered in old, disused lab equipment. The vials and jars all collected dust, and the corners were home to several layers of cobwebs. There were shelves of books and old cabinets filled with junk.

“Do you think it could be in here?” asked Varian.

“Maybe, but let’s be quick about it,” said Cassandra checking the hall to make sure no one was coming.

Varian started digging through the old supplies, finding mostly broken and battered materials. Then Varian found a wooden box that caught his eye. It was old, plain, and looked to be just the right size to hold a book. He tried to open it. Locked. 

“Where’s Hugo when you need him?” he muttered. He went through his bag and found a vial of acid. He carefully poured a little on the lock and watched it eat away at the mechanisms until he was able to lift the lid.

But inside wasn’t a journal. It was a wad of letters.

Curious, Varian lifted the bundle out and pulled off the twine to look through them. Cassandra was still searching through shelves as he started to read under his breath.

My dear Donella,

I’m sorry to hear that your search has not been fruitful. I'm sure the Ingvarrian trial will show itself soon. But let me repeat myself. I’m done looking for the Library. Quirin and I are happy, and Varian is only a month old. No number of promises or bargains will convince me to come back when my family needs me. Our partnership ended in The Dark Kingdom. I’ve forgiven you for what happened, but I will not help you now that I know your intentions for the knowledge we were after. If you want to find the Library and profit from it, fine. Just don’t drag me into your schemes. 

That said… I think I’d like you to meet my son someday. All things considered... I miss you. 

Safe Travels.

Ulla

Varian blinked. The letter in his hand didn't make any sense. Ulla had continued the search. She had rejoined Donella. But she hadn't wanted to leave him....

Something struck deep into Varian’s heart. If her intentions were so awful in Ulla’s eyes, what had Donella said? Did she threaten his Ulla? Blackmail her? If Donella was only out for riches… Did his mom try to stop her? He paged through the letters until he found one addressed to his dad that had been torn to pieces then pasted back together.

Quirin, My love,

I’m sorry, I should never have returned to this journey. I was a fool to think Donella would ever change. The Library must not fall into her hands. I won’t allow it. She’s proven herself unworthy. I have no doubt she will try to stop me. If the worst happens, just know I love you. And make sure Varian knows I love him too. With all my heart.

Yours Forever,

Ulla

This letter… it had never made it to his father. No. Donella had made sure of that. Just like she’d made sure his mother had never made it back either. A dark pit formed in Varian’s stomach, and he knew its name. 

Hatred. 

“Varian, I think you should see this,” said Cassandra. Varian looked up from the letter and watched as Cassandra held up a paper that made his heart nearly stop.

~ * ~

Hugo followed Donella as she calmly walked ahead of him. He looked around. The decor was stark, utilitarian, and sensible in a way that matched the even, measured steps of the woman before him. 

“So... never seen this place before,” said Hugo. “New digs?”

“In a way,” said Donella. “It used to be a quaint little research facility and a place we… I visited frequently. But it was abandoned years ago. When I took on a new contract, it was the perfect place to create a new factory.” She led him into a room outfitted partially as an office and partially as a workshop, a desk with papers on one side, and a table with tools on the other.

“Oh, new contract. Interesting,” said Hugo. “What are you making out here?”

Donella pulled open the desk drawer and pulled out the item they had come here to find. Hugo recalled how his instructions would have led him right to this spot. Donella held the book out for him.

“Best you just focus on your own mission, Hugo,” she said. “You seem to be having enough trouble keeping that boy and his friends on task as it is.”

Hugo took the journal and looked down at it, the wheels in his head turning. “Not that I want to critique your flawless plan… but I was thinking… you implied that the Library wasn’t your goal. Something else was. Why not work together with the nerds. They get what they want, we get what we want, and we don’t have to do this whole song and dance around them.” He lifted his eyes to Donella’s and stepped back when he saw how icy cold they were.

“That’s not like you, Hugo. Wanting to work with others,” she said.

Hugo tried to remain cool under her gaze. “I think they could make good allies for us, that’s all. They’re pretty smart for a bunch of kids.”

“Cyrus warned me about this,” said Donella.

“What?” said Hugo defensively. “About what?”

“That boy, Varian. He is a means to an end, nothing more,” said Donella, walking around Hugo, slowly. “But it seems you’ve started thinking of him as a friend.”

“I…” Hugo wanted to deny it, but he had trouble finding the words to lie to Donella when she fixed him with that stare.

 “And here I thought you already learned what happens when you put your trust in others,” she said.

~ * ~

Hugo, wearing oversized glasses and disheveled clothes that hung awkwardly on his pre-teen frame, was crouched down on the cobblestone against the wall, his eyes and ears straining for the smallest of sounds. A loud sigh behind him broke his concentration.

“It’s not back yet?” asked a girl about his age in equally tattered clothing, her long dark hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned over to try to see around the corner.

“Don’t get so antsy. She’ll be back in a moment,” said Hugo dismissively. Another boy the same age was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He rolled his eyes and smirked. 

“Or she’s been snatched up by a stray cat,” he said. 

Hugo’s head snapped back toward the boy, and he glared at him. “Oh, be quiet, Pip. Olivia’s too clever to be caught.”

The boy’s face burned. “Quit calling me that. I was a kid when they called me that. A pipsqueak.”

“I’ll quit when you stop acting like a pipsqueak,” said Hugo teasingly. 

They went quiet as a little mechanical mouse came running around the corner and hopped up onto Hugo’s knee. Hugo scooped her up and held her close to his face. “Hey, there,” he said sweetly. “All clear?”

The little mouse let out a long squeak then a short one followed by another long then short. Hugo nodded and looked at the others. “The way is clear,” he said. The little mouse put a paw up on Hugo’s cheek, and he nuzzled her proudly before letting her slip up his sleeve to hide safely out of sight. 

“Huh, putting our lives in the hands of a little toy?” asked the dark-haired girl.

“Oh yeah, Tam, Hugie’s had that thing since the orphanage. And he acts like I’m the kid, here,” said Pip.

“You know you’re just jealous,” said Hugo. “Let’s get this job done.”

The three of them crept around the bend and slipped in through a side door. They made their way carefully through a storage room until they found another door. Hugo pressed his ear against it while the other two kept watch. He listened until he was satisfied there was no one on the other side. When he tried the knob, he found it was locked, so he pulled a little pick from his ponytail. A few clicks later, and the door was open.

They moved silently through the next few hallways before Pip tapped Hugo’s shoulder and pointed out the room they were looking for. Hugo smiled and patted Pip’s back in gratitude before going over to it. Inside was a study filled with books and papers plastered in notes.

“What’s Soloman after again?” asked Tam. 

“There should be a stash of coin in here,” said Pip. "This lady gets massive payouts from the Queen for building weapons. Pretty shady stuff. Best that coin gets back to the people.”

“If by people, you mean us,” said Hugo with a chuckle. He looked over the papers and couldn’t help being impressed. “Wow… These designs are outstanding. Look at this motor she’s come up with.”

“Nerd,” said Pip from across the room.

“Bonehead,” said Hugo flippantly. 

“Four-eyes.”

“Half-wit.”

“Will you two either quit it or go find a broom closet to stuff yourselves in?” snapped Tam. 

“I’m not the one who started it,” said Hugo crouching down. He spotted a safe under the table. “Oh, look what I found.” He started to reach for it when Pip pulled him back. “Hey, what’s your deal?”

“Look, you idiot,” said Pip, pointing. Hugo looked and realized he’d missed a wire attached to the safe. “Oh,” he said, caught off guard. “A trap… Thanks.” He looked over at Pip, and the boy gave him a quick smile before moving forward to disable the trap. Hugo watched him and a small smile formed on his face as well.

Together they got the safe open, and each stashed away the money in their pockets. Suddenly, Olivia popped out from Hugo’s collar and started squeaking rapidly.

“Someone’s coming,” hissed Hugo.

They could hear the heavy footsteps coming from down the hall now. The three of them rushed to the window and forced it open. Tam was the first out, using a pipe on the wall to slide down to the ground. 

“Go, Hugo,” said Pip.

“No, you go. Just be quick,” said Hugo, shoving Pip until he relented to jumping out to the pipe. Hugo was just about to follow when the door to the room slammed open, and people in green uniforms rushed in.

Hugo scrambled out, but someone grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him back. He kicked out and flailed, trying to free himself. Olivia ran down his back and jumped onto the person’s arm biting down on their skin. They let go, and Hugo toppled back before he could get hold of the pipe.

He slammed into the ground. He groaned as Pip pulled him up to his feet. Everything hurt. He could hear Olivia chittering in his ear with worry. He looked out to see that Tam was already running. 

He and Pip ran too. But he was terribly hurt from the fall, and as they turned into an alley, Hugo collapsed to the ground again. Pip ran forward without noticing. Hugo reached for him and tried to call out, but he couldn’t get any words out. Olivia jumped off of him and rushed after Pip, squeaking as loud as her tiny little voice box would allow. Pip finally turned, eyes wide in fear, and realized Hugo was on the ground. He made to turn back, but then a shout came from close by. 

“I think they went this way!”

Hugo locked eyes with Pip and watched as the other boy shook his head sadly. He turned to start running again. Olivia continued to squeak; her sounds like alarms in the otherwise quiet alley. She clung to Pip, trying to get him to help. He tried to shake her off, but she just climbed up to his arm, begging. 

“I hear something! Over here!”

Pip was panicked now. He shook his arm violently, and Oliva lost her grip. She slammed into the wall, and Hugo watched, helpless, as she burst into pieces. Pip didn’t even bother to look. He just kept running until he was out of sight. Hugo crawled over to the wall where the bits of his little mouse lay. That’s where he stayed until Donella’s crew found him.

~ * ~

Hugo’s hand slipped into his pocket, and he felt for the little pieces of metal he’d saved from that day.

“Trust. Faith. Friendship. It only leads to pain, Hugo. I had to learn the hard way, too,” said Donella. 

She stood behind him and opened the journal still in his hands. He looked down to see a painting on the open page of Donella with Varian’s mom Ulla. They both looked so young and happy. 

“Like you, I knew how harsh the world could be, but I thought she was different. She made me believe that things like love and trust were real. But the desire for something like The Eternal Library does terrible things to people. Ulla let her passion and her emotions get the best of her. She put her own ideals above the people she claimed to love. And she left me behind.” Donella turned the page over Hugo’s shoulder revealing a portrait of a small dark-haired baby. “And Varian is no different.”

Donella walked back towards her desk. Hugo stared down at the photo. He let out a nervous laugh. “Goggles? He’s harmless. He’d never do anything to hurt his friends.”

“No?” asked Donella, looking back at him. “Has he not told you he’d do anything to achieve his goals?”

Hugo faltered, remembering what Varian said so recently. I need to know the truth. I'll do anything to find it. “Yeah, but-”

“I’ve done a little digging,” said Donella. She went over to a cabinet and unlocked a drawer in it. “I wanted to see if he was really like his mother. Are you aware he was arrested for attempted murder?”

“What?” breathed Hugo, the words making no sense to him.

“Attempted murder. Poisoning. Treason. The boy was friends with the Princess of Corona. But when she declined to help him, he decided to get revenge.” Donella pulled out a piece of paper and walked over to Hugo, placing it over the open journal in his hands. Hugo’s eyes went wide at the sight of Varian’s wanted poster. “Seems like when things don’t go his way, he’s willing to do anything. Including raising an army against his own loved ones.”

~ * ~

Varian’s eyes were wide as he looked at his face, plastered on a wanted poster. 

“How…” he muttered. “Why does she have that?” Varian reached out and took the poster from Cassandra’s hand. She caught his eye, clearly concerned for his reaction.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But it’s not just that. There’s all sorts of notes about you. Look.”

Varian went over to the desk she was at and looked down at various notes and sketches that looked startlingly like his automatons.

“You’re friends… They don’t know about all this, do they?” asked Cassandra.

Varian kept his eyes down. “No… And I can’t let them know. What would they think of me?”

“It was a long time ago, Varian,” said Cassandra.

“Not long enough.” Varian grimaced and started stuffing the notes into his bag, hiding them away. 

“Are you gonna be okay, V?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” said Varian. “The journal’s not here. We have to keep looking.”

“She’s done her research,” said Cassandra, taking one last look over the papers. “But how did she find out so much?”

Varian pushed some of the notes aside until a page caught his eye. He seized it and held up the contract. That familiar hatred bubbled in his stomach as he read the name on the dotted line. 

Andrew.

~ * ~

Yong, Nuru, and Amber crept through the warehouse, occasionally checking the shelves to see if the journal was anywhere to be found. They turned a corner and stopped in their tracks. The room opened up and along the floor in rows upon rows were large mechanical lions.

“What’s all this, then?” asked Amber quietly.

“More weapons…” said Yong.

“An army,” said Nuru. “This would be enough to take down a whole kingdom, but,” Nuru walked closer to one of the lions. They were all quiet and seemingly empty. “This isn’t the symbol for Ingvarr…”

“No, it’s Saporian.”

The three of them looked over to see Varian, and Cassandra had found them. Varian was looking up at the red emblem with a dark expression as they approached.

“Saporian?” asked Yong.

“It’s a small nation that became part of the Kingdom of Corona a long time ago,” said Cassandra. “But there are Separatists from Saporia who hate being part of Corona and have tried to overthrow it.” She looked at Varian.

Varian was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. “They nearly destroyed Corona once… and it looks like they’re planning to do so again with Donella’s help.” The younger three gasped.

“We can’t let that happen, Varian,” said Nuru. “Look at all of this.”

“I know,” said Varian. “You’re right. Corona would never stand a chance if the Saporians got all this.”

The quiet of the room was broken by a loud creaking and hiss. They all looked up to see one of the mechanical lions’ eyes turn red.

~ * ~

“Varian may be brilliant, but he is clearly unstable,” Donella went to sit behind her desk as Hugo carefully folded the wanted poster and tucked it away in a pocket. “People are all the same, Hugo. They all lie, cheat, and turn on each other before the end.”

“So lie, cheat, and turn on them first…” said Hugo evenly. 

“I presume you understand now. There will be no more questions about this mission,” said Donella.

Hugo looked up at her and flashed a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “No more questions. I’ll make sure it’s done.” He tucked the journal under his arm and left the room.

~ * ~

An iron paw the size of a horse smashed down as Varian and the others scattered away. The hulking mechanical lion groaned as steam shot out through the cracks in its side. The paw came down again, and Nuru had to pull Yong out of the way.

Cassandra pulled out her sword, and Varian raised his staff in front of him.

“Uh, Cass, you’ve fought one of these before, right? You know how to take it down?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” said Cassandra. “I have no idea how to beat this thing.”

Nuru and Amber stepped forward, fists raised. “It’s gotta have a weak point somewhere,” said Amber.

Nuru nodded. “Yes, there has to be some way to take it down.”

“How about this!” Yong shouted as he ran forward. He tossed a cluster of dark red balls, which all exploded as they hit the side of the lion. The beast staggered at the impact. Yong looked up with a big smile, thrilled his invention seemed to actually work. 

Then the lion roared and spun, a spiked, club-like tail swinging right at Yong. It hit him and threw him backward. Cassandra caught him and set him down on the ground.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah...” Yong gasped, rubbing his chest where the tail impacted.

“That was amazing, kid, just don’t let your guard down,” Cassandra said before running forward. She swung her sword, impacting the legs with resounding clangs. As the lion tried to swipe at her, she ducked and rolled out of the way. 

Varian took the opportunity to take a vial from his staff and fling it at the lion. It burst against the side and ate away at some of the metal exterior.

Another projectile came from the other side. The bucket slammed right into the lion’s face.

“Hey, kitty!” shouted Nuru.

The giant lion turned its head toward her with a loud creak. 

“Come and get it!” Nuru taunted it as she stuck out her tongue, pressed her thumbs to her temples, and waggled her fingers at it. The lion charged, but before it could get to her, Amber shoved her shoulder against a shelf and sent it and its contents crashing down on top of it. The beast let out a frustrated growl and shook to free itself. 

Nuru and Amber high fived before dodging out of the way again. 

They continued to fight, making some dents to the hard exterior but doing little stop its relentless attacks. They started to tire, and one by one, the lion batted them to the ground.

“Hate- huh-  to say it,” said Amber, panting from exhaustion. “But I don’t- ha- know how much more we can take.”

Cassandra parried another swipe. Varian let out a cry of frustration.

“Ugh, we don’t have time for this!” he shouted. 

“Should we run?” asked Yong, tossing another bomb

“No!” said Nuru. “Look at what just one of these can do! If we don’t destroy these things, they’ll only be used against others. We have to find a way!”

“I’m open to ideas,” said Cassandra. She hacked away at a leg before being knocked back. 

“There’s got to be someone driving it from the inside,” said Nuru. “If we could get to them…”

“Yes!” agreed Varian. He looked up at the lion’s eyes, seeing they were like windows. “Yong! Aim your attacks right at its eyes!” Varian flung one of his vials up at it. The glass shattered against the lion’s face, and he saw a crack in the pane. 

“Got it!” said Yong. He threw one of his bombs, and with a burst of fire, the glass cracked even further. “Yes!” 

The lion roared and lashed out in defense. They all wove around its feet. Yong flung another bomb aiming for its face and managed to hit the joint where its jaw was attached. The explosion ripped the jaw straight off its face and sent it flying. They watched in horror as it landed on Nuru. 

Nuru screamed in pain, and Varian, Cassandra, and Amber shouted for her. Amber rushed over to push the jaw off of her. When she did, they saw Nuru wince and clutch her right leg.

Yong stopped where he was, wide eyes fixed on Nuru as guilt froze him to the spot. 

Cassandra shouted and lept at the lion, aiming for the cracked eye. Her sword pierced it, and glass scattered as she breached the exterior. The lion shook its head, trying to get her off.

“V! A little help!” shouted Cassandra, hanging on as tight as she could. 

Varian, who had been watching Amber try to tend to Nuru, snapped his head up. His face transformed from worry to anger in an instant, and he charged, sending another bottle flying into the opening Cassandra just made. 

Green smoke poured from the inside, and they heard someone cough and sputter. Suddenly, the lion stopped moving, and Cassandra dropped to the floor as the lion’s head opened. A tall, dark-skinned woman with long braids stood in the green-smoke-filled cockpit. Varian recognized her as one of Andrew’s gang, and his rage doubled. He threw another vial, but the woman saw it coming and jumped out of the way, landing on all fours on the floor before scrambling up and running off.

Cassandra climbed up to where the woman had just been sitting and drove her sword down into the controls. They sparked and flashed. Then dark smoke started to pour out. Cassandra quickly jumped out and pulled both Varian and Yong away as the giant mechanical lion shuttered, shook, then exploded from within. 

Shrapnel and bolts flew out everywhere. Cassandra defended the small group from being hit by it. As the smoke cleared and the room grew quiet, Varian jumped up and looked around for the woman.

“Where’d she go!” he said desperately.

“Var, not now,” said Cassandra. “Nuru.”

Varian looked back, remembering the freshest source of his anger. Amber and Cassandra were both gathered around the princess. 

“It’s okay,” said Nuru, though the strain of her voice said otherwise. 

“It looks like it might be broken,” said Amber quietly. 

“No…,” Yong’s voice was barely above a whisper. He stood back, unmoving, his face wet with tears. “I’m… so sorry.”

Nuru smiled at Yong through the pain. “I know, Yong. It’s okay. It was an accident.”

Varian clenched his fists and looked around one more time for the Saporian before giving up and going over to Yong. He put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Yong still flinched at the touch. 

“She’s right, Yong,” he said. “You helped us defeat that thing. We’ll get her fixed up. Don’t worry.”

Yong nodded and wiped his eyes. Cassandra found a broom and snapped off a piece to use a splint for Nuru’s leg. 

“We have to do something about all these machines,” said Nuru as Cassandra worked on her leg. “We can’t let them be used against Corona.”

“But we still need to find the journal,” said Varian.

“You go then, cuz'’,” said Amber. “You and The Huntress go find it, and we’ll take care of these things.”

“I don’t think we should spit again,” said Cassandra.

“No, she’s right,” said Nuru. “I’ve got a plan. We’ve got this. You go. We’ve already wasted too much time. Just make sure you’re out before we raze this place to the ground.”

Varian nodded. “Got it. Coming Cass?”

Cassandra stood. “Let’s make this quick,” she said. 

~ * ~

Hugo turned a corner. He needed to find the others and get out of here. He needed a chance to clear his head. The wanted poster kept flashing through his mind, and Donella’s words rang in his ears. Was she right? Was he letting Varian get under his skin?

"Maybe it's not normal to give trust freely," said Varian. "But now you've earned it. You saved us. So… thank you. I, uh, I’m happy you’re with us."

Varian smiled at him.

Did he think of these people as his friends?

He looked over at Yong with a wink. "Right, Detective?"

Yong giggled and nodded. "Yeah. It's been fun."

Did he really care what happened to them? What they thought of him?

They all sat panting for a moment. Nuru turned and smiled at Hugo. "What was-?"

"Don't," said Hugo.

“No,” said Hugo, under his breath. “She’s right. I know better. I don’t need friends. Not anymore.”

He turned another corner and ran headlong into Varian. They both knocked each other back onto the floor.

“Goggles?” said Hugo.

“Hugo!” exclaimed Varian as loud as he dared. His eyes were lit up in happiness at seeing Hugo, and the expression made Hugo grimace. He knew better. He got up, dusting himself off. 

“Well, Goggles, if you’d just listened to me from the start, this would all have gone so much smoother,” said Hugo. He scooped up the journal that had landed on the floor. “And here’s the proof.”

“You found it,” said Varian, jumping up to his feet to take the book. Hugo allowed it and smiled smugly at Cassandra.

“Yes, we’ll give you your medal later,” said Cassandra cooly. “Let’s just get out of this place before the bomb squad destroys it.”

“Wait, what?” asked Hugo in surprise.

“She’s creating weapons to destroy Corona,” said Varian. “We have to get rid of them.”

“Destroy Corona?” questioned Hugo. “Why would she do that?”

“No time to explain,” said Cassandra. “Let’s just go.”

“No,” said Varian. The other two looked at him in shock.

“What do you mean, no?” asked Hugo. “We’ve got what we came here for.”

“I know,” said Varian. “But things have changed. I need to know the truth about my mom. I need to talk to Donella.”

“No!” said both Hugo and Cassandra simultaneously. 

“Not happening,” said Cassandra.

“Are you crazy?” asked Hugo.

Varian handed the journal back to Hugo. “I have to. I have to know. I don’t care. You two go. I’ll catch up.” 

Before they could say anything more, Varian raced down the hall away from them. Cassandra and Hugo looked at each other before taking off after him.

Varian dropped all pretense. Stealth was no longer the goal. He wanted to be found. “Donella!” he shouted. “Donella!” He ran into a more massive hall, the length of it adorned with lion statues. He stopped short as none other than Donella stepped into the room from the other side. 

“Donella,” he said again, addressing her as he caught his breath.

“Varian,” she said calmly. “The last time I saw you, you were just a baby in your father’s arms.”

~ * ~

Yong, Nuru, and Amber looked around at the line of mechanical lions. Nuru was still on the floor, not ready to walk yet. 

“When The Huntress attacked the mechanisms inside, the whole thing blew,” said Amber. “If we could start a chain reaction, we could make this whole place go up in smoke. Bet it could get big enough to level the whole building.”

“Yong can do it,” said Nuru. “Your explosives. You can rig them to make sure all the lions go off.”

Yong looked back at her with wide eyes. “No… No, I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” asked Nuru. “You’re the only one who can, Yong.”

“No,” he said, his eyes welling up with tears again. “Look at what happened to you! I can’t risk hurting anyone again.”

Amber came over to Yong and put a hand on his shoulder. “Kid, there’s gonna be a lot more people hurt if you don’t try. Just cause there was an accident doesn’t mean you’re out for the count. Do you know how many times I’ve accidentally hurt one a’ my siblings with my inventions?” 

Yong looked up at her. “Really?” 

“Of course,” said Amber. “Not that we shouldn’t take precautions. But you can’t beat yourself up about it. And really, don’t worry about the Princess. We’re gonna get her out of here and take good care of her.”

Yong looked over at Nuru. She smiled at him. “Yong, I saw you help save my people with your fireworks. You’ve already done more good than you give yourself credit for. You can do this.”

Yong wiped his eyes and his face set with determination. He nodded at the two girls and got to work. He rushed over to the line of lions and started setting up his explosives.

Nuru tried to push herself up to her feet but cried out in pain and dropped back down. Amber looked over and rushed to her side. 

“Hey, don’t try to get up,” said Amber. “You’ll only hurt that leg more.”

“But we’re going to have to run out of here,” said Nuru. “As soon as Yong’s ready, we won’t be able to stay.”

“I can carry you,” said Amber, scooting closer.

“Oh!” said Nuru as if she hadn’t considered this possibility. “Oh, I… you… carry…”

Yong ran back towards them. “It’s ready!” he shouted. “We have to go now!” 

“On it!” Amber shouted. She grabbed Nuru and lifted her into her arms, bridal style. “Alley-oop!” Nuru’s arms wrapped around Amber’s neck as she and Yong ran to find the exit. Behind them, the first explosion went off, and as they turned out of the giant room, a plume of fire followed them.

~ * ~

“Such a precious little thing, you were,” said Donella, taking a few steps closer. Varian stood his ground, glaring at her. “That was the day I had to inform your poor father that my dear partner had met her end.”

“That’s a lie!” spat Varian. “You know that’s a lie.”

“Oh?” she responded with interest. 

“My mom is alive!’ he declared. “I found the proof! All your letters!

Donella scowled. “You weren’t supposed to see those,” she said. 

“Why?” asked Varian, his anger boiling over. “Don’t want the truth getting out? Don’t want people knowing how you left her there? How you trapped her in the Library?”

Donella laughed at that, which only made Varian’s face twist further in rage. At this moment, Cassandra and Hugo ran into the room, but neither Donella nor Varian acknowledged them.

“Oh, dear boy. You don’t have any clue what the truth is,” she said. 

“I know that I’m going to complete the trials and save her!” shouted Varian. “And you can’t stop me!”

“You might want to listen to what I have to say first,” said Donella.

“No!” said Varian. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”

“And yet you sought me out,” said Donella. “Varian-”

“No!” Varian cut her off. “No!” Tears burst into his eyes. “You tricked her into coming back to you, and then you betrayed her! You stole my mom from me, Donella!”

Donella shook her head, unfazed by Varian’s temper. “So what will you do then?” she asked. “Freeze me in amber? Crush me with a machine?”

Varian took a step back. 

Donella smiled. “Will you do the same thing to your friends if they dare get in your way?”

“Varian, don’t listen to her,” said Cassandra, stepping forward to get between him and Donella. “She’s just messing with your head.”

“You’re just the same as her, Varian,” said Donella, ignoring Cassandra. Her cold eyes were locked with his tear-filled ones. “Both stubborn. Both refusing to listen to the people closest to you. I never betrayed Ulla. She’s the one who turned her back on me.”

“No,” said Varian.

Behind them, Hugo watched with growing terror as Donella spoke and Varian shook with pent up emotion.

“Varian, stop. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” said Cassandra. “We need to get out of here.”

“Just like you’ll be the one to turn your back on your friends,” Donella said.

Varian’s mouth gaped at the accusation. 

“That’s it!” shouted Cassandra. She ran forward, sword drawn, and lashed out at Donella. Donella pulled a long baton from her pocket and held it up. Cassandra’s sword crossed with the baton, and an electric shock shot through Cassandra’s body. She screamed and staggered back.

Donella lifted and hand and snapped her fingers. Half a dozen green uniformed men rushed into the room behind her. Cassandra recovered and readied herself to face them.

“No!” shouted Hugo. “There’s too many! Let’s go!” He rushed forward and grabbed Varian’s shoulder. Varian was still staring at Donella. 

“You’re lying,” Varian said to her.

“Just read that journal, boy. You’ll realize I’m not,” she said. 

Hugo continued to tug on Varian. “Come on. Come on!”

Then the floor started to shake. 

Everyone stumbled as the shaking grew stronger and stronger. The statues along the wall toppled and smashed. Donella looked around, her calm finally gone. When she looked back at Varian, it was with anger. 

“What did you do?” she growled. 

“Oh, just pulled the plug on this little operation of yours,” said Cassandra with a smile. “Regards from Corona. Come on, Var.” She grabbed the arm Hugo wasn’t currently tugging on and helped convince him to run. Varian took one last look at Donella before bolting with the other two. They could hear Donella screaming orders as they tore down the hall. Hugo ran ahead and stopped in front of a window. 

“Here,” he said. 

“You expect us to jump out that?” asked Cassandra incredulously.

“Maybe with a little bubble magic?” said Hugo with a wink at Varian. Varian still looked torn but produced a blue ball at the suggestion. Hugo frowned. “C’mon, there Freckles. Normally you’d be whining about me calling it magic…”

Varian didn’t respond, a storm raging confusedly behind his eyes.

Another rumble shook the hall. 

“And we don’t exactly have time for your nonsense, Beanpole,” said Cassandra. “Let’s just do it!”  

A moment later, they were flying out from the window atop a set of large alchemical bubbles. They looked back as explosions started to tear apart the building, and the walls began to crumble. 

“No! The others!” shouted Varian. 

“Over here!” 

They all turned and saw a head of ginger hair jumping up and down, arms waving to get their attention. She was over in the treeline. Varian, Cassandra, and Hugo waited until their bubbles floated over the trees before they jumped down into the branches. 

They climbed down and rejoined Yong, Nuru, and Amber on the ground.

“Nice work,” said Cassandra, looking back to admire the rubble that once had been Donella’s base, currently engulfed in flame. 

“It was all Yong,” said Nuru. “He was amazing.”

Yong blushed but looked over at the rubble with apprehension. “You don’t think… I didn’t want to hurt anyone else…”

“Don’t worry,” said Hugo. “I’m sure Donella and her crew got out. They probably have secret ways of escape.” He ruffled Yong’s hair, and Yong sighed in relief. “But that means they’re going to be pretty angry with us, so we better get the wagon and get as far away as possible.”

“Good thinking,’ said Nuru. 

~ * ~

It was dark by the time they were underway back to the Nesdernian capitol. Nuru, Amber, and Yong all sat in the wagon, where they worked on tending to Nuru’s leg. Cassandra and Varian sat in the front, and Cassandra took charge of steering Prometheus. Hugo sat with his legs dangling out the back of the wagon, looking back at the road as they went.

Rain started to patter down on them, and Cassandra, Varian, and Hugo found hoods to pull up over their heads. Cassandra kept looking over at Varian, who kept his eyes down on the journal he’d fought so hard to obtain. He didn’t make any move to open it. 

“You have to know she was lying,” said Cassandra. “Maybe she wasn't perfect, but you know you’re mom wouldn’t betray anyone.”

“Do I?” asked Varian. “Cass, I don’t even know my mom.”

“Sure you do,” said Cassandra. “You’ve read her first journal. You have a connection with her. And now, you have her second journal. You’ll get to know her even better.”

“But what if I don’t like what I find?” asked Varian, placing a hand on the cover of the journal.

Cassandra put a hand on top of his. “Whatever you find, you have your friends to help you through it,” she said.

Varian nodded, and after a moment, Cassandra went back to driving the wagon. The rain started to come down harder, and Varian pulled a cloak over his lap to protect the journal. Still, he didn’t open it. Instead, he pulled a piece of paper out from his pocket and smoothed it open on top of the cover as rain dotted its surface. It was his wanted poster.

In the very back of the wagon, out of sight of the others, Hugo pulled the same poster out of his own pocket and stared at it as well. 

Chapter Text

The rain that had started as they made their way back to the capital of Nesdernia didn’t relent. It only came down harder and harder until it was a full torrent. Varian and Cassandra, sitting upfront on the wagon, had hoods pulled down against the downpour but poor Prometheus was soaked and shaking. It was also getting dark.

“I don’t know how much more Prometheus can take,” said Varian, voice full of concern.

“We can’t exactly set up camp in this,” said Cassandra in annoyance. 

Yong poked his head out from the wagon, Ruddiger on his shoulder. “Um, guys, you should come inside. It’s getting really bad out there.” They gasped as a sudden flash lit up their faces. It was almost immediately followed by thunder cracking through the air like a colossal whip. Before they could move, Prometheus’s trembling hooves scurried up between Cassandra and Varian, desperate to get in the wagon himself.

“Hey, hey, hold on a second,” soothed Cassandra, pushing him back down. “There’s no way we’ll all fit in there.”

Amber poked her head out now. “Maybe there’s a place we can pull off and wait out the storm?”

“Where?” asked Cassandra. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.” Another flash of lightning and another clap of thunder had Yong pulling the curtain over his ears in fright.

“Some folks have farms or cabins out this way,” said Amber. “Like you said, we can’t all shelter in here and we can’t camp out there either.”

Nuru poked her head out now. “She’s right. We should at least look.”

“Hey,” said Amber, gently pushed on Nuru’s shoulder “Sit back down. You can’t be putting weight on that leg.”

“I’ll go.”

Varian jumped with a startled shout. He did not expect a voice to come from his other side. He and the others looked over to see Hugo, hooded and cloaked, standing by the cart. “Oh! Hugo. What do you mean, you’ll go?”

“I can go ahead and try to find a barn or something we can spend the night in,” said Hugo. “It’ll be faster than trying to get the cart down the muddy road.”

“Good thinking,” said Cassandra, jumping down next to Hugo. Mud splashed onto him and he flinched back. “Let’s go, then.”

“What?” said Hugo. “No. Not with you.”

“Yes, with me,” said Cassandra. “I’m not letting you go alone.” She looked back up at Varian and the others. “Hang tight. Maybe put some blankets over Prometheus. We’ll be back soon. C’mon, Beanpole.”

She started off down the road and Hugo rolled his eyes before following. 

They walked silently for a while, all their energy focused on seeing anything through the sheets of rain. Cassandra spared a glance over at Hugo but also caught a shadow moving above him. She looked up and realized with a shock that a long, heavy branch was falling from a tree. She shoved him, getting them both out of the way of the falling projectile. Hugo looked over to see the branch jutting out of the mud where he’d just been standing.

“Well look at that,” he shouted over the wind. “You do care.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Just because you’re insufferable doesn’t mean I want you to get hurt.” She continued walking, shouting the rest over her shoulder. “Besides, you’re one of Varian’s friends. He’d be heartbroken if something happened to you.”

Hugo flinched at the word ‘friends’ and his face turned to a deeper frown at the word ‘heartbroken’. He caught up with Cassandra. “I don’t know if friends is really the word for it,” he said. “I don’t really do ‘friends’.”

“Oh really?” said Cassandra. “Well, you better tell Varian that, because he doesn’t believe that at all. Not the way he looks at you.” 

Hugo shrugged. “I’m just here cause I’m useful. All Varian cares about is that Library.”

Suddenly, Cassandra had the front of Hugo’s shirt in her fists and was pulling him to look at her. “Is this about what that Donella woman said back there?” she growled.

Even pulled so close Hugo still tried to look away. “Maybe it is. So what.”

“You really think he’s going to betray you?” asked Cassandra.

Hugo finally met her fiery stare. “You’d know better than me what he’s capable of, Coronian.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened and she pushed Hugo away before marching ahead again. Hugo stumbled back and watched Cassandra’s back with a pained expression. “So, it’s true,” he whispered.

~ * ~

At the wagon, the rest of the group had managed to cover Prometheus in enough blankets to protect him from the rain and then huddled inside the wagon to wait for Hugo and Cassandra to return. Yong and Varian sat next to each other on one side while Amber and Nuru, her leg now in a splint, sat on the other. Ruddiger was curled as close as possible to Yong and both of them jumped and shook at the sound of each crash of thunder.

Varian offered a smile to Yong. “You really shouldn’t be nervous. The warm air blowing in from the Nesdernian Sea is just meeting the Kotoan Mountains and the resulting pocket of low pressure creates the strong winds resulting in these cumulonimbi.”

“And you know, Yong. This thunder is not unlike the sound of your fireworks,” said Nuru. “I would think you’d find them more fascinating than scary.”

Yong visibly relaxed. “I never thought of it like that. Yeah, you’re right. It’s not scary at all.” He sat up a bit straighter, confidence returning

At that moment lightning struck so close that it rattled the wagon and made everyone including Yong jump in surprise.

Nuru looked over her shoulder in the direction Hugo and Cassandra walked off. “I hope they’re doing okay out there. Maybe they shouldn’t have gone alone.”

“Nah, the Huntress has probably seen far worse than this,” said Amber. “They’ll be fine. They’ll be back before you know it.”

The wagon rocked.

“That must be them,” said Varian. He turned and called out through the back curtain of the wagon. “Hugo? Cass?”

There was no response. Curious, Varian poked his head out and into the rain. He squinted around but couldn’t see anyone. The wagon rocked again. Varian jumped out and crouched down to look underneath.

Two children, a boy and a girl of maybe about six or seven, and soaked to the bone, were huddled underneath and clutching each other in fear.

“Kids?” asked Varian out loud. The two strange children just stared at him with wide eyes. “Hey, um, are you okay?” He reached towards them and they flinched back making him pull his hand back. Varian stood and spoke to the others. “Um, heh, there’s some kids under the wagon. I think they’re lost.”

Yong, Ruddiger in his arms, hoped down to take a look as well as Amber and Nuru looked on with curiosity. When Yong saw the kids he gave them a big smile and a little friendly wave. Ruddiger jumped down from his arms and hesitantly made his way over to the children. They watched him and when he pawed gently at the boy’s leg the boy reached down and carefully petted his head. This seemed to do the trick and the two kids stopped clutching each other in terror. Ruddiger sniffed them and then cocked his head in curiosity at the smell before running back and hopping on Varian’s shoulder. 

“Do you two need help?” asked Varian. “How did you get all the way out here?”

The kids looked at each other then pointed out into the woods. Both Varian and Yong tried to look out to where they were pointing. 

“Is something out there?” asked Yong. Both children nodded. Varian squinted hard through the sheets of rain and woods but he couldn’t see anything. Then the little boy crawled over to Varian and was taking his hand. The little girl did the same to Yong. They both started tugging and leading Varian and Yong towards the woods, pointing out to something that still could not be seen. 

“Uh, hold on, where are we going?” asked Varian. The kids didn’t answer but just continued to point. 

Amber poked her head out of the wagon. “Hey, where are you going?”

“I don’t know,” said Yong. “They’re trying to show us something.”

“Wait. Hold on,” called Amber. She ducked back into the wagon and a moment later hopped out with Nuru in her arms. The rain was letting up a little but both girls still flinched as it came down on them. 

“This is a really dumb idea,” said Nuru. “Following two strange kids into the woods during a storm.” 

“Yeah,” agreed Amber. “But look’s like that’s what we’re doing. Maybe someone is hurt.” Amber lifted the hitch off of Prometheus and helped Nuru into the saddle. Then she took the reins and pulled. The donkey brayed in a tired resistance that made the girls huff. 

But after another crash of thunder, Prometheus quickly hurried forward.

They walked for only about five minutes through the trees when Varian realized there was a glow in the distance. The children were heading for it and with the goal in sight they moved a bit faster. 

As Amber walked she accidentally stepped on something, almost sending her to the ground. 

“What was that?” asked Nuru, a hand gripped tight to the back of Amber’s jacket, keeping her upright. 

Amber looked down at her foot which was buried in a round orange gourd. 

“A pumpkin?” said Amber in surprise. She pulled her foot out and shook it to remove the sloppy yellow pulp that stuck to her boot. “Must be a farm or somethin’ nearby.” 

“Guys, you gotta see this!” called Yong. Amber pulled the reins as Prometheus ducked to eat the remains of the punctured pumpkin and the trio rushed to see what the others were looking at.

The trees cleared and they could see even more pumpkins strewn about in a haphazard garden, a wet and very sad looking scarecrow watching over them. But the garden wasn’t what caught everyone’s eyes. Rather, it was the large house that lay in the center. I must have been a house. It had a door, and windows just like any other home, as well as a little wooden fence and path leading up to it. It even had a chimney poking out of the top. But it didn’t look like any house any of them had ever seen. 

It looked like a giant boot.

“It’s just like the story!” said Yong, excitedly. 

Varian was rubbing rain from his eyes as if he thought he was just seeing it wrong. 

Nuru glared at the structure. “Okay I thought we’ve seen weird but… This is weird,” she said. 

“Did we all get struck by lightning? Is this all some sort of crazy shared dream?” asked Amber.

The kids were tugging on Varian and Yong’s hands again. Varian resisted but Yong let himself be led to the front door. 

“Yong, uh, hold on!” said Varian.

“This must be where they live,” said Yong. “We should make sure they get back safely.”

The girl who had been leading Yong rapped her little fist on the door and it opened a few moments later. 

A tall but frail-looking old woman looked out at them, smiling when she saw the strangers.  “Oh my,” she said. Her voice was sweet and kindly and had a faint foreign accent to it. “Oh children! What are you all doing out here in the rain? Please, please, come on inside,” As Amber reluctantly helped Nuru down from Prometheus, the woman's eyes fell upon them. “Oh, and Benard. take that poor animal to the stable and give him some oats to eat.”

The little boy who had been holding onto Varian rushed over to Prometheus and led him away to the other side of the boot house. Then they let themselves be ushered inside. The boot had seemed massive from the outside but the entrance room they were in now was smaller and cozy. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all made from patchwork leather and cloth that one would expect to find in a shoe, but the furniture was plush floral sofas and chairs set upon soft throw rugs and surrounding a modest fire. The walls were covered in an odd assortment of paintings, nicknacks, and clocks.

“Thank you for finding my children,” said the old woman. “Benard and Manon are always getting themselves into trouble. They should not have been out in such terrible weather.”

“Oh, well, it was fine,” said Varian. “We were just out on the road. We were actually just waiting for our companions to come back.”

“Oh?” said the woman.

“Yeah,” said Yong “They were trying to find a place for us to stay for the night.”

“Well, if it is a place you are looking for,” said the woman. “You are absolutely welcome here. No one should have to be on the road on such a night. I am Madame Mayes.”

Varian leaned into Nuru and Amber. Yong was starting to play with Jillian, starting to run around the room in an impromptu game of tag. “What do you think?” asked Varian in a whisper.

“I really don’t know about this,” whispered Nuru. “Everything about this is strange. This house… how does it even exist?”

“I know,” whispered Amber. “But our other choice is the wagon. It might not even be safe to stay there if that Donella lady and her lackeys happen to be coming after us.”

“She has a point,” said Varian.

“Yes, but what about Cassandra and Hugo,” said Nuru. “They’re still out there.”

“Oh, don’t worry about your companions,” said Madame Mayes. “I can have some of my children wait for them. You said you were out on the road? Dorothy, Thomas, Maurise! Please go wait for their companions! Manon, Elise, Peter, and Nathaniel, please show these poor travelers the guest quarters.

More young children emerged into the room. They watched as three of them exited out the door and out into the storm while the other four started gesturing for them to follow. With no good reason to protest, Yong, Varian, Nuru, and Amber were led away. After heading up odd patchwork leather stairs they were separated. Varian and Yong were ushered by two children to one room down the hall and Nuru and Amber were brought to another room further up the stairs. 

Inside Varian and Yong’s room were two double beds with soft but dusty looking quilts on top. The room was otherwise unremarkable. Ruddiger immediately went about to sniff his new surroundings. Varian sat down on one of the beds and looked around. One of the children, a little girl, went up to Yong who was still exploring the corners of the room. She smiled up at him, holding something behind her back. Yong returned her smile. 

“Oh, hey there,” he said. “What’s your name?”

The girl didn’t answer, but laughed softly and revealed a little teapot she’d been holding behind her back. “Play with me?” she asked in a soft, barely-there voice.

~ * ~

Hugo and Cassandra were still fighting the rain and the wind with no sign of any life or shelter on the road. 

“This is useless,” said Cassandra. “We need to go back.”

Hugo didn’t argue. He just turned and started back for the wagon. As they approached they could see three small shadows waiting in front of it. Cassandra stepped in front of Hugo and drew her sword. Hugo reached into his pocket and found a vial of chemicals. He shook it and produced a bright green light. When he held it up it illuminated the faces of three wet but smiling children. Cassandra’s brow furrowed in confusion and she lowered her sword. She looked back at Hugo who was just as befuddled. Cassandra ran around the kids to the wagon and looked inside. “They’re gone.” She looked back at the kids and shouted at them. “What happened to them?”

The kids flinched slightly at her tone but all pointed to a place off the road. Hugo held his light out in that direction but could only see the dense trees and foliage. The kids waved at them then started heading into the woods. Cassandra and Hugo looked at each other one more time before following. As they went they couldn’t help but notice the patches of pumpkins growing on the ground. 

Finally, they came to the clearing with the mansion-sized boot. Both Cassandra and Hugo’s jaws dropped. 

“You’re joking,” said Cassandra.

“You don’t… you don’t really think those idiots went inside that thing do you?” asked Hugo.

One of the kids started tugging at Hugo’s sleeve but he quickly pulled it away and glared down at them. 

“I think we both know the answer to that,” said Cassandra. Her sword was still out and she held it at the ready as she approached the house. She swung open the door and stepped inside cautiously. The three children ran in behind her, giggling and all started to run off in various directions. Hugo walked in after and looked around. 

“Be careful with that, mademoiselle,” said a sweet voice. They both looked to see the old lady standing by the fire. She was tending it with an iron poker and her eyes were on Cassandra’s sword. “I don’t want my children getting hurt.”

Cassandra ignored the woman’s plea and instead directed the blade straight toward her. “Who are you? Where are our friends?”

The woman smiled. “Oh, I see. You are just worried for your companions. Don’t be. They are perfectly safe upstairs. My name is Madame Mayes and this is my home. You were looking for a place to stay for the night, were you not?” 

Hugo put his hand on the flat of Cassandra’s sword and pushed it down as he eye’d Madame Mayes. “We were. What a strange and happy coincidence that you were here. Though I’ll admit I thought houses made from shoes were so last century.”

Madame Mayes smiled wider. “I happen to be a collector of things that are a bit odd and unusual. I wanted my home to reflect that. But please, you both are soaked to the bone. Let my children show you to your rooms and I can have a bath drawn for you.”

“That does sound lovely,” said Hugo, charmingly smiling back. “But I think we’d rather just find the others.”

“Of course,” said the Madame. “The children will show you.”

Little hands started pushing and pulling on Hugo and Cassandra’s clothes. They reluctantly went up the stairs and the children’s bidding. As soon as they reached the next floor Hugo looked at Cassandra. “We’re not trusting her, right?”

“Not in a million years,” said Cassandra. “We’re finding the others then getting out of here.”

The children split and started going off in different directions giggling. “Hey, hold on!” said Hugo. 

“We don’t need them,” said Cassandra. “How big can this place be?” She opened the nearest door to a small sitting room. “Hello? Varian?”

Hugo followed suit opening another door and shouting in. “Hey, Princess! Firecracker!” They went on like this, moving down the hall and shouting. 

~ * ~

Nuru sat on a frilly old quilt, arms crossed and face stern as Amber tried to see out the stormy window. She turned back and frowned at Nuru’s expression.

“Your leg hurting you?” she asked.

“It’s not that,” said Nuru. “It’s this place. It’s too strange to be real.”

“Seems pretty real to me,” said Amber, running her hand along the very tangible dark wall.

“I don’t like it,” said Nuru. “I think we should find Varian and Yong. I think we need to at least stick together tonight. Make sure nothing happens to anyone.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Amber. She went over to the bed, lifted Nuru into her arms again, and together they headed out to find the others.

~ * ~

The next door Cassandra opened looked like a little girl’s room. It was decorated in pink bows and frills. At the center was a short table set for tea. One of the children sat at the table and was currently pretending to feed little crackers to the teddy bear next to her. 

“Ugh, not in here either,” said Cassandra.

 Hugo poked his head over Cassandra’s shoulder and looked at the stuffed toys sitting around the little table. One was a stuffed rabbit with big blue eyes. It had familiar looking goggles perched on its head. 

“Hey,” said Hugo, pushing past Cassandra into the room. “Where did you get those?” He reached down to pull off the goggles but the little girl snatched the stuffed bunny up and held it close. “Did you steal those?” 

“Hugo, Varian isn’t the only person who has goggles,” said Cassandra, coming into the room to try to reason with him. 

“No, but I recognize those,” said Hugo. “I know they’re his. She stole them, didn’t you?” He accused again, rounding on the girl. She just stared up at him defiantly. 

Cassandra looked around at the other stuffed toys and noticed the bear seemed to be wearing a red shirt that had singe marks on it. Next to it was a stuffed raccoon. “Okay, that’s a little weird,” she admitted. 

“Give them here,” said Hugo, still focused on the goggles. He snatched them off the bunny’s head and held them up high so the little girl couldn’t reach them.

“Oh, well that’s mature,” said Cassandra.

“She shouldn’t have stolen them,” said Hugo. 

“Why do you even care so much?” asked Cassandra. “I thought you weren’t friends.”

“We aren’t,” said Hugo, still holding up the goggles as the little girl jumped for them. “It’s the principal of the thing.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Cassandra. “And anyway, you’re wrong about him. So is Donella. Neither of you understands what happened to him… to us .”

Hugo was about to respond but his attention was redirected to the girl’s face which had just gone bright red in anger as she clutched the bunny. She sucked in a big breath, then started to scream. The sound was piercing and Hugo and Cassandra were forced to cover their ears. Then the door slammed shut behind them. The impact jostled a spider off the ceiling and onto Hugo’s head. It started crawling down his face and he hastily brushed it away. The girl continued to scream, only pausing to catch her breath.

“Let’s just go,” said Hugo. He ran for the door and tried to pull on it as a few more spiders fell down from the ceiling. The door wouldn’t budge. Cassandra pushed him out of the way. She tried the door but it wouldn’t budge.

“Give. Th̸̪͝ê̸͈͓ḿ̵̻. B̴̡̬͍͖̩̳̙̮͈̪̍á̷̢̛̹̐̒c̸͈͈̽ͅk̶̯̯͖̙̼̠̬̥̙̈́̊̈́͋̎̈̄͝.”

Hugo and Cassandra turned to the little girl who had just spoken, but her voice had become strange and deep. More tiny spiders fell from the ceiling and crawled across the floor. More and more came out from corners and under furniture. One of the stuffed animals, a little yellow duck, burst, and a swarm of spiders emerged. Hugo and Cassandra watched in horror as the spiders all gathered together. They climbed on top of each other forming a writhing mass that grew and grew until it became a giant bear-sized spider. 

The girl screamed again, pointing at Hugo and the strange spider monster lurched at him. Hugo and Cassandra yelled and ran. With the door not working they were forced to run for the other side of the room. The spider monster followed, its legs awkward and stuttered and its skin still undulating with all the tiny spiders that made up its form. 

Hugo dived behind a little princess bed as Cassandra rounded on the monster. As it slinked towards her she drew her sword again and swung it. She sliced through the monster, creating a hollow gash where her blade had been. Several spiders were knocked away and scattered on the floor, but the rest swiftly clung back together and repaired the damage.

Cassandra tried again and again, but her sword made no lasting damage in the creature’s body. Over at the tea table the little girl was cuddling the stuffed rabbit and giggling at Cassandra’s struggles. The monster swarmed over Cassandra and the spiders began to spin little webs around her limbs. She wrenched herself away and ran to Hugo’s hiding spot, webs still clinging to her body.

Hugo popped out and tossed a pair of brightly colored balls . They passed right through the dark body but exploded in grand puffs of green and purple smoke as they hit the floor sending a wave of spiders flying across the room. The creature stumbled and stuttered as it tried to reform. 

Hugo threw more bottles but as they sailed through the air the monster shot out a gob of web, diverting them to the side to explode harmlessly against the wall. The little spiders skittered back into the mass and reformed once more before crawling towards Hugo and Cassandra’s hiding spot.

“Any more bright ideas?” asked Cassandra.

“Working on it,” said Hugo as they darted out of the way of the abomination and sprinted for the other side of the room. The little girl giggled and Cassandra’s eyes fell on her. The little girl was seated at her table once more and happily watching their plight as she pretended to pour tea for her stuffed companions. 

“She’s the one who caused this,” said Cassandra, ducking as a long writhing limb reached out for her.

“You want to fight a child?” asked Hugo, tossing another vial at the creature. 

“You could give the goggles back,” said Cassandra.

“Not a chance,” snapped Hugo. 

The monster pounced and swarmed over Hugo and Cassandra. They were pulled into its dark form as the tiny spiders spun webs around them. They tried to fight off the binds but it was becoming harder and harder. Hugo glared over at the girl, watching as she smiled back, the little porcelain teapot in her hands. 

Spite coursed through him and he somehow managed to wiggle free. He pulled a knife out of the pocket in his pants and used it to cut the webs around him. Then he darted for the girl. 

Without stopping to think about it Hugo grabbed the teapot in her hands. She tried desperately to hang onto it. Hugo jerked it upwards violently and the girl’s fingers slipped away.In a fluid motion Hugo brought the teapot back down, smashing it into the floor. 

Two things happened at once: 

The mass of spiders dissipated leaving a disheveled and out of breath Cassandra where it once had been; And with three little pops the bunny, the bear, and the raccoon were replaced with Varian, Yong, and Ruddiger looking dazed and confused

Varian and Yong rubbed their heads and eventually, Varian looked up to meet Hugo’s eyes.

“What?” asked Hugo, flabbergasted. “How?”

“We… we were about to have a tea party,” said Yong slowly.

“It was almost an eternal tea party,” said Cassandra as she lifted herself up and came over to the other three. Ruddiger hopped onto Varian’s shoulder and rubbed against him, relieved to be back to normal. Hugo handed over Varian’s goggles and Varian took them gratefully, giving Hugo a weak smile. The corner of Hugo’s mouth tiredly twitched upward in response. 

“No!” screamed the little girl. “I want to p̶̣͔̮̂̾̆͊̃́̚l̵̞̂͂̆̚a̵̼̝̣͚̙̻͆̅͜y̷̨̰̬̗̜̭̱̆͒̽̋̂̅̀̊̔!” She rushed at Hugo. He stepped back as she grabbed one of the shattered pieces of the teapot and held it up with the intention of jamming it into him. 

Varian grabbed her arm and held her back as Hugo stepped further away. She growled and turned on Varian, her eyes glowing like flames. He let go, startled and she leapt at Varian now.

Yong intercepted her. He dove into her, arms around her waist and bringing her to the ground. Her head slammed against the floor and she was a little girl no longer. A bright orange pumpkin was in Yong’s arms and it smashed against the floor, wet, stringy goop spilling out.

“What?” Yong scrambled back, hurriedly wiping the sticky substance from his hands as he stared at the pumpkin in horror. “What happened to her?”

"I don't- I don't know…" Varian's face paled as he pulled Yong up off the floor and backed them further away from the pulpy gore. The rest of the girl's body had become a straw stuffed scarecrow dressed in her clothes. "I don't think…"

"I don't think that was a 'her'" Cassandra finished, her face dark and unreadable as she poked the orange remains with the tip of her blade. 

"What in the gourd-filled hellscape is that supposed to mean?" Hugo snapped. 

"I'm not… completely sure yet. But I have a theory." She met his gaze with a glare, "And we better hope I'm wrong." Before Hugo could press further she turned to Varian "Where are the others?" 

Varian's eyes were locked on the pumpkin creature and his grip was locked on his young friend's shoulders. At Cassandra's voice he fell out of his daze with a start.

"They should be upstairs. Cass, what's wro-"

"We have to find them. Now." No one had time or words to argue as Cassandra ushered them out the room. 

They rushed down the hall. More children poked their heads out from doors as they went and the group kept their distance as they followed Cassandra. They found the stairs and rushed up. The next floor looked the same; a long leathery hallway with a series of doors. They walked down it. Cassandra had her sword out and ready. Faint little giggles came from behind several of the doors. The group jumped and twisted at the faintest sound of them. Varian noticed Yong shivering in fright and he nudged Ruddiger. The raccoon hopped into Yong’s arms and the boy gratefully cuddled him for comfort.

Then came a scream. 

“Help!”

“Nuru?” muttered Yong. He darted in the voice’s direction, Ruddiger still held tight in his arms. 

“Yong, wait!” cried Varian.

“I got him,” said Cassandra, running straight after Yong. The scream came again and Yong followed it through an open door. Cassandra ran in, hot on his heels. As Varian and Hugo were about to follow the door slammed shut in their faces. 

Varian pulled on the knob, trying to get it open. 

“Allow me, Goggles,” said Hugo, pulling a pick from his hair. Varian stepped back and Hugo started on the lock. But as soon as he stuck the pick inside it dissolved to dust. “What the- ? What is this place?” 

“We have to get out of here,” said Varian.

Hugo looked back at Varian, his expression strange. “Trying to leave without the others?”

Varian met Hugo’s eyes in shock. “What? No, that’s not what I meant.” 

Hugo smirked. “Just a joke. No need to be so defensive.” Hugo reached into his pocket. “What we need to do is find that old lady,” he pulled a chemical vial out, “and force her to stop all this.”

Varian was still recovering from the whiplash of Hugo’s words but he nodded and led the way down the stairs. 

~ * ~

The room Yong ran into was a cluttered and confusing mess. Furniture was stacked up to the ceiling, leaving little paths throughout. Some chairs teetered threateningly on their perches and some pieces were draped in long white cloths. Cassandra lost sight of Yong immediately. 

“Kid?” Cassandra called. She ducked under a wardrobe that had been knocked at an angle and looked around. She could hear the patter of feet but no other sounds gave any hint as to where Yong had gone off to. And there was no sign of the person who screamed.

Cassandra looked back and saw that Varian and Hugo were nowhere to be seen either. “ Great , just what I needed. Thanks!”

Someone moved behind Cassandra and she swung around to face them. There was no one there. More movement came from the corner of her eye. She turned and once again and saw a white cloth flutter like it had just been disturbed. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed and she held her sword out in front of her as she slowly approached the swaying cloth. Then with one swift movement she grabbed a handful and pulled out of the way.

Her eyes widened as they met her own image standing in a floor length mirror.

~ * ~

Varian reached the bottom landing but was shocked when he didn’t see the entrance room with the fireplace. Instead it was another long hallway. 

“Th-That’s not possible,” said Varian. He walked forward a little bit. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“Yeah, well, neither did you turning into a cotton stuffed toy,” said Hugo.

“How are we going to get out?” asked Varian. 

“I told you, Hairstripe,” said Hugo. “That lady is going to have the answers. She’s who we have to find. C’mon.” Hugo strode down the hall and Varian followed as quickly as he could. Hugo threw open the first few doors they came upon and found empty rooms beyond.

Varian tried a door and saw an old fashioned kitchen. He was about to close the door again when he heard a humming sound as if someone was singing. Thinking it might be the Madame, Varian crept inside. Hugo noticed this and followed with equally light footsteps.

They rounded the corner and saw three children huddled around the biggest stove Varian had ever seen. In the soft light of the oven the children suddenly looked far less human, with twisted stems and leaves poking out of their hair and straw sticking out of their clothes. One of the children was humming the song Varian had heard before. They weren't the only bizarre thing. Along the walls on either side were shelves crammed with pies. Freshly cooked, they looked and smelled delicious but seemed… off.

Varian and Hugo shared a disturbed look then turned to leave. Standing behind them were two glowing eyed children, each holding a pie. They offered them up.

“Join us,” they said in unison. 

“Um… uh, no thanks,” said Varian, backing up with Hugo. Hugo looked behind them and saw the kids that were by the stove had turned and were approaching as well. Varian swung his staff trying to keep them all away. Hugo grabbed a rolling pin from the counter and held it out as well going back to back with Varian. 

They each swung out as they were surrounded. Two children jumped onto Varian, grabbing his arms and dragging him to the floor with more strength then should have been possible.

Hugo tried to knock them away with his rolling pin. He caught the boy closest to him in the chest and it stumbled back into the shelves, hitting his head. Once more it turned into a pumpkin and at once smashed to pieces as his scarecrow body slumped to the floor. 

The other children saw this and all started to scream with rage.

As their shrill sounds filled the air the shelves shook and the pies started to rattle. Then they all burst and streams of black feathered birds flew into the air. The fluttering, cawing cloud of birds spiraled down and attacked Hugo. They began to peck and claw at him, tearing his clothes and pulling hair from his ponytail. Hugo shielded his eyes as he batted them away with the pin.

Once the children started screaming, their grip loosened enough for Varian to rip himself from their grasp. He rolled away from them under the table and sprung to his feet only to immediately duck back for cover as a blackbird just missed his face.

Varian dumped out some ingredients from his bag and hastily started mixing them as Hugo fought with all his might to stop the relentless attack. 

“Hey Hugo? Close your eyes!” shouted Varian. Hugo heeded the warning and screwed his eyes shut. Varian hurled a concoction out in the middle of the floor and a huge flash of color and sound went off. The birds wobbled and swayed, dazed by the bomb. 

With them distracted Varian rushed out from under the table and grabbed Hugo’s wrist. They rushed to the door but found it blocked by the screaming children. Their hesitation was all the birds needed to recover and the column of black wings was once again coming straight for them. Varian pulled them both out of the way and they ran round the kitchen as the birds pursued. 

Then Varian’s eyes fell on the stove. 

He dragged Hugo over in front of the stove door, then wrapped his arms around his middle and held tight.

“Freckles, what-” Hugo’s face flushed.

“Trust me,” said Varian. 

The bird’s twirled around, ready for another attack, the line of them aiming straight for Hugo and Varian.

“Hairstripe…” Hugo tried to jerk away but Varian held fast.

“Not yet.”

A hair of a second before impact Varian pushed Hugo away and jumped back, opening the door to the oven as he did.

The birds all flew into the large, fiery belly of the dark stove and Varian slammed it shut behind them. 

Varian snapped his head to look at the children. They had gone silent when the birds were swallowed by the oven and their faces were now pictures of terror. They ran and Varian let out a sigh as soon as they were gone.

He looked over at Hugo who was staring back at him with something akin to awe. “Heh,” said Varian. “Fell for the oldest trick in the book.”

Hugo smiled. “Alright, Short Stuff. Just don’t let it go to your head. We still need to get out of this crazy nightmare.”

“Right,” said Varian. They both started for the door.

Then they heard a rattle come from the stove. Shivers poured down their spines and they both turned to see the old black stove shake and strain until the door flew open and a cloud of fiery skeletal birds burst forth and spiralled into the room.

 They ran. Hugo grabbed Varian’s wrist and they bolted out into the hall. It was different now. Not a single door was in sight. Instead the soft leathery hallway forked into countless side passages that twisted and turned out of sight. Hugo dragged Varian down one of these. A plume of fiery death followed close behind. They darted left and right trying to lose their pursuer. 

The maze of dark hallways was almost dizzying, but they couldn’t slow down. They rounded corner after corner until Hugo noticed a passage that doubled back and pulled Varian down it. The blaze of birds flew by and Hugo and Varian ran to put distance between them and the inferno. They turned one more corner and found the last thing they were expecting.

A door, open wide to the outside world. They could see the grass and trees waiting beyond the threshold. Rain still patterned down but it seemed like the worst of the storm was past. Hugo bolted for the door but was yanked to a halt when Varian, whose wrist he still held, dug in his heels.

“What are you doing?” asked Varian.

“Goggles, this house has done nothing but try to harm us. For all we know the others are beyond help now. This could be our only opportunity to escape,” said Hugo.

Varian looked towards the door then back down the hall. He closed his eyes, sighed, then looked back up at Hugo. “You go,” he said. 

“What?” asked Hugo, his eyes raking over Varian’s face for any sign of a joke or a trick.

“You’re right,” said Varian. “It’s too dangerous. But I can’t just leave the others behind, so… here.” Varian placed something in Hugo’s hands and Hugo looked down to see that it was the second journal. Varian kept his hands on the journal and looked into Hugo’s eyes. “If we don’t make it out you can use this to find the Library without us.”

Hugo was shocked. “You can’t be serious,” he said.

“Deadly.” Hugo flinched at his choice of word. Behind Varian the roaring sound of the fiery birds was getting closer. The young alchemist looked back in alarm then at Hugo once more. “Go,” he said, pushing the journal into Hugo before rushing back down the hall. Hugo watched him, speechless. 

Hugo looked over to the door. “Every man for himself…” He gripped the journal tighter and started towards it. “That’s right. People are all the same.” He stopped at the threshold. “But... then why…?” Hugo looked back to where Varian last stood. He stared for what felt like ages. Then he groaned in frustration “...oh for Demanitus’ sake!”

Hugo tucked the journal into his own pack and sprinted after Varian. 

He found the younger alchemist in a crossroad facing down the oncoming spout of fire. Varian pulled out two pink spheres and tossed them down the hall. Pink goo exploded from wall to wall creating a sticky barrier. The birds flew into it and the inferno immediately began turning the goo into a dark black sludge. As each bird hit, its flame expired and their skeletal remains clawed slowly through the now tar like substance, determined to continue the attack. 

Most were stuck but a few dozen skeletal birds broke away from their sludge bound prison and rocketed toward Varian. 

Another vial was thrown and a splash of acid dissolved the bones to dust before they could reach their target. Varian looked to his right and saw Hugo there, another vial of acid at the ready. 

“Hugo?” asked Varian, surprised to see him there. 

Hugo met Varian’s eyes and smirked. “I’m not about to let you go and play hero all by yourself.” 

More birds broke through and Hugo tossed his second vial of acid at them. Then he grabbed Varian’s hand and pulled him away down the hall. 

They finally spotted a door and without a second thought Hugo wrenched it open and shoved them through, shutting it behind them. 

They could hear the thick wood of the door vibrate as thunk, thunk, thunk , the remaining birds crashed against it. Varian and Hugo waited in the dark room, their breath heavy and their hands grasping each other’s arms. 

The door went silent. Still they waited, not daring to hope it was over. But when minutes passed and they sensed no sound or movement they finally relaxed.

Varian pulled out a sphere and shook it to shed light on their surroundings, then he placed it into his staff. The room they were in was very small and in one corner there was a bucket and mop.

Varian looked up at Hugo and gave him a cheeky smile. "You can just admit you didn’t want to get your hair wet again."

“Can’t slide anything past you, can I?” Hugo rolled his eyes. Varian chuckled and primly set his hand upon his puffed out chest.

“Thank you, I try.”

After a few less tense moments of silence they carefully opened the door and stepped quietly into the hall. Unsurprisingly by this point, the endless hallway and pile of charred bird bones were nowhere to be seen. 

They now stood in what looked like a parlor room, couches and chairs set around an abandoned tea set and decaying food. The iron chandelier hanging from the patchwork ceiling was thick with dust and cobwebs, flickering weak candlelight. As was the small fireplace. The two wasted no time scouting the room for signs of more danger. Thankfully they were finally, safely alone. Varian stalked quietly over to the door opposite of the way they came from. After pressing his ear to the wood, Varian carefully set his hand on the doorknob.

“Wait.” The word left Hugo’s mouth before he could stop it. Varian looked back, his eyes darting around the room in anticipation of yet another threat.

“What is it, what’s-”

“Here” Hugo held back out the journal for Varian. The alchemist didn’t move to take it, instead he looked at Hugo appraisingly, as if trying to figure out some hidden puzzle or code, then shrugged.

“Hold on to it for now. Let’s try to find the others first.” Then he turned the handle and pressed forward, leaving Hugo to follow him once more into uncertainty.

~*~

Nuru carefully pushed open a door, still held in Amber's arms. They looked through and both their eyes widened at the sight they beheld. 

A massive garden stretched before them. Beds of flowers lined a winding path. Trees and bushes framed iron and wood benches. Small shallow ponds and beautifully carved fountains dotted the room. Looking up they could see a glass roof high above them indicating that this could be some kind of greenhouse. 

Amber stepped inside, so taken with the beauty of the place. Nuru didn’t object. She took in a deep breath. “It smells amazing in here,” said Nuru. “We have a garden like this in the palace.” 

“Hard to believe all this is inside that one boot,” said Amber. She looked around a bit more before calling out. “Varian!”

“Yong!” Called Nuru. “Ms Cassandra!”

Silence answered them.

“Suppose we better keep lookin then,” said Amber, turning to head back out the door. Except there wasn’t a door. Right behind her was nothing but a smooth opaque glass wall. “What?”

Nuru blinked having seen the same thing. She reached a hand out to the wall and ran her hand over it. “Where....? The door. It was right there.”

“This is weird,” said Amber. “We only stepped a few feet in.”

“Let’s go in a bit further,” said Nuru, trying hard to stay calm. “We might find a clue about what just happened.”

“Guess we have no other choice.”

Amber turned again and headed further into the garden. As they passed beds of flowers Nuru’s brow furrowed. “Huh,” she said pensively. 

“What’s that?” asked Amber.

“Nothing,” said Nuru. “It’s just that, one of the things you learn in high society is how to communicate messages with flowers. And all these flowers…” She pointed to a large dark centered flower with soft rounded petals. “Anemone… it means forsaken… and those,” she pointed to a bunch of bright yellow flowers,” are tansies which are used as a declaration of war.”

“Flowers can say all that? That’s- uh- pretty weird,” said Amber. “But to be honest, I’m more worried about those.”

She pointed to a large stalk of drooping purple flowers. “Wolfsbane,” she said. “My mom uses that to poison the rats.” She looked around some more. “And foxglove. That’s also poisonous. And that whole bed of vegetables over there… they’re all in the nightshade family… that’s a little bit unsettling…”

“Probably best to get out of here as soon as possible,” said Nuru.

They continued. Though they seemed to be inside, several insects still flitted about including a few darting butterflies and one very diligent bumblebee. They paused a moment to watch the bee land on a cluster of violets before climbing in one of the flowers to snack on its nectar. 

They stared in amazement when they noticed the bee start to increase in size. Amber stepped back cautiously as the bee continued to drink and continued to grow until it was about the size of a cantaloupe. Then it buzzed off on its merry way.

Amber and Nuru exchanged a bewildered look before continuing on their own way. 

At the end of the path was a tall tree with green leaves and silver bell-like flowers which swayed slightly. The tree rested on a little mound of grass. Amber eyed the spot longingly.

“Mind if we take a quick break? My arms are getting tired,” she said. 

“One moment couldn’t hurt,” said Nuru. Amber gratefully set Nuru down with her back propped against the trunk. Then Amber plopped down beside her. 

“Y’know,” said Amber, looking around at the peaceful setting. “If I wasn’t like ninety five percent sure this place was a death trap, I’d say this was a pretty romantic spot.” She looked at Nuru next to her and Nuru returned her gaze. Both of them felt heat rise in their cheeks and Amber quickly looked away again “I’ll uh, look around a bit more, hold on.”

Amber got up and walked away in a random direction. Nuru watched her go, a soft warm smile on her lips. She heard a rustling above her and looked up to see some sort of pollen falling slowly down from the tree. She had only moments to consider it before her body started to feel strange. She began to tingle all over. She looked down at her hands and had the sensation of moving down rapidly. She looked back up and saw the grass grow tall around her.

Amber took a quick walk around the perimeter of the grass mound and peered out in every direction looking for any sign of an exit or another soul. Her eyes finally landed on a door and she turned back to Nuru, excited to share her discovery.

But Nuru wasn’t there. 

“Nuru?” Amber rushed forward to where Nuru had just been sitting. She looked behind the trunk but Nuru wasn’t there either. “Nuru!”

“Here!” 

A tiny voice came from beside her and Amber looked for its source. She twisted left and right.

“No! Down! Down here!”

Amber looked down and saw a tiny figure jumping up and down in the grass. It was Nuru. Amber knelt down immediately and leaned forward so she could be as level as possible with her. Nuru was no more than three inches tall now and she stepped back a bit as Amber got close for fear of being crushed.

“Nuru? Is that really you?” asked Amber.

“Yes?” replied Nuru, her tone unsure. 

Amber reached out slowly with her hand, extending a single finger toward Nuru. Nuru put her hand on the end so Amber could feel that she was real. 

“No way,” muttered Amber. 

“I can’t believe it either, but unless we’re somehow both dreaming this is very real. We have to figure out how to change me back.”

“Here,” said Amber. She flattened her palm and nudged it against Nuru, who took the hint and climbed on top. “I’ll keep you safe until we figure out what to do. How did you get this way, anyway?”

“It was-” Nuru’s explanation was cut off when she heard more rustling from above. “Oh, no. She looked up and saw more pollen falling down. “Quick! Move!”

Amber stood but before she could fully heed Nuru’s advice she felt a sudden wave of dizziness and then the rapid sensation of moving down. Amber shrank down and down with Nuru still in her hands. Caught off guard, Nuru’s sudden weight forced her to fall back to the ground and Nuru landed on top of her.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry,” said Nuru, scrambling off, her face bright red. “I should have warned you sooner.”

“S’fine,” said Amber, face also red. “But now we have to find a way to change us both back.”

“The bee,” said Nuru suddenly. Amber looked at her and her face lit up.

“Those flowers. The violets,” she added.

“Drinking from it helped the bee grow,” continued Nuru.

“So that’s what we need to do,” concluded Amber. 

With their goal in mind Amber knelt down in front of Nuru with her back turned. Nuru looped her arms around Amber’s neck and Amber pulled her onto her back. Then she ran through the grass to find the path they’d come from. It was a challenging trek. Pebbles that once went without notice were now obstacles in their path. Same with every twig, leaf, and stem. 

They reached the edge of a flowerbed and Amber and pushed Nuru up onto the ledge first before climbing up after her. Then she took her in her arms again and continued through the jungle of stalks. 

The dirt was soft which made it hard to move quickly. As Amber walked Nuru kept her eyes peeled for a sign of the violets they were looking for and her eyes caught sight of something moving towards them. 

“Amber,” Nuru warned. 

Amber looked over and saw the shadow of something slide swiftly towards them. Before she could react a green and black striped snake head was poking through the leaves. It loomed over them, its black-tipped, pink tongue darting out to taste the air. 

“Run!” cried Nuru. 

Amber bolted and the snake lunged after them.  They pushed through the leaves and roots. Amber scrambled as fast as she could as the snake snapped at their heels. Then with a splash Amber’s feet hit water. She looked up and saw that they’d come to one of the little ponds they’d passed before. 

“Look!” said Nuru, pointing at a line of lily pads. Amber nodded and ducked as the snake tried to bite them yet again. Amber hopped from lilypad to lilypad, fighting to keep her balance as the soft plant bounced below her feet. She made it to the other side. She looked back to see the snake swimming across the pond so she kept running. 

They dove through a begonia bush, its bright pink petals swaying. Then they skirted the leaves of a delicate, white hemlock. 

Then Amber’s eyes caught a flash of purple. “The violets,” she huffed. She rushed for them, sweat forming on her brow from the effort. They reached the flowers and Amber quickly laid Nuru down in the dirt before reaching for the stalk. She yanked it down, bringing the bright purple flower into Nuru’s reach so she could reach the nectar inside. Nuru dipped her hand down inside the petals and brought the sweet liquid to her lips. 

Amber had to step back and Nuru began to grow. Nuru braced herself, eyes screwed shut at the dizzying sensation. When she opened them she saw that she was back to normal. Then she looked down to see that the snake was almost upon Amber. 

Amber clung to Nuru’s knee for protection and Nuru easily reached down and plucked the snake up in her hands. The creature struggled and bared its fangs but Nuru just smiled at it and held it in a tight but gentle grip.

With her other hand, Nuru pushed down one of the violets and Amber buried her face inside to take a drink. Soon she was growing back to normal size as well. She swelled up and sat right next to Nuru, pressed against her side. Nuru laughed and threw her arms around Amber. Together they laughed and hugged until Nuru realized she was still holding the snake.

“Better luck next time,” she said, releasing it into the flowerbed. Nuru looked back at Amber. “So definitely a death trap.”

“Yeah,” said Amber with a chuckle.

“Still pretty romantic though,” said Nuru. She pressed a quick and soft kiss to Amber’s cheek.

Amber’s face flushed. “Uh, yeah. Roman- yeah. Um…”  stood and dusted her pants awkwardly. Her face was still red and she giggled uncontrollably. She lifted Nuru once more. “Next time we’ll find a friendly garden, okay?“ Nuru nodded happily. 

They looked over and were relieved to see that the door she’d seen earlier was still there. 

“Let’s get out of here,” she said. 

“Agreed,” said Nuru.

~ * ~

Yong felt like he’d been in this strange room crammed full of old furniture for ages and yet he found no sign of Amber, Nuru, or even anyone else who might have screamed. He’d also become aware that he’d ended up completely alone. Alone, that is, aside from Ruddiger who was clinging to his shoulders and looking around terrified of what might be out there. 

Yong reached up and scratched behind Ruddiger’s ears. “It’ll be okay, Ruddy. Let’s go back to the others.”

Yong tried to retrace his steps when he felt a presence standing behind him. He turned but saw nothing there. 

He shrugged and continued on his way until he felt the presence again. He spun around, this time, as fast as he could, explosives at the ready. Again there was no one. 

Yong turned back around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Cassandra standing there feet away from him.

“Oh, Miss Cassandra, I didn’t see you there,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“I’ve been calling for you,” said Cassandra. “Really, what made you think it was okay to run off like that?”

“Sorry,” said Yong, deflating a little.

“Let’s just get back to the others,” said Cassandra. Yong nodded in agreement and followed behind her as she led the way out.

~ * ~

Varian and Hugo were walking down a long hall again. It had been a few minutes since they’d run into anything else but they both knew better by now then to trust the peace. So they kept their steps quiet and their eyes open.

As they went Varian’s eyes noticed something and he slowed to a stop as Hugo continued. It was another door. But it was decorated with a symbol that made Varian’s heart nearly stop. It was a dark head with a sharp-toothed smile, two curled horns, and bright green eyes. 

Hugo realized Varian wasn’t right behind him anymore and turned around. “Goggles?”

Varian’s full attention was on the symbol. Slowly, he reached a hand for the doorknob. As he got close the green eyes flashed and Varian withdrew his hand with a yelp. 

“Oh, no need to worry, dear boy.”

Varian looked down the hall where they’d just come from and saw Madame Mayes standing there calmly. 

“Who are you?” asked Varian, his voice trembling. 

“Hey!” shouted Hugo, running to stand by Varian. “Let us out of this crazy funhouse now!”

“Poor things,” said Madame Mayes. “You are not enjoying your stay in my humble home? I will admit, it is not what it used to be. Though only one of your group was around to witness its former glory.”

“You’re not making any sense!” snapped Hugo. “Let us go, or else.”

“Yes, about that,” said Madame Mayes. “I would love to let you be on your merry way. But I need something first.” Her eyes fixated on Varian. “I need the journals.”

“What?” exclaimed Varian, taking a step back. 

“Hand over your mother’s journals, young man, and you and all your little friends will be free to go.”

“Not a chance,” said Hugo vehemently, stepping in front of Varian.

“Refuse,” said Madame Mayes. “And you will discover just how many new tricks I have up my sleeve. You will be trapped here, and your souls will forever walk the halls of The House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”

“The- no!” said Varian. “No, there’s no way! Rapunzel told me stories about this place. She said it was destroyed.”

“I am certain she would like to think that,” said Madame Mayes. “The Sundrop merely neutralized my powers. I’ve had nearly three years recover my strength. And soon, I will recover my master’s as well.

“Take this you crazy bat!” shouted Hugo as he lobbed a vial at the Madame. She smiled and flicked her wrist. The vial stayed suspended, harmless in the air. 

Hugo’s eyes widened. A second later Varian, eyes also wide with fear, was tugging on his arm. “That’s not an old lady, Hugo. Come on!”

Hugo relented to Varian pulling him but not before shooting a glare at the Madame. Then they both were sprinting away. Varian found a door and they bolted through it. 

“Varian? Hugo?” 

They looked up to see Nuru and Amber standing there. 

“Varian!’ exclaimed Nuru. She rushed forward and pulled him into a hug. Amber was close behind, putting her arms around both Varian and Nuru.

“I’m okay, too, just in case you were wondering.” said Hugo. 

Amber gave Hugo a smile and pulled him into the hug. Hugo threw his arms up in surprise. “Hey! No, you missed your chance.”

“Hold on,” said Varian, pulling out of the group hug. “We have to move. We can’t stay here a moment longer. This place, it’s-”

“The House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”

They all looked up to see Cassandra standing a few feet away. Yong, who had been standing beside her, ran over to the others, Ruddiger still perched on his shoulder.

“It took me too long to realize it,” said Cassandra, voice full of frustration. “Last time it was made of shells. Guess there was only enough room in the budget for a ratty old boot this time. But we can’t take it lightly. This place is very dangerous. It’s magical. The person who created it was an apprentice of the demon Zhan Tiri.”

“This is crazy.” Hugo huffed, “There's no such thing as demons. Or magic.” The last two words said with far less conviction.

“Do you have a better explanation for what you’ve seen, science guy?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow. Hugo glowered but said nothing. The group fell into tense silence. 

“How do we get out of here?” asked Yong quietly.

“The Madame said that last time Rapunzel neutralized her power,” said Varian. “We have to find a way to do the same. I wonder if we could find the source of the enchantment on this house and destroy it.”

Cassandra thought for a moment. “You know, that just might work,” said Cassandra.

“Okay,” said Nuru. “But while we look we have to stick together this time,” said Nuru.

“Twinkles is right,” said Hugo, his eyes on Varian. “We’re all getting out of this together.”

Varian looked back at Hugo and smiled. Then he gave a determined nod. “Let’s get started then.” He led the way, heading for a new room.

When all their backs were turned Cassandra smiled. For a split second her eyes flashed red before returning to normal. Then she followed the group into the next room. 

Chapter Text

Cassandra beat her fists against the glass surface of the mirror, each impact bouncing uselessly against the surface 

“Yong? Yong! Varian! Hey!” She yelled out each name, trying to make as much noise as possible, but there was no response. She pressed her face against the glass to look beyond but no one was in sight. All that lay through her little window was the dusty, cluttered room. Cassandra sighed and let her fists drop. “Not like it did any good last time. Don’t know why I thought this would be any different.” Her face screwed up in anger. “Augh! This place! I should have known!”

She gave the mirror one last spiteful strike then turned and looked around the mirror world she’d been trapped inside. It looked exactly like the room she’d come from but it was faded, dull, and flipped like the image in a mirror might be. 

Cassandra drew her sword again and stalked forward carefully in search of another way out. She made a quick perimeter past each corner of the space but could see no doors or windows, not even in the places they’d been on the other side. Everything was just bleak, grey walls.

Then there was a voice behind her.

“Welcome back, my dear traitor.”

Cassandra spun to see a semi-transparent green figure smiling back at her. He had long white hair and a sharp black crown on his head. His robes floated a foot above the ground as he levitated. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed and she lashed out at the ghostly figure. He quickly moved out of harm’s way, smile fixated on his face.

“We never did get the chance to properly meet,” he said. “I am Tromus, Keeper of The House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, and ever loyal servant of Zhan Tiri.” Cassandra swung and he dodged again. “And, of course, I know exactly who you are.” Another swing easily avoided. “My master’s chosen vessel for the all-powerful Moonstone. The one who was offered the chance to find her destiny, only to toss it back in the master’s face.”

“Destiny?” snarled Cassanda. “Zhan Tiri did nothing but use me! She manipulated me! Turned me against my best friend!”

“I’m sure that’s what you’ve come to tell yourself,” said Tromus. “Easier that than to accept the truth.” He flicked his hand and a set of long dark vines shot out from under a table. Cassandra ducked to avoid them. 

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Cassandra spat.

Another flick of Tromus’s wrist sent more vines racing out to grab her. Cassandra parried them with her sword, but one of the tendrils managed to wrap around the blade and yank it from her hands. The rest curled around Cassandra’s wrists and ankles as she fought to get away.

“That my master gave you exactly what you wanted. You were just too weak to see it through to the end.”

The vines tightened, binding Cassandra in place. She continued to struggle as Tromus watched with amusement.

“Weak? My only weakness was listening to that demon. Zhan Tiri is gone!” growled Cassandra. “Raps and I made sure of that!”

Tromus’s smile didn’t waver. His eyes flashed green and suddenly Cassandra was no longer in the mirror world. She was in a much larger room, made entirely of hard, reflective, black rock. 

“No,” whispered Cassandra. She looked down to see herself covered in the same substance, a shining blue stone resting over her heart. “No, no, no.”

“Oh, Cassandra, dear, it’s been too long.”

Cassandra looked up to see a little girl dressed in a dark elegant dress and grey pinafore. “No,” Cassandra’s hands flew up to grasp her own head and her eyes snapped shut. “No, this isn’t real.”

“You’re so surprised to see me,” said Zhan Tiri.

“You’re gone! You were destroyed!” cried Casssandra.

“Ah, but nothing lasts forever, dear,” said Zhan Tiri. “You didn’t survive the Sundrop and Moonstone reuniting either. Yet here you are.”

Cassandra opened her eyes to glare at the demon in front of her. “What do you want?” 

“Merely to resume what we started, dear Cassandra,” said Zhan Tiri, casually pacing the room. “While the failure of my previous plan was certainly a setback, it was by no means the end. The secrets to bringing me back are simply locked away somewhere. Somewhere your friend is trying to get to.”

“The Eternal Library,” said Cassandra.

“Precisely. I’d offer to let you join, but since you were such a disappointment last time,” Zhan Tiri raised a hand and jagged spikes shot out of the ground in a circle around Cassandra, caging her in place. “I’ll have to trust someone else with this destiny. That Varian is already so eager to get to the Library.”

Cassandra pushed against the thick bars surrounding her to no avail. “Leave him alone! I swear, if you touch one hair on his head-”

“Oh, really now Cassandra. There is no need for such childishness. I only mean to give the boy exactly what he most desires. 

“He’s not going to fall for your tricks,” said Cassandra. 

“No tricks,” said Zhan Tiri. “Just a reminder… of who he really is.”

~ * ~

Varian and the others made their way slowly and carefully through the next door. It opened on yet another long, leathery hallway. As they crept along it Yong shuffled closer to Cassandra and grabbed the hem of her shirt, looking around nervously. 

"We'll be alright, kid," said Cassandra. "Just don't run off again." 

Yong nodded. "Yeah, don't want to be a teddy bear again."

Another turn round a corner revealed a new door. Varian pushed it open to look inside.

A gigantic paw, nearly as wide as the door, claws extended, reached out from the dark and swiped at the alchemist. Hugo grabbed Varian's shoulders and yanked him back out of the way. Amber, Nuru still in her arms, kicked the door shut. It slammed against the paw and the unknown creature yowled from the other side. Amber kicked once more and the door closed with a bang. 

"Might want to look before we leap," said Hugo, hands still on Varian's shoulders. 

Varian looked up at him and shifted a bit in his grasp. "No kidding, heh, uh, you can let go now." Hugo seemed to only just realize he was still holding on and pushed Varian away. 

"Just trying to save your life. No need to thank me," he said flippantly.

Cassandra approached the next door down the hall and drew her sword. She kicked it open and scrambled backwards. But nothing came to attack her. She leaned forward and looked inside with suspicion. 

“What is it? What’s in there?” asked Yong, getting closer. He peeked inside and gasped. The others joined quickly, wanting to see what lay beyond the door. 

Eyes widened and mouths dropped open as they beheld the most massive toy room any of them had ever seen.

In stark contrast with the rest of the house, this room was bright, colorful, and cheerfully packed with toys. It had shelves all around stocked with all manner of books, dolls, and other childhood items. The floor had stacks upons stacks of toys as well.

Entranced, everyone moved around Cassandra to get a closer look. “Uh, hey!” she said, annoyed. “We’re supposed to be looking for a way out.”

"Actually," said Nuru. "A place like this might have a clue that could help us. It's so different from the rest of the house. There might be a reason why."

"I have to agree with Nuru," said Varian. "Nothing about this house makes any kind of sense. Using normal logic isn't going to work. We should see if we can find anything that might give us a hint to how the magic here operates."

“I’m going to check over here!” said Yong, already rushing for a pile of toys.

“Hey, what did I say about sticking close,” said Cassandra as she followed Yong. Varian followed as well making sure the pile of toys didn’t fall on Yong as he yanked out a toy boat from the bottom. 

Hugo headed to the left. Amber and Nuru exchanged a look before following. Ruddiger scampered around their legs, bee-lining for a mobile with shiny bobbles on it. He tried tugging on them and was frustrated when they wouldn't come off. 

"Heh, stupid animal," muttered Hugo as he looked around himself. His eyes landed on a shiny, gem encrusted crown. "Well, hello there." He picked it up but as he lifted it he found it was already attached to the head of a strange, brightly painted doll. Hugo yelped in surprise and dropped the crown.

Nuru and Amber both chuckled at Hugo, then Amber looked to her right and saw something that made her light up. 

"Oh, will you look at that! A bicycle!" said Amber, her eyes alighting on the nearly brand new iron and wood bike leaning against a pile of toys. She turned and pushed Nuru into Hugo's chest. Hugo, who had an eyebrow raised at Amber's excitement was forced to accept the princess being pushed into his arms. He looked startled by the sudden burden. Nuru looked equally shocked. 

Amber was oblivious. She had eyes only for the bike and rushed over to it. She put her hands on the handles and excitedly rang the bell which let out  a bright little brrriiing. Nuru and Hugo were left to awkwardly watch.

Nuru crossed her arms and frowned as Hugo looked away, matching her displeasure. 

"I can just walk," said Nuru finally. She pushed on Hugo's chest, managing to extract herself from his arms and land on her good leg. She fought to keep her balance as she hopped forward. She didn't get very far before Hugo was scooping her up again.

"Don't be an idiot," said Hugo. He was still frowning but his face was now set with determination. "Your leg is still bad. I'm carrying you." 

Nuru settled back into his arms, her eyebrow twitching upward in surprise. 

Hugo's frown deepened. "Is it that bad to rely on me just a little bit?

Nuru let Hugo’s words sink in then fought back the smile forming on her face. Hugo just rolled his eyes. Then turned his head to look anywhere else. After a moment Nuru looked away as well, her eyes scanning the room.

“You know, I used to have a bike a long time ago,” said Hugo as Amber rode past them. Nuru looked back to see Hugo’s eyes unfocused in memory. “It… I think It was a gift? It was left where I could find it by someone I trusted. I loved riding that thing.”

“I used to ride bikes with my dad,” said Nuru quietly. Hugo came back to himself and looked down at her. Nuru smiled softly at him. “He liked to take us riding through the streets. Not really something the royal family should do, but he liked being around the people and getting to know them better. We stopped doing it when he passed away.”

Amber rode by again, nearly knocking over Hugo with the bike and Hugo hurried out of the way. He moved around a pile of toys and found a swing set attached to the ceiling of the room. Delighted by this find, Hugo set Nuru down on one seat before taking the other. They were meant for children so they were a bit low, but Hugo attempted to swing on the seat anyway. 

“So you think you’re such a great person cause your dad took you to look at all us common folk huh?” asked Hugo as he swung. 

“What, no, that’s not what I said,” said Nuru.

“Yeah, but you were thinking it,” said Hugo. 

“No, I was thinking that you were being decent for once. Obviously I was wrong,” 

Hugo shot her a cold smile. “You don’t know anything about me, Princess. And you don’t know anything about Varian either. Everyone is hiding something.” 

Hugo got a good swing in and leapt off the seat to his feet before walking away. Amber biked over to Nuru, looking at Hugo’s retreating back.

“Y’all okay over here?” she asked. 

Nuru sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, same as usual.”

Hugo looked around and found Ruddiger again, this time he was fiddling with a little carousel toy. He climbed on top and flicked a switch making the whole thing start turning with him on top. The toy was wobbly and let out a strained musical refrain but Ruddiger seemed to enjoy the ride nonetheless. Hugo just rolled his eyes again. “Hey, fleabag, you’re gonna break that, you know.” He stepped closer and was startled by a flash.” He covered his eyes and when he opened them when he realized he was the one spinning. 

Hugo looked around and was shocked to see himself standing next to him. He let out a yell of surprise but all that came out was a little high pitched chirping. Hugo’s hands flew to his mouth and felt instead a pointed furry snout. He looked down and saw a black and grey raccoon body. 

He leapt off of the carousel, landing awkwardly on four paws and looked up at his own body which was inspecting itself in bewilderment. Hugo tried talking again, making a chattering noise instead. His body looked down at him.

“Hugo?” he asked. “Are you in there?” Hugo, in raccoon form, let out a hiss. His body’s mouth dropped up and looked at himself again. “I… I’m Hugo. Oh… oh no, I’m Hugo. This is so weird. What did you do to us?” He demanded.

Hugo crossed his arms indignantly then pointed at the body that clearly now housed Ruddiger. 

“Okay…” said Ruddiger. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. We’ll figure this out.”

“Figure what out? Did you find something?”

They looked as Varian approached with Yong and Cassandra close behind. Hugo scampered over to him and started chittering angrily while pointing at Ruddiger.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” asked Varian. He bent down and picked Hugo up, who squirmed, surprised at being held like this. Varian looked over at Ruddiger. “What’s wrong with him, what did you do?”

“Me?” exclaimed Ruddiger. “Everything was fine until he came over. Now all of a sudden I’m this big, stupid human!”

Everyone looked at Ruddiger, dumbfounded as Hugo glared at him. Yong leaned up to Cassandra. “I think this place is making Hugo a little loopy.”

“What? No. You don’t understand, I’m not-” Ruddiger stopped mid sentence and looked at Hugo in Varian’s arms before an idea seemed to strike him. He grinned mischievously. “I mean… yeah… You know what? Yong’s right. This place just has me a little crazy. Just a crazy human, you know?” Everyone stared at Ruddiger, still not sure what was going on. “Hmm… I wonder if there’s any food in this room… and if it tastes better with my human mouth.”

He wandered away with Hugo trying to follow after but Varian held Hugo tight in his arms. “Ruddiger,” said Varian. “What is with you?”

Ruddiger spotted a jar of candy on a table and excitedly ran over to it while the others walked curiously behind. “Oh yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.” He reached a hand in the jar and started stuffing candies into his mouth. “Ohhmm yyuuu. Iff iffrennt, ut it uuud.” He looked up and saw another jar high on a shelf. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation then looked over at Varian. “Look what I can do.” He reached up and grabbed the jar without even having to jump for it. “Pretty cool, huh?”

The others just looked at each other as Ruddiger dug into the new jar of candy.

“Hugo,” said Yong. “We have to work on getting out of here.” Ruddiger continued to eat. “Hugo?”

Ruddiger looked up. “Oh… oh yeah, I forgot who I was. Um… I mean, yeah we gotta figure it out. Just gotta figure out why this boot is so weird right?”

 Hugo, fed up with this, chomped down on Varian’s hand. 

“Ow!” Varian shouted and dropped Hugo. The raccoon scampered away.

“Hmm… Don’t know what you see in him.” said Ruddiger, face covered in sticky sugar. “I don’t trust him at all.”

A moment later Hugo was dragging over the carousel. Ruddiger saw what he was doing. 

“Wait, no! Not yet! I want to try other foods too!” shouted Ruddiger. Hugo scampered to him and tried pulling him over to the carousel. Ruddiger pushed him off and started pulling himself up the nearest shelf trying to get away. He got up a few feet then slipped and fell on his backside with a thud.

“Ooowww,” moaned Ruddiger. 

“Hugo, what is going on?” exclaimed Varian. 

Ruddiger rubbed his bottom and looked over at Hugo who was staring back sternly with arms crossed. Ruddiger pouted and looked back at Varian. “Um… I’m not Hugo. That spinning thing switched us. I’m Ruddiger.”

Varian, Yong, and Cassandra’s eyes widened. 

“Ruddiger?” said Varian softly. Ruddiger nodded sullenly. “Yeah, sorry. I just got excited.”

Varian knelt down in front of him. Yong went over to Hugo. “So you’re Hugo right now?” Hugo nodded vigorously. “Aww, that’s so cute,” Yong said, petting to the top of Hugo’s head. Hugo pushed his hand away and hissed softly. Yong just laughed.

Varian put a hand to Ruddiger’s cheek and smiled. “It’s okay, bud. But if we’re going to get out of here I’m going to need you at your best. And that means being in your own body, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Ruddiger, pressing his face into Varian’s hand. He smiled and looked with warm eyes at the boy who’d been his friend for years. “I like being a raccoon better anyway.”

He threw his arms around Varian who was startled at first but then returned the hug warmly. Then Ruddiger got up and picked up Hugo. “Alright, Trash Man. Let’s do this.” Hugo glared at Ruddiger but let himself be set on the carousel before Ruddiger switched it on. It spun and everyone else took a step back. Hugo spun faster and faster then there was a flash.

Ruddiger, back inside his raccoon body immediately raced to Varian and jumped in his arms, snuggling into his neck as Varian hugged him back. Hugo checked himself over then quickly wiped the candy from his face. “Bleh, uh, gross.”

“Okay, said Varian. “I think it’s safe to say we should be more careful so something like that doesn’t happen again.” 

“Hey guys,” said Amber as she came over with Nuru in her arms. “We think we found a way ou- woah!” a stray ball under foot caught Amber off balance. The crew reached out reflexively as her back slammed against a shelf. All held their breath as the wall of toys shook at impact. Finally it steadied and they sighed in relief. All accept Cassandra who’s eye caught the colorful top teetering on the edge.

“Oh no.” 

Before anyone could react, the top fell, bounced, and began to spin. Cassandra grabbed Yong and pulled him back away from the toy as another flash of light went off. When they looked back Hugo, Varian, Ruddiger, Nuru, and Amber had all changed. They were shorter and looked way younger. Hugo was awkward, gangly and seemed to be about nine. Varian looked about the same age. Nuru and Amber seemed only a bit older than the boys. Ruddiger was a tiny little ball of fluff. 

“Woah,” said Amber. “So cool!”

Nuru tried to get up but winced as she got on her leg and had to flop back down. “Still broken,” she said with a pout. “It’s not fair. I hate this so much.”

“It’s okay,” said Amber, kneeling down next to Nuru. “We can still play together.” Nuru smiled at this. Varian got close to them.

“Oh, can I play too?” he asked. 

“Ew, no,” said Amber. “No boys allowed.” Nuru giggled at this. 

Varian stood straight and crossed his arms. “Fine. Me and Hugo will play then and we’re going to have more fun than you.” He grabbed Hugo’s hand. “Come on, Hugh. We’re gonna make a cool clubhouse.”

Hugo, who had seemed reluctant, perked up at the mention of a clubhouse. “Oh, yeah! I guess that’d be cool.”

Varian tugged Hugo over to a pile of toys and started working on stacking them into a structure. 

“Yeah, well, we’re making a clubhouse too and it’s gonna be way better than yours!” said Nuru. She and Amber hurried to another pile and started working as well.

“Kids?” Yong shouted in disbelief, watching as his friends continued their antics.

“Yeah,” said Cassandra. “That’s weird. Not as strange as the body swapping though.”

Yong shook his head “No, no, no! I can’t take care of kids. I’ve never had that kind of responsibility!”

“Better change them back then,” said Cassandra. “Or you could just let them be kids. They’re so happy like this.” Yong shot her a horrified look and she threw her hands up. “Just kidding.”

Yong looked back. The boys had already built an impressive fort out of toys and were just working on making it taller. The girls had made a wall and had also found a pair of slingshots. They gathered marbles into a pile and then started shooting them over the wall at the boys. Hugo and Varian ducked for cover. When they scowled at the girls, Nuru and Amber stuck their tongues out at them. Hugo and Varian stuck out their tongues back in response. Then Varian whispered something in Hugo’s ear. 

“It was the top that did it,” said Yong. He picked up the toy and looked at it. He noticed there was a dial on top pointed at a newly hatched chick. He clicked the dial over to a picture of a rooster instead. “That should do it. Now I just need them to stand next to it. Hey! Hey everyone!”

None of the children showed any sign that they heard Yong. Nuru and Amber were still pelting the boy’s fort with marbles, occasionally knocking something over and forcing the boys to make a hasty repair. 

Yong ran over to the boy’s side. “Varian, come on. You gotta stop. We gotta change you back!”

“Okay, in a minute,” said Varian distractedly. “Almost done.”

“No, not a minute,” said Yong. “Right now!” Yong noticed the tone of his own voice and covered his mouth. “Oh no, I sound like my dad.” He rushed over to the other side where the girls were. “Hey. Can you please stop? Something really bad could happen.”

He found the girls lying on a blanket on the ground next to each other just giggling, the slingshots forgotten by their sides. 

“Hey,” said Amber softly to Nuru, ignoring Yong entirely. “I think you’re really pretty.” Nuru blushed at this and covered her face with her hands. Just then a voice called out from the other side.

“Ready Hugh?”

“Ready, Goggles!”

Yong looked over and saw the boys wheel out something that looked very much like a home-made catapult. Hugo tossed a bunch of blocks into the bucket of the contraption. Varian pulled a lever on the side and the bucket sprung up, flinging the blocks towards the girls’ wall. They hit with a crash and the wall collapsed on top of them. They emerged from the pile looking like war was just declared. 

Yong, thinkinging fast, picked up a block and chucked it at the girls, getting Nuru in the head. “Hey!” they both shouted. Yong did the same at the boys, catching Hugo in the chest. 

“You okay?” asked Varian, coming over to check on Hugo. 

“Yeah,” said Hugo before glaring at Yong. Yong just stuck his tongue out.

“Can’t catch me!” he called before running away, top in hand. The four kids and baby raccoon chased after Yong as he dashed around the toy room. He pushed down on the button of the top then threw it behind him. It landed in front of the kids who all stopped to look at it.

With a flash they returned to their normal ages panting and looking a little self conscious.

“Thank goodness,” said Yong. 

“Thanks for changing us back.” said Varian sheepishly. “This place is making us a bit crazy.”

“Yeah,” said Hugo, “So how do we get out. We’ve looked all over the place but we only find crazier stuff.”

“There has to be a way,” said Nuru. 

Everyone went silent as they each went deep into thought. Hugo absentmindedly picked up a jacob’s ladder toy and started to flip it back and forth. 

Clack, clack, clack.

“Hugo and I did see a door to the outside,” said Varian. “We could try to find it again.”

“Maybe,” said Nuru. “But I doubt it could be that easy. This place seems to keep rearranging itself. There’s no way of knowing where anything leads.”

Clack, clack, clack.

“We need to be direct,” said Amber. “Fight the Madame herself and get her to let us out.”

Clack, clack, clack. 

“She’s an agent of Zhan Tiri,” said Varian. “Who knows what she could do to us.”

“Well it’s better then-” 

Clack, clack, clack.

“Will you stop that?” Amber snapped at Hugo.

Hugo looked up from the toy. “Hey, it’s helping me think,” he said. 

“Well it’s giving the rest of us a headache,” said Nuru.

“Wait,” said Yong. “Look at it,” 

They all looked over at the toy in Hugo’s hands. Now with an audience Hugo awkwardly tilted the top piece and made the rest flip. 

“He moves the top and the rest move with it,” said Yong. “It looks like the block is moving to the bottom but it’s just a trick, everything is staying in place. Maybe that’s what’s happening to us. We think we’re moving forward but it’s all just an illusion.”

“Hmm,” hummed Varian. “But even if it’s an illusion how do we break it?” 

“We have to go against its design,” said Yong. “This place expects us to treat it like a normal house, but it’s not. It’s all just magic and illusions. We have to treat it like magic.”

Everyone looked a little confused at Yong’s words. Yong looked around the room. He pushed down on the floor with his foot but nothing happened. He went over to the wall and did the same thing with similar results. Determined not to give up on his line of logic he found the door and went over to it. He put a hand on the frame and pressed down. “Hm… what if…” Yong stood up straight in the door frame. Then he stepped to the left and vanished.

The rest of the group rushed to the door, calling out for Yong. As they reached it, Yong appeared back where he was before a huge grin plastered on his face. He grabbed Varian’s hand and pulled him to the threshold. Varian took Amber’s hand and she held out her other hand for Hugo who took it. Nuru was on Amber’s back and Ruddiger sat on Varian’s shoulders. Hugo held out a hand for Cassandra.

“Come on,” said Hugo. “If I have to suffer through the friendship circle, so do you.” 

Cassandra looked at them all warily. “This doesn’t seem right,” she said. “I don’t think we should be doing this.”

“Trust me,” said Yong. “This is the way.”

Cassandra grimaced but took Hugo’s hand. Yong repeated the side step he did before and they all felt themselves tugged to the side. 

Everything became grey and dim. The walls and ceiling and floor become transparent. The group looked around. Varian pushed down on the floor with his foot. He found that if he pushed hard enough it started to give way. He went to the wall and found it was the same. He’d be able to pass through it if he wanted to. Beyond the walls they could see the rooms and halls and how they were not stationary but seemed to be constantly shifting around each other.

“Yong,” Varian said. “You did it.” 

“Look,” said Nuru,” she pointed to the walls. A closer look made apparent that there were long lines running around all the rooms. They seemed to be vines and they all snaked up from the same direction. “They’re everywhere… I think maybe if we follow them we might figure out what’s powering this house.”

“Think you might be right, Starburst,” said Hugo.

“Wait,” said Cassandra. Everyone turned and looked expectantly at her. “The journals. The totems. We just passed through realities or something, don’t you think we should check to see we still have them?”

Varian and Hugo shared a glance, then Varian looked back at Cassandra with a cocked eyebrow. “You really think that would have done something?” 

“Trust me, I’ve been here before,” said Cassandra. “This house has all sorts of tricks up its sleeve.” 

This explanation seemed reasonable so Varian pulled off his bag and looked inside as Hugo pulled the second journal from his bag. Cassandra stepped closer as Hugo held it up.

“Can I see it?” she asked. “I just want to get a closer look.” Hugo held it away from her.

“Not really the time for it,” he said. “Once we’re out of here you can read it to your heart's content.”

“Really?” said Cassandra. “You’re not going to let me just hold it for a second?”

“Cass, we already know they’re safe,” said Varian. Hugo, eyeing Cassandra with suspicion, put the second journal into Varian’s open bag, and Varian closed it up before slinging it onto his back.

“I think we need to go this way,” said Nuru, pointing down through the floor. Amber pushed down and was able to pass through the floor to enter the room below. Varian gave Cassandra one last look of confusion before following Nuru as she pressed down through the floor to drop into Amber’s arms. Everyone followed suit.

Nuru then directed them to a corner where they pushed through the wall into a room that looked like it could be a dining room with a long table set with flowery dishes and silverware.

Varian was one of the last to push through the wall and as he did he felt like someone was tugging on his backpack. He slid the rest of the way into the room and  looked back to see Cassandra following him.

“Cass?” he asked.

“It looks so heavy, Varian.” she said “Do you want me to carry it for a while?”  

“Um, no, I’m fine,” said Varian, looking at her with confusion. 

She looked back with anger now.. “Varian just let me carry the bag. Varian took a step back from Cassandra as the others gathered feeling the need to defend him. 

“No, Cass. I told you, I’m fine.” He stepped back again as Cassandra swiped at the bag. Everyone gawked. “Cass?”

Cassandra smiled "Way too smart for your own good,” she said. 

“Ms Cassandra?” asked Yong, frightened. She turned her head to him and her smile widened. 

“I was happy to just play with you. But you had to keep poking about. You had to figure this place out, didn’t you?” She laughed. It was a strange, unhuman laugh that had everyone else backing away. “Yet you couldn’t tell when your Cassandra was replaced. So pitiful.” Her eyes flared entirely red, her fingers elongated into claws, and she pounced towards Varian. 

He and the others scrambled away. Cassandra’s look-alike followed close. Varian ran around a chair using it to block the way. She snarled and bared her teeth in an animalistic smile. Yong lit a firework and blasted it at her. She screamed and her head snapped to look at him.

Varian used the distraction to get further away. The Cassandra double rushed to Yong and pulled him up by his shirt before tossing him across the room. 

A plate smashed into the double’s head and she turned to see that both Amber and Nuru were working together to toss more plates and cups her way. The double growled and dashed to the table, flipping the whole thing as Amber pulled Nuru off and away.

The double’s eyes found Varian again and she sprinted towards him. Varian had his backpack in his hand and he tossed it to Hugo who ran to the other side of the room with it.

The Cassandra look-alike grabbed Varian by the collar and lifted him up above the ground. She smiled as he struggled in her grasp. "If you won't give up your little quest, maybe you'd rather help us reach it too."

"What?" said Varian, clawing uselessly at her arm.

"Join us, Varian," she said. 

Before he could respond she flung him with supernatural strength at the wall. He impacted with a loud thud and his eyes rolled back in his head as unconsciousness took him. 

His body started to crumple to the floor but long dark vines burst from the wall and cradled his body in mid-air. 

~ * ~

Varian woke and was immediately disoriented. He found himself completely alone and everything around him was nothing but indistinguishable dark space. The ground he picked himself off of was flat and seemed to disappear into the dark. All around, shapes seemed to move through the shadows, just out of the corner of his eye.

He got to his feet, looking around for anything to orient him.

“No need to look so frightened my young alchemist. I just wanted the chance to talk to you. You ran away so quickly last time.”

Out from the dark materialized a green ghost-like figure with a dark crown and long white hair. Varian stumbled back.

“Who are you?” he asked, voice shaking.

“Oh, but we’ve met,” said the figure. With a little flicker he transformed and Madame Mayes hung in the air. She smiled sweetly before changing back. “You may keep calling me Madame if you wish but my true name is Tromus.”

Varian scowled. “Yeah, well you’re not getting the journals. Tell me what you did with Cass!”

Tromus nodded. “Yes, I assumed you’d say as much. Quite the stubborn one, you are,” said the man, floating a bit closer as Varian took another step back. “Relentless, I might say, when you set your mind on a goal, yes?” He came close, face level with Varian and Varian’s eyebrows knit together, defiance masking confusion.

“Heh, got that right,” said Varian. “Princess Rapunzel got the best of you and so will we.” 

A flash of hatred crossed Tromus’s face but the smile came right back as he looked at Varian. “Ah yes, but is that really in your best interest? As I said, you have a goal you’d do anything to achieve. What if I helped you?” 

“What?” Varian breathed in disgust. 

“The Library, boy,” said the man. “We both want it. With your skills and my power we will have it.” 

“Never!” snapped Varian. He turned on his heel and rushed into the dark, willing to brave the unknown over staying one second more in the vile spector’s presense. As soon as he left the light, the floor gave way beneath him and he fell with a scream. 

~ * ~

“Varian!” Hugo ran to try to reach him, still held by the vines, but the Cassandra double blocked him with a sinister smile. Hugo, backpack still in hand, did not want to risk getting closer so he ran. 

While she was distracted with Hugo, Yong took the opportunity to try to help Varian. He ran to where the alchemist was held suspended and tried to pull on the vines. The vines wouldn’t budge and one of them whipped out sending Yong flying backwards. 

Hugo held the backpack up high above his head and smiled teasingly back at the double. “Come on. You really want this? You have to be faster than that.”

The Cassandra double growled and crouched down before taking a huge, inhuman leap forward. Nuru and Amber were ready. They had pulled a cloth from the dining table and held it up now like a rope, catching the double in the air and forcing her to faceplant to the ground.

Hugo turned and tossed two light blue alchemy balls at the double. Little crystals of ice started to form over her body pinning her to the floor. Hugo smirked and took a little bow. “You’re all welcome.”

The Cassandra double growled again and pushed up against the ice, shattering it. Hugo’s smile dropped and he ran along with the others. 

“Any more, bright ideas?” shouted Nuru. 

“Working on it,” Hugo shouted back.

“She’s too strong!” cried Yong. 

Amber and Nuru ran to a side table that still had heavy objects on it. Amber sat Nuru down on top and they both started chucking things at the double who was getting more and more frustrated. Amber grabbed the vase right in the middle and tossed it. 

It hit the double right on the head and shattered. The water that had been inside splashed down onto her and the double screamed. They all watched in shock as the water began to dissolve the double down into a little puddle on the floor. She writhed and tried to get the water off of her but it was no use. “This isn’t over!” She shrieked. “He’s ours!” 

 With that last declaration, the double melted the rest of the way until she was no more.

They all wasted no time to worry about the bizarre sight and instead ran for Varian. 

~ * ~

With a thud, Varian landed on a smooth, dark floor. He groaned and looked up to see he was surrounded by a wall of large, ornate, mirrors. They hung seemingly suspended in the air, darkness still swirling behind. 

Varian was suddenly staring eye to eye with his own wide blue eyes set into his pale and frightened face. 

Tromus’s voice spoke once more in Varian’s ear, though Varian couldn’t see him anywhere. “So noble. But you and I know what you really are.”

“You don’t know anything about me!” cried Varian. He rushed to the mirrors and tried to push past them, but they wouldn’t budge. He slammed his fist into the glass but it refused to shatter. He continued to bang against it with his fists. “Hugo! Nuru! Yong! Amber!”

“Heh, sweet how you pretend to care.” A chill ran down Varian’s spine at the sound of a new, but familiar voice. He turned and watched with horror as one of his mirror images smiled back at him with arms crossed. Varian was doing neither. “But there’s no need to pretend here with me. I know they are just a means to an end.”

Varian stared aghast, hardly believing his own eyes as his image spoke to him.

“You want the Library. You want to find mom. Tromus can get you there. You don’t need anyone else.”

“I’m not about to turn on my friends,” said Varian.

“Oh really,” said his reflection. It tilted its head and Varian looked to the side to see another of his reflections. Except it wasn’t. It was a memory standing in the mirror. A young teenage Varian, brown apron, oversized gloves, thinner shoulders, and shorter stature was pulling away from the Princess Rapunzel, Sundrop flower in hand. “You turned on Rapunzel when she was no use anymore.”

“What? No,” argued Varian. “That’s not how it happened.”

“You fought against the ones you respected, the ones you loved, left them in the dust when it didn’t suit you.” Varian watched, frozen in place with terror and shock as the mirror changed scenes, showing hulking dark automatons laying into Eugene and Cassandra. 

“I was trying to save my dad,” pleaded Varian, his eyes stinging as tears welled within them. 

“Were you? Or was he your excuse? Be honest Varian… you were so ready to throw everything away to take power and control. To get what was rightfully yours. When Andrew came along you took another opportunity to take control. And when the Saporians didn’t follow your plan you turned on them too. You lie, you manipulate, you forsake… just like mom.” The reflection paused as Varian watched the named deeds play out in the mirror until all that was left was the image of his own mother.

“No…” Varian whispered.

 “Look in the journal, Varian,” commanded his reflection. “Face what you already know is true.” Varian’s hands flew to his face, pressing into them as his body shook. He shook his head. “Do it!”

An invisible force knocked Varian forward to his hands and knees and wrenched his pack open. The second journal spilled out and automatically opened to a page in front of him. 

Varian’s tears dotted the page as he read.

There is a way. I found it. And Ella does not even suspect me. A way to seal the Library and keep her out of it forever. I’ve made my decision. The world was never meant to see the Eternal Library, nor to possess its secrets. Now they will be mine alone.

“Ulla?”

Varian’s head snapped up to look through the other mirror again. Within he saw Donella, younger, face unscarred and demeanor softer. She turned to look behind her, eyes bright and small smirk on her lips. 

He watched the smile fade as she looked down at a table, seeing, laid open the very page Varian was looking at. Long red hair stepped into view and Donella turned to face Varian’s mother, a heavy book that Varian didn’t recognize in her hand. Donella glared at it then Ulla. 

“How could you?” Donella seethed. “You lied to me!”

Ulla didn’t respond. She held her hand out, palm facing Donella and started to chant.”Ties exhaust, No barriers crossed, Till this mark of soul is lost.” Ulla’s hand started to glow with a golden light as Donella’s eyes widened. Ulla continued to chant as Donella grabbed the journal from the table and started to run. 

The vision ended and the mirror faded back to Varian’s own face, wet with tears and twisted with despair. Varian quickly looked down, curling in on himself. 

“She did what she had to do, Varian,” said his voice in his ear. Varian’s eyes snapped back open and saw that his reflection was no longer in the mirror, but standing right beside him. He knelt down by Varian and smoothed his hair back from his face. “Just like you did what you had to do. Just like you will do what you have to now.”

“Wha-” 

His reflection’s hand moved through his hair to the back of his head then moved down to grab the back of his neck and everything went dark.

~ * ~

You need them. Those journals. Those totems. They’ll free your dad.

~ * ~

“Varian!”

“Varian!”

“Hey.. hey, Goggles, wake up, come on.”

Varian came to, eyes blinking open. He was lying back in someone's lab and as his vision cleared he saw a familiar face above him looking concerned. Dark skin, and dark well manicured beard. Lance. And right beside him was Princess Rapunzel and Cassandra, whose lap Varian was currently in. Varian quickly sat up and scooted away from them. 

“Hey, uh,” said Varian. “What, uh, what happened?”

“That fake Cass got you real good,” said Cassandra. “But don’t worry, we took care of her.” She gestured and Varian looked over to where Eugene stood over what looked like a puddle on the floor. 

“Wait, what?” asked Varian in alarm, “What happened?”

“Must have hit his head really hard,” said Rapunzel to the others before turning back to Varian “Do you remember anything that happened?”

Varian shook his head. “I remember the storm…” he said. “And…” 

With a flash Varian recalled a vivid memory. His dad, trapped in amber, so close yet entirely unreachable. Varian’s mouth clamped shut, not willing to speak the memory aloud. 

“Does it hurt, Varian?” asked Lance. He reached out but Varian pulled away. 

“Why do you care? It’s too late anyway,” snapped Varian.

~ * ~

Yong pulled his hand back as Varian curled into himself. Yong looked devastated. “What?” he asked softly. 

“Varian, how could you say that?” said Amber. She stood nearby, hands on her hips and looking down at him disapprovingly. “Even if you lost some memories, that doesn’t give you the right to be so rude.”

Varian looked at Yong and muttered a half-hearted “Sorry.”

Nuru came a little closer to him. “This isn’t the time to be getting at each other’s throats. We’re so close to getting out of this place we just need to keep pushing through. I’m sure your memories will come back soon, Varian.”

Varian put a hand over his eyes, seemingly gathering his thoughts. When he pulled it away he was smiling. “You’re right, Princess. Don’t know what I was thinking. Just… got carried away I guess. Let’s keep going then.”

Nuru seemed alarmed by the way Varian addressed her but she nodded and looked around, satisfied for now with that answer.  Amber helped Nuru up and they looked for the next way to go. Yong, still hurt, came close to the two girls. “What about Ms. Cassandra? We don’t know where she really is… maybe that’s why Varian’s so mad…”

Nuru shook her head. “Our best chance of finding her is to keep moving forward. If we can figure out what’s making this house tick we might be able to figure out what they did with her.”

~ * ~

Varian watched as Rapunzel, Eugene, and Lance all whispered together, sending the occasional glance his way. He tried not to show how much it bothered him. His mind kept coming back to his father. His father was still in trouble.

None of them care.

They would leave him for dead.

Varian looked over to where Cassandra was and noticed she had his bag on her back. 

It has everything you need to save him. The journals. The totems. You need it . 

Cassandra seemed to notice him staring and gave him a look. “You okay there?” she said. 

Varian forced a smile once more. “Fine.”

~ * ~

Hugo was taken aback by Varian’s smile. It seemed off to him. But the others were already moving on to the next room and Hugo rushed to keep up. Varian followed. 

They traversed more of the house as the vines became thicker and thicker. Hugo kept noticing Varian staring at him and finally, Varian approached him.

“Hey, I can hang onto that now,” said Varian. “It’s mine, after all.”

Hugo hesitated, unsure why. Something in his gut protested but he slowly let the bag fall from his shoulder.

“Look!”

Hugo and Varian’s heads turned as they saw what Nuru was pointing to. The next room over was some sort of massive chamber and it was clear that all the vines were converging on it. They formed something like a round cage in the middle where something suspended was glowing. 

Varian snatched the backpack from Hugo while he was distracted. Varian looked inside the bag and rustled through it. Then he smiled that uncanny smile at Hugo, once more. “Knew I could count on you, Cassie,” he said.

Hugo looked at Varian in surprise but could hardly process what Varian had said before Varian pulled a brightly colored ball from inside the bag and threw it to the ground, releasing a cloud of smoke. 

When the smoke cleared Varian was running away, going the opposite direction of their intended goal. 

“Hey!” shouted Hugo at Varian’s retreating back. He looked over at Amber, Nuru, and Yong who’d been alerted by the smoke bomb. “Something’s wrong with Varian. He might be a double like Cassandra. He has the journals!”

Needing no further explanation, the others rushed after Varian. They ran, losing sight of him for only a moment but when they turned a corner another smoke bomb filled the air followed by more neon pink balls which burst into goo, trapping Nuru, Amber, and Yong. Hugo dodged the mess and held a vial high in the air, ready to strike as he scanned the smoke. 

A shadow passed by him and as he turned to face it a staff swept out and knocked him to the floor. The vial burst and Hugo was splashed with his own concoction. It slowed his movements and he struggled to get up. Varian emerged as the smoke started to clear. Hugo glared up at him. 

“What did you do with Varian?” he spat. 

Varian knelt down. “Oh you really can’t believe it’s me?” He clasped his hands together under his chin in show of mock innocence. “Guess I don’t seem like the sweet, naive, alchemist you came to see that first time.” He lowered his hands and anger was in his eyes. “Or came to use, more like.”

~ * ~

Varian looked from Cassandra on the ground to Rapunzel, who was trapped between Lance and Eugene in the goo. He felt the pain of betrayal well up inside him. “It was fine when it was you who needed help, Princess.” He spat the title at her as he walked over. “But when I needed you, you did nothing.”

“Varian,” said Rapunzel. “I don’t understand. What are you-”

“My dad!’ Shouted Varian. “I begged you, Rapunzel, and not only did you toss me into the storm, you’ve had the guards out for me ever since.”

Rapunzel gasped in shock but Varian ignored it.

“So I guess that means I have to help myself. Please don’t try to stop me.” He stepped back and was about to run away when Ruddiger pounced out of nowhere. “Ah! No! Ruddiger!” The little raccoon tried pulling the pack off his back but Varian shook him off and tossed a bright blue alchemy ball. Ruddiger was suddenly floating up in a bubble. “Sorry, Buddy. I have to do this.”

“Varian,” called out Eugene. “You need to listen. Whatever you think is happening is all in your head. It’s all a trick.”

Varian glanced back and for a moment it wasn’t Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, and Cassandra struggling to get free. It was someone else. People he didn’t recognize. He shook his head, his hand flying up to his forehead to stave off a strange headache. He looked back and his vision reverted to what it was before. 

“What?” he gasped out, confused by what he saw.

“Please listen to us,” begged Lance.

Varian shook his head. “I can’t. I need to save him.”  He stepped back, but hesitated. Just then Cassandra pounced. He hadn’t seen her get up but now she had him pinned to the floor and was trying to keep him there as he struggled. He managed to kick her off and grabbed his staff, swinging it at her again. She grabbed it and tried to pull it out of his hands. He waited until her full weight was pulling on it and then let go. He went to run but realized the backpack was gone. He looked back and saw that Cassandra was holding it with a smirk. 

Varian rushed back and tried to grab it, but she held it up out of his reach. 

“Give it back!” cried Varian.

“Snap out of it!” she shouted. “Goggles, this can’t be you. You were just willing to do anything to help get everyone out of here. Don’t let that crazy lady get in your head.”

No time. Get it now or you will never see your father again.

“Enough!’ Varian pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it in Cassandra’s face. Her eyes rolled back and she dropped unconscious to the floor. Varian pulled the backpack back on.

“Varian, listen-” started Rapunzel.

“No, you listen,” said Varian, rounding on her. “You don’t understand what it’s like.” Something dark reared in his chest and he gave her a sinister smile. “Though maybe I could show you. Who should we trap away forever? Which would hurt more? Your boyfriend?” He pointed his staff at Eugene. “Or your best friend?” He pointed down at Cassandra.

~ * ~

Cass growled with rage as she tried again to squeeze through the black rock bars. She pushed and pressed and pounded at the cold unforgiving cage. Her mind was screaming as she fought off the gut twisting memories flooding her. Finally with a frustrated push she stepped back into the darkness.

Her own image surrounded her, warped and softly glowing in the light of her unnatural hair. As she looked around she swore she could see flashes of the past. Of stealing the moonstone. Of betraying her best friend. Of hurting her loved ones. Of letting everyone down. She glared at the ground.

“I see you’re getting comfortable.” That familiar voice echoed out. Cass shot up and twisted around. Instead of her own reflection a cruel pale face stared her down from all sides.

“I won’t let you get away with this! I won’t let you hurt Varian!” She shouted into the void. The demon child smiled that too big grin and its eyes widened psychotically.

“Oh, but my dear Cassandra,” Zhan Tiri purred, “I’ve already put my plan in motion.” Cassandra’s blood ran cold.

“What did you do?” She whispered. The demon’s deranged expression abruptly dropped to something unamused.

“Goodness, Cassandra, and here I thought you were so quick on the uptake. I’ve already told you. I simply showed the boy what he really is.” The pale creature smirked, “Just like I showed you.”

“You didn’t- I’m not- That’s not what we are. Varian or me.” Cass straightened her back and held the demons stare.

“Oh really ?” With a snap the cage disappeared and Cassandra stumbled as the floor beneath her shot faster and faster into the air. The scene changed once more. From the darkness came Corona. Darted with black rocks and crumbling to pieces. Conquered. And far below, on the ground before her were its subjects. Bowing before her. Submitting to her might. 

She had won.

“Wha-” Cass reeled back, stunned at what she was seeing. What she was feeling .

“You can’t hide from me Cassandra.” Zhan Tiri purred, “In all the time I’ve watched you, I’ve seen the hunger in your eyes. The thirst for power.”

Cassandra’s expression turned to stone. She turned her back on the demon. Zhan Tiri’s smile turned to a manic grin.

“Yes! Yes you see it still. You crave power and I am the only one who can give it to you. Join me Cassandra and together we ca-”

The demon stopped short as Cass’s shoulders shook, confused. Then a dark chuckle echoed into the emptiness. The former moonstone looked back at the demon, her eyes glinting wickedly.

“You never really knew me at all did you?” Zhan Tiri faltered only slightly as Cass stepped towards them. “Yes” Cassandra growled, “I wanted power.” The black rock blade trailed sparks behind her. “But you never thought to ask yourself why, did you?” With her steps the world began to fracture. The demon looked around in shock then turned to Cass in rage.

“Foolish girl! What are you doing?” Cassandra ignored her as she raised the sword above her head.

“I don’t need your help.” The world splintered again with a flash of black and blue as Cassandra threw the sword over the edge of the pillar. Then Cass turned to glare back at the demon child. “I never did”

Zhan Tiri roared with rage as purple fire engulfed her. Then all at once the true monstrous form of the creature stood before Cassandra. Cass only smirked, her now dark hair flying in the breeze.

 
“I know this house’s tricks. I know you aren't real. But now I finally have the chance to say this to your face.” The dark horned monster smashed down a fist that Cassandra easily dodged. Then she leapt onto the monsters hand, wearing clothes that she hadn't worn since she had lived in Corona. Since a lifetime ago. 

Cass ran up the monster's arm, holding eye contact as she kicked the demon’s face.

As Zhan Tiri roared, Cass lunged to grab onto the demon's horn and climbed onto its head. The demon thrashed and clawed, yet Cassandra held fast.

“I want to have the power to protect people. You manipulated me- just like Gothel- and I forgot that. I lost sight of who I am and I let them all down. But I promise-” She reached behind her and pulled out a Coronan crested sword. Sharp, golden, meticulously well kept- she knew exactly who this belonged to and smiled. “- I will never let them down again.”

Cassandra stabbed down and white light filled the room.

~ * ~

Nuru stared in confusion as Varian pointed down to Hugo’s limp form on the ground. She exchanged looks with Yong and Amber, looking equally baffled and scared.

“Varian, I don’t think that’s who you think it is,” she pleaded. “That’s Hugo. Don’t you remember him? Do you remember me? I’m Nuru. And Yong? Amber? Please. Something is wrong. Let us go so we can help you.”

She could see Varian’s face flash through different emotions as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. “No. What are you saying? I don’t know anyone like that. You’re the Princess. You’re Rapunzel! Stop trying to confuse me!”

“We want to help you,” said Yong. “We’ll figure out what’s wrong with your dad, I promise.”

Varian’s eyes flared with rage and he swung his staff at Yong, holding it only an inch from his nose. “No! Don’t you dare! Don’t…” He lifted the staff high like he was about to strike and Yong flinched. 

Sudden recognition crossed Varian’s face and he stepped backward, dropping the staff. “No… I can’t. Please.” He clutched his head. “Stop! Get out of my head!” He twisted and turned as if fighting off an invisible person.

“Varian!”

Cassandra, the real Cassandra, burst through a door and rushed to Varian’s side. He was still writhing as if on fire.

“What’s wrong with him?” She asked, looking up at the others in a panic.

“We don't know,” said Nuru. “He doesn’t remember us. He was saying something about his dad and the Princess Rapunzel.”

“Oh, no,” Cassandra muttered under her breath. When she looked back at Varian she could see something on his neck, hidden by his hair. Cassandra grabbed for it and pulled off a little curl of vines like the ones that had been trapping her. As soon as she pulled it away from Varian’s neck It disintegrated in her hand, and Varian collapsed to his knees. 

He didn’t move for a second, but then he started to tremble and clutch his arms. Cass dropped down to a kneel next to him holding him upright.

“Ms Casssandra,” said Yong. “There should be powder in Varian’s bag that can free us from this.”

Cassandra hesitated at Varians side only for a moment before rushing to search the bag and produce a bottle to use on the goo. It began to melt away and Yong, Nuru, and Amber pulled themselves free. Amber rushed over to free Ruddiger from his bubble and Nuru hopped over to Hugo to wake him up. 

Yong went to Varian’s side. “Varian?” 

Now up close, Yong could see the tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he muttered over and over. Cass looked down at them helplessly until frustration filled her features. 

“We need to get out of here!” She shouted.

“Over there!” Directed Nuru. She pointed to the room that they’d almost reached before, where all the vines converged. Cassandra ran for it. 

She didn’t slow even when she reached it. There was something glowing inside and as Cassandra got closer she could see it was some kind of seed. She snatched it and threw it to the ground before crushing it under her heel. 

The world shook violently, throwing everyone to the ground. After only a few seconds the walls and floor gave way as everything started falling apart. They could hear high pitch screams reverberate through the air as the walls, floor, and ceiling cracked and slowly crumbled away to dust. Amber held on to Ruddiger. Nuru held onto Hugo who started to wake and looked over to where Yong had his arms around Varian. 

As the house dissolved they were tipped down and deposited roughly onto the dewy grass of the forest floor. Seconds later the house had completely shriveled away. They found themselves back in the field, now empty, the surrounding trees only partially blocking a yellow sun peeking over the far horizon.

After a brief silence, Hugo looked up and over to Varian, who remained crumpled on the ground even as the others started getting up to dust themselves off. “Goggles?” 

Varian didn’t move or reply.

Chapter Text

Varian looked up from the mopping machine he had just been performing maintenance on. He leaned on it, wrench in hand and incredulity plastered across his face.

"He didn't," he said.

Rapunzel leaned forward, her brown hair bouncing as she nodded. "He did! Eugene refused to put a coin in the well, so this big giant self-driving machine-"

"Automaton?" asked Varian excitedly.

"Automaton," Rapunzel corrected, "Chased us all through the labyrinth. All because Eugene didn't have faith."

Varian chuckled, going back to work on his machine. "You know Rapunzel, when you told me Demanitus was a monkey, I knew this was going to be a crazy story, but I didn't know it would be bonkers. The idea that Demanitus of all people was talking about faith…"

"Why is that strange?" asked Rapunzel.

"Because Demanitus is a man of science, like me!" said Varian, looking up again to argue his points. "Logic. Facts. Reason. The mathematical principles of alchemy. Those are the things I believe in. Faith has nothing to do with that."

"But don't you see, that's exactly what Demanitus was trying to say to Eugene," said Rapunzel, kneeling down to Varian's level. "He didn't mean blind faith in abstract ideas. He meant to find the faith you already have. For you, it's science. For Eugene, it was me. And I believe that everyone could use a little faith in themselves."

Varian's smile faltered. "Easy to say when you're the princess who saved her entire kingdom from Zhan Tiri."

"You helped, Varian," said Rapunzel. "You can't change what happened in your past, but look at what you've done since. It's incredible. You should absolutely have faith in yourself."

Varian's smile returned. "Thanks, Rapunzel." He went back to work as she started to walk away.

"Varian?!" shouted Rapunzel, her voice suddenly alarmed.

Varian turned, and the first thing he noticed was Rapunzel's long golden hair was back. It laid across the floor, glowing brightly. "What?" gasped Varian. When he looked back down, he was inside his mechanized suit, the controls in his hands. He was heading straight for Rapunzel, her face full of fear and anger as he bared down on her. "No… no wait." Varian tried to stop the mech but just kept going. "No! This isn't me. I'm not this person anymore!"

"Varian, please! Stop!" shouted Yong's voice.

"I'm trying!" Varian shouted back. "I, I can't!"

"Varian, how could you?" said Nuru's voice.

Suddenly, Varian was no longer in the mech. He was standing in front of Hugo, Nuru, and Yong. They stared at him, completely terrified.

"Guys!" Varian tried to reach towards them, but they recoiled.

"How could you?" repeated Nuru.

"I- I didn't mean any of it!" said Varian.

"You nearly hurt me," said Yong.

"You could have hurt all of us," said Nuru. "How can we ever trust you again?"

Varian clammed up, having no way to argue.

"We now know who you really are," said Hugo. Varian's eyes snapped to him. "You're nothing but a danger. Just like your mom."

"No, I-"

The amber that had once trapped his father burst from the floor, knocking Varian back. He looked up to see it rapidly encased his friends.

"No!"

~ * ~

Varian woke and sat up in bed, eyes wide with fear. "No!" He shouted. He jumped as someone laid a hand on his shoulder but relaxed when he realized it was his Aunt Margeret.

"Shh, Varian, It's okay. It's okay. It was only a dream," she said.

Varian curled up on himself and tried to calm down. He heard a small creak and looked over to see that the door was ajar and familiar faces were poking through to see him. He could make out Yong, Nuru, Amber, and Alec all in the hall. He curled up even more.

"Another nightmare," said Aunt Margret. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Varian shook his head. "No."

"Do you want to get up?" she asked. "There's breakfast waiting."

"No," Varian repeated.

Yong pushed into the room and hesitantly approached the bed. "Varian? Just eat a little bit?"

"No!" said Varian. He balked for a moment at his own volume, before he laid back down and turned away from the door. "Just- just leave me alone… please."

"Come along, Yong dear," said Aunt Margret. She ushered Yong out, leaving Varian alone as he requested. Varian looked at the bedside table, which currently held his mother's two journals alongside his own. A shadow passed by the window, and Varian turned his head to see what it was. When all he could see were trees, he got up from the bed and looked out. It was a bright and peaceful morning, but there was no sign of anyone or anything. Varian sighed and turned back into the room, missing the shadow slinking back into the treeline.

~ * ~ 

Out in the hall, Yong was being comforted by Nick and Reagan as he fought to keep his composure. The rest of the family was there too, looking on dejectedly. Hugo and Nuru stood against the wall, both their arms crossed and both of their faces troubled. 

"He's been like this for three days," said Nuru softly. 

"Nice to see you can still count, Princess," Hugo muttered back. 

Nuru rolled her eyes. "What even happened in that place? Everything was weird all the way through, but whatever they did to Varian… he was saying things that made no sense. Doing things that weren't like him at all."

Hugo looked at her. "And how do you know what he's like?"

Nuru looked up at this fiercely. "Not this again. Not when Varian needs our help."

Hugo sighed. "So what do you propose? We've all tried talking to him. Tried asking him about… whatever visions he was seeing… if your next plan is to do a song and dance, I respectfully decline."

"He's still in there?"

They both looked up to see Cassandra standing next to them, looking over to the guest room. Hugo huffed. "Who let you in?" he asked. 

The girls ignored him.

"Cassandra," pleaded Nuru. "Can't you help him?" 

Cassandra sighed. "You know I've already tried. Whatever it is, it has something to do with things that happened in Corona years ago."

Hugo shifted uncomfortably as Nuru's brow furrowed. "What happened? It was something to do with the Princess… With you too. Please tell us something. Anything that might help."

Cassandra shook her head. "It's not my story to tell. Me telling you might not even help him. It might just make it worse. 

Yong walked up, apparently having heard some of the conversation. "So what can we do?"

Cassandra looked between Yong, Nuru, and Hugo. "Right now, you three are the closest friends Varian has. Just keep showing him that, and eventually, he'll be ready to talk."

"Hm. Eventually," said Hugo. "How long can we wait?" He looked at Nuru. "How long can you wait, Princess?"

Nuru bit her lip. "We have lost a lot of time already. The Demanitus Comet gets closer every day." Yong frowned and placed a hand on her arm.

The bedroom door creaked open, and everyone turned with bated breath to see Varian poking his face out. Yong's face lit up. Nuru allowed herself a hopeful glance, and Hugo watched with curiosity. Varian, however, met none of their eyes. Instead, he stared at the floor.

"Um… Uncle Olin? Aunt Margret? Can we… talk, please?"

The two of them looked worriedly at each other before nodding and hurrying into the room, shutting the door behind them. The twins, Liam and Lira, rushed to the door and pressed their ears to it to listen, but Alec shooed them away. 

"A little privacy, please," she said. She cast a look around at the rest of her family, and reluctantly, they all dispersed away from the door. Cassandra gestured for the front door. Yong and Nuru followed, but Hugo hung back. He changed course and made for the back door instead.

Once outside, he slid as quiet as a mouse along the wall to stand next to the window of Varian's room.

"Is that really what you want?" he heard Olin ask. 

"You were so determined to go on this journey before now," said Margret. 

Varian's voice was soft but firm as he responded, and Hugo couldn't help but peek in through the pane to watch. "Growing up, I struggled to belong. I love my dad so much, but he never really understood me. Going on this journey. Following in my mom's footsteps. It was my way of finding real acceptance. Finding a place I could be myself. A tribe. But after what happened, I've realized what I'm chasing might not even be out there." Hugo watched as Varian turned hesitant but hopefully eyes up to his aunt and uncle. "It might be here. I could be happy here. Here with my family who loves me and sees me for who I am. Please. Let me stay at least for a little while."

Hugo turned and hurried away from the window before he could hear anymore, his face a grim mask.

He returned to the front of the house where Yong, Nuru, and Cassandra were. 

"What if we threw him a big party!" Yong suggested. "We could have cake and cookies and four different kinds of ice cream!"

"Where'd you run off to?" asked Nuru as she turned to see Hugo.

Hugo just shrugged and kept his eyes down.

"Hugo, what's wrong?" asked Yong. His eyes widened in worry. "Is it Varian? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Hugo gritted out. When the others continued to stare, Hugo kept going. "He's decided to stay."

"What do you mean, stay?" asked Cassandra.

"What do you think I mean? He's staying here. He wants to be with his… with his family ."

"But," Yong started. "The trials. We can't do them without him!"

"We have to," said Hugo.

"No!" protested Yong. "We'll talk to him. Convince him to come with us."

"It's already been days," said Nuru quietly. "We don't have time."

"She's right."

They jumped and turned to see Varian standing in the front doorway, journals clasped in his hands. He sighed and walked closer to the group. "You don't have time to wait. The Demantitus Comet is on its way. You… you need to find the Library before that happens."

"And we're doing that with you... right?" asked Nuru.

Varian winced, and for a moment, his face crumpled. He turned away to compose himself and then looked back at the others. "I can't," he said. 

"But how can that be? After all, you've been through?" asked Nuru. 

"Maybe I'm the reason we struggled so much through the trials," said Varian. "Maybe I'm the reason we failed the last one."

"That's not true!" cried Yong.

"Isn't it?" asked Varian. "Yong, you were the one who solved the fire trial. Hugo was the one to solve the water trial. We never would have gotten through the air trial without Nuru. All I have to offer are my mother's notes." He pulled them out and pushed them into Yong's hands. "I put all my notes on how to decipher her codes in there, so now you don't even need me for that."

"Varian," said Nuru coming over to place a hand on his shoulder. "This is about what happened in The House of Yesterday's Tomorrow, isn't it? Varian, whatever happened shouldn't make you give up."

"I'm not giving up," said Varian. "I'm doing what's best for everyone. For me, that's being here with my family. You all will be fine without me."

"But, Varian," said Yong softly. Varian turned and was shocked at the sadness in Yong's eyes. "You promised my dad you'd look after me. And me… You promised to help me with my fireworks."

Varian hesitated. "I… I know. And I'm not breaking that promise. I can still help you. Just not right now. And you will be safe as long as you stay with Nuru and Hugo. Safer than if I come along."

Cassandra stepped forward. "Is this really what you want, Varian?"

Varian kept his eyes down as he answered. "Yes. This is what I've decided. Go. Take Prometheus with you. Please just trust me."

"Trust you?" asked Hugo. "When you refuse to tell us anything?"

"Hugo," Nuru warned.

Hugo looked like he wanted to say something more, his eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. Varian winced and stepped back. Hugo took a breath and fixed his face to a more neutral expression. "Fine. You're right. We don't need some hack alchemist. We'll find the Library just fine." He turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"What about the earth trial?" asked Yong. "There were four platforms in the puzzle. We might still need four people."

Varian thought for a moment, then looked at Cassandra. "Could you help them?"

Cassandra sighed but nodded. "Yes, of course."

Varian gave her a sad smile. "Thank you.

Yong nearly tackled Varian with a hug, wrapping his arms tight around his middle. "We're going to miss you," he said.

Varian hugged back. "I'm going to miss you too, Yong. But I'll see you again. And you can show me everything you learned, okay?"

Yong looked up and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

He stepped back, and Varian looked at Nuru, who was giving him a bittersweet smile. "Please take care of yourself," she said. "We'll come to check up on you." She pulled him into a hug, which Varian reciprocated gratefully. 

"Now I know you ain't about to sneak off without saying goodbye."

They broke apart and looked over to see Amber standing and staring at them, hands on hips. Yong immediately ran to hug her, and she spun him around before setting him back on the ground. 

"You stay out of trouble, Yong," she said.

He laughed. "I'll try." She tousled his hair and then looked over at Nuru, who smiled shyly.

"I'll write," said Nuru.

Amber nodded. "You better." Then she opened her arms, and Nuru ran into them. They held the hug for a moment before pulling back. 

"Well," said Nuru, looking over at Cassandra. "I guess we better go catch up to Hugo before he hurts himself."

Cassandra looked at Varian before nodding. She, Nuru, and Yong all gave one more wave before walking off the direction Hugo went.

Amber waited until they were out of earshot before turning and glaring at Varian. 

"What in the mighty mother Te Fiti do you think you're doin'?" She snapped.

Varian spun around, eyes wide as his cousin's face came alarmingly close. "Wha-"

"Don't you' wha-' me, young man." Amber scowled up at him as Varian cringed away. "What do you mean they don't need you?"

"I-it's exactly what I said- I haven't done anything t-to-"

"Are your gears loose?" Varian winced at her volume, "You're the only reason any of them are even here!" Soon the young mechanic had him cornered. 

"Sides that, don't you want to go? I ain't ever heard anyone talk about something like you talk about that Library! And what about my aunt? Varian- what about your mom! Think about all that hard work she did to get you here." 

Varian blinked. Then his expression darkened. Amber started and stumbled back. The alchemist stood to his full height, somehow towering over her despite the minimal difference. She shrunk back as he leaned forward. 

"I am."

Before Amber could recover, the alchemist was gone.

~ * ~

When they found Hugo, he was already hitching Prometheus to the cart. 

"You're buckling it too tight," said Nuru, as they approached. 

Hugo adjusted the harness. "Sorry, your carriage isn't up to your royal standards, Your Majesty."

"Will you stop that," she said. "You're not the only one upset."

"Who said I was upset," said Hugo, shooting her a dark smirk. "I feel fantastic. What's your problem?"

"Look here, you-"

"Stop!" cried Yong, running between the two of them. "Please. Please stop. Please don't fight. Things are bad enough as it is. We need to be working together."

"Then tell the princess to get off my back," said Hugo as he turned to hop up onto the driver seat of the wagon. Nuru fumed as she watched him, but Yong's hand on her elbow made her hold her tongue.

"Well, this is going to go well," said Cassandra. Nuru rounded on her and glared, making Cassandra step back in surprise. "Sorry... Um… Let's just go get this trial done…" She went and climbed up next to Hugo.

"Come on," said Yong softly to Nuru. "We can sit in the back and look through the notes on our way."

Nuru sighed and followed Yong into the back of the cart.

Hugo drove them down and away from the house and towards the earth trial. He and Cassandra were both mercifully silent, but he could hear Nuru and Yong muttering in the back. As they went, Hugo's eyes wandered, and he noticed a long-bearded man begging on an otherwise empty street. The man had a wide-brimmed hat, and he kept his eyes down even as he extended a cup in the hope of receiving some coins. Hugo noticed a ring on the man's finger, just barely peeking out from beneath his robe. It had a red symbol on it that seemed vaguely familiar to him. Like a floret or an arrow in the shape of a hand mirror. Hugo just turned away from the man and had Prometheus move along faster. The fact that someone begging for money had jewelry set off an alarm in his mind, but so long as the group didn’t get too close they’d be fine.

~ * ~

Varian stopped running when he was far away from his Aunt and Uncle's house. He glared at the ground until something jumped up onto him, and he looked up to see Ruddiger cuddling into his shoulder.

He smiled sadly and scratched the raccoon's ears. "Hey, bud." Ruddiger chittered, and Varian sighed. "This is what's best, right? I can't be trusted." He pulled a handful of torn pages out of his pocket and looked down to see his mother's message. 

There is a way. I found it. And Ella does not even suspect me.

"If they knew… knew what I was. What I am!" He stuffed the pages back into his pocket as Ruddiger pawed his face in a gesture of comfort. He held Ruddiger up and looked into his eyes. "Now I know what you'll say. Cass knows exactly what you're going through. Just talk to her. But what if she can’t help me? What if I’m destined to repeat my mom’s mistakes? What if I’m destined to be the bad guy?” He set Ruddiger down on the ground and started walking. Ruddiger pranced behind as Varian trudged. The raccoon stopped when he smelled something suspicious in the air. He glanced around nervously as Varian turned a corner, nearly running into what looked like a beggar man. 

"Oh, uh, sorry," said Varian. 

The man kept his head bent, his hat hiding his features. 

"It's okay," he said. "You seem like a nice young man."

Varian gave a noncommittal grunt at that and then noticed the man holding out a cup with just a few pennies inside. 

"Would you be willing to spare some change so I could get something to eat?" 

"Oh, um, yeah, of course," said Varian. He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a handful of coins, which he dropped into the cup. The man suddenly groaned and doubled over. Varian went to the man's side and helped him stay upright. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," said the man, still keeping his eyes down. "Just my blood sugar dropping a bit. Maybe you could walk with me to the bakery?"

"Yeah, uh, I can do that."

Varian didn't think twice, letting the man use him for support as they walked down the street. At the man's suggestion, they took a shortcut through a narrow and empty alley. They came to an abrupt halt when two very familiar figures stepped into the alley and blocked their way. Even in the shadow of the buildings, Varian recognized the Separatists of Saporia Kai and Clementine. 

"What? No…" Varian stood gaping before pulling himself together. "Run!" He tried to tug the man back the way they came, but the man gripped his wrist and held him in place. "What are you doing?" He cried as he tugged.

"You're not going anywhere, boy." The man finally looked up, and the bottom dropped from Varian's stomach as he recognized Juniper. 

He kept tugging, trying to wrench himself free. As the other separatists came closer, Varian squeezed his eyes shut. "No, no, this can't be happening," he muttered. "It's not real. This is just a dream. Just a dream. Please wake up. Please-"

"Oh, it's real, alright."

The voice made Varian freeze up, and his eyes shot open, wide with fear and shock. He turned, and sure enough, Andrew was walking down the alley where he'd just naively let himself be led, holding a squirming Ruddiger under his arm.

"Good to see you again, friend ," said Andrew calmly. Varian stood rooted to the spot as he approached, looking for all the world like a fifteen-year-old boy again. "Or should I say, traitor?"

Varian tried to reach for his pockets, but Juniper already had one of his wrists in an iron grip, and Kai quickly grabbed his other one. He struggled and did his best to glare at Andrew through his fear. "How did you find me?"

"We've been keeping an eye on you for quite some time now," said Andrew. "We know about the stunt you pulled to sabotage our plans. 

"Hah," said Varian, trying to sound brave. "As if you ever could destroy Corona without my help."

Andrew's smile only grew, and Varian's false bravado flagged.

Ruddiger wiggled in Andrew's grasp and bit down hard on his arm. He shouted and dropped the raccoon in surprise. Ruddiger immediately ran as Clementine chased after. "It's getting away!"

"Don't bother with that vermin," growled Andrew as he nursed his arm. "We have what we need."

Varian shrank as Andrew fixed him with his gaze once more and stepped closer.

~ * ~

They stood back in front of the mural. The plaza was much busier than the last time they had been there. Yong and Nuru looked around nervously. 

"Should we wait until there's no one around?" asked Yong.

Nuru nodded. "Might be best. It's supposed to be a secret, after all. And if anyone tried to follow, they could get hurt."

Cassandra pulled her sword partway out of its sheath with a smirk. "I could make them all go away," she said.

Yong and Nuru's eyes widened. Hugo, despite himself, smiled but hid his mirth behind his hand.

"Kidding, kidding," said Cassandra as she slid the sword back into place. "Guess we'll just wait then."

Just then, the crowd parted as a chittering raccoon darted in their direction. Ruddiger leaped right into Yong's arms and started tugging on him frantically.

"Ruddiger?" asked Yong.

The raccoon just screamed and tugged more desperately. 

"Ruddiger, what's wrong?" asked Nuru. 

Cassandra's face hardened. "Is it Varian?"

Ruddiger nodded his head violently and jumped to the ground. He pointed the direction he'd come from.

"Varian needs us?" asked Yong. "Is he in trouble?"

"Heh," said Hugo, arms crossed. "I'm sure he's fine. He's safe with his little family after all."

Nuru rounded on Hugo, and her glare made him throw his hands up and take a step back. She opened her mouth to speak, but Yong beat her to it.

"That's enough, Hugo!" he said. The others looked over at Yong in surprise. His face was set with anger none of them had ever seen there before. "You have been acting just as weird as Varian ever since we got out of that horrible place! Like you don't care or that nothing matters. Okay, I know you're always like that, but it's even more now! And I know you don't feel that way. We're going to go help, Varian! Cause whether Varian's life is on the line or he just stubbed his toe, that's just what friends do. And you know he'd do the same for you!"

Hugo's eyes were wide with shock. Everyone stood speechless as Yong turned and marched off in the direction Ruddiger was leading. Nuru and Cassandra, with a passing glance at Hugo, followed. 

Hugo groaned. "Prometheus, watch our stuff." Then he followed as well.

They arrived at a quiet little alley not far from the main streets, and Ruddiger started sniffing around. The group looked at each other, unsure what they were supposed to be seeing.

"Ruddiger, what happened?" Asked Nuru. "Why are we here?" 

"Um, guys?" said Yong, voice shaking. He pointed to the ground where a set of goggles were lying. 

Hugo snatched them up, trepidation creeping onto his face. Then he looked over to Ruddiger, whose sniffing had led him to a cup that had also been discarded. It was spilling coins out onto the dusty ground, and Hugo recalled the man he'd just seen holding it.

"No," he said softly. "Goggles, you idiot."

"What?" asked Nuru.

Hugo shut his eyes, the horrific scenario he’d imagined playing out in his mind. "There was a man. A beggar." He looked at Ruddiger. "Varian was here?" The raccoon nodded. "Was there a man with a beard and a wide-brimmed hat?" Another nod. Hugo took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Did that man take Varian somewhere?" 

The others gasped as Ruddiger sniffed around again.

"He was kidnapped?" cried Yong. Cassandra drew her sword and looked around as if she thought the culprit would jump out at any moment.

Hugo's grip tightened on the objects in his hands, sweat breaking out on his face. "Seems like it."

"But who?" asked Nuru.

"Who else?" said Cassandra bitterly. "That Donella woman is looking for revenge. Probably sent one of her henchmen."

"No," said Hugo. The others looked at him as he shook his head. "She wouldn't…… the only reason to do that would be to get the journal back. But Varian doesn't have it; we do."

"It doesn't always have to make sense," said Cassandra. "It might not be about the journals anymore. We destroyed her base. You don't think she'd want some payback?"

Hugo shivered at this thought. "We have to find him." 

"Look!' said Yong. "I think Ruddiger found a trail!" 

They looked to see Ruddiger pointing down the street. He dashed off, and they ran after him. As they ran, Nuru got beside Hugo. 

They ran a bit further until they were out of the city and into a small patch of forest. Ruddiger led the way to a small but empty clearing. Ruddiger stopped and looked around. As the rest did the same, Hugo threw up his hands.

"There's nothing here!" he shouted. "You've just led us on a goose chase!"

"Hugo, calm down," said Nuru. "There might be clues. Let's look around."

Cassandra knelt down. "Wait, there's something here. A spike in the ground… As if something had been tied down."

"There's a bag here," said Nuru. "It's full of sand?" 

"I found something else," said Yong. He lifted up some kind of cylindrical canister. "It's empty, but this is a fuel container. And I don't see any evidence of fire."

Cass looked around the clearing with sharp eyes, then shot her gaze back to Hugo.

"You said the man had a hat and a beard. Did you notice anything else about him?" she asked.

"No…" said Hugo. "Well, yes. He had a ring, which I thought was weird for someone begging."

"What kind of ring?" asked Cassandra.

"It had a weird symbol on it. It was red and looked like a rounded arrow inside of a fancy hand mirror or like a figure inside an archway."

Cassandra's brow furrowed. "I know what this is.”

~ * ~

With hands now tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth, Varian was dragged by Kai out of the hot air balloon basket. They had set down on the side of a hill outside the city where a little cabin was nestled between the rock and the trees. Maisie met them at the door as they brought Varian inside and led him down into the basement. 

Once behind a locked door, Kai threw Varian into the middle of the room. Varian grunted as he hit the floorboards. When he looked up, he saw Andrew looming over him. Andrew wound back his leg, and a moment later, Varian felt an impact knock the wind out of his lungs. Tears clung to his eyelashes as Andrew knelt down in front of him. 

"Oh, Varian. Varian. Varian. Varian," said Andrew with a calm smile. He grabbed Varian and pulled him up onto his knees. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He pulled out a knife and examined it as he continued to speak. "Ever since we escaped Corona's prison and fled to this country, I swore that if I ever set eyes on you again." He held the knife under Varian's jaw. "I'd make you pay for the way you turned on us."

"We were so close to seizing justice for Saporia," said Clementine.

"Then that princess came along," said Kai. "And you decided to cozy up to a person who failed you in the first place."

"A modern-day Shampanier," muttered Juniper. 

"And now," said Andrew. "You come here and try to spoil our plans again. But as much as I'd love to kill you, you're far too useful to us alive." He stood up, and Varian watched as he walked over to a curtain. "See, we're going to need someone to help rebuild our army." He pulled the curtain back to reveal a work table surrounded by piles of spare metal and parts. 

Varian gasped behind his gag. He tried to speak, but his words were muffled. Maisie ripped the cloth away. "You really think I'm going to help you?" He blurted.

"Oh, I don't think you have much of a choice," said Andrew stalking back towards Varian again. 

"And why's that?" asked Varian, awkwardly getting to his feet to face Andrew with his hands still tied. Andrew smiled. 

"That's a lovely family you have living here in Nesdernia," he said. "Some pretty cute kids."

"You leave them out of this!" cried Varian. "They have nothing to do with you!"

"Oh, but Varian, we've already told you we've been watching you," said Andrew. "Which means we've kept tabs on them as well. It would be a shame if any of them were hurt while out on an errand, don't you think?"

Varian stared in horror as Andrew cut his bonds. "You will help us rebuild our army, and you will help us attack Corona. Do exactly as I say, and those cute kids get to live another day." Andrew tilted Varian's chin up, forcing eye contact. "Is that clear?" 

"Yes," said Varian through gritted teeth. Andrew turned to head for the door. 

"You talk about justice for Saporia," said Varian as he rubbed his wrists. "And yet all you ever do is spread violence and suffering." 

Before he knew what was happening, Andrew turned back around and slapped Varian across the face. 

"We're doing what needs to be done," growled Andrew. "Sometimes violence is the only way to make people listen. But you already know that, right buddy?" Varian flinched as Andrew placed a hand on his shoulder. "You act so high and mighty, but you were using violence to make yourself heard long before we came along. You are no different than us, Varian. It's time you remember that."

Andrew turned to leave again, and this time Varian did nothing to stop him. He wrapped his arms around himself, eyes cast downward in guilt and despair.

"Get to work already!" barked Clementine.

With slow, reluctant footsteps, Varian turned and walked towards the workbench.

~ * ~

Hugo let out a frustrated shout and paced around where the evidence of the balloon had been left. "How are we supposed to find him now? A balloon could have gone anywhere!"

"Well…" said Yong softly from where he sat on a log. "Not anywhere. If this was the only fuel they had, they could only stay in the air long enough to get a few miles. And most balloons don't have their own propulsion; they have to go where the wind is blowing."

Nuru, who was sitting next to Yong with her head in her hands, jerked up. "So if we figure out the direction of the wind…" She looked up at the evening sky above. "No clouds…"

Hugo pulled some string from his bag and started tying sticks together. 

"And what are you doing?" asked Cassandra.

"A kite," he said, "But I need fabric…"

"Here," said Nuru, pulling a scarf from her own bag. Hugo took it and secured it to the sticks. Then he handed the string to Yong. "Here, Sparkie. Run as fast as you can." 

Yong looked up at Hugo and smiled. "I have a better idea."

A moment later, a firework shot into the air, dragging the kite behind it on another string. When the firework exploded, the kite jerked down but was caught by the breeze. 

"Well, would you look at that," said Hugo. 

They watched as the kite swayed but then started to drift westward toward a range of hills. Nuru checked the direction against the star chart on her skirt. "Okay," she said. "I have the direction memorized."

"Let's go!" Yong exclaimed.

~ * ~

Varian worked slowly but steadily, easily assembling a weapon for the Saporians even as it sickened his stomach. Kai sat in the far corner by the door, guarding him. In the middle of tightening, a bolt Varian stopped and pressed his face against the machine's metal plating. 

"What am I doing?" he muttered under his breath. 

He flinched as a voice echoed in his head in response. You are no different than us, Varian .

"No." He squeezed his eyes shut as more voices swirled in his mind. 

 You lie, you manipulate, you forsake… just like mom .

After everything Hairstripe here has done, you're going to trust him?

So what will you do then? Freeze me in amber? Crush me with a machine?

So ready to throw everything away to take power and control.

Don't you have a Kingdom to overthrow?

This is what you deserve!

Varian screamed and slammed his wrench down. It hit the bolt he was tightening, and oil spurted out from it, onto Varian's vest. 

"No!" cried Varian, looking down at the huge stain. "No, no, no!" He pulled it off to better inspect the damage.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" asked Kai from his seat. 

"My vest, "Varian groaned. "It's ruined." He glared at Kai. "This wouldn't have happened if you let me wear my apron!"

Kai just crossed his arms and turned his nose up. "A piece of leather like that is barbaric and unethical."

Varian rolled his eyes and turned back to the vest, trying to scrub the mess off. As he looked closer at it, he noticed something that made him pause. "Huh? Was that always there?" He looked closer and realized that along one of the vest seams was embroidery—five letters forming one word: faith.

Varian ran his thumb over the word, and his mind conjured the image of Rapunzel sitting happily in her room, carefully sewing it into place. And suddenly, it was Rapunzel's voice ringing in his head.

You can't change what happened in your past, but look at what you've done since. It's amazing. I think you should have faith in yourself.

More voices joined in.

Rapunzel says you were a real hero .

I'm proud to have my son fighting alongside me .

Score one for Team Awesome!

Thank you, Varian. Thank you for coming back!

And as long as we're together, I know I'll be alright.

Varian, this could be our only chance! You don't even know if you can help!

I have to at least try. These people need help now. I can't just turn my back on them. Demanitus can wait.

Are you really the Royal Engineer of Corona? We've been using your mechanical crane designs to rebuild after meteor attacks!

You're right. It's too dangerous. But I can't just leave the others behind .

You tackled your fears, Varian! I knew you had it in you!

A drop of water splashed down on Varian's thumb, and he realized he'd started crying. He smiled and wiped at his eyes. "Thank you, Rapunzel," he whispered. 

"Get back to work before I get Andrew to come in here," ordered Kai. 

Varian looked up from the vest and back over to the workbench. He pulled the stained garment back on, a smile still on his face and a glint in his blue eyes. "Oh, I'm getting to work, alright," he muttered.

~ * ~

They walked for hours through the woods until the sun started going down in the distance. With the stars coming out, Nuru was better able to guide the way. 

When they reached the foot of the hills, Yong and Nuru worked together to figure out where along the ridges would be the most likely landing spots for the balloon. They pointed and debated before settling on their best guess. Then Hugo led the way up steep inclines and cliffsides, showing the others the best way to make the climbs. 

They moved quickly and single-mindedly, concerned only for Varian's safety. 

~ * ~

A waxing moon shone through the window as Varian worked. He moved with purpose and fervor, mixing chemicals alongside welding parts. He paused and looked behind him to find Kai snoozing in his seat, drool gathering in the corner of his mouth. Varian turned back and looked over his work before hoisting it up above him. 

It was a staff, very similar to the one he'd been carrying. But with the help of the tools and materials the Separatists had provided, it was more sleek and impressive than ever before. The orbs' settings were more intricate, and he was able to collapse it and expand it with just a quick flick of the wrist.

It had another function too, and Varian looked over at Kai, eager to test it out. 

He aimed the staff at the sleeping guard and pressed a button on the side of the staff. A bit of pink liquid drained from one of the orbs. Varian pressed a second button, and his signature pink goo shot out from the end of the staff, trapping Kai in place.

The man immediately woke and started to struggle. Still, his whole body was held fast by the substance, and even his mouth was covered, allowing only muffled sounds.

Varian now aimed the staff at the door. This time, the green liquid was consumed, and a jet of acid hit the lock. It sizzled and melted, and Varian kicked the door until it opened wide for him. 

"Yes!" he shouted victoriously as he rushed up the stairs of the cabin. 

He slid to a halt when he found himself in the midst of the rest of the Separatists. They all rose from their various spots around the room and moved to block his exit.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked Andrew.

"I told you we should have chained him," said Clementine.

"No need," said Andrew, keeping his eyes on Varian. "He knows the consequences of defying us. Who should we punish first, friend? One of the little dark-haired kids. Or maybe that uncle of yours."

Varian's eyes flashed, and he aimed his staff at Andrew. "I won't let you touch any of them!"

He clicked the staff, and the yellow liquid was drained from an orb before a jolt of lightning shot at Andrew. He veered out of the way just in time.

"Impressive, kid," he sneered. "But there's still four of us and only one of you. You're outnumbered."

"I think you better check your math again."

"What?" Andrew and the other Separatists looked behind them to see Hugo standing just inside the doorway of the cabin, Ruddiger perched on his shoulder, and Yong, Nuru, and Cassandra right behind him. Varian lit up at the sight of them.

"Are you okay, Varian?" asked Yong.

"Better now," said Varian.

"Looks like you're the ones who are outnumbered," said Cassandra, sword drawn. "Why don't you go ahead and give up. There's a nice jail cell back in Corona that misses you."

"Never!" cried Clementine.

Andrew put a hand out to calm her and smiled at the intruders. "I'm surprised you would come all this way just for little old Varian. After all, he's as much of a criminal as we are. If you're going to lock us up, might as well throw him in as well."

Cassandra kept glaring at Andrew, but the other's all stole a glance at Varian, whose face fell at the accusation.

"What are you talking about?" asked Nuru, voice fierce even as confusion filled her eyes.

"Oh, ho, ho!" laughed Andrew. He looked back at Varian, who shrank away. "You mean they don't know?" When no one responded, Andrew laughed again. "Well, go on then, Varian. Don't keep them in the dark. Tell them all the things you did to the people of Corona." Andrew looked back at Cassandra. "Or maybe Cassie wants to tell it. After all, you're one of the people he was trying to kill."

Nuru gasped, hand over mouth as she looked at Cassandra to deny what Andrew had just said. Hugo grimaced and stared at the floor as Yong stepped forward in defiance. "You're lying!" he shouted.

"He's not," said Varian softly. 

All eyes turned to him as Varian lowered his staff and leaned against it for support. He looked up at his friends before his eyes darted back to the ground. "I… I've done… terrible things. Back when I was a kid. I was scared, and I was angry. I attacked the people of Corona. I kidnapped the Queen, I threatened Cassandra and Princess Rapunzel. I helped these guys take over Corona and almost helped them destroy it. You… you all got a glimpse of that back in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow. That place… it made me think I was back there… made me scared and angry again."

Varian looked up at the group, eyes wet with unshed tears. "That's why I didn't want to talk about it. That's why I didn't want to come with you. Because I knew if you ever found out… well… that you would hate me. And I was afraid that you'd be right. Afraid that I can't be trusted."

He paused and clutched the stain on his vest, eyes unfocused in reflection. "I realize now that it's not that simple. That despite what happened, I can still have faith in myself. That I can still try to be a good person."

He looked back up to his friends. "But I understand if you hate me now that you know the truth."

There was silence for a moment before Nuru spoke up. "But, Varian. You're the Royal Engineer of Corona. How could that be if you were a criminal? Or… or were you lying about that?"

Varian took a deep breath. "No… it's true. Princess Rapunzel, she helped me break away from these guys. Helped me solve the problems that had pushed me to the edge. And she helped me find my way back to the light. I became Royal Engineer after helping her defeat-," he glanced at Cassandra before looking back at Nuru. "Defeat the demon Zhan Tiri."

"So you redeemed yourself," said Yong, taking a step forward. "You grew. Varian, you're the one who told me that our failures and our dark moments are the things that make us stronger. You've done nothing but be good to others ever since I met you. Whatever you did in the past is not you anymore."

"But....," protested Varian. "In the House-"

"You were manipulated," said Hugo, a hint of anger in his voice as he spoke up. "That place twisted your emotions and did everything it could to make you think you were still that scared little kid you used to be. But you can't let them convince you it's true. Varian, I've seen evil in this world. I've known people who are only out for themselves. I once thought everyone was like that. But that's not you. You're such a good person it's almost crazy. For goodness sake, Goggles, you were willing to run back into the House of Yesterday's Insanity when you could have easily left everyone to their own devices. And that's not the first time you've done that." 

Nuru was smiling now. "I don't hate you, Varian. And if it's okay with you, I still want to be your friend." 

"Me too," said Yong.

There was a pause before Nuru elbowed Hugo with a "a-hem".

"Well, of course, me too," said Hugo indignantly. "I didn't think it needed to be said."

"Enough of the touchy-feely, already," said Andrew, stepping between Varian and the others. "The alchemist is staying here with us. Saporians!"

Andrew and the Separatists all drew weapons and charged. Juniper went straight for Nuru, who ducked out of the way of the blade before Yong tossed a firecracker into the man's face. The explosion left his face covered in soot and made him sway in a daze. Nuru took the opportunity to punch him square in the jaw.

Maisie did a flip and landed behind Hugo, nearly catching him off guard. But Ruddiger jumped on her head and started scratching at her face. Hugo dropped and did a sweeping kick to knock Maisie off of her feet. 

Andrew and Cassandra's swords clashed over and over as they circled each other.

"Been so long, Cassie," said Andrew. "I know all about how you single-handedly overthrew Corona. Guess we're more compatible than I thought."

"Think again. I didn't need a kid to do all the work for me." said Cassandra with a vicious slash of her sword.

Clementine stalked toward Varian, wand of oblivion drawn as Varian backed towards the wall. "If you don't help us willingly, we'll just wipe all your memories and start from scratch," she said sweetly.

"No!" Varian pointed his staff, and another spark shot out of it. She yelped in pain as it hit her hand and sent the wand flying through the air. Varian caught it and threw it to the ground before snapping it in half with his heel. 

As the fight went on, Andrew looked around and seemed to realize the tide was turning against him. He blocked another blow from Cassandra and pushed away from her. "Saporians! Time to go!" He looked around and was frustrated to find that all his allies had already been either restrained or knocked unconscious. He growled and backed away further. 

"You're not going anywhere!" said Cassandra. 

"Oh, don't worry," Andrew said. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon."

He sheathed his sword and ran for the window, but Varian blocked his way. Varian tried to use his pink goo, but Andrew was too fast and knocked the staff out of Varian's hands before he could use it.

"You've ruined my plans for the last time, traitor," said Andrew. He pulled something from his belt and slashed out. Varian screamed and clutched his neck as he stumbled back and onto the floor. 

Before Andrew could bring his blade down again, Cassandra was upon him. He scrambled up and out the window and, in seconds, had disappeared into the night. 

Hugo, Nuru, Yong, and Ruddiger all rushed to Varian's side. Hugo pulled Varian into his lap as Nuru ripped part of her skirt off to press the clean material to Varian's wound. Yong took one of Varian's hands as Ruddiger cuddled close on Varian's stomach.

"Varian. Varian! " Nuru cried. She examined the wound carefully. "It’s not deep, but he needs help. We need to get him to his Aunt and Uncle's house." She looked up at Yong. "Can you fly that balloon?" she asked. 

"I can try," said Yong.

"Let's go," said Hugo. He lifted Varian carefully up into his arms, letting Nuru keep the pressure on Varian's neck and jaw as they moved out of the house. 

Varian barely registered what was happening. He heard the voices and felt the excruciating pain, but the world started to go dark just as the starry sky came into view. The last thing he heard was Hugo's voice, low and urgent. "Just hang in there, Goggles. You're going to be okay."

~ * ~

Varian carefully felt the bandage now affixed to his neck and jaw. He winced in pain before leaving it alone once more. He, Hugo, Nuru, and Yong sat on the steps just outside his Uncle and Aunt's house in comfortable silence. They all watched Ruddiger play in the yard with Liam, Lira, and Ritter until Uncle Olin came to the door.

"Dinner!" he called out. The kids and raccoon quickly scrambled inside, pushing the teens and adults aside as he went. Hugo protested while the others just laughed and leaned out of the way. Hugo, Yong, and Nuru stood to walk in as well. 

When Varian didn't get up, Nuru looked back with concern. "You coming, Varian?"

He smiled up at her. "Yeah. Just give me a minute," he said. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he continued. "I'm fine, I swear."

She put a hand on his arm. "You can tell us if you aren't, you know." 

"I know," he said. "Thanks, Nuru."

She nodded and headed inside after the others. A moment later, Cassandra came out and sat down next to him. He laughed. "Did they send you out to watch over me?" he asked.

"I was actually just about to head out," she said. She pulled out the owl mask. "As wonderful as it's been helping you out, and as much as I wish I could continue, I have my own path I still need to follow. While the other Separatists are now apprehended, Andrew is still out there. So my first order of business is to track him down and put him away for good."

Varian shuttered. "Good. I would definitely feel better knowing I wasn't going to run into him again."

"I heard you decided to continue your quest for the Eternal Library," said Cassandra, changing subjects.

"I never really wanted to stop," Varian admitted, staring out into the distance. "I was just scared."

"Scared of what the others would think of you?" asked Cassandra.

"That's part of it," said Varian. "Of course, now the tests are out of the vials. I promised them I'd tell the whole story after dinner. But there's another part." He took a deep breath and continued. "You were there when Donella was talking to me about my mom. About how we were alike."

"Varian," said Cassandra seriously. "She was probably lying."

"But what if she wasn't?" asked Varian, voice barely above a whisper. "Madame Mayes… Tromus… he showed me things. Windows to the past that prove Donella right. There's even a passage in her journal that confirms it." He pulled out the pages and handed them to Cassandra. "I didn't want to find the Eternal Library because I was afraid. Afraid of what I would find there."

Varian waited as Cassandra scanned the pages before looking back up at him. "I'll admit this doesn't look good," she said. "But it's only a small piece of the story, Varian. Your mom might have had her reasons. Reasons you'll never know unless you dig deeper."

"But what happens if I dig and I don't like what I find?" asked Varian.

"Varian... do you know who my mother is?" asked Cassandra, her voice now as quiet and hesitant as Varian's. He shook his head.

"My mother was Gothel, the woman who kidnapped Rapunzel and locked her in a tower for eighteen years. She was, undeniably, a terrible person. But when I had the moonstone, Zhan Tiri twisted the truth about her to manipulate and control me." She put the pages back into Varian's hands. "Maybe your mom is terrible too. Maybe she's not. But our parents don't define who we are. And if the worst happens, you just have to depend on the people who love you."

She turned to look through the open doorway. Varian followed her gaze to see Ruddiger, Yong, Nuru, and Hugo chatting and playing with his extended family members. Varian's lips tugged up into a warm smile.

"You're going to be okay," said Cassandra. 

Varian looked back at her and threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "Thank you, Cass," he said. "For everything."

"Woah, hey now," she said. "It's no big deal. Really." She hugged him back before extracting herself and standing up. "Well, about time I was off."

"Cassandra, wait!"

Out of the door rushed Alec, a bag in her hand. "You said you’d be on the road for a while,I put together some rations for you," she said. She held out the bag as Cassandra, wide-eyed with surprise, took it.

"Hey, thanks," said Cassandra. She peeked inside the bag. "Oh wow! Is this blackberry jam?"

"I heard you mention that you liked it," said Alec, pushing a strand of copper hair behind her ear. "If you ever need a place to stay. You're always welcome here."

A faint blush appeared on Cassandra's cheeks. "Welcome! Yes, you're welcome. I mean, thank you! I… I might do that."

Varian looked between the two in confusion.