Chapter Text
A deafening silence rang over the battlefield as the large spike drove through the large automaton.
If she had been paying attention she would’ve noticed the spike had dug through the head console rather than the body as she had been aiming for.
She felt her body begin to sway. Eugene rushed over and caught her before she fell. “Blondie!”
She opened her eyes wearily. “Hi.”
If she had been paying attention she would’ve noticed the way Varian’s eyes went wide when the last spike shot up.
Eugene chuckled out of relief. “We have got to start finding better ways to spend your birthday.”
Her boyfriend helped her to her feet. Rushing over to her mom, she embraced her tightly in a hug.
“It’s over, mom! We won!” She cheered. She felt her father come up from behind and hug his family as well.
If she had been paying attention she would’ve heard the quiet gasps coming from inside the automaton.
She stepped back from her parents and ran over to the newly formed hole in the wall. The black rocks had all flattened and she could see a road made from these stones leading into the distance. She needed to follow them. She knew it.
But something had to be dealt with first. She turned back to the mech. Taking steps closer to apprehend the boy who minutes earlier was on the verge of killing her mom and best friends.
Eugene placed a hand on her shoulders. “Let me handle it, Blondie. I know you want to face him one last time, but I don't trust him to not have one last trick up his sleeve.”
If she had been paying attention she would’ve known that Varian was no longer a threat.
Eugene approached the fallen automaton with his sword drawn as Rapunzel hung back, talking with her parents. “Give it up, kid. You’ve lost.”
I mean it’s technically not magic. It’s alchemy…
No sound came from mech. Eugene inched forward and used his sword to pop open the hatch.
I am your biggest fan!
The sound of dripping greeted Eugene first. The sound filling him with dread. He prayed it wasn’t what he thought it was. The universe wasn’t too king.
Team Awesome, right?
A large spike stood in the center of the cockpit. Warm red liquid trickled down the rock. Eugene felt sick as he saw where it was coming from. About a quarter of the way down from the top of the spike was the boy, the black rock driven straight through his chest, his eyes blown wide, blood spilling from his mouth.
“R-rider?” The boy spluttered.
The fight left Eugene’s body as he heard the pained, whimpered words from the boy. It seemed like a completely different kid than the one they were fighting minutes ago. He approached the boy, his guard still up, but trying to seem soothing.
“H-hey kid. Y-you’re going to be alright.”
The kid shook his head, blood spilling onto the floor with the motion. “N-no ‘m not. ‘M th’ b’d guy. B’d g’s don’t g’t ap’ en-. I ‘serve’t.”
Tears threatened to fall from Eugene’s eyes. He took the kid’s hand and knelt down to meet the kid's eyes. “You don’t. Okay kid I won’t lie to you. You did some bad stuff. But you don’t deserve this. You’re a kid.. Y-you’re going to be okay. I- I promise.”
The kid cried in pain at that word. Flynn forgot the trauma with that word. “D-dn’t -mise. ‘ease.” The kid gasped in pain, his eyes going glossy.
“Hey Hey kid! Kid! Stay with me. Don’t close your eyes!” Eugene cried.
“Eugene, what’s all the noise abo-” Cassandra said, walking up, stopping in her tracks as she saw the kids state. She gasped, running over to stand next to Eugene. “H-hey Varian. O-Oh dear.” Eugene looked up to Cass, a rare moment of non-hostility transpiring between them. He shook his head solemnly.
“‘C’ssie. ‘m s’rry. L-l’k ‘ftr Rudi f’r me. ‘ell d’ddy…” He sobbed, his eyes closing for the last time. “‘m s’rry d’ddy. I c‘dn’t m’k u’pr’d.” His voice faded at the end, hitching one last time as the body went limp.
Eugene let himself cry. Sure the kid had done some messed up things, but he was a kid. A kid that, with the right help, could’ve been brought back to the light. But now there was only a corpse to bury.
Cassandra sighed “We can’t let Raps-”
“Varian?!” Rapunzel’s voice sounded horrified. The duo turned around to see the princess standing a couple of feet away, a sickened look on her face. She took a step to run towards the boy, only to be held back by the king.
“Rapunzel don’t-” The king signaled to the guard to deal with the limp form of Varian.
The princess screamed in his grasp. “VARIAN!” The guards carefully lifted the boy off the spike, a sickening squelching noise coming from the body. They carried the kid away from the automaton and laid him out on a white blanket. At that moment, Varian’s raccoon crawled up from the ruins of the lab. The raccoon’s eyes landed immediately on the limp form of Varian.
The raccoon sprinted across the field to nudge the boy with his nose. Sensing no movement, the raccoon chirped sadly and crawled onto the boy’s chest only to stop when it saw the large hole in the center. Eugene didn’t think he was able to describe or forget the noise that came out of the critter, the best he could describe it was a wail. The raccoon curled up on the boy’s chest, wailing and chittering sadly. Several guards tried to move the critter, the raccoon only hissing in response.
“Let him stay there.” Cass told them. “He needs to grieve, I think.”
The battlefield fell into silence once again. Yes they had won, but it didn’t feel much like a victory.
You promised!
.
.
.
Despite the king’s protests, the princess insisted a proper funeral be held for the boy. It was a very small attendance. Cass, Eugene, and Rapunzel were there, of course, as well as Xaiver, Monty, and select members of the Old Corona community.
At first, Rapunzel was worried no one would have anything to say, but much to her delight that wasn’t the case. That was until each person spoke. That was until each person reminded her of the person that was lost. The person she killed. First metaphorically, then literally.
A couple of people from Old Corona spoke first. They told stories of how bright of a kid he was. How he was excited to do anything, especially to help out. They told stories how after every accident he was the first to volunteer to help repair what was destroyed. One woman stated how worried she was for the kid after the blizzard, stating how she noticed a big shift in his demeanor and how she wished she checked up more on the kid.
Monty spoke next. Telling how, as a kid, he would often watch over the boy when Quirin needed to visit the king. He listed off all of Varian’s favorite candy and recalled how bright the kid’s smile was whenever he was offered some.
Xavier followed talking about how the kid had tried on several occasions to talk with the blacksmith. Xavier mentioned how he was going to see if he could take Varian on as an apprentice to help the kid hone his craft. Xavier remarked several times about how bright and intelligent the boy was, and how the world is going to miss out on the mind that was lost.
Rapunzel spoke next. She looked like she was barely keeping it together, but nonetheless took a deep breath and spoke. “Varian was a boy I was supposed to be friends with. He gave me his full trust and when he looked to me more than ever I couldn’t be the friend he needed. Varian was one of the most enthusiastic boys I’ve ever met. He loved alchemy more than anything. But most of all, he just wanted to be helpful. To be someone people could be proud of. Even with the actions that he has committed, Varian will be remembered for the boy we all knew he was. It’s what he deserves. Varian, if you can hear me. I want you to know… I-” she began crying. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for so much. I killed you, and I will never forgive myself. I hope- hic I hope wherever you are now. You can be happy. You can be appreciated for your talents. You can be heard. I’m sorry, Varian. Please. Rest Easy.”
Varian Ruddiger was buried in a graveyard next to his mother. His tombstone described him as a beloved son, a caring friend, and a brilliant mind. It is said that when he was buried a raccoon sat on his grave for days, wailing for his lost friend.