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Chapter Text

The quiet hiss of the bunsen burner and the bubble of the fluid hung over the flame were the only sounds to be heard in the dark laboratory of the lone alchemist. The only sound to be heard in the ghost town which had been his home.

Life had all been ruthlessly forced from the place. The only animal that dared come here anymore was a scruffy raccoon named Ruddiger. Not even the royal guard bothered with the place anymore. They had stolen anything worth coming back for by now.

The fortress stood in the middle of town. The black rocks forming a solid and imposing labyrinth around the cold stone building. The ebony spires dared not shatter this home, not as they did the others. They had already done more than enough damage here.

A gloved hand turned the knob on the burner, putting out the small flame. The alchemist of old corona sat in silence for a moment. His dark hair was matted, greasy from lack of washing. His eyes were underlined with dark circles. His movements clumsy and slow, but the boy would not rest, not yet.

The serum was done. The plan was set. Varian had accounted for every possibility. He couldn't risk a single failure, not with what was at stake. He had to do this right. All that was left was to complete the ruddigerium, but he wouldn't dare test it on his friend. He couldn't lose him too. So he would test the serum on himself. Granted it shouldn't have any effect on humans, but that would just mean it was ready. He had to get this right. He couldn't fail. Not now. Not after everything. He had to do this. For his father.

I will make you proud.

That was the last thought to fill the boy's head as he allowed a drop of the solution to fall onto the uncovered skin of his arm. It soaked into the flesh within a matter of seconds, leaving no signs it had even been there in the first place.

He padded across the lab, cautiously skirting around the thing in the center. The alchemist would need to record any data in his journal, even if that meant just writing no effect.

As his pen scratched at the paper, recording anything he could in preparation for his plan, a dull headache began to thrum in his skull. That was nothing new. Lack of sleep tended to have that effect on the human brain, and he had not slept in a while. He couldn't sleep till this was done.

The boy went about his business as usual. Ruddiger would be back in the morning, then he would be able to set things into action. The plan did take place in the evening, but it would take all day to get everything through the tunnels to the capital. And he still had to get the automaton to the gift room in the castle. That could be a good use of another sleepless night?

Just as this thought came across his mind, a sudden pain shot from behind his eyes. His vision flashed white as his knees gave out under him. His whole body felt sore and heavy. Maybe just a little sleep.

.。o○ ☆ミ ○o。.

She watched in silence as the alchemist collapsed to the ground. When she was sure he was out cold, she floated down to get a better look.

His prominent blue hair streak swayed softly in a wind only it could feel, a soft blue glow lighting the sleeping boy's face. His sleeve was still rolled up where he had been testing his newest invention on himself. Curiously, black fur had sprouted from the spot.

The alchemist had accounted for every possibility. The serum would have no effects on humans. What he didn't prepare for, was magic. The one thing he was never prepared for.

This was surely a wrench in her plans, but…
It just might be fun.

.。o○ ☆ミ ○o。.

Varian awoke with a start. What time was it? Was he too late? He knew sleeping was bad luck! He stood abruptly, his muscles sore from sleeping on the cold lab floor. He had to get started on his plan, before he missed his chance! He bolted forward… only to fall flat on his face.

Why wasn't his body listening to him? He ran a hand through his hair. Why today of all days? He didn't have time for these kinds of things. He stood again, slower this time. Why was balancing so hard right now? Nevermind, not important.

He wobbly marched towards where his automaton waited. He needed to get this to the palace now. Only… since when was it this big? Since when was any of his stuff this big?

No. No no no. No, he can't have shrunk. The serum wasn't supposed to affect people. And even then, it was supposed to make things bigger, and stronger! Not tiny and weak! This was the last thing he needed!

He looked down at himself and was shocked to find… Ruddiger? No, Ruddiger was lighter in color, less soft, and fatter. But that's not the important thing! He was a raccoon! Why was he a raccoon? This had to be a bad dream. Except it was too real. He wasn't asleep. This wasn't a dream. He was a raccoon. He needed to find a mirror.

He checked all over the lab. The metal of his automatons was too rough. The glass was too dirty. He couldn't reach his glassware on his desk. There was only one other reflective surface in the lab. The one he refused to look at.

Forget looking at himself, he needed help. But who would know about this stuff? Xavier! The blacksmith had been the owner of the mood altering formula after all. And he didn't even need to worry about getting caught by the guard if he was a raccoon. He could even check the library in the capital for help if he wanted. Now he just had to get there…

Chapter Text

Getting there might just have become the hardest part of his plan. By the time he had made it up the stairs out of his lab and out of the house, the sun was already on the rise. 

The journey to the castle from Old Corona had been hard enough on his body in the blizzard. Doing so as a small raccoon would be even more so, not to mention getting the automaton parts there for his plan. If he used the ruddigerium to make himself larger, then maybe. But if it had done this to him, what effect would it have now? No better time to test it than in the moment. 

He scurried back down the stairs, claws scraping against the stone steps. The solution was still on his desk, but surely he could find a way up there. Ruddiger made it up there all the time! Granted he was far smaller than Ruddiger. 

Varian did his best to copy the raccoon's movements and leap to the table top. His jump was clumsy and he missed his mark by a few inches, barely grabbing on with his front paws. He scrabbled up, struggling to lift his small body over the edge. His muscles burned with the effort far more than he anticipated. It made sense though, he was in a new body, these muscles had never been used. 

With one final heave he managed to roll onto the top of his work table. He took a moment to regain his bearings. When his breathing evened back out and the ache in his arms lessened, he went back to work. The tail of red liquid was easy enough to find, though it would be best not to test it on top of his desk. The small raccoon snatched up the test tube, holding it between his mouth and walking back to the edge of the table, that's when he saw it. 

From up here, he could see his reflection in a small panel of scrap metal at the top of the automaton. His fur was shaggy, and darker than Ruddiger's was. The black pattern on his face was closer to the shape of goggles than Ruddiger's downward swatch markings, fitting. What caught his eyes the most, was a grey-blue tuft of fur near the the top of his head. Even in this form, he couldn't escape it.

It made sense, he had never been able to figure out that hair streak. Varian couldn't remember a time when he didn't have it. He had asked his dad when he was younger, but he just deflected the question the way he always did. He had been bullied by some of the other kids for it, called a freak. After that, he tried cutting it. It had grown back the moment he looked away. He tried everything after that. Dying it, it didn't take the color. Burning it off, no different from cutting it. Then he resorted to alchemy, but he just couldn't find answers. He had built a machine to test it, but then the Rapunzel showed up, and the machine got destroyed. It didn't matter now anyways, he had more important things to worry about than silly colors in his hair. Or his fur. 

He moved on quickly from there, no more distractions. He climbed down from the work station and downed a drop of the serum. Within moments, he was the size of a horse, though quite lanky. Luckily, he had loaded up the disassembled automaton into a cart last night, so he simply grabbed the cart handle with his mouth, a weird feeling for sure, and began dragging it out of the lab and down the path. To the castle. 

Time for his plan. Nothing would get in his way, not even this.