Chapter Text
It felt like a bad dream.
The rocks rampaging, the Moon's threats and demands and commands, the voice in his head; it all felt like a bad dream.
But he knew it wasn't.
The past year had really happened just as he remembered it, and Cassandra was gone, took the Moonstone to save him, and he felt sick with worry over where they could be now.
He heard a knock at the door and slowly sat up. "Yes?"
"Varian, do you have a moment?"
He rubbed at his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, come on in."
The door opened and Lucas stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Have you heard anything yet?"
"Nothing." Varian shook his head. "My head's never been so quiet. All I hear are my own thoughts now, even when I try to reach out."
"That's a good thing." Lucas walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. "That means that Cassandra is staying strong enough to keep control of her own body."
"Yeah." Varian nodded. "I should be relieved, but...it feels wrong."
"The longer she keeps her in check, the more time you have to improve your control over your powers without her whispering in your ear and, when you feel strong enough, you can take it from her." Lucas assured him. "She took it because you were uncertain on if you could win that battle of wills, remember?"
"Yeah." Varian nodded.
"So, focus on practicing. You can start by taking down that huge cluster over on the far side of the courtyard." Lucas nodded towards it. "And any others you may have summoned when you had no control."
Varian chuckled a bit. "You're right."
"You got this, kid." Lucas smiled and reached out to rub his head. "I'm gonna let you sleep now."
"Don't you sleep?" Varian asked.
"I slept for hundreds of years, kid." He got up and walked back to the door. "I don't need sleep." He opened the door, smiled back at him, then passed through and closed it behind him.
Varian sighed softly, smiling sadly. Here he was dwelling on his own problems and he'd almost forgotten that Lucas had turned against his own people, directly prevented the revival of his old leader, to save him and Rapunzel. It made his own problems seem small in comparison. If Zhan Tiri was ever successfully revived, she likely wouldn't take his betrayal lightly.
He laid back down, looking towards the moon shining outside the window. "...He's right. Until I feel one-hundred percent confident, Cassandra won't let me have the Moonstone Opal. I need to get stronger, so I can take the burden from her." He pulled the blanket over him more and closed his eyes. "Stay strong, Cassie."
--
The next morning, he came out of his room and headed down to breakfast, where he was surprised to find Andrew had joined them for breakfast.
"Ah, Varian!" Queen Arianna smiled. "How did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in...a long time." He admitted. "No weird dreams, no voice whispering in my head..." He sat down next to Rapunzel. "I'll be going around the Kingdom cleaning up the rocks after breakfast."
"Oh, Varian, you don't need to rush off and do that, you just got back and you should take some time to rest." King Frederic said, his brow furrowed with worry.
"It's fine!" Varian assured him. "I need to practice my powers, anyway, increase my confidence and ability and control. I can't just sit around; the sooner I feel one-hundred percent confident in my ability to absorb the Moonstone Opal, the sooner Cassandra can be free of it!"
"Varian," Andrew shook his head, "you need to rest. You've had a long journey, you're adjusting to not having her in your head, why don't you just take a little bit to be a kid? Juniper will take care of her, don't worry. We've been keeping in touch by mirror, she called me this morning."
"Does Cassandra know? Can...Can we talk to her?" Varian asked.
"Cassandra knows we've been in contact, but she thinks that if she talks to you that the Moon may...flare up and make things harder for her to control it." Andrew said gently. "But, she is okay, Juniper is with her. She's going to get in contact with the Brotherhood and tell them to call off the search, maybe come and visit Corona, and hopefully the stress on her will be reduced and she can focus on keeping her concentration on the Moon and not on keeping from being found."
"Yeah..." Varian nodded.
Rapunzel smiled and took his head. "It's going to be okay, Varian. Cass is strong, she'll be okay. She would want you to spend some time free from the Moon for a little while. So, let's just try to relax a little and you can practice naturally as you go through your day-to-day. After all, you have so much of your magic to practice! Wait until the people see your mer form!" She giggled.
Varian smiled. "Yeah...Yeah, you're right. I have a lot of magic to practice, and a lot of life to live! I mean, I have a boyfriend now! I can't just devote my life to trying to get better for the sole purpose of absorbing the Moonstone Opal. Part of why I was so hesitant was because I...I felt like I hadn't really experienced enough of a free life, and I was...scared. So...you know, if I live my life, but practice as I go, then I'm sure, by the time I see Cassandra again, I'll feel confident enough!"
"That's the spirit!" King Frederic smiled brightly.
"And you can start by eating your breakfast." Queen Arianna gestured to his plate. "Before it gets cold."
Varian nodded and grabbed his fork. "Hey, where's dad?" He asked, starting to eat.
"He went out with Donella somewhere." King Frederic shrugged.
--
"So...that's what happened to her..." Quirin walked over to the wall near the Demanitus Machine, placing his hand on the cold stone. "I...understand why you hesitated to tell me before. I was in no state to be told anything so confusing at the time, and I admit that I did not...take it well after you left so suddenly."
"I wish I had stayed." Donella said, hanging her head. "I wish we had never left. If we had...he would not have been vulnerable. We could have all protected him."
"Well...dwelling on the what-ifs will not change anything." Quirin shook his head and moved his hand from the wall. "Is there any way to save her?"
"I have been searching for years for any kind of artifact that could save her." She said grimly. "The only thing that will work is for her to possess a pre-made host."
"Varian." Quirin nodded, his brow furrowed. "As long as the Moonstone Opal is incomplete, as long as he doesn't absorb it, he's still..."
"There's a vacancy." She nodded. "And until that's filled...well, Ulla may not be the only spirit intending to take control of his body. He must stay strong of will."
"He's strong." He smiled. "And, I'm sure your people will find a way to save her, without using Varian."
"We can only hope." She walked over to look up at the Demanitus Machine. "...Zhan Tiri's followers are free, trying to revive her. I fear that if she and the Moon join forces, it will be too much for him."
"Which is why we do everything in our power to prevent her return." Lucas walked over to them with Ruddiger around his shoulders. "We can keep an eye out for any sign of her followers and thwart any attempts to bring her back."
"'We'?" Quirin asked, confused.
Lucas looked at Ruddiger. "Long ago, we once worked for Zhan Tiri. He turned against her shortly before the battle that I was sealed in and was turned into an immortal raccoon as punishment." He explained.
"Wait, Ruddiger was a human?" Donella asked, surprised.
"Yes, but so far you are the only two to know." Lucas nodded. "But, rest assured, we can keep Zhan Tiri and her followers away from your son."
"I hope so." Quirin nodded. "Speaking of son," he looked at Donella, "where is yours?"
"I believe that Eugene and Lance wanted to show him the delights of a 'spa day'." Donella smirked. "They're bonding and enjoying being off the road after several months."
"Well, as long as he's having a good time." Quirin nodded. "How did you come to adopt him?"
Donella sighed. "He was a slave in the iron mines of Ingvarr." She revealed. "When I went in intending to get them shut down, and following the rumors of Saporian slaves being kept there, I found him orphaned and forced to do manual labor and three years shy of being sent to the harems for training. I...shut things down and took him in."
"Is he Saporian?" Quirin asked.
"No, his family were lower-class Ingvarrians that had failed to pay their taxes and were sent to the mines for punishment." Donella shook her head. "His parents tried to escape with him when he was younger and were killed in front of him to ensure he never attempted escape and remained fully obedient to them. He was...so young when I met him, Quirin. Only ten years old."
Quirin nodded grimly. "He's...lucky you were there that day."
"And I was fortunate to have met him. He made me value my own life again, to live for more than just...finding a way to save Ulla." Donella smiled sadly.
Quirin nodded, then looked at the wall. "We'll find a way to save her, together." He promised her. "I'm sorry that you had to endure this by yourself for so long."
"The guilt forced me to take on the task alone." She smiled a bit. "But...now, I can finally feel strong enough to share it."
He gently pulled her into a hug. "I'm here now." He said gently, stroking her hair. Then he looked towards Lucas and Ruddiger. "We're going to get a happy ending, for all of us. We'll protect Varian, stop Zhan Tiri's followers and save my wife."
Lucas grinned. "Well, we can certainly try."
Ruddiger nodded firmly.
"Come on, let's get out of here." Donella nudged him and then slipped out of his hold to head for the stairs.
They followed her up, Quirin looking over his shoulder at the wall before he continued on.
--
"Cassandra?"
Cassandra looked up as Juniper came in with a basket. "Hey." She said, smiling a bit. "You don't have to go shopping for me, I can forage."
"I told you I'd bring you food and take care of you and that's what I'm going to do." Juniper walked over and sat next to her, then kissed her cheek. "Besides, you deserve some warm, cooked food."
Cassandra reached out and opened the basket, the smell of a fruit cobbler drifting up to delight her senses. "Oh, you spoil me, Princess." She smiled fondly at her.
Juniper got out plates, forks, cups and a bottle of juice and set them all down on the cave floor before she got out the cobbler and started to serve them both. "You deserve to be pampered." She said, handing her her plate. "Have you thought about what you're modifying your armor to?"
"No. I'm...scared to use any of the Moon's powers." Cassandra admitted.
"Well, I think that if you get better control of Her powers, you can keep her in check." Juniper smiled.
"You think so?" Cassandra looked at her.
"Yeah." Juniper nodded. "Give it a try. Change your armor."
"Uhm..." Cassandra looked at her food. "After we eat."
"Good idea. Don't want to use magic on an empty stomach." Juniper smiled.
Cassandra started to eat, smiling gratefully at her. Juniper picked up her own plate and started to eat.
"Andrew's in the Capital now." She said, taking a bite.
"Oh, good." Cassandra nodded. "That means Clementine succeeded."
"Yes." Juniper smiled. "She's good at smoothing over our mistakes."
"And...how are the others? Rapunzel and Varian and...everyone else?" Cassandra asked.
"They're doing okay. They miss you, so much, but they're doing okay." Juniper assured her.
"I miss them, too." Cassandra moved a hand over the Moonstone Opal. "But, as long as I can keep Varian safe from the Moon, that's what's most important to me." She looked at her and then reached out and took her hand. "I'm...glad you're with me. I was...scared."
"Oh, Cassandra." She shifted her grip and raised Cassandra's hand to her lips. "I'm always gonna be here to give you strength."
Cassandra blushed and smiled. "You definitely give me that."
Juniper smiled, then set her plate to the side and cupped her cheek before leaning in, her lips inches from hers. Cassandra set her plate to the side and moved forward, meeting her lips and wrapping her arms around her neck.
"You give me strength I've never known." She murmured against her lips.
Juniper grinned, then kissed her sweetly and then pulled back. "Let's finish eating and then you can fix your armor." She lifted a hand to gently slide it over her armor. "Or...just remove it. I could get you some new clothes..."
"You know...I'd like that." Cassandra nodded. "Yeah."
Juniper smiled and then forked a bit of cobbler before bringing her fork to Cassandra's lips. Cassandra blushed and ate off it and they giggled a bit.
"You make me feel like someone completely new, someone completely different." Cassandra smiled. "I'm...really, really happy that you're not as bad a person as you seemed when we first met."
Juniper chuckled. "Yeah, dangling a kid from a hot-air balloon is a crazy first impression, huh?"
"Mm, yes, but I'm glad that you proved to be a better person." Cassandra picked up her plate and started to eat.
Juniper nodded, continuing to eat with a fond smile.
Outside the cave, the blue girl silently watched them before disappearing, an irritated expression on her face.
--
Hugo looked at the cluster of rocks in the courtyard. "It's crazy...that even when he didn't have full control of the rocks, he still managed to control them enough to destroy these machines when they went crazy."
"Yeah, he's a really impressive kid." Eugene smiled fondly. "He's come so far, too. And so have you, you know?" He nudged him. "You're both great kids."
Hugo smiled up at him, then chuckled a bit. "I'm...sorry for screwing you over and taking half the loot."
"Hey, I'm honestly just glad that I got there before you were literally screwed by the guy." Eugene chuckled a bit.
"Yyyyeeeeaaaah, that was...awkward." Hugo cleared his throat. "I guess I, uh...didn't expect him to...actually...you know, do more than just...touching when I was still a kid."
"What'cha talking about over here?" Lance walked over to them with snacks and handed them over.
"Oh, just about when we first met, how far we've come, how far Varian's come from when he made this cluster." Eugene gestured to it. "You know, it's crazy how things change as time passes."
Lance laughed. "Don't we know it. Hey, let's head for the castle and see how things are going there!"
Eugene nodded. "Yeah, I bet they're missing us already." He grinned and then headed back, Hugo and Lance following behind him.
"Do you think...things are going to be okay?" Hugo asked. "I mean, the Moon is subdued, but what about those crazy cultists?"
"If they come to mess with us, we'll take 'em down." Eugene assured him.
"Yeah! Besides, Lucas can help us out no problem, just like last time!" Lance reminded him. "We can handle them!"
"I hope so." Hugo nodded, looking towards the horizon. "I just...I got this bad feeling, y'know?"
"Me too." Eugene admitted. "But, if we spend all the time we have looking over our shoulder, we'll never see what's right in front of us." He gestured to Varian and Rapunzel, who had come out to the courtyard and were waving to them.
Hugo grinned and ran over to hug and kiss Varian. Eugene walked over at a slower pace and pulled Rapunzel into a tight embrace before kissing her.
"So, Rapunzel, you think we can face the future?" He asked, smiling fondly at her.
She smiled up at him and nodded. "Of course!" She pulled away and took his hands as she started to sing.
"We've done a lot.
Faced who knows what."
She smiled at Varian, who had looked at her with a smile. He was almost the same size as her now, looking her in the eyes without trouble.
"Still though, we're not quite through yet." Rapunzel went on, releasing Eugene's hand to place her hand on Varian's shoulder.
"We have so much to do yet.
More than a thing or two yet."
Varian grinned as he joined in. "There's wounds we must heal."
"Plans to make real!" Hugo chimed in.
"Watch us and we'll do wonders!" Eugene and Lance sang in unison.
Rapunzel released them and stepped forward, a smile on her face.
"Sure, we might make some blunders."
She turned to them with a big smile. "We'll face them all head-on!"
She walked forward and pulled them all close.
"We'll rise, hand in hand, and rebuild this land.
We're ready to stand and roar!" She looked at them all.
"Will we give up? No, never!
We're stronger than ever before!"
Varian broke from the group and headed over to the cluster and they followed close behind.
"We've made mistakes." He sang as he focused on the cluster, shrinking it down to nothing, the broken machines falling apart on the ground.
"Had some bad breaks," Hugo chimed in as he knelt to pick up some of the pieces.
"That only makes us tougher!" Eugene and Lance said as they picked up more pieces.
"Now, when the world gets rougher," Rapunzel picked up the remaining pieces.
"Frankly, we'll barely suffer!" Varian beamed as he led them in to his castle lab.
"'Cause though we've been burned," Rapunzel said as they all set down the pieces on his lab table, "what have we learned?"
"Victory is earned, not given!" The others sang as Varian and Hugo started to sort the pieces of the two machines into different piles.
"We shape the world we live in." Varian said, picking up a piece of his own machine.
"We're what we'll build upon!" Hugo added with a grin as he picked up another piece.
"The battle is gone,
but still we're not done.
We've only begun to soar!" Rapunzel spun in place and smiled.
"Bolder," Eugene sang
"And far more clever!" Hugo grinned at him.
"And stronger than ever before!" They all sang in unison, then headed out of Varian's lab together.
"There's miles yet to go!" Lance declared.
"How far, we don't know!" Varian sang cheerfully.
"But we can do so much more!" Rapunzel and Eugene sang in unison.
They stepped out into the courtyard again.
"Onto the next endeavor!" Hugo ran forward and pointed towards the horizon dramatically.
"We're stronger than ever," Varian started,
"I'll never say never." Rapunzel finished.
"We're stronger than ever before!" They all sang in unison, throwing their hands to the sky and then laughed, hugging each other.
"I had a feeling you would be singing when I got back." Donella said as she walked over to them with Quirin. "I felt it in my gut."
Hugo grinned. "What can I say, I decided I really like singing!"
Donella sighed. "Well, as long as you're having a good time."
"Where were you?" Varian asked.
"We went to see where your mother is trapped." Quirin replied. "We're going to find a way to save her."
"Of course!" Varian nodded. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"
They exchanged glances, then shook their heads. "It's alright, Varian." Quirin assured him. "We'll figure it out. You just have fun with your sister and keep practicing your powers, okay?"
"Okay." Varian nodded. "I'll trust you to take care of it, then."
Donella smiled softly.
"Hey, who wants to go raid the kitchen for sweets?" Lance grinned.
"Didn't you just get a snack?" Hugo looked at him.
"Yes, and then I sang and hauled machine parts and I'm hungry again." Lance said, turning to go into the castle.
Eugene shook his head with a smile and wrapped his arm around Rapunzel's waist. "What do you say we go and sit for a little while?"
"That sounds good." Rapunzel smiled at him. "Varian, see you later?"
"Yep. Don't do anything that would require me to dump a bucket of water on you!" Varian grinned at them.
"We're just going to talk, silly." Rapunzel assured him as they walked inside.
Varian turned to Hugo. "Wanna go walk around town?"
"Sure!" Hugo nodded.
Varian took his hand and they walked off to town together.
--
"It's not easy...to pretend I'm fine." Rapunzel said as she sat with Eugene. "I feel like we were just barely starting to fully open up to each other and then...she's gone."
"We'll have more time with her, once the Moonstone Opal is no longer an issue." Eugene assured her, kissing her cheek. "She'll be back."
Rapunzel smiled a bit. "Yes...that's...probably the only reason why me and Varian are able to avoid breaking down right now. The hope that she'll be back, that this isn't a 'goodbye', it's a 'see you later'..."
"Sunshine," Eugene gently cupped her cheek, "she'll be okay. She's got Juniper with her, remember? The two of them will keep the Moon at bay until Varian is ready and then they'll both come home. Andrew probably misses his sister, too, even though they're only a mirror away."
"I know." She nodded. "I'll be strong and make sure that Varian doesn't put everything on himself so that her sacrifice isn't in vain. Until he's completely ready...I'll keep protecting him."
"We all will." Eugene held her hand in his, then gently kissed her. "He's in the best hands ever."
She smiled fondly at him and then leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."
"I love you too, Rapunzel." He said, holding her a bit tighter. "No matter what, we'll get our big happy ending."
Rapunzel nodded, clutching at his vest. "Yes...for you, me, Varian, Cassandra and all of our friends."
"It'll happen." He assured her gently.