Romance Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Stars Above - A Cassunzel Fanfic ❯ Chapter 32: Tu Es Ma Lumiere (The Final Showdown Part 2) ( Chapter 32 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Cassandra held the lifeless princess close to her body, her face hidden by her hair. Silent tears fell down her face as she tightened her hold. It was eerily silent.

Then chuckling could be heard. “I tried to warn you, Cassandra,” Zhan Tiri said. “Her destiny was to die.”

Cassandra tensed and she clenched her teeth. Eugene, who was still kneeling beside her, knew that look. He knew what was coming; if the cackling blackstone upon her chest had anything to say about it. He needed to stop her before she did something she was gonna later regret. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Cass-”

“Get off of me Eugene,” It was said so quietly, he barely caught it.

“Cassandra-”

“I said GET OFF!” The blackstone pushed him backwards, blasting him a couple feet away. It wasn’t enough to hurt him though but enough to knock the wind out of him. Their friends rushed to him. 

They kept asking him questions. Eugene got to his feet and dusted himself off. “I’m fine.”  He said as he watched Cassandra slowly get to her feet. She gently placed Rapunzel against a rock; her bangs hiding her eyes. “We need to back up.” He said seriously as they all slowly backed up at a safe distance; watching worredly as Cassandra slowly trudged forward - towards Zhan Tiri and Gothel who were still gloating. Everyone backed up because they could feel the dark energy surrounding her. Gothel stupidly took a step forward towards her.

“Uhm,” Varian spoke up, panicked, as Cassandra stopped, her face hidden and her body silent. “I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you if you value your life.”

“Oh, please,” Gothel responded and continued despite the various warnings. “She won’t do anything to me. She doesn’t have the-'' She didn’t get to finish. Cassandra, face still hidden, blasted her away until her head hit a boulder; killing her on impact. Cassandra disintegrated the body until there was nothing left but ash. Everyone’s breath caught in their throat. She continued towards Zhan Tiri silently.

As everyone waited for the bomb to get off, all that could be heard was the start of evil chuckling. She peered her head up and the look in her eyes made everyone back up even more. All except Zhan Tiri. Her eyes were glowing dark blue, dark shadows surrounded and circled her and the blackstone glowed brightly. “You’re gonna regret ever messing with me.” The dark, cold tone of her voice made a cold chill run up everyone’s spine, including Zhan Tiri’s. But she didn’t back down nor show it.

Zhan Tiri laughed. Big mistake. “Bring it dyke.”

Cassandra’s control snapped. As she let out a shout, dark shadows flew in every direction as it circled her and became one with her. Her dark blue hair glowed and lifted in imaginary wind and...

She got lost in her own rage.

And that’s when all hell broke loose.

Rocks from Zhan Tiri flew in every direction, shadows and daggers flew back at her. No matter how hard Zhan Tiri tried to hit her, Cassandra blocked it and continued throwing anything and everything at her, tears streaming down her face. Eugene and the others were having a hard time dodging the hell being thrown in all directions.

“Cassandra!” Eugene tried to yell over the deafening wind but whether she heard him or not, it was unknown. He didn’t even think that she could hear him right now even if he was five feet in front of her. He didn’t think she would even recognize him if he did try to stop her. Cassandra continued to throw everything at Zhan Tiri, the shadows circling her like a lion circling its prey. The ground below her began to crack as Cassandra let out another yell. Sparks flew from the ground and shot from every which way like lightning as Cassandra’s eyes glowed brighter, her hair blew more, and she was covered in an aroma full of shadows and lightning sparks. At this point, she couldn’t see because she was blinded by her own tears. All she could see was red.

Things were getting out of control - Cassandra was being taken over, she was out of control. The moonstone on Zhan Tiri’s chest glowed brightly. The power of the blackstone surrounded her, causing a hurricane of blackshadows and wind to surround her to the point where she couldn’t be seen anymore. The moonstone pulsed. Once. Twice. Three times. 

Zhan Tiri smirked. She knew what was happening - it was what she planned all along. Cassandra was so lost in her own grief that she was gonna end up destroying herself and everything else around her. Her friends screamed out her name over the deafening wind but she couldn’t hear them; couldn’t see them. Her eyes glowed red and with a final surge of power, the black shadows that surrounded her flew back, causing an explosion.

Then everything went black.

 

 

Cassandra groaned as she placed a hand on her head. Her first thought was: What the hell happened? Where was she? She looked around and realized rather quickly that she wasn’t in the real world - she was bathed in darkness. All she saw and felt was darkness. Was she dead? Cass hugged her knees close to her body. Maybe it was for the best...

“I’ve been waiting for you, Cassandra,” Among hearing an unfamiliar voice, she shot to her feet.

“Who’s there?” Cassandra asked into the empty void but she was still unable to see anything.

“A friend.” The voice responded. Something about this voice seemed familiar… but distant.

“Yeah, the last time some mysterious figure said that, I was turned into a monster.” Cassandra responded sarcastically.

“‘Monster’ is a little harsh, don’t you think? You didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Yeah, I-” Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “Wait a second, how do you know?”

“Because I was there.” Before Cassandra could ask the mysterious voice to elaborate, she stepped out of the shadows. Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat. She was beautiful. She was quite literally glowing. She had a beautiful flowy dress that seemed to blow in imaginary wind, her hair was a darkish blue color and her ocean eyes seemed to stare into her soul. She was also very pale, making her body shine in the dark void that they were in. She looked like a goddess.

Cassandra was speechless. “Who...” She started, still in awe. “...are you?”

The beautiful woman smiled at her and bowed. “My name is Amaris. It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person.”

“In.... person? You know me?”

“Of course I do,” Amaris responded. “You are the carrier of the moonstone afterall.”

“What does that-” A realization lit up in Cassandra’s eyes. “...You’re.. the moonstone.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.

Amaris smiled the kind of smile that made her think of Rapunzel. She pushed it down. “So observant, as always,” She responded. “ But I am a part of the moonstone. I am not the object in particular - after all it’s just an object - I’m the power that’s inside.”

“But I always thought-”

“That the moonstone didn’t carry a lifeform?” Cassandra nodded. Amaris gave her a melancholy smile. “Yeah, that’s often what people think. Helios and I-”

“Helios?”

“The holder of the sunstone.”

Cass’s eyes widened. “The sunstone has a holder too?”

“Yes, we all do. The blackstone included but he’s a little more... evil. And dark.”

“I don’t understand... how..? The sunstone and moonstone came to be because of pieces of the sun and moon falling from the sky.”

“That’s the story humans created because they were too scared to understand the power the stones held. Although that’s part of it, it’s not the whole story.” Amaris motioned Cassandra to follow her with her hand. “Walk with me.”

Cass looked around into the empty void. “But there’s nowhere to walk too.”

“It’s not the destination that matters, it’s the climb getting there. You don’t always have to be heading in a certain direction. As long as you are moving forward, you’ll eventually get to where you need to be.” She started walking away, knowing Cassandra would follow. And she did.

After a couple minutes of silence, the dark empty void started turning into a forest. Cassandra looked up and watched as the trees blew in the wind and her eyes followed the birds that flew by. Amaris didn’t speak so she stayed silent. She felt like she had too.

“You and I are not so different, you know,” Amaris said after a while without even looking at her.

“I’m pretty sure you and I are nothing alike. You’re practically a goddess and I’m... nothing.” Cassandra looked away and muttered. “....I couldn’t even save her.” She couldn’t say her name. It was much too painful.

“I wasn’t always like this, young one. I wasn’t blessed like Helios was. For she was made the spirit of the sunstone because of her nature. But I... I was placed as the holder as a punishment. A curse.”

“What do you mean?”

Amaris stopped and turned to her; a frown placed on her face. “Let’s just say... I had a tragic upbringing.”

“Yeah, I feel that..” Cass muttered before asking: “What happened?” When the goddesses frown turned into a sad one, Cassandra added: “Y-You don’t have to-”

“No, you need to know who the moonstone truly is; what it is. And what it stands for.” Amaris looked away and although she started talking, she seemed.. distant. So Cassandra stayed quiet. “A long time ago,” As she started, the forest slowly started to shift and two young women came into view. Her past. Her story. Amaris stared at the two young women and Cassandra watched.

“There were two young human girls. Only a couple years into adulthood, at best, just starting to learn the upbringings and runarounds of life. Me, of course,” She turned to the beautiful young woman picking flowers with a small, melancholy smile. “...And Helios. We were different as night is from day. From the first time I saw her in that field... I fell in love with her. But I knew it could never be. I was often outcasted... and Helios was loved by all. So I avoided her, I pushed her away. But she stuck around. She was always so cheery, so happy, so confident and positive. I... wasn’t. As much as I wanted nothing to do with her, she made her way into my heart anyway and after a while, I couldn’t ignore her anymore. We became friends and it was good for a while. But then...” The vision suddenly turned dark. “...It wasn’t. Our stories are quite similar. But... the endings are not the same.”

“What do you mean?”

Amaris turned towards her and gave her a sad smile. “You were lucky. You and your lover were lucky. You were able to return to the good side before.... the last line could be crossed. You were given a second chance. I... was not.” Cassandra stayed silent. Amaris took her silence as an opportunity to continue. As she stared off into the distance, the vision slowly started to change. “I didn’t have an easy life as a human. I was orphaned around 7 and no one wanted me around. Orphanages included. So, I grew up living on the streets. Fending for myself, fighting for myself. Everyday was just another day of survival. The day that I met Helios... was the day I was ready to give up.” Cassandra’s eyes softened with sympathy and realization. She knew that feeling all too well... “I was standing on the edge of the cliff. She saw me and... well, see for yourself.” Amaris turned towards the vision playing before them and so did Cassandra.

 

 

Amaris stared at the distant world with a melancholy expression. Her hair blew in the wind as she stared down at the rocky death that was awaiting for her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she took a step forward and...

She was suddenly tackled to the ground away from the edge of the cliff. Growling to herself, she rubbed her head and glared daggers at her ‘savior’. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” The voice responded.

Amaris scoffed. “That’s none of your-” The young woman suddenly turned around to face her and she was stopped in her tracks. She had never seen such a beautiful human being. She had never seen such a beautiful creature. Wth shoulder-length dark brown hair and beautiful eyes that were so bright that they could only be described as gold. She was breathtaking. “....business.”

The young woman huffed and got to her feet. Amaris followed but only because she couldn’t look away. The girl placed her hands on her hips and gave her a reprimanding, disappointed glare like she’s known her her whole life. “Do you really think jumping to your death is gonna solve anything? It won’t. What about your family? What do you think they would say?

Amaris looked away and mumbled: “I don’t have a family.”

The anger instantly faded from the girl's eyes and it was replaced with guilt. “O-Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Amaris responded but the statement was dripping with poison. “Why do you care anyway?” She paused. “Actually, you know what? I don’t care. Now, move.” Amaris tried to get around her but the girl only crossed her arms and stood in front of the path that led to her fate.

“No,” She responded. “I’m not gonna stand here and let you carelessly throw your life away.”

“Then don’t stand her. Go somewhere else. Move.” Amaris responded. She still didn’t move. “I said move!” She tried to shove past her but suddenly she was being flipped around and flipped onto her stomach. Amaris could see stars as she wondered what the hell just happened.

“I said no.” The girl said, properly keeping her in place. The younger girl was smaller than her, both in size and in height. But damn, she knocked the wind out of her. She could really pack a punch.

"Ugh, get off of me!" Amaris struggled to get up but with the position she was in, the girl easily overpowered her and kept her in place, pressing her face more into the ground. "I said get off!"

"Only if you promise you won't jump." 

"No way! This has nothing to do with you!”

"Well, I've made it my problem." Amaris was pressed more firmly into the ground. "I'll only get off if you promise."

"Ugh, who are you anyway?!" 

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." The girl paused and added: "...If you promise." When she didn't respond, she was pressed more firmly into the ground.

"Okay, okay, fine, I promise!" The girl's attitude suddenly changed and she let out a brilliant smile as she got off of her. She lent a hand out to Amaris but she rolled her eyes and got to her feet by herself. Amaris cursed under her breath before wiping the dust off of her shirt and pants. She gave the younger girl a suspicious look. "You know, you shouldn't trust people so easily. It could get you in a lot of trouble."

"Are you gonna hurt me?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms like she already knew the answer. Which she most likely did.

"...No." Amaris mumbled as she looked away. 

An immediate smile was replaced on her face. "See! You're not dangerous."

"You don't even know me." 

"Alright," She responded before smiling and lending her hand out to Amaris. "I'm Helios! And you are…?"

Usually, she wouldn't give her name to strangers. But something about this girl... called to her. She reached out and shook her hand. She had a strong grip. "Amaris." 

"Nice to meet you Amaris! See, there, now we know each other."

"Knowing someone's name isn't 'knowing' someone."

Helios pouted. "Are you always this cynical?"

"For all I know, you could be some spy trying to get information out of me. I have a lot of enemies." 

"Whelp, I'm not a spy. I'm new in town and I always come out to this field to relax and have some time to myself. But then I saw you." 

"Why did you save me?" The question came out faster than she'd like to admit. It came out before she could stop it.

Helios suddenly gave her a saddened, but sweet, smile. She placed a hand on her arm, making Amaris flinch. "Because no life is worth ending. You still have a whole story ahead of you." 

"Yeah, nothing ever goes right for me. Everyone in town has been calling me 'bad luck' ever since I can remember. So that doesn't really work."

"Still," Helios responded. "Your life is like a book. Don't end it before you even reach the climax." She paused and gave her a sympathetic expression. "Why did you want to jump anyway?"

Again, usually, Amaris wouldn't share her personal story with anyone. But something about this girl.... the way her golden eyes shined and smiled back at her with such gentleness and kindness... it trapped her and she found herself wanting to tell this girl everything. Words started spilling out before she could even stop them. "Because I have nothing to live for. My life sucks. And I'm alone. So, who would miss me anyway?"

"I'd miss you.."

Amaris rolled her eyes. "Again, you barely know me."

"I don't care, I'd still miss you." Helios smiled sweetly. "Besides, you're not alone anymore." 

"I'm pretty sure I still am."

"No," Helios responded. "Let's be friends." 

"'Friends'? Look, I don't do friends. They never last anyway so what's the point? And besides, we literally just met."

"Well, that’s how a friendship usually starts, right? You meet someone for the first time then you can end up becoming friends. Come on Ama, give me a chance!"

Amaris tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Ama?"

"Yeah! Your name means 'child of the moon' right? I thought Ama fit for a nickname!"

"I guess," She had no idea how she even knew that.

"Now, what do you say? Let's be friends! Please?" And that was when Amaris realized she couldn't say no to this girl no matter how much she wanted too. What was happening to her?

"Fine," Amaris eventually responded, making Helios squeal in excitement before reaching to hug her. Amaris moved out of the way. "But - we have to set some boundaries."

The girl folded her arms behind her back and frantically nodded. "That's fair."

"First off - no hugging. Personal space is a must. No cheesy stuff. You got that Heli?" The nickname came out before she could stop it. She blushed in slight embarrassment.

Helios smiled sweetly but seemed to not mention the slip-up. "Got it."

 

 

"That was the first time anyone in my life ever showed me any love." Amaris said quietly as she stared at the distant memory that seemed to fade away.

Casasndra had to choke back tears. Helios reminded her too much of... her. The way Helios and Amaris met reminded her way too much of the first time she met Rapunzel. Maybe Amaris was similar to her after all. "....What happened?"

Amaris sighed. "That day ended up becoming the best and the worst day of my life.” Cassandra gave her a confused expression. Amaris stared back at another vision that started to form, eyes sad and numb. "It started a couple years after we met... We were much farther than just friendship. I loved her and she loved me. Things were good. Really good."

 

"Come on Ama, we need to find them before someone else gets their hands on them!"

 

 

Amaris sighed. "Heli, we can't. This is not our problem. Let someone else deal with it."

 

"But no one else is gonna deal with it! Please, Amaris, please. There is way too much to lose..." Amaris couldn't escape the teary eyes that stared back at her.

 

"Ugh, fine. But once we find them, we destroy them, alright? Immediately." Helios nodded frantically in slight excitement.

 

 

"And that's when our journey began. We set out to find the sunstone and moo-"

 

"Wait, you said you two were the stones."

 

"We didn't use to be. As I said, it was a punishment. The stones had just shown up - they had just fallen from the sky and there was word about them everywhere. Some said it was some kind of mythical legend or something. Others didn’t believe in magic. No one saw them before - it was just known. How the rumors started, well, that’s still a mystery to me. Many people were going after them, all for different reasons, but Helios and I... were planning to destroy them. It was too much power for the world.”

 

Cassandra didn't miss how she said 'planning'. "Why didn't you then?"

 

Amaris's face suddenly twisted into a grimace. Cassandra recognized that look. She knew it all too well. Guilt. Amaris suddenly took a shaky breath as another vision started to take form. "I became obsessed." She started. Suddenly, her and Cassandra were standing in what looked like a tent. She didn't say anything or elaborate. She let the scene do the talking. 

 

 

"Come on Heli, look at this!" Amaris held up a paper, a paper both recognized well: the incantations of the sunstone and moonstone. "It's magnificent! Who knew such little things had so much power?"

 

Helios sighed. "Amaris, they're dangerous."

 

"But if we had them and kept them safe, we'd have ultimate power! We could help people!"

 

Helios slowly shook her head. "They're too dangerous, Ama. We need to destroy them." Amaris immediately deflated. Helios walked over to her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "We don't need all that stuff. We have each other." Helios smiled and placed her hand on her cheek. "Promise me you won't think anymore of this." Amaris seemed to be deep in thought before she forced a smile and nodded. Helios smiled back before she kissed her on the cheek and left the tent, leaving Amaris alone.

 

 

"I lied," Amaris said, startling Cassandra. She didn't look at her. She kept her eyes fixated on the vision. "I became obsessed with the powers they held. Especially the moonstone. I did research and studies behind her back. It slowly started to corrupt me, take me over, and it was all I thought about. Until...."

 

Cassandra's eyes lit up in realization. "...You betrayed her." Amaris nodded and another vision started.

 

 

Amaris had the moonstone tightly gripped in her hand. She could feel the power taking her over, she could feel the feeling of being strong. Finally, finally she wouldn't be weak anymore! "Ama!" She turned towards the voice. 

 

"What are you doing?? Let go of that thing!" Helios yelled as she tried to reach her. Amaris pushed her back with black rocks.

 

"No! All my life... All my life I've been weak. Now.. now I can finally be strong - I can finally take revenge on all those who hurt me!"

 

Helios mouth hung open in horror. "What happened to you? Where's the Ama I know and love?"

 

Amaris looked at with a wild, unrecognizable look in her eyes. A look that Helios didn't recognize. That wasn't her Amaris...

 

"She's gone. And she’s never coming back."

 

 

Cassandra stared in horror at the scene that was just played before her... is that how she looked when she took the moonstone? Eyes full of hatred, no trace of sympathy, filled with murderous intent; no trace of the person she was before. Is the horrified, hurt, betrayed and scared look that was on Helio's face how Rapunzel looked? 

 

"The fight was brutal." Amaris said, snapping Cassandra out of her trance. "I was so overcome with power... I killed half of the town I grew up in. And then some. I fought Amaris. Time and time again... it went on for months. As time went on, the moonstone clouded my thoughts, filled me with even more rage and took over my very soul and heart. But, eventually..." She trailed off as another vision started then she slowly shook her head. "I was too far gone." She finished in a whisper.

 

 

Helios gripped her gushing wound as she panted. She slowly walked towards the middle of the field, the place they met, where Amaris was currently gloating. The field was littered with dead bodies, the grass stained with blood, smoke flew into the air from the burnt down town. Black rocks were everywhere. "Amaris!" Helios yelled roughly.

 

Amaris slowly turned towards her, her eyes unrecognizable and dark. "Helios." She said simply.

 

As soon as Amaris's eyes hit hers... Helios's eyes softened as she limped towards the deranged warrior. So, for the very last time, she tried to bring her back. "Ama," She started, using the nickname she hasn't used in months. Amaris didn't move. "Please, stop this. This has gone on long enough. This isn't you..."

 

Amaris ignored her then summoned black rocks and threw them at her. With the power of the sunstone, Helios was easily able to destroy them. Amaris's eyes filled with even more rage. "How did you get-"

 

"I don't want to hurt you, Ama," Helios spoke, her voice quivering as her body slowly glowed in tune with the sunstone.

 

"Hurt me?" Amaris laughed harshly. "I’d like to see you try." She smirked as the moonstone shined. 

 

Helios closed her eyes before reopening them again. She knew what she needed to do. This wasn't her Amaris anymore, that girl was gone. What was left in its place was a cold, ruthless killer. "I warned you." She said, her voice full of emotion. Before Amaris could respond, the sunstone suddenly blinded her. She jumped in time just for a sword to land right where she was standing. 

 

Amaris laughed as she made her own sword out of rock armor. "You forget, Heli, I'm the one who taught you to fight." Helios winced at the bitter harshness in the way she said her beloved nickname. 

 

Helios readied her stance. "Then why aren't you winning?" She asked sarcastically. Amaris snarled and charged, sword tightly gripped in her hand. Helios charged back. And that's when the battle began. 

 

 

It had been nearly 20 minutes of fighting and both were tired, out of breath and injured. Amaris suddenly snarled. "Enough is enough!" She charged, rocks sprouting next to her. Helios could see the rage in her eyes as she charged forward towards her. She was lost in her own rage. This was her chance.

 

Tears coming to her eyes, Helios closed her eyes and lifted her sword right as Amaris got there, impaling her through the stomach. Helios choked back on a sob as she pulled the sword out quickly, making Amaris gurgle and choke as she fell to the floor. As Amaris's eyes blurred and darkness started to take her over, her near glassy eyes stared up at her 'lover'. "I'm sorry." Helios whispered, tears streaming down her face. As Amaris's eyes slowly closed and everything became clear, tears filled in her own eyes. She took her last breath as soon as the tears fell from her eyes. 

 

Helios dropped her sword in horror at what she just did and fell to her knees as her still dangerously gushing wound painted her shirt and the ground. She didn't even try to cover it. She fell next to her best friend, her lover, and reached out to grab her hand. “I love you. I always will.” She whispered, her eyes slowly closing. As soon as their hands touched, Helios took her last breath. And everything went quiet.

 

—----------------------------------------------------------------

 

“I never saw her again after that.” Amaris whispered. “...I could always feel her. But our souls never found each other.”

 

Cassandra watched with her own tears streaming down her face. Amaris didn't say anything after that, she only stared at the distant memory; her expression unreadable. Cassandra opened her mouth to say something but the memory didn't disappear. She watched in awe as both their bodies glowed in blue and gold before they slowly turned to dust and started drifting up into the sky.

 

"We were lost for a long time," Amaris whispered, snapping Cassandra out of her thoughts. "...But then that's when we had a vision." 

 

"A vision?"

 

"Yes, a vision." Once more, the memory started to change. Cassandra watched as gold dust flew through a window.... Wait, she knew that place… She recognized the patterns on the walls… It was a room in the castle back in Corona. The dust entered a crib and... circled a young baby with golden hair and emerald green eyes. The baby giggled and reached up to try and catch the stardusts.

 

 Cassandra couple practically hear the golden dust let out a small, loving laugh before kissing her forehead. Then it slowly entered her body; making the baby look up in awe. Cassandra watched as the baby's eyes flashed gold before they settled back into their normal color. Wait... Cassandra recognized that girl with beautiful blonde locks and gorgeous green eyes.

 

Her eyes were wide as she turned to Amaris. "Rapunzel." She said simply.

 

Amaris nodded. "Our spirits choose their rightful holders. The future and protectors of the world; of the stones.” 

 

"'Their' rightful holders?" Cassandra asked in confusion.

 

Amaris turned to her. "You should know by now that you're the rightful holder of the moonstone."

 

Cassandra shook her head and looked away. "I'm not the rightful holder of anything. The moonstone had been in the Dark Kingdom for years. Besides, I never grew up with any powers. I was just... me.."

 

"It was always meant to be yours as much as the sunstone was Rapunzel's. The way it happened... is the way it was supposed to be. You see, there's always been power inside of you. Rapunzel, with her cheery and optimistic attitude, unlocked it at birth. As for you... you grew up believing that you were worth nothing." Cassandra looked away. Amaris gently directed her eyes back to hers. "The journey to the Dark Kingdom was not mistaken. The journey was never meant for Rapunzel - that's not who the rocks were leading."

 

Cassandra's eyes widened in realization. "...They were leading me."

 

Amaris nodded and smiled. "Yes, yes they were. I was leading you."

 

"You? If you knew about all of this, why didn't you pop up in a dream or something like, who I'm guessing, Helios did to Rapunzel?"

 

"Because you weren't ready. You had not yet realized who you were with the sun child. You two needed to be in sync before I approached you. I needed to make sure that your relationship with Rapunzel was really as strong as it seemed. You had not realized what the stones actually stood for. And Zhan Tiri didn't make it any easier."

 

"You know Zhan Tiri?"

 

"Of course I do. And Demanitis. We went head to head to find the stones."

 

"...I don't understand... Why me...? I've never been anything special. I'm just some girl from a town that wanted nothing to do with me. I'm not ‘deserving’ of anything. I'm just... some girl…" 

 

Amaris gave her a sympathetic, serious look. "But that's not what Rapunzel saw, was it?" Cassandra opened her mouth then closed it. She didn't have an answer. "Do you believe in destiny, Cassandra?"

 

Cassandra thought for a second. Did she believe in destiny? "...Of course I do."

 

Amaris smiled. "You and Rapunzel were always destined to meet from day one. If your friend hadn't gotten to the tower first, it would have been you that saved her. You two were destined to be together. It just took you both a little longer to realize that." Cassandra didn't respond. Amaris frowned before sighing. "One of the reasons why I chose you... was because I knew you wouldn't have made the same mistakes that I did."

 

"But I did-"

 

Amaris turned to her. "Maybe it was like that at first. But you were stronger than I was and stopped before... It was too late to turn back. You saved yourself."

 

"Rapunzel saved me."

 

"She might have helped. But you made the decision to stop, made the decision to apologize, you gave up the last of your power to Rapunzel, after fighting to keep it from her for so long. You fought against the moonstone that wanted to consume you in complete darkness and anger. You fought Zhan Tiri even though you had no powers. And yet, you both won. You gave up your life for Corona, for Rapunzel. And that wasn't the first time either."

 

"Of course I did and I'll do it again if I have to. But that's what any norm-"

 

"You're way too hard on yourself. You say you have accomplished nothing. But yet, you have accomplished everything. You saved Rapunzel and multiple people on more than one occasion without some magical power."

 

"... What’s the point of all that now…? …I… couldn't save her..." Cassandra whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

 

Amaris's eyes softened as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "There was nothing you could have done. You gave up your life for her, you nearly died for her multiple times, so in return, she gave up her life for you."

 

Cassandra shot back, tears falling down her face. "She shouldn't have! S-She should have stayed back like I told her to!"

 

"What's the difference between you giving up your life for her and her doing the same to you?"

 

"B-Because she's-"

 

"A princess? Someone of utmost importance?" Cassandra nodded. "But that doesn’t explain my question. I still don't see the difference."

 

"Ugh, because she is special and worth everything while I'm not! I don't matter!"

 

"You were special to her. You are special to your little girl. You matter to them. You matter to your friends. Both of your lives have meaning and both of your lives matter all the same. So, again, how is it any different from you giving up your life to her wanting to do the same for you?"

 

"I-It.." Cassandra tried but for once, she realized that she didn't have a response. 

 

"We didn't choose you both at random. We chose you because you need to finish what we started." She paused. "...to unlock your power within and destroy the stones."

 

"What? How am I gonna do that?" 

 

Amaris shook her head. "You have to figure that out for yourself."

 

"But I don't-" Suddenly the room around her started to fade, Amaris started growing small, distant. "Wait, hold on! Don’t leave!”

 

"Trust yourself, Cassandra. And trust in the people around you." Amaris's voice echoed as it grew distant. 

 

“I don’t know what that means!” Cassandra tried to run towards the voice as it faded only for the room to slowly start to fall apart around her. “How do I even do that?! How do I unlock it?! How do I even know when I’ve unlocked it?!” 

 

“Look deep - find your power within. You’ll know when you find it.”

 

Cassandra continued trying to run towards the fading voice. “I don’t know what that means!”

 

 "....Trust yourself." The voice echoed one last time before the darkness faded and...

 

Cassandra woke up with a start.