Romance Fan Fiction / Other Fan Fiction ❯ Stars Above - A Cassunzel Fanfic ❯ Chapter 33: Tu Es Ma Lumiere (The Final Showdown Part 3) ( Chapter 33 )

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

Cassandra awoke with a start, breathing roughly. She felt a soft hand place itself on her back. “Woah, hey, Cass, breathe.”

“Eugene?” Cass asked weakly as she wheezed.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Eugene responded. When Cass’s eyes finally unblurred, she looked around at her surroundings. She saw the familiar faces of her friends.... Varian, Lance, the girls... and other familiar faces that she thought she would never see again; all staring at her. She realized that she was in the Ugly Duckling.... back in Corona.

Cassandra was incredibly confused. Looking at Eugene, she asked him: “How did we get here? Last time I checked we were many, many miles away.”

Eugene and her friends shared a worried glance before looking back at her. “You’ve been out for days, Cass.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened. “Days?! How?”

“You collapsed after your little... exertion.”

Cassandra was about to say something else but she stopped short, realizing something as she asked seriously: “Where’s Zhan Tiri?”

Again, her friends shared a worried glance before Eugene sighed and pointed at the window. As Cassandra slowly got to her feet and made her way towards the window, Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat as she stared in horror. Corona was destroyed. Completely. The buildings were broken into pieces, once on fire, as the smoke rose into the sky. It was surrounded by black rocks, shadows and... gold rocks?

“Wait,” Cassandra said, turning to Eugene. “She has the sunstone?” They all looked away guilty. Cassandra’s eyes turned angry. “You let her get the sunstone?!”

“It wasn’t like we could stop her,” Eugene responded. “With you out of commission, we had nothing to protect ourselves from. Besides, we were too busy trying to reach you.”

“Screw me, you should’ve gone after the stone! Not only does she have the moonstone but now she has the blackstone and the sunstone!”

Eugene glared his tired eyes at her. “You made it nearly impossible,” He seethed. “The area was so destroyed we were barely able to get out of there due to your little ‘tantrum’.”

“It wasn’t a-”

“Silence!” A voice cut through the small space. Everyone went quiet as the king emerged, glaring death at Cassandra. Cassandra gulped.

By the look in his eyes as he stalked towards her, she could tell that they all already knew... Cassandra had never been a fan of the king. He was pushy, judgy, arrogant and a liar. But Rapunzel was still his daughter and the pain he must be in... On instinct, she put her head towards the floor and bowed slightly. She spent nearly her whole life fearing the king. Everyone did. When faced with grief, he never took it very well. He was a large man with lots and lots of power. “S-Sir, I-”

“Quiet!” The king barked. Cassandra immediately looked towards the floor. “I allow you into my kingdom, after knowing that your mother was the one to take my daughter away from me, I give you a job in the castle, I let you stay with Rapunzel even after you disobeyed direct orders and I let you live even after you take over my kingdom and attack my daughter! And this is how you repay me? You convince my daughter to leave with you then bring a crazed demon into my walls again!”

As Cassandra kept her eyes directed towards the floor, Eugene stepped in front of her. “Sir, if I may, this wasn’t-”

“Silence Fitzherbert!” He shouted as he glared at the young man. “You know, I expected better from you when I made you captain of my guard. But helping a fugitive?”

“She wasn’t a-”

“She was wanted and you decided to help her anyway!”

Eugene glared at the king. “She didn’t do anything wrong! Rapunzel left willingly!”

The king laughed bitterly. “Because she manipulated her! She convinced her that her place wasn’t here! Oh and let’s not forget she stole your fiance!”

“Oh, please, Rapunzel and I broke up nearly a year before she returned!”

“And who was the reason for that?” Eugene opened his mouth then closed it, knowing he couldn’t argue. “She didn’t care about Rapunzel. She only wanted to use her. Just like her mother!” The room went eerily silent. All could be heard was heavy breathing and all could be seen were shocked faces. That was way too far.

Before anyone could say anything, Cassandra shot her head up. “Excuse me?” She asked before moving around Eugene. Her eyes were angry like never before as she advanced towards the king with no regrets. “Insult me, fine. Hurt me, I don’t care. Throw me in the dungeon, hang me, I don’t give a shit." Everyone inhaled at her language. “But do not disrespect my love for Rapunzel. I vowed to protect her and I failed, I know that. And trust me when I say, nothing you could ever say or do will make me feel worse than I already do. But you do not get to sit there and try to tell me what Rapunzel wanted or how she felt. Because you didn’t know Rapunzel, you refused to see her for who she really was! Of who she wanted to be!”

The look that passed over the king’s face sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Everyone except Cassandra, she was way too mad to care at this point. She matched his glare. “She was my daughter, you-”

“Yeah and you refused to listen to her! She tried to tell you, for months, that she wasn’t happy here. She was depressed, she was hurting and she felt trapped. But you didn’t know that, did you? No, you didn’t. Because you never had the audacity to ask.”

“You don’t get to tell me how my daughter was feel-”

“And you don’t get to decide what you believe she was feeling! And then you put all the blame on me? Why? Because I actually cared about her needs? Because you were too selfish to realize the damage you caused? Or, perhaps, you already knew. You knew you drove Rapunzel away and you didn’t want to admit to that so you put the blame on someone else. You didn’t care about who she was.” Cassandra glared and looked around to everyone in the room. “None of you did. You were all so stuck in your vision of her. Perfect, has the answer to everything, the golden child, unbreakable. Well guess what? She wasn’t any of those! You all forced her into that role and made her believe that she had to take everything on her own shoulders. I gave Rapunzel freedom - you all just trapped her here. She was miserable. She was hurting. You made her believe that she couldn’t break; that she couldn’t fall. Rapunzel wasn’t perfect, she was human! A human with feelings, a human with thoughts and opinions! You all never truly cared about Rapunzel,” Cassandra redirected her eyesight to meet the king’s. “....All you cared about was the thought and vision of her; of who you wanted her to be. But none of you asked what she wanted, did you?” Everyone looked away and avoided her eye contact. “That’s what I thought.” Cassandra whispered, her bangs hiding her eyes as she turned away and silently left through the exit, leaving everyone in shock.

 

 

Cassandra leaned against the stone wall to the bar as she hid her face in her knees. It was then that she heard the silent crunching of leaves but she didn’t look up to see who it was. But somehow, she already knew who it was.

It was silent for a couple minutes as Queen Arianna took her spot next to the distressed warrior. No one said anything as the queen stared out at her destroyed kingdom. “I’m sorry,” She suddenly heard after some minutes, the voice broken and shaky. Cassandra looked up and ran her hand through her hair, tears still streaming down her face. “This is my fault. All of it. I just... I couldn’t protect her...” Cassandra choked back a sob.

Queen Arianna stayed silent for a minute or two and Cassandra was starting to think she wasn’t gonna respond. But eventually, she responded in a whisper. “I remember Rapunzel saying that years ago in this very spot.”

Cassandra looked up and gave the queen a confused look. The queen turned her head towards her and gave her a soft smile. A kind, but tired, smile. It reminded her so much of Rapunzel. “Years go, I remember Rapunzel saying those exact words. Right before our last confrontation with Zhan Tiri.”

Cassandra looked down as she went deep in thought then she looked back up at the queen. “She blamed herself?” She whispered, the hurt for her lover evident in her voice. How could she blame herself? How come she never knew this?

“Oh, yes,” Queen Arianna responded. “She blamed herself for your... betrayal. She told me everything that happened as soon as I got my memories back. She didn’t leave out a single detail.”

“What did she tell you?”

“She told me about Adira, for one.” Cassandra scoffed at the familiar name.

“And what exactly did she say about Adira?” Adira’s name was said with such venom due to the queen bringing up past, tried-to-forget feelings. She knew that she shouldn’t be getting so mad about those times... at Rapunzel... but she couldn’t help herself. After everything that happened between them, choosing Adira over her was the one thing Cassandra still couldn’t forgive Rapunzel on. It still hurt way too much.

“That she should’ve trusted you,” The queen responded simply, surprising Cassandra.

“Really?” Cassandra asked with wide, unbelieving eyes.

“Oh, yes. During your moonstone days, Adira tried to convince Rapunzel that you were gone for good and the moonstone had complete control of you; that there was no hope. Rapunzel wasn’t having it. After that little talk, Rapunzel only forced herself to see Adira if she had too. Like when she needed more information on the moonstone.”

“...She never told me that.” Cassandra responded quietly.

“I’m not surprised. I think it was out of guilt, mostly. She beat herself over it for months, saying that you were right all along and she should’ve trusted you and it would’ve saved you both a lot of trouble.”

Cassandra let out a weak chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds like something she’d say.” Cassandra’s smile fell as she looked back at the queen. “Why are you telling me this?”

The queen turned and gave her a sympathetic look. “I know that it’s been hard for you and I know you weren’t the only one at fault for... what happened back then. That’s just what everyone else saw because of the whole intimidating magic thing.” Cassandra looked away. Suddenly, the queen gently grasped her hand, surprising Cassandra and making her snap her head back towards her. “I guess what I came out here to say was... thank you.”

“....Thank you...? For what?”

“For taking care of her. Looking out for her. Being there for her when I couldn’t.” She paused and looked away. “What you said in there...” The queen shook her head and Cassandra’s heart shattered even more than it already was when she saw the kind-hearted woman's eyes fill up with tears. “You’re right. I noticed she wasn’t happy, deep down, but I... I thought she would be fine. I should’ve done more.” She looked away and Cassandra could tell she was trying her all to keep those tears in.

Cassandra’s eyes softened as she grasped her hand and moved so she could catch her eye contact. “....It wasn’t your fault.” She whispered.

The queen took a shaky breath before looking back at her and giving her a watery smile. “Neither is it yours.” Once more, Cassandra looked towards the floor. “Rapunzel was a lot of things. And I thought I knew her... but I didn’t look deep enough. But one thing I am sure of...” The queen suddenly put her hand over the ring that was still on Cassandra’s finger before looking back up to look at the young woman. “....was that she loved you very, very much. That was apparent from the very beginning.” Again, she paused before continuing. “You’ve always been there for her when everyone else refused to listen. And I sincerely thank you for that.”

Cassandra had to choke back tears as she looked away. “Don’t thank me,” She responded, her voice shaky and broken. “....I don’t deserve it.”

“You do and so much more,” The queen whispered.

“Ugh, I don’t!” Cassandra shot back, her eyes angry. “Everyone keeps saying that - but I don’t! I vowed I would protect her... and I failed! Now everyone is suffering because of me! Rapunzel is gone because of me! A-And she’s n-never....” Cassandra’s face fell as the reality of everything finally started to set in. “...n-never...” Her face slowly turned to one of horror and sorrow as tears spilled down from her eyes. “S-She’s never....”

Queen Arianna saw it before it was coming as she pulled the young warrior into her arms as soon as she broke down. As Cassandra tightly grasped onto her shirt and dug her face in her chest, Queen Arianna brought her even closer. Every sob that came from her body broke her heart. “Shh, sweetheart, I know...” She rubbed circles on her back. “....I know..”

“I’m so sorry,” Cassandra sobbed, her voice barely audible.

“No, no... none of this is your fault.”

“B-But I-I could-couldn’t...”

“From what I was told, you didn’t have a chance. She jumped in front before you could.”

“....B-Because I-I let Zhan Tiri get into my head! A-And I was distracted!”

“....As you mentioned in there.... She was human. But you are too, Cassandra.”

Cassandra didn’t respond as she continued to sob into the queen’s chest. “....I let my rage and grief take control of me again... and n-now Zhan Tiri... Everyone is in danger... because I lost control...”

Arianna gently pushed the girl back and wiped her tears before brushing her hair behind her ear. “So you’re just gonna give up?”

“I-I don’t think I have anymore fight left in me...”

“That’s not the brave Cassandra I watched grow from a little girl into a skilled warrior.”

"That Cassandra is gone. It left when Rapunzel...” She swallowed, unable to continue that sentence.

The queen’s eyes hardened. “If Rapunzel saw you now, what do you think she would say?”

Cassandra sniffed. “She’d probably tell me to stop feeling sorry for myself.”

The queen gave her a skeptical look. “Do you really think that’s what she would have said?”

Sighing, Cass shook her head. “She’d tell me not to give up. She’d tell me that I was strong and that I needed to get up. She’d tell me to never stop fighting.”

“Then why aren’t you doing just that? Rapunzel died for you. Do you really want that death to go in vain?”

Cassandra seemed to think for a second. “No.” She said seriously. “No, I don’t.”

“Then what are you gonna do about it?”

Cassandra looked down for a second or two before her eyes hardened and she looked back up. “Fight,” She responded. “I’ll fight.”

Suddenly, Arianna’s eyes softened as she brushed a curl behind her ear. “’Atta girl.” She said with a smile, causing a small blush to form on Cassandra’s cheeks.

“Not without us you won’t.” Suddenly, both of them snapped their heads to the sound of where the voice came from. There, a couple feet away, stood Eugene, her friends and some citizens from Corona like Monty, Feldspar, Friedborg, Ulf, King Edmund, Quirin, Big Nose, more Pub Thugs, Xavier, Pete, Stan, some other guard members, Adira, even Shorty. 

Cass couldn’t help but let out a small smile at the sight of her friends as she helped herself and the queen rise to their feet. Before anyone could say anything else, Cassandra stood tall and put her hand in the middle of their group. “For Rapunzel.”

Eugene smiled and put his hand on top of Cassandra’s, then the queen, then Lance, then Varian, then the girls, then the rest of them. “For Rapunzel!”

As the group diversified and cheered and headed towards the destroyed walls of Corona, Cassandra placed a gentle hand on the queen’s shoulder. “....Thank you... for coming out to talk to me.”

Queen Arianna gave her a sweet smile and nodded before grasping the younger girl's hand and spinning the ring on her finger. “If there was anyone that I wanted my daughter to marry and fall in love with,” She paused before looking back up to meet her eyes and smiled. “....I’m glad it was you, Cassandra.” Cassandra inhaled in surprise as she tried to hold back tears.

The queen placed a hand on her cheek and pulled her forward to press a small kiss to her forehead before she smiled and walked away in the direction of where the group was heading too; leaving Cassandra in tears. Cassandra took a deep breath before exhaling and also followed in the direction of the group as she prepared herself for one final battle.

 

 

The group hid behind a gigantic boulder as Cassandra peered to look at the castle where Zhan Tiri was in. She was waiting, but she didn’t know what to do. Perhaps for someone to take charge, to come up with a plan. She waited for that voice full of confidence and leadership but it never came. Instead, she heard: “So, what’s the plan Cass?”

Cassandra turned back around in surprise to see everyone staring at her in expectation.“Why are you asking me?” She asked in confusion.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Lance asked.

“It’s just...” She paused. “....I’m not a leader. Eugene should-”

“No,” Eugene interrupted before crawling forward and grabbing one of her hands. “I’m not the prince of Corona anymore,” He responded before smiling. “You are. Technically speaking. You are a leader and have always been and it’s time you finally see that. So, I’ll repeat, what’s the plan?”

Cassandra stared back for a second as they all looked at her like... she was a leader, like she was important, like they trusted and looked up to her and expected her to lead them to victory. Cassandra suddenly was hit with a wave of nostalgia but instead, she was one of those on-lookers looking at a certain princess. Eugene did have a point, she was technically a... prince now. Taking a deep breath, Cass started: “Okay,” She nodded and everyone leaned in to listen.

“So we know that Zhan Tiri holds all three stones and I doubt she’s gonna let us anywhere near her like the last time Rapunzel and I took her on. So plan A is a no go. But we also know that Zhan Tiri’s ego is bigger than anything else, so we can use that to our advantage.” Cassandra grabbed a stick and started drawing in the dirt. “I need to get close enough to obtain the stones but that’s gonna be tricky. You all are gonna need to attack from all different directions and distract her so I can get close enough to grab them. Varian and Xavier,” She pointed to the two chemists with the stick. “I need you to find me anything you can about the blackstone and report it back to me as soon as possible. If there will be information anywhere it’s gonna be in the restricted library.”

“We have a restricted library?” Eugene asked in confusion.

“Yes,” Cassandra responded before she turned towards the queen. “There’s only been three keys ever made to get in, right? One for you, one for the king and one for Rapunzel.” The queen nodded. “Do you still have yours?”

The queen smiled before pulling up a weirdly shaped key. “It’s always with me.”

Cassandra smiled. “Perfect,” She turned back to the group. “Stan, Pete, you’ll go with them. I know the very first thing that my father ever trained you was navigating all the secret tunnels connecting to the castle. Lead them through there and be careful.”

“You can count on us, Cassandra.” Pete responded, giving her a salute.

“I know I can,” Cassandra responded with a smile before turning back to the group again.

“Catalina, Kierra, you two will go with them as well. Zhan Tiri should be expecting us to do something and she’ll be on heavy guard near the library. They’ll need your expert ‘stealing’ and stealth skills to get in and out.”

“Peace of cake,” Kierra responded with a confident smirk.

Cassandra nodded. “Lance, Eugene and Shorty, you guys come from the southside.”

“Great,” Eugene said sarcastically. “We’re with fish breath.”

“You got it uncle Marty,” Shorty slurred, nodding at Cassandra while waving a fish around.

Cassandra blinked. “I’m not-” She shook her head, reminding herself that this was Shorty. “Nevermind.” She turned back towards the others. “Pub thugs, you guys take west. Edmund, Qurinin,” She narrowed her eyes when they landed on Adira. “...Adira.” She said her name with venom.

“Nice to see you too, short hair,” Adira responded with her usual cocky smirk that Cassandra hated. Cassandra clenched her teeth together to hold back her anger.

 

“You three,” She started, her voice tinted with aggravation and anger. “Take the underground tunnels and keep an eye on everything down there. As for everyone else, come from the north.” There was a chorus of nods. “I will go straight for Zhan Tiri.” She paused before getting closer. “Now, listen everyone, this isn’t gonna be easy; not like the first time. She has ultimate power and shadow figure things on her side. Be very, very careful and be smart. She can use the blackstone to show you your worst fears. Remember: They aren’t real.”

“Suddenly, she turned to Varian. “Varian, do you still have a copy of Project Obsidian?”

Taken off guard at the question, Varian thought before responding. “Y-Yeah, there’s still one left.”

Cassandra smirked. “Perfect. Bring that. Oh and one last thing: get into your positions and be ready for the signal when I say.” Turning back to the group, she put her hand in the middle, nodded and repeated: “For Rapunzel.” Everyone put their hands in the middle and repeated, this time quieter than before. “Now, let’s go kick some ass.” Ignoring her language, everyone cheered quietly before they all dispersed and headed towards their given jobs.

 

 

It wasn’t that hard to get into the castle for Cassandra. Zhan Tiri knew she was coming wo she just walked right in. She explored the destroyed, empty halls before stopping in front of a familiar door... Rapunzel's. Against her better judgment, she slowly pushed it open and was hit with a wave of nostalgia. For a second, she saw herself, sitting there, brushing the princess’s long blonde hair as she excitedly talked Cassandra’s ear off about anything and everything. Cassandra let out a small reminiscent smile at the memory but then it immediately dropped. As she stepped more into the familiar room, she couldn’t help but look around. It was exactly how she remembered it... it was clear that only maids have been in Rapunzel’s room for the past year.

Cassandra stopped in front of a familiar picture placed on Rapunzel’s nightstand. Picking it up, she gently traced the painting with her thumb. The same painting Rapunzel made that felt like so long ago. As her heart clenched, she gently placed the picture back onto the nightstand face down. She was about to leave when she heard a familiar squeaking.

“Pascal?” She asked as the little chameleon appeared next to the picture. Her eyes softened as he rubbed his head against the bed softly. “You miss her too, huh buddy?” Cassandra put her hand out so Pascal could jump into it. When he did, she brought him up to eye level so he could nuzzle her sadly. “...Yeah, me too bud.” Suddenly, Pascal jumped down and disappeared under Rapunzel’s bed. Not a second later, Pascal came dragging out a shoebox then looked at her in expentance. “Is that for me?” She asked and Pascal nodded.

Lickng her suddenly dry lips, she bent down and picked up the box before sitting on Rapunzel’s bed. When she opened the box, she gasped. It was filled with stuff from her or about them from all the way since the beginning. Cassandra pulled out a neatly stacked set of papers that seemed to be every single letter she sent Rapunzel over the last couple of years. Biting her lip to hold back tears, she gently placed the stack next to her before grabbing another stack. She didn’t recognize these... Reading a couple sentences, her eyes widened upon realizing they were letters Rapunzel wrote  for her but never sent her.

She picked the one on top and realized that it dated back when she had the moonstone; the day she took over Corona. She must have written it in the Ugly Duckling before their final fight. So, she started reading.

"Cassandra,

You have no idea how much I want to go to you and say all this to you but with how delicate the situation is... I know that you wouldn’t believe me or even hear me out. Quite frankly, I don’t really blame you.

Ever since you grabbed the moonstone, I’ve really been... thinking about stuff; realizing stuff. About how much I hurt you. About how I had no idea that you were hurting in the first place. I expected you to be okay with everything and that wasn’t right. I never meant to make you feel like you didn’t matter; that you were someone below me.

You are so much better than I am at a lot of things. Fighting, for one. You’re really smart, tactful, skillful and you’ve always done everything you could to keep us - me - safe. I supposed I can’t really blame you for not talking to me about all of this, about how you were feeling. I know feeling-related stuff is hard for you. I should have taken that into account. I should have asked. And besides, I’m pretty sure you did try to tell me. You gave me so many signs and I... ignored them. I knew we were growing distant, especially after the... incident at The Great Tree. But I thought I could fix it once we returned to Corona. But by the time you grabbed the moonstone, I knew I was already too late and I waited too long.

Speaking of The Great Tree - that’s another thing I want to apologize for. You’re right, I should have listened and trusted you and I shouldn’t have blamed you. Deep down, I knew that. But... I couldn’t come to terms with - or even think about - that you got seriously hurt because of me; because of some stupid mistake. I was never mad at you... I was mad at myself and I... directed it towards you because... I’m a coward.

Everyone thinks so highly of me - that I’m the ‘golden child’, the ‘light of the town’, the one who can fix all problems. But I’m not. Again, you were right, it wasn’t fair that while you worked your whole life to get somewhere, to be someone, I show my face, and suddenly I’m the most favorited person in Corona. I didn’t understand why you were doing what you were doing at first... but now I do. I’ve always been in your way whenever you tried to do something for yourself. I always stole the spotlight. And being the amazing person that you are, you continued to be my friend and just let it happen. No wonder you’re so angry now.

Everyone keeps telling me that you’re a lost cause, that the person that you ‘used to be’ is gone, that you’re too far gone, that you’re a monster.. I’ve heard it all but I don’t believe a single thing is true. You’re not a bad person, in fact you’re one of the best I’ve ever met, you’re just in pain and you have every right to be. When you showed up in Corona today, disguised as Faith, deep down I knew it was you. And once you got revealed... Ugh, I promise Cass, I never meant for Project Obsidian to go off. I never even wanted to authorize it. Eugene had Varian make it behind my back and when I told him to destroy it, they convinced me that while I didn’t want to hurt you, we didn’t know if you were gonna hurt us. I knew you would never - maybe you attacked me, but not once did you attack Corona until you were shot. But the people are scared. I’m scared.

I’m not scared of you... I know you would never actually hurt me, or ‘destroy’ me (at least I hope so...), but I’m scared I’m not gonna reach you in time. That you really are too far gone. I know that, in the end, you’ll do the right thing. You always do. But I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to save you from doing something you’re gonna later regret. Even though you think I don’t know you, I do. And I know that if I can’t get through to you in time, your actions will haunt you for the rest of your life. And I don’t want that, you don’t deserve it.

But mostly... I’m scared I’m gonna lose you. I know, it’s selfish, but I can’t even bear the thought. Perhaps I already have lost you and after all this is finally over, you will want nothing to do with me. I would understand if you did. If I was in your place, I would want nothing to do with me either. All I want for you is to be happy and if removing me from your life gets you there... I won’t fight it. I know that you’re mad at me and I know you hate me... but that’s okay too. I’m mad and I hate myself as well.

I was weak - I was scared about what was gonna happen at the end of the journey. So I tuned everything else out and put my focus on the mission. Everyone was expecting me to fix everything, to save them, to be a leader, you guys were counting on me. It was so overwhelming - but I didn’t really have a choice. But that’s no excuse. You dropped everything to go with me, to protect me, to look out for me and I took advantage of that.

I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow and I’m terrified. But that’s not gonna stop me, not this time. I will get through to you or I will die trying. You’re not a villain, Cass. Zhan Tiri is the true villain. Hell, I’m the villain of this story.

I promise you - If you do decide to forgive me one day, although I don’t deserve it, I will do everything I can to work on myself, to be better, for you. I’m sorry I can’t be there with you right now - although I’m pretty sure you don’t want me there - it’s still my job as your best friend to be there for you like you have always been for me.

Anyway, I know that you’ll never see this... and I’m hoping I can forget about this letter. Maybe in the future, if we’re... okay... you’ll find it and finally read everything I’ve been wanting to tell you since day one but can’t get out. If you are reading this, whenever it may be, always remember that you are strong. You are worthy. You are powerful. You can do anything. And you’re the most amazing person on this planet.

But the main thing I want you to remember is....

I love you. I love you so much. Forever and always no matter what you do or say, I will always love you.

Love, Rapunzel.

 

 

As silent tears hit the paper, Cassandra held it close to her heart and squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, Raps...” Rapunzel had apologized to her profusely about those times over the years but nothing like this. She had no idea Rapunzel considered herself the villain at that time... Taking shallow breaths to calm herself, Cassandra pressed a gentle kiss to the piece of paper, tears still running down her face. “I promise, I will get revenge, Raps.” She spoke to the paper. She then let out a small chuckle. “Then again, you probably wouldn’t want that, would you? You’d tell me that violence wasn’t the answer, that there are better ways; you with your beautifully kind, compassionate heart.” Her smile dropped. “....I’m sorry... I couldn’t save you. Wherever you may be, I hope you can hear me...” She paused. “I love you so damn much, Rapunzel. And I always will. I will save Corona and take down Zhan Tiri... for you.” With one final kiss to the paper, she gently put it back in the box before leaving the room, shutting the door gently behind her. Cassandra closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths before opening them; fire and determination burning in her eyes. “Let’s do this.”

 

 

Cassandra walked confidently throughout the halls as she made her way to the ballroom where she knew Zhan Tiri was located. She didn’t even wait as she kicked the door open. “Hey Zhan Tiri!”

Zhan Tiri slowly turned around as a smirk filled her face. “Ah, Cassandra. I’ve been expecting you.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I don’t care.” Narrowing her eyes and confidently walking forward, Cassandra pointed at the overpowered demon. “Hand over the stones if you know what’s good for you.”

Zhan Tiri laughed. She laughed. “What are you gonna do? You’re powerless.”

“Yeah, but there’s one thing you didn’t take into account.”

Zhan Tiri narrowed her eyes. “And what’s that?”

Cassandra smirked. “I didn’t come alone.” She turned slightly. “Now!” She yelled and suddenly ropes came flying from every direction as they wrapped around Zhan Tiri, nearly tripping her. Varian pointed Project Obsidian right at her. Zhan Tiri was stuck. “Now,” Cassandra spoke, taking a couple feet forward. “Give us the stones.”

Zhan Tiri smirked as she pulled on the ropes, making everyone go flying in all directions. Cass and the others jumped out of the way as some of the buildings started to collapse. “Varian, now!” Varian shot the weapon as it headed straight towards Zhan Tiri. Not a second later, she was hit and it started to cover her whole body from head to toe.

Before Cassandra could take a step forward, suddenly the rock shattered and Zhan Tiri was free. “Do you really think that was gonna work?” Zhan Tiri laughed. Her eyes suddenly darkened into one of the most villainous, evil grins they’ve ever seen. “My turn.” All hell broke loose as Zhan Tiri started firing gold and black rocks at them. Everyone ran, dodged and struggled to get out of the way. Zhan Tiri was hysterically laughing as she fired everything at them, knowing they were defenseless.

Cassandra growled as she dodged another rock. She looked at the stones stuck to Zhan Tiri’s chest and thought only one thing: She needed to get there, stealth be damned. Sprinting forward, she dodged the rocks that kept popping up in her way. She was just about there when a gigantic claw suddenly grabbed her. She let out a small pained yelp at how hard she was squeezed. Zhan Tiri held her up to face level as she grinned. Cassandra growled and glared at her.

“Cassie!” Varian yelled.

“You got spunk, I’ll give you that.” Zhan Tiri spoke then her smirk widened. “You know, I’m getting a sense of deja-vu. I seem to remember you in this same position years ago after you nearly killed your goody-two-shoe princess.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. “Leave. Her. Out. Of. This.”

Zhan Tiri’s smirk only widened. “Oh, did I hit a nerve?”

“Leave her alone!” Eugene yelled as they all threw swords and other various weapons at the demon. But it did nothing. It was like toothpicks to her.

Zhan Tiri ignored them. “You know, I’ve known Gothel for a long time. When she stole that brat... I tried to convince Gothel to get rid of her at once. But she didn’t want to listen. All she wanted was to be young and beautiful forever.” Cassandra’s breath quickened as she continued to clench her teeth. Zhan Tiri continued talking as Cassandra’s aura slowly started to darken. “Now look at you. Fighting for something that isn’t yours to fight for. And all for what? To be loved? Where did that get you? Love is weakness. It only made you more worthless than you already are. It made you weak and pathetic. Rapunzel only wanted to bring you down, she only wanted to hold you back. You could have had it all. Ultimate power. World domination. A purpose. But you chose love. How pathetic.” Zhan Tiri paused. “Now, if you excuse m-”

“You’re wrong,” Cassandra’s quiet voice suddenly rang out. The room went quiet as they all directed their attention to the raven-haired girl still trapped in Zhan Tiri’s claws; her hair covering her face.

“Excuse me?” Zhan Tiri asked.

Suddenly, Cassandra looked up to meet her eye contact and everyone stopped in her tracks. Not only were Cassandra’s eyes glowing, there was something new in them no one had ever seen before. A fire unlike never before, complete confidence and determination. “I said you’re wrong!” Zhan Tiri narrowed her eyes. “I did choose love and it was the best decision I ever made! Loving someone... loving someone is forever. It fills your life, your heart, your soul. Rapunzel gave me a purpose. She gave me the will to live. She gave me the reason to live. The same reason I've been desperately trying to find my whole life. She made me strong. She made me who I am.” Everyone, except Zhan Tiri, was in near tears at her heartfelt declaration. But with each passing word, Cassandra’s body started to glow; making everyone’s eyes widen.

“Trust yourself and those around you.” Amaris’s words echoed into her brain and it was then that Cassandra finally understood what she meant. She finally understood what Rapunzel had been trying to tell her for a long time. Everything finally became clear.

“The power has always been within you, Cass. You’re strong. You don’t need the stone to prove that. I believe in you - you just need to believe it for yourself.” Rapunzel’s voice came into her mind.

“The power is within me...” Cassandra thought before looking back up. “I promised a very special someone that I would protect Corona and its people and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I won’t let you win!”

Zhan Tiri narrowed her eyes. “Please - You fight me? Right,” She laughed darkly. “Say goodbye Cassandra.” With that, she crushed her gigantic claw around the younger woman.

“Cassandra!”

“Cass!” Her friends yelled in horror. But then they heard something faint. Not a second later, Cassandra burst from her claws with a shout; Zhan Tiri letting her go in surprise. Cassandra jumped backwards and stood tall in front of Zhan Tiri, pitched on a rock. Everyone watched in absolute awe as her body glowed a various sort of blue. Her eyes glowed brightly, her body was dressed in armor and her hair blew in imaginary wind as it shined brightly. She looked like a god.

Zhan Tiri’s mouth was agape. She checked to see if the stones were still stuck to her chest. They were. “How did you-”

Cassandra stood tall and started to stalk towards her. “You don’t get it, do you?” Cassandra asked. “The moonstone doesn’t belong to you.” With that, she extended her hand. The moonstone shook and suddenly it was ripped from Zhan Tiri’s chest and landed in Cassandra’s hand.

“W-What?!” Zhan Tiri spoke as a familiar wave of weakness came over. “How is this possible?!”

“I’m stronger than you think,” Cassandra responded as she tightly gripped the stone. It pulsed in tune with her heartbeat. Cassandra slowly started to walk forward. “It’s time you pay for all the pain you’ve caused for the last thousands of years and all those relationships you destroyed. It’s time you pay for Rapunzel.”

Zhan laughed darkly. “Bring it.” And boy, did she. Ulike before, she made sure her friends were in a safe area before attacking Zhan Tiri with everything she had. The battle went on for minutes and Zhan Tiri was getting weaker and weaker by the second. She panted as struggled to keep up and block Cassandra’s consistent blows. Zhan Tir threw everything she could at Cassandra but to no extent. Cassandra was just too powerful.

Cassandrawas also getting tired but she had to keep it up. It was only a matter of time before Zhan Tiri messed up. Cassandra’s intuition was correct because not a second later, Zhan Tiri gave in to her rage and tried to send a wave of shadows towards her, leaving her abdomen open. Cassandra narrowed her eyes and took her shot. A rock suddenly burst through Zhan Tiri’s stomach. Zhan Tiri fell to one knee and gurgled out blood as she glared at Cassandra. “You think you’ve won?” Zhan Tiri panted. “I’ll be back.” The weaker Zhan Tiri became, the smaller her form got.

Cassandra chuckled darkly as she walked towards her. With a dark grin, she grabbed the immoble demon by her shirt and pulled her until she was face level. “I don’t think so,” Cassandra pulled her closer until their faces were inches apart as her eyes darkened and narrowed. “This is for Rapunzel.” Her cold voice rang out. Zhan Tiri didn’t even get to respond as her body was decinergated. Glaring at the pile of dust, she picked up the two stones that now lay on the floor then grabbed the moonstone from her own chest as she looked around at the destroyed town. Her eyes landed on the injured citizens and her injured friends then they slowly directed themselves back to the stones. “Time to finish this once and for all.” She whispered before closing her eyes and pressing the stones together.

Slowly, they started to mend as one and wind started to surround her. As she kept her eyes squeezed shut and focused on the power within them, she raised them to the sky and with one last shout, the stones burst into a million pieces before disintegrating into nothing. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she passed out.

“CASSANDRA!”

 

 

Cassandra groaned as her eyes slowly opened. Placing a hand on her head, she slowly rose to a sitting position. Looking around, she realized she was surrounded by light. She then looked down and quickly got to her feet upon realizing she was standing in crystal clear water. But she wasn’t falling through. 

“I knew you could do it,” She snapped her head up at the familiar voice.

“Amaris?” She asked in confusion. “Where am I?”

Amaris only gave her a sweet smile and walked towards her. “You’re in the void that connects the magic from the reality of Earth.”

“Am I... dead?”

“It depends.” Amaris responded as Cassandra gave her a startled expression.

“Oh Ama, stop teasing the poor girl.” Cassandra snapped her eyes to the new unfamiliar voice. Her eyes widened as a beautiful young woman walked over to them and placed a hand on Amaris’s shoulder before the girl's golden eyes directed themselves to her. “No child, you are not dead. You just used up a lot of power.”

Cassandra looked at the both of them confused as all hell before looking back at Amaris. “...But I thought...”

Amaris smiled. “You set us free, Cassandra.”

“...I did..? How?”

“When you destroyed the stones, it released our souls. We can now finally rest.” Helios responded with a thoughtful smile before looking at Amaris and grabbing her hand. “And we can finally move forward.”

Amaris gave her a sweet smile before letting go of her hand and walking towards Cassandra. She gently placed her hands on Cass’s shoulders. “I knew I made the right choice when I chose you,” Amaris responded before pulling the younger girl into a hug. Cassandra stood there awkwardly for a second. “...Thank you.” Amaris whispered, her voice shaky.

As a soft hand landed on Amaris’s shoulder, she gently pulled away and took a shaky breath. Helios gave her a sweet smile before looking at Cassandra. “You have no idea what this means to us.”

“....I can only imagine.” Cass responded, her heart aching at the way they looked at each other. It reminded her of her and Rapunzel.

Helios frowned. “You know how it feels to be torn away from the person you love, huh?” It was more of a statement than a question as Cassandra looked downward. She missed the way how Helios nodded her head towards Cassandra and how Amaris smiled.

Amaris placed a hand on her shoulder and Cass snapped her eyes back up. “You did us a favor and we are gonna return it.”

Cassandra gave her a confused look. “How...?” Amaris looked back at Helios and smiled before looking at Cassandra once more. She didn’t say anything more as the world slowly started to fade. Cassandra started to panic. “Wait, hold on! What does that mean?!” Damn her, why does she always leave me with a cliffhanger like that?! Cassandra thought.

Suddenly, she felt soft lips press to her forehead. She felt a weird sensation go through her body but she wasn’t able to focus on it due to the fact that she started to fall through the water. “Live a long, happy life Cassandra.” That was the last thing she heard before she was startled away.

 

Cassandra panted as she tried to catch her breath. “Cass!” Suddenly, she was forced into a huge group hug. Cassandra looked around and noticed all of her friends staring at her with tears in their eyes and a relieved smile placed upon their faces.

 

She turned to Eugene. “What... happened?”

“....You blacked out and you weren’t waking up. You were barely breathing and you have been down for nearly 20 minutes.” He spoke quickly, taking deep shallow breaths to calm himself.

“...Zhan Tiri?” She asked.

Eugene gave her a proud smile. “She’s gone. You did it Cass.”

“....I... did..” Cass responded in near belief that she actually did.

Suddenly Eugene’s smile turned to a sad frown as his eyes were pointed into another direction. “Cass, I...” Cassandra followed his gaze and noticed what he was looking at. There, about 20 feet away, was Rapunzel’s body.

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra jumped to her feet, swaying a bit because of all the power she used, and ran over to the still lifeless princess and pulled her into her arms. Now that the adrenaline was over and the danger was gone, she finally realized the full situation. Rapunzel was dead. She was gone. She was never coming back. Tears filling her eyes, she pulled the princess closer. “Raps...” She spoke, her voice shaking. “I-I did it, Raps... Just like you said. You were right, it was within me all along.” When the princess didn’t respond, the devasty slowly started to take her over. “....I-I did it.. I kept my promise...” She choked back a sob. “Rapunzel...” With that final say of her name, Cassandra started sobbing. “How c-can I-I b-be happy... w-when you’re... not here with me...” She spoke in broken syllables as she dug her face into Rapunzel’s neck. “P-Please... I n-need you.. I miss you... Raps... come... back..” Her sobs only got louder when nothing happened.

Her friends behind her were also in tears as they watched the scene unfold before them. Varian sobbed in his father’s arms, Lance and the girls held on to each other, Eugene stood in the middle, tears streaming down his face as he stared at his two best friends. He remained silent and unmoving. As for everyone else... they were all a mess as well.

“I love you, Rapunzel...” Cassandra spoke shakily. “...I love you so much...” Without realizing it, a tear dropped and fell onto where Rapunzel's heart was. Suddenly, she started to glow as it slowly started to spread throughout her body.

Eugene, seeing the light in the corner of his eye, looked up and his eyes widened. “...Cass...” He spoke, getting the warriors attention. As her body started to glow brighter and brighter, Cassandra pulled back and her eyes widened. Everyone watched in awe as the light covered her entire body. As soon as her wounds started to heal, the light exploded and blinded everyone. Then it was silent. Cassandra looked down at the still lifeless princess and realized color returned to her beautiful cheeks.

“Raps?” No response. “Rapunzel...?” Still, no response. She waited for a minute before her eyes refilled with tears and she dug her face into her neck once more, taking shaky, quick breaths. Everyone looked back towards the ground, their hopes crushed.

But out of nowhere a low groan could be heard. Everyone snapped their eyes back as Cassandra pulled away quickly and looked down at the princess. Her heart swelled with joy as the princess placed a hand to her forehead and asked in the sweet-as-honey voice she thought she would never hear again: “What... happened?”

Cassandra didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. Her heart, her very soul was filled with a joy like never before. A huge grin exploded onto her face as more tears fell, this time happy tears. “Rapunzel!” She yelled in joy, picked up the princess by her waist and span her while laughing before pulling her into her arms. Rapunzel giggled. “You’re okay!” She exclaimed before saying much quieter: “...You’re okay..”

When they finally pulled away, they didn’t get very far as they were both tackled into a hug. Varian was first as he wrapped his arms around them both, then the girls, then Eugene and finally, Lance wrapped his arms around them all; slightly lifting them up, all laughing in joy. For once Cass accepted and completely relaxed into it as her and Rapunzel also let out a joyous laugh.

Sandwiched in the middle, Cassandra looked at the beautiful smile she missed so much and pulled her even closer into her body. As the others started to depart, Rapunzel and Cassandra stayed in the same position as they continued to smile at each other. They leaned in and...

Were stopped by a shout.

“Rapunzel!”

Rapunzel looked over confused as she saw her father rushing towards them. “Dad?”

“You’re okay...” He said in disbelief, his voice shaky. And as he always does when he’s overwhelmed with emotion, he turned to anger almost immediately. “....And I have a few things to say to you. How could you leave all your duties and responsibilities behind like that? And better yet - you ran off with...” The king narrowed his eyes at Cassandra and she glared back at him. “....her.”

Eugene took a step forward, his mouth agape. “How could you still not trust her? After she-”

Rapunzel placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Eugene,” She said calmly. Everyone watched in confusion as she took a couple steps forward towards the king. “I’m only gonna say this once and once only,” She started. “I love Cassandra and I don’t know what your deal is with her, but she’s a good person! An amazing person, actually. So you are just gonna have to get used to the fact that we’re together!”

The king narrowed his eyes. “Enough is enough, Rapunzel! Come home right this instant. That’s an order!”

Rapunzel crossed her arms and said seriously: “No.” Everyone, except Cassandra, looked at her in complete utter surprise at the response.

The king’s face practically turned red with anger. “No? What the hell do you mean-”

“Exactly as I said it: No. Corona isn’t my home anymore.”

The king scoffed. “Now you’re just being childish. Of course it is. Stop this nonsense, your ‘fun’ has gone on long enough.”

“‘Childish’?” Rapunzel repeated. ”I’m being childish?” Rapunzel started marching towards him and by the look on her face, even he looked scared. “Says the one who's been forcing me to stay here even though I asked countless times to let me leave!”

“That’s because-”

Rapunzel shot up her hand. “I’m not done!” She yelled and the king immediately shut his mouth. “You’ve been keeping me trapped here for the longest time! Then what? You blame Cassandra because you're too ignorant to accept your own mistakes?“ Everyone was watching in awe and a bit of fear at the unusual behavior of the sunshine princess. Cassandra only watched with a smirk and her arms crossed. 

“That’s not-”

“Shut it! Ugh, I love you dad, but you need to stop treating me like a child! I’m not that fresh-out-of-the-tower girl anymore! I know how to take care of myself and I most certainly know what I want! And I want to be with Cassandra and raise my family with her so that’s just something you’re gonna have to get used to. And if you don’t like it, I swear to you, I will never return home ever again. You better get used to the fact that I am married to a girl and that girl is Cass! So you either shape up or you can say goodbye to having any part in your granddaughter’s or my life! Do I make myself clear?” She spoke the last sentence with clenched teeth as she stood tall and glared daggers at the king. After everyone got over their shock, they were desperately trying to hold back laughter due to the look on the king's face.

The king opened his mouth once. Twice. Then looked downward. “Yes, dear.”

“That’s my girl.” Cassandra whispered to herself but the others heard her anyway.

“She takes after me.” The queen whispered to Cass behind her hand. Cass nodded and  snickered.

Rapunzel huffed. “Good.” With that out of the way, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the king. The king stiffened but then wrapped his arms around his daughter and hid his face into her hair. No words were exchanged, no words were needed, as they pulled apart and smiled at each other before they both directed their attention towards Cass. Cass stiffened but she slowly walked towards them as Rapunzel smiled and signaled her over.

The king narrowed his eyes at her and Cassandra did the same. She didn’t back down at the look. “Dad...” Rapunzel glared and warned.

The king let out a harsh sigh as he held his hand out to Cassandra. Cass stared at it for a split second before gripping it tightly. No words were said as they shook hands but they still continued to glare daggers at each other. When they let go, the queen placed a hand on the king's shoulder. “Come on dear, let’s let them have some alone time.” The king mumbled under his breath but followed her anyway. Suddenly the queen turned back around and glared at the rest of the citizens and their friends who were just aimlessly standing there. “That means you guys too!”

The sound of the usually reserved queen yelling made everyone snap into go-mode as they all followed her. The queen turned around and gave Cassandra a wink before leaving with everyone else. Rapunzel turned to Cassandra. “What happened while I was gone?” She asked in disbelief.

Cass chuckled. “A lot.” Then she glared at her. “I’m mad at you, you know. How could you do that to me? Idiot...” There was no bite to her tone.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. “God, just shut up and kiss me.” Cassandra didn’t get to respond as Rapunzel suddenly grabbed her shirt and pulled her down to meet her lips. All thoughts and anger went out the window the moment Rapunzel’s soft lips touched hers. Gripping her waist, she pulled her closer into her body and deepened the kiss as Rapunzel’s arms made their way around her neck. But then something happened. A sudden spark between their lips made them pull back with a gasp.

“What was....” Cassandra paused, her eyes widened as she stared at Rapunzel in awe. “....that?”

“Why are you looking at me like that...?”

“It’s just...” Cass shook her head before picking up a generally large piece of glass and held it up to her face. “See for yourself.” When Rapunzel got a good look at herself, she gasped. Mixed in with her emerald green eyes, her eyes were tinted with gold.

“....What..?” It was then that she got a good look at Cassandra’s eyes. “C-Cass, your eyes... they’re...” She placed her hand on Cassnadra’s cheek in awe. “...beautiful..”

“What? What’s wrong with them?” Rapunzel held up the glass in front of her and Cass’s eyes widened. “...Woah.” She responded in disbelief. Mixed in with her forest green eyes, her eyes were tinted with blue.

“What’s happening...?” Cass ignored the question as she really thought about it. It was then that she realized what had happened. 

"You did us a favor and we are gonna return it.” Amaris' voice ran through her mind. Cass's face slowly morphed into a sweet smile.

"Cass...?" Rapunzel asked. Cassandra realized that she was still waiting for an answer as she looked back up and gave her a sweet smile. She wrapped her arm around her shoulders and started walking towards the castle. 

"I'll fill you in later. For now, let's just enjoy the gift we were given."

Realizing that was all she was gonna get at the moment, Rapunzel giggled and snuggled into her side. "Okay."

As they both walked side by side, Cassandra suddenly stopped and peered behind her to the bright blue sky. There, right next to the sun, was the moon. She closed her eyes with a smile and inhaled deeply before  reopening them. "Thank you." She spoke to the sky; somehow knowing that they could hear her.

"Cass? Are you coming?" 

Cassandra turned back towards the princess with the same smile and nodded. "Yeah," She responded, walking back towards her. "Always." Rapunzel gave her a sweet smile and with that, they both walked hand in hand....

....looking towards tomorrow; the sun and moon shadowing over them, shining brighter than they ever had. 

 

 

Phew! That was a long chapter! But we're finally done! I apologize this took so long but I hope it was worth the wait! Also, don't worry, there's going to be an epilogue as well as a bonus art chapter. Thank you all so much for the support you've been giving me. All your comments and likes have helped me get this story done. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. And have an amazing summer!