Dark Mer

28

Rapunzel had eaten every last bit of the apple, even the core, to avoid Varian finding it in her trash. She didn't know if he'd actually check, but better safe than sorry. The apple made her stronger, but she didn't know if she would be able to use that spell yet. She needed more strength. Something more than an apple could give.

And sleep. She needed sleep. She laid down under the covers and sighed, looking out at the hallway through the bars. 'I should change...' She thought, getting up and going to her closet to grab her nightgown. 'I can't sleep properly in this armor.' She looked over at the door, then went behind a changing curtain and removed her armor so she could put the nightgown on without any issues. The armor was cute and helped in the fight, but it wasn't really good for wearing under your clothes.

Maybe she should start just keeping the green part on and not the yellow part, like Varian was doing with his armor, and wear her dresses over it. But the relief she felt when she removed the armor finally...she never realized how draining it was to keep it on.

After dressing herself, she went to her bed and climbed in, her hair draping over the bed since it untied when her armor disappeared.

At least it didn't vanish when she passed out, that would've been awkward and embarrassing. Small favors...

But, what if she'd died in it? Would it have vanished, or would she have been buried in that armor?

Stop it, Rapunzel. Stop thinking before bed. Very bad.

Pascal curled up against her and she sighed, holding him close. "At least you're still with me, Pascal." She said softly, drifting off to sleep with those words on her lips.

--

Varian looked at the castle thoughtfully. Ideally, he would smash the castle and just rebuild it from the ground up, but there was too much to move before that could happen, so he had to just cover the castle already there with black rocks.

He heard a neighing behind him and looked over at the horse Maximus, who he remembered had been with Rapunzel when he was with her on the way here the first time. "Are you going to be trouble?" He asked, turning to him.

Maximus snorted and Varian chirruped a bit. "You might not want to do anything, not unless you want to be put in a cage." The horse faltered. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Go back to the stable, find yourself a mare." He turned back to the castle and unrolled some parchment. "Now, let's see..."

He heard galloping coming closer and sighed, snapping his fingers. The horse let out a neigh as it was caged and then Varian looked over his shoulder. "I told you." He smirked and looked back at the parchment. "And that goes for you thugs hiding behind the crates, too." He said, raising his voice a bit. "Don't think I don't notice you."

He heard some footsteps and looked over to see the said thugs running away. He sighed and shook his head before holding up a hand, black rocks rising around the castle to cover up the pristine white stone. He grinned at his handiwork, focusing on it to twist the rocks to Andrew's design. Around him, the houses also started to get covered with black rocks, and the rocks covered the ground in waves as his body started to glow, waves of energy rippling out of his body as he started to sing.

"Crescent high above,
Evolving as you go.
Raise what lies beneath,
And let the darkness grow.

Bend it to my will.
Consume the sunlight's glow.
Rise into the sky,
And let the darkness grow.
Let darkness grow."

He repeated the spell many times, his entire body glowing as the city was covered in the black rocks. By the time he was done, the moon was high in the sky and he looked around at his handiwork proudly. Corona was completely enveloped in darkness, the buildings dark shapes against the night sky. He'd left them their windows, of course. Satisfied, he nodded and walked inside.