"I still can't believe you're human now." Rapunzel said, looking Ruddiger up and down. "Hey, what if we turned Max human?"
"I think he'd be offended at the offer." Eugene shook his head. "So, uh, Ruddiger...Regulus...which do you want us to call you?"
"Ruddiger is the name I associate myself with now." Ruddiger shrugged, leaning back in his seat casually.
"You're going to fall if you tip the chair." Varian warned him.
"I'll be fine." Ruddiger assured him.
"If you fall, I will laugh." Varian smirked.
They had gathered around the dinner table with Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, Arianna, the Brotherhood, Andrew and Juniper. Lady Caine had been offered to join them, but she had politely declined saying she had too much work to do in ensuring the criminals didn't cause trouble in Corona anymore, since they were allies now. Some habits just were taking a long time to die.
"Hey, maybe Hamuel could turn human." Adira remarked, looking at the crow-raven sitting on King Edmund's shoulder. "That might be a sight."
"Pft, what about Pascal?" Eugene looked at said lizard sitting on his girlfriend's shoulder.
"Now, hold on." Ruddiger leaned forward in his seat. "It's all well and good that I turned human because I was human before, but turning a normal animal into a human could be a major shock to their system. Not to mention you'd have to make accommodations and dress them and they wouldn't be able to sit on your shoulders anymore. Hamuel would lose the ability to fly, and they'd both have to adjust to higher views and longer lives and...becoming something you're not is scary. Take it from me." He shuddered. "Those first few years, I thought that I would for sure...you know...raccoons...only live five years, maybe eight if they're pampered enough. When I hit that point and didn't die, I realized that I'd been made immortal. Heck, I didn't even age." He looked at himself.
"Hamuel wouldn't, either." King Edmund told him. "The Brotherhood all had our aging frozen by the Moonstone when the wave hit."
"What--is it reversible?" Varian asked in alarm.
"You tell us." Adira shrugged.
"Ruddiger..." Rapunzel looked at him. "I know this may be painful, but...I'd like to hear a first-hand account on...why someone would become a Disciple."
"...Heh." Ruddiger nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you would be curious. Why would we betray the old man and side with a demon? It's a big question." He clenched his fists. "...I was fourteen when Lord Demanitus sought me out. I was a kid with 'great potential', he said. He wanted me to use my skills to help him with some research. At the time, I had a little brother that was dying of an unknown illness. The Sundrop, I was told, could save him. So I agreed to be his student and joined the ranks of...well, there were quite a lot of us. He started an academy in Corona, where he had made a home. It was a long way from the Iron Kingdom, where I lived. I think it's changed its name since, now it's...uhm...Ingvarr or something. Culture changed, too, at least from what I hear." He sighed. "Anyways, I came to Corona to study with Lord Demanitus and his partner Zhan Tiri."
"Partner?" Rapunzel breathed.
"Yeah. I didn't know where she was from, but she worked very closely with them. I thought they were lovers, but I never saw them so much as hold hands. I dunno, I was a dumb kid. Then when I was sixteen, they broke up or something and I didn't see her around. When I asked, Demanitus just told me to focus on my work and don't talk about her."
"Uh, hold on." Eugene held up a hand. "Question, and this has been kind of bugging me since we met Lucas in the Great Tree, but wasn't Zhan Tiri a man? I mean, all the legends..."
"The legends got confused because she called herself a warlock because it sounded more powerful than 'witch'. But, yes, Zhan Tiri was a woman. Anyways, when I turned eighteen, my brother's condition grew worse. We had learned about where the Sundrop Flower was and I begged for us to take it and save my brother. What Demanitus didn't know is that, leading up to this, Zhan Tiri had been whispering to certain of us that Demanitus never intended to keep his promises, that he tricked us into helping him with impossible hopes." He clutched at the tablecloth, looking at his untouched plate of food. "He told me that we couldn't take the Sundrop Flower to the Iron Kingdom. So I tried to make arrangements to bring my brother to Corona, but...he died while I was still trying to convince my teacher to let me use it on him."
He chuckled bitterly. "Turns out, he had no say in the matter, anyway. The Sundrop Flower was protected by the Royal Family of Saporia. But, I didn't know this until I'd betrayed him and joined Zhan Tiri along with others of us that felt used and betrayed by his broken promises. Because that's what....what it was all about. Broken promises. He promised Zhan Tiri that they would find the Sundrop Flower and Moonstone Opal and be the bearers together. In the end, he decided it was too powerful for any human to withstand. She swore vengeance, swore to destroy his precious Corona because he'd hurt her. And those of us that followed her were granted demonic powers."
"Demonic powers? I know about the green fire, but what can you do?" Eugene asked.
Ruddiger held up a hand, his eyes glowing green, and Eugene gasped as his body moved against his will, standing up and walking in a circle before sitting back down. "Uhh.....that was trippy." He said as Ruddiger lowered his hand, his eyes no longer glowing.
"I was given the ability to manipulate human bodies. I was called The Puppeteer, and worked closely with Zhan Tiri." He went on, turning his gaze to the Saporians, who had frozen in wide-eyed terror. "Yes, I was...involved in the destruction of Saporia. I was a really terrible guy back then, rage and hate can..." He shrugged helplessly and looked at Varian, who nodded in understanding.
"What do you mean?" Rapunzel asked.
"You remember how I said that Saporia had been protecting the Sundrop Flower? Well, we couldn't take them on ourselves, so we used Corona. King Herz Der Sonne had already been harboring feelings of envy for the beautiful Kingdom of Saporia and we just went in and stoked those flames into a bonfire. Only two of us went, me and Sugracha the Eternal."
"The Shapeshifter." Juniper said grimly. "There's...murals of you in the Caves of Saporia."
Ruddiger closed his eyes. "I did a lot of shameful things during that battle. Zhan Tiri had twisted me into a monster and I mercilessly took down anyone in my way, controlling soldiers so they couldn't fight or controlling reluctant Coronan soldiers so they DID fight. Sugracha took the role of his advisor and I went among the ranks making sure things went smoothly. Zhan Tiri was...so proud." He clenched his fists, his body trembling. "It was all in the name of progress...I hurt so many people, all to get a flower. With my help, I feel sick to say, Saporia was decimated. Herz Der Sonne took on General Shampanier by himself and beat her in combat and then he went after the Royal Family, who fled with whoever they could. The Kingdom of Saporia was overrun, destroyed, and overwritten. But, we only helped as far as the battle, anything after that we had no part in."
He pursed his lips and then got up, walking over to bow down on one knee, Andrew and Juniper getting up to face him. "I don't expect forgiveness. What I did to your people was unforgivable, and I understand if you want my head for it. But, I ask that you at least wait until this...mess is over to execute me."
Andrew and Juniper exchanged glances and then Andrew knelt down and gently tilted his head up, smiling sadly. "Who you were...is not who you are now." He said softly. "You were manipulated by her into becoming a monster. You were young and vulnerable. I forgive you."
Juniper hummed. "I might kick your ass later, though. Why don't you continue your story?"
He smiled shakily and nodded, slowly standing up and returning to his seat as they returned to theirs. "With...with Saporia out of the way, we were free to reach and study the Sundrop Flower. That's when we found out that Demanitus was right, we couldn't take it - not without killing it. Zhan Tiri was furious and declared we were going to attack Corona, which is...when I had enough. It was like I snapped out of a trance. Destroying Corona had nothing to do with our research, it was just spite, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I refused, told her I was going home. She told me that I wouldn't get that far and...changed me into a raccoon. Trapped in animal instincts, I fled from her and came to my senses several days later. When I returned, I found that the only one left was Gothel. Everyone else was...gone. Demanitus and his students had all gone their own ways, and I had no way to return to my true form. So I...adapted. My memories came and went over my long....long...long life, sometimes vivid and sometimes completely gone. I watched Corona expand and build itself into what it is now, I watched the walls be built, I watched Quirin come to Corona, I watched Gothel steal away a baby, I watched Varian struggle to be himself in a world that...wasn't made for him. I watched the Princess be rescued, I watched her meet Varian, and I managed to get Varian to let me live with him, to help him, because I knew firsthand what it's like to be an intelligent child surrounded by uncaring adults."
He looked at Varian, smiling sadly. "I tried to keep you from becoming a monster like me, but I couldn't stop your descent into darkness, pushed along by King Frederic and Lucas." He chuckled bitterly. "Lucas. Of all the Disciples to get involved with you, it was Lucas."
"Was Lucas a student of Demanitus too?" Rapunzel asked.
"Lucas? A student?" He laughed. "I don't know if he even finished school. No, Lucas was a serial killer. He targeted teenage boys and men with unique personalities or appearances and...well, what he did isn't suitable to discuss in polite company, but he was a monster. He was in prison awaiting the death penalty when Zhan Tiri approached him and offered him freedom, if he used his skills to assist her in spreading chaos. And...he did. We all did, we spread chaos and terrorized the Seven Kingdoms all in the name of Zhan Tiri, in the name of research. We took over the Great Tree to use as a stronghold while we attacked the Dark Kingdom, but the Moonstone Herself repelled us and sent her warriors to take us down, normal humans and Brotherhood alike. We decided Saporia would be the easier option and we'd try again once we had the Sundrop." He looked at Varian. "I bet she remembers us."
"If she does, she's never said anything." Varian shrugged.
"Wait, does the rock talk to you?" Eugene asked.
"Mmhm." Varian nodded. "And she's the Moon, don't insult her by calling her 'the rock'."
"So..." Cassandra held up a hand, "is the Sundrop sentient, too?"
"I haven't really noticed anything." Rapunzel shrugged.
"I haven't asked." Varian admitted. "But, I imagine so, it just might be dormant. Maybe Kline can help with that."
"I'm actually perfectly okay without a voice in my head, thanks." Rapunzel chuckled awkwardly.
"Suit yourself." Varian shrugged, then looked at Ruddiger. "Can a Disciple be killed?"
"That's a tricky question." Ruddiger admitted. "We're...no longer human, so any human methods to kill us won't work. Gothel may not even be fully gone." At this, Eugene and Rapunzel froze in terror. "Relax. If she was going to come after you, she would've. She has no reason to go after you now that she's not trying to keep herself alive. And, besides, I said might. She was killed by the Sundrop stealing away her lifeforce as it lost its power, much like the decay spell of the Moonstone."
"Yeah, I was wondering about that. Why did that happen?" Eugene asked.
"Uhm...do you want the simple answer, or do you want me to go in-depth about it?" Ruddiger asked.
"Simple, for my simple brain." Eugene held his head.
"The Sundrop was trying to heal itself by taking away the life-force it had given her." Ruddiger explained, then turned to Rapunzel. "By cutting your hair, you damaged the Sundrop and it reacted to protect itself. When you later touched the Moonstone's black rocks, the Sundrop and Moonstone worked together to prevent further damage until the Moonstone could heal it properly. That's why your hair was made to be indestructible."
"If she didn't hold the hair at that time...would it have killed her?" Cassandra asked softly. Hector gently squeezed her hand in his on the table.
"It's hard to say." Ruddiger admitted. "I'm no Seer. We did, however, learn that the Sundrop has destructive abilities as well as the Moonstone having constructive ones."
"Meaning...?" Eugene prompted.
"The Moonstone has a Healing Incantation, too." Ruddiger explained. "However, we couldn't find anything on it aside from that it would only be able to be used when 'the Moon takes human form'."
"Why are legends so cryptic?" Varian groaned. "So...I apparently have healing powers?" He closed his eyes, and they saw him nodding a bit. "Yeah, apparently the Moon confirms this. I'll ask her about it later. So, about my earlier question. Can a Disciple be killed?"
"To my knowledge, no. We can be sealed away, we can be...altered, but I don't think we can be killed. But then, we never tested the theory. I do know that the Moonstone's decay spell did a lot of damage to us, so cosmic powers seem to work on us." He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Your best bet is to just seal them away again, preferably not in a way that will unseal them if, say, a big demonic-blizzard-stopping machine gets used. I mean, what the hell, old man? Talk about a bad plan!"
Varian chuckled a bit.
"Anyways, I'm afraid that's all I have to offer in terms of information." Ruddiger admitted.
"No, I think you can offer more." Andrew shook his head. "You know who was in the Disciples and their powers."
Ruddiger sighed heavily. "Well, that would take a long time to discuss. Can I just...write it down?"
"You can." Rapunzel giggled. "Why don't we all eat, we've done enough talking."
They focused on their food, but Rapunzel couldn't help the nagging question that had been brought up: WAS Gothel gone, or was she still out there somewhere? And, if she was, why had they not seen her yet?
{Did you think I was gone forever?}
She clutched at her hair as she recalled a nightmare she had back when she first touched the rocks. Gothel had returned and had mocked her for thinking she'd stay away. 'Please, no.' She thought. 'Please, just be gone!'
She somehow managed to eat her food and keep it down that night, though she was plagued with nightmares that woke her up screaming.