[Cover art actually by me this time. I feel horrible about it, I'm really, really sorry.]
***
"There has to be a way down here!"
Rapunzel had already tied her hair to a big rock and was just about to jump down, when Eugene caught her from behind.
"Rapunzel, no! It's too high, you'll never make it!
Adira nodded. "Fishskin is right, for once. The only way for us", she pointed with her sword, "is around the ravine.
"But that will take hours! I have to go help him now !" Rapunzel exclaimed.
"You'll be more likely to succeed in that when you're still alive, princess. So if you really want to help that boy, we better get a move on."
Rapunzel hung her head, looking down one last time. With her gaze, she tried to pierce through the black wall to see what was happening on the other side of it. I won't let you down, Varian. She turned around and didn't look back. That's why she never saw the slender figure swiftly approaching the wall, riding a horse that was wearing the emblem of Corona.
***
With the rocks closing in on them, All Arianna could feel was regret. Regret for waiting so long, and maybe even... for never reaching out to Varian before everything went wrong. Somehow, the Queen had really come to care about the boy.
Other than reaching Varian and freeing him from the guards, she hadn't really thought of a plan. Well, she'd found him, and there were no guards to be seen. Success.
But other than that, she'd failed miserably.
***
Finally, Rapunzel, Eugene and Adira had almost reached the wall (from the other side). Just as they were about to turn the last corner...
***
A blinding white flash appeared, followed by a giant shockwave that sent everyone flying.
Everyone, except Varian.
When the light started to fade a bit, they could all see him. He was still on his knees, gripping with both of his hands a huge black rock. The tip of it was inches away from piercing Varian's heart, but the rock had stopped growing. Instead, it was glowing light blue... just like the streak in Varian's hair.
No one moved as he tightened his grip on the rock even further, making the knuckles of his trembling hands turn white. Energy seemed to flow through them, growing more intense by the second, until it reached a climax. Varian's shackles started glowing up as well, the light dancing through them like lightning bolts. Then the handcuffs shattered. They fell harmlessly to the floor.
Without his restraints, Varian felt stronger. He couldn't feel his injuries and tiredness anymore. But he couldn't move either. It was as if his body was completely frozen in place. The energy kept building up inside him, untameable and uncontrollable.
Then he was hit by a blast of what felt like real lightning. Varian groaned and flinched, but didn't let go of the rock. With effort, he opened his eyes to meet Cassandra's death glare.
She had stood up again, and her murderous eyes were completely glazed over with a bright blue light. The moonstone was pulsating rapidly, in sync with her heartbeat.
The war in her head was over.
The physical war was about to begin.
Just like she had always done before attacking, Cassandra raised her hands and focused on building up power inside her. Power to strike. Power, to kill.
But she couldn't.
Was it a shred of compassion that stopped her? Did she still want to spare the boy?
No.
The voice in Cassandra's head was clear. If the boy won't join you, get rid of him. And so she did. Or rather, tried.
Instead of the feeling she was used to, the wild power coursing through her veins that she told herself she could completely control, it was emptiness that filled her.
The energy wasn't coming, it was leaving her, strengthening Varian! Choosing a small child over her, over the skilled warrior who had fought for this and possessed the moonstone! Cassandra was second-best once again, despite her best efforts.
Enraged, Cassandra attempted to summon the black rocks with all the force she had left. She directed them all towards Varian.
The glowing rocks sprouted up all around her, but instantly turned black and froze in place. Panting, Cass fell to her knees. The effort was draining her, but she wouldn't give up.
Meanwhile, Varian was struggling to keep control. Whenever Cassandra attacked him, the power she unleashed upon him left her, and came to him. Like he was a magnet. When he saw her fall to the ground, he shouted: "Cassandra! Please, stop fighting! I... I can't stop this! You're gonna get yourself killed!"
This only earned Varian a vicious glare. "NEVER!" She growled.
Time to end this.
With all vigour and cruelty she could muster, Cassandra directed her murderous thoughts on one rock, that was already there.
She only needed to make it grow five inches.
Unable to move, Varian was still kneeling in the same position. His eyes went wide as he realized what Cass was doing.
The rock he was holding started to shake, and then slowly began to grow again.
It was an uneven battle.
Though Varian had an immense power at his disposal, he had no clue how to wield it. And his fear was no match for the vicious willpower Cassandra displayed when she commanded that one rock to grow, to end this.
To pierce a heart that, apparently, still wasn't broken enough yet to see the truth.
Varian could only watch in terror as the rock suddenly shot up...
Tore his shirt...
Touched the skin beneath it...
And then he suddenly regained control of his muscles. He let go.
This time, the resulting shock wave was so big it almost caused another landslide. Huge boulders came crashing down from the rock walls around them, luckily not hitting anyone.
And then there was silence.
***
Rapunzel was the first to come to her senses. She coughed and tried to see through the swirling dust. As the fog cleared up, three things caught her attention.
Her mother was there.
The black rocks had disappeared, and so had Cassandra.
Varian had collapsed and was laying motionlessly on the ground.
The third being the most important to her right now, Rapunzel rushed forward and kneeled at his side.
She gasped.
It wasn't just like in her dream. It was much, much worse. The sight of the boy was almost sickening for Rapunzel. She'd seen his chains. She saw his bloodied, swollen wrists right now. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together and figure out what had happened to him after she'd left. Rapunzel felt disgusted at her own kingdom, where, underneath a mask of sunshine, such cruelties were allowed. For the first time, Rapunzel could feel a bit of Cassandra's anger at the injustice of it all.
But that all went through her head in a split second. Varian's state was alarming. Rapunzel carefully lifted his head a bit and slid her left hand underneath it, trying to make him more comfortable, and trying to show him that she was here.
Varian didn't react. His streak had gone back to a dull teal, which was still vibrant compared to the colour of his skin. He was so pale, it almost seemed grey. Rapunzel bent over to him, a sense of dread slowly creeping up on her. "Varian, hey... Varian! Please, wake up!"
"Varian?"
Rapunzel was on the verge of tears as she started to frantically search for any sign of life from the small boy.
Eugene kneeled down beside her and gently took Varian's hand. He tried to avoid touching the wounds (which was quite hard), not wanting to cause the kid any more pain, as he pressed his thumb against his wrist. They counted the agonizing seconds that followed.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then finally, Eugene sighed in relief. He had felt a faint pulse.
"He's alive."
Rapunzel shakily exhaled. She leaned into her boyfriend's arms and started sobbing. "He's... he's alive. I never would've forgiven myself if- if he..."
After a minute, she managed to recompose herself. She glanced down at Varian, peacefully laying in her arms as if nothing bad had ever happened between them. But one look at him brought her back to the painful reality. Carefully, she brushed a strand of hair from his face and whispered "everything is gonna be okay, I pro-" she cut herself off just in time.
***