Alchemist Out Of Corona

Crossing the Line, Part 1/2

     The air feels thick. The chamber is dark, save for the illumination of the Moon Stone on Cassandra's new black rock armor and the glow of Varian's hair stripe. The young alchemist doesn't know whether to scream, run away, or both.

     This can't be real, he keeps telling himself. This can't be real...

     What is Cassandra doing? Never in a million years would he have expected her to betray them like this. But now, here she is, standing at the end of the pathway like some kind of villain.

     Villain... the same type of person he once allowed himself to become.

     Rapunzel and Eugene glance at Varian's glowing hair stripe with confusion and awe, but they turn their attention back to Cassandra.

     "Cass... Why?" Rapunzel can barely eek the question out in a whisper.

     "It... It has something to do with whatever happened to you at the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow, doesn't it?" Varian says, the realization dawning on him.

     "You always have been a smart kid," Cassandra says with a wicked smile, noticing his glowing stripe for the first time. "Let's just say I was... shown something while we were there."

     "Shown something?" Rapunzel repeats. "Shown what?"

     "The truth," Cassandra replies through gritted teeth. "A familiar cabin in the woods, a young child who only ever wanted the love of her mother..."

     "Cassandra, you're not making any sense," Rapunzel says.

     "She chose you over me, Rapunzel!" Cassandra screams out. "My mother abandoned me for you!"

     Rapunzel ponders this for a moment. "For me? What...?" She gasps when it finally clicks. "You mean... Gothel?"

     Varian shakes his head. Too much is happening, and it is giving him a headache. Plus his glowing hair is really freaking him out. Why is it doing that?!

     "You saw all of this in the House of Yesterday's Tomorrow?" Rapunzel asks.

     "I saw everything, Rapunzel," Cassandra replies.

     "Who, exactly, showed it to you?" Varian asks. But Cassandra ignores his question.

     "Cass, if what you're saying is true, it means—"

     "It means that I'm Gothel's daughter," Cassandra shouts. "And your destiny belongs to me." The black rocks behind her begin to glow blue again, and more form in front of her. Varian realizes that her having control of the Moon Stone means that she now has control over the black rocks.

     Eugene reflexively takes a step back, but Rapunzel steps closer to Cassandra. "Cass... We are friends," the princess says. "In fact, being Gothel's daughter, that... that makes us closer than friends. It makes us sisters!"

     Cassandra chuckles derisively, as the energy of the Moon Stone crackles. Varian even starts to feel a small twinge of power, himself. "My own mother chose you over me. My whole life, I've been cast aside for you." She glares, energy from the opal cracking around her. "No more."

     Cassandra seems as if she is about to attack Rapunzel, but Varian steps in front of the princess. "Cass, I get that you're in pain. But what you're doing isn't right, and you know it!"

     "Didn't stop you, did it?" Cassandra remarks.

She has a point... but what she says still angers him. "Stop shoving my mistakes in my face! They were mistakes! I've learned from them. So please, learn from them too!"