Tangled After Ever After

Epilogue

Varian's hand slowly descended and crossed over to Cassandra's as he finished the final line of the enchantment. She could feel the warmth of his hand on hers, a sign that the spell was successfully cast. The sudden and intense brightness consumed them instantly, forcing them to close their eyes tightly.
The entire room filled with chaos as people began to scream and shout in confusion and fear in the distance. It felt like thousands of thin electric currents ran through their bodies, causing them to shiver and tremble uncontrollably. The light slowly began to dim, revealing Varian's eyes, which now appeared to be glowing a bright white color. He gently placed his fingers on Cassandra's shoulder, urging her to stand up, and she complied without hesitation. As they both turned to face each other, they noticed that the gray strands that had previously been in their hair were now glowing brightly in stunning shades of aqua blue and sunny yellow. The colors seemed to dance and twirl around them, creating an otherworldly aura. Varian and
Cassandra's motions seemed to mick the other as they reached for the other's hair before motioning to the patterned clothing they wore of black stone with rows of magma stretching like cracked ceramic through the shards of gravel. Cassandra's cloak was draped over her left shoulder and flowed down over her arm, with a gleaming sword firmly gripped in her hand. The intricate details of her cloak and the sharpness of her blade added to her already intense and commanding presence.
Meanwhile, Varian's attire consisted of a leather vest buckled around his chest, complemented by patterned sleeves that led to iron gloves carefully crafted under a golden aura adorned with a vibrant blue light that seemed to pulsate with energy. He also held orbs of golden glow at his waist, which added to the ethereal aura he exuded.
Andrews's voice shuddered through the space with a belching scream suddenly escaping from him. The duo turned towards him, seeing his body pinned to the ground in a slumping, ooze formation, his skin peeling back, and his eyes rolling to the floor as he paled and turned to ash before them. Instead of seeming shaken, they appeared utterly uninvolved. The guard and the alchemist's features were still before a sound of footsteps entered the space, followed by a preview of Lady Caine as she broke from the surface of the ceiling to the ground, her heels clicking aggressively against the dark stone as she kneeled next to her lover's, charting form as she held him dearly in her arms before he turned to clinkers. Cassandra and Varian stood frozen, watching the Duchesse's eyes darkened with malice as she summoned one of the separatists to her side, grabbing him roughly by his collar and urging him to get her what she desired. She threw him to the ground as he quickly motioned several people to follow him out of the room.
The alchemist and the guard could only see bit and piece of what lay before them. And as they looked into the distance, a single tear rolled down their right cheek, glimmering like gold in the light. Seperatist of Saporia brought forth Quirin, whose body laid imprinted and empaled with thick shards of ember. Lady Caine held Quirin abruptly by positioning her sword beneath his neck. She muttered something to the both of them that neither one could hear, with a synchronized movement, engulfing Lady Caine and the Saporians under a wave of golden light. Their forms slumped to the ground near the entrance of the domain. As the Celestial figures drew closer to Quirin, they reached out and tightly gripped his shoulders, their fingers digging into his skin with a sense of urgency.
Quirin's chestnut eyes betrayed his fear as he gazed into the otherworldly beings' eyes. Suddenly, the embers and scars littering Quirin's body began to dissolve, melting away like molten slag. The molten substance flowed into Cassandra and Varian's skin, creating a brilliant and vibrant light between them, illuminating the area around them. Quirin reached out to touch his son's face and immediately felt all his pain dissipate. However, as soon as he made contact, he was pushed away by a burst of light emanating from the duo. Suddenly, both of them opened their eyes and found themselves staring at each other, with their eyes appearing to be a mixture of gold and silver. They turned towards Quirin, his body flat on the ground near Andrew's drifting ashes. "Dad!" Cassandra and Varian cried out in unison, causing them to look at each other in surprise. They both asked, "What happened to us?"
"I may have tweaked the spell ever so slightly..."
"Varian, what did you do?" Their hands landed on each other's waist at the assumption of Cassandra's response. "I may have made some changes to the incantation by including a line that refers to the will of destiny. When Zhan Tiri attempted to divide us, we realized the need to unite. As long as we remain together, she won't be able to harm us." As the Separatists rose from the ground, both nodded in acknowledgment and turned to face them. Quirin followed closely behind, gradually approaching his son with his hands raised in surrender. Lady Caine made a motion from around Quirin, indicating her presence and involvement. The atmosphere was tense as they awaited the next move from the Separatists.
"I will not lose, Demanitus. I will never lose." Her eyes turned from a dark brown to an icy silver glow as her figure stood, her hands coming up as she twitched fingers upward, summoning the Saporians up in one swoop. As she lifted her fingers, her hands clenched, "I may not be able to hurt the both of you in this state. Though Cassandra, as long as we bond. I will hold your power from you." A smile rested on Varian and Cassandra's faces as Lady Cain began a trudging form towards them. Cassandra drew her sword as Varian drew a golden sphere from his belt.
Lady Caine's heart beat wildly at the engineer's and the soldier's statement as she pulled the royal family out of their safe hiding spot, placing them behind her. They had blindfolds made of vines and remained asleep, lost in a deep dream. Suddenly, their voices rang out in unison, shouting, "For Corona!"
The attackers lunged toward Cassandra and Varian, driven by their desire to protect their home. Quickly, the duo lifted large rocks from the earth, each twirling in silver and gold, propelling the Royal Family back towards the ceiling. Despite this, Raps remained relentless in her pursuit, her body twisting around each rock as though she were liquid. Cassandra's sword plunged in front of Rapunzel, her arm nicked into the blade, revealing no amount of pain from the influencer. "A protection incantation truly almost enforceable." Zhan Tiri's voice broke from Lady Cain as she motioned this.
"What about protection against its protection," Varian's and Cassandra's voices rose as Varian's hand matched over Rapunzel (a golden sphere in his hand, extinguishing the moonstone glow from around her, removing the vines around her eyes, trapping her in a golden dome. Rapunzel blinked back all around her before her eyes saw Cassandra through the golden orb, her eyes tearing up instantly. "Cass! Your alright. And Varian, oh, I'm so grateful." Lady Cain stiffened as she migrated the Separatist towards them again, causing Cassandra and Varian to lift the prince to the side of the enclosure to the wall to keep her safe from harm. They pined to the back of the other, "The Co-ladies-in-waiting is back." They both smiled at the exclamation and responded, "Why, of course, I won't have anyone else." Amid the intense battle, Cassandra sprang into action and released her stones from around the royal family. The rocks, which had previously enveloped the family in a protective shield, now lay in a neat pattern beside Raps in the spheres.
Varian was equally vigilant, using his domes to trap the soldiers safely as they relentlessly came across them. His quick thinking and strategic moves were impressive, as he managed to stay one step ahead of the Separatists, who proved to be a formidable enemy. However, despite their combined efforts, pushing back the Separatists took a lot of work. As Varian and Cassandra fought with all their might, a sudden blast spread through their hands, causing them to stagger momentarily. They quickly regained their footing and continued their fight without any hesitation.
Amidst the chaos and danger, the appearance of Corona citizens with swords pealing at the doors added confusion and uncertainty. Varian and Cassandra were unsure whether they were friendly or a threat, but they knew they had to do all they could to keep the royal family and their soldiers safe. Despite the danger, the two fought valiantly, their movements graceful and precise. The clashing of swords, the grunts of exertion, and the smell of sweat and blood filled the air as the battle raged on.
A powerful gravitational force shook the ground beneath their feet, causing them to rise and fall uncontrollably. The pull was so strong that it severed their connection instantly, leaving behind translucent images of their actual eyes. The chaos subsided as quickly as it had begun, leaving everyone bewildered and shaken.
The moonstone's gravitational forces became increasingly intense, causing an eerie wane of energy to stretch over the entire surface area. Cassandra quickly realized that the effects of this force were not limited to the land but extended over the sea as well. Within moments, a colossal wave hit the castle with such force that it flooded the room and everything below it. Acting fast, Cassandra sprang into action and gathered all the citizens to safety.
Across the room, Varian took notice of the chaos and prepared to take action. He swiftly combined the golden globes at his waist, and they began to glow like molten magma. He then took a deep breath and blew over them, creating a translucent barrier that enclosed the citizens, trapping them in an arena and keeping the water out.
Cassandra couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu in this situation and asked Varian, "This seems familiar, doesn't it, Varian?"
"Perhaps," replied Varian, focusing on the task at hand.
"No distractions, no interference, just you, me, and the boy. Now, all we're missing is you." Her eyes landed towards Quirin again, lifting form as he stepped in front of Lady Cain; she lashed towards the duo, resulting in another quake of movement as bits and pieces of the turrets broke in articles.
"Enough, Zhan Tiri." Lady Caine scoffed a laugh, chuckling from deep in her throat.
"What do you have a score to settle with me, Qurin? I didn't kill your wife...and I've barely done anything to your son."
"You were my best friend. I trusted you with my very life. And you betrayed me." Her eyes rose.
"Oh, please, Demanitus. I was not the only one using you; surely you could see that even Gothel was. She was vain, dense, yes, though also clever. To think she was willing to sleep with you to conceive an heir to your legacy. Truly legendary. Too bad she turned out to be such a disappointment." Her hands fell to the weapon at her side as she plunged the knife into Quirin's gut, receiving no ounce of pain from him. Her oiled globes widened as she pulled the blade. She was seeing no indent of where it had touched him.
Demanitus eyes nailed, "Belinda was many things, though the gift she gave me will never be a disappointment. Cassandra has never been and shall never be. Even after I'm dead and gone."
Lady Caine's eyes suddenly pined deep into Zhan Tiri's soul, squiggling deep inside her, "I loved you, you know," she said, her eyes squinting with pain. "How could you love her? Despite everything, she remains more precious to you than even Corona. And that silly boy, Varian, whom you trust blindly, reminds me of you."
"He is my successor, after all," Demanitus replied calmly. "It's only natural that he would be like me."
"Why didn't you tell me you were my father?" Cassandra and Varian's voices rose over their discussion, their eyes still fixed on the citizens as they began to let them go, leading them outside the cavern, motioning for them to escape. There was some resistance from Raps, though seeing the stillness in Zhan Tir's features evaporating comedy Cains statute, she turned with her people.
Demanitus shrugged as he turned away from Lady Cain, "It would have made no difference... I'm a part of your life that stays in the shadows of history, as is Zhan Tiri." He turned back to Zhan Tiri's face; panic expressed over her image. "I'm done fighting with you, Amalthea."
Her hands tightened, "That is not my name; I am Zhan Tiri, the powerful demon enchantress who will destroy Corona. It is my destiny. You are my destiny."
"No, you are the daughter of a lowly farmer who sought to heal the wounds made by a man who couldn't love in the only way she knew how. Your destiny is complete; you can have me. And I'm not letting you get away this time, not now and never again. We shall forever be trapped in the very stones we both wanted. What a more fitting ending than being together as you would have wanted."
"No! I will not, and I'd rather rot back in the lost realm than dwell in those husks of power with you."
"You chose power, and this is where it leads you somewhere far worse than damnation...this is destiny."
Varian and Cassandra stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. They watched intently as the last of the citizens scurried from the cavern, their expressions a mix of fear and relief. The air was thick with an eerie silence as they observed the spirits that lingered, restless and agitated.
Demanitus gave a signal to indicate that they were finally ready to begin the process of decay that would remain in the stones for eternity. With a subtle twist of the engineer's and the guard's hands, they conjured the magic to break this constant pattern of cadence. The air around them began to shimmer and crackle with energy as the spell took hold, the ground beneath their feet aggressively before Qurrin took hold of Lady Cain's hands as their souls slowly left their hosts, revealing his intense hands still around upon the Zhant Tiris' form which stood lean and much less pudgy than she had appeared before.