Twisted Destiny

Dream

"Hm..." Rapunzel stood in front of a board in her room, with a basket of pictures she'd drawn and a bundle of strings next to it. "Why is a Disciple of Zhan Tiri so interested in Varian? Or rather, in the scroll translations?"

"From what I've heard, he's always been interested in Varian." Eugene said with a sigh. "I don't think we need to worry about that guy. I mean, his putting Nigel in a deep sleep aside, he's been...I dunno, kind of...passive?"

"Hm..." Rapunzel started to pace, then stopped and faced her board again. "He was unsealed during the blizzard, at the same time as Sugracha and Tromus." She pinned their pictures up, then a picture of what Zhan Tiri supposedly looked like, then connected them all by string. "At the time that I was being manipulated by Tromus, Cassandra was shown a strange vision." She pinned up a picture of Cassandra and connected from Tromus to Cassandra. "And while this was going on, Varian was being preyed upon by Lucas." She pinned up a picture based on Andrew's description of the Royal Guard/Disciple, then connected a string from him to a newly-pinned picture of Varian, then from him to Zhan Tiri. "The blizzard, sent by Zhan Tiri, was when Varian's life completely fell apart, leaving him vulnerable for Lucas to sink his claws into his psyche."

"Sunshine, you've lost me." Eugene sighed.

"It all goes back to Zhan Tiri! The blizzard led to Varian's madness, and he was guided into it by the Royal Guard, with Lucas pretty much taking the lead when the Captain wasn't in charge of his, uh, care, forcing him into desperation. And Cassandra was in a place owned by a Disciple of Zhan Tiri when she had the vision, which might be a sign that Zhan Tiri was connected to that! So, this all goes back to Zhan Tiri! ...Somehow."

"What about Sugracha?" Eugene tapped the picture.

"She was trying to get me before we set off, during which time I guess Lucas was also messing with Varian. Then, when I escaped her clutches and trapped her in the portal with Zhan Tiri, and later left the Kingdom, Tromus found me and tried to use me the same way. But, that vision...are we even sure that it was telling the truth and Mother--Gothel was her real mother?" Rapunzel walked over to the balcony, clutching at her chest. "How much of our troubles have been the clever manipulations of a demon? If it wasn't for the blizzard, I could've helped Varian that day."

"Yeah, but that would only theoretically keep Varian from turning against us. We don't know what he'd do if you went and it turned out you couldn't save him anyway." Eugene walked out to join her. "Let's not think about this too hard. Demon involvement or not, Cassandra is on her way and we're missing a Captain of the Royal Guards. We need to figure out what to do about that, to replace him or something."

"Thanks to Lucas, we're also down a Royal Advisor." Rapunzel sighed, looking out at the horizon. "Eugene...I'm scared. What if we can't stop her? What if she takes everything from me?"

"Hey, don't think like that." He held her close. "Things are going to be—Owl?"

"Things are going to be owl?" She looked at him, then looked where he was looking. Cassandra's Owl was flying up to them, something clutched in his talon's grip. He collapsed onto the balcony and Rapunzel gasped, running to kneel next to him. "Owl!"

He let out a weak hoot and let go of the object he was carrying. Rapunzel picked up both of them and carried him inside, setting him on her bed. "Eugene, this is..."

"Pompoen Fruit." He said grimly. "From the island with the Lorbs."

She nodded. "We have to go back to Tirapai Island."

--

Andrew let them take his balloon and a spare Communication Mirror and promised to take care of Varian while they were gone, and then they set off. Rapunzel watched the landscape pass by them, her grip tight on the basket.