Twisted Destiny

The Sun

Rapunzel didn't know what made Cassandra change her mind and open the door, but it was opened for them now. "Right...Lance, Max and the girls, you stay together. Saporians, uhm, you stay out here in case of trouble on the outside, Eugene and I will be together, and...Andrew? If the Brotherhood shows up, tell them to come in after us?" She turned to him and he nodded. "Great. Let's go in, then."

They headed inside and realized there were way too many staircases to choose from. Rapunzel looked up anxiously and Eugene took her hand and gently squeezed it. "He's gonna be okay, Sunshine." He smiled. "We'll find him and get him outta here."

"I hope he's alright..." Rapunzel sighed, recalling her own wounds. "She's gotten to be...so cruel..."

"I mean, she's always been mean, but..." Eugene sighed. "The Moonstone made her worse."

"Or whatever is tricking her." She clenched her fists.

Eugene sighed and nodded. "Let's just focus on finding Varian."

"Right." She turned to him. "Well, it's your birthday, Eugene, so you get to choose the path we take!"

Eugene sighed, then looked thoughtful before he moved to one staircase then another, checking them closely. He stopped when he saw dirt on the lowest step of one, and scuff marks indicating a resistance to go up. He stood up and looked at her. "Lance, you and the girls take Max and go that way." He pointed to a different staircase. "Blondie, we're going this way."

Maximus made an indignant sound and Lance spoke quietly to him. He sighed, resigned, and they headed off.

"What was that about?" Rapunzel asked as they started up the stairs.

"Hopefully, those girls won't see battle." Eugene said quietly, looking at the stairs as they walked up them, hoping and praying he never saw any blood on the way up.

--

Varian groaned and slowly opened his eyes to find himself in...a bed? He sat up and squinted at the sunlight coming in the window. No, that wasn't sunlight. Firelight. He got out of bed and went to look out the window and gasped.

He was in a burning town! He ran out of the bedroom and looked around. "Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Oh, good, you're awake."

He yelped and turned to see a blue woman sitting at a table, calmly sipping tea. "Uh, hi, did you notice the town is on fire?"

"It is a memory, nothing more." She assured him, then set down her tea. Varian gasped as the fires went out and they were now in the middle of the woods, the woman still sitting at the table with her tea. "Is that less alarming, little Demanitus?"

"Uh, my name is—"

"Varian. I know." She cut him off. "But, you are the sole remaining heir to Demanitus' bloodline, as well as the only one who has been able to translate his code in centuries. Therefore, 'little Demanitus'."

"I'd rather you just use my name. I've had enough of 'little' nicknames." He scowled. "Who are you?"

"A friend. Or, at least, I'd like to be." She rose from her chair and the landscape changed again, now they were on a floating island surrounded by a purple sky.

"Okay, where are we now?" He asked, looking around.

"Focus not on the 'where', but on the 'why'." She walked over to him. "Do you still wish to save Cassandra?"

"What? I-I mean, of course I do." He clutched at his chest. "I know, better than anyone, how hard it is to break free of the darkness. I'm still not...completely free. Sometimes, I can feel it creeping in..."