The Moon Calls

59

The castle was...well, dark. Black, black and more black. Hey, what color should we change the curtains to? Oh, I know! Black! Geez, once Varian absorbed the Moonstone, he was going to make a decree that this place needed more colors than black and—oh, hey, there's some blue. Black and blue! With some white doors and some other stuff.

"This place is kind of...depressing." Hugo said as they walked through the dark halls. After evading the crows and leaving the crazy man behind, they were able to actually look around.

Cassandra looked around a corner, then nodded and motioned for them to follow her. "Well, let's get to the Moonstone and then Varian can fix that."

"Do you think Rapunzel is okay?" Varian asked, looking at Donella.

Cassandra pulled out a Communication Mirror and tapped it. "Rapunzel?"

"When did you get that?" Donella asked.

"Juniper slipped it to me when we fled." Cassandra explained, frowning as the Mirror still hadn't been picked up. Finally, though, Rapunzel appeared in the glass. "Rapunzel!"

"Cass, hey! Uhm, where are you guys right now?" Rapunzel asked.

"Somewhere in the castle." Cassandra looked around. "It's a hallway." She walked on and looked into a doorway. "Oh, there's a room with giant statues."

"Okay, wait for us there. We've talked things over with the King, and we've come to an agreement. We'll be there soon!"

"Wait, what agreement?!" Varian asked, and then the Mirror stopped glowing. "Sis?!"

"She said to wait." Donella shrugged.

"Okay, then. We'll wait in the room with the creepy giant statues." Hugo looked up at them. "...Geez, those are tall. Why is this room so tall? Why are those doors so tall?"

"Doors..." Varian looked over at them. "...That's it."

"What is?" Hugo looked at him.

"The Moonstone is behind those doors. I can feel it." He moved his hand to his chest. "I can feel...Her. She's calling me. The Moon is calling me."

"Well, wait until Rapunzel gets here." Cassandra placed her hand on his shoulder.

He nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I will."

They didn't have to wait too long, luckily, because soon Rapunzel was walking in and ran right for Varian as soon as she saw him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oof! Sis, too tight!" He protested, and she laughed before letting go of him.

"Sorry! I'm just so glad to see you okay!" She smiled brightly. "Soooo, we managed to talk some sense into him and, biiig news, Eugene is his son!"

"What?!" The ones that were just now learning this said in surprise.

"I know, right? He recognized him and dropped his axe and told us that Eugene was his son, who he had sent away for his safety twenty-five years ago!" Rapunzel turned to where Eugene was talking to the bear man, who no longer had a bear head but a human head.

"That's good to hear." Varian smiled. "So...you think he'd be a good father-in-law?" He grinned at Rapunzel.

"Aww, Varian!" She blushed, shoving his shoulder a bit.

Varian chuckled, then gasped as his stripe flashed and Rapunzel's hair started to glow fully. "...She's growing impatient."

"Then, it's time." Lucas walked over to Varian. "You feeling confident, kid?"

Eugene walked over and placed his hand on Varian's shoulder. "You got this, okay? We're all here rooting for you."

Varian smiled, then looked at the door before looking back at them. "Can...can I bring some people with me?"