Power of the Moon (a tangled Fanfic)

Chapter Fourty-Nine

"Varian!", Rapunzel screamed drawing Varian's attention, "Look out!!!"
"Huh what?!", Varian stumbled turning around and just barely dodging Gothel's hands.
Ruddiger chittered in alarm as Varian rolled out of the demon lady's reach, throwing the raccoon off of Varian's shoulders.
"You've been a very naughty little boy!", Gothel said laughing lightly, "Instead of listening to Mummy, you left the glade and came over here. Where Zhan Tiri could have seen you and taken your power! Which we couldn't have, could we dear?", she smiled evilly, "That would have been very bad for the both of us."
"Huh, what?! What are you talking about?", Varian yelled standing up and staring Gothel down.
Gothel just laughed even more, "The supposed little genius asking me to spell out the obvious! What a laugh!", she cracked up.
Varian felt offended on a number of levels, "First off, I'm not little and second, what you're saying isn't adding up or making any sense!", he protested angrily.
"What I'm saying isn't really that hard to understand Varian. But I'll explain it for you if I must.", she grinned.
Gothel then took a couple of steps toward him, making Varian instinctively back up.
"I possessed Cassandra and took over her body and mind, quite simple really.", Gothel explained carelessly, "The girl though did get on my last nerve trying to fight back and everything. Though as my own flesh and blood, the possession was only the more easier to do!
"Preying on her in the house of yesterday's tomorrow was also so easy it was almost hilarious!
"Her heart getting hurt by the princess's trust in Adira over her and her hand getting burned was enough to convince her to let me in, though she didn't realize that she did so.
"Promising her power was also an easy way of winning over easily-outshined Cassandra. She stepped right into my trap to take the moonopal as a farce to fool Zhan Tiri!", Gothel cackled.
"Directing Cassandra toward Corona, I influenced her to find the Separatists of Saporia and in the end, find you!
"And giving you half of the power of the opal was to help awaken and store the moonopal's power for my own!
"And as of now, I sense your own power back moondrop child and the half of the opal's, which I can take and use for my own to regain my body and former power!!", she laughed manically taking a floating step toward him.
"And not just my former power, but 10x the power I had! I'll be able to knock down and control Zhan Tiri! He'll bow down to me as of all of you soon will!
"I'll become invincible and you my darling will be the key in achieving it!", she said swooping down toward him suddenly.
Varian then yelled out in alarm and ducked, running away and trying to avoid her.
"So you're telling me you're going to suck my power away?!", Varian screamed rolling out of her grasp.
Gothel laughed, "Now you're catching on!"
"But, but why didn't you do it before sooner? I mean, if you possessed Cass so easily, then what was stopping you from taking my power the minute you met me?", Varian asked.
Gothel stopped and looked at him exasperated, "Honestly, were you even listening? Children these days.", she muttered.
"As I've previously told you, you didn't have the power yet when I was with you, you only had the power I gave you so Zhan Tiri wouldn't end up with all of it, but Zhan Tiri would believe he had fully sustained it.
"But the possession thing is a good question. I didn't possess you because until recently, I wasn't strong enough to leave dear Casanova's body. So I was draining her slowly and feeding on her strength and emotions, which gave me enough power to leave her body.
"And as for possessing you, I have no desire to. I want your power and that's it. Nothing else required.
"So if you don't terribly mind, why don't you just hand it over!!", Gothel yelled screeching.
Varian eyes widened as Gothel suddenly lunged and grabbed his wrist, bright green magic suddenly starting to bubble around their intertwined hands.
"No! Let go of me!!", Varian yelled panicking while struggling to pull away from her grasp.
"I'm sorry my dear, but your power will be mine!", she cackled unashamedly.
Ruddiger chittered watching the scene, wanting to aid Varian but unable to help.
"No, I won't let you! You're not getting any power you ugly witch!", Varian screamed his body starting to light up.
"Heads up!!", Rapunzel suddenly yelled.
Varian ducked just in time as Gothel suddenly got smacked straight in the head with a frying pan, making her lose hold of Varian.
"Sucks to be you!", Varian called standing up looking at Gothel who had landed face-first on the ground, "Couldn't help but monologue, could you?", he taunted.
Ruddiger then jumped into Varian's arms, nuzzling him and looking at him lovingly as Rapunzel ran over.
"Varian! Are you okay? Did Gothel hurt you?", Rapunzel asked rushing over to his side.
Varian turned to look at her and couldn't decide how he felt about her, she was his sworn enemy.
But, was she really?
After all what happened, did he truly hate Rapunzel?
"Why did you do that?", Varian asked finally while inching over next to Cassandra's unconscious form, "Why did you help me?"
Rapunzel smiled heartbrokenly, "Because Varian, you're my friend and even if I wasn't able to fulfill my promise that snowy night, I still want to help you and be your friend.
"I care about you a lot Varian, in fact you're almost like the little brother I never had!", Rapunzel said clearly holding back a hug, "I want to make things right again between us. Please let me."
He stared at her and felt tears brim his eyes.
He didn't want destruction or revenge and definitely not death. He just wanted his dad back from the start and even though he got him back, some things are not all what they were cracked up to be.
Cassandra, wait X that, Gothel had used him. Only for her own selfish reasons and now Varian truly realized the opal was causing darkness in his heart.
"I'm sorry,", Varian apologized looking down as tears finally slid down, "I was just so angry, I hated you, I hated and wanted revenge so, so badly, I wanted to make you pay. I just wanted Dad back, that's all I wanted went it comes down to it and, and I don't know what to think...", he cried stumbling over his words until arms wrapped around him.
Varian found himself cradled in Rapunzel's arms in a big hug as she cried with him to.
"I'm sorry as well Varian, I just, I couldn't come and help your father that night. I never wanted to hurt you, ever. I'm sorry if I caused you pain and made you feel like I betrayed you. I was wrong.", Rapunzel apologized.
Varian then felt more arms wrap around him and realized the group had gotten in on the hug, Pascal and Max even joining in as well.
After everyone had untangled themselves from him, Varian wiped some stray tears roughly away with a smile.
"You're a good kid Varian, all you need is a second chance.", Eugene said smiling gently.
"I think I wouldn't mind trying again.", Varian half-laughed through shining eyes, "Starting over with you."
Rapunzel grinned, "I'm glad you feel that way Varian."
Pascal squeaked in agreement as Ruddiger nodded in happiness as well.
"I'm so glad you all agree in this, but I'm afraid what you want doesn't carry much weight.", Gothel suddenly spoke, drawing everyone's attention.
Varian turned with dread to see
unfortunately conscious and a safe distance away holding a limp Cassandra.
"Cassandra!", Varian called out taking a step toward her.
Gothel tutted, "Uh, uh, uh, my dear! One step closer to me and your friend here gets the knife!", she cackled holding a dagger to Cass's throat.
"Let her go, demon!", King Edmund demanded pointing his sword at her.
"Yeah!", Eugene yelled brandishing his own sword, "Let Cass go!"
Varian watched as Gothel pressed the blade dangerously close to Cassandra's soft skin, "You're amusing all of you, really! But I won't let her go until Varian gives up every drop of his power.", she bargained.
Rapunzel held out her frying pan, "Don't do anything Varian! Just stay here, I'll deal with Gothel."
Gothel shifted Cassandra in her arms and sighed, "I really didn't want this to happen quite yet but...", she trailed off ominously.
Varian's eyes widened in horror as he watched the demon swipe the dagger across her captive's neck, making a small cut which immediately started to flow with blood.
"No!!!", he screamed as pure white light suddenly filled his eyes.
White rocks then shot out of the ground in a intricate pattern, circling around him as bright blue-white magic radiated off of him.
"I won't let you, I won't let you hurt Cassandra!!!", Varian screamed in fury as a blinding blast of magic washed over the cliffs.
Power cascaded off him in uncontrollable waves as Varian's mind went blank and magic flowed throughout his body.
"Wither and decay,
"Moonshine gleam and glow,
"Let your power shine
"End this destiny,
"And change the fate's design!", Varian chanted furiously as fierce magic whipped around him before focusing into a powerful blast at Gothel.
Gothel eyes went panicky before she screeched in terror and pain before she was hit. Upon impact, she dropped Cassandra and the whole place was white-washed with moon power.
As the intense glow faded out, Varian watched as everyone turned towards him, mouths agape as he rushed over to Cass and held her.
"Varian?", Rapunzel asked shakily, "How did you do that?"