Moon and Stars [Sporadic Updates]

Two Halves

Her fingers stretched towards the moonstone. Her destiny was heartbeats away from being fulfilled. But still Rapunzel hesitated. What would happen to her when the moonstone and sundrop combined? Would it hurt her? What about her friends? Images flashed her mind, moments from their long journey.

She and Eugene, Cassandra, Lance, and Varian had come a long way together. They'd lost Hookfoot yes, but he was chasing his own dream with his brother Hookhand. There was nothing Rapunzel loved more than people following their dreams. Shorty had tagged along with the brothers too, no doubt to get some of the delicious food from the places the brothers were scheduled to perform at.

As for the remaining people... Rapunzel couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather be with. Eugene, her boyfriend who loved her and supported her through everything, Cassandra, who had saved her life many times and made sure she didn't do anything too reckless, and Varian, who was smart and handy to have along, and had gotten them out of plenty of sticky situations.

Oh, and not to forget clever Pascal, mischievous Ruddiger, sharp-eyed Owl, brave Max, and loyal Fidella. The animals were just as big a part in the journey as the people.

Rapunzel shook herself out of the memories and with renewed confidence, reached for the moonstone. With her friends by her side, she could do anything, and they would make it through.

She grabbed for the moonstone, but her fingers met empty air.

Air whooshed past her, and Cassandra stood in front of Rapunzel, grasping the moonstone.

"What-" Rapunzel sputtered, staring at the stone clenched in Cass' gauntlet.

"This is my destiny!" Cassandra declared angrily. "I'm tired of always being in everyone's shadow. It's my turn to shine." She smiled a little. "As bright as the moon." She was holding Adira's rock sword in her other hand, and, before they realized what was happening, Cass sliced through the bridge that connected them to the boys.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene exclaimed. He started forward, but Cass pointed the sword at him. "Stay back if you know what's good for you, Fitzherbert."

"Cass, please drop the stone!" Rapunzel begged. "I need to unite the moonstone and the sundrop so that we can save Corona from the black rocks. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I do know that I have to touch that stone."

Cassandra looked at her for a moment, then laughed. "I don't follow your orders anymore, princess." She went to pull off her gauntlet to touch the stone, but an empty beaker slammed into Cassandra's hand, knocking the stone onto a large ledge on the wall of the cave.

Rapunzel turned and saw Varian vault over the gap, racing to recover the stone, the beaker shattered on the floor.

"No!" Cassandra shouted, sprinting after him. Varian scooped the moonstone, but Cassandra held him down and pried it from his hands.

"I told you, it's mine." Cassandra growled. Varian clenched his teeth and hit the stone out of Cassandra's grip again, and the two scrambled after it.

"Come on Varian, grab it!" Eugene yelled. But Cass was faster. She bent to pick up the moonstone, but a sword sliced through the air.

It was Varian, holding the rock sword. "Cass, stop, or I- I'll attack you."

Cassandra straightened and laughed. "Oh really?"

Varian swung clumsily with the sword, and Cass easily dodged.

"You can do better than that." Cass laughed.

He swung again and Cassandra stepped out of its path.

"Come on, are you even trying?"

Varian growled angrily and sliced the sword through the air. Cass, of course, dodged almost without any effort, but Varian had swung the sword so hard he couldn't stop it. The blade whooshed towards the ground, slamming right into the moonstone.

Blue lightning flared, and everyone was blown backwards from the force of the explosion. When the light faded, Rapunzel opened her eyes to see Eugene and Lance helping each other up, and Cassandra and Varian crumpled on the ground, starting to get up.

"Blondie, are you alright?" Eugene asked, rushing over to her.

"I'm fine." Rapunzel replied. "Is everyone else okay? Cass? Varian?"

Cass and Varian stood, and Rapunzel mouth dropped open. Cassandra's raven black hair was electric blue, and her piercing eyes glowed the same color. Her armor was gone, replaced with a black catsuit, seemingly made out of the black rocks, with a blue stripe running down from the shoulder like a sash. But what alarmed Rapunzel the most was the broken half of moonstone glowing on her chest, filling Cassandra with its power.

A question arose in Rapunzel's mind. Where was the other piece?

Then Varian pulled himself to his feet, and Rapunzel gasped.

The faint blue streak in Varian's hair was now electric blue and glowing. He was wearing gray-blue clothes much like the ones he had on before, except he had on a long black cloak, also looking like it was made out of the black rocks. His shoes and gloves were dark gray, and the other half of the moonstone glowed from his forearm.

"What is happening?" Eugune asked. He looked from Varian to Cass, and then to Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel?" Varian sounded scared. "What is this?"

Cassandra looked conflicted. This was probably not how she had wanted things to go.

"Varian, Cass, stay there." Rapunzel said, stepping towards them. "I'm coming over."
"No." Cassandra snarled. She picked up Adira's rock sword and slid it into an invisible sheath on her back. "I'm leaving, and Varian is coming with me."

"Please, Cass, we can talk about this." Rapunzel pleaded.

"No." Cassandra told her forcefully. "I told you, this is my destiny. My mother, Gothel, chose you over me. I'm always overlooked. Well, no one is going to overlook me anymore."

"You're Gothel's daughter?" Lance shook his head. "Did not see that coming."

"Cass, please." Rapunzel tried one last time. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know. But believe me, you were lucky to have been raised by the captain. Gothel didn't love anyone other than herself. Just give me the moonstone, and we can fix this. Varian, I need your half too."

Cassandra looked at her friend, feelings warring inside her. She almost went to take off the moonstone, but at that moment Eugene's father, King Edmund burst through the door, followed by Adira. They both held razor sharp iron swords, and Adira rushed at Cass and Varian with a shout.

"Thieves! Hand over the moonstone!"

Cassandra looked nervous for a moment. Adira was a master swordsman, and even without her black rock sword, she could take them down.

"Adira, stop please!" Rapunzel yelled. But Adira didn't stop. She leaped at Varian and Cassandra, but black rocks shot up from the ground, throwing Adira back.

"Adira!" Lance yelped. "Cassandra, what did you do?"

But it hadn't been Cassandra. Varian looked down at his hands in fear and confusion. He had been the one to summon the rocks.

"Now, as I said, we're leaving." Cass told them.

She summoned up her willpower and pushed her hands forward. Black rocks slammed upwards from the ground, and Rapunzel, Lance, and Eugene backed away from them. Cassandra, pleased with her success, aimed another spray of rocks at the castle wall. The wall crumbled and suddenly daylight streamed in.

Cassandra drilled into Varian with her stare. "Come on."

Her tone left no room for argument, so Varian obeyed.