Tangled After Ever After

Black Rocks

The sky was dark and cold, with the wind rushing around them like a blazing fire. Varian tightly closed his eyes and prayed that Cassandra's elaborate plan would work. His arms were wrapped tightly around Cass while Ruddiger clutched onto his shoulder, digging his sharp claws deeper into his skin.Varian's eyes widened with horror as they got dangerously close to the black rocks. He looked up at Cass, urging her to do something. He wasn't ready to die just yet. She forcefully took the wall scone from his hand and smashed it against the side of the castle. The piercing sound of metal colliding with the rocks filled Varian's ears, drowning out Cass's screams of pain.
Varian slowly felt the rush of the wind decrease before he finally found the braver to look down again, seeing how close they were to the being....his foot was inches away from being impaled! Varian looked up at Ruddiger, his hair stuck up in all directions, completely paralyzed on his shoulder. His eyes hovered from his terrified raccoon to Cass, her face full of pain. "Cassie? Are you ok?"
"Varian, find something for us to stand on," Cass said urgently. Varian quickly scanned beneath them, searching for a sturdy black rock. He spotted one that appeared to be strong enough to support them both. Carefully, Varian stepped onto the stone, ensuring no harm would come to Cass. Once he was safely on, Cass leaped from her spot beside him. However, they were both taken aback when the rock suddenly crumbled beneath them.As the wind whipped around Varian and his companion, he prepared for the worst. He braced for the pain, expecting to be impaled by the incoming gusts at any moment. But to his surprise, despite the impact of the landing and the wind coming to an abrupt halt, there was no excruciating pain he had anticipated. It was as if he had been granted a reprieve from the agony that would follow. He hesitantly opened his left eye.
His heart was pounding in his chest as he scanned the area, half-expecting to see the pearly gates of heaven before him. But instead, what he saw was a valley of stones that stood on dark soil perfectly encircling them. The stones formed a perfect circle with no break in the pattern. The air was still, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of their breathing."Varian, can you please get off of me now!" Ruddiger shouted, feeling trapped underneath his friend's body. Varian's face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly got off, feeling the wind still rushing past him. Ruddiger jumped to the ground, relieved to be free. He chattered to himself, swearing that he would never go skydiving again. Varian also looked embarrassed, rubbing his arms to warm up. "Well, that was quite a predicament, wasn't it?" he said, trying to break the tension."Yeah, I'm fine." She sounded annoyed as she picked herself up and gently brushed the soil crumbs off.
Her eyes searched around them, seeing the height that we fell from. They would have indeed died or got injured, for that matter...if it weren't for Cass. As the sun dropped below the horizon, its warm light illuminated the world below. Varian moved gracefully around the towering black rocks, glistening with dew that sparkled like diamonds. The view was already stunning, but the magical quality added by the mist made it even more breathtaking. The contrast between the dark rocks and the bright morning sky was so beautiful that it was hard to look away. As the sun set, the stones sparkled with shades of black and blue, while the sky briefly hinted at oranges and reds before blending softly into the drifted clouds.Varian turned back to Cass, seeing her hair crinkling in the wind softly, gently brushing against her shoulders. An instant memory glazed over her as an image of blue hair waving through it, the power and fury blazing in her eyes that left him speechless."Come on, Andrew, he won't give up easily."
Varian brushed away the image from his mind. When he turned around, he noticed that Ruddiger was still lying on the ground, kissing it. Varian picked him up, but to his surprise, Ruddiger started scratching him, fear in his eyes. "Don't worry, buddy. I think we're done skydiving," Varian reassured him while petting his head. The alchemist's tail curled around Ruddiger's head, and he gave him a gentle nuzzle on the ear."Ehem."
Varian turned back to Cassie, seeing her annoyed expression added with her hands folded and her boot tapping impatiently. "Oh, sorry." Varian smiled. She walked on, not looking back to see if he was following her.As we walked, we passed by numerous rocks. Cass seemed to be in pain and occasionally clutched her arm. Varian was curious about her condition but decided against asking her when he noticed her angry expression. Instead, he opted for another question."Where are we going?" She looked at him again, annoyed, "Well, I'm not sure with all these rocks. Varian gave out a small chuckle. "Well, lucky for you, you have me."
"Wow, I'm so blessed." She sarcastically spokeVarian rolled out the scroll, analyzing the distance between the locations. At most, it would take a week by foot. He began to walk in that direction."Where are you going?" Varian looked at her, not sure if she was kidding or not. "To Demanitus's Sacrum...the place..that Demanitus told us to go." He gestures to the scroll. She paused, "Listen, Varian, as much as I want to go on this fantastic journey with you. I got my own problems to worry about." She walked in the opposite direction."What? you can't just-"
"I can, I will." She interrupted."Fine, then I'll go alone." She stopped and turned, her hands folded in front of her."That's not what I meant. And besides, you wouldn't last five minutes without me."
"Alright." Varian shrugged, moving towards where he had assumed Demantisus Sacrium was.She walked in front of Varian, blocking his path. "You aren't going anywhere. I'm taking you back home!"
"I'm not going anywhere without the moonstone!" She grabbed my hand forcefully. "I'll find the stones alone, and then I'll let Raps and her royal travesty fix the problem."
"It's what she does best." She muttered.No!" Varian cried angrily, ripping his hand from her and speaking softly, "No, I'm not going anywhere without my Dad." She walked away from him sighing, a hoot whispered from above them, looking up and seeing a figure beginning to glide down towards Cassie.Landing gracefully on her shoulder, the Owl nuzzled her neck. She stroked his feathers softly. "I missed you too." She hesitantly pulled the note open until she noticed a note on Owl's foot. A few drops of rain slowly dripped from the sky. She put the message in her coat pocket before addressing the rain falling around them, "We'll talk about this later. It's getting dark. We should settle for the night." Their words felt silent, only hearing the raindrops as they continued walking past several rocks until they reached the farthest point of the rocky area.
Varian, who was not wearing a coat, felt the urge to sneeze but suppressed it, not wanting to earn a disapproving look."When I was little, I used to think that they were falling stars when it rained in the night."She spoke silently. Varian didn't respond but softly smiled. Suddenly, he sneezed and blushed in embarrassment. She turned around, unhooked her cloak, and offered it to Varian, who stared at her in shock."Are you going to take it or not?" Varian took it sheepishly as she turned back, looking for a place to rest for the night.Finally, they find a place under a great willow tree just outside the borders of the dark kingdom. It was perfect. She sat down, gazing up at the leaves, and reached for the drops of starlight. Varian sat beside her, feeling the day's emotions rushing through. As she sensed the alchemist's emotions, Cassandra put her arm around him to comfort him. Suddenly, a whisper filled her, "I will help you save your father...no matter what."
These words brought tears to his eyes. He held in all his emotions until he let everything out in a single gesture. Varian chose not to speak, afraid the woman would let go if he said anything else.

***

Cassandra gazed affectionately at Varian, her heart pained by the sight of his red and swollen eyes and the audible snore that followed each of his labored breaths. The raccoon snuggled around his shoulders, seeking warmth in the folds of her cloak.Smiling at the endearing display, she carefully disentangled herself from Varian's grasp. She looked up to meet Owl's penetrating gaze from a nearby tree. The full moon illuminated her path as she walked towards it, removing her glove to feel the cool breeze on her skin.The moon's light spread across her flesh, revealing the contours of her body in a way that both thrilled and pained her. The sensation of vulnerability was palpable, yet she welcomed it as a reminder of the fragility of life.She solemnly vowed to do everything in her power to help Varian, to be his protector, even if it meant risking her own.