Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Corona’s dungeons were nothing like Equis’. They were clean, they were well ventilated, the guards patrolled continuously, their footsteps echoing down the stone corridors, but they didn’t say anything—they just did their job. The beds were hard, the food bland but edible. Not that Mirror-Captain cared much for the food. He didn’t need to eat, and nothing about the dry bread and butter made him want to try.

He sat on his bed, staring at the wall, replaying his mistakes in his mind. He’d been foolish to stay in the palace longer than necessary. He’d trusted that the Guardian of the Spire’s domain would be safe, but he should have known better. The guards had stormed in, and Calliope had shouted as they dragged him away, but her protests had fallen on deaf ears. He wasn’t sure how they’d known he was there, maybe he’d slipped up, maybe he’d been careless. Either way, here he was.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. He looked up, expecting the king, an adviser, or a guard coming to question him about the whereabouts of Queen Arianna’s body or what he knew about Zhan Tiri. He knew better than to talk. Zhan Tiri wouldn’t come to save him, but if he betrayed her, she’d come to end him.

So he kept his mouth shut.

Let them believe he was their ex-captain.

And waited.

In the end of the day, mirror creatures didn’t die. His sentence would end sooner or later, then he’d be free to roam the world, find his companion, and live a fulfilling life outside of the mirror dimension.

But it wasn’t a guard this time.

Calliope, the Guardian of the Spire, stood opposite the bars to his cell, a look of guilt and upset. In her hands was a basket filled with cookies that smelled deliciously sweet.

“How are you doing?”

Captain looked away, his jaw tightening.

“I’m so sorry… they’ve never done that before, raid my space like that?” She put the basket down. “It was wrong of them. It goes against my rights as Guardian. And you don’t deserve to be locked up. You’ve given so much for this kingdom, yet they turned on you so fast…”

“I agree.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s… it’s not your fault.”

“But you’re angry with me.”

“I’m not angry with you.”

“You are. You haven’t even looked at your favourite cookies.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“The guards told me you haven’t eaten in days. I’m really worried about you, Capulet.”

Captain turned at the name, a name that was meant to be his but wasn’t.

Calliope looked helpless. But he knew she was Guardian of the Spire and she was on his side. She was his best chance of escape. So he threw his legs over the side of the bed and came over, taking a cookie from the basket.

Calliope wiped a tear from her eyes, a forced smile appearing on her lips, hopeful.

Mirror-Captain took a bite of the cookie. It was soft, chewy, and bursting with sweet flavour. For the first time, he understood why humans ate food. “These are amazing, Calliope.”

Her smile became more genuine. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I don’t blame you for this.”

“I know.” Calliope nodded. “We’d have a problem if you did. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Mirror-Captain frowned as he finished his cookie and grabbed another one.

“I know you won’t tell the guards or the king, and I’m sure you have your reasons, but… you can tell me what happened to the queen’s body, right?”

He hesitated, intending to lie, to tell her he couldn’t, that it was too traumatic, that he loved her too much to hurt her like that. But instead, the words spilled out: “There is no body. There never was.”

Calliope’s brows furrowed. “Whatever do you mean?”

Captain blinked. “It was all an act to push the Moonstone to fulfil her role. The queen never died, she’s in the mirror realm. There was never a body, just some wax and magic.”

“Created by Zhan Tiri?”

“By her disciples, Sugracha and Matthews.”

Calliope leaned closer. “This mirror realm—how can we get someone out of there?”

“They have to switch back with their counterpart?”

“For Capulet, that would be you, correct?”

“Correct.”

“What is Zhan Tiri’s objective?”

“I don’t know.”

“What is her plan for the Moonstone and Sundrop?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there any other useful information you can give me?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“She makes use of the tunnels. She counts on the loyalty of both her disciples and many animals. She has magic in other realms, usually those of shadows. She can shape-shift into just about anything. She wishes to destroy Corona.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

Calliope nodded. “Thank you for your time.” She picked up her basket turning around as Varian stepped out from the shadows.

“Well, you were right,” Varian said, holding out a fist. “Mirror-Monsters are just as obsessed with my cookies as everybody else in this palace. I mean, baking is just chemistry and—”

“And your potion did the trick,” Calliope smiled, placing a hand on Varian’s outstretched fist, not understanding the concept of a fist-bump.

Varian just accepted the gesture as though it were the correct response. “So now we start working with mirrors?”

“I have some theories already on how to get the Captain and Queen back. Which of us is informing the king his wife is likely still alive?”

“All yours,” Varian said. “You need it more than me.”

“What does that mean?”

Varian blushed. “Umm… well, I’m in really good standing with the king right now. And you… you… I don’t think this. But apparently… some people think you’re annoying.” Varian frowned. “Oh! And you did let the mirror monster back into the palace before realising it wasn’t Captain.”

“How dare they…” Calliope muttered, her expression indignant. “Annoying?”

Varian shrugged. “I used to be called the same thing until I got the princesses’ favour. Don’t worry about it.”

Calliope sighed. “I suppose we have bigger issues. Fine. I left the mirror in the vault. Do not, under any circumstances, look into it or touch it. I’ll be down as soon as I’ve talked with the king.”

Chapter Text

Stalyan moved through the cave system in a new set of armour crafted of leather and reinforced with a thick layer of amber. It had been several weeks since she’d made a massive mistake, one she’d regretted almost immediately and feared would cost her everything, but turned out to be the best decisions she’d ever made, purely by luck. But she’d take credit for it. She took credit for it every day. She played the role of a leader who was five steps ahead.

The truth was she’d felt extremely lost for a long time.

She’d grown up following her father’s every move, then turned a new leaf and allowed the likes of Eugene, Caine, and Cassandra to guide her. But standing in Equis’ dungeon, watching the Brotherhood struggle like caged animals, something in her had snapped. She found her loyalty to her old world resurfacing, unable to leave those she’d once loved behind bars.

Now, she was stuck between two worlds.

She stepped into a dimly lit office that smelled of salt and rotting wood.

“Have you got it?”

Vex looked up from behind a wooden desk, her expression guarded. “Did you carry out your part of the deal?”

“Of course.” Stalyan stepped forward, her hands coming to rest on the desk. “It took me some time but I never break a deal, got some men into the palace alongside your agent and any change you’ll be the first to know.”

“So… no change?” Vex asked, her eyes lowering to her paper as she tried to hide her disappointment.

Stalyan looked away, hiding her own feelings. “No.”

Vex nodded, her expression resigned. “Alright then. Here’s my part of the deal.”

She pushed a small package across the desk. It looked too small, but as Stalyan carefully unwrapped the material, her breath caught in her throat. Inside was a small amber statue of a cat. Tears stung her eyes as she held out a hand before hesitating, fearing this wouldn’t work. But she had to try. A faint light glowed from her left hand, where she kept the celestial hidden in her gauntlet, and the amber began to melt.

Stalyan knelt, bringing herself eye-level to the statue. As the last bit of amber melted away, Scrubby, a small, skinny cat with half an ear missing and bright grey eyes, sniffed the air, looking confused.

“Hey Sweetie, I’ve missed—” Before Stalyan could finish, Scrubby leaped from the desk and scurried underneath it. Stalyan blinked, then stood up straight, her cheeks flushing. “Yeah, yeah, cats don’t like new places.”

Vex snickered.

Stalyan quickly scooped Scrubby up from beneath the desk, ignoring his meow of disapproval, and stuffed him into her bag, where he curled up contentedly. “Anyway, good talk, as always. Nice doing business with you.”

“Right back at ya,” Vex said. “And if you hear anything—”

“I’ll be here. Don’t worry.” Stalyan crossed her arms. “I’m just as interested as you in getting Equis Palace back into the right hands… I was never paid for my last job.”

Vex hummed, her expression knowing. They both knew Stalyan’s issue with the current management had little to do with money.

Cassandra glared as Tromus plucked one of her hairs, its blue glow fading to black the moment it separated from her scalp. He dropped it into a bubbling liquid, but his expression soured as the mixture failed to react as he’d hoped.

For months, Zhan Tiri and her disciples had been trying to gain control of the Moonstone, but their efforts had been futile. They’d found a way to control the celestials using a potion that included Eugene’s blood, but when they’d tried the same with Cassandra, the Moonstone had only pretended to obey Zhan Tiri for a moment before lashing out with a black rock. Not hard enough to end Zhan Tiri despite its best effort, but enough to make its defiance clear.

“You should just give up,” Cassandra murmured.

“You’d do well to take your own advice…” Tromus murmured as he walked past her. For the past few weeks Cassandra, like most her friends, had refused to back down, refused to sit quietly and obey, as such, they’d been treated accordingly. Plenty of time in isolated cells. No time outside of the palace. No information about the state of the world beyond their walls. Time had become an illusion.

At least in the tower Rapunzel and Cassandra could look to the sun and moon to see the days pass by, they had no such privilege here, and mealtimes depended so heavily on what experiments the disciples would be pulling that day that it wasn’t reliable either.

“Are we done here?”

“Leave.” Tromus waved his hand and the fireplace in the lab came to life as a shadow portal that Cassandra quickly stepped through and back into her cell.

Rapunzel, lying in a pile of her own hair, looked up as Cassandra entered. “How’d it go?”

Cassandra scurried into her corner, curling up on some of Rapunzel’s hair that had been tossed through the bars. “He didn’t look pleased so I guess the same as always.”

Rapunzel nodded, scooting closer to the bars. “How are you feeling?”

Cassandra shook her head, burying her face in the hair. “The mice in the wall were whispering, but they were quiet—couldn’t risk getting caught again. I couldn’t make out what they were saying…”

“Next time,” Rapunzel said softly.

Cassandra hummed.

Rapunzel lay down. “I came up with a new story.”

Cassandra rolled over to face her. “Oh?”

“It’s about a group of thieves who climb a tower in search of gold but find it’s only golden paint, so they get inspired by the arts.”

“I can see some points of inspiration,” Cassandra said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Shall I tell it to you?”

Cassandra nodded. Her sister’s stories were the highlights of her day, after all.

“I win again,” Caine murmured as she placed down her final hand of cards.

“You’re cheating,” Eugene said, glaring at his own terrible cards.

“Eugene, you owe me more money than you’ve seen in your lifetime, what is my motivation to cheat at this point? Winning you fair is already boring enough.”

Eugene frowned, tossing his cards onto the pile. “This is the last time I share my cards with you.”

Caine hummed as she gathered the cards, stacking them neatly in a corner of her cell. Her cell had a few things in it: blankets, cushions, cards, a few gold coins and Hamuel. All things Eugene had been given as ‘rewards’ for his good behaviour during blood extractions. They didn’t bring much joy or make the imprisonment much better.

With the exception of Hamuel.

Caine held the bird often, he was warm and soft and most importantly, too dumb to ever betray her.

“How long has it been since you last saw Cass?”

Caine glanced at one of Hamuel’s feathers that she’d been using to part and count with. “Thirty-eight meals now.”

Eugene hummed.

“That’s good though…” Caine rested her head on the pillow, eyes on the ceiling.

“It’s… not great,” Eugene replied, standing to pace. “Even the palace’s animals are scared right now. We could really use some communication.”

“Eugene… last time I got to see Cassandra she was in no state for planning.”

“I know,” Eugene said, his voice heavy. He remembered how Caine had returned to the cell covered in Cassandra’s blood after patching her up. A test had gone horribly wrong, causing Cassandra’s muscles to spasm and leaving her with deep cuts. Caine had reassured him it looked worse than it was, but the fact she’d been called in at all spoke volumes. Besides, Eugene knew what it was like to be at their mercy, things didn’t need to go wrong to be bad.

The only silver lining was knowing Cassandra and Rapunzel were together. The thought of either of them alone in isolation was unbearable.

“There’s nothing you can do, Fitzherbert,” Caine murmured. “Rest.”

“I can’t,” Eugene replied. “I can’t just wait for a rescue that might never come…”

“You don’t have a choice. We don’t have a choice.” Caine closed her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. “Sometimes… you just have to trust someone’s out there looking out for you.”

She thought of Stalyan, hoping wherever she was, she was safe.

“Equis isn’t trading with any other kingdom anymore,” Queen Elayna of Bayangor said, pacing in front of the fireplace.

“So it’s not just the Seven Kingdoms…” Pittsford’s representative frowned.

“I’m not surprised,” Frederic replied. “Every kingdom knows who’s leading Equis now. Only the desperate would trade with them, and the desperate don’t have anything of value to offer.”

“Are the people doing okay?” Pacifica asked gently. The only princess in the room, she’d flown in on a dragon after her parents refused to attend, deeming the meeting unnecessary.

“Yes. My people are seeing to it.” Elayna said. “As long as they don’t get in the way… they’re allowed to live their lives.”

Pacifica nodded. “Good.”

“So, what do we do?” Elayna asked, looking around the room. “One of our own is in trouble.”

“One of our own…” Galcrest’s representative frowned. “She was only just accepted.”

“Doesn’t matter how recent. A queen of the Seven Kingdoms is still a queen.”

“I don’t know if there’s anything we can do if what you say is true,” Koto’s representative said. A young woman elected by her people to give advice during these pressing times. Koto hadn’t been accepted back into the Seven Kingdom Amendment, but the need for knowledge on magic had led to a temporary deal. “The magic she’s wielding is beyond our comprehension. Perhaps the Moonstone and Sundrop would stand a chance, but not if they’re prisoners.”

Frederic looked at his hands, the thought of his daughter trapped and locked away had been a haunting image he hadn’t been able to escape since that fateful day at the harbour. He wished his wife were here, she’d know what to do. Showing the fake Captain his reflection in the mirror had revealed no reflection. Varian and Calliope didn’t know why, but the working theory was that Arianna and the real Captain had moved beyond the mirror realm. It worried Frederic, but he had to trust his wife was safe and would find her own way back. For now, he had to focus on those still in this realm.

“We know their primary goal is to find this Stalyan woman who holds the final celestial,” Elayna said. “Has anyone heard anything about her?”

Everybody shook their head.

“Good.” Elayna nodded. “She’s well hidden. Perhaps we could create fake rumours of her whereabouts, to lure this demon out and away from her prisoners, give them a chance to escape?”

“From what I understand, they are being kept in magical cells, small mirror dimensions…” Koto’s representative sighed. “I don’t think luring the demon away would save them from that.”

“The Royal Alchemist, his assistant and the Guardian of the Spire are working on it,” Frederic said. “But don’t have the tools yet.”

“Soon though,” Elayna said, trying to sound confident.

“I hope so.”

Chapter Text

Demanitus observed with thinly veiled impatience as Varian tightened the lower bolts of his latest invention: a reinforced glass cube designed for safe observation. The mirror inside shimmered ominously, its surface rippling like water.

Calliope observed through the reinforced glass as her mirror-doppelgänger pressed against the barrier, its fingers leaving oily smears on the containment surface.

Varian stood up, confident in his invention. “Initiating phase two,” he announced, triggering a series of retractable blades that extended from the cube’s interior walls. The reflection recoiled, then hissed soundlessly as one blade grazed its forearm. Instead of blood, a viscous silver substance welled from the wound.

The silver droplets fell through a filtered grate into a glass dish below. Using a pair of silver tongs, Varian carefully pulled out the sample before transferring it into a glass vial with bubbling pink liquid. “Test in process: magic analysis.”

“Pure magic?” Calliope asked.

“Give it a minute…” Varian said.

“This is taking too long,” Calliope declared, tapping her fingers on the workbench.

Varian tried to ignore her as the potion turned from pink to cyan. “Yes, it’s pure magic.”

“That thing takes forever.”

“Excuse me?” Varian glared. “I've reduced analysis time from one year to fifty-three seconds. That's a 99.998% efficiency improvement.”

“Magic solves problems instantly,” Calliope countered.

“Magic causes problems instantly,” Varian shot back. “Plus, science is predictable.”

“The amount of damage in this laboratory suggests otherwise.”

Varian couldn’t help but laugh, unable to argue with that. “Once you figure it out, it’s predictable.”

Calliope hummed, moving over to the potion, not understanding much of what Varian was writing down. “Could we figure out what type of magic it is?”

“That’s not my speciality I’m afraid.” Varian pointed to some untested ‘blood’ for Calliope to inspect.

She knelt down, poking her finger into the silver liquid to both Varian and Demanitus’ disgust. She sniffed at it before licking it.

“Calliope! Ugh! That is not sanitary!”

“You just said it’s pure magic,” Calliope countered. “There’s nothing gross about magic.”

Varian threw his goggles down and turned away.

“It’s not plant-based,” Calliope said, smacking her lips. “Not illusion magic either: too bitter. And definitely not light magic."

Demanitus arched an eyebrow. “Since when does magic have flavour profiles?”

“Since always,” Calliope said, wiping her hand clean on her robes. “Different magical disciplines have different scents and flavours that never stray. As Guardian of the Spire—”

“—are missing the point entirely.” Demanitus crossed his arms. “What will knowing the type of magic help with, anyway?”

“If we know what type of magic it is, we can figure out how to contain it,” Calliope stated. “I’m the Guardian of the Spire, I kind of specialise in containing magic.”

“I’m aware. But we don’t want to contain them right now. We want to retrieve people from that realm. At least that’s what the king asked of you two, or have you forgotten?”

Both Varian and Calliope glared up at Demanitus. “We’re not idiots.”

“You act it.” Demanitus walked past them both, glancing into the mirror. “As the science expert—”

“That’d be me,” Varian corrected.

“And magic expert.”

“Excuse you?” Calliope looked at Varian as though demanding he put Demanitus in his place.

“The only true way to get results is to test this dimension out. Someone has to go inside and find out what’s on the other side.”

“You volunteering?” Calliope asked.

“You're the logical choice,” Demanitus said smoothly. “As the least powerful among us, your mirror-self would be easiest to dispatch if necessary.”

“Yeah… no,” Varian’s wrench hit the workbench with a clang. “This lab is a safe place where we do not take stupid and unnecessary risks.”

“Listen here boy—”

“Sir,” Varian held his head up tall despite their height difference. “You work for me, not the opposite way around. Don’t forget who rebuilt your consciousness from scattered memory fragments. My lab, my rules.”

The air was tense as the two scientists glared at one another until Demanitus stormed out, the door slamming hard enough to rattle beakers.

Varian sighed, his shoulders slumped before he wrote down yet another infraction. “Why would you just open up a lab door? There’s a certain pressure in here, temperature… A strong wind could decalibrate everything.”

Calliope nodded sympathetically. “Magic requires precision too. There's an art to—“

“Exactly! How can he not get it?” Varian sat back. “I thought he was a scientist.”

“I thought he was a warlock.”

“Yet he acts like neither. Guess history really is written by the winners,” Varian said.

Calliope's expression darkened. “Which makes me wonder... if we can't trust historical accounts of Zhan Tiri, how do we know what we're really facing?”

Varian paused. “You think Demanitus is lying about their history?”

“You need to get him to talk to you about her. It’s easy to lie with ink and paper. It’s harder to hide ones emotions in conversation… especially for him, clearly.”

Varian sighed. “I know. But he won’t talk to me. He says Zhan Tiri is the way she is because she was born pure evil and messed with stuff she shouldn’t have. He won’t tell me anything else.”

“What about the truth potion?”

“I tried slipping a few drops into his coffee one morning.”

“And?”

“Got a half an hour ramble about the importance of not letting the saporians into Corona and not a single chance to get a question in.”

Calliope sighed. “He might have a point about testing it.”

“He might… but if we’re testing it, we start with beetles, not people.”

Calliope grinned. “Now that's actual wisdom.”

Varian smirked. “Genius, remember? It's kind of my—“

“—whole thing? Yes, we know,” Calliope finished, rolling her eyes.

Edmund beamed at his cards. “Royal flush! That's seven wins in a row.”

Quirin didn't even glance at his discarded hand. “Marvelous,” he deadpanned, staring at the steel ceiling.

“You seem... displeased?” Edmund ventured.

Quirin shook his head.

“What is the matter, old friend?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s clearly more than nothing!” Edmund declared. “Talk to me! What is wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Quirin rose a brow before gesturing around him, the two were sat in one of the political cells, it was well equipped with stuff to do but was still a cell with metal walls, doors and bars over the window.

Edmund blinked. “Ah. The decor does lack warmth.”

“No, not the decor!” Quirin shouted before catching himself. “This situation. Being locked up. Unable to help my son.”

“Ah, but it is for the greater good.”

“I know that.”

“Would you wish to put your son in danger?”

Quirin glared at Edmund. “I’m here. Am I not? I’m just angry.”

“At who?”

“At you, Edmund.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” Quirin pinched between his nose.

“Why me?” Edmund looked around, glancing at one of the ravens who didn’t offer up an answer.

“Because, Edmund, you’re the one who forced us to take an oath before the Moonstone! If you hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Ah, yes, I do see your point.”

Quirin sat back down. It had been several months but without the mindtrap they were no closer to it being safe to leave.

Quirin studied Edmund, watching as the king’s fingers trembled slightly while stroking a raven's feathers. The man’s son was imprisoned by a demon, yet here they sat, caged by their own oath, powerless to act. A bitter taste filled Quirin’s mouth as the litany of failures played through his mind like a cursed chant:

The oath that bound them to inaction.

The kingdom that fell under Edmund's watch.

The Moonstone left unprotected.

The new bearer abandoned without guidance.

A son left to face darkness alone.

Good intentions meant nothing measured against such consequences.

The wooden chair creaked as Quirin leaned forward, his calloused hands—a farmer's hands, not a warrior’s—gripping the arm-rest. “I never wanted any of this,” he said, the words rough with decades of suppressed frustration.

Edmund’s fingers stilled on the raven’s head. For a long moment, the only sound was the rustle of feathers and the usual castle creaking.

Then the cell door groaned open. Xavier entered with their supper tray, his sharp eyes immediately noting the tension in the room. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I was trying out a new recipe and just had to come get your opinion, Quirin,” he smiled, setting down the meal with deliberate calm.

Quirin took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of strew and fresh bread. “No interruption. We were just having yet another debate about poor life choices.”

Xavier nodded. “Varian says they’re making progress with the mirror.”

Edmund perked up. “See? The children have matters well in hand!”

Quirin stared at his former king. “They shouldn’t have to.”

The silence that followed was broken only by the raven's soft croak. Edmund looked away first, his fingers trembling as he resumed petting the bird. Quirin looked down at his hands. He’d wanted so badly to leave the Brotherhood behind and yet his past had caught up with him.

“Varian actually helped me with this here recipe, so…” Xavier tried to redirect the conversation to something warmer.

Chapter Text

“I could kill you,” Cassandra whispered, her eyes glowing as she watched Sugracha’s movements like a predator sizing up her prey.

The ghostly figure just hummed as she made sure the paper kept feeding through the machine that was hooked up to Cassandra, giving the demon some information or other. “Not sure you could, darling.”

“Rocks through the head worked well enough on King Trevor.”

Sugracha nodded. “Too fast. No suffering.”

“I don’t care about that. I just want some people gone.”

“A rock would go right through me,” Sugracha said, phasing through the table to grab a notebook. “But you won’t even try.”

“I could.”

“You won’t,” she said, opening the notebook. “If you hurt me, someone would pay for it. Your girlfriend, sister, brother-in-law?”

Cassandra lowered her eyes to her feet, her hair still glowing.

“Why do you still threaten us?” Sugracha asked as she began to scribble something into her book. “Does it help you feel less powerless? Do you enjoy the reaction? Do you want us to punish you?”

Cassandra flinched, shaking her head.

“Didn’t think so.” Sugracha smiled. “Why don’t you try a different type of small-talk? Something more pleasant. Tell me, Dear, do you like drawing?”

“Don’t call me Dear.”

“Fine. Moonstone, do you like drawing?”

“No. My sister does.”

“What about for note-taking?”

“I make Rapunzel do it.”

Sugracha snickered at that. “Just like your mother.”

“I’m nothing like her.”

“Sure, sure.” Sugracha turned the sketchbook around to show Cassandra a sketch of Gothel around her age, giving the same pouting look but with longer hair.

“I know I look like her. That doesn’t change the fact I’m not like her.”

“So, what artistic hobbies do you partake in?”

“None. I’m not an artist.”

“Choreography?” Sugracha asked.

“I don’t dance.”

“But you plan combat maneuvers, don't you?”

Cassandra frowned.

“That’s creative. Everybody has a creative hobby. Just not everybody realises it. Without creativity… what’d be the point of life?”

“Love?” Cassandra tried.

“And what do people do when in love other than become creative? Arrange bouquets of flowers? Write poems? Cook meals the other will love?” Sugracha lay back. “Can’t say I’m a fan of love, but there’s something cute about how when faced with the strongest of emotions, humans always start creating.”

“Are you human?”

“I was.”

“What happened?”

“Took in too much magic. Same as you.”

“I’m human.”

“You’re… close enough to claim the title, I suppose.”

“What are you trying to do here?”

“You already know this,” Sugracha rolled her eyes. “We’re trying to gain control of the Moonstone.”

“Why?”

“Power.”

“For what? You’re already immortal. And you don’t seem to care about running this kingdom so… why do you want power? What do you want to do?”

Sugracha hesitated, slowly she closed her notebook, checked the paper in the machine and looked forward, eyes studying Cassandra up and down. “What do you think?”

Cassandra shook her head. “I’ve no clue… I’ve faced many villains at this point in my life and usually I’ve been able to pin down their motivation to some degree. The King of Koto wanted vengeance on my mother, and only I remained. King Trevor didn’t care about anybody but himself and it showed. Father and Mother needed magic to fly and… and live the life they’d been living as messed up as that was. Hector was trying to protect what he thought was right for the world…” Her brows furrowed. “Is that where you fall?”

“Do I think what me and my mistress are doing is right for the world?”

Cassandra tilted her head.

Sugracha grinned and laughed. “No. Of course not.”

“Then… what do you want?”

Sugracha shrugged. “I guess… I guess we want to change the world.”

“To something you reign?” Cassandra tilted her head.

“No… not exactly…” Sugracha began to sketch again. “How much do you know of the Magical Dark Ages?”

Cassandra shook her head.

“It’s the point in time where the kingdoms started to turn their back on all things magic to varying degrees. Witch burnings came from that time. But also general bans on magical trade and training. Magic use in the common household pretty much went extinct for most kingdoms during this time. Some kingdoms came to accept it again but… it was never the same.”

“You want to turn back time… create a world like the one before the Dark Ages?”

“Well… sort of. Yes… But without the possibility of another Dark Age coming forth. No point going back in time when you know what’s going to happen.”

“And… you need the Moonstone for that?”

“We need all the power we can get.”

“Have you ever considered there might be a way to do that without… being evil?”

Sugracha hummed. “Maybe… but we’ve tried that method. It didn’t end well.”

“How did it end?”

“Well, I ended up stuck for a millennia underground surrounded by nothing but stone and a dumb invention. My mistress got to explore a whole new dimension and Tromus was forced to flee.”

“My mother?”

“She stuck around. She never had any magic of her own so she wasn’t really affected by the Dark Age. Kept to herself for a millennia… she always was the smartest. You may not want to be like your mother, but if you inherit her intellect and some of her survival skills, it’d do you well.”

Cassandra hummed. “I suppose…”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m hungry.”

Sugracha checked the machine. “ Sit still for twenty more minutes, then food. Deal?”

“...Deal.”

True to her word, Sugracha provided a steaming bowl of vegetable soup with bread. Cassandra devoured it despite herself, the flavours surprisingly rich, the vegetables perfectly crisp.

As she ate, Sugracha was giving her an odd look. “You like it?”

Cassandra paused mid-bite. “Is it poisoned?”

“No,” Sugracha’s nose scrunched up.

“Drugged?”

“Nothing like that.”

“Then why do you care?”

“Just a recipe your mother favoured, that’s all.”

Cassandra took that information in, glancing at the food like she should like it less now, however, she was hungry, so she continued to eat until there was nothing left.

When Tromus arrived to open the shadow portal back to her cell, Cassandra didn't hesitate to leave. Always wanting to get back to Rapunzel.

Once in her cell, she knelt down by the bars.

Rapunzel looked up at her.

“I’ve got an idea…” Cassandra said.

Rapunzel quickly rolled over and closer to the bars. “What?”

“It involves playing nice…”

Rapunzel frowned, and hesitated before shrugging. “We’ve got nothing to lose.”

Chapter Text

“What are you drawing?” Cassandra asked Sugracha.

The demon looked up at her, eyes narrowed before flipping the notebook to show a scene the likes of which was best un-described. The type of gore even the most brutal of thrillers left to the imagination.

“Why do you draw that?”

“Because it’s what I like to draw.”

Cassandra tilted her head. “Does it help you in some way?”

“It’s what I like to draw. There’s no deeper meaning behind it. I just like it.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you read books about adventure and danger? Don’t you have enough of that in your own life?”

“I like how they always have happy endings.”

“Well, I like the look of blood without the work or mess behind it.”

“Is red your favourite colour?”

“No. It’s grey.”

“Oh.”

“You’re chatty today…”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No…” Sugracha passed the page to start a new sketch. “Just odd.”

Cassandra hummed, glancing to the machine. “I’m surprised you use machines… I thought you were all magic and stuff…”

“Magic and science have never been incompatible.”

“Do you do science?”

“No.” Sugracha shook her head. “That’s always been more my Mistress’ speciality. Gothel, of course, was the prodigy. And Matthews got into it later in life, but not to the degree of others…”

“My mother was into science?”

Sugracha nodded and hummed.

“Could you… could you tell me more about her?”

Sugracha looked up again, eyes taking in Cassandra’s expression. “You want to know about your mother?”

Cassandra shrugged. “I guess… I mean… I lived in her care for twenty years and feel like I know nothing about her and… she’s my mother, so I feel like I should know something…”

Sugracha slowly closed her notebook. “Sure… I can tell you about your mother. Anything specific?”

“How did she get into science?”

“Difficult to say… she was into science before science had a name. Little know-it-all searching for the answers to everything. Asked too many questions. Why’s the sky blue? What are clouds? Where does rain come from? And when the adults around her didn’t have answers, she sought them out. Through books and then experiments. Smart little thing.”

“That’s cool…”

“Yeah, I think so. But it was a different time back then and that sorta curiosity wasn’t much appreciated… until it was. Lord Demanitus…” Sugracha rolled her eyes putting on a face of disgust. “Terrible in many ways but he saw the potential in Gothel. Gave her the tools she needed to really experiment and find answers.”

“She was his disciples before Zhan Tiri’s?”

“Correct.”

“What made her leave?”

“He wasn’t good to her.” Sugracha shook her head. “She was loyal to him, but every person has their limits, and Demanitus had a knack for finding those limits in even the hardest of rocks.”

“Good to her?”

Sugracha frowned. “It’s complicated Kid. Just… know it’s something even the likes of you goody-two-shoes would agree was worthy of betrayal.”

Cassandra nodded.

“Tell me about yourself then, what’s Gothel’s legacy like?” Sugracha leaned forward, no longer wanting to talk about Demanitus.

Cassandra snickered. “Haven’t you been watching me for years now?”

“Haven’t really been paying attention.”

“Well… there’s not much to say. I wanna make everybody happy. I like fighting and weapons. I love my family and my girlfriend…” her voice faded as she thought of Caine.

Sugracha sat back, opening her sketchbook anew. “Do you have any hobbies?”

“Weapons, I guess.”

“Weapons?”

“Using them, duelling…”

“Is that a hobby?”

“Same as any other exercise I think, yeah…”

“Good point.”

“I also read… it’s not like there’s time for much more, I mean… you know my story.”

“Yeah, and I know you were in a tower for eighteen years, you didn’t wanna try out anything new there?”

“I tried a lot of stuff there. Everything. But not everything stuck. I was never good at the arts. I was good at cooking, but I didn’t enjoy it… I like fighting.”

“Fair enough.”

“Don’t you have any hobbies other than drawing?”

“I… not really. Okay. Touché.”

Cassandra smiled. “Rapunzel’s into everything. I don’t know where she gets that passion from. But I respect it.”

Sugracha nodded.

Cassandra glanced at the machine when it made a weird noise, looking like she wanted out, but knowing there wasn’t much she could do.

“That’s normal. Don’t worry.”

“Okay…” Cassandra curled in on herself slightly, looking uneasy.

Sugracha noticed this. “Maybe next sessions I could bring your little friend along for support…”

“Rapunzel?” Cassandra asked.

“No way,” Sugracha frowned. “Can’t be letting the Sundrop and Moonstone out of their holding cell at the same time. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“Oh.”

“The red one. The one you lust for?”

“Lust?” Cassandra shook her head. “Long for, sure. Caine… I’d like that. She’s great.”

“She’s well behaved. And you haven’t put up a fight in a while.”

“I’m too tired to fight right now.”

“Good.”

“I wish I had a better idea what you were trying to do so I could feel guilty or not over that lack of fight.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Not comforting at all.”

Chapter Text

Chop. Chop. Chop.

The rhythmic sound of Lance's knife filled the small kitchen as perfect carrot slices accumulated on the cutting board. He swept them onto a growing pile of prepared vegetables, the potatoes were already peeled and washed. On the side, a few other vegetables still awaited to be prepped. He had a stack of meals ready to be shipped around town, but more to go. He could hear his girls playing in the other room.

Everything was deceptively normal in Corona village.

“Knock down the palace doors!” Keira's voice rang out from the playroom, followed by the clatter of wooden blocks tumbling to the floor.

“Now! Everybody in!” Catalina's answering cry came with the thunder of small feet across hardwood.

Lance smiled at his daughter’s joy, it was always a relief to hear them playing like any other kid.

“Okay, Keira, we gotta split up. You go find our friends and I’ll take out the demon.”

Then the game’s narrative became clear.

“Don’t worry Catalina. I’ll bring them back.” And she ran off. “Uncle Eugene! Cass! Princess Rapunzel! Lady Caine!” Keira’s voice carried down the stairs, each name a dagger to Lance’s chest.

His knife stilled. The vegetables lay forgotten as he listened to his girls reenact a rescue mission for people who might never come home. Their innocent play informing of where their minds were, a child’s way of processing fears shared by the village.

Frederic exited the palace after a long day of work. His guards maintained a respectful distance, close enough to protect, far enough to grant the illusion of solitude.

He intended to take a walk around the garden. Think about the day. Think about the coming months or maybe years… he wasn’t sure when or if he’d see his family again. But he knew he had to keep up Corona’s care, so they had some place to come back to, a place they could be proud to call home.

The gardens bloomed defiantly beautiful despite all the turmoil contained within the palace walls. Frederic knew his wife would love the scent of the roses this year and he could almost hear the way she’d laugh after splashing him with the water of the fountain if he dared to get too close. He hoped she’d be back in time to see it before the winter months returned to claim the space once more.

Then he saw someone else taking a walk, someone he’d been spoken of but not really spoken to.

He’d avoided the man for the most part after his youngest ranted about him being unkind to his eldest. But right now, this was the person who knew the most about their biggest enemy, and he knew from the alchemist that he wasn’t talking.

Perhaps Frederic could convince him.

“Good afternoon, Lord Demanitus.”

The ancient scientist turned, his face scrunched up with disgust before recognition flashed across his face. “Your Majesty.” His bow carried the stiffness of disuse.

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” Frederic gestured to the sunset painting the sky in gold and violet.

The man nodded, squinting at the sky.

“It’s odd how chaotic the world can be and yet the sun still shines, the flowers bloom…”

“I wouldn’t call it odd… the flowers don’t care much for politics.”

“Indeed.” Frederic began to walk, gesturing for the scientist to follow. “Taking a walk after a long day of work?”

“Hardly,” the man huffed, crossing his arms. “Your Royal Alchemist barely allows me to do my job. Treats me like some unstable apprentice.”

“Oh?”

“Says my methods are unsafe and outdated.”

“Ah. Well, Varian is... particular about his methods. With good reason, I might add.”

“You know he is but a child, right?”

“Yes. And a genius.” Frederic smiled. “One who’s earned his position through both brilliance and sacrifice. Much like you did in your time, I imagine.”

Demanitus’ eyes sharpened at the flattery. “Times may change, but knowledge shouldn't bow to youth.”

Frederic frowned. “Well… that’s something that can be discussed in due time. However, in this moment, I am familiar with my current alchemist… I barely know you.”

Demanitus’ eyes seemed to gleam with opportunity, a path to what he wanted. “I understand.”

“Tell me, Lord Demanitus, what was science like in your age?”

“Well, Your Majesty… truth be told, not that much different. We had fewer gadgets, more magic. But otherwise, we’d mix together different elements and take note of what happened until we found something of interest.”

Frederic nodded. “Did you work alone?”

A shadow passed over Demanitus’ face. “I had... collaborators.”

“A partner or an apprentice?”

Demanitus looked to the sky. “Both.”

“Oh?”

“I had a partner for some time, but she… she lacked endurance for true discovery. Wasn’t willing to sacrifice for the cause. She left. And I was rewarded the title Corona’s head scientist.” He sounded proud.

“And your apprentice?”

“I had three. Then two… finally one. Then none. They betrayed their oaths. None of them were worthy of working with me.”

Frederic noted the bitterness coating each word. “Betrayal is a heavy charge.”

“They left to work for someone else, someone who was an enemy of mine and the kingdom.”

“I see.”

“The last one hurt the most. She was mine . I adopted her. Rescued her, better said, I plucked her from obscurity, gave her access to a world she had no right to, saved her from a life of mediocricy and—” He caught himself, smoothing his robes. “My apologies… you wouldn’t understand. Royalty doesn’t adopt strays.”

Frederic’s fingers fiddled with his wedding ring as he held back a few choice comments about Demanitus’ words. The ancient scholar’s perspective on adoption might have been common in his era, but it didn’t sit well on modern ears. “Family takes many forms in our age. I too have an adopted daughter. Rapunzel is the heir and carries our royal blood, but Cassandra carries our name with equal honour.”

Demanitus’ nose wrinkled before he masked his features, though not quickly enough. “A political maneuver, I assume? To secure alliances?”

The king’s smile didn't reach his eyes. “No. A choice. The right choice, both for our family and kingdom. She’s bright. A prodigy in law if such a thing exists. She brings our family much joy.”

“Yet your halls tell a different story.” Demanitus gestured vaguely toward the palace. “I've seen no portraits of this... adopted jewel.”

“The Separatists and their associates had peculiar tastes in decor during their brief... tenancy.” Frederic frowned. “The conservators are painstakingly restoring each piece.”

Demanitus chuckled darkly. “Still. Taking in another man’s child... they never truly become yours, do they?”

The king’s posture stiffened, shoulders squaring, chin lifting, he had to switch his mindset from conversationalist to sovereign as he fought to remain calm. “I can’t say I agree. When a child accepts you as their parent, that bond transcends blood.”

Demanitus waved a dismissive hand. “Perhaps the chasm between me and mine was too great. She had sparks of brilliance, yes, enough to draw my interest at least, but she squandered them on trivialities.” His lips twisted around the words like they left a sour taste. “When the girl reached her flowering years? All reason abandoned her. Lusting after every village boy who flashed her a crooked smile, then weeping at my doorstep when their honeyed words turned to vinegar.”

“I lost those years with both my daughters,” he said, the words carefully measured. “But I've heard adolescent storms often mask deeper currents searching for safe harbour.”

Demanitus barked a laugh that startled a nearby bird from its perch near the fountain. “Harbour? I offered her the greatest port of all: knowledge! Yet she chose to drift toward whatever passing tide promised pretty shells and warm embraces.” He shook his head, the afternoon light carving deep shadows across his face. “Those problems were of her own making, and I let the girl nurse her own wounds. Men will be men and if she’d wanted comfort, she should have stayed in the laboratory where she belonged.”

The king studied the ancient scholar’s profile, the rigid set of his jaw, the fingers that clenched and unclenched around nothing. Frederic recognised the signs of regret beneath the vitriol. “Teen years are difficult for any parent.”

“Bah! She was fine until she met Zhan Tiri.” The name hissed between his teeth, this time there was no regret, just vitriol.

Frederic leaned forward. “Tell me about her… we only have legends left at this point.”

“Pure evil incarnate.”

“Yet you worked with her once.”

Demanitus sighed. “She was… she was a scientist when I met her, a scholar like myself. She wanted to learn about magic, which was my speciality. I was fool enough to teach her.” He shook his head. “Now she’s more demon than scholar.”

“So she’s both a warlock and a scientist?”

“Correct. But more warlock than scientist at this point. Since magic became a part of her form, she’s become dependent on it…”

“So if we could strip her of her magic…”

“We're working on it. Your blacksmith and I are adapting celestial absorption properties to metal tools. Slow work, but when complete...”

Frederic nodded, he glanced in the direction he knew Equis to be. While Demanitus’ views were outdated, if he could help create armour to withstand a demon’s wrath, weapons to pierce her defences. Tools for a rescue mission… he was welcome in Corona. The day Frederic took an army to retrieve his daughters could not come soon enough.

Frederic could see the moon peeking out beyond the horizon. He turned to Demanitus. “Do you ever miss your daughter?”

“No.” Demanitus answered flatly, turning away. “She failed me. I don’t do second chances.” His robe swirled as he left.

As Demanitus stalked off, Frederic remained, watching the fireflies emerge. Some wounds never healed, some regrets never faded. But unlike Demanitus, Frederic would move mountains to bring his daughters home.

Chapter Text

Eugene paced back and forth in his cell.

Caine lay on her side, she was trying to be calm, but her mind was reeling just as fast as Eugene’s steps. She wanted to be calm, she tried not to think of Cassandra and their prison and their mistakes, she watched Eugene pace, she counted his steps silently: one, two, three, four steps, pivot, one, two, three, four steps, pivot, one, two, three, four steps, pivot, one, two, three, four— five steps? Pivot, one, two, three, four steps, pivot…

Eugene was rambling. Caine didn’t listen. The words were a mumbled mess that only got more mumbled as they mixed with her own anxieties and distracted from her counting.

Cassandra woke up like every morning, to the sound of Rapunzel humming and doing her best to remain optimistic.

“Oh, hey Cass, how ya doing?”

Cassandra smiled as she pushed herself up. “Same old, same old.” She rested her head against the bars, watching Rapunzel brush her fingers through her hair. Her movements were a bit slower than usual. Her fingers were trembling. “You okay Raps?”

“Me? Course. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not the one getting dragged out of their cell every other day for experiments.”

“No, you’re the one left behind in isolation.”

Rapunzel smiled. “I’m fine.”

“You look pale…”

“Look who’s talking. You’re always been pale. You and Gothel both… maybe it’s the darker hair. Or not because now you look more pale than ever! Especially with how the light from your hair hits you? You genuinely have a moon-like colour to your skin, and that’s not natural. It’s worrying, Cass, have I ever told you—” Rapunzel’s rambles were interrupted by a cough.

Cassandra sat up straighter. “Raps?”

Rapunzel tried to shake her head, to brush Cassandra off, but Cassandra could see blood on Rapunzel’s hand.

“Rapunzel,” Cassandra’s hair glowed brightly. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I’m f-fine, Cass…” Rapunzel's reassurance dissolved into wet, hacking coughs. Blood bloomed between her fingers as she pressed them to her lips, each convulsion forcing more crimson to bubble at the corners of her mouth. The awful gurgling sound grew louder, it was the sound of drowning, as she clawed at her own throat. Her next breath didn't come. She was choking.

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra’s fists banged against the bars. “Rapunzel!” she banged as hard as she could, but there was no let. “Help! Help! Somebody help!” she screamed.

Rapunzel curled in on herself, her eyes fixed on her hand. She didn’t look at her sister.

Cassandra’s hair glowed brighter and brighter, black rocks began to fill the space, erupting both from her skin and walls, their glow just as bright and just as useless as her hair.

Cassandras screams.

Her rocks weave around Rapunzel’s form, reaching where Cassandra couldn’t, pulsing brightly. Then the walls of their prison answered, they began to pulse too, at first white, than a faded blue… Cassandra’s rock’s lose their glow, reduced to just stone. Cassandra feels her powers leaving her. She feels her body growing weak as her knees hit the ground but she keeps screaming, raw and broken as she watched Rapunzel’s form close her eyes.

The walls keep pulsing, veins of sapphire light threading through the cells, Cassandra’s hair turns black.

She keeps screaming as tears cover her face.

Caine’s head snapped up at the first scream. Her legs buckled when she tried to stand, a consequence of days of immobility, but Eugene was already at the wall, pounding his fists against unyielding stone.

“Cassandra! Cassandra!”

The screaming was muffled by the walls but the terror in them came through clear as day. The floor was trembling, everything was trembling.

The servants of Equis’ palace were going about their business when their old queen’s screams echoed through the halls. The floor trembled, they had no clue what was going on.

A young girl dressed as a maid clung onto a pillar, her red-hair falling into her face as she closed her eyes, her small hands gripping the carved stone as the very air vibrated with someone else’s anguish.

Beyond the cells, in the lab, Rapunzel strained against her restraints, the leather biting into her wrists. “Stop it! Stop it! You have to stop this, please!” she begged. “Can’t you hear her?”

Matthews and Zhan Tiri ignore the blonde’s pleas for mercy. They instead payed attention to a glass vial that was slowly filling with a swirling indigo light.

Nearer Rapunzel, Sugracha flinched as another scream tore through the walls. The sound was familiar, it took Sugracha back to a different scream. A different girl. A millennia ago.

She looks to Rapunzel, searching for distraction but the blonde who’s face is drenched in tears as she’s forced to hear her family suffer doesn’t bring the demon much comfort.

“How many vials do we think we could fill in one session?” Tromus asks his mistress.

Zhan Tiri hummed. “I’m not sure. The vessel is stronger than she looks, I reckon we might be able to fill another but…”

Sugracha quickly steps forward, touching Tromus’ hand. “Enough, please,” she asked gently.

Tromus’ expression softens instantly, and he turned to Zhan Tiri, who nods. “Enough for one day.”

The portal came to life in the fireplace from the flickers of the green flames. Rapunzel surged against her restraints before it had even fully formed, the leather straps bit deep into her wrists as she threw her weight forward.

“Cassandra!” her voice cracked with desperation.

Tromus flicked his fingers, and the restraints dissolved into green smoke. Rapunzel stumbled forward, catching herself on the portal's shimmering edge before plunging through.

She emerged into her cell.

Black rocks made it hard to find her footing. She could just see through the gaps how Cassandra lay collapsed. The rocks that surrounded her were less smooth than the others, they were in a circular pattern, Rapunzel realises those rocks weren’t made by Cassandra but by the moonstone in a last ditch effort at trying to protect its human once it realised its powers were being taken.

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel called.

“R-Raps?” Cassandra's voice was raw from screaming. She lifted her head with visible effort, her dark hair clinging to sweat-slicked skin. Her eyes, wide and glassy with exhaustion, scanned the rock formations wildly.

“Here! I'm here!” Rapunzel scrambled over the rocks, her bare feet slipping on uneven stone. A jagged edge caught her thigh, drawing a thin red line she didn't feel. She needed Cassandra to see her, needed those terrified eyes to focus on her living, breathing, unharmed form.

When she finally crashed to her knees before the bars of her cell, she could see Cassandra’s terrified face. “Look at me. It wasn't real. I'm right here.” Rapunzel’s hands gripped the bars of her cell, the distance between seeming so much larger than it had yesterday.

Cassandra's breath hitched. Her fingers rose to clutch to reach for Rapunzel but could only touch air and rock.

Zhan Tiri stepped into the corridor, followed by her two disciples.

Sugracha pulled out her paintbrush and with it she removed the illusion, it flickered and died like a candle before dissolving completely.

Zhan Tiri payed no notice to the sisters, she pulls out the vial and carefully drops a single droplet of moonlight onto one of the larger black rocks, watching as it glowed and grew. “Perfect.”

She dropped another droplet onto her hand, soon her beads and skin shimmered with stolen power and as she raised her hand and flexed her fingers the blue energy crackled along her skin before the rocks retreated back into the ground at her order.

She grins. Weeks of experimentation was paying off. She’d found a way to take the moonstone’s powers.

“Well done, my darlings,” Zhan Tiri praised Tromus and Sugracha. “Another successful experiment. We’ll resume tomorrow.”

As the demon swept away, Sugracha lingered, Tromus noticed, waiting to see what Sugracha would do.

Cassandra was still crying.

Sugracha moved closer. She didn’t touch her or say anything. But she raised a paintbrush, sweeping it through the air before she’d even fully decided on what to do. One stroke dissolved the bars between Cassandra and Rapunzel, the sisters crashed together before their situation inevitably changed again.

But the crying didn't stop.

Cassandra’s shoulders shook violently even as she clung to Rapunzel, her breath coming in ragged gulps.

Sugracha’s brush hovered. The sobbing just like the screams were far too familiar.

Tromus observed quietly. “Sugar?”

With a decisive flick, Sugracha erased the remaining barriers, creating one large cell, Caine was through in an instant, taking Cassandra from Rapunzel like she were reclaiming a stuffed toy from another child, gathering Cassandra against her chest while Eugene checked Rapunzel for injuries.

“Cassandra!” Caine was pulling her girlfriend away from the sheep-demon who stood over her.

Eugene looked like he was preparing to fight if need be.

Sugracha however stepped back, giving them space. She watched them cling to each other, her expression unreadable. “You’ll need to be well-rested so my Mistress can continue to feed of your powers…” she said, as though to justify her act of kindness. “I won’t hesitate to put those walls back up if you do anything my mistress won’t approve off…”

As she phased through stone, Tromus fell into step beside her. Neither spoke.

The moment the four were alone, they collapsed into each other, a tangle of shaking limbs and whispered comforts. Rapunzel assuring she was alive. Cassandra finally taking deep breaths. Caine’s fingers were in Cassandra’s hair. Eugene’s arms were around Rapunzel.

“Why were you screaming?” Caine asked, checking Cassandra over for new injuries.

Cassandra shook her head. “A cruel illusion.”

Caine took a deep breath, showering Cassandra with kisses. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”

“Eugene,” Rapunzel smiled at her fiance who she’d not been able to hug in what felt like forever.

“You look tired,” he said.

“Needed to get back to Cass before she died trying to get to me…” she took a deep breath before explaining what had happened for Eugene and Caine.

The four soon were sat close together. Hands wrapped tightly around each other. The fear of being separated once more high. The relief of finally being able to hold one another higher.

Chapter Text

Eugene’s arms tightened around Rapunzel as he let out a dramatic sigh. “Months. Actual months. And not one of you thought, ‘Hmm, Eugene’s suspiciously absent—maybe we should investigate?’”

“Well, first of: I don’t care,” Caine responded simply. “And secondly, we were busy.”

“I care,” Cassandra murmured, her fingers twitching weakly against Caine’s sleeve. The morning’s power drain had left her hollowed out. “But I was busy, Caine’s right. I thought I was saving the world, but umm… in the wrong direction, apparently.”

“I assumed you had your hands fill handling Cassandra’s whole... situation.” She gestured vaguely at her sister. “I was definitely worried about the lack of letters, but I assumed you had a good reason. None of the ravens seems particularly distressed…”

“Ah yes, my stellar avian communication system,” Eugene deadpanned. “Clearly needs work. They were probably celebrating the time off.”

“Say what you want about my precious little Birdbrain, if I disappeared from the face of the earth, he’d be screaming from every rooftop in the kingdom, he’d throw the biggest tantrum known to bird kind,” Caine said, suddenly ignoring Cassandra to give her favourite raven some kisses. “Isn’t that right, my little no-thoughts-void?”

The raven preened under her attention while Cassandra looked betrayed.

Eugene flopped back dramatically. “I don't think I'm ever recovering from this.”

“You mean your ego isn’t?” Cassandra corrected, leaning forward.

“Oh, teasing coming from Miss I-Accidentally-Joined-The-Dark-Side-For-Mummy-Issues—”

Cassandra stuck out her tongue just as Rapunzel interjected, “At least we’re all together now! We’re together and we can escape together! Eventually… once we know how.”

“I have a plan… or… I have… I’ve been doing stuff… it’s not a plan per se…”

“What is it, my love?” Caine asked.

“Sugracha, the one who draws, she… she has a soft spot for Gothel and… she clearly sees me in her. Apparently, I look a lot like she used to? So I’ve been trying to get closer to her. She opened up the cells, so… seems like it’s working.”

Caine nodded.

“I find it weird that I look like her… I guess she had to be my age at one point, huh? Two thousand or so years ago?” Cassandra snickered.

“You're surprised you look like her?” Caine arched an eyebrow. “Cass, you're biologically identical.”

“Well… half.” Cassandra leaned forward, stretching her arms. “I guess I have a dad… somewhere … probably doesn’t know I exist. Doubt I’ll ever know who he was but…” Cassandra frowned, noticing her friends and family giving her very odd looks. “What?”

“Does she not know?” Caine asked Eugene.

“Nobody told her?” Rapunzel added as if she weren’t part of the problem.

“Well, don’t look at me , I’ve been imprisoned for the past who knows how long!”

Cassandra sat up straight. “Tell me what ?”

“Don’t freak out,” Rapunzel started.

Cassandra turned to Caine, who suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. “What haven’t you been telling me?”

“I assumed you knew,” Caine said as though that were an excuse.

“You know how mum and dad explored the tunnels, right?”

“Yeah…”

“You wanna know what they discovered about you down there?” Rapunzel asked as though it were a fun and whimsy discovery rather than… what it was.

“Just say it.” Cassandra looked between the three, feeling betrayed that everybody knew something except her.

“You’re gonna need to process this,” Eugene warned.

“Silver lining: At least by being the last to find out you don’t have to worry about our feelings on the matter,” Caine tried to help. “We love you.”

“Can someone get to the point?”

“Gothel isn’t your mother,” Rapunzel said slowly.

Cassandra sat up straighter. “She… isn’t?” She looked away. “That’s… good? I think… maybe… what?”

“She’s not your mother because a mother implies pregnancy or unconditional love—neither of which happened.”

Cassandra looked at Caine, really hoping someone other than Rapunzel would help explain this.

“You instead were made in a lab, you know, a lab: like Varian has.”

“I know what a lab is.”

“You’re biologically just… fully Gothel … you’re like a copy, but with magic… she wanted a magic copy of herself.”

“We don’t know why yet,” added Eugene very unhelpfully.

“Gothel… made a copy of herself with magic in a lab?” Cassandra took this information in, clearly not actually processing it. “Which is what I am… okay… well… okay…”

“She actually didn’t just make ‘a copy’, she made hundreds of copies, you’re just the only surviving one,” Caine finally decided to add to the explanation in the least tactful way she could find.

“Well, don’t tell her like that!” Eugene exclaimed. “Couldn’t even try to soften the blow?”

“What blow?”

“Hundreds of dead siblings?”

“They’re not siblings. Gothel isn’t even her mother, we established this.”

Cassandra stared into the middle distance, her fingers twitching against her lap.

Rapunzel hummed. “We said you’d need to process.”

“So I am my mother.” Cassandra lay back into Caine’s arms.

“Don’t say that,” Caine said, kissing Cassandra atop the head. “Does the body make the person? I think not. You’re you and we love you. Nobody remembers being born, so does it really matter if you weren’t?”

“I don’t know what any of this means,” Cassandra said honestly.

“It means you’re very weird, but we all knew that already,” Eugene said as he nudged her foot.

“And Gothel's evil,” Rapunzel added. “Also known.”

Cassandra frowned. “Raps… how long have you guys know this? Because, when you were all trying to convince me not to trust Gothel... nobody thought to lead with the dead children?”

Silence filled the cell.

With a shuddering breath, Cassandra collapsed back against Caine. “Next time she rises from the dead, lead with the dead children. Just... lead with that.”

“Noted,” Eugene muttered.

Cassandra closed her eyes. “They can separate the cells again now,” she announced to the ceiling. “I'm ready to be alone with my existential crisis, please.”

Eugene hit Cassandra with one of the pillows he’d sold his blood for.

Cassandra’s hair flared blue as she laughed and reached for another pillow, intent on fighting back.

Rapunzel dove for cover behind her hair while Caine just backed away, intent on protecting Hamuel from the cross-fire. “Hey! Hey! Easy! I got precious cargo here!”

Chapter Text

The celestial pulsed in Stalyan’s grip like a second heartbeat as she paced the length of her office. “I still can’t believe Caine is stuck in Equis’ castle with… some sort of being of evil. And not evil like me or my dad, but like evil-evil. The sort of evil that makes my worst crimes look like a child’s tantrum, making me seriously concerned for Caine’s safety.” Her boots struck the floorboards as she paced. “It’s so hard to do this without her. She’s the reason I changed… her, and my bastard dad being a good-for-nothing liar, but mostly for her. And now, without her… I messed up.”

Her fist connected with the desk, sending papers fluttering. “I shouldn’t have released him! I don’t know what came over me. Seeing those two Brotherhood warriors caged like animals—” Her fingers curled over the celestial. “I couldn't do that to my own blood. Even though he deserves worse. I told Caine not to let him go, then what do I go and do? I let him go!”

She got back to pacing. “Well… I didn’t let him go far he is still half locked in amber and forced to do as I tell him if he doesn’t want his upper half in amber also, but that’s because I need all the help I can get to save Caine. Would I have kept him imprisoned had Equis not been taken over? Or would I have released him and if I had… would I be responsible for whatever horrors he’d unleash?” She dragged her hands down her face. “Dammit, I am spiralling over hypotheticals.”

She sank into her seat. “I just want Caine back. I want the world to go back to normal, or some semblance of it. I’m scared Caine isn’t okay and I wish I could do more, but… I can’t… my job right now is to keep this safe…” she glanced at her celestial before looking up.

Patchy, the quieter of the Stabbington Brothers who had just came in to fetch a new mission, nodded.

Stalyan sighed. “You’re a pretty good listener. Most of my men would be chatting away offering useless solutions…” Scrubby leapt up onto Stalyan’s lap and she began scratching behind his eats. “You’re decent company…” the cat’s purr finally grounded her enough that she glanced at the desk, remembering her work. “Mission, right, umm…” she located and held up a file. “I know you and your brother are more used to working with the Baron’s old gang… I’ve been trying to keep the spy and criminal systems separate. But I need someone to scale Koto’s eastern towers—see if their deposed king still pulls strings.” She slid the mission brief across the desk. “Pair with my spies. Don't kill them. Payment's triple your usual rate. You two in?”

Patchy nodded.

“Great.” Stalyan smiled. “And remember, if you get the urge to betray me or any of my people… Eugene, Cass, Caine, they do second-chances, I do not.”

Patchy nodded as he left the office with a new mission.

Stalyan leaned back with a sigh. “And the worse part is I still haven’t been payed…” Scrubby butted his head against her wrist until she smiled. “Who needs gold when I've got you, huh?” Stalyan kissed her kitty before dipping her quill in ink as she wrote out several more mission statements.

She was very busy as of recently. Working with Vex while managing/babysitting both the Baron’s old people and Eugene’s. Trying to keep tabs on all the kingdoms that may be a threat and find a way to save Equis.

At the moment, it seemed like Corona had a good shot at coming up with a solution, but that didn’t mean there was time to rest. If Xavier’s metal didn’t come out as planned, they’d need a new solution and if Stalyan could just figure out where Caine and the others were being kept, she could definitely sneak people into the palace and get them out.

But so far there had been no luck locating her missing friend, magic probably had something to do with it. Stalyan really wished Caine could have found a none-magical girlfriend. Heck. If she could go back in time, she’d have accepted Caine’s request to date, skipped Eugene and skipped all this magic bullshit.

But that would have involved lying about her feelings and… dammit, she was going soft. Sat here worrying about friends and lies.

“—and then Ren showed me how to adjust tax percentages for grain shortages!” the little girl’s legs swung excitedly beneath the chair. “It was amazing! Why haven’t I been in an internship earlier? There is so much to learn and it’s amazing.”

Vex massaged her temples. “Probably because earlier you were like… ten?” she muttered. “Anything relevant, kid?”

“I’m ten now .” Cherry huffed.

Vex threw her head into her hands, wondering if this is how Quaid felt, trying to teach her as a young teenager to be a sheriff.

“We heard Queen Cassandra screaming yesterday. Couldn’t pinpoint the location, but it proves they’re in the palace, physically at least, sound doesn't carry between realms.”

Vex looked up. “You’re certain it was Cassandra?”

“I never met her, but other palace staff did, they’re certain. Ren thinks they’re in a pocket space! Like those magic boxes that are bigger inside! Or those locations hat you can only access on the full moon every two decades,” Cherry beamed as if discussing a carnival trick rather than an eldritch prison.

“Good work, Agent Puzzles.” Vex ushered the girl toward the tunnel exit, where a shaggy pony waited. The underground settlement bustled around them, a city of repurposed ship hulls and wagon frames, lit by stolen chandeliers. Inspired by Vex’s no longer existing home: Vardaros. This was a sanctuary for all those whose loyalty to Cassandra or Corona was too well known for them to live safely above ground. “Stay safe. Report anything new.”

Cherry’s salute was perfect. The attention to detail from how the straight back to always using her right hand surely would have impressed Quaid. Vex didn’t notice. Cherry scrambled onto Puzzles’ back and Vex watched them vanish up the passage, jaw tight. Sending children into danger turned her stomach, but Cherry slipped through the palace like a ghost. And with the world at stake...

Vex turned back to her maps of Equis’ castle. Somewhere in those stone walls, four people were screaming. And she’d tear the place apart to find them.

Chapter Text

Caine slept with Cassandra curled against her chest, their first peaceful rest in weeks.

Across the cell, Eugene used Rapunzel’s hair as a pillow while the princess kept watch, not that there was much to watch out for, but they all slept easier knowing someone was awake.

The blinding light came without warning.

Rapunzel jerked upright, jostling Eugene whose startled grunt woke Cassandra. The Moonstone’s glow flared rousing Caine.

“Huh…” Zhan Tiri frowned at the unified cell. Tromus remained silent at her side.

The demon's gaze settled on her targets. “Him first,” she ordered.

Tromus moved across the cell as a shadow, wrenching Eugene from Rapunzel’s grasp before she could react. Zhan Tiri seized Cassandra, her claws digging into the girl’s shoulders as Caine lunged, but a single twitch of Zhan Tiri’s fingers and Caine’s necklace constricted, dropping her to her knees with a choked gasp.

Rapunzel too looked ready to pounce but she held back, the portal was open, like every time they took Cassandra, fighting wouldn’t stop this… but fighting might lead them back to the previous cell arrangement and Rapunzel couldn’t bear the idea of being separated again.

So Caine and Rapunzel watched helplessly as their partners were taken.

Caine closed her eyes once the portal closed, feeling defeated.

“They’ll be back soon…” Rapunzel whispered, placing a gentle hand on Caine’s back. “They always are.”

“I know,” Caine said, taking a deep breath before straightening, wiping at her eyes. “Cards?”

Rapunzel blinked. “What?”

“You can’t be worse than Eugene. He owes me half Corona’s treasury at this point.”

“You… won’t be getting payed. He doesn’t have any right to Corona’s treasury yet… we’re not married.”

“I’m aware. Holding that debt over his head for the rest of his life is going to be way more fun anyway.”

With a shaky laugh, Rapunzel took the offered deck.

Eugene’s restraints bit into his wrists as the needle found his vein. He turned his face away, focusing on the wall’s rough texture rather than the dark liquid filling the vial.

Cassandra thrashed until the restraints locked. After the click though she became still, her shoulders slumped. “What type of stupid test are you doing today?” Cassandra glared at Zhan Tiri with tears in her eyes, still shook up from yesterday.

“Patience,” Zhan Tiri said, walking over to Tromus, who handed her the vial of Eugene’s blood.

Zhan Tiri mixed the blood with another vial of a iridescent liquid, said vial began to glow, then the celestials began to circle her, glowing in sync with the vial.

Cassandra watched this, she already knew Zhan Tiri had control over the celestials through Eugene, it was the first time she saw it happening through. The fact Zhan Tiri required Eugene’s blood to trick the celestials was both comforting and scary.

Cassandra wondered how long the control would last. Did the blood need to be fresh? Or did she have plenty stored away?

The blue celestial struck without warning.

Cassandra screamed, her hair glowed. The chair beneath her flared cyan, siphoning her power into a waiting vial.

“Cassandra!” Eugene pulled at his restraints.

After just a moment, Cassandra hung limp in the restraints, her breathing ragged.

Eugene watched on in horror.

Zhan Tiri corked up the vial, handing it to Tromus who labelled it and placed it on a shelf.

Sugracha moved forward with a glass of water in hand for Cassandra. “Are you sure doing these in such close proximity to one another is a good idea? She’s barely recovered from yesterday. We could wait another day?”

Zhan Tiri frowned at Sugracha’s concern. “Tromus… return them to their room.”

Tromus nodded. With a wave of his hands, the restraints vanished. Eugene moved to Cassandra’s side, helping her up. Tromus opened the portal and didn’t need to say anything for the two to already be halfway through. Eugene wanted to get back to Rapunzel, and he knew Cassandra could rest with Caine.

Zhan Tiri turned to Sugracha. “You’re worried about her.”

Sugracha frowned. “No. That’s not it. I’m worried if she dies, it’ll be a setback.”

“No… you’re worried about her. That’s why you changed the layout of the cells.”

Sugracha frowned, unable to easily deny that. “She looks like Gothel.”

“I’m aware…” Zhan Tiri sighed, moving over to her labelled tests. “But she’s not. Gothel is dead.”

Sugracha took a deep breath. “I know.”

“Why is Gothel dead?”

“Because… because of her own experiment gone wrong?” she asked.

Zhan Tiri laughed. “No, no. That little experiment was loyal to Gothel, that’s why I took Gothel’s appearance. No. Gothel died because she flew too close to the sun. She got too confident. She thought she could live forever. She stopped taking precautions.”

Sugracha nodded. “And?”

“And? I’m asking you to not do the same.”

“What does me wanting Gothel’s legacy, her final experiment and the most successful, to remain alive have to do with getting too confident?”

“Because you’re forgetting that Gothel’s legacy might be useful to us now, but she’s also one of the biggest threats to our success. Her, the sundrop, the dark prince and… well, the pirate’s not a direct threat, but I don’t think we should underestimate her either. I was caught off guard when she stabbed that reflection. You never want to be caught off-guard by a wildcard.”

“I know she’s a threat… I haven’t forgotten that. I just… I don’t want to see her suffer.”

“Then don’t.” Zhan Tiri said softly. “I’ll have Tromus take on your lab duties.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“But it’s what we’re doing. You can bring her food and be the ‘caring’ part of this experiment. Understood?”

Sugracha sighed but nodded. “Yes Mistress. Thank you.”

Cassandra trembled against Caine’s side.

“I heard you scream.”

“The celestials are powerful and painful but it only lasted an instant,” Cassandra whispered.

“Okay… good.”

“Now she’s got a way to control the celestials and steal the moonstone’s power…” Eugene was staring at the ceiling. “She’s only missing the sundrop to have a full set.”

“And the celestial Stalyan has,” Caine reminded.

“The safety of the world resting on Stalyan’s shoulders is a terrifying prospect,” Eugene murmured.

“We don’t yet know if it’s the safety of the world…” Caine whispered.

“Hey… remember how the sheep demon removed the walls to make the cell different?” Cassandra asked, her voice slow and low from exhaustion after having some of her power absorbed.

“Yeah?” Rapunzel asked.

“I feel like… there’s a lot of magic in this room… I have magic. Eugene has magic. Raps has magic… couldn’t we… maybe do stuff with our magic?”

“Love your optimism, Cass… but I don’t think so,” Eugene said honestly. “The only thing I can do with my powers is animal chatter.”

“Have you tried to do more?” Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. “All I did for the first twenty years was talk to animals. Then Caine was in trouble and suddenly my magic could do more.”

“Need I remind you, you nearly died that adventure?”

“I also heard Caine say I love you for the first time that day.”

Caine smiled. “You practically blackmailed me into confessing.”

“The start of something beautiful,” Cassandra whispered, her breathing still a bit ragged.

Caine's arms tightened around Cassandra, pressing a kiss to Cassandra’s temple. “Rest, my love. I’ve got you.”

“Okay,” Cassandra murmured, her eyes drifting shut.

Eugene watched Cassandra's breathing even out, the faint glow of the Moonstone pulsing weakly in her hair. He exhaled sharply. “Alright, Blondie. Now Cass can’t hear me, she’s right, we should probably be testing our magic out on this cell. Science experiment time?”

Rapunzel sprang up with forced enthusiasm, whipping her hair at the nearest wall. The golden strands hit the stone with a dull thump before sliding uselessly to the floor. “Phase one: complete failure!” she announced with a theatrical bow.

Eugene’s answering thumbs-up lacked conviction. His eyes remained fixed on the spot where Rapunzel's hair had fallen, as if waiting for the stones to react.

Chapter Text

Arianna sat on the ground by a stream, surrounded by luscious green grass, beautiful flowers and the sound of water flowing.

Her quill dances across the journal pages, it’s scratching barely audible over the children’s laughter, in her other hand she had a book in an ancient language she once would have needed countless hours of Varian’s translation time to decipher, but now could read on her own. She’d been exchanging babysitting for language lessons with Gothel.

“You can’t catch me!” one of the tiny Cassandra’s shouted as she sprinted through the grass with bright laughter.

Captain easily caught the little girl, lifting her up onto his shoulders, causing louder brighter laughter to echo through the trees as more little Cassandra’s circled around his feet, raising their hands and asking to be next.

Arianna smiled but didn’t raise her eyes from the journal, the laughter was causing the already beautiful flowers to bloom further, extending their petals to become bigger and more colourful.

Arianna touched the flower, and it glowed, magic spreading over her fingertips. As she moved her fingers to the water, her reflection changed briefly to another forest, one that was less colourful but so much more desirable to Arianna.

“If only we had magic…” she said, leaning back.

A sudden weight landed in her lap. Arianna blinked down at the beaming child Captain had dropped into her lap. Wild dark hair covered bright forest eyes and Arianna couldn’t hold back a laugh as she wrapped her arms around the baby.

“How many flowers do you reckon it’d take?” Captain asked, adjusting his armful of giggling girls.

“Thousands. Millions.” Arianna tucked a strand behind the little one’s ear. “And these aren’t truly magical, just reacting to them.” She nodded to where one child who was twirling around a daisy, causing it to blossom, then close up, then clossom again. “Pure Sundrop abilities. Healing and de-ageing.”

Captain nodded.

“Seems they carried that initial Sundrop magic they were made with into this world…”

Captain shifted a squirming toddler to his other hip. “Could they help us get back?”

“I don’t think so. The magic’s leaking out of them but we’d need more than what’s leaking out and while Gothel would probably cut them open in our position…”

“We’re not doing that,” Captain agreed, picking up another Cassandra, he currently had five in his arms but was tempting to grab another. He felt bad leaving them on the ground. “Hey… obviously we can’t cut into the children but… what other stuff have magic in this world that could maybe be… broken into?”

Arianna looked thoughtful. “I have theories.”

“Then let’s test them.”

Cassandra lay limp on the examination table, watching Sugracha fumble with the needle for the third time.

“How does Tromus make this look so easy?” she mumbled as she missed the vein again.

Cassandra shrugged, the movement not at all helping. “Years of evil practice?”

“Evil? I’m trying to do a blood test.” Finally Sugracha got some blood and put it into the machine which hummed to life, analysing the sample. Sugracha then pressed a hand to Cassandra’s forehead. “You’re freezing.”

“Always am. I used to beg my mama to keep the fire going in the fireplace when she left. Would lay down in front it…” Cassandra murmured.

Sugracha materialised and dropped a blanket onto Cassandra.

“Yay,” Cassandra murmured, curling further in on herself, pulling the blanket close.

“You’re unusually calm.”

“Too tired to panic,” Cassandra whispered. “Come back after eight hours of sleep.”

“Pass.”

“How did you do the thing…?”

“What thing? Get the blanket? Phase through walls? Do a blood test?”

“No.. Make the cell bigger and one.”

“Oh. Space carving… that’s easy.” Sugracha leaned back. “Tromus is the expert on spacial manipulation magic, but I’m not half bad. You just… carve. You know? Like you would a statue? But with magic, in space. Tromus used it to create his inn… you’ve been there, you met some puppies? Picked up a journal?”

Cassandra’s brows furrowed. “That was real?”

“As real as anything here.”

Cassandra hummed. “Is it special magic you use?”

“It’s… celestial magic.”

“Celestial like those stones your mistress has?”

“Yes, but… more corrupted .”

“Corrupted?”

Sugracha sighed, the machine was almost done. “Mistress tried to use the celestials millennia ago, but… they rejected her. They changed her. And in turn she would change us. For the better.” Sugracha floated into Cassandra’s view as though to prove it was better.

“Why… why would they corrupt you, but obey me and Eugene and Caine?”

Sugracha shrugged. “Magic.”

“Magic,” Cassandra groaned.

Sugracha laughed. “I think… I think the Sundrop magic is pure, incorruptible. You started your relationship with the Moonstone by introducing Sundrop magic to it. You tempered it.”

Cassandra nodded.

“I think that was the trick.”

“That’s… cool.”

“Yeah. You could call it cool…” Sugracha turned back to the machine as it beeped. “Okay, you seem to be healthy, so I’m going to return you to your friends.”

“Can I keep the blanket?”

“Sure.”

“Yay…” she murmured while holding the blanket close.

Once the portal closed behind her, Cassandra dropped her tired act. “Their powers come from the celestials. A corrupted form of that magic,” she hissed, already reaching for the nearest wall.

Her fingers brushed against the stone and she tried to pull on the power of the Moonstone, to manipulate the walls like she did the black rocks but her knees buckles. Caine, already on her feet and eyes watching like a hawk, caught her effortlessly.

“Sorry… still feeling drained.”

Caine helped Cassandra to sit down.

Rapunzel stood up. “Stand aside Moonstone.” She cracked her knuckles. “You’re not the only celestial power here.” She grinned, grabbing onto her hair as she tried to remember the words to the Sundrop incantation. “Step aside and watch the Sundrop work!”

Chapter Text

“Power of the Sun.” Rapunzel had a beautiful singing voice but as she called upon the hope incantation, her tone was bitter. This was one of their final hopes and yet these incantations had brought so much harm over the years it was hard to feel optimistic or hopeful.

“Gift me with your light.” Her hair flickered weakly before the glow took. Across the cell, Caine cradled Cassandra’s limp form against her chest, fingers tangled in her lover’s hair.

“Shine into the dark.” Rapunzel’s voice wavered. Eugene’s gaze darted between her and Cassandra, his jaw clenched. Now maybe wasn’t the best time for an escape attempt. But when would be the best time?

“Restore our fading sight.” Rapunzel’s hair was glowing intensely now, casting long shadows on the damp stone wall.

“Rise into the dawn.” Rapunzel’s feet lifted slightly off the ground, her body trembling with effort. Cassandra stirred in Caine’s arms, a pained whimper escaping her as she buried her face against Caine’s shoulder.

“Blazing star so bright.” The words echoed in the cell. Cassandra flinched. The first time she’d heard this incantation, she’d had to fight Rapunzel.

“Burn away the strife.” The second time, she’d been dragged away from her home and into this prison.

“Let my hope ignite.” Rapunzel’s voice grew stronger, her hair blazing like a dying star.

“Let hope ignite!”

With a cry, Rapunzel lashed her hair against the wall—

Nothing .

The light snuffed out. Rapunzel crashed back to the ground, her knees buckling. Eugene caught her before she could collapse entirely, pulling her against his chest. She sagged into him, breath ragged.

“I really thought that’d work,” she whispered, voice breaking.

Eugene pressed a kiss to her temple. “Maybe it’s for the best, Sunshine. Cass isn’t in any shape to run.” He glanced at Cassandra, who was now blinking sluggishly, her fingers weakly gripping Caine’s sleeve. “We’ve got one shot at this. If we waste it, they’ll separate us. Or worse.”

Rapunzel swallowed hard, then nodded. “True.” She kissed Eugene gently before she pulled away, forcing a weak smile as she moved to sit beside Caine and Cassandra. “You know,” she said, her voice deliberately light. “I like to compare Cassandra to a cat.”

“Why?” Caine asked.

“She likes to sleep a lot. She loves warm stuff.”

“She bites and claws,” Eugene added with a tired smirk.

“No cat’s ever bitten me,” Caine said. “Sounds like a you-issue Fitzherbert.”

Eugene shot her a glare. “Cats are probably just more scared of you.”

“Sure.”

Cassandra’s lips twitched. “If I were a cat… a real cat… I’d definitely bite Eugene,” she mumbled, voice thick with exhaustion.

“Agreed,” Caine added.

Eugene smiled and threw his hands up in the air in a dramatic show of exasperation. “You two can’t help but team up against me, can you? Even during imprisonment?”

“Something about you…” Caine teased.

“I wouldn’t bite you as a cat,” Rapunzel said lovingly.

“Great, if there were three cats in this room, only two would be out for my blood.”

“Small victories, Eugene,” Cassandra said.

“The only types he’ll ever know,” Caine added.

Eugene looked to Rapunzel for backup, but she was already staring at the walls again, her fingers tracing the cracks in the stone. Thinking. Planning.

“You two are impossible,” he muttered.

Caine smirked. “We try.”

It was the middle of the night—or at least, they thought it was. Time blurred in captivity. The others were asleep when Cassandra nudged Rapunzel awake.

“What is it?” Rapunzel whispered, rubbing her eyes.

“I’m feeling… less tired,” Cassandra murmured.

“Great… I’m feeling more tired... you know, cause it’s the middle of the night?”

Cassandra smiled. “Let’s try again. Both of us. Both incantations.”

Rapunzel hesitated, then sat up and nodded. “Okay. Good idea. And if it doesn’t work, we sleep.”

They crept to the farthest wall, hands pressed against the cold stone.

“Ready?” Rapunzel whispered.

Cassandra took a shaky breath. “Ready.”

They spoke in unison—Rapunzel’s incantation was bright with hope, while Cassandra’s was dark yet filled with determination.

Their hair ignited, their bodies lifting from the ground as power crackled around them. Rapunzel’s eyes burned gold; Cassandra’s flared blue.

“NOW!”

Rapunzel’s hair lashed forward. Cassandra’s rocks erupted from the ground.

The wall cracked.

Then—

It gave way.

A gust of stale air rushed in from the hallway beyond. They dropped back to the ground, panting.

“We did it,” Rapunzel gasped.

Before Cassandra and Rapunzel could even catch their breath, Eugene was grabbing Rapunzel’s hand and Caine seizing Cassandra’s, and they were running down the hallway.

Eugene led them through the twisting halls, his grip so tight it was almost bruising on Rapunzel’s wrist. “Zhan Tiri knows the tunnels,” Rapunzel pointed out.

“Not as well as the moles do,” Cassandra said.

“We won’t head to Corona, too obvious. But anywhere will be safer than here and those tunnels go everywhere,” Eugene explained.

“Bayangor,” Cassandra suggested.

“Sure,” Eugene agreed.

They slipped into the narrow passageway, the air thick with damp and rot. Eugene dropped to his knees, scanning the darkness. A rat scurried into view.

Caine hissed at the rat like a cat would. “Don’t trust it!”

Eugene ignored her, scooping the creature up. “Hey, are there any other humans down here?”

The rat squeaked.

“The last rat I gave my heart to turned out to be a traitor,” Caine muttered.

Cassandra frowned. “No time for grudges now, Caine. We need the info, no time for background checks.”

Caine didn’t look happy at all.

Eugene listened, then nodded. “Clear path to Bayangor. Let’s go.”

The group nodded and quickly started to walk in the direction Eugene lead.

Unfortunately, they didn’t make it very far.

Caine started to struggle to breathe.

She didn’t want to say anything, but Cassandra noticed.

“Go without me,” Caine ordered.

Cassandra’s fingers moved to the necklace, not seeing any way to remove it she helped Caine to sit and turned towards the others. “You two go,” she said. “Get help.”

“We can’t just leave you…” Rapunzel argued.

Cassandra opened her mouth to point out better half free than none.

But then she noticed a shadow on the other half of the hallways that looked a tad too human. Then Sugracha appeared, looking disappointed.

Cassandra turned, only to see Tromus blocking the other end of the tunnel.

Trapped.

Caine was able to breathe again, but the air didn’t taste good as she clung tighter to Cassandra.

They were dragged back.

New cells.

Four this time.

No windows. No cracks. No way to see each other.

Cassandra collapsed in the corner, her body shaking.

When Sugracha appeared with a blanket, Cassandra didn’t even look at her. She just curled tighter into herself.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Sugracha murmured, draping the fabric over her. “I told you to behave.”

Cassandra’s voice was a broken whisper. “I want to go home.”

Sugracha sighed. “I don’t blame you.”

She left.

Cassandra pulled the blanket over her head and let herself cry.

In her own cell, Caine pressed her forehead to the stone, guilt gnawing at her ribs. Why had she accepted the necklace? Why hadn’t she forced Cassandra to go on without her?

Eugene punched the wall, his knuckles splitting. They’d been so close. Why hadn’t he been more prepared? Why hadn’t he had a better plan ready to go? Why couldn’t he escape this place? He fell to his knees.

Rapunzel lay wrapped up in her hair, sobbing. She’d had her sister, then she’d had Cassandra, Caine and, most importantly, Eugene.

Now, she had nobody.

Chapter Text

“I think we should redistribute the cells again,” Sugracha said to Tromus. “Obviously, allowing the Sundrop and Moonstone to be together was a mistake. But we could put the Moonstone with her flame and I guess throw the Sundrop in with the blood-bank while we’re at it.”

Tromus shook his head. “They’re best separated fully.”

“But we need them alive and they’re barely living right now,” Sugracha countered.

“Sugracha—”

“The Moonstone doesn’t handle isolation well. We know this. That’s why her mother’s reflection became such a problem. Remove her flame, and she shatters. But give her comfort, and she is easy to use.”

“Sugracha, that was a different time.”

“I’d argue—”

“Back then, the moonstone had tasks to carry out. Now? All she needs to do is lash out when we need her power. That’s it.”

“And comfort will fuel those outbursts!” Sugracha smiled proudly. “You know I’m right.”

“Everybody knows where your head is right now, Sugar, and you need to stop it.”

Sugracha’s smile faltered.

“I know you miss Gothel.” Tromus’ voice softened. “I do too. And I know this look-a-like feels like her. But as someone who’s been working with her for quite some time, let me tell you, she’s not Gothel, she never will be.”

“She is, though…” Sugracha insisted, fingers twitching like she wanted to reach for something—or someone—long gone. “Gothel was just as naïve before the betrayals started. And I wish she’d been given the privilege of staying that way.”

“That clone has been betrayed far more than Gothel ever was and continues to be naïve. You can excuse that in many ways, Sugar, but she’s not the same person as Gothel. She’s her own being. One you shouldn’t get attached to. We don’t know what our Mistress will ultimately have to do to gain full control of the Moonstone, and that’s been our goal for millennia now.”

Sugracha’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not straying from our goals.”

“You will,” Tromus said quietly, “if you don’t let go.”

A beat of silence. Then Sugracha leaned back, eyes distant. “If she sided with us, we wouldn’t need to force control. We’d already have it.”

Tromus scoffed. “If you wanted her loyalty, you should have thought of that before you tried to brainwash her mother and sister. Before I got Equis involved in witch burnings. Before our Mistress killed those guards.”

“Had I known I would have, but…” she sighed. “Is it so wrong for me to wish we were four again?”

“It’s not wrong, Sugracha. It’s just not possible. Gothel is gone. You need to accept that and move on before you do something you’ll regret.”

Sugracha closed her eyes. “I know.”

“You should make some art. Paint her.” Tromus nudged Sugracha gently. “She’d of loved that.”

Sugracha sighed. “Okay…”

“Do you doubt our mission?”

“No. Never.” And her voice held firm despite everything. “I was there when the kingdom turned on us—after years of loyalty. I would die to ensure a world where the unknown isn’t the scariest thing imaginable and being different isn’t a death sentence.”

Tromus nodded.

“I carry our goal close to my heart. Which is why harming those who are going through the same struggle we did… it’s hard.”

“I didn’t much enjoy parts of this plan either.”

“But it’s for the greater good.”

Tromus nodded.

“I’ve not forgotten. I will never forget. Don’t worry.”

“If you need to talk, I’m always around.”

“I know.” She sighed. “Talking won’t really fix this, though.”

Zhan Tiri was in the lab.

Her fingers hovered over a vial of captured Moonstone magic, its eerie blue glow flickering like a dying star. The rocks she’d summoned earlier—pitifully few—lay scattered across the lab floor.

Pathetic .

The Celestials obeyed her well enough, their power leashed by potions and blood rituals. But the Moonstone? It resisted.

It shared its power freely with its Sundrop counterpart, offering her protection. It clung to its host, sustaining her despite being a power of destruction. But for Zhan Tiri? It fought against her will. It refused her orders even now.

She’d hoped the blood would be enough to deceive it, like the celestials. A sentient power with no eyes, no ears—how could it know? And yet, it did.

The Moonstone remembered.

And it hated her.

Tromus prepared the prisoners’ meals:

Eugene’s plate was heavy with iron-rich meats, a quiet concession to the blood he’d lost.

Cassandra’s was warm, soft, mashed potatoes with cheese and sweet beans—comfort food. (Sugracha was right. Comfort would make getting outbursts out of her easier.)

The others received plain ham sandwiches. No fuss. No care.

As he plated up the meals, he thought of their goals. They had control of the celestials. They had some control over the Moonstone, but the Sundrop… that was a problem.

The Moonstone could be removed. Torn from Cassandra’s chest if needed. But the Sundrop? It was woven into Rapunzel’s soul.

Tromus had scoured every ancient text, every forgotten spell. Nothing .

Two thousand years of survival had dulled his brilliance. He’d confessed as much to Zhan Tiri, but she’d waved him off.

“We have time,” she’d said, voice gentle.

And she was right.

Who would dare cross a border of black rocks? Who would fight magic long forgotten?

Who would even try?

Cassandra was crying when she got an odd but familiar feeling in her chest.

The black rocks of the border had been damaged. No. Destroyed.

Someone had breached Equis.

From the south.

From Corona.

Her breath caught. Hope and terror warred in her heart.

They came.

Oh no —they came.

Chapter Text

“Okay, priority list—” Stalyan cracked her knuckles as she and Vex crept through the tunnels. “Caine first. Obviously.”

Vex rolled her eyes.

“Then it goes… Eugene, cause his owes me money—wait, no! Scratch that. Cassandra , s he also owes me money, plus she’s dating my best friend. Then Eugene. Then the other one.”

“Princess Rapunzel?”

“Yep, that’s the one.”

Vex shook her head and helped Stalyan up and out of the tunnels into Equis’ palace.

“Things seem pretty calm for a castle under attack,” Stalyan whispered.

“Yep,” Vex shrugged and moved forward as though they belonged.

They passed a pair of servants hauling laundry, their chatter casual.

“Did you hear about the border?”

“Yeah. D’you think it’ll mess with our shifts?”

“Does nobody care their kingdom is being overtaken again?” Stalyan asked Vex.

“I mean… people were worried when Cassandra took over, but that turned out for the best. When Cassandra was imprisoned, her advisers just started managing stuff so not much changed. You can only worry so much when disaster keeps striking, eventually you just go with the flow.”

“I can respect the chill but… shouldn’t the guards at least be reacting?”

“What guards?” Vex grinned.

“What guards?” Pamon asked, blinking at Zhan Tiri’s order to mobilise them. “You killed them.”

There was a purple aura surrounding Zhan Tiri that seemed to darken with her irritation. “I only killed a handful that were in the area. There must have been others patrolling the kingdom.”

“All resigned. They do that.”

Zhan Tiri’s tentacles twitched. “So this kingdom’s had zero defence for weeks?”

“Exactly. It’s been an interesting case study no kingdom would be foolish enough to try. Self-appointed sheriffs in small towns really are better than people credit them for. Unfortunately, we don’t pay them, thereby have no power over them. I could ask the servants—” He glanced at a maid dusting a tapestry. “But I’m pretty sure they’re pretending not to notice and have zero fighting skills, anyway.”

Zhan Tiri sighed. “Fine. I’ll handle this myself.”

Pamon nodded. “Should I start searching for a constructor to rebuild the border after?”

“No.” Her voice was icy. “I’ll make an example of these fools. Nobody will dare try again.”

“Noted. No construction.” Pamon scratched it down on his clipboard. “Ren’ll be thrilled. Great for the budget—” He looked up into an empty throne room. “—and she’s gone.”

This was how most of their meetings ended. It wasn’t ideal. But Pamon could think of worst bosses to have.

Zhan Tiri stepped out of a mirror into one of the underground tunnels before climbing up and onto a path close to the border. She smoothed her dress, adjusted her obsidian jewels, and strode forward—regal, unhurried.

She reached the border and saw the invading force, which was laughably small.

Somehow even smaller than she’d imagined.

At its head stood Willow, the queen’s sister, gripping the black-rock sword that had cleaved the border.

The guards who stood behind her were coronan, but their armour was new, it wasn’t the typical gold with the sun symbol on their chest Zhan Tiri had witnessed for the past two millennia. It was a grey, almost black with no symbol.

Their weapons were new too.

She stepped forward, smiling. “It’s quite foolish of you to invade a neighbouring kingdom, especially one so much bigger.”

“It was more foolish of you to take my nieces.”

“So you thought you’d bring some soldiers and retrieve them?” Zhan Tiri’s laugh was smooth and almost seemed to echo off the trees. “Adorable.”

“Here’s the deal—” Willow sheathed the sword, slow, deliberate. “Hand over my nieces and their partners and we’ll leave.”

“No.”

“I figured you’d say that. Counter-offer—” She pulled out a crossbow, Zhan Tiri’s eyes watched her, but she didn’t feel threatened by a weapon made of nothing but wood and string. “Hand over my nieces and their partners and I won’t kill you.”

“No.”

“Well, then—” Willow nocked an arrow. “You sure?”

“Certain.”

“Figured.” Willow pointed it at Zhan Tiri. “Last chance?”

“No.”

The arrow whistled through the air.

Zhan Tiri watched until the last second, then pulled one of the celestials in front of her, the black celestial, the one that manipulated the shadows. The arrow would travel through it like any other shadow and come out another shadow, hitting Willow square in the head.

Upon impact, however, the celestial and the arrow clattered to the ground.

Before Zhan Tiri could register the magic failing, Willow had another arrow ready, she shot it.

Zhan Tiri moved another celestial in front of her, only for it to fall lifelessly to the ground.

“You can’t say I didn’t give you ample opportunities to rethink this fight,” Willow said, another arrow already nocked.

She shot.

Zhan Tiri barely dodged, snatching the fallen Celestials as a third arrow pierced her shoulder. She shrieked, tentacles flaring—only for them to dissipate mid-lash.

Magic failure.

Willow’s fifth arrow was aiming between Zhan Tiri’s eyes.

Willow didn’t hesitate.

She shot.

She missed only because Zhan Tiri blocked it with another celestial that fell lifelessly into the demon’s hand.

“Three out of six out of commission…” Willow’s voice was matter-of-fact, serious, there was no play in her tone. “That’s half, by the way.” Willow shot another arrow.

Zhan Tiri barely rolled away as the arrow grazed her temple.

“Make sure she can’t escape,” Willow told the guards who were in the process of surrounding the woman. Willow pulled out another arrow.

Zhan Tiri had three celestials left.

But none were particularly useful. She shouldn’t have used the shadow Celestial. it would have been her escape, but now it was just a stone in her pocket.

Her fingers found a potion nestled in her pocket— shatter —black rocks erupted between her and Corona’s army.

“Fuck!” Willow dropped the crossbow, lunging with the sword. The rocks splintered—

But Zhan Tiri was already gone.

“After her!” Willow roared. “To the palace—now!”

The guards leaped over the smashed remains of the rocks heading straight towards Equis’ palace, intent on finding and retrieving the princesses.

Chapter Text

“According to Agent Puzzles—”

“Agent Puzzles?” Stalyan crossed her arms.

“She chose her own agent name.”

“How old is this agent? Ten ?”

“I refuse to answer.”

Stalyan frowned, her eyes narrowing, she’d been joking, however Vex’ response was anything but promising. “What are you, taking a page from my father’s book? Don’t hire children!”

“According to my agent, it’s around this area that the screams could be heard from, so I believe it’s somewhere around here they’re being kept…”

Stalyan scowled but started knocking on wall stones, pulling on candle holders and rifling through suits of armour. “Secret entrance or magic?”

“My bet is magic. Which is your speciality Agent Amber.”

“I don’t do code names.” Stalyan muttered. “And I don’t specialise in magic…” she added. Still, she tapped her boot against the floor. Amber crept across the stone in thin veins, she watched it carefully, she’d soon worked out magic often reacted to other forms of magic.

A mirror that was accumulating dust at the end of a hallway flickered.

Vex bounded forward. “Jackpot!”

“Careful—” Stalyan’s warning came too late.

Vex’s reflection lunged from the glass, seizing her wrist and yanking her through. On the other side, Vex crashed to the ground just as her crimson-eyed doppelgänger stepped out, eyes set on Stalyan.

Stalyan sighed, the amber on her armour becoming thicker as she dug her feet into the ground to ensure she couldn’t be dragged anywhere. “Hi. Welcome to the world. I’m sorry to tell you your visit will have to be brief. However, I am kind, so I will give you two options: you can either crawl back into your creepy mirror and give me my co-worker back, or we fight?” She rolled her shoulders. “The ending will be the same.”

The creature’s answering screech rattled the chandeliers.

“Fighting it is.”

It charged. Stalyan didn’t move. At the last second the amber on the ground latched onto the creature’s feet, knocking it to the ground, she watched as long sharp claws began to try to scratch at the amber but it didn’t make a dent.

“Oh, you poor sweet creature.” Stalyan tutted. “Born to fight a foe far more powerful than yourself.”

Vex, still stuck in the mirror, watched with annoyance. “Stal, for goodness’ sake stop bullying that creature and get me out of here!”

Stalyan encased the creature’s hands in amber and strolled towards the mirror. As she got close, she could see her own reflection, then she saw how her reflection reached for her, and when it couldn’t grab her, she watched as it turned on Vex instead.

“STALYAN!” Vex shrieked, bolting down the mirror hallway.

Stalyan watched, she held up her hand and sent a few tendrils of amber towards the reflective glass but they weren’t able to enter, just lay on the surface like any other mirror. “Huh, interesting.” She tilted her head, unconcerned with Vex’ safety.

Taking advantage of her own reflection being distracted, she walked up closer to the mirror to inspect and see if she could find a way to reach Zhan Tiri’s prisoners through it. But it seemed more like a trap than a form of transport.

“STALYAN!” Vex screamed out from within the mirror.

Stalyan sighed. “Ugh, fine…” she stepped back, pulling the Vex-Reflection forward with the amber. “Come here. Try to drag her back in.”

Vex sprinted for the surface. As her reflection’s fingers brushed the glass, Vex pulled, Stalyan shoved—

—and Vex tumbled free, gasping as she fell to the ground. The two reflections snarled at them from the mirror’s depths. Stalyan rolled her eyes.

“So…” Stalyan dusted her hands. “Did you see the queen or Captain while you were in there?”

Vex was still catching her breath but made sure to glare up at Stalyan. “I saw you trying to murder me.”

“Hm.” Stalyan eyed the mirror. “This seems dangerous. Mind if I…?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Amber slammed into the glass, imitating the shape of Cassandra’s rocks, shattering it.

Vex ducked as shards rained down. “I hate working with you!”

“Rude.” Stalyan pouted.

Before either could argue more, a bright glow began to come from the mirror.

“Oh shit.” Stalyan dragged Vex away from the mirror and behind her, amber at the ready.

The light began to form a circle, then a portal, and as Stalyan prepared to attack whatever came out… two familiar faces appeared.

“The queen!” Vex announced.

Arianna steadied herself against the wall, her sharp gaze dissecting the two women before her, trying to decide if they were friend or foe. Captain scanned the hallway, hand on his sword.

They’d been messing with the mirrors in the tunnels for a while now, trying to force them to activate, trying to extract their magic, trying to find a way out. Then finally : one of them opened.

Arianna noticed the mirror shards at her feet, broken , just like the mirror Eugene had been able to contact them through.

Her journal flipped open with a snap of worn leather. The pencil moved in quick, precise strokes: Mirror fractures release trapped magic. Temporary portal formation possible. She underlined it twice.

“Are you two okay?” Captain asked Vex and Stalyan.

Stalyan’s amber coiled around her fists. “That depends on whether you belong here or inside a mirror,” Stalyan asked.

“We belong here.” Arianna said simply, snapping her journal shut. “I have two daughters who I haven’t seen in months and I’m desperate to find. Do I need to do or say something to prove myself, or are you going to help me?”

“Here to help, Your Majesty,” Vex saluted.

Stalyan shrugged. “No time for tests. I’ll take your word for now and kill you if you betray me. We think your daughters and our friends are behind that wall—magic’s blocking the way.”

Arianna nodded. “Who’s magic?”

“Zhan Tiri’s, ring a bell?”

“Yup,” Arianna's fingers were already flying through pages of her journal. “Fireplace…” she glanced up. “Ah, yes, I see one.” She moved down the hall where a fireplace waited. It could have been one of many used to heat the castle, but she suspected this one was different. She checked inside, looking up to confirm there was no chimney. “Captain, the shards.”

As the soldier gathered glass, Stalyan muttered to Vex, “Since when do queens know about magic?”

“I don’t know about queens but mothers will do anything once their children are stolen,” Arianna answered flatly, accepting a large shard from Captain that she placed into the fireplace. “Besides, what else was I to do while stuck in a realm that wasn’t my own?” She began to crush the shards beneath the heel of her boot.

“I’ve learnt to read texts from the very origins of my kingdom and I’ve studied more magic than I knew existed…” she held out her hand and Captain gave her more shards. “I don’t know everything, but I sure know what we’re up against. I also know it’s not good, but that time is of the essence.” She smashed more of the shards into the fireplace, the magic began to ignite.

The fire that appeared didn’t burn nor did it consume anything, rather it crawled up and filled the space until a portal tore open with a sound like shattering glass. It then flickered and fractured into four separate portals.

Each showing a cell.

Arianna’s breath hitched.

Four faces stared back, braced for attack. Separated. Terrified.

“They’ve been alone…” Arianna whispered, pain creeping into her voice as she was unsure how long her daughters had been in isolation.

Rapunzel was curled up tightly.

Cassandra’s stare was hollow, expecting to be dragged out of her cell for more torment.

Eugene’s knuckles were bloody and pressed to stone, he looked like he was ready to fight whoever came through.

Caine didn’t look up.

Stalyan was already moving. “I’ll get Caine.”

“Fitzherbert,” Captain informed as he moved forward.

Arianna stood frozen, her eyes flickering between her two daughters, unable to choose which to save first.

Vex solved the dilemma with a bow. “I’ll get my queen.”

Arianna nodded once. Then all four stepped through.

Chapter Text

Eugene’s head snapped up as light fractured the air. Another damn portal. Another extraction.

He bared his teeth, pressing his back against the cold stone. “Not today,” he rasped, flexing fists. Let them try. He’d bite and punch, sure they’d win, but he wasn’t about to make it easy on them. If he has to suffer, so did they.

But then Captain stepped through, his beard grown, his clothes strange and travel-worn. He smiled and held out a hand to Eugene. “Let’s go.”

Rapunzel didn’t turn. The sobs shaking her shoulders were the only rebellion she had left. She wasn’t good at isolation. She had been. But she’d now tasted freedom and couldn’t do this again.

“Darling?”

She whirled so fast her hair whipped across her cheeks. “Mum?”

Arianna stood framed in swirling magic, wearing rugged expedition leathers, a journal strapped to her hip like a weapon. But her smile hadn’t changed.

“I'm dreaming...” Rapunzel whispered.

“Then make it count.” Arianna held out her hand. “Come. Let’s get out of here.”

Rapunzel grabbed on without hesitation.

Caine was glaring at the portal, snarling, mind wheeling with all the best curse-words to throw. But it wasn’t any of the usual demons that came through.

Stalyan leaped out of the portal with plenty of energy and a bright smile, the happiest it had been in a long time. It matched the upbeat yellow coloration of her amber even. “Caine! You’re alive! And you don’t even look too beat up! I’ve seen you way worse!” she skidded to her knees. “First things first,” she was speaking at lightning speed as she rummaged through her pockets, “Got you a gift!” she pulled out a necklace of almost black metal from her pocket. “Beautiful, huh? Stand still.”

“Stal—”

The necklace snapped around Caine’s throat before she could protest, humming against her skin. “Looks good on you!”

“You know I have a girlfriend, right?”

“Right.” Stalyan stood up, pulling Caine to her feet. “I got the necklace from that Xavier in Corona. This baby’ll suck that magic dry.” She tapped the necklace Zhan Tiri had placed on Caine.

“I love you.”

“Please. You’re practically engaged to someone else.” Stalyan pulled Caine through the portal.

Vex stepped into the tiny cell, spotting Cassandra’s terrified form. “Your Majesty…”

Cassandra looked up at the voice, but she didn’t seem to believe what she was seeing.

“I know I’m probably not who you wanted to come rescue you, but—”

“Vex? Oh my goodness. Vex… You’re here?” Cassandra looked away, then suddenly was on her in a heartbeat, trembling hands poking Vex’s face as if to check she wouldn’t dissolve. “How? Doesn’t matter, you’re amazing! You’re perfect!” A hysterical laugh bubbled up. “I can think of so many people who those demons would create an illusion off to trick me with, but you’re not on that list! You’re real!”

Vex blinked. “Glad to hear that… I think.”

Cassandra dragged Vex towards the portal’s light. “You’re exactly who I needed.”

The portal’s light died behind them, the hallway was enveloped in silence. For one heartbeat, two, three, no one moved. Familiar faces surrounded them. But one was far more surprising than the rest.

Cassandra stepped forward.

“Mum?” Her voice cracked as her mind was back on the battlefield.

Rapunzel swayed on her feet, fingers twisting in her own hair. “I’m dreaming,” she murmured to Cassandra, as if that were some sort of explanation. “This one is a good one…”

“You were dead.” Cassandra took another step forward. At this point in her life, really nothing should surprise her. But still, her eyes filled with tears as she wondered if it was safe to dream, to hope. “Koto invaded. You died protecting me.”

Arianna’s breath hitched. She reached out a hand, then stopped just shy of Cassandra’s cheek. “I didn’t. I wasn’t here. The mirrors took us before we got to sleep a night in this castle,” she whispered. “Oh, my brave girls, I’m so sorry.”

Cassandra took one final step forward before she collapsed into her mother’s arms with a sob that shook her entire frame. Arianna caught her with one arm while reaching desperately for Rapunzel, who moved, crashing into them both with enough force to send all three stumbling back against the wall. Rapunzel buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, her entire body shaking with silent tears as golden hair enveloped them like a shield.

Arianna pressed her lips to Cassandra’s temple, then Rapunzel’s, her own tears falling freely now. “I’ve got you,” she choked out, tightening her grip. “I’ve got you both. I’m going to get you both out of—”

The sound of metal clashing beyond the walls caused the group tear apart and rush to the nearest window. There, they could see Adira and Hector fighting off with an army. No magic was being used by the Brotherhood and it seemed the magic absorption didn’t free them of Zhan Tiri’s control.

“Shit.” Stalyan’s hands forms fists. “They’re supposed to be keeping Zhan Tiri back, which means—”

“You’ve failed.”

Every head whipped around to face the new threat. Zhan Tiri stood framed in the hallway’s archway, flanked by her disciples. Three Celestials orbited her bleeding form—their glow flickering slightly, yet still deadly.

Stalyan moved first, sliding between the group and their enemies with feline grace, her own celestial flared brightly, recognising it’s enslaved siblings and ready to fight alongside Stalyan for their freedom.

“I’ll admit. I misjudged you,” Zhan Tiri said, fire forming around her fists, her eyes going to the two princesses whose expression hardened. “But you don’t get to leave yet.”

“We weren’t planning on waiting for your permission,” Stalyan countered and struck.

Stalyan’s amber blast forced Zhan Tiri to sidestep, her side hitting one of the walls.

Cassandra summoned her black rocks that erupted from the walls and ground, separating their enemies and forcing Zhan Tiri back into Stalyan’s reach.

Rapunzel’s hair lashed out like a golden whip towards Sugracha but her paintbrush flashed, a stroke in midair and suddenly Rapunzel’s hair veered sideways, smashing into stone. The princess rolled with the momentum though towards Sugracha and came up swinging her fist at Sugracha’s jaw.

Cassandra rushed towards Zhan Tiri, black rocks at the ready, only for Tromus hand to phase through her current spikes and snag her hair.

“Agh!” Cassandra only had a second to process the pain before she was summoning more rocks, forcing Tromus to either make his whole hand ethereal or lose it.

To the side, Rapunzel’s fists managed to snag some of her glowing hair and were disrupting Sugracha’s paint magic with each strike. Golden light not allowing the paint to settle and form into anything.

Stalyan rushed towards Zhan Tiri, amber surrounding her body, she got within an inch of the warlock before spinning and backing away before Zhan Tiri’s flames could melt her amber.

“Really? You’re coming after me?” Zhan Tiri asked with a snicker. “The nobody thief?”

“Nobody?” Stalyan tried to freeze a celestial in amber just for the fire celestial to rush forward, forcing her to duck and jump back. “I’ve been standing between your goal without a sweat for a while now.”

“But now you’re right within my reach.”

“Yeah, shame you’re slow, dumb and… are you bleeding? Need a bandage?” her fingers twitched towards her belt pouch before she was forced to duck to avoid taking a fireball to the face.

Cassandra threw Tromus against a wall with her rocks only to sag against a pillar, her rocks glowing sluggishly. Her eyes darted to the side, trying to see if Rapunzel was okay just for Tromus to phase through her rocks again—“Cass!”

Caine’s voice had Cassandra ducking just in time for Tromus’ body slam into the pillar.

Cassandra grinned.

Sugracha kept trying to call on her powers, but Rapunzel’s light wouldn’t allow it. Then Rapunzel landed a solid punch that sent her sprawling into Tromus.

“Helps on the way, Cassandra!” Caine called out from the window, where she’d seen the Brotherhood finally held down.

Cassandra’s sagged shoulders straightened a bit. Just a little longer.

Zhan Tiri’s eyes darted to the window.

Stalyan rushed forward with another amber strike that grazed and ripped Zhan Tiri’s cloak before she was thrown back by one of the other celestials.

Eugene caught Stalyan, avoiding any major damage.

Zhan Tiri could hear the thunderous steps of Corona’s guards now. She took in the group, looked carefully at the Dark Prince—whose blood she required to keep controlling the celestials—, the moonstone and the sundrop. She couldn’t afford to lose them, but… they were getting closer, and she didn’t have enough magic to fight them off.

“Disciples,” she called.

The two lunged to her side.

Zhan Tiri grabbed them and, without warning, a portal came alive behind them, swallowing all three.

Nobody followed.

Perhaps they should have. Perhaps they should have tried to fight while she was weak, but—Cassandra fell to her knees, exhaustion pulling at her. They’d already given it their all.

Caine reached Cassandra first, her hands framing her girlfriend’s face.

Eugene quickly moved to steady Rapunzel, who wasn’t much more stable on her feet. She hadn’t had her powers absorbed by Zhan Tiri, but she also hadn’t eaten a good meal in quite some time. The physical activity had taken a lot out of her.

Stalyan threw her hands into her pocket, moving to stand between the Captain and Vex while the lovers and family reunited.

There was still the sound of boots, but the first person to appear wasn’t a soldier.

“Ari!” Willow’s boots pounded against stone as she skidded around the corner. The queen barely had time to turn before her sister crashed into her with enough force to make the guards wince.

“Willow.” Arianna smiled.

“Never! Fake! Die! On me! Again!” Each word landed with a half-hearted punch to Arianna’s shoulder. Willow’s voice cracked. “Do you have any idea what it was like? Watching your daughter break? Having to be the responsible one? I don’t know how to comfort a grieving daughter! I don’t even know how to grieve! I want to be the fun aunt!”

Arianna caught her sister’s fists, pulling her into another hug. “I’m sorry.”

Willow’s anger dissolved into soft cries as she buried her face in Arianna’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you too…” Arianna pressed her cheek against Willow’s hair. “Thank you for taking care of my family while I was gone.”

A wet laugh. “I was awful at it. Spent most days hiding in the barracks.”

“So that’s where she was…” Cassandra murmured.

“I know.” Arianna laughed. “But you were there when it mattered most.”

Chapter Text

Cassandra’s breath hitched. For a long moment, she simply stared at her mother’s face—tracing every new line, every cut and scar and some dust still clinging to her lashes. Then, with a shuddering gasp, she collapsed into Arianna’s arms once more.

Beside them, Rapunzel sat giggling in the hallway, her golden hair sprawled out as the fact this wasn’t just a dream began to overwhelm her with joy.

Arianna just smiled and kept a hand on each girl, waiting patiently as they processed.

Across the hall, Caine tossed peanuts Stalyan had given her into the air catching them in her mouth as Eugene watched the family reunion with a soft smile. “So the queen I stabbed was a fake, right?” she asked with her mouth still full.

Stalyan smirked, leaning against the wall. “Yup. Evil. Well done, didn’t stab an in-law on your first year dating.”

“Perfect.” Caine fished in her pocket and slapped a crumpled paper against Eugene’s chest. “Here. A gift. You need this more than me.”

Eugene unfolded the therapy appointment slip, eyebrows climbing.

“I’m just gonna trust my gut from now on,” Caine declared, stealing the entire peanut bag.

“This appointment was from two months ago?”

Nearby, Captain and Vex coordinated with Willow and the guards, their voices a low hum of plans and supply lists—the unglamorous work of assuring Equis didn’t immediately fall into the wrong hands.

“I’m so sorry Sweethearts,” Arianna said, “I never meant to scare you, I’ve been trying to get back, every minute since I’ve left all I could think about was getting back to you.”

“We missed you,” Cassandra said.

She hugged and kissed them both. “I brought you something, Cassandra.”

Cassandra blinked. “You... brought me a gift?” Her laugh was full with disbelief. “Other than the whole ‘not being dead’ thing?”

Arianna nodded pulled another journal from her satchel. The familiar cracked leather made Cassandra’s breath catch. “I shouldn’t have burnt your first one.”

Cassandra’s fingers traced the cover.

“I’ll give you lessons on how to read it another time. The scrips are tricky but I know you’ll learn fast.”

Cassandra shook her head, not questioning the gesture as she buried her face back into her mum’s shoulder.

Willow slipped away, returning moments later with Frederic in tow. The king’s footsteps faltered when he saw them—his wife buried under the weight of their daughters, her outfit streaked with soot and tears, yet smiling brighter than he’d seen in a long time (even from before her going to Equis).

Arianna didn’t rise. Couldn’t. Not with Rapunzel’s head tucked under her chin and Cassandra’s fingers twisted in her sash. But her smile was invitation enough. Frederic knelt, his boots scraping against stone as he wrapped his arms around all three of them.

“Did you think I was dead?” Arianna whispered.

Frederic nodded. “For a short amount of terrible time. Then Captain’s reflection told us otherwise. Should’ve known. Nothing short of the world ending could keep you away from your family.”

Their foreheads touched. Frederic’s shoulders trembled slightly as he held back a sob before he mastered himself.

Cassandra looked up at her parents. “Do we get to go home now?” The question slipped out before she could stop it, small and hopeful.

Rapunzel nodded against their mother's shoulder, already anticipating the answer. “Please.”

Frederic’s breath hitched. He looked to Arianna and saw the desperate ‘yes’ already forming on her lips but he had to beat her to it. “No.”

The word landed like a guillotine.

Cassandra recoiled. “What?” Her voice splintered. “But I just want—” A sob cut her off. Months of exhaustion, of fighting, of loss came crashing down as hot tears covered her face.

Frederic’s hands trembled as he cupped her face. “This day didn’t come without much planning. That demon will hunt you the moment we drop our guard. Xavier can’t make enough of that metal to protect an entire castle. But a small group moving between safe houses? That we can do.”

Cassandra knew what her father was saying made sense, but the tears just wouldn’t stop. “But I just want to go home.”

“I know Sweetheart. We all want that. But you’ll be with your sister, with your friends. And most importantly, you’ll be safe and cared for.”

“Where?” Cassandra whimpered.

“Bayangor for now. The plan isn’t to stay in one place too long, though. We want to make it as hard as possible for you to be located.”

“I hate this,” Cassandra whimpered. “I want to go home.” She was getting repetitive, but it’s all she wanted right now.

“I know.”

Caine stepped forward, an arm wrapping around Cassandra. “It’ll be okay.”

The fight drained from Cassandra’s body. She slumped against Caine, letting her girlfriend take her weight. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair.

Rapunzel remained in her mum’s arms. “Will mum come with us?”

Frederic exchanged a glance with Arianna—a silent conversation passing between them that could be summarised as ‘your choice’. The queen hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Try stopping me.”

“Captain Vex knows the route,” Frederic said, straightening his tunic. Sounding more king than dad as he had work to do.

“Captain, where are you—?”

“Corona,” Captain answered. He rubbed his temples, still disoriented from realm-jumping. “After I... readjust. My men need me.”

Frederic nodded, clasping his shoulder. “Welcome back, by the way.”

Cassandra’s fingers twitched at her sides. “What about Equis?” The question carried the weight of months spent ruling its halls, fighting for its people.

Frederic’s hand rested on her shoulder. “Bayangor's advisers have kept it stable while you were gone.” He squeezed gently. “I’ll be meeting with them personally in a moment. Offering them assistance. It’ll be in good hands. This isn’t your burden anymore, Cassandra.”

Vex stepped forward, her tone serious. “Equis is my first priority, Your Majesty, so believe me when I say, he’s telling the truth. Equis is in good hands.”

The tension in Cassandra’s shoulders eased. “Thanks Vex.”

“Now move those royal boots and bare feet,” Vex said, already backing toward a tunnel entrance. “Every second we stand here is a second Zhan Tiri’s regrouping.”

As the group began moving, Stalyan sidled up to Eugene with a catlike grin. “Got you a present, Fitzherbert.”

Eugene eyed her warily. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. It’s fun.”

“I’m even more scared.”

“Now, where’s your sense of adventure?” She produced a familiar stone from her pocket, rolling it across her knuckles.

Eugene’s breath caught. “Is that—how in seven kingdoms—?”

“I never lie to you.”

“That doesn’t—”

“Once a thief, always a thief.” She twirled the stone before dropping it into Eugene’s hands. “I knew amber alone wasn’t gonna take out three of those stones, but I thought if I got close enough…”

“You’re amazing.”

“I know. But good luck getting it working again…” she frowned at the immobile stone. “Sorry about that. We thought it was best to act promptly and taking the stones out was the fastest path to our goals.”

“I’ll find a way. And if not, hey, that means our enemy has only three stones to hit us with. We win either way.”

Stalyan gave Eugene’s shoulder a final pat. “Normally I’d say optimism’s for suckers,” she said, her usual smirk softening, “but hell, after today? Run with it.”

She moved to Cassandra’s other side. “Need a hand?” she offered Caine, moving to support some of Cassandra’s weight before an answer came. Caine looked grateful.

“I’m fine,” Cassandra murmured, though her steps dragged too much for that to be true.

Caine adjusted her grip. “Thanks Stal. You really did come just in time. That demon had just figured out how to leech the power of the Moonstone.” Her voice dropped as she looked at Cassandra’s flickering hair. “It took it’s toll on Cassandra.”

Stalyan’s jaw tightened. “Let’s hope she stays gone a good long while.”

Caine nodded. “Hopefully… but we’re going to have to assume she’s coming back.”

“And prepare…” Eugene interjected, his grip on the stolen celestial tightening.

“Master our powers,” Rapunzel glanced at her golden hair.

“And most importantly, rest,” Arianna reminded, her hand wrapped around Rapunzel’s. “Real rest.”

Cassandra managed a tired smile. “I could sleep for two—four days straight!”

Vex clapped her hands sharply. “All lovely sentiments! But before any of that we’ve still got a long way to walk so, chop—” She froze as four pairs of exhausted eyes turned her way. “...Right. Or we can go slow and steady, whatever works for ya’ll.”

The group trudged forward, their pace more funeral march than triumphant escape. Arianna had energy but her daughters’ ragged breathing was price enough reason to keep going slow.

Stalyan was the same. She looked at Vex apologetically but ultimately didn’t have it in her to be the bad guy for once. Rushing the four simply wasn’t fair.

Vex sighed dramatically but adapted to the pace of the group.

“I really wanted to go home to Corona,” Cassandra whispered.

“Same,” Arianna said with a gentle smile. “But Bayangor’s lovely. You’ll really like it. The gazebo there—”

“I’ve been, mum.”

Arianna blinked and sighed. “I’ve missed so much.”

“We’ll tell you everything ,” Rapunzel assured. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. All of us. Did you know Eugene went missing for months without any of us noticing? I thought he was with Cass, Cass thought he was with me.”

“You’re that damn ignorable, huh, Eugene?” Stalyan teased.

“I’m told you noticed.”

“You owe me money.”

“He owes me more,” Caine added. “Gambling.”

“Cassandra was an amazing queen,” Rapunzel added excitedly.

“I know,” Arianna said.

“Rapunzel took a lot of extra responsibility in Corona after you left and let me tell you, she’s gonna be a great queen one day,” Cassandra became a bit more animated with the conversation.

“I know,” Arianna nodded.

“Tell us about the mirrors,” Cassandra said.

Arianna sighed.

“Was it bad?” Cassandra looked terrified.

“There was one person I’d of rather not met, but otherwise I had good company.”

“Tell us everything!”

Arianna smiled and did. The words coming slowly at first, then faster. Others shared their tales too. The stories forming a patchwork of events that seemed so different, yet all linked together in the end.

The stories helped keep them distracted from how long the path was and how tired they were.

A lot had happened.

But there was hope.

A lot to do.

But hope.