(This chapter is based on the episode of the same name. It's written to show the events for Varian and Lashanie and therefore, it misses parts where none of them is around. To get whole picture for all characters involved, I recommend to watch the epsiode first. That being said, please enjoy!)

Nothing. Lashanie's walking through a place, empty and dark. She reaches out her hands and though she can't see them, she feels the touch of plants on her palms. With slow steps, she keeps walking further through the dark, no destination in a place where nothing can be found.

And as if this place hasn't been missing any sign of life before, out of the blue, a town appears at the horizon, small and far away, but it's there. Lashanie starts to walk faster, her hands still open to feel the touch of the invisible grass surrounding her. But no matter how far she walks, the town isn't coming any closer.

Then there's a familiar voice calling her name. "Vary!?" her voice makes a loud echo...

She turns around, but behind her, there's still only endless emptyness. A bright light draws her attention back to the town in far distance. The blue light that's shining over the town, starts to destroy everything it touches - houses, trees, everything. Lashanie feels the shock crawling up inside her, when she realizes, that the dark trail that light leaves behind, is nothing else but the black rocks.

To it's opposite, a yellow glimmer grows brighter in the sky. The lights are moving towards each other and as they collide, a purple dusk spreads across the town and eats away all that was left of it, even the black rocks...

.

With a loud gasp, Lashanie wakes from her dream. The same dream that came to her everynight for at least a week. Well, it's not exactly the same, the feeling of grass touching her hand, it's like she still can feel it, even now that she's awake. And that destruction, with each night it gets more haunting.

She turns around, pressing her face into the pillow, that, since Varian moved his work to the Demanitus chamber, is wearing one of his shirts as a pillowcase.

After the red rocks appeared, he decided to work in solitude. It was the fastest way to solve the secret of the scroll, he said and though it wasn't easy for her, she agreed. Now, they only meet when Varian takes a break from his work, sending Ruddiger to let her know.

Smiling sadly, Lashanie runs her fingers through Rhonda's soft fur. The small raccoon is calmly sleeping by her side.

"At least your dreams seem to be more kind..." she says.

She's made her decision. Even though she hasn't heared from Varian today and it would be against their agreement, she'd go to see him and tell him about her dreams. Not for the simple reason he'd know that she had bad dreams, that would be silly.

No, she has a feeling, just some kind of notion, that her dreams could be a warning. A bad omen. The elements of her dream, they remind her of the symbols on Demanitus scroll just a bit too much... it might as well be a simple coincidence, her own mind playing tricks on her, but what if it isn't?

But before she can head to Varian, she still has to keep another agreement. It's Eugene's birthday today - his real birthday. Edmund told Rapunzel and she was instantly fired up, to give him the best birthday party ever. And of course their friends, including Lashanie herself, agreed to help with the preparations.

Putting all gloomy thoughts aside for now, she gets ready to meet up with Kiera and Catalina, so they can make their way to the castle together.

"Come on Rhonda, we've got a long way to go. So no dawdling this time."

Her fuzzy friend follows her with joyful jumps.

.

Corona castle

.

At the castle, everyone's busy to make sure, that the party will indeed be just perfect. Max and Pascal are adding flowers to the decoration and Lance, together with Kiera and Catalina, is conscientious hanging bows and bands to the walls, handling with big rolls of fabric.

Since Varian isn't here and Lashanie's the closest to something like his assistant, she offered to prep some fireworks. Fountains they could hang with the birthday banner.

While she puts together all the needed components, Rhonda's switching between beeing a helping hand and trying to steal stuff from everyone in the room.

.

Rapunzel walks in and spreads her arms.

"Everthing is looking so great you guys! Oh, Eugene's surprise birthday party is going to be amazing!"

Behind her in the open door, Eugene appears.

"What's going to be amazing?"

The princess hurries back to the door, to pull it slightly shut. She blocks his view.

"What? Nothing! Nothing is amazing!" , she chuckles nervously, "Why - why would you think that anything is amazing?"

.

In Rapunzel's back, Kiera and Catalina have started to wrap Lance in one of the huge bands, making him look like he could just be a birthday present himself.

Lashanie tries to hold her laughter "Oh Lance, this suits you perfectly!" She chuckles at the look of his confused face.

"Ha, right? He's our captive now!"

.

Eugene smiles at Rapunzel, pulling a face like he already knows what's going on.

"Eh, are you planning a party?"

"No! I - I mean yes. But it is not for you." Rapunzel lets out another nervous giggle. "It's for my... parents! It's their anniversary."

"But their anniversary was six months ago."

"Uh, no. It's six months from now. That's what makes it a surprise!"

Eugene decides to buy her story, "Great, so put me to work."

"No! You can't come in. I have a list of very important things I need for the party."

She turns around, knowing exactly who to call for help, to make sure Eugene wouldn't ruin his own surprise.

"Laaance!"

.

Lashanie pinches Kiera with her elbow. "Time to free him."

The girls start to pull the band, they have wrapped around Lance and in a spin, he moves through the room, stopping in front of Rapunzel.

"Go with Eugene," she lowers her voice, "make sure he's gone long enough" and continues to talk in normal volume "and get everything that's on the list of very important things."

"Oh - oh! Right. Right! Right." Lance nods. "Eugene! Come with me."

Lance puts his arm around his buddy, dragging him away from the door, which is quickly getting shut by Rapunzel.

"What's wrong dear? You seem nervous." Arianna walks closer to her daughter.

"No, I'm just - I'm worried that Eugene suspects something as I-"

Edmund interrupts her. "Relax princess. He doesn't suspect a thing! How could he? He has no idea, that today is his real birthday. I've even avoided thinking about it around him." Then he starts speaking his thoughts out loud to himself again. "Now high-five Frederick, to show comradery."

His crow Hamuel, wants to copy him by giving himself a high-five, falling from Edmund's shoulder.

"You're right." The words of Edmund actually help Rapunzel to calm down. "This is gonna be the best surprise first birthday party ever!" Her smile slighty changes. "And that is not all."

On those words, her and Pascal leave the room.

It really takes a lot of work from everyone, but soon the preparations for the party are done. They all gave it their best and what they put together in only a few hours, is really astounding.

Lashanie would like to stay, just alone for the chance to see Eugene's face, when he came to the realization, they prepared all that, this whole party, just for him. But even more, she finally wants to tell Varian about these weird dreams...

.

She sneaks past Kiera and Catalina, knowing they'd be dissapointed she leaves so early. On one of the lavishly decked tables, her eyes catch Rhonda. First she wants to motion the raccoon to follow her, but something on the table, makes her change her mind. She walks over to Rhonda and takes a bag of marshmallows that lies next to her.

A hand touches Lashanie by the shoulder and she startles.

"I'm sorry, Lashanie. I didn't mean to scare you."

Relieved she respires. "Ah, Xavier! No you - you didn't scare me. I was just..."

"About to leave?"

She smiles at him. Xavier was one of the few poeple, who could read her like an open book.

"I only wanted to give this back to you, before you follow your next plans."

The old man hands her back the spear, he once made her a gift. "I've corrected the handle, like you asked."

"Thank you so much! But, ...you actually brought it here?"

"You seem busy these days. I thought, I might save you time like this."

"Oh! I'm sorry Xavier, really. I - I'll tell you all about it next time I visit you at the shop."

He nods and pays her a kind, understanding smile, making way for her to leave.

.

But before she can finally make it through the door, Kiera catches her with a band, that was left over from the decorations.

"Look, I caught a food thief!" She laughs, releasing Lashanie again directly.

Catalina fiddles with her fingers. "You're leaving already? The party hasn't even started yet."

Oh, there it is. The puppy face, Lashanie loves to use herself. Usually on Varian...

"I'm sorry. But I - I really need to see Varian."

"Oh ho!" Kiera steals a hand full of marshmallows from Lashanie, putting them to her mouth all at once. "Guess we should let you go then. Someone has to feed V. eventually." Under loud eating noises, she pulls Catalina with her.

"See you tomorrow?" the red haired girl calls.

And Lashanie answers "Of course!", before she heads through the door.

.

Demanitus chamber

.

Quietly, Lashanie comes walking down the stairs. She doesn't want to disturb Varian in his work, but also, she's a little curious to see what he's doing. She'd like to see him work, without him noticing her instantly, so she tries to keep quiet.

On that thought, her surprise is even bigger, when she finds him setting up a contest between different kinds of metal, to decide which is best. She can't hold back a giggle and he turns around, not less surprised of her showing up, than she was to find him on his funny experiment.

"Birdy! I didn't - I wasn't expecting you." He makes a confused face. "Or should I have been?"

"No. I'm sorry, I know this is against our agreement, but...", she puts Rhonda down, who used the service of being carried there.

"No, no it's fine..." Varian watches Rhonda and Ruddiger greeting each other, as if they had been separated for an eternity. Happily, they jump around making loud, jolly noises.

He puts his attention back to Lashanie. "Actually, I got some time on my hands." A lovedrunk grin appears on his face. "And it's really good to see you."

.

Lashanie walks closer to him and he uses this chance, to pull her into a hug. Gladly, the young girl rest her head on his shoulder.

She doesn't want to make him feel bad about his decision and so she doesn't bring it up too much, but damn, she misses having him around, being able to see him whenever. Misses his touch.

.

He brings his face closer to hers, but before he can press his lips to hers, she holds up the bag of marshmallows.

"I got something for you guys."

"Oh, that's - marshmallows! That's great!" He chuckles, his lips forming a wry smile.

Lashanie takes a bowl, fills in the sweets and places them on the table, where Ruddiger immediately puts himself up to test their taste.

Varian wraps his arms around Lashanie's tummy, hugging her from behind. "I missed you."

Gently, she loosens his grip, turning to look him in the eye. "I missed you too." She kisses the tip of his nose, causing him to wrinkle it up under a soft chuckle.

"Vary? There's something I want to tell you about..."

Varian leans against the table. He's been listening to all the explanations of Lashanie's reoccuring nightmares. How they get worse and how she feels, that they might be connected to the Demanitus scroll.

Even though he doesn't believe her dreams truely are a warning of bad things coming at them, he knows she does, seeing signs everywhere and in everything...

"So you think that these dreams you had, that they're some kind of bad omen?" He tilts his head.

"I'm not saying they are predicting the future or anything." Lashanie walks up and down the room, wildly gesticulating with her hands while she talks. "But I do have a bad feeling about the scroll."

It leaves a bitter taste on her tongue telling him this, when he's put so much work into deciphering that thing.

Now her eyes rest on it, hanging on the wall behind Varian, together with a whole lot of notes he's taken. He turns around, to see what's the center of her attention, then turns back to Lashanie.

Varian takes her by the hands. "Birdy, I see why these dreams make you worry. I know you're sensitive to things like this."

Gently he runs his hand over her cheek and she closes her eyes, putting her own hand over his, pressing it to her skin.

"But maybe you shouldn't read too much into it. It's only just dreams."

"I know, but - what if..."

.

He lets go of the touch and pushes himself up from the table, heading to the wall. Lashanie follows him.

"Actually, I wanted to make it a bigger annoucement, when I've found the fourth incantation...", he says, leaving her confused.

"But, ehh, maybe it'll help you to calm down so - you see this?" He points at the notes in his handwriting, that are placed directly under the scroll and written to the wall.

Lashanie can hear the excitement in his voice growing. She nods.

"This! This is the translation key I figured out for the scroll. With it's help, we can read everything that's written on it! The only thing I need to find now is -"

She ends his sentence "That fourth incantation!"

"Right!" A proud smile adorns his face, that gets washed away as he starts to rub his neck. "It should be written somewhere on the scroll, but I couldn't find it yet."

The girl moves closer to the paper. Not on the thought she could find something he couldn't. No, she's only staring at the strange writing, fascinated by the pace, with which he was able to translate the entire scroll.

"You're amazing..." she whispers, bringing a soft blush to his face.

.

Trying to play it cool, he leans back against the table, hitting one of his bottles with the elbow.

"Whaa -oh!" But he can catch it, before it falls. A chuckle and his face turns back to the caring, very loving look. "You see, I'm almost done with my work here, I've almost solved the screct of the scroll. So you really don't have to worry."

.

She could argue, that this wouldn't make it any better really, that this key would only make it even more dangerous. That he didn't get what she was trying to tell him, but looking at his face, being so proud of the work he has done...

Lashanie walks closer, to cuddle up against him. Maybe he was right and she shouldn't worry too much. And when his work here was almost done, wouldn't that mean he'd soon be back home?

"I guess - I guess you're right."

He puts his hand under her chin and lifts her head. "Everything will be fine!"

The tips of their noses touch, before Varian kisses her. And with her worries fading under his hands, she kisses him back.

.

Their lips part and form a smile, for a moment they just gaze into the other one's eyes.

A rattling, coming from Ruddiger, calls them back to reality. They look at him and it seems, that the smart raccoon is heating up some cocoa.

"Alright!" Varian walks back to the front of the table, dragging Lashanie with him. "How would you liiike -" he leaves a dramatic pause "- to join our contest of best metal?"

A happy little squeak comes from Ruddiger, when Varian adds "We're about to decide a winner!"

She chuckles. "Your ... best metal contest?"

"Yeah! This will be fun, you can... you can assist me! What do you say?"

With a shake of her head, but a big smile she agrees "Fine. Let's decide best metal."

"The results are in! Who will win first price for best metaaal!? Will it be - steel, for it's durabilty and thermal conductivity, or - iron, for it's lustrous shine and high melting point?"

Lashanie giggles at Varian's dorky presentation. With a smile he requests "Drum roll, please!" "Of course!", she nods like a good girl and they both drum with their hands on the table plate. Varian accentuates this important moment with noises. "Brrrr - ptcch!"

It's making Lashanie giggle again. "Oh dear, we must seem like a weird pack of mad scientists." And she receives a cheeky smile from Varian. "Mad, huh?"

.

With a happy squeak, Ruddiger fills the cocoa he's been heating into a beaker and throws in one of the marshmallows, Lashanie's brought them. He jumps off the table and brings the drink to Varian.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Ruddiger. This is perfect!" Varian does a manically laugh, as if Lashanie's words had been a challenge.

His laughter passes on to her. "Alright, I get it! You did go mad."

Satisfied with his performance, Varian points at Ruddiger. "Warm cocoa will really hit the spot. Thanks bud!"

.

Ruddiger makes a happy face as Varian takes the first sip, just when Rapunzel, accompanied by Pascal, Eugene, Lance and Max, is coming down the stairs.

"Hi Varian! Lashanie!"

Varian spits out the cocoa, directly at his poor friend Ruddiger. Waving at Rapunzel, Lashanie tries to hold her laughter.

"Whoa - oh! Hi! Hi, I - uh... wasn't expacting you so... soon. I mean, we did agree, that I need at least five weeks of solitude to decipher this thing. So I thought I had some - some privacy." His words subside into a chuckle.

With a smile at Lashanie, Lance drops "Solitude you say?"

She returns his smile but Varian's cheeks instantly turn red. Frowning, Rapunzel looks at Lance, to pay Varian a friendly smile right after. "Varian, don't be embarassed."

.

Eugene, who's been strolling around in the chanber, takes Varian by the shoulders. "Hey goggles, real quick! Do you have any anti aging alchemies? Maybe some skin tightening serum?"

He lets go of him and walks over to the second table, where Ruddiger and Rhonda are busy cleaning the cocoa off poor Ruddiger.

Eugene takes a bottle and opens it. A purple fog escapes and when Eugene next sees his reflection in the bottle, he's shocked. An old man, or better an aged version of himself, is looking back at him.

"I'm getting older by the second!" he calls out.

At least he's bringing some laughter to the others around him.

.

Looking at Varian, Rapunzel notices the scroll on the wall right behind him.

"Ah, thank goodness, you have the scroll!"

He turns to Rapunzel "I do! Oh, I do. And it took a while, but I composed this key, -" his hand wanders over the writings on the wall, " to translate the text in it's entirety."

"Varian, you're a genius!" Rapunzel declares, having Lashanie agree to her. "He is!"

The princess asks "What's it say?"

"This is the healing incantation." he runs his finger over the sun symbol, than passes on to the symbol of the moon, "This is the decay incantation. And this - " his finger wanders to the upper right corner of the scroll, "oho, this is a third incantation. It would allow whoever posses the moonstone, to wield complete control over the black rocks."

Now Rapunzel understands. "This is why Cassandra wants the scroll!"

With obvious concern, Lashanie looks at her. "Cassandra!?"

.

"Yes! Yes, but there's more!" Varian takes Rapunzel by the shoulder, excited to share the fascinating informations, he could get find out. "It says here, that there are four incantions, not three!"

The delight over his discovery bursts from him, now that he got the chance to tell about it. "But I can't seem to find it anywhere on the scroll." he declares, taking the scroll off the wall to examine it closer.

.

"Uh, guys? You might wanna stop talking about the secret of the scroll!" That last part, Lance says in coughs, pointing at the top of the stairs.

And there she is - Cassandra.

"Don't stop on my account."

She looks different from the last time Varian and Lashanie have seen her. Very different. The moonstone has effected her entire appearance.

Varian calls for her "Cass!" And if Lashanie wasn't standing right beside him, she wouldn't believe it. What is he thinking? This isn't a friendly get together, not for Cassandra, that's for sure!

Rapunzel puts her arm in front of Varian, holding him back. "Varian, don't get any closer! Hide the scroll. We can't let her get her hands on that incantation!"

"The - the scroll is worthless without the translation key."

Cassandra draws her blade. "Well, then it sounds like I need two things!"

.

On fast steps, Eugene runs up the stairs towards Cassandra. While running, he draws his own blade.

"Get the scroll out of here, Blondie. I got this!"

He attacks Cass with a strike of his blade, but it breaks against her suit, as she shields herself from the blow, by crossing her arms before her face.

"Her armor is made of the rock-" Before he can completely finish his sentence, she kicks him down the stairs. On his way down, he hits Max and Lance, who wanted to follow him into this fight. Now he's unintentionally pulling them into his downflight.

But Cassandra is not done yet. To make sure she's got them out of the way, she cuts a huge boulder from the Demanitus devise. It rolls down the stairs and forces the three to run.

.

Max takes Lance and Eugene on his back, as the boulder behind them is coming closer and closer. In attempt to get off it's track, Max jumps and finds himself on the top of that boulder.

It keeps rolling with Max on top of it and Eugene, aswell as Lance, on top of Max. But the balancing act comes to an abrupt end, when the boulder eventually hits a wall.

The friends take another free flight. This time across the chamber and on very bad luck, Max and Eugene land at the edge of the pit, the Demanitus devise rises from.

When they're about to slip and fall, Lance comes to their rescue, holding on to Max's hooves. But even though he actually can hold both of them, which is hard enough as that, he can't bring up enough strength, to pull them back to safe ground.

And so they're just hanging on...

.

Cassandra approaches Rapunzel and the two teens, the princess is covering with her own body.

"Gimme that scroll Rapunzel!" Cassandra demands, attacking her former friend with the shadow blade.

Holding a streak of her hair as a shield, Rapunzel parries the strike. Varian holds Lashanie by the hand, taking a step back.

"Cass, let's just talk." Not even now, Rapunzel has given up hope, that Cassandra will come to her senses.

"Oh, sure! Let's have another chat about how my mother chose you over me!

"Cass, Gothel took me and held me against my will. It wasn't my decision. You know that!"

"Well, was it your decision to push her out a window!?"

A burning pain, followed by anger rushes through Rapunzel body and she pushes Cassandra back, still covering Varian and Lashanie.

"You weren't there. You have no idea!"

"Then why don't you make me understand?" Cassandra asks, as if she was willing to listen to her...

.

Using that moment, Ruddiger jumps at her head, just bringing some distraction to the angry woman, before jumping off again, as fast as he came. He runs past Varian and grabs the scroll from his hand, paying Cassandra on more angry look, before he runs off.

Cassandra chases after him and after her, Rapunzel sends Pascal, giving him a flying start, by throwing her hair as a bridge for the clever chameleon.

When Cass is actually able to grab Ruddiger, sliding on her knees to get him, Pascal is right there. He takes the scroll and starts running, before Cassandra can even reach for him.

Now Rhonda jumps at her, pinching her face until she lets go of Ruddiger. She gives him free from her grip and they hurry off.

.

Rapunzel drags Cass by her leg, with a strand of hair wrapped around her ankle. She wants to keep her from chasing after Pascal but Cassandra rams her sword into the ground to withstand her.

In the end, Rapunzel loses this trail of strenght against her and Cass runs after the scroll once again. The princess got no choice but to follow her.

.

While the chase goes on for Pascal, Ruddiger and Rhonda come to help Lance, who's still keeping Max and Eugene from falling. With their little arms, they try to give a helpful lift. At least for so long, until Ruddiger can peek at the apples in Max's bag. Instead of lending a hand, he climbs down to steal from helpless Max, increasing the chaos...

.

During that, Pascal has climbed a good bit of the Demanitus devise, to get away from Cassandra. He's looking down, seeing her coming for him, for the scroll. She doesn't have to make an effort to climb the devise. No, she simply throws her sword at the part Pascal's on, causing it to break off. And Pascal can save himself, using his tongue, but to do so, he has to drop the scroll...

Victorious, Cassandra wants to pick it up from the ground, but Rapunzel puts a spoke in her wheel - before Cassandra's fingers reach the scroll, the princess snatches it from her, using her long hair.

Once more, she tries to talk to her friend "Lock at me. You know me Cassandra!"

"This is bad. Really bad..." Varian follows how things go down, not quite sure what he could do to help. The breaking of glass draws his attention to the table, where just a few minutes ago, he was goofing around with his metals.

The same table, Lashanie now tries to knock over. "Let's not just stand here! Come, help me!"

Without asking, he helps her to bring the table into a position, where it's plate would shield them from anyone's view. Lashanie takes his arm and brings him with her in this safe spot.

"Are we just hiding!?" Varian asks, confused they wouldn't try to at least help Lance.

"Of course not! The - the key. Your translation key. You said the scroll would be useless without it - so let's make sure she won't get it!"

"Yes. Yes, good idea! She can take the scroll, but what of it, if she can't read it."

Varian takes some supplies from his bag and grabs a beaker, that luckily didn't break. He starts putting different liquids into it before handing Lashanie two tubes.

"You have to shake them before we can pour them in!"

.

A loud noise, as if something big was breaking and Rapunzel shouting "No, stop!" is what echos through the chamber to their ears, before the walls, the ground - everything starts shaking.

"Faster, Varian. Hurry!", Lashanie pleads.

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

The noise grows, just as the shaking. Varian peeks at the happenigs behind the shielding table plate. His eyes widen as he sees the Demanitus devise is about to fall apart. That's for the noise. He quickly puts his attention back to the potion they're creating, even working a little faster than before.

This isn't going unnoticed by Lashanie. With a hint of panic in her voice, she asks "What? What's happening?"

She's about to see for herself, but Varian holds her back. "No, no! Don't look! I need your help. While I stirr the potion , you pour in the liquid from the tubes, alright?"

She nods and does just as he told her. A glow adds to the mixture as Varian stirrs and it seems, they've done just right.

.

The call "Hey Varian!" followed by a whistle, causes them to shoot up from their knees. With just one strike of her sword, Cassandra slices the table in two halves.

As she keeps moving closer, the teens walk backwards to the wall. Varian's still holding the beaker they just created the erasure potion in...

"If you wanna read that scroll, you are gonna need my translation key."

He motions to the writing on the wall and with one fast move, he throws the chemical to it, leaving only a green glowing, poisonous looking stain.

"Ha! And now that I've destroyed it, you will never know what the scroll says, because the only translation in earthly existence, is locked safely away up here!" With both hands, he points at his head. "Boom!"

.

Lashanie uses the fact, that Varian is the center of Cassandra's attention, to slowly reach for her spear which she lend against the wall before. She speaks a silent prayer. Thank you Xavier!

.

Cassandra doesn't show herself to be impressed by Varian's move. Not all. She even smiles, while she asks "Is that a fact?"

And Varian, oblivious as he is, proudly states "Oh yeah!" But suddenly it dawns on him. "I should not have said that out loud..."

Cassandra moves closer "Then I guess you're coming with me!"

"No he won't!" Lashanie blocks her way, holding the spear in front of her chest. She gathers all her courage, to face Cassandra. "You have to get through me first!"

With a raised eyebrow, Cass looks down at her. It's easy to see, that she doesn't take her as a threat to her plans.

"Don't test your luck girl!" she warns, before taking another step towards them.

Lashanie looks around for help, but none of the others notices the trouble her and Varian are in.

A streak of Rapunzel's hair got stuck to the falling Demanitus devise and now she's being pulled down by it. Lance, Eugene, the animals - all pay their attention to Raps effort to escape...

.

The short moment of distraction, when Lashanie's eyes scan the chamber, Cassandra tries to make use of. She reaches out for Varian and Lashanie snaps back.

"Don't touch him!" Hoping to chase her away, she strikes out with her spear.

Cassandra flinches from the blow. As she turns away, raising her hands to defend herself, the moonstone reacts to her emotions. A few balck rocks rise from the ground to shield her.

With a loud clink, the spearhead hits them. But instead of breaking, like Eugene's sword did, only a some shards flake off. One of those shards, directly hits Lashanie in the left eye.

.

A terrible pain spreads from her eye to her head. She drops her weapon and sinks to the ground, pressing one hand to her face. Blood is dripping to the floor and a quiet whimper comes from her.

"Lashanie! No!" Varian kneels down by her side.

Cassandra doesn't move. This isn't what she wanted, this should not have happened... Shock paints her face.

.

While he's sitting on his knees next to Lashanie, trying to lift her hand, so he could see how bad the injury is, Varian can hear Cassandra talking to herself.

"But..." And then short silence, followed by "No, I'll never stand back for the sake of someone else again!"

All that, while he's trying to tell Lashanie "It'll be alright. It's not that bad. You - you'll be alright! You're very brave." His voice is shaking and he knows, it sounds more like he's trying to tell that to himself, than like a truth she could actually believe.

.

He feels a tight grip on his arm and suddenly, he's being pulled back to his feet. Cassandra obviously won't change her plans, not even now. Varian tries to escape her. He wouldn't care if it only were for him, but how could he ever leave Lashanie like this!? "No, let me go! She - can't you see that she needs me!?"

For something less than a second, she seems to feel sorry for him, when he looks her right in the eyes. But it's gone as fast as it came and she draggs him with her anyway, while he keeps trying to escape her grip.

.

To her own surprise, Lashanie's able to push herself back up. "Let him go, Cassandra!"

Varian stretches his hand out to Lashanie and she takes it, holding on to him ,as tight as she can.

Cassandra can't hide how much they start to get on her nerves, her face speaks volumes. Shouldn't she be out of here, before Rapunzel freed herself from the falling devise, then she wouldn't be able to take Varian with her anymore. So she puts all of her strength into seperating them.

Once again, the moonstone reacts to her and a small wave of power pushes Lashanie back, causing her to fall. During that, Varian pulls off the bracelet with the little bell, as he tries to keep holding on to Lashanie.

.

No matter how much she keeps pulling, Varian won't stop to fight her grip. He keeps turning back to Lashanie, and pushing against Cassandra's hand, that's tighlty closed around his wrist. He turns his face to Lashanie again and all of a sudden, there's a terrible pain in his neck. It doesn't last long, when slowly everything around him turns dark...

Cassandra walks past Lashanie, who's trying to get back up again. She can see the arms of the girl shaking, as she pushes herself into a sitting position.

Cass pays her a sorry smile, before she takes Varian's bagpack "I'm taking this with me." And on fast steps, she hurries off.

.

Lashanie can't accept this to be the end of it. She forces herself to her feet and at first, she staggers. But the adrenaline keeps her up, helps her to forget the pain inside her head, as she follows the sound of Cassandra's steps.

How can she move so fast, when she has to carry both Varian and his bag?

The steps are getting quieter, she's way faster than Lashanie. And then, suddenly, the sound she was following is gone.

.

Her sight is blurred and it takes her a moment to realize, she's outside and the moon is throwing it's light on her. She listens, but there's no sound she could follow and on her eyes, she can't rely anymore.

Where should she go now? And where is she exactly? A street? Is that in front of her a tunnel or a road with trees to it's sides?

A feeling of defeat kicks in and with it, the pain in her eye returns. She sinks to the ground, back on her knees once again...

Footsteps. Of more than one person - so the others must have found her.

Rapunzel runs to Lashanie, as soon as the girl meets her eyes. She sits down in front of her, placing one hand at her shoulder.

"Lashie, are you alright? We found blood on the floor and you -" Rapunzel stops immediantely, when she notices the blood on Lashanie's cheek and her eye... "Oh my god!"

The rest of them come closer and Lashanie knows all too well, they just wish to help, but she doesn't want no help. She wants Varian back.

"Here, let me carry you." Eugene offers in a soft voice.

But she flinches. "No, don't waste time on me! Stop Cassandra!"

Rapunzel lifts her hand from the teen's shoulder. "They're gone, Lashanie..."

.

Burning, tears form in her eyes, tears she tries to blink away, to hold back. And still they come. "That can't be happening!", she cries, slamming her fist to the floor. "No!" Her lungs hurt as she screams on the top of her voice while the tears, mixed with blood, run down her face, dripping to the ground.

No one's moving or talking. For while, they just stand there awkwardly. But all of a sudden, a tension spreads from the plants surrounding them.

.

As if the wind gently cradles them, they begin to move. Lance and Eugene hold their hands up, confused by the simple fact, that there's no wind to cause that moving. And that's not the only strange thing happening. Some plants seem to grow and, even though it's hard to say in the dark of night, but they appear to become more lively...

Things that grow closer to Lashanie, lean towards her. A strange sight, but for sure not the strangest the friends ever had.

Yet, Eugene looks at Rapunzel with concern. "Sunshine..."

Maybe there is reason to be worried by whatever is just happening around her, but Rapunzel can feel no danger. No, on the contrary, she's warm and safe, as she feels the touch of nature on her skin.

It can't be seen but sensed by everyone, something is wrapping them, like the arms of a caring mother.

.

Lashanie's tears ebb away. She slowly calms down, when the streaming energy of the earth, feels like a comforting embrace. She gives in to the connection of all the life that's surrounding her. Like the tide, she can feel it flow through everything. Can feel the earth moving underneath her, spiraling endlessly. And like a wave, that hits the sand, it washes away her pain.

.

She opens her eyes and smiles at Rapunzel, who's still sitting right on front of her. Her worries, they're gone, just like Lashanie's injury. Now she's having her eyes closed, wearing a peaceful mien.

"Rapunzel?" Lashanie says in a calm and quiet voice.

The princess slowly opens up her eyes aswell. "Oh what was...? That was-"

Lance ends the sentence before she can "Obscure!"

First, a sweet smile adorns Rapunzel face, but it fades away, as she looks at Lashanie. She gasps. It doesn't even surprise her, that Lashanie's injury seems to be gone. No, pretty much everyone in Corona knows that she's said to have a healing gift. But obviously even that gift, such a pure and strong energy like the one she felt before, has it's limits...

Her left eye, it no longer shows this mix of green and yellow.

Worried by the face Rapunzel makes, Lashanie whispers "What? What's wrong?"

.

The remains of Gothel's tower

.

"Uh?"

Varian wakes up, his hands are tied behind his back and feel numb. He's sitting on the ground, leaned to something hard and it's dark, they're somewhere outside. His eyes nervously scan the enviroment. Everywhere around them, there are remains of a building scattered to the floor. This place... he isn't sure if it's familiar to him.

His mouth and throat feel dry and as he gulps, a coppery taste lies on his tongue. His vision starts to clear... Cassandra! She's sitting opposite him.

With a stern, even somewhat angry face, he asks "Hey, where are we!?"

But she doesn't answer his question. Instead, she makes her own demand "I need that third incantation Varian."

"Never!"

"I knew you would say that." She draws his attention to the things that she's placed next to her. His things! She must have stolen them, just like she stole him.

"That's why I went through your little bag of tricks. I found something in here, that might change your mind." Cassandra holds a bottle and walks closer to him. "Remember this?"

The little bottle is empty, but it's label leaves no doubt. Dark letters say Truth Serum. She shakes the bottle in front of his face.

"Ha! No." A weird feeling gets to Varian, he's got no control of the words leaving his mouth. With a confused look he states "Argh! Yes. It's the thruth serum of my own design and it compells the drinker to tell the truth and answer any question asked!" His confusion grows even bigger. "Wait! But I never drank that!?"

Cassandra looks down to him, holding the scroll unfolded in her hands. "Lucky for me, you sleep with your mouth open." A satisfied smile only last shortly, when she directly turns serious again. "So let me ask you, what's the third incantation?"

.

"Argh! I... argh!" Varian fights the truth serum. He holds back the words just as long as he can, but in the end, he's got no chance to withstand the pressure growing inside him. His lips form the words, he spits out like they were poisoned. Still fighting to reveal them to Cassandra, as they're already coming from him.

.

Crescent high above

Evolving as you go

Raise what lies beneath

And let the darkness grow

...

.

While the serum forces him to tell her the incantation, she writes it down for her use, wearing a victorius smile. As soon as it's complete, she stands up and walks to the center of the towers remains. And she starts to repeat the incantaion.

Crescent high above...

She stops. It seems to surprise her, that it's working. The moonstone reacts and she's able to purposely create new black rocks. Her face changes, the surprise is gone in the blink of an eye, replaced by a smug grin. She starts again.

.

Crescent high above

Evolving as you go

.

The ground under them starts shaking, as Cassandra rises more and more black rocks. They merge with each other, crawling into the sky higher and higher. Further than the treetops.

.

Raise what lies beneath

And let the darkness grow

Bend it to my will

Consume the sunlights glow

Let the darkness grow

.

Cassandra forms a giant tower from the rocks. Unnatural and ominous, it reaches into the sky.

In disbelief, Varian stares up that monstrosity. "What is that!?"

.

Let the darkness grow

As her tower reaches it's full size and she ends this act of creation, a wave of power moves across the land. It brushes past Varian. He can only stare in silence at the proof of Cassandra's new gained powers, that just emerged where only ruins have been a moment ago.

Satisfied, Cassandra looks at her fortress. "Home sweet home."

.

Corona castle

.

Lashanie is staring at herself in the mirror. At her eye. It's weird how different that blue with the green accents looks from her natural eyecolor. She probably should be greatful that it's just an optical change and she still can use her eye just as good as before, but... it sure would take her sometime, to get used to it.

.

She walks to a chair, where Kiera and Catalina have draped themselves on both it's arms. Next to her, Lance has taken seat in another chair of the same making, to the other side stands Max and Eugene has found it's place on a chaise lounge. To her feet, Ruddiger and Rhonda are resting, tired from the chase Cassandra has given them.

.

She'd rather not be here right now. She wanted to search the area for Varian, sure she would find a clue where he might have been taken to, if she just kept looking long enough. But the princess didn't let her. She insisted for Lashanie to go back to the castle with them. And when Lashanie still refused, Lance just threw her over his shoulder and carried her away. Now sitting there, grinning at her like nothing happened...

.

In the middle of the room, Rapunzel is running up and down.

"We have to figure out what Cassandra is planning to do with Varian and the scroll. We're not just gonna sit by and let her ruin Eugene's birthday." She takes a look into her satchel, before she adds "Or anything else."

Lashanie has a hard time holding back her anger. She knows, not a single person in this room is to blame for what Cassandra did. Yet, their priorities seem off, when a birthday is what they worry about.

"As if that was our greatest problem!", she says, trying to sound at least a little more polite than she feels.

Rapunzel bites her lip. "I'm sorry Lashanie..."

But she just shakes her head "You should have let me go after them."

"I couldn't do that. Look what already happened to you!"

Lashanie lowers her face, her eyes locked to the floor.

.

A hand touches her shoulder. "Don't make such a face. We'll get him back!", Kiera says and Catalina puts her arms around Lashanie "Yeah, it'll be fine. You'll see!"

She nods, greatful for the comfort they try to give her. "I hope - I hope you're right."

"So we just have to find her!" Rapunzel throws in and all of a sudden, Kiera and Catalina's optimism seems to be have faded.

Lance rubs his neck, avoiding to lock at her or Lashanie and Eugene stutters "Sure ... just... give me a minute."

Under sheer frustration, Lashanie shoots up from her seat. "Seriously guys!? Cassandra has Varian!"

"Not to mention, an incantation that can control the rocks. We have to stop her!" Rapunzel joins.

Unease is speaking from his face, when Lance replies "Uh, girls, were you in the same fight as us? We don't stand a chance against Cass and her unbreakable armor."

Annoyed by all that arguing, Lashanie rolls her eyes and walks to the window. If they were just acting instead of talking...

.

Eugene makes a dismissive move with his hand. "Oh come on, Lance! She wasn't that bad." And with that, Eugene has given Pascal and Lance the perfect chance to mock him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What were you doing during that fight? There was a large boulder and - and you were-"

Pascal, who's found it's place on a globe standing next to Lance's seat, imitates how Eugene ran in panic, when that boulder was rolling behind him.

Lance laughs and points at Pascal "Hahaha. Yeah, yeah - like that."

He recieves a glare from Eugene.

"Ok, ok - he's getting offended." Lance stops the globe from spinning, causing Pascal to jet off it.

With crossed arms, Eugene asks "What are you laughing about? You were right there with me!"

"Nananananah! You're remembering it all wrong! You know, they say memory is one of the first things to go with age."

"Are we finished?"

.

The look on Rapunzel face speaks please let them be finished, as she walks back up to them. "Listen! I know Cass is dangerous, but we cannot forget she's also our friend."

The entire time, Lashanie had her face still turned to the group, but as Rapunzel drops that Cassandra was their friend, she faces away, looking out the window. Friends, sure!

Eugene shrugs "Fine, there's only one big problem - we don't know where she is!"

"That problem might have solved itself." Lashanie turns to Rapunzel, motioning her to come over.

Rapunzel steps to the window herself and it only takes one look, to know what Lashanie was talking about. "I ... think we know where to look..."

The tower Cassandra created, it can easily be seen from the castle.

.

Cassandra's fortress

.

Cassandra is leading Varian up the stairs in her freshly build tower. In his head, he's been playing through plenty scenarios of escaping. But his hands are still chained with rocks and even if he could managed to run - this is her domain. Everything here is made of the black rocks, she can control perfectly now. No, running would be useless.

He feels the bell inside of his closed hand. Lashanie's bell... He just has to make it home.

.

For a long time, Cass is just walking in silence, but out of the blue she asks "And then what?"

Varian raises an eyebrow. Was she reading his thoughts!? No, impossible. But she has shown that strange behaviour before... "Who is she talking to?" he mumbles to himself.

The stairs finally take an end, leading into a large room.

Cassandra turns to him. "Look, I know none of this is your fault and I don't want to hurt you" She release his hands from the chains she made. "So when Rapunzel comes for you, don't try anything foolish."

.

Varian hesitates for a moment. He knows Cassandra could hurt him badly if she wanted to, but he can't just wait for Rapunzel

to arrive and walk into Cassandra's trap. Maybe, just maybe there's a chance to get her to listen. He gathers his courage and confronts her.

"Cassandra, you're angry, I get it! Belive me, I know what it's like!" He looks at the bell in the palm of his hand. "But you are making a mistake."

But Cassandra just takes her sword from her back and instead of paying attention to him, she starts sharpening the blade.

.

"The path of hate is a dangerous track

You take one step and it's hard to turn back"

It holds you along and though it seems wrong

It feels right"

.

Varian walks up to Cassandra. His words might really get through to her, as she keeps looking at her own relfection in the blade, before she slighty turns it. Now his image is showing to her.

.

"Don't you see

This path that you're on leaves a permanent mark

It feels good at first, then it slowly turns dark

With each passing day, you're further astray from the light"

.

Annoyed, Cassandra gets up and tries to walk away from him. But he definitely won't make it that easy for her. He has to make her listen, make her understand. He runs after her, overtakes and blocks her way.

.

"Suddenly

You lose your way and lose the thread

Lose your cool and lose your head

Every loss is harder to excuse"

.

Again, Cassandra turns away from him, but his image, she can't run from, when he's reflecting in the black rocks she's now facing. She walks, walks away from him and runs into her own reflection. He slowly follows her and there's this short moment, where she just listens.

.

"Then you'll see

You'll lose your faith and lose your soul

Till you lose complete control

And realize there's nothing left to lose

Nothing left to lose"

.

But it's not enough, once more she walks away, leaving him behind. He can't just give up, not now. Varian runs after her, one more time and grabs her by the wrist.

"Cass, trust me! Becoming the villain isn't the answer-"

He can brealy finish this sentence, before she interrupts him with great anger flowing in her voice.

"Is that what you think I am!?" She walks closer to him, forcing Varian to walk backwards.

.

"The path I'm on is a path pave in black

I'm taking that road and I'm not looking back

Each twist and each turn

Leads straight where I'm yearning to go"

.

She reaches out for Varian and he's sure she plans to hurt him, but instead, she snatches Lashanie's bell from his hand. Before he can even try to get it back, she lifts herself up through her power over the black rocks. On a selfmade pedestal, Cassandra towers over him.

.

"Yes, it's true my path is dark

But I see where it ends

My rivals will fall as my power ascends

Despise me, that's fine

I'm taking what's mine even so"

.

Cassandra rises more black rocks, each new one higher than the last. She jumps between them, bringing herself further from Varian, while he can do nothing, but watch her from down here. The way she moves only makes it look even more, like she was on the run.

His heart starts to beat faster, when she pauses her jumping and running and examines the bell she stole from his hand. She snorts contemptuously.

.

"Not like you"

.

And throws the bell back to him. Varian gladly catches it, before he puts his attention back to Cassandra, who's walking along the wall, creating a new step on it, for each of her next moves.

.

"You lost your nerve, you lost the game

But you and I, we're not the same

I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose"

.

Like a tiger moving in circles around it's bait, Cassandra moves around Varian. The way she's acting towards him is probably supposed to make it clear to him, that she's ahead of him, ahead of everything. That he shouldn't even have the audacity to try and make her question this decisions. But he's sure to see a glimpse of doubt in her face.

She jumps down next to him.

.

"So I chose

To lose my doubts and lose my chains

Lose each weakness that remains

Now that I have nothing left to lose

Nothing left to lose"

.

Cassandra raises a painting in front of her, to the height of her eyes. It's one of Rapunzel's paintings, he can easily see that. The painting shows Rapunzel as little girl, watching the lanterns.

Cass forms a blade from her armor and is about to destroy it, but Varian can hold her back on time by grabbing her sword. It's just another step Cassandra shouldn't take and yet, he knows that the destruction of that painting, would have far more significance than it might seems.

.

"You have so much to hold onto"

.

"I only want

My rightful dues!"

.

She strikes out, forcing him to let go of her and dodge the blow. But her next strike, he can't just simply dodge, when she hits him in the chest by using her damned rocks. Varian gets thrown across the room and lands on the hard ground. And now matter how much she'll hurt him, he won't give up!

He pushes himself back to his feet, just as if nothing has happened. She won't silence him so easily! He brings himself near her. They're face to face.

.

"Listen, please (Lose)

You've lost your grip

And lost your mind (I'm not gonna lose)

All's not lost, don't be so blind (I refuse)

Cut your losses, drop the IOUs (I refuse)"

.

Varian stretches his hand out to her, but Cassandra turns away, running back to that painting of Rapunzel.

.

"Ooh, choose!"

.

"I lose no tears and lose no sleep

What I want, I'll take and keep"

.

With her powers, Cassandra forms a hand of the rocks, that closes around Varian, forces him to his knees. Even through the bars of that cage, he tries to reach her. But she only keeps turning his prison smaller.

.

"It's time for you to choose!"

.

"You can't stop..."

.

"The turning of the screws"

.

She kneels down in front of him, looking Varian into the eyes. "You'll stay in that cage until this is done. And just in case you think of escaping..."

With one simple move of her hand, she sends Varian out the tower. His cage is hanging in the air, the abyss right down below him and the only solid connection it has to the tower, is a long, but small bridge.

He looks at Lashanie's bell. "Great. Just look what I got myself into..." he says to himself watching from his prison, how Cassandra rams a spiky rock into Rapunzel's painting. It's pieces crumble to the floor. And Cassandra takes seat at her own throne.

.

"Now I have nothing left to lose"

.

Outside of Cassandra's fortress

.

Rapunzel pulls the curtain of leaves aside, that cover the entrace to Gothel's former hideout and finally, they see the tower in it's entire height, looming into the sky.

Kiera mouths stands open to it's sight. "Whoaa..."

"That thing is so surreal..." Lashanie almost hurts her neck, looking up to it's peak. Somewhere inside there, her Vary is waiting for her. Soon she'll have him back.

And Rapunzel notices "It's taller than the castle." She picks up a piece from one of her old paintings. "Cass is sending a message. She wants me to know that everything that once was mine, will belong to her."

"The only message it sends to me, is good luck climbing that thing!" Lance adds.

.

Max comes running back to the group. He's been searching the area for a way to get inside. But his face already speaks for itself and so Rapunzel asks "No entrance at the bottom Max?"

His angry neighing confirms her concern - there's no easy way to get in. "That's the closest entrance, huh?" She looks up at the tower, to something that's probably a window.

Afraid he might already know the answer, Lance asks "How are we supposed to get all the way up there?" And of course his bad feeling comes true.

Rapunzel tries to keep a positive attitude, stating "We get up there by ... a lot of climbing."

That doesn't exactly sound like a lot of fun and Lance moves backwards. Maybe he can escape from that ungreatful task... But Eugene already grabs him by his collar and drags Lance with him to the tower.

"That's the spirit!" Rapunzel cheers for them.

.

Back to back, Eugene and Lance try to work their way up the tower. They found a spot, where the rocks have formed some kind of gap. If they can climb it somehow, this would be the way to go.

And they haven't even made it far, when the complaining begins. "You want to climb like this the whole way!?" Lance asks, while Eugene moans "Back in my day, towers were much shorter!"

The further up they get, the larger the gap becomes. One more step and even one more... and they can't stretch far enough to take another one.

Yet they still try stretching their legs as far as they can. And the girls can only watch, as Eugene and Lance fall back to the ground. Good thing they didn't make it that far anyway, so they don't get hurt.

.

Lance gets back up "I got a better idea."

But before he can enlighten them with his brilliant thought, Lashanie interferes. "Yeah, I do too! Let me climb it!" She feels the wall with her hand. "I'm sure I could do this. Just - give me a rope or something and once I'm -", but Rapunzel interrupts her.

"No way! You - I can't let you do this all alone."

Lashanie pouts, crossing her arms. She knows Rapunzel only worries for her, but... How could she make them understand, that she'd gladly put her own safety behind Varian's? Shouldn't Rapunzel know best, when Lashanie is sure she would do the same for Eugene anytime!?

Placatory, Rapunzel smiles at her. "Let's try it Lance's way, ok?"

Lance cuts the bark of a tree. "Haha! We'll use this sap to climb the tower." He puts his in the sap and it sticks. Just like the sap of a tree does. Next, Lance walks back to the tower and puts his sticky hand to the wall. "See? No slipping!"

.

But there's a rub in his plan - they keep sticking to the first thing they touch! And so the great mastermind Lance, aswell as Eugene and Rapunzel are sticking to the tower.

"Uh, Lance? I can't move!" Rapunzel declares.

Kiera and Catalina whereas use the chance, to turn this into a little game. They stick themselves to Max.

Happily Kiera calls out "Look, no hands!" while Catalina happily chuckles.

.

In disbelief, Lashanie watches her friends. For a short moment, she considers to simply climb the tower, now that no one could stop her. But that would be like passing Rapunzel over and she feels far too much respect for her, to do something like that. So instead, she tries to free Max from his new won burden.

"Here Catalina, let me help you." "Alright!"

She stretches out her hand an the younger girl takes it, wearing a big grin. Lashanie feels something sticky and she realizes, with instant regret, that there was some of that sap on Catalina's hand. Now sticking to Cat, Lashanie is being dragged around by Max.

"Oh no, no no no, Max! You - you gotta stop moving!"

The sap was a failure, but the friends sure are creative enough, to come up with another plan in no time.

A large tree get it's top pulled down by Max and Eugene, Lance and Rapunzel, take place on that treetop - an improvised catapult!

"Once you've been catapulted a few times, it's not so bad!", Eugene tries to calm Lance, who can't hide his nervousity.

From a small distance, Kiera, Catalina and Lashanie watch them.

"You!" Lance points at them, "Why aren't you going with us!?"

Kiera shrugs "Oh, we are!" And Lashanie shows him a kind smile. But something mischievous lies underneath. She adds "Once we know this is actually working."

"What!?" Now poor Lance is even more nervous than before.

Rapunzel tries to calm him down once more before the take off. "Don't worry Lance, it'll all be over soon... Uhm, being catapulted I mean! Not you're life." Embarassed over her poor choice of words, she chuckles.

.

Pascal takes the aim and finally gives Max the sign to fire the catapult. The treetop springs back and throws them into the sky. They fly.

"And up they go!" Catalina cheers.

But they don't even get close to reach the entrance. Just as fast as they flew up, they come back down, being thrown to the top of another tree and directly catapulted back to their starting point. Lucky they put a net, just in case... Their landing is anything but graceful, but at least, no one gets hurt.

"And down they go." Kiera garnishes this failed try.

.

Lashanie kneels opposite Rapunzel. She feels kinda sorry for them, how they're hanging in that net, like freshly caught fish. But maybe now, she'll give in to Lashanie's request. "Aaand? May I try to climb the tower now?" She asks.

The princess just rolls her eyes at her. That was sure not the reaction she expected.

"Really!? You wanna tell me that it's not an option? Not even after you've catapulted yourself with the help of a tree!?" Lashanie shakes her head.

Still hanging in the net, Rapunzel forces a smile "No! No, we - someone's got to have another idea!"

A giggle comes from Kiera, as she looks at Catalina "We do!"

.

She can't believe, the girls really got them to do the same thing again, that failed just a moment ago.

Only Eugene seems to get, that this isn't making sense. He notices "This is quite litterally the exact same plan."

And once again, Rapunzel, Eugene and Lance get thrown into the air, while the girls just watch.

Lashanie leans down to Kiera, her eyes still following the flight of the other three. "You still got a lot of that criminal energy left, huh?" She only recieves loud cackling from them.

Nothing they've tried so far, has gotten them any closer to actually get inside Cassandra's tower. And it's not like they had plenty of time or a million good ideas.

Rapunzel places her hand at the wall, quietly saying "Come on Cassandra, just let me in."

And suddenly, as if that was the key, the rocks part. A big gap invites them in.

.

Careful and slowly they enter the tower, surprised by that unexpected turn. Inside, remains of Gothel's old towers ruins are to be seen here and there, merged with the rocks and now a part of Cassandra's fortress. It's dark, but not too dark to see. And of course, just like the outside, it's all made of the rocks.

A lot of staircases and tunnels lead up and down, in all possible directions.

.

"Which way do we go?" Eugene asks into the silence.

So many options. Rapunzel looks around, but she can't decide. She turns to Eugene "It's your birthday Eugene, so you get to decide which path to take. We're celebrating and adventuring. It's uhh - a celebranture!"

He raises his eyebrow, smirking at Rapunzel. "Alright. Here we go." He starts pointing at the different paths, "Onsie, twosie, redsie, one!" and stops at the one, that lies right ahead of them. "Blondie, you and I are gonna take this way!"

"And the cool kids will take this tunnel. Come on girls, you too Max!" Lance states, as he leads them in the opposite direction.

.

First she pretends to follow Lance, but after a few steps, she lets herself fall back on purpose. She hopes Lance won't worry too much, once he finds she's gone, but she can't rely on his orientation skills! No, she probably gets fastest to Varian, when she's on her own.

Between the stairs Eugene and Rapunzel take and Lance's tunnel, there's another way up, that looks promising and she's just about to go there, when someone gently grabs her arm. Shocked, she turns around and looks into Rapunzel pretty face.

"Na uh! You can't go celebranturing alone!" she says and takes Lashanie's hand, to walk her up the path Eugene chose.

Lashanie attempts to talk herself out of her friends supervision "Rapunzel, your care is touching, really. But you don't have to take care of me!"

From the corner of her eye, Rapunzel glimpses at Lashanie. At the light blue in her face. "Yes, yes I do." she says quietly.

.

...

.

He wakes up, lying on the ground. Startled, he shoots up. "Ah! Where - where am I?"

This time, Varian is sure, he's never been here before. A strange, surreal place. The ground he's standing on, is floating in the air, just like big parts of ruins that are drifting through the sky around him. Everthings bathed in shades of purple and pink.

"What the..." To his opposite, there's a tree floating - the only thing here, that's not just ruins. But that's not what Varian finds to be so strange. It's the giant, blue and transparent head of a young human girl, that appeared in front of the tree, that really confuses him.

The head, just like the tree, starts to move closer to Varian and he slighty backs away. "Whoa! Where - where am I? Who are you?" he asks loudly.

And the girl answers "A friend. Or at least I'd like to be." A weird smile shows on the huge face, before the tree along with it, sinks into the abyss to Varian's feet.

To see where that strange appearance has gone, he carefully steps closer to the edge.

.

Under the platform he's standing on, the girl appears again, now with a full body. She's hanging upside down, like a bat and all that just leaves Varian to wonder, what he did get himself into this time...

"There is a way to save Cassandra." It speaks to him, while walking up to the topside, where he's standing. "The final incantation. The sundrop must use it against the moonstone's power." It says, coming closer and closer. And instead of walking past beside him, to Varian's surprise, it just parts in two halves.

He turns to the appearance. "What? No, no! But - but there is no other incantation. It - it's not on the scroll!"

.

If there was a fourth incantation, wouldn't he have found it by now!? As if to prove his words, Varian takes the scroll from his back and unfolds it. Nothing showing on it, but the three incantations he already deciphered.

.

The scroll is being ripped from his hand... or is it doing this by itself? It towers up in front of him, far, far bigger than it has been just a second ago. And the strange girl explains "You need to use the sun, to see the sun."

Both, the symbol of the sun and the one of the moon come off the scroll and start to spin around Varian.

"Use the sun... to see the sun - what!? I don't understand!"

The symbols spin faster and faster around him until they hit the ground, causing a big wall of green fire to rise. The head of the blue girl appears again. "Use the sun to see the sun!" It sounds more like a demand than a clue.

The green flames flare up and force Varian even closer to the edge. With only the choice of getting burned or falling, he's taking another step and slips -

.

Breathing heavily he wakes up, the shock still present in his face. A few breaths and it dawns on him. "That was a dream." Varian looks around, he's still in the small cage, Cassandra keeps him a prisoner in. "Oh, why couldn't this be a dream!?" he complains to himself.

As he moves, there's a little chime coming from his pocket, where he keeps Lashanie's bell save. He remembers how she tried to warn him, because of her bad dreams, how certain she was about a deeper meaning to them.

And that dream he just had...

.

Varian reaches for the scroll that's still resting in his bag. He unfolds it and slowly repeats the words from his dream "Use the sun to see the sun."

.

Somewhere inside the tower

.

They climb further, deeper into Cassandra's fortress. Up some stairs, over some parts of ruins, past a lot of black rocks and through the old window of Gothel's tower, that now builds something like a gate. Eugene lends a hand to Rapunzel and Lashanie as they climb the opening.

Rapunzel worries. "Getting in here was too easy. We could be walking into a trap."

And the princess is probably right. Lashanie nods at her "Likely. It feels like she just wants to lure us in, right?"

.

He thinks, how could he be a help to his friends. And an idea crosses Pascal's mind. He catches Rapunzel's attention and shows off his camouflage skill.

"Good idea! Think you can get in without being seen?" Rapunzel takes him into her hands, bringing him to the height of her face. And Pascal nods, sure he can!

A quick kiss to the small chameleon's head and Rapunzel puts Pascal down. "Be careful buddy!" He hurries off, up the next pair of stairs.

.

Minute for minute turns from present into past and Pascal's not coming back. She can't exactly tell, how long he's been gone already, but one things for sure, he should have been back by now. Lashanie turns to her friend. "Rapunzel, I got a bad feeling..."

And it seems they're the same. "You're right, this is taking too long. I'm going up there!"

But Eugene holds her back. "Rapunzel, wait! What if you can't convince her to come back? What if the only way out is... to..." His eyes begin to wander and he awkwardly rubs his neck.

"This is Cassandra, not some monster! She'll come around. I have to believe that."

"And if you believe it, then so do I." They take each other by the hands.

.

Lashanie isn't so sure about that anymore. Not after that night in the Demanitus chamber. "Your words in gods ear." With a worried face, she looks up the stairs, they've last seen Pascal on.

.

Varian's cage

.

He's been examining the scroll as close as he could, but there's nothing. Not even a hint, where he should be looking, what he might be doing wrong. No fourth incantion!

"Argh! Need the sun, to see the sun - what does that even mean!? Argh!"

The longer he tries to figure it out, the more frustrating it gets. In anger, he pulls his goggles off and throws them with the scroll to the other side of the cage, where they hang from one of the black rock bars.

He leans back, pouting, mad about his inability to unlock that final secret.

.

A ray of sunlight reflects in his goggles and falls at the scroll. And through that beam of light, writing on the back of it gets revealed.

Varian's eyes widen. "Sunlight!" He turns to the sun in his back and to the scroll again. That's it! A bright smile, that almost reaches from ear to ear, shows on his face. "The words are hidden and it needs a beam of sunlight to reveal the incantation! Demanitus, you genius!"

.

Cassandra's throne room

.

They reach a large room, in which a morbid kind of throne towers. On carefull steps, Lashanie and Rapunzel walk further in to the room, calling for Pascal. "Pascal? Come out buddy!"

Whereas, an opening in the wall has caught Eugene's attention. He makes his way there, only to find a bridge, that's connected to a cage and in that cage, Varian's beeing hold captive. "Blondie, Singing Bird - I think I found Varian."

.

"Vary!" Lashanie shouts, instantly forgetting about anything else. As fast as her legs can move, she runs past Eugene and Rapunzel, runs to the small bridge.

"No Lashanie, don't!" Their attempt to catch her, afraid she might fall if she just runs to him fullspeed, fails as both of them miss to grab her arms.

.

Lashanie's heart is beating loudly, pounding harder with every inch the distance between them shrinks. With wide open eyes Varian's looking at her. He doesn't even dare to breath, when it looks like she could be falling any moment.

On the last steps she slips off, falling to her knees in front of the cage, clenching her fingers to it's bars. Varian lets out a loud gaps, before he laughs. His laughter lies somewhere between relief and surprise.

She lifts her head and just smiles.

.

He reaches through the bars, takes her face into his hands and kisses her. Once, twice - again and again until he starts laughing again. He presses his forhead against hers. "You must be crazy, Birdy! You must be crazy to come here."

Tears of joy run down her cheeks. "I know. I know, but I couldn't - I just couldn't stay away."

Varian shakes his head, wiping her tears away. "Your eye..." he whispers and she presses her lips together.

.

"Don't worry Varian! We're gonna get you out of there." A voice shouts from afar. It's Rapunzel.

But Varian isn't ready to leave yet. He shouts back "Not now! I - I found the last incantation! It was hidden with a photoreactive ink." He leans over to Lashanie, wearing a goofy smile "Obvious, right!?" His following chuckle has that dorky snort, Lashanie just loves about him and she can't help to laugh.

Eugene rolls his eyes "Yeah, super obvious!"

"The problem is, I need a concentrated beam of sunlight to see it." Varian shouts. "I mean - I tried using my goggles, but they're too scratched up. I need ... something else, like uh - a prism or a glas!"

He looks at Lashanie, wondering if she might have something with her, that could be useful. Too bad, she has to dissapoint him on that. Lashanie shakes her head. "Sorry Vary."

.

But Rapunzel might just got the right little something with her. She reaches into her satchel and pulls a beautiful ring from it, holding it to Eugene. "Or a crystal?"

"Is that a...?" his face shows perfectly, how much she's surprised him by that.

She smiles "Yeah" and Eugene takes her hand "For me? You were going to ask me? I mean, I was going to ask you! All this time and you still find ways to surprise me."

A strong shaking interrupts them.

.

"Hold on tight Birdy!" Varian keeps Lashanie pressed to him through the bars. She nods "That was the plan!"

Rapunzel knows what must be going on. "Uh - she must know we're here! Ok, ge -get the ring to Varian, I'm gonna go find Pascal!"

When she turns to leave, Eugene holds her back, to gently put his hand to her cheek and tell her "Be careful!"

They part, Rapunzel walking back into the room and Eugene starting to make his way over to Varian.

.

Behind Eugene, the opening closes permanently, when he's made it halfway over the passage. Still he keeps going. Well, it's not like he had another option left now anyway...

What look dangerous, but yet quite easy when Lashanie did it, really takes a lot from Eugene. Every once in a while, he staggers and can only hardly keep his balance. He's pushing further and then it happens - he slips. Lucky he lands on the bridge and can hold on to it. Exhausted he mumbles "Man, I really hate birthdays."

"Hurry, the sun is setting! Eugene, come on!", Varian calls to him.

Easy for him to say, he isn't the one who has to make it over that thing. "I'm going as fast as I can kid, without dying!"

Eugene gets back up and leaves the rest of the passage behind him. Only a few more steps distance lie between him and Varian. He takes the ring from his pocket.

"Come on!" Varian commands and Lashanie scolds him. "Don't rush him like that! He might fall!" "Bu - but we've got no time left!"

.

In order to hand Varian the ring, Eugene carefully leans over to him. Varian reaches for it and , just their luck - it slips from Eugene's hand. They both try to catch it, hasty grabbing into the air. But with just one focused snatch, Lashanie brings it into her hands.

Eugene already fears it's fallen down, where they could never reach it. "First memory and now balance? Age! Why do we have to age!?"

Smiling, Lashanie shows the ring to Eugene and his face lights up. "Nice snatch!"

She takes Varian's hand and puts the ring on his finger. "Here, so you won't drop it again!"

With an open mouth and red cheeks he blinks at her. Lashanie tilts her head. Is this confusion or surprise showing on his face? Or maybe just a mix of both? And for how long is he going to stare at her like that? "Vary, Angel, the scroll!", her words snap him back to reality.

"Ri - right!"

.

Varian tries to use the ring, to concentrate the sunlight. And indeed, the writing on the back of the scroll gets revealed bit by bit. "It's working!"

"Way to go kid!" Eugene compliments him.

But the concentrated sunlight has a little side effect - heat. The scroll catches fire in Varian's hand.

"Argh! Ge - no! No no no no!" Varian quickly grabs a piece of paper and starts writing down the incantation, while Eugene tries to blow out the flame.

But if it does anything, it only makes it burn faster, so Lashanie complains "Stop fueling it!" But Eugene lectures her "I'm not fueling it, Bird, I'm slowing it down!"

Finally, Varian drops the tiny remaining piece of paper, when it burns his fingers. But he immediately holds up his note. "I got it!"

Lashanie cheers "You're amazing!", before she presses a kiss to his cheek. Varian smiles, blushing a little, as he lets out a flattered chuckle.

Watching what's left of the scroll as it's gliding down, burning to ashes before it could even come close to the ground, Eugene states "I certainly hope so, because that thing was not easy to come by. Now, can you figure out a way to get through these bars and then, how do you get back into the building? Because I got nothing..."

The teens look at each other and realize, none of them has thought about that yet. Lashanie exchanges a look with both, Eugene and Varian. "We're stuck, huh?"

"No..., no no, we're not! We - we just need to think..." Varian tips his forehead, as if that could bring a solution to him.

Eugene leans to Lashanie and nods "Yeah, we're stuck."

They got no choice but to wait for someone, to rescue them. And wait they do. All their hope is now resting on Rapunzel.

But suddenly and totally unexpected, they start to move. The cage is getting pulled back inside the tower.

"Whoa, what's- " Lashanie staggers and she's lucky, Eugene can hold her, saving her from falling.

"Careful, Bird!" He turns to the tower "Bad, this is bad!"

Varian knows this was a bad sign, but the fact, that even Eugene worries, makes him feel so much worse. He looks at him "Uh-oh! Eugene?"

To make place for Lashanie, so she'd have a safe hold, Eugene gets up. He takes Varian's hand. "Stay close kids!"

.

Quickly, the cage along with the three of them, slides into Cassandra's throne find Rapunzel pinned to the wall, but except for the uncomfortable position she's in, the princess seems to be fine.

Cassandra grins at them and Eugene bravely shields the teens with his own body.

"Welcome back guys. Let me help you out." She sends her rocks at them. With some, she catches Eugene, encasing him from his feet up to his chest, so he can't move an inch. The other rocks lay themselves around Lashanie's legs - she's chained to the floor.

"Birdy!" Varian reaches for Lashanie's hand. "I'm fine. I'm fine Vary."

.

Cassandra ignores them, she isn't interested in neither Varian, nor Lashanie. No, she directly heads to Eugene. "You won't fight me. But will you fight for him!?" She grabs Eugene's face and turns it to Rapunzel.

"Cass, leave him alone!" Rapunzel demands, still being held to the wall by rocks.

"I just realized, I forgot to give you my birthday present." Cassandra turns her back to Eugene, takes a few steps and then, she starts to tighten the grip in which she holds him.

In pain he calls out to Rapunzel "Don't give in to her! Don't do anything she says!"

.

Helpless they watch Cassandra threating Rapunzel, to crush the love of her life. Just as helpless, as Rapunzel herself.

"Vary, we - isnt there anything we can do!?"

"Yes. Yes! Rapunzel! I have the final incantation, you have to use it!" Varian pulls the note from his bag and holds it out to the princess.

On her shoulder, Pascal use this chance and snatches the paper with his tongue. He holds it open to Rapunzel. But she hesitates. She doesn't want to fight Cassandra...

.

"Final incantion? What is he talking about?" Cassandra asks and once again it seems, like there's someone she's talking to, someone only she can hear... And if there is, that someone's only fueling her rage. Her mien hardens.

.

"Crescent high above

Evolving as you go"

.

Spicky rocks start to spread across the ground, threathen to hurt Varian or Lashanie, while Eugene is still unable to move.

Varian calls her to act "Rapunzel! Use it!"

There's no other way. Rapunzel still wishes, she didn't have to fight Cassandra, wishes there was something else she could do. But there isn't-

.

"Power of the sun

Gift me with your light

Shine into the dark

Restore our fading sight"

.

Rapunzel's hair, just like her eyes, take a golden, unearthly glow. She levitates, the rocks can no longer hold her and she sends a wave of power from her body.

.

"Rise into the dawn

Blazing star so bright

Burn away the strife

Let my hope ignite

Let hope ignite"

.

Rapunzel moves further to Cassandra, her body is being carried by the sheer amount of power that's flowing through it.

"Let him go, Cassandra!"

The look on Cassandra's face turns even more bitter and mad. "I don't follow your orders anymore!" She sends her rocks at Rapunzel.

"I said , let him go!"

With one simple move of her hands, the princess sends another bright wave of power and destroys the rocks, before they could touch her.

Cassandra tries again. And again it doesn't take Rapunzel much effort to stop her attack.

She demands again "Let him go!"

.

Cassandra grins and as if she had lost her mind, she starts to rise black rocks, more and more. It's easy to see, that it takes Cass far more strenght to keep creating new rocks, than Rapunzel needs to shatter them. Cassandra sends the whole amount of rocks she created at the princess.

And just like before, Rapunzel only send a wave of her power to parry this attack. But this time, the moonstone's and the sundrop's powers clash. The blast tears down the walls of the tower, the rocks don't stand a chance against the sundrop and they crumble to pieces.

But not only the walls, also Eugene's and Varian's prison, aswell as Lashanie's chains.

.

"Ah! Eugene!" Varian and Lashanie are sliding closer to the egde. They can't withstand the blast.

For a moment, Varian thinks he might be able to hold against the blow and save them. But before he even notices how far they've already been pushed, they fall from the tower.

.

Down. Further and further down they fall, trying to hold on to each other and shouting at the top of their lungs. They're sure to meet an unhappy faith soon, when suddenly, their fall comes to an end. Sooner than they could have expected and leaving them unharmed.

Shocked and confused, they take a moment to realize, that they've been caught by no one else but Lance. Varian lies in his arms, being held like a bride, Lashanie at the top of him, her tummy pressed to his and her feet hanging over Lance shoulder. They both seem kinda wasted.

Varian looks at their saviour "Ha! Lance!" and hugs him tightly.

"Varian! Lashanie!" Lance holds them closer.

Through their hug, Lashanie is being squeezed. "Uff! Yeah, don't mind me!"

"See? Here they are. And I led us right to them." Lance states satisfied to Catalina and Kiera.

.

Corona castle (Guest room)

.

While Lance and the girls are getting the cake for Eugene, Lashanie begged for a room where she and Varian could clean themselves and maybe get a little rest.

She's already done, her face all clean and dry again, when Varian's still just sitting on the bed, the same way he did since they've entered the room. He's also been awkwardly silent...

Lashanie sits down on the edge of the bed by his side. "Come, let me help you." She puts a loofah sponge into the bowl of water, that's place on the nightstand and starts to clean Varian's face.

His lips form a greatful smile, but his eyes keep a sad look. He takes Lashanie's hand. "Birdy, what happened there... in the Demanitus chamber, I - I didn't-"

Lashanie goes on, wiping the dirt off his faces. "It doesn't matter Vary. I'm fine and so are you. And that's all I need."

.

Varian puts his hands to her cheeks, holding her face and forcing her to look at him. "It does matter! You got hurt and I couldn't do anything to help you."

"Varian, I don't need no knight in shining amor. You don't have to save me or protect me all the time, just - just love me, that's all I ask of you."

"But ... your eye."

She looks away "Yeah, I know it's weird."

"That's not what I meant! ... And it's not weird."

Lashanie raises an eyebrow, she obviously doesn't believe him.

"Don't make that face! I'm telling you, you're stunning."

A loud laughter of her follows his words. "A kind lie. A bit too much, but kind." She puts the sponge in the bowl and gets up to take the water bowl into the bathroom. But Varian pulls her back. Water spills over and falls to the floor. "Hey!"

"I mean it!" He ignores her pout over the spilled water. "I look at you and what I see, is the most beautiful girl in this world."

.

Lashanie chuckles. She wants to make a joke, say something to tone down his words, but her mind seems to be blank. He leans his forehead against hers and talks quietly.

"You know, you kept me from losing hope in that cage. You were always with me."

She blinks at him, wondering what he means, when Varian takes her bell from his pocket and puts it back to her arm.

"Oh! My - but I thought it was lost."

"No, I'd never lose it." His smile speaks volumes to her. Like I'd never lose you. And like you'll never lose me.

.

Their faces move closer and their lips are already slighty touching, when Lashanie asks "So, who's the winner?"

Varian's face shows a confused smile as he tilts his head.

"Best metal! Which one is it?"

He laughs and puts his hand to her cheek. "Iron, of course!"

And she repeats in a whisper "Of course..."

.

Softly he places a kiss to her upper and another one to her lower lip and he knows she's expecting more, when Lashanie is leaning in to him. But he pulls back, smirking at her confused face.

It always has been him kissing her, so this time... Varian lifts his finger and points at his lips.

Instantly, Lashanie drops the water bowl. She takes him by his collar and pulls him back into a kiss. One that's far more passionate than he expected it to be.

His hand starts moving up her arm and once more, he brings to life a thousand butterflies inside her stomach.

.

A knocking on the door, puts an abrupt end to their kiss.

"Guys, we got the cake!" They hear Kiera shouting through the shut door.

And Lashanie shouts back to her "We're - we're coming! Just a sec!"

Varian rubs his neck "We better don't let them wait."

.

Corona castle (Rapunzel's bedroom)

.

"Oh, there you are!" Lance is standing in the door to Rapunzel's room, where they find her and Eugene. "Looks like someone forgot to eat their birthday cake!" He pushes in a trolley with the cake on top of it. The friends walk in and gather close to Eugene.

"You know, I been thinking. Getting old won't be so bad, so long as I get to do it with you."

"Happy first birthday Eugene. Make a wish."

.

And while Eugene blows out the candles on his cake, Varian and Lashanie exchange a look, holding they're hands clasped tightly. They couldn't have said it any better, than Eugene just did...

-x.ღ.x-