This is it guys, this chapter begins the finale of the Series, and even though it's sort of a dark part of the story, I've tried to work in some comedy (Please let me know how I did)

Also, I've begun hashing out the details of my Spin off featuring the favorite couple in this story (Varian and Artemis...Artarian if you will, I suppose.) it will be darker and less light hearted than this story was as i'll be sort of basing it around Tangled the movie, only rather than Gothel and Rapunzel, it will be Hector and Artemis, and instead of the Tower it will start in the Great Tree.

just a fair warning to readers interested it will have a ton of dark themes and triggers with what I have planned, so if you choose to read it, exercise caution.


"This is the story of three very powerful friends, okay, so they don't really look like friends at the moment, it's uh…it's complicated. You see, her whole life, Cassandra has felt second best. Going back to when her own mother, Gothel, chose Rapunzel over her and as a result, Cass has developed a, uh…a grudge. That little thing there, that's the moonstone and it's the cosmic counterpart to , ah-ha, you guessed it, the Sun Drop.

The two belong together, According to Thalassa. Who is Thalassa you ask? Well that's where things get even more complicated, Thalassa, is an ancient being who's been inhabiting the body of my sister for 15 years, is the keeper of these two stones, her job is to make sure that the stones are only used for the greater good. Now that Cass has the Moonstone however, she's out to take down Rapunzel, Corona and anyone who ever underestimated her.

Not only does Cass have a brain washed brotherhood on her side, she's also pals with this goat headed monster. No, no, not that one, this one, Zhan Tiri. An ancient, evil demon. Only now, old Zhan Tiri looks like this…

Zhan Tiri manipulated this fight between Cass and Rapunzel to gain the power of the both the Sun Drop and Moonstone, it's enough to make even the most resilient hero give up, but it's a good thing it's the two best people in my life we're talking about."


"So, you're the keeper of the sun drop and the Moonstone? And you've been inhabiting my girlfriend for 15 years?"

"That is correct, young Varian. The Sun Drop and the Moonstone never should have fallen to Earth in the first place, but things…got out of hand, and I had no choice but to send them here, to earth. Much like your world, my own was ravaged by wars, only, we did not fight wars for the sake of proving who was strongest, our wars were for sport, good natured fun. That is how it was for millennia."

"So what happened?" Varian was leaned against the far wall of the underground tunnel system,

"There comes a time when fighting becomes senseless and even the most noble of warriors finds himself…I believe you would use the term 'Backed into a corner.' Gunari was as brave as they came, he was ferocious yet found kinship with his opponent, even in the midst of battle. He was much like Rapunzel, but everyone has a small shred of darkness in them. For Gunari, it eventually became to much to bare and he snuck into the temple."

"He snuck in?" Thalassa silenced the young boy with a patient smile, "Yes, he snuck into the Temple. You're a bright young man, I'm sure you know from your studies that ancient civilizations worshiped the sun and moon."

"Like the Mayan's…or the Aztecs?"

"That is correct. Gunari managed to get past the series of traps and challenges in place to protect the stones, until he made it to me. A rule to anyone who wished to possess the stones is they must defeat the guardian. Gunari and I fought for days with no end in sight, but he waited, his plan was to wait until I was exhausted to sneak past me and steal the stones."

"he was planning to force you into surrender." Thalassa smiled once more, "You're catching on, that's good. Yes, he was trying to force me into surrender. Once I figured out his plan, I snatched the combined stone from the Altar and split them into two separate stones…"

"Wait, combined?"

"Yes, Combined. The Sun Drop and Moonstone were once one unified source of power, Like what you call Mother Nature here on Earth."

"So what did you do with the separated stones." Varian seemed enthralled by the story

"I threw them down from the heavens, though I had no idea they would land on your world or incite such chaos. If I had I never would have done so. Back to the story though, Young Varian." He gave a nod, taking a seat on the ground again,

"My actions enraged Gunari, he charged while my back was turned and pierced my armor. He had let his rage push him to take life, a taboo where I am from. Gunari, horrified at what he had done, relinquished his weapon and let himself take in what his actions had caused."

"He killed you? but then How—"

"I am getting there, my boy. The chamber was in ruins, we had been fighting for days and the now once pristine white halls of the sanctuary were stained red. As Gunari held me that day, he vowed to never again pick up a sword. I knew I had made the right choice sending the stones away, I was just too late in my decision." Thalassa smiled once more,

"Now we get to Artemis." Varian seemed excited, "When we die our souls can linger or wander, your world would consider a wandering soul a Ghost. The day Artemis was born I heard the screams of a young woman, she was pleading with the doctors to do anything they could to make sure the infant lived, but you cannot revive a still born."

Varian did not like where this story was going, "She was…dead at birth, but then…if you're borrowing her body how—"

"I'm not finished." The deity seemed to be growing impatient with his interruptions and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Sorry."

"I heard the woman's pleas as the mid-wife took the silent child away, she screamed to the heavens asking whatever powers may be to save her child, even if it cost her own life to do so. So I answered her call and she made a deal, her life, for the child's. Sacrifice was a concept I did not understand, but as the young woman cried, I used the last of my fading power to take her dissipating life force and combine it with my own fading existence to revive the child. The rest is well…history."

Varian was stunned, "So you're telling me that Artemis is some kind of…celestial link between your world and ours…what's going to happen to her when we go to fight Cass for Corona?"

"That's hard to say, young Varian. The decision of what she does in this battle is entirely up to her, let's just hope she doesn't make the same mistake I did by turning my back. For now though, I must go and so should you two, your friends need you."

"Thalassa, wait!" before the woman relinquished her control over her teen hosts body, she turned her eyes to him, "Yes?"

"Thank you, for making sure Artemis lived. I…I don't know where I'd be if I'd never met her." The deity flashed a knowing smile,

"You two will achieve such wonderful things, please continue to look out for her, she loves you so much." The blue and gold light faded from the teens eyes and Varian plastered a smile on his face as Artemis took the spotlight again.

"Varian?" he offered her a hand, "I don't really have time to explain everything right now, but we need to reconvene with the others, they should be at the Snuggly Duckling." Looking at his hand then up at his smiling face, she couldn't help a smile of her own from forming.

"What are we waiting for then?"


"Sorry we're late." The door to the tavern swung open revealing the two teens , "Varian, Artemis!" the blonde teen found herself in a bear hug, Laughing she patted his back, "Good to see you too, Eugene." He held her at arm's length, checking her over for injuries, she couldn't hold back her laughter,

"Eugene, I'm fine. Varian took good care of me." Eugene gave Varian a grateful look before pulling his sister in for another hug, "I was so scared, you could have been seriously hurt! why did you push her out of the way?"

"Cass is…Cass isn't who we need to be worried about. I can't explain it, but there is someone much worse we need to be focusing on. Right now though, I think you need to boost your battalions morale. What would Rapunzel do?"

"Ooh, got it!" Artemis gave him a gentle shove towards the center of the tavern as she and Varian found a table.

"Hey, haven't any of you had a problem you just couldn't solve." Artemis slapped a hand to her face,

"That's not what I—"

"One we could sing about, preferably a bouncy tune that makes you forget how bad everything—" all of the patrons turned their heads down towards the table, "Oh come on! We can't just—"

"Yeah! If Eugene can lose an entire kingdom in humiliating defeat and still hold his head up—" Lance blew out the fire on his marshmallow, "then so can we."

"That's right, I'm sure our captain has a plan to victory." Artemis looked at her father from across the room, leaning towards Varian, "How long has he been in Corona?" he leaned back towards her with a book in hand, "I have no idea…I don't think he left." Her dad let out a nervous laugh,

"Poor sap, has no idea how doomed we are. Doomed I tell you." Hamuel fell off his shoulder, "Hold it together, Edmund." He took a deep breath before turning back to his eldest child, "I believe in you son." Artemis gave him an unamused stare before slamming her head onto the hard, wooden surface. Varian reached over and stroked her hair.

"Thank you…for the support, dad. Now come on, there's gotta be a way out of this."

"There is, but there's only one way out and that's through it." Rapunzel strode into the tavern with a sense of purpose as she sat down at the piano, "I'm not gonna sugar coat this. This is the biggest challenge this kingdom has ever faced."

"No offense you two." Varian and Artemis shrugged, "Meh."

"Time now to fight, let's turn our losing streak around." Artemis gave Varian a friendly shove towards the Piano, giving him a teasing grin, he fired back by grabbing her arm and dragging her up with him.

"Rise and unite, let's do what we must do." Varian took over playing and Rapunzel gave the young teen an encouraging look,

"If we're to win, we can't turn back or sneak around. Once we begin the only way is through!" Rapunzel jumped off the stage and sliding to a stop in front of the fire as Artemis offered her hand to her brother,

"Through the fire, through the rain. We'll face whatever the feats may bring and tear through every wall!" Rapunzel gave her parents a hug as she climbed onto the table, drawing a sword from the wall behind her.

"Through the fear." The young teen shouted, trying to raise the morale of the hopeless tavern guests.

"Through the pain." Rapunzel pointed the sword towards the crowd, "And as one, we will rise, marching tall! Through it all."

"It's not gonna be easy, but it's our only option. Who's with me?!" Rapunzel looked at those who remained in their seats, a courageous smile on her face. Artemis gave her brother a look,

"What are you…?" She smiled, "If anyone should be helping rally these people, it's you. You are their future king, after all." She gave him a nudge towards the bar,

"Time now to stand!"

"Let's save our home and take it back!"

"At your command!" Lance knocked Varian off the Piano bench as Angry climbed up with a trumpet, Catalina spun the young Alchemist towards the blonde who laughed as she caught him, helping her onto the Fidella, the goofy teen struck a heroic pose,

"I'm in."

"I'm in."

"Me too!"

"Onward we ride!" Varian steered the horse across the room as Artemis shook the Tambourine.

"Who knows if we will make it back!" the blonde kissed Varian's cheek, eliciting a deep red blush and an awkward chuckle as the music carried on,

"We're at your side."

"Together we'll come through!"

"Through the strife, through the fray."

"We can't hold back in this time of need."

"We all must heed the call."

"Through the dark, to the day!"

"And as one."

"We will rise."

"Marching tall!" Angry blew her trumpet as loud as she could as everyone continued dancing around the pub.

"Through it all!" Rapunzel pulled Artemis away from Varian and onto the bar with her, "to face whatever the fates my bring."

"Through it all!"

"Fight all the night, till victory and freedom ring!"

"Through it all!"

"Stand and unite, for home and heart and land and king!" Varian and Eugene clinked mugs, some of the foam splashing onto Artemis' shoes, she just shook her head as everyone got rowdier.

"For all of the lights and everything!"

"Through it all."

"Through it all! Through it all!" the crowd charged out f the tavern and towards Corona with weapons drawn,

"Quirin!" Eugene tossed the man a pitchfork, freezing as he saw the mark on the man's hand.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel took his arm and he smiled fondly at the young woman, "Ha, no one can rally the troops like you. thanks sunshine." The two shared a kiss as Artemis stepped up behind them, "You're welcome." The Coronan princess spotted her and pulled her in for a hug,

"I'm glad you're okay." Holding her at arm's length the younger royal smiled back, "Eugene already gave me a stern talking to, and I'm fine, really." Turning back to Eugene Rapunzel grinned, "You know, after all this time, I've never come up with a cute nickname for you."

"Well, I've already got three names and two of them are…awful. I think I'm good." Artemis laughed, "He's not wrong, Horace is pretty bad. But you know, Eugene, if you altered the spelling, your name is almost like a prophecy."

"How so?"

"Horus, Spelled H-o-r-u-s, he's the god of the sky, and you fell in love with the embodiment of the Sun Drop. Just count yourself lucky you didn't end up like Icarus."

"Huh, I guess I didn't think about that." Turning back to Rapunzel he crossed his arms, "DO you really think we stand a chance? Cass has the moonstone, the brotherhood, and we've got…" The three of them looked to where shorty was fighting with Hamuel over something or another.

"Ugh, you're being rude."

"Not to mention Zhan Tiri. I mean I don't think any of us are up to fighting an Ancient demon creature."

"Neither was Lord Demanitus."

"Varian? I thought you would have left with the others." He set his drink back on the bar, turning to look at his friends.

"When I was researching the scroll, I found out Demanitus banished Zhan Tiri to some kind of netherworld. But, the machine he used to do it was dismantled centuries ago."

"Can you build it again?"

"If I had the plans, but Demanitus took his only blue prints to his tomb." Eugene looked nervous, "Ha ha, let me guess, the tomb is thousands of years old and no on knows where it is."

"Well…I wouldn't say no one knows." The two princesses shared a sly look with one another, Varian looked hurt.
"You knew where Demanitus' tomb was and you didn't share the info?"

"Royal Coronan secret, Var. sorry." She flashed the boy a sympathetic smile.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."


"Snow. Why did it have to be snow!?" as the group continued their hike up the mountain they'd stop now and then to rest, the higher they got the thinner the air was.

"Almost there, guys. And by almost I mean not really…at all." Angry and Catalina hurried up the ladder, "Come on you old timers!"

"Last one up is a Sapporian slug!"

"Princess, how did you even know Demanitus' tomb was up here?" Rapunzel grabbed onto the ladder to start climbing as Lance stepped forward, "As acting queen I got to learn a lot of Corona Secrets. You know the great Oak tree in Corona park? It's not an Oak and it's not that great." Lance looked traumatized, "I've said too much!"

"You think you know a tree." Max and Lance began their climb, leaving Eugene Artemis and Varian behind at the bottom,

"So…Varian, we're buddies, right?" the Alchemist grinned, "Team awesome, remember."

"Oh, right."

"Eugene?" He stopped beating around the bush and got to the point, "You know how Adira and Rhino guy have fallen under the spell of an old mind trap?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to help them."

"Well, yeah, of course, we will Um…but—" A look of realization dawned on the blonde's face

"His hand…Eugene, is this about…?" her brother gave her a simple nod.

"Wasn't your dad a member of that club?" Varian looked confused at the suggestion,

"What are you saying? That…my dad—Listen, Eugene, my father is just fine."

"Varian, that isn't—"

"No, I don't want to hear it!" He hadn't snapped at her like this in a long time, casting her eyes downward she grabbed the ladder

"Okay…" she started her climb, leaving a pang of guilt in the Alchemists chest.

"Wait, I-I didn't mean—" Eugene stopped him shaking his head

"Just…forget I even mentioned it, okay?" Eugene started up the ladder behind his sister.

"Did you find it?" Artemis had regrouped with everyone else, tugging her jacket closer to her as Eugene and Varian observed the supposed entrance.

"Oh…boy."

"It's magnificent." Figures Varian would be excited by a puzzle. "is it just me, or is there no door to get in?"

"It doesn't look like there is. But there is a riddle." Rapunzel grazed her hand over the stone etching,

"Classic Demanitus."

"I grow but do not live, I need ai but do not breathe"

"A fish."

"A rabbit!"

"A rabbit fish!" Eugene turned around annoyed as Artemis stepped up to take a closer look at the door,

"People, are you even listening to the riddle?" Lance laughed awkwardly as Eugene accosted them, "Oh, Sorry, we were playing charades. But, the answer to the riddle is fire."

"Lance, it's not—"

"No, no, no, he's right. it is fire." Rapunzel rummaged through Varian's backpack, pulling out one of the insta-torches he had pack and smashing the green orb against the stone to ignite the device before placing it in front of the flame symbol on the door. Everyone stood back as the flame spread across the grey surface.

Eventually two stone mechanisms popped out of the wall, pulling open a hidden door, "See, G-bug. Easy peesy."

"Escuse me?" Artemis couldn't help the indignant snort that escaped as she bit back her laughter at the ridiculous name.

"Sorry, I was trying out a pet name."

"Maybe try harder." Varian and Artemis brushed past them, getting out of the cold,

"Ha ha ha, no, please, don't! G-bug is a keeper! Come on everyone, G-bug doesn't like to wait." Lance laughed as Angry and Catalina hurried past into the tomb,
"Come on G-bug"

"It's nice and warm in here, G-bug."

"Ugh, G-bug." he grumbled as he stepped into the tomb.


"Why are there so many banana pee—AH!" Eugene slipped on one of like half a million banana peels on the floor but Max helped him back to his feet quickly, restoring what little dignity the man might have had left.

"Monkeys…" Artemis groaned in annoyance, Varian looked over confused as they pelted her brother with more Banana peels.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Don't take it personally, G-bug, they're being territorial."

"They could have thrown something a lot worse." Everyone split up to look around the internal ecosystem,

"Yeah well, let's just find those plans." As the search began Artemis started climbing, the sooner they found what they were looking for the sooner they could leave. "This must be where Lord Demanitus found Vigor."

"So these are his great, great, great, great grand-monkeys?...great." Lance's eyes were drawn to something across the room as Varian was drawn to some ancient glyphs on the wall.

"Why are you climbing up there?"

"Do you care?" she fired back, her irritation growing as one of the monkeys got in her face, Varian flinched back at her tone.

"Why are you angry?"

"Oh, gee, why am I angry, Varian. I just think we need to exercise Caution, your dad might not be showing signs of mind control, but who's to say that's not Cass' plan?"

"I guess…I didn't think about that." Blue and gold eyes rested on Rapunzel who was dusting off an old book.

"I think she found it." Artemis slid down off the ledge,

"This is it! Lord Demanitus' plans."

"You did it, excellent. Now, could we get out of here?"

"I'm with my brother. I loathe monkeys."

"But they're so cute." Artemis and Eugene shared an unamused expression, the younger of the two looking towards the machine lance was manning.

"Absolutely fascinating and, I bet he used this to switch minds with the primate." Varian squatted down to get a better look at the gem mechanisms at the end, "Genius." Lance looked like a kid in Uncle Monty's shop,

"Don't!" Artemis screamed, launching herself at the larger man, knocking him to the ground as he let out a girlish shriek. Climbing off of his chest she dusted off her dress and walked way.

"Rapunzel, just grab the book, we can study it on the way back to Corona." No sooner had the words left the teens mouth had a monkey snatched the book.

"Wait, come back here!"

"Stop!" Rapunzel and Eugene gave chase to the little thief. The monkey evaded the two as Max soon gave chase as well. Artemis and Varian watched the scene before them, waiting for lance to move away from the machine before moving an inch. However, the second they took off Lance went right back to the machine.

Artemis motioned to Varian to hide around the corner, once the monkey was close enough Varian grabbed hold of it just as another monkey swung down to grab the book,

"Oh come on!" Varian passed the small primate to the blonde who eyed it suspiciously,

"I'm on to you, monkey."

"Lance don't—" it was too late, he pushed the button on the machine blasting Artemis and the monkey she had been holding, swapping their minds. The monkey pushed itself out of the hands of her usual body and landed on the floor, looking at her hands to see Monkey paws. turning her eyes on lance she glared,

"I hate you." Varian stared blankly at the monkey-girl "Lance, I told you not to touch it!" she could hear quiet fits of laughter behind her,

"I didn't touch anything!" Lance hid his hands behind his back,

"Don't even." The dark-haired boy couldn't help it though, he broke out in laughter, "You look so cute!" he scooped her up to look at her, her actual body, now inhabited by the brain of a monkey, had its finger in its ear, Artemis' eye twitched in irritation.

"Ugh, this is almost as bad as being turned into a bird!"

"Aw, I bet you were a cute bird." Artemis turned her glare back to Varian who looked terrified, "I will throw something far worse than bananas at you if you don't. turn. Me. back!" Eugene skid to a halt,

"Lance!" Eugene looked at his sister-monkey then at Lance, "Hold on, hold on, I can fix this."
'Lance, leave it alone."

"We've got it, Max!" the monkey with the book hopped away, just before Max and Catalina could snatch the book back.

As Lance was about to push the button to switch Artemis and the monkey back to their respective bodies, he slipped on a stray peel and blasted Eugene, swapping him with a monkey as well,

"Aww, Monkey siblings." Varian cooed, ignoring the glare his girlfriend was giving him, Eugene looked down at his now monkey body, "Oh come on!" he swung himself right into a tree as Rapunzel tried to lure the monkey back to her with a banana.

"Hey, monkey want a banana?" the monkey chattered at her and she threw the Banana, "Then go get it!" Rapunzel quickly grabbed the book, just in time for Monkey-Eugene to blast her too

"Got it, finally." She was swapped with the monkey she had just lured away,

"Aw, nuts." Lance looked peeved, "Get over there!" he shoved the monkey version of his friend over towards the Monkey version of Artemis, Varian still holding the swapped one.

"No more monkey mischief, now…where was I?" Lance aimed the machine at Artemis but accidentally got Varian in the blast as well,

"That's better, finally I'm back in my…—What's wrong with my voice, why do I sound like…Noooooo…" she looked at the gloved hands, then at the monkey in front of her, then to her actual body

"Lance, you swapped me with Varian!" she shuddered, "I don't like this, this isn't normal!"

"You're telling me, now I'm a monkey, and you're in my…Oh, Oh no…this is awkward."

"Switch us back!" she grabbed lance by the collar, the older man looked scared again, looking into the dilated eyes of the displaced teen,

"O-o-ok, j-just give me a second." Artemis picked up Varian as lance pushed the button again switching Artemis back to the monkey, Varian set her down next to her own body as lance pushed the button again, finally putting her back where she belonged.

Varian opened his mouth to say something, but she narrowed her eyes "We never speak of this again."


Once everyone was back in their bodies, Eugene broke the button on the machine, throwing it off to the side.

"I think we can all agree that Artemis is right, and we should never ever speak of this again." Varian poured over the book,

"Well, Varian, is it something we can build?"

"Um, building it would be a snap, it's where we have to set it up that gets a little…eh tricky."

"What do you mean?"

"It needs to be close enough to Zhan Tiri to suck her back in and because she's with Cass, in the castle." The teen heaved a sigh of defeat as Rapunzel took center stage again,

"Looks like we'll have to storm the castle and build the machine there. Let's get to it."