The demon was looming over the kingdom and the little group in the courtyard.
"I've dreamt of wielding the moonstone and sundrop for centuries!" Zhan Tiri roared as she laughed intimidatingly.
Suddenly, Rapunzel's hair was wrapped around her wrist, yanking her arm back.
"I am all about people living out their dreams," the princess declared, "but today? Not so much."
"You may have been a worthy adversary once, Princess," Zhan Tiri replied, grinning, "but now you are nothing."
With a flick of the demon's wrist, Rapunzel's hair flew off of her and crashed back into Rapunzel, knocking her to the ground.
"Rapunzel!" Eugene exclaimed as he ran to her side. She struggled to her feet, gazing upward apprehensively at their new foe.
Zhan Tiri laughed. Jaiden wrapped her arms around herself as she felt a chill she didn't associate with the weather. She looked up to find Zhan Tiri smiling down at her.
Suddenly, a huge hand, glowing with yellow energy, was reaching for her. Jaiden dove out of the way just in time, and Zhan Tiri's hand swiped at empty air.
Jaiden got to her feet, holding her dagger tightly, and found her dad standing over her protectively.
"Oh, I see," Zhan Tiri said knowingly. "Desperate to protect your little gem, are you? Well don't worry. She won't be harmed, so long as she obeys the commands of your new queen!"
Zhan Tiri raised her hand and curled it into a fist. Yellow rocks erupted out of the ground, forming cages that arched over their heads and trapped them all against the ground.
Laughing still, the demon turned away. Jaiden watched as she started towards the kingdom, no doubt ready to inform its inhabitants of their new ruler. And ready to harm them if they wouldn't obey.
Don't let her hurt anyone else, a small voice inside Jaiden's head pleaded. She did not stop to question it. She closed her eyes and called on the power of the sun. The eagle inside of her awoke, but this time, she made sure it stayed in check. With a yell, she thrust out her hands and all the rocks shattered.
Zhan Tiri turned to find Jaiden hovering above the ground, her eyes and hair glowing with golden light. The demon narrowed her eyes.
"Trying to escape the inevitable, are we?" she asked, leering down at Jaiden.
The sundrop and moonstone must join together, that voice in her head told her. Jaiden peered at the two gems glowing on Zhan Tiri's wrists, trying desperately to think of a plan.
"You are only prolonging your own demise," Zhan Tiri warned her. "You cannot defeat me. I now have the power of both the sundrop and moonstone."
"Haven't you been paying attention, Zhan Tiri?" Jaiden asked. "So do I!"
Summoning some of the moon's power to join with the sun's, she raised her arms and thrust them forward. With a crash that shook the earth, yellow rocks erupted around Zhan Tiri, some finding their mark and piercing her tentacles. She shrieked in anger and stumbled back, away from their sharp points.
Jaiden tried once more. This time, the rocks were tall and thick, intending to reach up and trap her. But Zhan Tiri summoned more yellow rocks that wrapped around Jaiden's and prevented them from growing.
"You may have gotten power from that incantation," Zhan Tiri taunted, "but it does not give you the same might as the possessor of both the sundrop and moonstone!"
She extended her hand towards Jaiden. A yellow rock sprouted below her feet, knocking her out of the air. She tumbled to the ground. Luckily, it was only a few feet away.
Jumping to her feet, she turned her no-longer glowing eyes up to the laughing demon. She would have liked to say she had a plan, but she didn't. All she had was the faintest glimmer of an idea.
She turned to see her dad running up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Jaiden, are you okay?" he asked frantically.
"I'm okay, Dad," she quickly assured him.
"She's too strong," Eugene said, running up to them with Varian and Rapunzel. "We'll never beat her. We have to get out of here."
"No," Jaiden said, surprising even herself. All eyes turned to her. "No. We can beat her. We just need to turn her strength into a weakness." She turned to Rapunzel. "What did you say would happen when the moonstone and sundrop joined together?"
Her eyes widened. "It could be...bad for whoever is holding them," she said, realization dawning on her face. She examined Jaiden. "You mean-"
"We'll need your hair," she said. With one look, she could tell Rapunzel understood.
Just then, a yellow rock sprouted in the center of their small group. They stumbled back and glanced up at Zhan Tiri.
"Whatever you are planning, whatever you try, you will not prevail!" she thundered. "I have waited two millenia to wield the sundrop and moonstone. I have more power than any of you!"
Her words were confident, but Jaiden detected something else in Zhan Tiri's words. Something like a little fear.
"You sure about that?" she shouted in challenge.
In unspoken understanding, she and Rapunzel ran at Zhan Tiri. Rapunzel tossed the end of her hair to Jaiden, who caught it and grasped it as tightly as she could, her eyes trained on Zhan Tiri.
She saw her chance as Zhan Tiri thrust her hand forward. Flinging Rapunzel's hair up, she looped it around the demon's wrist. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rapunzel doing the same thing on the other side.
Holding tightly to the hair, they ran forward before Zhan Tiri had a chance to react. With a crash, the demon fell backward, her arms splayed widely as Rapunzel and Jaiden held on with all their might.
But even that was not enough. Jaiden could feel Zhan Tiri about to pull her arms back forward. Shutting her eyes, she called on the sun and moon again, careful to keep them in line. Yellow rocks sprouted around Zhan Tiri's hands, arching over them and helping them hold her in place.
As Zhan Tiri pulled against them, she asked tauntingly, "Is it your plan to keep me here forever?"
"No," Rapunzel said, her voice slightly strained, "but that's kind of the point."
Jaiden spotted a shard of yellow rock by her foot. "Rapunzel!" she shouted, kicking it and sending it flying towards the princess.
Rapunzel snatched it out of the air and held it tightly. Jaiden yelled, "Now!"
In one motion, the rock's sharp edge sliced through Rapunzel's hair. They released it as one and the rocks shattered at Jaiden's command.
Zhan Tiri's arms snapped back forward, her wrists crashed together, and the sundrop and moonstone connected.
"No," Zhan Tiri said in shock, trying in vain to separate her arms. "No!"
Blue and gold light swirled around the courtyard, closing it on the two gems. The light grew brighter and brighter until they were all forced to shut their eyes. Rushing winds pressed against them and they all struggled to stay on their feet. They heard Zhan Tiri's shrieks until the raging wind blocked out even her voice.
Then, suddenly, all was calm.