Note: A bit of a smaller chapter this time. We wanted to take a little break after writing something so heavy the past two chapters. We can't make every single update an angst-filled sandwich, so we hope you don't mind. Things will be picking up again soon, we promise. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this for the past year. Your kind words go a long way. Enjoy.

Rapunzel didn't sleep much that night.

It was supposed to be an easier night. After everything they had been through, she was supposed to get some rest. She had survived so much in the past week, and her body was aching, and the only brief rest she had in the past few days came from when the curse overpowered her and forced her into unconsciousness. She needed actual, honest sleep so badly, before her mind completely broke and she lost all sense of who she truly was.

But she couldn't sleep that night.

Rapunzel spent an awfully long time looking up at the stars. It was funny, in a sense. Everyone always associated her with the sun. It was an obvious comparison. Sundrop. Corona. Blonde. Cheery. But she always liked looking up at the stars. There was something strangely comforting about them. They were cold and distant, mysterious in ways she couldn't quite process. They represented a deep, horrible unknown, a not-so-subtle reminder of the fragility of her own existence amongst a vast, expansive universe. But despite that emptiness, they still shined brightly. They were still beautiful. And, above all else, their light still reached her eyes, no matter how far away they were. It reminded her of how interconnected the world was; that despite the loneliness and the dark, they could still find meaning within one another.

Cassandra cried herself to sleep in her arms. She had wanted to go back to her tent, but Rapunzel didn't let her leave. She refused to let Cassandra out of her sight. She refused to stop hugging her. No matter how much Cassandra complained, or how many times she called her an idiot, or pathetically she fought against it, Rapunzel kept her in her arms. She kept her tight. She didn't even care how dangerous it was. She didn't care that at any moment, the curse could overwhelm her and her touch could poison Cassandra just as it did before. Even with that threat hovering over them, she couldn't bring herself to let go. Cass's hands loosely curved around her waist and breathed softly into the crook of her neck. Rapunzel passed the hours absentmindedly stroking her fingers through her short, dark hair.

And that left her there, lying by the side of the river, staring at the stars. Hopeless.

She did everything she could to avoid thinking about what Cassandra told her, just like she had been desperately avoiding the visions from the Void of her and Cass's supposed romantic tryst. It was somewhat ironic that she wanted nothing more than to get those images out of her head, and now, she would give anything to have Cassandra's feelings toward her be her biggest problem. It was a pointless endeavor trying to fight it, but if she approached it head-on, that would mean admitting that she didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure if she could handle that kind of mental strain. She had to think back carefully: Had anything truly disturbed her as badly as this? She couldn't really think of a time where she was stuck with no way forward, no friends to turn to, no clue as to what could even be considered right or wrong. This would have been the perfect time for Cass to give her advice. She was so good with advice. She was maybe Rapunzel's most trusted advisor, even when Rapunzel could never be bothered to listen to her.

Cassandra wished she was dead. The thought alone made Rapunzel cling to her ever more tightly. Rapunzel didn't know how a person could wish such a thing, but there it was, staring her right in the face. All of that guilt had coalesced into something monstrous, a parasite sucking her friend's life away from the inside out. It wasn't an enemy she could just whack with a frying pan or convince with a rousing speech. It had no shape she could wrap her head around. In fact, she had no idea where that enemy began and her friend ended. For all intents and purposes, it was Cassandra she was fighting, only the black rocks were no more, and her anger and hatred had been turned inwards toward her own heart. She always hated fighting Cassandra. Now was no different. But at least back then there was something she could do to stop her. What was she supposed to do now that she couldn't before? Cass stopped listening to her whenever she spoke fondly of her. She resisted her when they tried to touch. She fought against every compliment and kindness Rapunzel gave her and retreated more and more into the darkest parts of her subconscious with every hour.

The only weapon Rapunzel had was hindsight. She never should have ignored Cass's feelings in the Great Tree. She never should have burned her hand. She never should have stopped searching for her. Perhaps most importantly, she never should have let her leave Corona. It was clearer to Rapunzel now more than ever. Her best friend had just recovered from the poison of the Moonstone. She was lost, confused, full of doubt and wandering purpose, and Rapunzel—like an absolute idiot—let her go out on her own and just…do what? Find her destiny somewhere else? Pray that she stumbled upon her happiness in the middle of the forest? It was Cassandra's idea to leave; she insisted that she needed to be alone, and Rapunzel had tried to respect her boundaries. After everything they had been through, she finally decided to listen to Cass, and what did that get her? It was a pathetic attempt to make amends. She became so focused on doing right by Cass that she never considered whether what she was doing was right. She should have put her foot down. No, Cassandra, you cannot leave. You have to fix things here, with me.

That would have made things better, right? Cassandra wronged the people of Corona, so she could have stayed to clean up the mess she made. She could have repaired houses. Fixed shops. Paid reparations. Served jail time, or taken a walk of shame, or something to make her believe she had served her punishment. Hell…she should have made Cassandra her handmaiden again. She could have forced her back into servitude so that Cassandra could restore the damages she caused to the castle, and she could have supported the King and Queen, and she could have stayed by Rapunzel's side, and she wouldn't have to be alone with those awful thoughts, and Rapunzel could have kept an eye on her to make sure nothing bad happened ever again. She could have been there to protect her. They could have protected each other…

Rapunzel sighed, squeezing Cassandra closer. Maybe that was selfish of her. Maybe that was all any of this was. Selfishness clashed against selfishness. Would making Cassandra her slave really make things better? Of course not. Cassandra shouldn't have been punished. She saved Corona. She should have been given a parade if anything. No, the real problem was that Cassandra didn't think she deserved anything. If Rapunzel was going to make this right—and dammit, she was going to make this right—she had to let Cassandra know how much she mattered. She needed Cass to know her life had a purpose.

A dark thought quickly came across Rapunzel's mind. Normally, she would shove it away or overwhelm it with the light, but just this once, she dwelled on it.

Rapunzel didn't mind dying. That was something she knew for a long time. She was blessed in her life, having far more than anyone could ever dare to ask. She knew she should never take that for granted. If the universe gave her such an incredible life, if it really gave her everything, she would have to be willing to sacrifice for it. She would never be able to throw herself into so much danger if she was afraid of death. What she did fear was what she was going to leave behind. Eugene, Pascal, her parents, her Kingdom…she didn't want them to suffer in her absence. She didn't want them to have to cry at her funeral. Her parents mourned her for eighteen years. They deserved to be with her for as long as possible. That was what she fighting for. That drove her to stay alive. For them. For everyone. She would have given her life for any one of them, and she would do it over and over again, unwavering and proud.

She would give her life for Cassandra, too. If she could take Cassandra's twisted thoughts unto herself and ease her friend's burden, she would do it within a heartbeat. It wasn't possible, but it did bring her a certain amount of clarity. She was on a trip to another country in search of a cure for her curse. Her impending death was what brought Cassandra back to her and gave her this second chance to repair what they had. Maybe there was a sign in that. Adira and Delilah may have dedicated themselves to protecting her, but they weren't the ones holding her onto her right now. This journey started as a chance to save her own life…but as of now, that was secondary to her. Rapunzel pursed her lips and stared up at the stars.

She was going to save Cassandra. She didn't know how, but she was going to do it. Even if her own time ran out in the process.

Cassandra stirred gently, enough to draw Rapunzel's attention but not actually awaken. Rapunzel carefully looked down at the woman in her arms. From her current perspective, she was astonished by how young Cassandra looked. Cass was young, only a year younger than Eugene, but her height, her serious disposition, and her constant command and authority made her seem so much older than she actually was. She always seemed so rigid, so cold. But now, in her arms, Rapunzel wasn't so sure of that. She was surprised by how soft she was, how warm she felt against her skin, how her face, calmed by sleep, was really quite beautiful under the moonlight. Far from the stern warrior that swore up a storm and battled everyone in her sight, the woman in her arms was delicate. Pure. She deserved to be protected and cherished, and Rapunzel was going to give that to her even if she resisted it.

Another image briefly popped into her mind: Cassandra tenderly kissing her, pulling her in close to press their bare skin together. A few hours ago, Rapunzel would have discarded it immediately, but she decided to let it linger, just for a few extra moments. It was still strange and confusing…but she didn't feel the usual revulsion she was expecting. Now, it just felt somewhat sad, like something far out of reach that she couldn't quite touch. Cassandra must have felt something special in those memories—well, not memories. She had to remind herself that they weren't real. But the question remained: What could she do to make Cassandra that happy? How could she mimic that longing, that desire, that kind of pure love that she had only ever experienced through her feelings for Eugene? There had to be something in the world that made Cass feel that way.

Other than actually hooking up with her, of course. She couldn't do that. That would be…that would be just very…extremely…very…

"Uggggh."

Cassandra stirred again, and this time, she began to wake up. Rapunzel gladly let those thoughts fade away as Cass picked up her head, looking around lazily.

"Hmm, what time is it?"

Rapunzel tucked Cass's head into the crook of her neck, whispering gently. "Sshhh. Go back to sleep, Cass."

Cassandra groaned, nestling into the Princess to try and get comfortable. She muttered something Rapunzel could only barely make out. "I had the weirdest dream…"

"Just try to sleep, Cass," Rapunzel said again. Cassandra was far too groggy to resist, and within seconds, she had drifted off yet again, leaving Rapunzel alone with her thoughts once more. Rapunzel didn't let those previous images return to her, though. It was better to just disregard them before anything got more complicated. She made up her mind about something. It was best to leave it at that.

Still, as she closed her eyes and tried to get whatever few hours of rest she could, she realized how nice it was going to sleep with Cass by her side.

Varian didn't like being out of the loop. He considered himself a scientist, after all, and there wasn't much purpose to science aside from finding out the truth of the world. He had done enough for the kingdom that he felt he deserved to be more involved in its current affairs. However, he was somewhat more sympathetic when it came to Rapunzel. Even though she was his friend, he didn't blame her parents for wanting to keep the matters to themselves.

He knew that she was sick. He was there at the dinner when she suddenly collapsed and startled all the guests. He also knew that something had happened to Eugene resulting in him becoming sick too, but he was told that he needed time alone to himself as he recovered. It was probably something to do with whatever Rapunzel had, but no one told him anything else beyond that, like whether it was contagious or if he should have been working on developing a cure. He also knew that Rapunzel was…missing. That probably wasn't a good thing. He didn't think she was kidnapped or anything, but it was never good that a woman who barely looked like she could get out of bed was wandering out on her own. Granted, it was Rapunzel who was out there. If there was anyone who could overcome impossible odds and find a way to solve her problems, it would be her. But it didn't mean he wasn't worried about her.

He would have gone out to find her. He had so many alchemic concoctions and technological inventions that he was sure he could provide some assistance. Yet, he was bluntly told by the King and Queen that the situation was "being taken care of", whatever that meant. He didn't have any leads to follow up, and he was sure that if he left, his father might have messed up one of his inventions without the proper supervision—even worse than he could mess it up himself. So, he didn't go after Rapunzel. Instead, he distracted himself. He kept busy, doing menial work and experimenting and cleaning up the basement where he was allowed to tinker on his machines. It had been some time since Rapunzel left, enough for him to worry about her, but not enough for him to feel like the situation wasn't so much under control.

Until it suddenly wasn't.

He was working on a new device: a request made by Lance who wanted a better and more reliable method for toasting slices of bread. "Very, very toasty", was the description that Lance gave him. "Nice and crisp so that the sound of biting into it will be loud enough to wake every baby in Corona." Varian's name for the project? The Bread Oven. A bit on the nose, but effective nonetheless. The large square box of metal and machinery rested on his worktable, and Varian peered at it carefully through his oversized goggles before holding out his hand beneath the table.

"Screwdriver, please."

Ruddiger, always the assistant, grabbed the tool between his teeth and handed it off to the teenage inventor. Varian pursed his lips and focused as he tightened the screws. The machinery was delicate. He needed to be as careful as possible so he didn't mess something up. Carefully…carefully…

A loud knock on the door caused him to jump and jam the screwdriver directly into the side of the machine, stabbing straight through the sheet metal. After taking a moment to collect himself, he groaned in frustration.

"Who is it?"

He wasn't expecting the voice on the other side to sound so frantic. Then again, he wasn't expecting to hear the other voice at all.

"Varian, it's Eugene. Open up."

Varian dropped everything he was working on in an instant. Ruddiger scrambled to grab his tools as they fell to the floor, while Varian scrambled to grab the door as if the man on the other side would simply disappear if he waited too long. He still had a moment of doubt until he opened up the door, and even then, he wasn't sure he believed his own eyes.

He had never seen Eugene so…raw. Well, raw for Eugene. Even half-dead and missing the person closest to him, he still managed to be more impeccably groomed than Varian could ever hope to be. His hair was still combed and his beard trimmed and his clothes straight; but his eyes were weary and heavy, and of course, Varian noticed that his arm was wrapped up in a sling, hiding whatever injury he had beneath. Eugene didn't even let him gasp in surprise before he pushed his way into the workshop.

"Whoa, watch it!" Varian said, catching himself before he tripped over.

"No time for watching it, kid," Eugene said. "Close the door. I don't want people to hear us."

The surprising authority in Eugene's voice stopped Varian from resisting his request, but even as he closed the door, a million questions bounced around in his head. Eugene sat down in Varian's chair, curiously gazing at the strange bread machine like it came from another world.

"Eugene, what are you doing here?" Varian asked worriedly.

"I could ask you the same thing," Eugene muttered, poking at the metal. "What is this supposed to be? Some kind of…bomb…thing?"

Before Eugene could ponder what Varian was spending his spare time on, the young inventor pushed the broken machine aside and kneeled by Eugene's side.

"Eugene, what is going on? No one is telling me anything," he explained. Eugene frowned.

"Yeah, the King and Queen seem to be in a particularly bad, secret-keeping mood recently," he admitted. "I understand their need for privacy, but I don't think they are helping as much as they think they are."

"It's not helping at all," Varian said. "Seriously, no one has any idea what is going on. All I know is that Rapunzel is sick and missing. You know more, right?"

Eugene nodded somberly. "Yeah. There's a bit more to it than that."

"How much more to it?" Varian asked.

"A lot. I can explain it to you while you work," Eugene stated, resting his injured arm upon the table.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to work on that while you're here," Varian said, eyeing the machine glumly. Eugene, however, shook his head, somewhat annoyed by the young man's naivety.

"No, not the bomb thing," he groaned. "I need you to build something for me. It's important, and I cannot let Rapunzel's parents know about this. I'm not even supposed to be out of bed right now. If I didn't make the guard schedules, they might have even noticed I was gone already."

Varian was perplexed. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to go behind the King's back like this."

"Come on, Varian," Eugene insisted. "When has a little rule-breaking ever hurt anyone? And besides…" He became deathly quiet, his gaze drifting off somewhere else. "Rapunzel's life is counting on this."

That got Varian's attention. He had more than a few debts he owed to the Princess. If he had the chance to repay them, he would gladly do so. Still, he was more than a little hesitant at Eugene's vagueness. Whether it was intentional or not, he still felt like he was out of the loop. He chose his words carefully as he considered how to proceed.

"What exactly do you need me to build?" Varian asked innocently. Eugene paused for a moment, like he was struggling within himself—and then, suddenly, he began to unwrap the cast on his arm. Varian's eyes grew wide with shock as he saw the flesh in its current state: stained black, frail and decrepit. Eugene groaned in pain as he straightened it out, laying it on the worktable, and Varian could see the darkness creeping up past his elbow into his sleeve.

"I need you to build something to make this useful again," Eugene stated. "I'm going to need it if I'm going after Rapunzel."