Still here for the angst.

Was he dead? No. He couldn't be. Eugene would've gotten him to safety. He was probably fine. Still, she'd just stabbed him in the stomach.

"Cassandra." Rapunzel's angered voice shook her from her thoughts.

Cass turned to see Rapunzel glaring at her. The princess walked towards her, anger burning in her eyes. Then she noticed the others behind her looking just as angry and grief-stricken as the princess.

She realized what could be causing this kind of reaction from the people. Varian was dead.

She looked at Eugene. His white gloves were stained with blood. "Where is he?"

Eugene took a shaky breath. "Cass, he's dead. Thanks to you, Varian is gone."

Rapunzel marched forward, frying pan in one hand and hair in the other. "Why! Why would you do that? Why!"

Cass shook her head, backing away. "No. I... I didn't mean to... no."


After getting trapped together when Zhan Tiri stole the Moonstone and Sundrop, Cass finally asked what happened.

"Did you atleast get to say goodbye?" She asked.

Rapunzel shook her head. "No. Eugene said he died moments before he got inside. He was long gone by the time I woke up."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"But you meant to hurt Eugene." Her voice was quiet and solemn. "Cassandra, why?"

Cass took in a deep breath. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I really am."

"Sorry isn't enough. Cass, he's dead. He's dead and you're the one who killed him."

"I know."

"You don't even look upset. Cassandra. Please tell me you atleast feel a little remorse?"

"Of course I'm sorry. I never wanted him to get hurt. I never wanted for any of this to happen! I just wanted my own destiny."

"And this was the price?"

Her words shook Cassandra to the core. Rapunzel was right. She'd stolen the Moonstone, abandoned her friends, killed Varian, and for what? Now, Zhan Tiri had both the Sundrop and Moonstone.


"We did it!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "Cass, we did it!"

She turned and saw Cassandra laying dead on the floor.

"No!" She collapsed by her side, cradling her forehead against hers. "No! I'm not going to lose another friend today!" She looked at the swirling, conjoined moonstone and sundrop. "I refuse to lose another friend today."


Varian felt weightless. It was pitch black wherever he was. He heard voices, whispering around him.

"Hello?" He called out. He searched in every direction but the blackness went on forever. "Is someone there?"

"You're early, my child. Much too early." A disembodied voice echoed out from the darkness. "Perhaps she may find a way to save you still."

"He will not be the same." A raspy voice joined in. "If she does manage to restore his life, he will be stuck in between the world of the living and the world of the dead. It was different the first time. The man was only dead for a few minutes. It has been almost a day with the boy."

"We are aware of this." A womans voice responded to the raspy one. "But he still has so much left to do. It would not be right to keep him here."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Varian asked. He was scared. Scared and alone.

"You don't need to be afraid. We're friends." The first voice said calmly.

"Who are you?" Varian asked again. He felt a presence next to him. He turned and saw a hooded figure. Shadows covering their face.

"You may call me Death."

Varian stumbled back. "What? What is going on?"

Death reached out a hand. "You died. Killed by someone you called friend."

Varian's voice caught in his throat. It all came rushing back to him. Cassandra, Eugene, his mother.

Wait... his mother. She was the one he'd heard. The last face he'd seen before he... died.

"W-what, what were you talking about? What did you mean by "she" could still save me?"

A sigh. He couldn't see Death's eyes but he knew they were sympathetic. "Rapunzel. She might use the Healing Incantation to try and bring you back. But, of course that decision is still up to you. When and if she tries to use it, you have the choice of returning to your body, or not."

"A choice? What do you mean?"

"Think of the Incantation like a bridge. It will give you the choice of returning to the world of the living." He paused. "There is, however, a catch. You won't be the same. You will forever be trapped between both worlds. You're supposed to be dead but the princess' magic is strong. She can bring you halfway back."

"What's going to happen if I choose to go?" Varian wasn't so sure about this. He wanted to go back. He wanted to return but not at a cost this high.

"I'm not completely certain. There's a fair chance for you to travel here when asleep, and go back once you wake. That is the most mild thing that could happen. You would also have the ability to see other ghosts wherever they are." Death put a bony hand on his shoulder. "You have so much left to do, Varian."

Varian felt a tugging in his gut. A bright, yellow light glowed behind him, pulling him towards it.

"That's your way home." Death said. "You may go if you wish."

Varian looked at it. He wanted to, but he also wanted to say goodbye first.

"My mother. Can I see her before I leave?"

Death shook its head. "Someday. Someday you will see her."

Varian looked at the light again. He started walking towards it. As he reached the beacon everything went black again and then, he was waking up in his own body.


Varian bolted upright, gasping for air. Had that all been a dream? Something in the back of his mind told him it wasn't. Then he noticed the blood coating his shirt. He would probably need to wash that.

He slipped off the bed, steadying himself on the frame. He looked around the room to see a mirror and his own reflection. He looked awful. His eyes were dark and sunken and his skin was still ashy and pale, although it was starting to get some color back.

The most startling difference to him besides how dead he still looked was his hair. The blue streak he'd had all his life was gone and a large chunk of his bangs had turned white.

That was weird.

He limped out the door, wincing with every step. Everything hurt. Every step felt like he was walking on glass and every breath felt like he was breathing in fire.

"Ruddiger?" His voice was hoarse and weak. Ruddiger perked up from his spot on the table. The little guy hadn't gone with the others.

Ruddiger scampered up to him and soon as he was settled on his shoulders, immediately started to lick his cheek.

"I know. I missed you too, buddy."

Varian took in a shaky breath. This was going to be difficult.


After Rapunzel shot the magic into the sky the whole kingdom rejoiced. But all she could think about was whether or not the Healing Incantation had worked on Varian.

"Eugene." Rapunzel pulled out of the hug. "Do you think... do you think that the Healing Incantation worked on Varian?"

Eugene brushed her newly shortened hair away from her face. "I don't know. I really don't know. He's been dead much longer than either me or Cass."

Rapunzel started crying again. He was probably right. She was too late. Again.

"Oh, hey. Hey, Sunshine. It's going to be okay." Eugene consoled her with a gentle kiss on the forehead. "We can go see if it worked."

She nodded and he helped her up, offering Cassandra a hand too.

"Come with us." Rapunzel was practically begging her. "I need you to be there."

Cass nodded and followed them out of the square.


Varian was halfway to the castle when he felt it again. An aching pain in his chest that almost made him stop breathing.

He clenched his teeth and pressed on. He needed to ignore the pain. It would pass. It always did.

Ruddiger chittered sadly. He knew Varian was in pain, but he couldn't do anything to help him.

"I'm okay bud." He told the raccoon. Ruddiger didn't look convinced.

Then he heard a gasp. He turned to see Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra staring at him, mouths agape in surprise.

"Varian?"

"Hi." He gave Rapunzel a weak smile.

She let out a gasp of a laugh and reached out to pull him into a hug. She cradled the back of his head.

"You're alive." She pulled back to look at him. Tears in her eyes. "How?"

"It was you." He said quietly. "The Healing Incantation. It brought me back."

Eugene interrupted their moment by pulling Varian away from her and hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I... I-"

"Shut up." Varian buried his face in Eugene's shoulder. "You did the best you could. You were there for me until the moment I died. That's more than I ever would've asked of you."

He pulled away and noticed for the first time since finding him how pale and... ghostly, he looked. "You look awful."

Varian laughed weakly. "Thanks."

Eugene looked at him worriedly. "No, I mean, you look like you're about to pass out. Are you okay?"

Varian shook his head. "I was dead a few minutes ago, Eugene. I'm quite the opposite of okay."

"Varian." Cass stepped forward. "I... I'm glad to see you're alive."

Varian averted his gaze and stepped away from her.

Rapunzel looked between her two friends. Cass looked saddened by his reaction and Varian looked down right terrified of Cassandra.

"Cass I think maybe you shouldn't get near him." She whispered. "I mean, you did kill him."

"And knocked him out, and drugged him while unconscious, and I also hit him in the chest with the black rocks. And then he fell off the tower after I dangled him over the edge of said tower." Cass nodded. "You're right. He has every reason to be afraid of me."

She stepped back to give him space.

Varian was able to breathe easier when she stepped away. He hated to admit the fact that he was scared of her but he was.

"Can we go home please?" He asked.

Eugene nodded and wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they made their way back to the castle.

"You look pretty shaken, bud. Do you want to talk about it?"

Varian shook his head. "Not really."

Eugene sighed and rubbed his arm. "I know what you're going through. When Rapunzel brought me back for the first time it took awhile to for me to feel comfortable in my body again."

Varian gave him a half-hearted smile. He knew that Eugene had died before, but he didn't want to tell him how different this was. He wasn't even fully here anymore.

"Thanks."

"It'll be okay."

They walked in silence for awhile before Varian felt the pain is his chest again. It felt like someone was driving a wooden stake into his heart. He tried to ignore it until he couldn't any longer. He collapsed to his knees, vision hazy with pain as he gasped for breath. His chest felt tight and everything hurt.

"Varian?" Both Eugene and Rapunzel knelt next to him with worried looks. "Varian what's wrong?"

"I can't... I can't breathe." He gasped out.

"What do we do!" Rapunzel asked, panicking. "Eugene!"

"I don't know!"

Varian suddenly screamed in pain. He felt as if he was being torn in half. Then he felt his soul literally being ripped from his body and all in a moment the pain stopped.

He watched his own body collapse and Eugene catch it. He soon realized what was going on. Death warned him something like this would happen.

He was going in and out of death like state. And this wouldn't be the last time it would happen.

Guys I'm literally having so much fun writing this. Excuse me while I make it it's own book.