Chapter 38
Again
King Edmund, Hector and Adira said their goodbyes as the two and their animals set off.
Varian had thanked them for figuring out about his mother and father.
Cassandra had thanked them for telling her about the moonstone.
Ruddiger had thanked them for all the apples and junk food.
And then they began to head to the Kingdom of Corona...
Instead of taking their boat all the way to the Kingdom of Corona, they went to a port and got a ship to sail them to the Kingdom of Corona, so it only took 2 months and a half to get back there. Nothing much really happened in those 2 months, except for a few instances of Ruddiger stealing the guy's (who drove the ship) food, a bunch of sleeping and taking naps, Varian nearly blowing the whole ship up trying to replicate a complicated alchemical recipe made by his mother, and many games of charades that Ruddiger, Banana and Owl thought was funny to watch.
Cassandra couldn't believe she was back in the Kingdom of Corona, and it almost frightened her, because what if the people didn't forgive her or Varian? But upon entering the streets, something had changed about the place. There were...buildings...
"Raps, my gosh, she did it, Varian!" Cassandra's eyes lit up with excitement.
"She did?!" Varian gasped. "See for yourself." Cassandra pointed.
Varian looked around, there were small buildings that had 'Rapunzel's Rehabilitation Center' signs on them, and it seemed to be working, as there didn't seem to be as many thieves and royal guards out and about as always. Varian wanted to run around, but he was afraid to...
What if he was still wanted?
Even with the rules in place, would the people forgive him?
The royal guards?
The Captain of the Royal Guards?
The King and Queen?
Cassandra, ironically, was also thinking the same thing for herself.
Rapunzel was walking around the streets when she spotted Cassandra, "Eugene! Look!" She practically screamed. Rapunzel ran up to Cassandra without waiting for Eugene to even register what the heck was going on and she tackle-hugged Cassandra, tears coming out of her eyes.
"Cass! Oh my gosh, Cass! You're back, you're back!" Rapunzel cried.
"Raps! Calm down, yeah! I'm back!" Cassandra hugged her back.
Rapunzel let go of her, wiped her tears quickly and smiled; "I've been reading your letters and I'm so jealous! Koto?! Traveler's Cove?! So amazing!" Rapunzel clapped.
She looked down at Varian, who hid behind Cassandra.
"Hey. It's okay, you've been relieved of your crimes." Rapunzel giggled a bit.
"Oh... R...Really? Ha ha, oh... Um... Thank you, your highness- Rapunzel." Varian rubbed the back of his neck. "Dad said that if I was going to relieve people of their crimes though, that they'd have to do some labor to make up for it, so... You might have to clean some windows, or help people with their shops. You know. Work." Rapunzel shrugged. "Oh. Um. Thank you?" Varian jokingly repeated, which made Rapunzel laugh.
Eugene, out-of-breath, finally reached Rapunzel; "You... You run too quickly, Sunshine!" He wheezed. "CaSsAnDrA, hello. Long time no see." Eugene waved, his other hand on his knee. (He was bent over, tired from the running.) "Hey knucklehead." She smirked.
Rapunzel spoke, "Is it true that Varian nearly blew up the ship trying to do alchemy?" She asked. Varian's face turned red with embarrassment, "Cassie! You told her about that?!" He snapped.
"How could I not? That was actually hilarious." Cassandra snickered. "But yeah, it's true." Cassandra answered Rapunzel. "Oh yeah, Varian! By the way, if you want, I can enroll you in the thief rehabilitation center." Rapunzel suggested. "I don't need it... I'm not a thief anymore, heh." Varian awkardly said. "Ah, but aren't you homeless? Cass told me you were homeless. The rehabilitation center has rooms for you to stay in." She pouted.
"Nah, it's fine. Yeah, I'm homeless but... No thanks." Varian shook his head.
Cassandra looked at Varian, then at Rapunzel. "Is dad still mad about the... y'know..."
"Um, doesn't seem that way. Why?" Rapunzel looked at Cassandra.
The Captain walked out of the throne room, "The King and Queen has decided to let you become Rapunzel's Lady-in-Waiting once again, and... your request to have a second bed and sizing the room has also been granted and will be done by tonight." He said to her.
"Thank you." Cassandra nodded.
"Cassandra..." The Captain put his hand on her shoulder. "I should apologize for sending you to the convent, back then." He said calmly. "Eh, it's okay. I had other plans." Cassandra shrugged.
The Captain raised his brow, "Other plans?"
Cassandra smirked, "I...took a detour..." She said to him.
Varian jumped onto the second bed, "Woo-hoo! Ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughed happily. "Oh my gosh, you're right, Cassie! The castle bed's! Aw man, they feel so great!" Varian then fell over backwards onto the bed and snuggled into the blankets.
"Told you, didn't I?" Cassandra snickered, leaning in the door frame. "I think you'll be a fun roommate, as long as you don't destroy anything with your alchemy research." She said jokingly.
"Hey! Cassie!" He crossed his arms, "Enough with the alchemy jokes!" He rolled his eyes. Cassandra walked and sat onto her bed, "Okay, okay. I'll stop... for now." Cassandra winked.
Rapunzel started to sing while she marched along the streets cheerfully;
"It took a long time, but it's finally here."
"The thing we've all been fighting for!"
"Things have changed, and so has people too."
"We marched together, straight to the king's throne,"
"We fought and pleaded, and here we are!"
"Chaaaange is here. We all have... chaaaaaanged."
Varian then sang, marching with her happily;
"I thought, things would never change."
"But here I am, marching along,"
"I've mended all my ways, went a bunch of places."
"We fought and pleaded, and here we are!"
"Chaaaange is here. We all have... Changed!"
Cassandra sung too, marching with them both;
"I knew it, that she had this all."
"I knew it, when I left this allllll behind."
"Things have changed, for the great and good."
"We are marching along, singing a song, and finally free..."
"We fought and pleaded, and here we are!"
"Chaaaaaange is here. We all have chaaaaangeeeeed!"
Eugene joined, marching with them all;
"She had this, she had this, that's what I said to myself."
"I trusted, I trusted, myself and look around!"
"Things have changed, and people have too."
"We fought and pleaded, and here we are!"
"Change is here! We all have changed!"
They all started singing, even the people;
"Change is here! We all have changed!"
"Change is here! We all have changed!"
"Change is here! We all have changed!"
"Change is heeeeeeeeeeere!"
"And we all have changed!"
(Author's Note)
And that is all for the second arc! Thank you for reading this! I was really excited upon writing the Brotherhood/Dark Kingdom chapters, by the way. I laughed so much at writing Varian's awkward little dialogues and Cassandra's sarcastic remarks. I thought I was going to procrastinate (and maybe I did... a little bit...) and take forever to release this second arc.
Here we are! (Ha ha, get it?)
I managed to do it in 4 and a half(?) days!
I'm going to be trying to work on a third arc soon. Until then, please take the time (if you have time, if you don't, that's perfectly fine, do it when/if you feel like it!) to review the fanfiction for both arcs (or just one!) and let me know what you enjoyed about it and maybe what made you laugh, like me laughing at Varian and Cassandra's dialogue during writing. :P
Thank you so much, and have a great day/night!
~ VarianLeAlchimiste
P.S.
Banana is the backbone of society.