Author's Note:

FINALLY getting this done.
Actually, only reason I got that final kick to finish it was because I've got a new fic ready to publish but told myself I had to finish this one first… so that actually worked.
The middle part of this is where I really got stuck because the writing in the show itself is… eh. Not great. I couldn't come up with a good enough reason for why Rapunzel would be so dang forgiving, until just last night it all came together, just enough for me to write and post.
So thank you for being patient, and enjoy :)

Chapter 4: Coda

Cassandra was acutely aware of Rapunzel's warm hand around hers as she was lead away from Eugene and Varian—who had already begun to recklessly two-step—and further from the lights and sounds of the village dance upon the green. It was the first time they had been alone since the battle. Sure, they had made up, or at least talked at last, a rather embarrassing memory for Cassandra, and they had defeated Zhan Tiri together. In a way she had given her life for Rapunzel, but it still wasn't enough.

Cassandra had tried to murder To destroy everything she cared about, and for what? Not some noble purpose, but pure selfish… insanity. What were they doing? Holding hands like they were still friends? Acting as if it all hadn't happened? What were they even thinking? She couldn't bear it, and in a flash she yanked back her hand, forcing a step back.

"Cass?"

Maybe it was instinct that dropped her to one knee. Maybe it was simply her shaking legs giving out.

"Your highness," Cassandra said. Her teeth felt sharp as she spoke the not-so-familiar words. Her head was bowed low, her eyes shut tight. She could feel her neck exposed. "I surrender myself entirely to your mercy. I'll accept whatever punishment you see fit."

"Cass, stop," Rapunzel said, kneeling before her. It could have been a command, but it came as a soft plea. It shouldn't have been such a shock when two hands fell to her shoulders. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes. I do." Cassandra held her voice in check, gripping it tight lest she start shouting like earlier. "I'm an enemy of your kingdom. You need to treat me as such."

"But—"

She's already forgiven you.

Cass hated Eugene's voice in her head. She hated that he was right.

"You cannot act as if I didn't do these things!" Cassandra said, snapping her head up to glower at the princess. "Just because I was your friend, you… you have to be stronger than that!" She had always been awful about taking Cassandra's advice, especially of this nature. She was too soft. Too forgiving. Maybe this time she would listen. Too much had been put at stake. "You can't just turn around and forgive me. Not like that," she continued. "What about Varian? It was okay to let him rot in prison but I get off scot-free, is that it?"

Rapunzel pulled away, cradling her hands to her chest and looking as if she had been burned. That had been a low blow, but it felt like it needed to be said.

"I… maybe you're right," she admitted.

Good, Cassandra thought savagely. She deserved punishment. The kingdom deserved justice. She damn well didn't deserve forgiveness, not yet, perhaps never.

"I'm not trying to pretend it didn't all happen, and maybe this still isn't the right thing, but I-I want to do better. I don't want to lose you too," she said, hunching over and gritting her teeth, sounding near tears. "I don't want to make the same mistake. I can't lose another friend, not if I can do something about it."

Cassandra considered that a moment, before leaning back on her heels and looking at Rapunzel not so much as a ruler, but as that awkward girl from the tower. It was easier than she'd ever expect to slip into old habits being her handsmaid, and perhaps her first friend (besides Eugene. He probably counted).

"You still have so much to learn about friendship," Cassandra said, with a faint sigh. The anger was seeping out of her again, just as it did when talking with Varian and then with Eugene. Her fury didn't seem to last as long as it once did, when she could stoke a petty upset for days and days. Maybe they had both managed to grow a bit. "Rapunzel, not all friendships are made to last. Sometimes it's okay to drift apart. And sometimes it's good to lose a friend, especially someone as toxic and hurtful as I've been."

"You weren't—"

"I absolutely was."

Rapunzel pursed her lips. "... Okay, yeah. Maybe you're right. I don't know what I'm doing. And honestly I don't know what's going to happen after this," She paused, holding her arms tight against herself. "Things might not be so easy."

"They shouldn't be easy," Cassandra muttered, the words bitter.

"But for tonight—for right now—" At this she stood up, reaching out a hand, her face cautious and hopeful. "I really don't want you as my enemy. So maybe, for a little bit, you can just be my friend again. Please?"

The idea was stupid. And naïve. One couldn't pick and choose what parts of a person they wanted to keep. It would probably be better for everyone if Cassndra left them in peace and allowed Rapunzel and the kingdom to move on. But, god, it was hard to say no to Rapunzel sometimes, and therefore she didn't resist as she was gently pulled her to her feet. There she stood taut as an bowstring, trying to figure out what she was feeling and simultaneously pushing it all down.

Rapunzel's brunette head twisted towards the music, and despite her initial invitation to dance, she didn't seem much in the mood. Rather, she held the somberness of a general after a battle. She was a hero to her people, someone worthy of being a leader and a princess, and worthy of the Sundrop. Of course she was. But in that moment Cassandra also saw the same young, foolish barefoot girl when they had first met, especially in the quiet nights when she would let down her guard. Although, admittedly, she was still barefoot.

And she was crying.

"Raps?"

"Sorry," she murmured, pulling her hands away again once more, this time to rub at her face. "It's just… been a lot today."

"Hey, it's all right," Cassandra said, going on sheer instinct to reach out and lay a hand on her shoulder. "It's all over now. We're all okay."

Somehow, that made it worse. Rapunzel clapped the heels of her hands to her eyes, bowing forward and looking like she might stagger under the weight of her emotions.

"Raps..."

"I almost lost my kingdom today," Rapunzel said, her words muffled and strained. "I almost lost you."

Cassandra felt—absurdly, stupidly—protective. She had no right to be, after all she had done, and yet the old feelings surfaced and this time she didn't try to force them away. Without thinking much she put an arms around Rapunzel, not quite a hug. At least not until Rapunzel immediately sank into her open arms, gripping her tight as if she might never see her again, burying her face into Cassandra's shoulder. Perhaps this should have been expected after almost dying, Cassandra thought, stunned. It didn't seem fair, in a way, after all that she had done to hurt Rapunzel. But there was little else to do, and so she planted her feet firm and held her, hands tight around those narrow ribs. She seemed too small and fragile to be Corona's future leader.

"You saved me. You saved all of Corona," Cassandra reminded her, whispering into the soft brown hair. As small and fragile as she seemed, she was the true, rightful, deserving princess. No one else could have done it. "I was wrong. About everything. You deserved the Sundrop. Not me."

It was never me.

Rapunzel squeezed tighter at that, as if to comfort her. It was undeserved. Cassandra had felt entitled to a destiny that was never hers, and decided she would rather have a monster of a mother who had never loved her, instead of a sister who always had. They could have been sisters. Rapunzel had offered as much, not so long ago, and Cassandra had rejected it outright. Out of anger. Of jealousy.

Now, it felt so stupid.

"I'm so sorry," Cassandra said, the words leaping out of her chest, her throat tight.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Rapunzel whispered.

Thanks to you, Cassandra thought with an aching heart, and held her tighter. She really had been forgiven, somehow. "You would have been fine without me," Cassandra said instead, aiming for a more upbeat tone. "You'd still have Fitzherbert, for all the good that would do."

That got a very faint chuckle in response. Just the sound of it let some of the tension go in the air around them.

"We really have missed you. I think even Eugene missed you," Rapunzel said softly, pulling back a bit to look her in the yes, their arms slipping down so, once again, it felt just a bit like dancing. Then her face grew somber again. "Is it true you're planning to leave Corona?"

"Varian told you, huh?" Cassandra said, with only a slight accusation in her tone. She sighed. "It's the right thing to do. I could stay and try to help, but I don't think there's much I could do." Besides, she thought, there was no one who wanted her there.

Rapunzel dwelled on that a moment, but it was more thoughtful than crestfallen. "In that case, I was thinking maybe I could convince my parents on… exile? You think?" She looked hopeful. "Temporary exile?"

That got a small laugh out of Cassandra. Clever. "Sure beats the dungeons."

"Or a convent," Rapunzel added, sounding more like herself.

Cassandra grinned, feeling more like her old self than she had felt in ages. "Way better than a convent."

Temporary exile had a nice ring to it, and it meant Cassandra might one day be able to return. She turned her head towards the village green with it's dancers and felt something like homesickness, although she hadn't even left yet. But this was her home, even if she could perhaps, one day, find a new one. Maybe this wouldn't be so…

"Ah!"

"Look out!"

"Whu—ah!"

There was an ugly chorus of groans and shouts as Eugene and Varian—paying zero attention to where they were going and having realized they could do an awful lot of kicking if Eugene picked Varian up just a bit—went plunging fists and knees first into the girls.

"What the—"

"Ohhhh, that just hit all my bruises," Eugene whimpered, his face in the dirt and hands clutching his stomach.

"E-Eugene?" Rapunzel said, struggling to sit up under the dark lumpy shapes. Heavy ones, at that. "What happened?"

"Well, I think I got punched," Cassandra said, trying to sit up and rubbing her cheek, stretching her jaw wide and hearing it pop. "At least I actually deserved it."

"Hahhhh… whoops," Varian said, before groaning and trying to pull himself up from where he lay across the two women. "We might have gotten, uh… carried away." He struggled to right himself, and his hand slipped on dark, unseen fabric.

"Ah! Hey!" Cassandra said, when his groping hand groped the wrong thing.

"OHmygod I'm sorry!"

Rapunzel laughed and held out an arm for him to use as leverage, allowing him to sprawl out to the side of Cassandra, letting out a low groan and keeping his hands tight to his chest, the night hiding his burning face.

"How are you two so destructive just dancing?" Cassandra added, also helping by shoving Eugene off so he could flump onto Rapunzel's other side. He was still groaning—maybe a touch dramatically—as he sat up, clutching his ribs. Then he startled, as if an idea had struck him.

"Hey, yeah!" Eugene cried out, pointing an accusing finger. "How dare you two attack the princess!"

Cassandra and Varian sat up and stared at him. Actually, Rapunzel was staring as well. Then Varian let out a snicker, and that had a rippling effect.

"That's not funny," Cassandra said, deadpan. Any effect was lost, however, amid Varian's muffled creaking laugh, even as he covered half his face with his glove in an ill attempt to suppress it. He certainly wasn't helping.

Nor was Rapunzel. "Eu-Eugene," she squeaked out. "Y-you're the one who… who…" But that was as far as she could manage before breaking down, laughing too hard to say another word. It was, after all, Eugene who had done most of the so-called attacking.

"Oh look," the rogue said, widely gesturing to the giggling girl between them. "Now you've killed her."

"Oh my god!" Cassandra said, wanting to strangle him.

Rapunzel let out a burst of laughter, sprawling flat on the grass besides Varian who was also making a fool of himself as he ineffectively tried to stop wheezing.

"What?" Eugene grinned his stupid grin. "Too soon?"

"It's been like two hours!" Cassandra shouted. Then her own lips twitched. Soon it became irresistible and inescapable. Once they began they didn't try to stop, unheeding of whatever looks they might have gotten, strange sight as it was.

It felt like a year's worth of joy erupted between them, as they lay collapsed together on the dry summer grass, a cool breeze coming off the ocean and the stars glinting into existence overhead. And, perhaps, it was a year's worth of sorrow, as tears were brushed off from their warm cheeks, hidden in the laughter.

Maybe it was the pure sense of being alive.

After everything—despite everything—they had survived.

Eventually, after a long while and many hiccupping starts and snorts—which, invariably, started it all over again—they all lay side by side, stretched out and catching their breath. Even that eventually passed, as the night drifted on and the four let the weariness of the day seep into their bones and every aching muscle.

They were not always alone. People came and went. The king and queen, telling Rapunzel to stay warm and ordered a servant to bring out food and a cloak, which she spread out as a blanket over them. Soldiers and guards came to Eugene for orders, which he handled better than anyone expected. Varian's father stopped on his way home, with a firm pat on his shoulder. Others walked up with congratulations and thanks, along with bits of food and sweets. Then again, others seemed to see Cassandra and came with fury in their footsteps, but let her be when they saw the company she was in.

At some point, without them quite noticing, the music had stopped, the city lights doused. The night sky was dark and clear. Cassandra closed her eyes, and breathed deep.

"Man, I'm tired," Varian said.

"Same. I'm beat," said Eugene.

"Mmm… there's a giant hole in my bedroom," Rapunzel murmured, already half asleep.

"Oops," Cassandra said mildly. "I think I destroyed my bedroom as well."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?"

"I literally just said it was mine, Fitzherbert. Keep up."

"I might just camp out in the castle lab again," Varian added between yawns. "Really don't want to walk back home."

"There's no way that's healthy with all those chemicals, kid," Eugene said. "You'd probably blow yourself up by sleepwalking."

"Haven't yet."

"This isn't so bad," Rapunzel said, laying her hands under her head and wiggling her toes. "It's kinda like camping."

"But I'll get grass in my hair," Eugene whined.

Cassandra idly ripped up a handful of grass, leaned over, and threw it on his face.

"it is nice out here, gotta say," she said, laying back and ignoring his disgusted sounds of protest and spluttering.

She would miss it. She would miss them.

But maybe it was in the way she missed the moon on a black night, or the sun on a cloudy day. Perhaps their friendship would never be entirely gone, even when apart. At her side, Varian gave another long yawn before flopping onto his side and curling up towards her, an arm pillowed beneath his head. Were they really going to sleep out there like little kids?

Oh well. Worse things had happened.

"Wonder what happens now," Eugene said. But in the night, it sounded like the universe itself was asking.

"Been wondering that all evening," Cassandra said in reply. It was a good question. One Cassandra still didn't entirely know the answer to.

"No matter what happens, you'll always have us," Varian said sleepily, reaching out and softly touching the back of her hand. She rolled her head to the side and grinned at him, taking his hand and squeezing once.

"Right!" Eugene chimed in, sounding far too awake. "Corona will always be your home, no matter how many times you try and destroy it… hey, ow!" Eugene grimaced after Rapunzel had elbowed him in the ribs. "That was my bruise…"

"Oops, sorry!" Rapunzel said, rolling over a little and kissing his cheek.

Cassandra felt a smile settle on her face, a real smile. And maybe she felt a little sorry for Eugene, and quietly reached over Rapunzel and patted his arm. Rapunzel immediately took that opportunity to cling to the arm over her stomach, and Cassandra let her. They lay quiet for a while, very nearly drifting to sleep. Varian's breaths became more even and slow, and very near to snoring. It wasn't such a bad night to spend out in the open.

"Things won't just go back to the way they were," Cassandra said slowly, staring at the stars. "Guess… all we can do is move forward."

Was that the answer? It was too simple. But it the truth. Time would carry on, regardless. There was something comforting in that.

"Plus est en vous," Rapunzel said, so quiet it sounded like the breeze itself, or a distant song.

There is more to you.

"Plus est en vous," Cassandra murmured, the words soft and full in her mouth. It was like a prayer, like an oath. Like a call of destiny.

In the morning, perhaps, she would leave Corona and seek out her own future. Finally she would take charge of her own life, on her own terms.

But for now, it was good to lay there amongst friends, and watch the stars spin slowly overhead, and simply exist.

Author Notes:

WHEW!
The ending had been sitting in my drafts for ages, just getting the girls to talk was the hard part. Not sure if I'm done with this fandom yet, but at least for now I've got some other projects to work on, so who knows. Thank you for reading and for all the lovely comments that helped me get this thing written and finished!