The talk with the king did not go as well as Eugene had hoped, but it was about as much as he had expected. He and Hector had been able to force their way into a meeting with him. They'd told him that there was something coming that was worse than everything else combined. If this plague came to pass, it would change the kingdom forever, and King Frederic would not like the outcome at all.
Eugene had seen fear in the king's eyes, but his pride and fury were stronger. He'd tried to have them arrested, just like every time, and Hector used the moonstone and black rocks to get them away. Eugene felt his heart break. He knew that this had been the most likely result, but he had still hoped for something else. There was about to be so much pain in this kingdom, and he knew why it needed to happen, but it shouldn't be necessary.
Eugene and Hector looked at each other. He knew that this was the way that things needed to be, but he was scared. He was procrastinating. If Hector wasn't here to carry out the moon's will, Eugene would come up with any excuse to put it off for another day.
Hector put a hand on Eugene's back. "Go be with your princess. I'll confer with the moon."
Eugene felt bad for leaving Hector to do the hard part. He had an idea of how overwhelming the moon's influence could be. It shouldn't be something that anybody had to deal with alone, but Hector was insistent, and being with Rapunzel right now was something that he felt like he needed.
"Be careful." Eugene said. He didn't want Hector to end up losing himself to the moon.
"I will be." Hector said. "You too." The older man turned and pulled himself onto his rhino's back, retreating to who knows where. Eugene watched him go for a long minute before he let himself back inside the castle. He knew of every entrance into the castle, and which hallways would be empty of guards and servants this time of night.
It was almost worryingly simple to get to the hallway near Rapunzel's room. The guards standing outside the door complicated things just a little bit, but it was barely an inconvenience. Keeping out of sight, Eugene went down a floor and found the room that he knew was just beneath Rapunzel's room. He grabbed some rope and almost effortlessly climbed up to her balcony.
Rapunzel was sitting there, looking like she was waiting for him. She had probably seen Eugene come back into the castle, and she had hoped that he would come see her.
"Eugene." Rapunzel said almost tearfully. She came to embrace him, and Eugene didn't hesitate to hold her close. He would always be happy to embrace her, but after the vision that he saw, knowing what was coming, he was scared of ever letting go of her. Rapunzel must have somehow known that something was wrong. She pulled away and looked at Eugene in concern. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"
"I-it's a long story." Eugene said. He wanted so badly to tell her, but he didn't want to scare her or make her upset about something that she couldn't fix. This was Eugene's burden to bear. "I just…I need to hold you tonight. Please."
Rapunzel looked conflicted for a very brief moment. She wanted to know what was going on, and he knew that she wanted to help her, but she didn't want to make him talk about something that he wasn't ready for. Rapunzel sighed and gave him a soft look.
"Okay." Rapunzel said. She took Eugene's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. She led him to her bed. She sat against her pillows, pulling Eugene to lean against her. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, almost protectively. He knew it wouldn't do anything to save her from what the night held, but it made him feel a little better.
They didn't talk about how Corona was faring, or how the slaves were. They didn't tell each other how Cass or Varian were doing, though they were both concerned and curious. They didn't really talk about anything. They just sat together, enjoying each other's company.
Eugene was tired. He wanted to sleep, but he didn't dare to even close his eyes. He didn't want to miss it when the plague came. He stayed awake and aware. Rapunzel tried to keep him company, but eventually she dozed off. Eugene was on his own.
The night passed slowly. Eventually Eugene saw the signs of what he'd been waiting for and dreading. The skies outside were still overcast, but Eugene saw a chilling red glow break through the clouds. The blood moon that he had seen in the vision. Shortly after he noticed the glow Eugene would swear that the evening chill had gotten stronger. He wanted to think that it was just his imagination, but the way that Rapunzel nuzzled closer to him and curled up in a tighter ball told him that she could feel the cold too.
Eugene had the feeling that something was coming. The minutes passed tensely before Eugene thought that he was seeing something. A pale wisp outside was slowly but surely coming towards the window, passing right through. The chill got worse. Eugene felt like he couldn't breathe. He just held Rapunzel close, not daring to take his eyes off of the pale wisp
It was still for a long moment. Maybe his eyes were just playing tricks on him, but Eugene thought that it almost took the form of an animal or something before the wisp shifted and looked formless again. Finally, the wisp approached. Eugene's instincts were telling him to cower away from it. He forced himself to be strong. He trusted the vision, and he knew that it wasn't here for him. He would be untouched. He was here for Rapunzel.
"Be gentle." Eugene pleaded. The wisp shifted, making a motion that might be a nod and might just be a normal wisp movement. The pale wisp came closer to Rapunzel and settled against her. She breathed in some of the wispy mist, and immediately she grimaced and coughed. If he didn't know what was coming he wouldn't be worried about it at all.
The wisp and chill vanished, but Eugene didn't feel any better. He could already tell that Rapunzel was sick. The moon had sent its plague. It had begun.
When Hector left Eugene he felt like he was walking back into a world of isolation and despair. He hated it. He knew that the moon was always by his side, watching him, and all throughout his life he had taken comfort from this. It had hurt to feel isolated from her when he was at the compound. Now that he had her back, he felt like he was separated from his family.
He couldn't help but wonder if he'd always been a bit isolated from his family, and it was only now that he was aware of it. He didn't like to think about that.
As lonely as he was feeling Hector took his rhino to somewhere even more isolated and private. He didn't want to be interrupted when he conferred with the moon. He didn't even want his siblings to come up to him. He didn't think they'd understand what needed to be done. Eugene barely understood, and he had shared the vision with him.
As much as Hector didn't like feeling alone, he knew that this path was his and his alone. It was a burden that he didn't want to wish on his siblings if he didn't have to. He'd be fine on his own. He always was.
He rode his rhino towards the woods near Old Corona, though he stayed far enough away that he didn't think there would be the risk of the Brotherhood or any Saporians stumbling upon him. Maybe this was something that he should talk to them about first, but he didn't doubt that his siblings would try to convince him that there was another way. He knew they meant well, but he couldn't afford to be pulled from his path this time. The moon's intentions were clear, and he couldn't let them down.
Hector found a clearing that had a good view of the skies. He slid off his rhino's back, grimacing and stumbling a little when his legs buckled a bit and his back ached. He didn't think he would ever fully recover from his injuries. The pain would stay with him for the rest of his life, an eternal reminder of everything he'd been through
Hector eased himself to the ground, kneeling both because he didn't think he could support himself right now, and as a sign of submission before the moon. He tilted his head back and looked towards the heavens. The skies were still cloudy. He couldn't see the moon. It shouldn't hurt, as he knew that she was still there, but Hector couldn't help the ache he felt in his chest.
"I'm trying." Hector said desperately, both to the moon, and to himself. "I'm trying to be strong enough for you, to do your will, but I feel so lost." Hector ran his hand over the fur of his cloak. He felt a familiar pang at the thought of his lost bearcats. "I've given everything I could, and I feel like I'm just always going to be asked to give more. I'd do anything for you, but I'm only so strong. There's only so much I can do alone."
There was a light breeze. Hector closed his eyes and relished the feeling. It was cold out, but Hector felt a warmth in his very soul. He still felt weak and insignificant, but he no longer felt completely abandoned.
'You've never left me.' He felt a whisper in his soul. It wasn't exactly a literal voice, but it was the closest that he'd gotten to hearing the actual voice of the moon. 'You've never strayed, even when you suffered. You may have doubted and faltered, but you've always been loyal to me.'
Hector opened his eyes and saw that the clouds just above the clearing had passed just enough to him to see the full moon above him. It was blood red, just like from his vision, but it wasn't as frightening a sight as it had been before. It was more beautiful than anything, and Hector found reassurance from it.
He knew this was a sign of the moon's anger and vengeance, but it was still comforting. If the moon was angry, it meant that she wasn't abandoning them to fend for themselves. She was going to fight by their side, and Hector was unspeakably grateful.
'I know I ask a lot.' The moon said. It wasn't an apology, but her whispers felt almost pitying. 'I know you don't always understand my will. But you do your best, and that's all I can ask.' Hector felt like a heavy burden that he had been carrying all his life had been eased. He had always known that he was just a single mortal, and he couldn't meet a god's expectations, but his goddess was far more forgiving than he often remembered.
'I know you do not want to carry out the work I've given to you this night.' The moon said. "But you're willing to do it anyway. For this reason, I will send my servants to assist you.'
Hector frowned. "What servants?" As soon as the question left his lips he felt a chill go down his spine. He shuddered, feeling a cold presence behind him, watching him. He whipped around and froze at the sight before him.
There were two forms of mist near him. Before his very eyes the misty forms took shape and he saw two very familiar, very beloved forms in front of him. It was clear that he was looking at spirits, but he couldn't bring himself to really care about that fact. He had missed them far too much to really think about the fact that they wouldn't be able to remain on this plane for long. He was far too relieved that he was being blessed to see them again at all.
"My old friends." Hector said breathlessly. The spirits of his bearcats gave him a soft look. They were just ghosts and didn't have physical form, but when they approached and tried to nuzzle against him he could almost feel them. He could almost pretend that he'd never lost them.
"I've missed you so much." Hector said. He knew he was probably crying, but he felt no shame. It had been a long and lonely twenty five years. His bearcats made a purring sound. Hector wanted to just sit here and try to cuddle with them for the rest of the night, but they had a job to do. His bearcats weren't just ghosts right now, they were servants of the moon. Spirits of sickness and death.
Hector rubbed his hand over the fur of his cloak as he reached for one of his bearcats with his other hand. "You have a lot of work to do tonight. You think you're up for it?" The bearcat growled and vanished into the night. Hector pushed down the intense feeling of loss. It would be back soon. He couldn't keep it from its work. The moon had chosen his bearcats as its spirits for a reason. They had served the moon in life, and they were just as loyal in death.
Hector looked at his remaining bearcat. The spirit of death. Maybe he shouldn't feel so comfortable around it, but it was his familiar and old friend, and not just because it was his bearcat. Hector had known since he was a child that the deity he dedicated his life to was a being of death. He'd always embraced that death was the very thing that made life precious.
In a way he'd always had the spirit of death within him, and now that he had the actual spirit by his side it just felt so right. It was a much-needed reminder of why he had dedicated his life to the moon in the first place.
This path was hard, but there was nothing else that Hector would rather do with his life.