Hey y'all! September sure is going quick, hard to believe this story will be ending early November. As much as I enjoy working on this I'm looking forward to a nice break. Currently working on the remaining pictures and editing the last few chapters. Let's not leave out hostages waiting.

Content warning: Ignoring medical advice, fighting while injured/in pain, nightmare images of a severed head, sacrificial behavior, regret and more.

Chapter 30

The Rescue Mission

Cassandra was walking through the halls of the castle not quite sure how she got there. Wasn't she supposed to be somewhere else? And where was Rapunzel?

"Rapunzel!" she exclaimed running through the hall that seemed a lot longer then she remembered until finally ending up in the throne room. She was relieved at first seeing Rapunzel with her back to her apparently safe but then she saw the king standing next to her.

"Ah, Cassandra. Glad you could join us." Confused and somewhat alarmed, she slowly approached.

"Your Majesty? What's going on?" He put a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"It's a glorious day for Corona! Rapunzel has ensured its safety for the next generation." A ball of lead dropped right into Cassandra's stomach as Rapunzel turned around.

"What do you mean? What has she-" As Rapunzel turned around fully Cassandra had to hold back a scream seeing Varian's severed head in Rapunzel's hands.

"Rapunzel, what-" Tears were streaming down Rapunzel's face quickly turning an inky black along with her hair. Her mouth was unmoving but a mournful cry could be heard echoing throughout the room. She had somehow activated the decay incantation which was spreading across the whole chamber. For some reason the King was undisturbed by this.

"Isn't it wonderful." No, no it wasn't, how could he think that? "Now the curse of the moon has been lifted and Corona can bask in the sun once again. And it's all thanks to you." Cassandra was trying to back away from the pool of corrosive ink spreading across the floor.

"What no! No, I never meant for this to happen!" She looked up seeing her father standing besides the king, not moving as the decaying spell started to engulf him.

"Dad!"

"You've all done your duty so well." The voice sounded like Frederic at first but as he spoke it was slowly changing. She turned back and no longer saw the king but a horned demon was now standing in his place.

"Especially you Cassandra." So distracted by the king's new demon form she didn't notice the decay was dissolving her hand.

"We couldn't have done it without you."

Cassandra bolted upright on the table she was lying on and let out a large gasp. It took a minute to get her breathing under control once she realized it was all just a dream. Well…some it was a dream.

She glanced down at her new hand gifted to her by Vee. The kind worried boy who gave it to her without even being asked and asked for nothing in return. The boy Varian would have become if she wasn't so focused on her goal of becoming a guard. What was a guard's most sacred duty? It was to protect its citizens.

Tears slipped from her eyes finally realized she had failed even before she began. She had to fix this. If it cost her everything she had, even if it cost her her life she would save Rapunzel and Varian.

Whatever it takes.

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Ladybug had informed Chat Noir about her plan to rescue Rapunzel and Varian. He had some reservations but trusted his partner. Lance, Eugene, Vee and Luka joined them as she started to go over the details.

"Alright everyone, here's the plan. As Miss Direct, I'll use the Miraculous of the Ladybug and Raccoon to keep the Brotherhood in check. Chat Noir will sneak in and use his upgraded powers to free the prisoners. She turned to Lance next.

Of all the Corona crew he was the most trustworthy and she had a special job for him. She opened her compact and pulled out several things from within. She held out a collar necklace to Lance who gave her a puzzled look.

"Lance Strongbow this is the Miraculous of the Dog, you will use it for the greater good and return it to me after we rescue our friends." Lance took it but looked concerned.

"This is one of those magic things right? You have one a little bigger, my neck's a little-oh!" To his surprise the necklace fitted to his neck perfectly. "Neve rmind, magic. Don't question it." A moment later a tiny orange and white dog appeared out of thin air.

"Hi, I'm Bark! It's been a while since I have a holder. What's your name?" Lance's eyes grew large and watery seeing the tiny creature.

"Oh, you are just the cutest wittle puppy wuppy. I'm Lance, I've always wanted a dog of my own." Barkk huffed.

"I'm not a mere dog, I'm a Kwami." Lance was still cooing while starting to scratch behind Barkk's ears. "And I…oh that's the spot, right there."

"Barkk is the Kwami of adoration. His powers include a magical ball that can retrieve any object you touch."

"Like fetch? Do you like playing fetch? I'd love to play fetch with you!" Barrk beamed.

"Really!"

"Ahem!" Ladybug was getting a little annoyed at the pair. "This is kind of important." Reluctantly Lance stopped petting the little pup.

"Aw, my tiny arms can never reach that spot."

"Anyway" Ladybug said please that the two were getting along but she needed everyone on board if this plan was to work. "To transform, say the transformation phrase, Barkk on the Hunt." Seeing Barkk's encouraging smile Lance went for it.

"Barkk on the Hunt!" in an instant Barrk flew into his necklace and Lance transformed. Within seconds he took on the form of a highway man with the tales of his mask resembling dog ears.

"Looking good buddy." Eugene complemented.

"Call me, The Retriever." he said with a dramatic voice. "I do look spiffy don't I." he said examining the ball wishing he could play fetch with Barkk for real.

"OK Lance, here's what I need you to do."

Just after she finished explaining Lance's mission the door opened revealing a pail looking Cassandra.

"If you're planning a rescue mission I'm going too." The others looked at her in disbelief while Eugene tried to talk some sense into her.

"Cass you just lost a hand, you need some time to recover." He tried taking her good arm but she just shoved him away. "It's fine. It's the hand that was damaged by the decay incantation. It was just about dead anyway." Vee noticed with a bit of pride and sadness that she was wearing the mechanical hand he made for her.

"While I'm glad you like the new one I made for you I have to agree with Eugene. You should be in bed." She glared at him but she couldn't hold it.

"I knew Frederic was waiting for us and I let us all walk into a trap. I have to be the one to fix this."

"It's alright Cassandra," Ladybug started. "We have a plan. We'll get-"

"No, it's not alright! I blindly followed a monster and even when the evidence was building up right in front of me I chose to ignore it." She glanced at Vee. "Even when I was warned exactly what would happen I just ignored it. I was so focused on pleasing the king and getting the recognition I always wanted I blocked everything else out." She sighed but refused to let any more tears fall.

"It's my fault and I'm going to save them. With or without your help." She started towards the front door.

"Wait!" Ladybug called out. Cassandra turned and Ladybug hoped she wasn't going to regret this. "I still think you should be recovering but if I really can't stop you I can give you something to help you stay safe and help us with the plan." She reached into her compact that began to glow slightly and pulled something out.

"A nose ring?" Cassandra asked in disbelief but Ladybug was serious.

"This is the Miraculous of the Ox which holds the power of Determination. It will give you the power to resist any other Miraculous power in order to achieve your goal. Since the Moonstone is a remnant of the Black Cat's power this should help you take on the king." Cassandra took the nose ring with a hopeful but still a little skeptical look.

"How does it work?" More than a few people were concerned Ladybug was giving a Miraculous to Cassandra. She only just betrayed them a few hours ago. Not to mention she was an adult and wouldn't be restricted by the five minute rule.

"Put it on." She instructed and hesitantly Cassandra did so. Suddenly a tiny blue ox flew out of the ring. He hovered for a moment before circling her and assessing her.

"Oh, this one's got a stubborn streak. I like that in a holder!"

"Cassandra this is Stompp the Kwami of Determination. You will use the power for the greater good and return it to me once the mission is over. But be warned, using a Miraculous while sick or injured will give you more energy but it could make your condition worse afterwards. Do you accept the risks and conditions?" Cassandra nodded more determined than ever to make up for what she had done.

"I will."

"Then transform using the phrase, "Stompp, Make way"

"STOMPP, MAKE WAY!" Cassandra transformed and instantly she felt stronger. Like she could take on the world as well as the king. It was like her armor had been altered into a magical suit with the tips of her hair resembling horns and she now had a long thin braid that looked like an Ox's tail.

"What do we call you? Bull Headed?" Eugene teased but Cassandra wasn't fazed. She felt like she really could take on the world.

"More like…Unstopabull."

"Remember what I said." Ladybug cautioned. "You feel good now but be careful. You'll be paying for it later." Cassandra understood and didn't care. She would save Rapunzel and Varian. She owed them both so much, especially Varian. Probably should save his foster father as well even if he is an evil wizard.

"Alright! How about the rest of us?" Eugene asked but before Ladybug could answer she received an urgent alert from Rena Furtive.

"Ladybug, we've got a problem! The hospital was damaged by the latest batch of rocks but we can't evacuate all the patients safely. Everyone else is in a different part of the city and we need backup. Can you possibly spare anyone?" Ladybug looked up at the group torn. She could alter her plan but it would be more risky. Still she couldn't just abandon all those sick and injured people.

She informed the group and chose the few she wanted to go to the hospital instead. Vee had already shown he was good at civilian rescue and she honestly didn't want him anywhere near the king if he was half as crazy as the others reported.

Luka's Second Chance would be valuable in either case but she asked him to go to the hospital instead. He protested at first, he worried sick about Varian.

Hearing all this Eugene was reminded of the blizzard. While it was the right decision to save the many versus the one they were all paying for the choices they made afterwards. Well this time was different, this time they could save everyone and he knew deep down it's what Rapunzel would want.

"I'll go." Everyone looked surprised that he volunteered. Not that he blamed them. "I want to save Rapunzel but I know her and she wouldn't want to put all those people in danger just for her." Luka relented.

"He's right. I still hate the idea of not being on the rescue mission but I know Varian wouldn't want that either." Ladybug smiled and gave Luka a reassuring look.

As Eugene looked at the younger boy something struck him. Was Luka just a concerned friend to Varian or something more? He'd have to worry about that later.

"Alright, Luka, Eugene and Vee head to the hospital. If anything goes wrong you'll be our backup." She clasped her hands around Luka's slipping something in between them. "I trust you with this, hopefully you won't have to use it."

She turned to the group going with her to rescue their friends.

"Alright let's do this."

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Rapunzel had an idea but she needed a tool. The sun streaming through the window of her cell wasn't strong enough to reveal the spell she needed to unlock the power of the Sundrop. There wasn't much in her cell and she didn't have much on her either. The best she could find was a coin but its reflection wasn't strong enough.

"There has to be something I can use." She wasn't wearing any fancy jewelry on this trip. Too easy to lose or get stolen. She pulled the tie from her hair hoping to find something she could snag from her cell.

When she did however she noticed something fall to the ground. It was a pocket magnifier but what was that doing in her hair? Then she remembered Vari had made a sentimonster to keep her hair restrained. This must have been what he used. Well it was good luck for her as she concentrated the beam of light onto the parchment. Before her eyes words started to appear revealing the long lost spell.

She held the parchment up triumphantly but there was one problem: she didn't know how to translate it. She glanced at the unconscious figure of Varian wishing she didn't need to bother him for help. But this might be the only chance they had of getting out of here alive.

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The rescue team had arrived at the museum and Ladybug had to hold Cassandra back from just trying to smash her way in. She really did pick the right person for the Ox Miraculous but they still needed to follow the plan.

Chat Noir was up first who could now easily cut through the rocks being sure to make a lot of noise doing so. This allerted the brainwashed knights just as Ladybug predicted. Before they could arrive she called for her Lucky Charm as well as her Bag of Tricks. She was given a large set of mirrors and substance in a tube. After looking around the entrance to the museum she knew just what to do.

"I'll take care of the Brotherhood. Cassandra, keep the King busy. Chat Noir, set the captives free. Lance, you know what to do."

She quickly coated the mirrors with the substance and strung a series of ropes around them. Lance and Cassandra looked at the strange display confused but Chat Noir assured them she knew what she was doing.

On the way Chat Noir had expressed concern about giving Cassandra the Ox Miraculous but she wasn't worried. She had Lance touch it with his ball so if she changed her mind they could just take it back. She didn't tell her this because she was trying to see what Cassandra would do and wanted to give her a chance to prove herself.

Moments later all four members of the brotherhood charged in with their weapons drawn. Ladybug pulled on the rope making all the mirrors shoot up and connect with each other. Before the Brotherhood could react she used the water element and fused it with the substance hardening the seems. Making a mirror maze that was strong enough that their swords couldn't break through.

Chat Noir gave the others an, "I told you so" look while Miss Direct entered the maze hoping to stall them long enough to rescue the others. Hector tried just climbing out but he quickly discovered that the top edges of the mirrors still had some of the substance on them and found himself stuck the moment he put his hand on it. Seeing this the others were forced to try and navigate their way out of the maze.

Cassandra was up next. She knew the king would be coming for them and she was ready. Even so the large number of rocks aimed at her was a little alarming . She used her Miraculous powers to dodge them expertly.

"Frederic!" she shouted making sure she had his undivided attention. "This madness needs to stop! Let everyone go and we can-" she jumped out of the way of another rock. It was like she could almost sense when they were coming.

"You disappoint me Cassandra." Frederic said, descending the stairs to meet her. She felt a shiver of fear as he stared down at her coldly. In the back of her mind she thought this must be what Varian felt as she led them into that trap. It only hardened her resolve.

"I thought I was following an honorable King, not some crazy lunatic with a petty grudge against a child." She had to dodge another rock. She had no doubt if she wasn't wearing this weird magical nose ring she'd be dead right now.

"That 'child' is a threat to my family, he has been since the day he was born!" The ground was becoming littered with rocks by this point but Cassandra wasn't going to back down.

"He also could have been a valuable ally if he had been treated with any kind of human decency." She was including herself in that statement. She would forever hate herself for supporting a tyrant and accusing his victim of lying. Varian may not be innocent of all his crimes but after seeing how the other Varian turned out she should have taken a step back and asked more questions.

She summoned her weapon, a giant hammer. Not her usual choice in weaponry but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to pound some sense into this Madman. Thinking he couldn't be hurt while wearing the rock armor, Frederic did little to stop the blow. He was surprised to find himself flying across the room, and shocked that it actually hurt.

"Ug, what magic is this?" He grunted, dragging himself up.

"Wouldn't you like to know." No need to tell him the truth, lest he figure a way around this. In response he formed a sword made from the black rock and went on the offencive.

"It matters not. Once Rapunzel slay that brat-"

"She'd never do something like that! She's not you!"

"She will, or she and Corona will suffer just as I have if not worse." He came at her with his sword which she was able to block with her hammer to both their surprise. There was little doubt now that the Moonstone was a remnant of the Black Cat's power. This gave her more confidence to take another swing at him. He dodged this time.

"I know my daughter. In the end she will do what is right for Corona." As the battle continued one thing became sadly clear to Cassandra.

He never really knew her at all.

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Chat Noir and Lance spit up after sneaking around the king. He wasn't sure what Lance's job was but he trusted his partner to have a plan. And right now he needed to do his part.

He raced up the stairs that Eugene described and was greeted with a door sealed by the black rocks.

"Cataclysm!" He called out cutting through the rocks with ease. By this point he had to transform back to feed Plagg as he felt his arm flailing in pain again. Plagg was looking at him with concern edged in his eyes.

"Adrien I know you got a power up and that's fantastic but you have to stop breaking these rocks. Something happened the first time you tried it and it's only getting worse the more you do it." Adrien tried to will the pain away. It was a familiar pain at this point but it would pass like it always does.

"I don't have a choice Plagg. Varian is the only one who can safely control them and right now he's in trouble." He rubbed his arm, the pain taking slightly longer to leave than usually. Probably because he used it on the door just a few minutes ago.

"Did you know what the rocks were Plagg?" The Kwami shook his head.

"There was something familiar about them but I'd never seen the power of destruction manifest in such a way before. When a wish is made we lose all memory of it so we don't remember the consequences. I had no clue it was spreading to other worlds." Adrien suspected as much. He was always told that making a wish had huge consequences but not the detail. Looks like they were both learning something new.

"Alright, finish you cheese Plagg. We have a rescue mission to finish." Plagg gobbled down his food still looking at his holder with concern.

"Alright but try not to break anymore rocks OK?" Adrien smiled sadly.

"I'll try but I can't promise." Plagg feared as much. Adrien transformed back and went through the door. He was dismayed not finding Rapunzel or Varian but he did find someone else.

"Fa-I mean Gabriel Agreste?" Gabriel looked up seeing Chat Noir, his son. He was safe which was a huge relief. His other son however was in mortal danger.

"Never mind me. Varian and his old friend are down the hall. Help them please!" Adrien was torn. He knew Varian was in huge trouble but he couldn't just leave his father here. He was also trapped by the black rock forming a cage and he'd have to perform another Cataclysm. He could come back for Gabriel but there was no telling what shape Varian would be in when he found him.

"Stand back!" he used his powers once again and in moments Gabriel was free. He stood there confused for a moment.

"How did you-"

"My powers upgraded." He said trying to hide the fact that his arm was burning with pain right now. Plagg was going to be upset with him but it would have to wait. "There's a battle raging downstairs. Hide yourself and I'll come back for you when I've got the other two hostages." And with that he ran off before Gabriel could see that he was hurt.

Gabriel wasn't sure if he should have told Chat Noir he knew who he was but figured he needed to concentrate on the rescue. He wished he could help but he didn't know where that crazy king had hidden his Miraculous. He paused remembering something.

Maybe he could help after all.

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Rapunzel felt really guilty for having to wake Varian up. The poor boy looked half dead but she was finally in a position that she could protect him and she needed to do so before her father came back.

"Varian, I'm very sorry but I need you to wake up." The boy stirred and mumbled something but didn't show any signs of waking. Her father had moved them to the same room, both of them locked in a cage that used to be an old elevator. No black rocks to manipulate here. He was hoping she would finish the job while Varian was unconscious. Quick and painless for the boy, more mercy than he deserved is what he said.

She shuttered wondering what happened to him that scared him so bad but whatever it was must have pushed him right over the edge. This…legacy she had been born into was nothing but horror and lies wrapped in a pretty bow. Well if the legacy was hers now then she would be the one to change it. She shocked the poor boy until he started to come to.

"...unzel?" He said barely awake, practically begging to go back to sleep.

"Varian, I'm really sorry but we have to get out of here and I'm going to need your help doing it." He tried propping himself up but found he didn't have enough energy.

"Can't…can't…sorry." She grabbed him, preventing him from passing out again.

"Varian, listen, I found the missing spell for the Sundrop but I don't know how to translate it. Please help me and I'll get both out of here along with Gabriel." Hearing that he managed to pry his eyes open long enough to see the scroll. Thankfully Vee had shown him how to quickly decode and translate any new information.

"P-power of the S-sun,

Gift me wi-with your light,

Sh-shine into the dark,

Rapunzel listened intently, memorizing each word not knowing a ghostly figure was watching them with glee. The moment Rapunzel began to recite it herself she left to alert Frederic.

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Gabriel Agreste was a man who had made many mistakes in his life. His recent ones however would likely be the end of him. He longed for a chance to make things right with his children but feared he wouldn't get the chance. Still, there was one thing he could do even if it was small.

He saw the king take the Mind Trap Stone into another room. It was locked of course but being a fashion designer he always kept a few pins on him and was able to successfully pick the lock. The stone was easy to spot unfortunately it was locked in a black rock cage much like the one he had been trapped in.

While he had no hope of removing it he realized with a smirk he could still destroy it. He went back to the storage room and found a crowbar lying against a crate. It was thin enough to fit between the gaps in the cage so he brought it up and smashed into it as hard as he could. When the first crack occurred he was nearly blown back by the magical force protecting the stone. Not about to quit now he brought the crowbar down 2, 3, 4 more times before the stone cracked releasing a burst of energy.

Gabriel was thrown back for real this time and slammed into the wall hard. As a drop of blood trickled down his face he took satisfaction that he had done something good for once. Even if it was small.

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Ladybug was starting to worry. She was coming up on the five minute mark and the Brotherhood were proving to be more resourceful than she thought. The idea with the Mirror Maze was so that she could take them on one by one but Adira was closing her eyes not being distracted by the multiple images of herself. Hector was still stuck but she worried he might hurt himself trying to get free. Vari was looking down avoiding the mirrors as well and King Edmund was just relentless.

She suddenly found herself cornered by the three who weren't stuck and she feared she was going to have to hurt them to get away. But just as the king raised his sword his glowing eyes stopped and he grabbed his head as if in pain. The other has similar reactions.

"L…Ladybug?" Vari asked, sounding confused. "What happened? I was trying to warn the others it was a trap when…" He then saw a tiring Cassandra fighting King Frederic in a bull themed outfit. Clearly he had missed something.

"Hey! Bug girl or Bug Raccoon girl, get me down from here!" Hector called out clearly annoyed as well as confused.

"Hector?" Edmund asked, still trying to figure out what happened. "What in the world is going on here?" As Ladybug and Vari ran to help Hector down, Adira seemed to have a thought.

"Could…could it have been the Mind Trap Stone?" Everyone turned to her.

"What do you know?" Edmund asked with a serious expression.

"I heard about it in my travels. A stone that was supposed to enslave the members of the Brotherhood. I did try searching for it but I never found any evidence it existed." Hector huffed as he was unglued from the top of the mirror maze.

"Just wait until I get my hands on that traitorous King! I'd normally feed him to my bearcats but since they're not here I'll let Amber do it!" Adira raised an eyebrow.

"Hector, she's a house cat."

"Oh, you think I can't train a cat to kill? Just give us some time alone with him. I'm sure she could do it. She's loyal to her master after all. Of course it could take a while, a very LONG while."

"As pleasant as that sounds Hector, there's still a battle going on." Edmund said, redirecting his sword. "Right now we need to reclaim the Moonstone." Their desire for revenge forgotten for the moment they all focused on the King that had stolen their nation's treasure. They'd have their fun afterwards.

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King Frederic wasn't as skilled at fighting as Cassandra but his power should have been enough to destroy yet another tractor. He didn't know where she had gotten this magic of her own but she was relentless in trying to take him down. The other thing in his favor was that she appeared to be tiring. In truth he was surprised to see her in the battle at all after receiving such a grievous injury. Naturally he pushed that advantage.

It looked like he was winning until he saw the Brotherhood turning on him. Before he could even think about how they had broken free he felt a sudden and strong surge of power coming from above them.

"Rapunzel?"

"My King!" The spirit appeared beside him with a worried expression. "Quickly my King, the boy has somehow managed to give you daughter the Ultimate Sun Incantation. She's at risk of destroying herself if not stopped." Completely buying the lie Frederic abandoned the battle and raced up the stairs to try and save his daughter.

When he arrived saw his daughter chanting the Ultimate Sun Incantation. She was floating in the air and her hair was glowing with power.

"Rapunzel, you must stop this!" But by this point she had had enough.

"No Dad, you're the one who needs to stop! This whole sacrificing thing is coming to an end!" Zhan Tiri watched the sky, she had to speed this up.

"My king you must subdue her! If she keeps this up it will kill her!" Frederic had no desire to fight his own daughter but once again the boy was putting her at risk. He tried one more time to plead with her.

"Rapunzel you must stop or you'll be destroyed!"

"I'm not listening to your lies any longer!"

"I've only lied when it was for your own good. Our legacy-"

"I will make my own legacy!" She attacked with a burst of energy and he had no choice but to take her down before he lost her again."

As the battle between father and daughter raged Chat Noir managed to secure his brother and got him away from the battle. He didn't know exactly what was happening but their fight was treating the building apart. He ran into Ladybug and the Brotherhood who had followed the king.

"Chat Noir! Is Varian OK? She asked, seeing him passed out in Chat Noir's arms notably missing his signature hair stripe.

"He's alive but those two are really going at it, we need to get everyone out!" She nodded.

"Did you find Gabriel?"

"Yes, but I told him to hide to avoid the battle. I don't know where he is!" he said in a small panicked voice.

"Did someone lose this?" Everyone turned to see Lance carrying Gabriel over his shoulders and passed out with his hand slightly burnt. "Looks like he's the one who busted that Mind Control rock thing. Guess it fought back." Relieved to know his father was alive and had made a surprisingly noble move, Chat Noir was more anxious than ever to get everyone out.

They all followed except Cassandra.

"Cassandra, what are you waiting for? The entire building is coming down!" Lance exclaimed, seeing Cass head back towards the battle.

"I'm not leaving Rapunzel. Take the others and get them out now!" Ladybug didn't want to leave her but Edmund insisted it was the wisest option.

With a heavy heart they evacuated.

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Zhan Tiri watched as the sun and the moon clashed in battle and finally their energies united and she entered its embrace. No longer trapped between worlds she was among the living with a body of her own and capable of doing more than anyone could ever realize.

With one final burst of power Rapunzel knocked Frederic to the ground as the floor beneath him collapsed. She seemed worried for a moment but he would be fine as long as he held the power of the Moonstone. Which wouldn't be for long.

She looked up as the sky above started to darken. Just in time. She hated that she had to cut this so close but she was finally about to achieve her ultimate destiny. Rapunzel felt her power fading and she slowly descended to the ground.

"What's…what's happening?"

"It's the eclipse princess." She turned to see the spirit that helped her earlier. Only she looked a lot more solid than before.

"I don't understand." She could feel something in her chest that felt like it was fighting to get out. She panicked seeing a glowing yellow stone exiting her body. "What's happening?" Zhan Tiri smirked.

"As the holder of the Sundrop your power becomes vulnerable during an eclipse." Without warning Zhan Tiri reached down and yanked the stone from her chest. "And can be taken by someone else." She laughed in triumph, nearly missing being smashed by Cassandra's mallet.

"Ca…Cass?" Rapunzel said weakly seeing her friend in a strange garment.

"I'm here Rapunzel, I'm so sorry for siding with Frederic but I'm here now." She was stunned to see the princess's hair brown like her parents and devoid of power.

"Varian…is he alright?" She was weakened by the fight as well as the power loss. "Tried to protect…power too strong…did I…"

"He's fine Rapunzel." Cassandra reassures her. "The others got him and his foster father out." She sighed in relief afraid she'd hurt him again.

Cassandra sighed. Now that Rapunzel was safe she could focus on-

But the thief had already vanished.

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King Frederic dug himself out of the rubble eager to see how Rapunzel had fared.

"My king." he heard the familiar voice of his spirit guide. "This way." He followed her voice and came to an intact part of the museum.

"Where is my daughter? Was she-"

"She lives." It was only now he noticed the voice sounded more…solid, like a living person.

"Spirit? What's going-" but she didn't give him a chance to question her. She ripped the moonstone from his chest even harsher than she had with Rapunzel. "What is the meaning of this!"

Zhan Tiri chucked and looked down at the pathetic king.

"I must thank you my king, you were so easy to manipulate." His eyes widened when he realized the other stone in her hand must have belonged to Rapunzel. "This plan was foiled so many times but thanks to you I finally possess the power of both the Sundrop and the Moonstone!"

She allowed the stones to sink into her hands settling in her wrist. Her once small form grew gigantic as horns grew from her head while taking on a goat-like appearance. Much like the devil was accused of being in her youth.

Frederic watched as her monstrous form broke through the roof of the Museum and to all of Paris she declared.

"Let the age of Zhan Tiri begin!"

To be continued….

With everyone back our heroes lick their wounds trying to think of a way to now fight a demon. They're going to need a miracle.