Chapter Text
Rapunzel stepped forward, drawn by the eerie blue glow pulsing from the Moonstone Opal. Her footsteps echoed through the silent chamber, her eyes locked on the stone. Eugene watched her nervously, unsure what would happen once she touched it.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Cassandra move.
She stopped midway down the steps, fists clenched at her sides. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was now or never.
Cassandra stared at Rapunzel, then at the Moonstone. That strange girl—the Ghost Girl—had shown her the truth in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Truth about her past. Her purpose. Her pain. She couldn’t wait in the wings anymore. And for a moment, she had believed her.
But now?
This journey was never about her. It had always been about Rapunzel. This was Rapunzel’s destiny.
She shook her head. Why had she trusted that girl so easily? Cassandra had always been cautious—so why had she been so quick to believe a stranger?
No. She didn’t need someone else telling her who she was. She could choose for herself.
Cassandra looked up—and met Eugene’s gaze. He looked just as unsure as she felt.
Then Rapunzel reached out and touched the Moonstone.
Electric blue light erupted out of the stone. Cassandra and Eugene were blasted backwards by the energy and were hit against the hard, stone wall. They had to shield their eyes from the cyan brightness. The princess was screaming so loud from the energy and the pain that it was almost deafening. Her long blonde hair, which was once glowing above her now was being swept everywhere, like she was in a tornado. The hair flashed through blonde, to blue, to black and then to her natural brown, like her mother’s. The ground beneath them was shaking. After a few seconds, the black rocks, which covered the Moonstone chamber disappeared into darkness and the tremors stopped. The blinding light faded and Rapunzel collapsed.
~~~
On the other side of the door, Adira, Lance and King Edmund were waiting for the noise to stop. They could see light coming out of the cracks of the large door but now that had faded. They presumed that the Sundrop had been united with the Moonstone.
Adira cautiously opened the door, in case there was still electric energy coming from the Sundrop and Moonstone. She saw Eugene and Cassandra lying on the floor, weak. Lance ran up to Eugene.
“Buddy, it’s ok. Lance is here.” He said, trying to reassure himself and Eugene.
“Son, are you ok?” King Edmund asked.
“…Yes… I think so…That was terrible,” Eugene replied. Cassandra sat up, rubbing her forehead from a headache. Adira smiled to see that Eugene and Cassandra were okay from the blast. Then, she looked to where the Moonstone once was and saw Rapunzel, lying unconscious on the stone floor. Eugene followed her gaze and ran towards her.
“Rapunzel!” Eugene shouted as he ran to her side. Her once long blonde hair was now brunette and it swayed in the gentle breeze as it fell off the side of the bridge. He lifted her head onto his lap. She was still unconscious. Cassandra rushed over to her side, too.
~~~
Suddenly, there was a huge earthquake and rubble began to fall from the ceiling. The black rocks were disappearing and since this was a kingdom that was covered in black rocks, this couldn’t be good.
“Everyone, get out!!!” Adira shouted. Her shout sounded quieter than it was through the falling debris. They all followed her orders. Eugene picked Rapunzel up and they headed outside of the castle. Nobody noticed, but as Rapunzel was being carried, two strands of her now brunette hair changed colour. One was blonde and the other blue.
~~~
To everyone’s surprise, outside the castle now looked a lot different than it did before. Luscious, green trees were densely populated and there was now a large array of plants and other foliage. The soil was full of nutrients and urged for more plants to call its land home. The black rocks, which had once engulfed the castle, had disappeared as the sun peeked through the grey clouds. It looked like a completely different place. It was no longer a dark kingdom. With the Moonstone no longer a threat, this place could thrive, just like it used to.
Adira, Edmund, Lance, Cassandra and Eugene admired the new land. Eugene had placed Rapunzel on the ground next to him. They had all decided to rest, now that they had completed their mission. Cassandra looked over at Rapunzel and noticed that she had gained consciousness.
“Raps! You’re awake!” Cass called as she ran to Rapunzel’s side. Cassandra saw Rapunzel hold her right hand in pain.
“Are you okay? Your hand.” She said. Cass reached for her hand but Rapunzel pulled away.
“Hey, it’s okay. I just want to see it. You look like you’re in pain.” She reluctantly gave Cassandra her hand. It was burnt quite badly from all the energy from the Sundrop and Moonstone. Cassandra took some cloth from her satchel and wrapped it around Rapunzel’s arm.
As Cassandra wrapped her hand, Rapunzel stared at the dirt, silent. The Moonstone had done something to her. She could feel it—not just in the pain, but in the strange pull in her chest. Something had changed. Inside and out.
“Thanks, Cass,” Rapunzel said with a small smile. Just then, Eugene heard her talking and rushed to her side.
“Sunshine! You’re awake. How ya' holding up?” He asked.
“Good, I guess. Apart from my hand.” Rapunzel replied, weakly, gesturing to her burnt hand, which was wrapped in the cloth. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the rough bark of the tree, which was behind her. Her hand hurt terribly and she definitely needed to rest after that. She soon drifted off to sleep.
Cassandra glanced at her hair, frowning. One strand shimmered gold, another blue. Neither belonged to her natural brown. “What does this mean?” she whispered, but no one had an answer.