Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was around here somewhere. It had to be, and Cass was determined to find it. She had goals, she had things she needed to do, powers she needed to master and she was running out of time. And as much as it wounded her pride to use a shortcut to her goals, she needed the help and if it could help her with her power, help her learn to control it, maybe, just maybe …

Once upon a time in another life, Cass would have been ashamed of herself for seeking out a short cut. For taking the easy way out. The woman who’d spent so much of her life working hard to get the things she wanted … Well that woman was gone now. She’d seen that hard work was all for naught and if she wanted to prove her worth and her place in the world then she was going to have to take drastic measures.

So distracted by the conflict brewing in her brain, Cass almost stepped on what she was looking for, moving her foot at the last moment when she realized it was not a branch but the wishing wand they’d found not-so-long ago. There was a momentary surge of guilt when she picked it up. She’d tried to take a shortcut to dealing with her feelings then and had nearly ruined everything. Except… except she’d ruined everything anyway so what had it mattered? Had any of it mattered? She’d given up her freedom and her friendships, swimming through anger that wasn’t even entirely her own.

And here she stood, the villain of the story. Cassandra the Betrayer. Cassandra the Moonstone. Cassandra the Lost. Lost and alone and bitter and angry, just another monster in the woods.

Lost in thought, too. Rapunzel had been so beautiful that day (but she always was). So naive, but still filled with the compassion and curiosity that had always driven her. That was the Rapunzel that Eugene had found in the tower; a clean slate, innocent to the world. And not a princess. Not someone who’s station towered over Cassandra and stopped her dreams in their tracks.

And these were such dangerous thoughts, the kind that cooled her anger and filled her instead with a hollow ache in her chest. Because here, because alone with her thoughts she could question her actions. She could wonder if maybe there was a chance to set things right, to have a happily ever after of her own. To fix things with Rapunzel But a voice in her head told her it was far too late for that.

Wasn’t it?

I wish to control the power of the moonstone, Cassandra meant to say, holding the wand aloft.

But those weren’t the words that tumbled out of her mouth, her voice cracking as she spoke, “I wish I could go back to the beginning.”

No matter the price.

Sunlight filtered through the window of Cass’s room, leaving a warm sensation on her face. Birds chirped outside and she could hear the hustle and bustle as people prepared for the next day’s celebrations. It was a peaceful sound she knew all too well, years upon years living in Corona and waking up to sounds like this.

Cass sat bolt upright, flinging her sheets off as she did so, looking around as confusion turned to vague horror. She was back in Corona, in her old room, even. Not the chambers of a handmaid, but a guard-captain’s. The very one she’d grown up in with her father.

But that was impossible.

Had she been captured? Hit on the head and dragged back to the city to await the gallows? But if so why was she not in the dungeons? Her hand went to her throat and the imaginary noose there, before she rushed to her feet. Cass started for the door only for her reflection in the mirror to stop her. Gone was the shock of blue of her hair, once again its normal dark mess of curls and tresses. The eyes that stared back at her were their old brown, less haunted, less broken.

Cass’s hand throbbed, and she lifted it staring at the blackened skin and ruined fingers, exactly as she remembered them. The very damage from Rapunzel reciting that decay spell was still present, even if her appearance was otherwise her old self.

Cass didn’t understand. Why was she here, where was the Moonstone? Either this was a trick, or a punishment or … The wand.

She lifted her right hand and touched her forehead with it. If this was the price for her hubris, then she’d have to accept it. Back to the beginning. But she’d been so vague, that she didn’t know what beginning she’d gone back to. What day this was supposed to be or even what if anything she was supposed to be doing here.

It couldn’t be the day she’d taken Rapunzel out to the black rocks; she was already in her new chambers by then, moved in to be Rapunzel’s inferior. It could have been the day they’d first met, but the sound of musicians practicing drifted in through her window, and she recognized that song, even the exact sour note the flutist played at the exact moment he played it.

On one day every year, for as long as Cassandra had remembered, the entire country shut down for the birthday of the lost princess. It had evolved and changed over time, turning into a day of celebration and joy as people sought to make a sad occasion a happy one, even as the entire country seemed to plead for Rapunzel’s safe return.

And then it would culminate with the solemn lantern ceremony.

What had once been a single lone lantern lifting into the night sky had become multitudes; the peoples’ love for a princess they’d barely known. And all those new stars were coming tomorrow night. That fouled note heralded the beginning of the day before. A day she’d spent with her usual training and then preparations for the celebrations.

Cass wiped at her eyes, hand shaking; it had never bothered her, this display, since the people of Corona celebrated anything and everything at the drop of a hat. Which was an actual holiday. There was even a formal ball for Geese!

But a part of her was angry now. Angry at Rapunzel, angry that this girl no one knew could evoke so much love in so many people and yet Cassandra had always had to fight and claw for recognition and affection. She’d struggled every step of the way, every day of her life for the things that Rapunzel had been given and taken for granted.

After all, Gothel had abandoned her! Her own mother! And … and … Cass unclenched her aching fist as she suddenly realized exactly what made today so important and so special.

Today, Eugene would steal the tiara and stumble upon Rapunzel and have the adventure that would lead to their happily ever after. Rapunzel would be freed from her tower, make friends with everyone and everything and find the family that had longed for her for eighteen years. That was the beginning that Cassandra found herself at, and it wasn’t even a beginning for Cassandra.

Or was it? Raps would change Cass’s life too. For good and for bad and in so many ways. Cass stared at her ruined hand for a long moment, wrestling with herself. Cassandra could change everything today.

She found a glove for her hand and armed herself for what she had to do.

It was child’s play to sneak out and get to the stables, saddling Fidella with practiced ease. Cass flexed her hand as she rode out, spinning and twisting her wrist to exercise it. Exercises she’d been doing frequently since she’d been injured.

She’d do it again, Cass realized, to snap Raps out of that deathly decay chant. The memory of the pain remained vivid even if all it was now was that low constant in her life. She supposed she should hate Rapunzel for that, there were so many things she should hate Rapunzel for.

“Fidella, why am I doing this?” She looked down at the mare, knowing how intelligent a horse she was, “I mean, you don’t actually know. I’ve already changed things just by leaving the city today. What am I going to find? What am I going to do?!”

Cass had always wanted to be a guard, or more accurately a knight, going off on adventures and sweeping beautiful maidens off of their feet. And this was precisely the sort of thing that she’d have been chomping at the bit to do and not just because it would prove to everyone (including herself) that she had what it took to be a warrior. It was something out of a storybook romance, the kind with pirates and rodents of unusual size.

“Keep it together, Cass,” she muttered. “Raps is a clueless girl who thinks everyone should see things her way.”

Fidella snorted in response even though she’d not yet met Rapunzel. Or maybe Cass’s own doubts were seeping through and into her voice, “More importantly, what am I going to do if I see Gothel.”

Her mother.

God, but the thought turned her stomach the more and more she remembered. There were bits and pieces, fragments of dreams and faded memories rattling around in her head.

Rapunzel took away her mother, she reminded herself. It was Rapunzel’s fault.

That Gothel abandoned you so easily was no fault of hers, or yours, a small voice inside her replied.

Ignoring that thought, Cass pushed forward. FIrst things first, she’d get Rapunzel out of that tower and then she’d just have to figure out what to do from there. That she’d so quickly and without much thought set out on this course of action was not lost on her, even if she wanted to ignore the twisting inside her chest, the fear and anger and guilt that were becoming a potent mixture. It was too late to go back now.

She’d only been to Rapunzel’s tower the once, but she knew how to get there, and she knew how to get there quickly. Judging by the sun, she still had another hour before Eugene would steal the crown which would give her time to convince Rapunzel to leave. Cass would just have to figure out the next part of the plan on the way.

If she encountered Gothel she didn’t know what she’d do. Would her mother recognize her? Could she get an explanation out of her? Cass deserved that much; really she deserved so much more but a simple explanation could go a long way to mending her torn heart.

Cass tied Fidella up near the entrance to the valley, keeping mind to have her out of sight of anyone who might pass by and decide to get curious as to where the rider was. While both Raps and Eugene had talked about their first adventure neither had provided the kind of details like ‘where best to hide a horse.’ So she had to rely on her own judgement with that.

Through the little tunnel and on the other side of the vines was the tower. In the morning sun the waterfall sparkled, and the tower looked idyllic and peaceful. Cass balled her left hand into a fist as she remembered the way this place had hurt Rapunzel, the memories and years of neglect and gaslighting that had defined almost her entire life. She didn’t stop to think why she should even care about someone who was supposed to be her enemy.

Forcing herself to relax, Cass approached the tower, trying to figure out how she was going to climb up. There had to be a way up for Gothel, since Rapunzel’s hair hadn’t always been so long and there had been a trap door of some kind, hadn’t there? As she started to walk around the base of the tower, a pile of hair nearly landed on her head.

Cass stared at it in momentary shock, then shook her head. “Raps, you are way too trusting.”

Still, it would solve her initial problem of a way up and they could figure out a way down once she’d talked Raps into leaving.

That shouldn’t be too hard, she thought, knowing what the lanterns meant to Rapunzel. Take her to the city, let her see the lights, present her to her family. And then … maybe they could find the equilibrium they’d never really had before.

Rapunzel’s hair was as soft as she remembered and Cass tried not to enjoy it too much as she secured a handful with her left hand and very carefully started to climb. Really, how did Rapunzel manage this without being in constant agony? Someone pulling on Cass’s hair hurt enough but to lift people (and herself)? Rapunzel’s scalp must have been made of iron.

Her right hand trembled and throbbed as she pulled herself up over the ledge and she bit her tongue to keep from making a sound. But she had made it, and she straightened, “Hello? Ra --” I mean the woman I’ve absolutely never met before in my life, “I’m here to-”

Clang!

For the second time that day, Cassandra came to. For the first time that day, her face hurt. She groaned, opening her eyes only to be confronted by a frying pan with Pascal on top of it, glaring at her. She was bound to a chair, tied with Rapunzel’s exceptionally long hair. (She’d once had a dream like this, but now was not the time to reflect on that nor on how vividly the memory had surfaced.)

“I … I know why you’re here!” Behind Pascal was Rapunzel, holding the frying pan threateningly at Cass, “Who are you, and how did you find me?”

She was … honestly kind of adorable and trying to put on a brave face, but Cass knew Rapunzel well enough to see that she was scared. Still dazed from the frying pan to the face, Cass struggled to find a way to respond that wouldn’t also tip her hand.

“My name is Cassandra,” She said, looking past Pascal and into Rapunzel’s eyes. They were stunning in this light and she felt her heart skip a beat. And for that skipped beat she forgot all about her grievances and her pains. That was Rapunzel’s secret power, to make Cass forget these things, almost as if Cass simply needed or wanted an excuse to make amends.

That voice that always reminded her of why she was angry was silent, so Cass continued, “I heard about a beautiful girl trapped in a tower and I came to help.”

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes, but she did lower the frying pan a few inches as she processed what Rapunzel was saying, “Beautiful? Help? I’m not trapped.”

Cass raised her eyebrows, “So you can leave any time you want?”

“No. I mean mother said it’s really dangerous out there and people want to hurt me. That all people care about is …” She trailed off, “Never mind.” Jabbing the pan in Cass’s direction, she continued, “How do I know you’re not some kind of brigand or villain? A scoundrel? PIllager?”

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes and in a threatening voice, added, “Scalawag?”

Raps wasn’t exactly wrong on that whole villain thing. Cass ignored the jab in her chest at that realization. But she didn’t want to question her actions at the moment. Not the ones after the Moonstone nor the ones that had led her here. “You can’t know. All I can tell you is that I don’t have any ill intent and I don’t want any harm to come to you.”

Predictably, Rapunzel was overly trusting. Or maybe she was just desperate and clever enough to see a way to bring her dream to fruition. Whatever the reason, she lowered her frying pan completely and planted a hand on her hip, “Okay. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But on one condition.”

“I’m listening.” Cassandra already knew the answer, and even if she hadn’t it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

Using the pan, Rapunzel pointed at the paintings of the lanterns on her wall, then out the window, “I’ve been told my whole life that the world is a big, scary, dangerous place. But there are beautiful things out there, things I’ve read about, things I’ve longed to see. I’ve read so many stories and sang so many songs of faraway lands and adventures. But most of all, every year on the same night, tomorrow night, there are lights in the sky. It’s my birthday.” She swiveled, jabbing the pan towards Cass again. “And I want you to take me to them.”

“You’re right.” Cass managed a smile at her, which actually wasn’t that difficult at the moment. Rapunzel practically glowed at the promise of her dream and the hope therein, “You’re right. The world can be scary, and it can be dangerous. But it’s also filled with wonder and beauty and good people. Sometimes you find good people in the most unlikely of places.”

Surprisingly, the words didn’t ring hollow in her ears. They were something Rapunzel might have said to her in the coming years. Cass looked out the window, not wanting Rapunzel to see the conflict and pain in her eyes. She wanted to believe that herself, but experience was a bitter teacher. But maybe a small part of her still did.

Rapunzel walked over, taking Cass’s face by the cheek and forcing her to look at her. Her face was much too close, and Cass’s throat bobbed as she found it impossible to look away. It didn’t help that Raps was chewing on her lower lip in thought. Cass’s thoughts were definitely not going to good places and as she always did she pushed down the guilt they gave her.

Her voice was raspy as she tore her eyes up from Rapunzel’s lips, “But I’ll take you to the lights.”

“All right, Cassandra, I’m Rapunzel” Rapunzel said, starting to untie her from her hair. “If we get there, I’ll have to figure out some way to thank you!”

Can you give me my dreams back? Even the ones I didn’t know I had until I met you?

Cass shook out her hand once she was free, and got up. “Okay, pack up your chameleon and anything else important, I’ve got a horse. I … know a good place to watch the lights. We can sit along the water, the reflection should be nice.”

Cass didn’t know what this would change for Eugene but it was something she needed to figure out. Sure, they liked to pretend they hated each other's guts, but at heart he was a good and decent man. She prayed he never found out she thought that.

Some villain she was, trying to figure out how to help her enemies. She glanced at Rapunzel as the princess fluttered about the small tower, then took the opportunity to really take the place in.

Rapunzel was running out of places to paint, obviously. There were also far fewer books and other ways for Rapunzel to occupy herself than Cass had ever suspected. Something got into her eyes and she grit her teeth. Gothel had abandoned her to take Rapunzel here, she reminded herself.

And promptly locked her away and made her love her for the privilege.

Gothel had only loved Rapunzel for her hair and the healing properties thereof. And Cass ... Well Cass didn’t really know if Gothel had loved her at all. But that was still something that Raps had over her, that Raps had taken from her.

She picked up a book. It was well cared for, though worn in places and quite obvious that Rapunzel had read it a thousand times over. Flipping through it, she saw the art Rapunzel had added, turning it into a picture book of Rapunzel going through all these adventures. Cass could even see the evolution of her art as she’d added to it over the years, and traced a finger across one drawing.

“We’ll stop and get some food on the way, Raps.” Carefully, Cass closed the book and set it back down, a plan forming in her mind. They’d have to go to the Snuggly Duckling and try to retrace as much of Rapunzel’s steps as they could; some things might change, but the patrons of that establishment deserved to have Rapunzel’s sun shine on them.

Slinging a pouch over her shoulder, Rapunzel beamed at her, “That sounds amazing! You know, I have to cook most of the time. It’s really a special treat when my mother cooks for me.” She tilted her head, “What is it?”

Cass wondered when she’d start to realize things about her mother now that she was talking to someone else, and then realized that Rapunzel had caught her staring, “Uh. Just you’re more beautiful than I imagined.”

Rapunzel tucked some hair behind her ear and giggles, “Thanks.”

“Think you can do that hair trick again?” Cass said, eager to change the subject from her slip of the tongue. Luckily, Rapunzel seemed to move on quickly.

“Yep!” Rapunzel bounced past Cass and flung her hair over the hook, “You’ll need to go first and then I’ll… I’ll follow.”

Unable to help herself, Cass laid a hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder and gently squeezed, “It’s a big step. It’s okay to be scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Rapunzel stared back at her, close, too close, eyes wide but determined. Cass doubted her words, but chose not to call her on them.

Stepping away, Cass swung out of the window and slid down Rapunzel’s hair. She landed easily and then stepped aside to watch as Rapunzel descended. At the last moment, Rapunzel stopped, her feet inches from the grass. Peering down, she hesitantly lowered her feet, and then stood on the earth for the first time in probably her entire life.

Rapunzel wriggled her toes, her smile widening by the second. Tears sparkled in her eyes, a few escaping to run down her cheeks. She wriggled her toes again, digging them into the earth and the grass, and then she lunged at Cass and hugged her tight enough to hurt, gasping, “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!”

“Any time.” Cass patted her back awkwardly. She barely had time for another breath before Rapunzel was bounding off towards the tunnel, jumping and laughing and cartwheeling as she went.

Cass sighed, folding her arms and failing to stop herself from smiling. A squeak in her ear made her realize Pascal was on her shoulder, “What?”

Pascal pointed at his eyes, then at her.

“You’re a good friend Pascal.” Cass said, taking off after Rapunzel at a jog. “We better catch up to her.“