What if...Cassandra was the princess...instead of Rapunzel? According to my calculations this would set off an intriguing chain of events. If you liked TTS/RTA this is a new twist on a beloved fandom. WARNING this includes SPOILERS for Rapunzel`s Tangled Adventure/ Tangled the Series. Chapter 56 “There it is,” Cassandra whispers. Standing high on the mountain pass, fog enveloping them in a sweater, the gang has screeches to a halt to goggle at the sight before them. A dark castle, a piercing blot on the horizon. The Dark Kingdom. Cassandra reaches for Rapunzel’s hand. She’s not sure which of them she’s comforting, exactly, but it seems like the right thing to do. Raps quickly pulls her hand up to kiss Cass’s knuckles. “It’s definitely, uh … ominous,” Varian notes, eyeing the crowd staring down from every tree. “Yeah, this place gives me the creeps,” Lance mutters as they start down the path again. “And we’re not even there yet!” There isn’t a whole lot of talking from there as the caravan makes it’s way down the mountain. Varian hangs halfway out the window, muttering notes about the terrain under his breath, and Rapunzel stares out as well, tugging on her hair surreptitiously, biting her lip. Cass notes that it’s a little strange for Rapunzel to be this quiet; normally she would be giving a cheery pep talk about now. Although, this mission has some higher stakes than usual - and Raps has definitely mentioned how some of those stakes terrify her. Cass makes sure to squeeze her shoulder and kiss her forehead on the way to help a struggling Eugene. Raps smiles faintly. “Need some help there?” Cass asks, hopping up to take the reins for a moment. “It’s a rough road, but it’s nothing our horses can’t handle,” Eugene shrugs. “How’s everyone holding up back there?” Cass glances back to the others, Raps and V staring out the windows nervously and Lance and Shorty … digging through the food stash. “No way I’m looking at that depressing castle till I need to,” Lance says defensively when he catches Cass’s eye. “Pie now, destiny later. Although that’s the same thing,” he adds in a whisper to Shorty, who cackles. “I think they’re okay,” Cass confirms to Eugene, who nods gratefully. A lull in the conversation and a difficult path make Cass think that maybe Eugene won’t notice if she sneakily peeks at the note in her pocket. She happens to be wrong. “So you /do/ believe it!” Eugene exclaims. “Do not!” Cass retaliates hotly. “No one here would do anything stupid. Well, except maybe you -“ “That’s a little below the belt, I think -“ “Besides, what does “a betrayal of trust, a shifting of tides” even mean?” Cass scoffs, stuffing the note back where it came from. “So … you /don’t/ believe it?” Cassandra pauses, glancing back at her friends. “We can’t afford for anything to go wrong today,” she says softly. Eugene nods, understanding on his face. “Then who’s most likely to be a loose cannon?” He probes. “Best keep an eye on them.” Cass raises an eyebrow. “You think there’s someone here who’s untrustworthy?” She asks. “Well … not exactly …” “Spit it out.” “You just - you have to admit that Varian has been acting a little strange lately,” Eugene notes. “Pressing Adira for answers the whole time she was here - who knows what she could have told him.” Cass considers for a moment, hating that she has to. He’s admittedly right; Varian /is/ a loose cannon, one usually filled with explosive chemicals. She pushes down the guilt she feels at thinking this and nods curtly. “We’ll keep an eye on him,” she decides. <><><><><> “This way!” Cass calls, leading the group on foot. “There’s got to be a way to cross this ravine …” “Because of course we couldn’t just /drive/ up to the castle,” Eugene sighs. “Why is it always -“ “Look!” Rapunzel says excitedly. “Gondolas!” There is in fact a gondola line reaching across the canyon - with the gondola stuck out in the middle, of course. Rapunzel takes a step towards it. “Maybe we can -“ Cass grabs her arm. “Careful, Raps,” she whispers, pulling her farther away from the edge. She eyes the depths warily. “I still had plenty of room, Cass, you don’t have to -“ “Sorry, it was just in case -“ “Hey guys!” Varian yells. “Halfway there!” The gang gapes at him. He is literally crawling along the wire to get to the controls. “Varian!” Rapunzel screeches in a panic. “Be careful - !” “I got this!” he yells back confidently as he slips inside. Cass and Eugene sneak glances at each other. A betrayal of trust might call for someone to go across themself and leave the others stranded … Varian heads in that direction … No, wait, he’s course - corrected, he’s coming back now. “Need a lift?” he says proudly as he opens the door for them. Everyone cheers as they pile in. Everyone chats amiably as (+)
(Continued ) Varian and Lance start up the gondola again, but Cass just gives a small sigh of relief. Maybe things won’t go horribly wrong after all. Of course, she though that about three seconds before the bear-man attacked. obviously this is fanfiction, I own none of the characters or other names.
