(A/N: It's very weird for me to write something other than a Little Mermaid fic, but I adore Tangled too, and I feel the series finally reached that level of complexity that I love. Also, Cassandra is my girl. She's been since she belted out "Waiting in the Wings" because I've never related to a song more. The writers have been great with her character and development. "Crossing the Line" was not only a Broadway worthy song but demonstrated how deep down she was almost ready to just talk it out with Rapunzel but had been hurt and left waiting for too long to do so. Though she has now crossed the line, she stills guilty about doing so.)

Crossed too Far

She had spent so much time thinking of her mother through all of this that Cassandra had forgotten about her father.

Cassandra kicked a pebble in her path as she made her way further from the Dark Kingdom they had spent so much time finding, but nothing was left for her there. She had already taken the moonstone. Now, she found herself walking back through a forest, her thoughts turning from herself to her loved ones.

Yes, as Captain of the Guards, her father was not big on being warm and fuzzy, but he still had always been there for her, offering his support, protection, and love. However, Cassandra knew that if anyone had gotten to see his soft side, it was her when she was just a child.

Cassandra recalled a night she spent crying when she was just a young girl. She had forgotten long ago why she spent so many nights sad and empty—she only now remembered it was because of her mother—but she always remembered how each time her father found her with tears in her eyes he would pick her up and hold her, whispering soothing words into her ears until her crying halted. Then, feeling comforted and loved, her eyes would begin to droop, and he would carry her to bed where he would tuck her in with a gentle kiss on the forehead. Cassandra would have sweet dreams until her mother's neglect and abandonment found time to fill her head once again.

Then, just after her 6th birthday, her father found her watching the guards train in fascination. He asked if she would want to train with them, to learn to stand for herself, and more importantly, to take her mind off things. She realized now it was his attempt to help her move on. It worked because after a few months, her determined training with her father replaced all other childhood memories from her mother.

She felt a pang of guilt as she wondered what her father thought of her now. All she wanted was for him to be proud of her. It wasn't as if she had never heard her father admit he was proud of her, but now Cassandra felt losing his pride would be worse than never receiving it in the first place.

"He'll be so disappointed in me when he finds out," she thought.

She pictured Rapunzel and Eugene meeting with the guards after their return. Upon not seeing Cassandra with them as she usually was, her father would then inquire as to where she was, his thoughts probably first racing to the idea she may have been hurt. Then, Rapunzel would inform him of her betrayal, and the disappointment would swell in his eyes, even more so than when he found out she had been the one to sneak Rapunzel out beyond the kingdom's walls. Pete and Stan would probably be in the room when they inform her father, and then they would run their mouths. All of Corona would know within mere hours.

Cassandra had only wanted the people of Corona to see her abilities and strength to prove she was more than just a maid, but now she could care less what others in Corona would think of her. Only her father's opinion mattered to her now, not the king and queen's, not Eugene's or Lance's, and certainly not Rapunzel's.

She didn't even want to think of the princess. Cassandra was furious with her. She had stolen her chance to win Corona's pride, countless opportunities, and her mother from her. It hurt just to think about her.

But that's when Cassandra realized, it didn't hurt to think about Rapunzel because of having to recall all she had taken from her, but rather, it hurt because Cassandra felt terrible about what she had done to her.

She looked around at her surroundings as she kept walking down the dirt path through the thickening forest, hoping to get further in before testing her new powers. No one else was around to express her feelings with, no Rapunzel to pry into her life, just Owl hovering above her. Cassandra liked it that way.

But she knew she would be kidding no one if she said she didn't care if their friendship was over. Not only was she Rapunzel's first friend out of the tower, but Rapunzel was also Cassandra's first real friend. They had each learned so much from each other, and even though Rapunzel always ended up irritating her with her never ending optimism, they had some good times Cassandra always thought she would cherish forever.

Cassandra had begun to care about Rapunzel so much over the past two years, but those were the good days. They were the days when Cassandra felt she still had a fair chance and before she ruined her hand, all because of her. It was all because of Rapunzel's optimism that things would always work out. Well, things always did work out, but only for her. never in Cassandra's favor.

Those were the days before Rapunzel dragged her on this quest, wasting months she could have been proving herself to the Guard.

Of course, back in Corona there were moments Cassandra felt Rapunzel was always stealing the glory meant for her like during the Challenge of the Brave, but those were the days Rapunzel was fresh out of the tower. Cassandra was willing to share some of her glory so Rapunzel could make up for her 18 years in the tower.

But over the months they spent heading to the dark kingdom, Cassandra saw Rapunzel grow. She was no longer fresh out of the tower, and Cassandra no longer played a large role in helping Rapunzel reach her goals and glory. Rapunzel was reaching them herself with no regard for others—not even the one who helped her get there. All Cassandra could do was watch as Rapunzel quickly overshadowed her, and everything became about her and her destiny. Rapunzel would probably never understand where Cassandra was coming from, but Cassandra wasn't mad at her for that. How could Rapunzel understand when she had been given everything her whole life?

Perhaps Cassandra's feelings were invalid, and she was being a terrible friend. Well, of course now she was. Who betrays their own friend? Sometimes it even seemed as if they were sisters. Rapunzel had even stated in the Dark Kingdom that they technically were sisters. Cassandra had to agree Rapunzel was her adoptive sister.

But then her mind couldn't help but wonder: what kind of sister steals your mother?

Cassandra didn't want any harm to come to Rapunzel, but she was done fighting for the princess. Even though it came with a heavy heart, Cassandra was glad to finally seize her opportunity to fight for her own destiny, and she couldn't wait to see what it held.

Still, a part of Cassandra's heart ached as if it was telling her she shouldn't have crossed the line. Maybe this would become a regret she'd have to live with for the rest of her life. She had given up everything, only with the hope of gaining her destiny. In that moment, all she could do was hope she was doing the right thing for herself.

(A/N: I might flesh this out more now that we're on hiatus and fix it up some. I'll have to let everything simmer for a bit. Cassandra is really complicated and there's a lot to work with, which really is why I love her.)