Tales from the Castle - a Sofia the First fanfic

Chapter 1: Too Many Of Us

Notes: the stories in "Tales from the Castle" are set shortly after my story "Lucinda Saves the Day". Chapter 1 of "Tales from the Castle" is a story suggested by retro mania, takes place when Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo are children, and is based on the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic episode Two Many Pinkie Pies.

Too much to do

At Enchancia Castle, Sofia was quite busy - too busy in fact. When Sofia had first come to the castle, she discovered very quickly that being a Princess was no easy job. Over time, for Sofia, her role as a Princess got more and more complicated. It was simply amazing how much work was involved. How was one Princess suppose to do all this?

Sofia managed to sneak up to her room. She shut the doors, stood back, and let it all out.

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Sofia exclaimed in a loud voice.

In a few moments, Amber burst into Sofia's room, wondering what was wrong.

"Sofia?" Amber asked, half concerned and half frightened, because she had never heard Sofia yell like that before.

"I don't know how you other Princesses do it, day in and day out?!" Sofia exclaimed. "I'm expected to do more and more every day, with no let up! I'm not a machine!".

Amber rushed over and hugged Sofia.

"It's going to be alright" Amber said in a concerned voice. "What you need is a break, Sofia. Come with me, and lets see what we can do to get you relaxed".

Amber and Sofia walked out of Sofia's room, and started walking around the castle talking about anything and everything that wasn't involved with royal duties. The change of pace seemed to work for Sofia, and after a while, Sofia was even laughing at some corny jokes that Amber had made up.

"Thank you, Amber" Sofia smiled. "That helped a lot".

"Your welcomed, Sofia" Amber smiled as she put her arm around Sofia's shoulder.

Amber and Sofia then heard some noise coming from Cedric's workshop. The two raced up to find Cedric's door open. Amber and Sofia walked in, and noticed that Cedric was busy working with a magic powder. Cedric poured some of the magic powder on a ring, and said "Effingo Ea Res" while waving his wand. In a few moments, a second copy of the ring appeared on the table.

"That's a-may-zing!" Sofia exclaimed upon seeing a second ring appear out of nowhere.

Cedric turned around, taken off guard by unannounced visitors.

"Don't you children ever knock?!" Cedric asked in a cross way.

"Your door was open" Amber pointed out to Cedric.

"So it was" Cedric said, trying to put on a polite tone for Amber. Truth be told, Cedric was a bit uneasy around Amber, because Amber wasn't afraid to use the King's name when she wanted something. Cedric especially remembered the Royal Prep tea party that Sofia had hosted, and when Cedric tried to refuse a magic request that Amber and Sofia had made, Amber responded by saying that "maybe I should get Daddy, I mean the King, and have him command you!". Cedric didn't want to go through that again.

"What are you doing, Mr. Cee-drick?" Sofia asked.

"Oh, Princess" Cedric responded, trying to fake kindness. "This is a magic dust called Duplicate Duster. It's something you use when you want to make a copy of something".

As Cedric and Sofia talked, the two of them had their backs to Amber. As Amber looked around Cedric's workshop, she noticed he had an entire box of bottles, with each bottle containing the Duplicate Duster powder. Amber, when Cedric wasn't looking, managed to grab one of the bottles, and put it in her purse.

"He's got so many bottles of the stuff, he won't miss one" Amber thought to herself.

Cedric and Sofia wrapped up their conversation.

"If you two will excuse me, I do have a lot of work to do today" Cedric said to Amber and Sofia.

"Of course, Mr. Cee-drick" Sofia smiled.

When Amber and Sofia had left, Cedric quietly shut the door, and locked it.

"That was close, Wormy" Cedric said to Wormwood. "If the King ever found out I wanted to use Duplicate Duster to duplicate Sofia's amulet, then use the duplicate of the amulet to take over the kingdom, he'd have my head before I could do anything. I must remember to keep that door closed and locked".

Cedric looked at the copy of the ring he had created. Suddenly, the copy of the ring produced another copy of the ring.

"That's not suppose to do that!" Cedric exclaimed.

In a few minutes, the copy of the copy of the ring produced another copy of the ring.

"Oh!" Cedric again exclaimed. "That's not what I wanted. Merlin's mushrooms!".

An idea

In a little while, Amber and Sofia found themselves back in Sofia's room. Amber closed the doors to Sofia's room, then smiled at Sofia.

"I have an idea!" Amber said with a grin. "I took a bottle of Cedric's Duplicate Duster while he wasn't looking".

"Amber!" Sofia exclaimed, shocked at what Amber had done.

"Oh, don't worry about it" Amber reassured Sofia. "He has tons of the stuff - he won't miss one bottle".

Amber then opened the bottle, and put some of the Duplicate Duster on Sofia before Sofia could react. Amber then took out her training wand from her purse, and said "Effingo Ea Res". Before Sofia knew it, a copy of herself appeared along side Sofia.

"What have you done, Amber?!" Sofia exclaimed.

"No need to thank me" Amber smiled. "Your duplicate here can take care of your duties, while you get a well deserved rest".

"I'm not sure I like this" Sofia started. "But, I am tired".

"Then it's settled" Amber said as she took Sofia's duplicate out to the hallway. Amber then gave Sofia's duplicate her instructions, and the duplicate walked down the hall. As Amber turned around to go back into Sofia's room, Sofia's duplicate suddenly produced a copy of itself. The duplicate and the copy of the duplicate then walked in different directions.

Amber, unaware of what had just happened, went over to Sofia who was laying down on her bed.

"You get a good rest, Sofia, and let your duplicate do all the work" Amber smiled. Sofia was too tired to put up an argument.

Meanwhile, the two duplicates of Sofia were walking in the castle. Suddenly, each duplicate produced another duplicate of Sofia, making a total of four duplicates of Sofia ... so far.

In the garden

A short time later, in the garden of Enchancia Castle, Amber met up with Hildegard and Cleo. Hildegard and Cleo's mothers were at the castle that day to work with Queen Miranda to put together a special dinner for the annual Queens gathering. Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo would also help in putting together the dinner.

"It's such a nice day out" Hildegard remarked. "I wish we could just stay out and play, instead of helping putting together the dinner".

"I know what you mean" Cleo said.

Amber then got an idea. She pulled out the bottle of Duplicate Duster, put a bit on Hildegard, a bit on Cleo, then pulled out her training wand. Amber then pointed her training wand at Hildegard and Cleo and said "Effingo Ea Res". Before Hildegard and Cleo knew what was going on, a duplicate of Hildegard and a duplicate of Cleo appeared.

"What is going on here?!" Hildegard asked, taken off guard.

"I've just made duplicates of you and Cleo" Amber answered.

"I'm not sure about this ..." Cleo said.

"What's the harm?" Amber responded. "Your duplicates will go inside and help with putting together the dinner, while we stay outside and play".

"But what about you?" Hildegard asked.

"Put some of this powder on me" Amber started as she handed the bottle of Duplicate Duster, and her training wand, to Hildegard. "Then point my wand at me, and say Effingo Ea Res".

Hildegard did what Amber instructed, and a duplicate of Amber appeared.

"Problem solved" Amber smiled. "Now we can stay out here, while our duplicates help with the dinner".

Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo instructed their duplicates on what to do. As the duplicates walked into the castle, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo went off to play. When the duplicates got a little way inside the castle, each duplicate suddenly produced a copy of itself. One set of duplicates walked in one direction, while the other set of duplicates walked in another direction.

What is going on here?

One of Sofia's duplicates was in the castle music room taking a piano lesson. During the lesson, Violet the maid walked in performing some cleaning duties. As Violet walked in, she noticed Sofia sitting at the piano, and Violet suddenly got a strange look on her face.

"Is everything alright, Violet?" Baileywick asked as he walked up to Violet.

"Your going to think me mad" Violet started, "but I just saw Princess Sofia in her room not three minutes ago. How can she be there and here at the same time?"

"I'm sure you must have been seeing things, Violet" Baileywick started. "Sofia has been here for the past half hour".

Suddenly, before their eyes, the duplicate of Sofia who was playing the piano produced a copy of itself. There were now two Sofia's playing the piano.

Violet screamed, being taken off guard by the sight.

"What is going on here?" Baileywick asked, also taken off guard. "Violet, get Constable Miles. It appears we have a mystery here".

"At once, Mr. Baileywick" Violet said as she rushed out of the room.

About ten minutes later, in the castle ballroom, Queen Miranda, Hildegard's mother, and Cleo's mother were helping to set up the room for the annual Queens gathering. One duplicate of Amber, one duplicate of Hildegard, and one duplicate of Cleo, were also in the ballroom helping out. Suddenly, each duplicate produced a copy of itself. Hildegard's mother gasped.

"Baileywick!" Miranda called out.

Baileywick and Constable Miles raced into the ballroom, and saw the two sets of duplicates.

"What is going on?" Miranda asked Baileywick and Constable Miles, puzzled.

"We don't know yet, Queen Miranda" Constable Miles answered. "We only know that there are duplicates of Princess Sofia, Princess Amber, Princess Hildegard, and Princess Cleo, all over the castle".

"Sofia, too?!" Miranda gasped.

At that point, the real Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo entered the ballroom.

"Oh, great!" Constable Miles exclaimed. "More duplicates!"

"Wait!" the real Amber cried out. "We're the real ones!". Amber then explained how Sofia had been overwhelmed by her Princess duties, and how Amber took a bottle of Duplicate Duster from Cedric, and used it to make a duplicate of Sofia so the real Sofia could get some rest. Amber went on to explain how she used the Duplicate Duster to make duplicates of herself, Hildegard, and Cleo so they could have some time to themselves.

"And where is the real Sofia now?" Constable Miles asked.

"In her room" Amber answered.

Miranda and Miles took Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo to Sofia's room where they found the real Sofia sleeping. Miranda gently woke the real Sofia up and explained what was going on.

"So, how many duplicates are there now?" the real Sofia asked, shocked at the news.

"We figure at least twelve of each of you, if not more" Miles answered.

"But the powder was only suppose to create one duplicate of each of us!" Amber exclaimed. "What happened to cause more duplicates to appear?!".

"Somebody had better get Cedric" Miranda said. "Perhaps he can figure out what to do".

"Cedric has left the castle for the day" Miles reported. "He's off to find ingredients for his potions".

"What about Lucinda and her parents?" Amber asked Sofia. "Perhaps they could help?"

"Their not here right now" Sofia answered. "They went away on a camping trip for a few days".

"Now what do we do?" Miranda asked. She thought for a few moments, then continued. "I have an idea" Miranda said as she went over to Sofia's reading nook, and wrote a note. She then took the note, folded it, and put it in a envelope and addressed the envelope. Miranda then turned to Miles. "Please have this note delivered immediately".

"At once, Queen Miranda" Miles answered.

Help arrives

A little over an hour later, at Enchancia Castle, help arrived - in the form of Miss Flora, Miss Fauna, and Miss Merryweather.

"We received your note, Queen Miranda" Miss Flora started. "We understand the situation". Flora then turned to Amber. "Please hand me that bottle of magic powder you used".

"Yes, Miss Flora" Amber said as she handed over the bottle.

Flora read the bottle, then turned back to Amber. "And what spell did you use to activate the powder?".

"A three word spell - Effingo Ea Res" Amber answered.

"Ah! I see" Flora commented. "The reason that the duplicates created duplicates is because a finishing spell wasn't added to the original spell. The spell should have been Effingo Ea Res Solum Olim, whichwould have limited the duplication of each person to just one copy".

"Can you return everything to normal?" Sofia asked.

"Yes, dear" Flora smiled. "But we'll have to round up the duplicates first".

It took a while, but eventually all the duplicates were rounded up and brought to the ballroom. Flora then brought out her wand, pointed it at the duplicates, and said "Duplicay, Duplicai - now return to your true host".

Sofia's duplicates then turned into energy, and that energy went inside of Sofia. The same thing happened with Amber, Hildegard, Cleo, and their duplicates.

"I'll kinda miss them" Amber said about her duplicates. "They were very lovely and very perfect in my fashion wardrobe".

"I hope the four of you have learned a valuable lesson from this" Flora said to Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, and Cleo.

"Yes, Miss Flora" Sofia started. "One should take the time to slowly handle doing things and not find shortcuts, cause it's easier and much less harder to handle".

"Meanwhile, the four of you have misused magic" Flora started. "Your magical learning will be suspended for one month, and your training wands will be taken from you for one month".

"Wait" Amber spoke up. "I'm responsible for this. I'm the one who took the Duplicate Duster, and I'm the one who used it. Sofia, Hildegard, and Cleo are blameless. If anybody should be punished, it should be me, and me alone".

"I see" Flora said. "Very well, Princess Amber - you, and you alone, will be punished. Your magical learning will be suspended for one month, and your training wand will be taken from you for one month".

"I understand, Miss Flora" Amber said.

"However" Flora looked at Amber, "since you took responsibility for your actions, your punishment is now reduced. Your magical learning will be suspended for one week, and your training wand will be taken from you for one week. Please take that time to reflect on your actions".

"Yes, Miss Flora" Amber said.

At that point, Cleo's mother, Queen Katherine, stepped forward. "I think we, as royal parents, have learned something as well. I think it's possible that we place more duties on our children than they can sometimes handle. Maybe we should cut back on some of their duties. Afterall, they are children. And they should be allowed some time to be children".

"Agreed" Queen Miranda smiled.