Shaken
Summary: Cedric grows increasingly concerned about a recurring nightmare involving a mysterious figure trying to harm Sofia and taunt him mercilessly. To make matters worse, he's started collapsing at random times throughout the castle, leading everyone to worry about him. What exactly is going on, and is there more to his nightmare than he realizes? (Note: This scenario will not be fully resolved until one of my upcoming stories. :D Just warning you ahead of time!)
Disclaimer: I don't own "Sofia the First."
A/N: Ooh… lol I think I've watched too many mystery movies… I personally blame "Shutter Island" for this. That's all I'm saying. :D Doesn't mean this story has anything to do with the plotline of the movie, but the mysterious element? Yeah, it's there. ;)
"Let her go!" Cedric called helplessly as he watched Sofia struggle against the dark shadow, her pale hands grasping the indiscernible claw-like appendages that wrapped tightly around her neck. He attempted to reach for his wand, but his strength was sapped, and his body felt like it had been drained of all strength.
"M-Mr. Cedric," Sofia cried softly, straining to be heard while fighting for her life. "M…help!"
"I…I'm sorry, Sofia…" He closed his brown eyes, losing the battle to remain upright, as he finally collapsed, defeated.
"Mr. Cedric!"
"Mr. Cedric!"
Cedric started in surprise as he gasped and opened his eyes, darting into a sitting position. "Wh-Where am I?" He glanced around, noticing he was in his bedroom. His blankets were scattered all around, and he was still in his daily outfit. He looked to his left and noticed Sofia there, watching him in obvious concern. "Sofia?"
"I was worried," she told him as she placed a hand on his gloved hand. "You collapsed in the hallway, and we didn't know what happened to you. Are you all right?"
"I…" A flashback in his mind to his apparent nightmare of Sofia being suppressed by an unseen figure appeared quite vividly, and he had to look away from her. "I'm… I'll be all right. Thank you for looking out for me."
She smiled gently and moved forward, hugging him. She felt him stiffen—something that didn't usually happen recently, though she shrugged it off after his recent debacle—before he sighed and returned her hug…if for no other reason than to reassure her. "You've been sleeping lately, right?"
Cedric smirked at her motherly nature before nodding and rolling his eyes playfully as she released him. "Yes, Mummy."
"I'm serious, Mr. Cedric," the princess insisted as she put her hands on her hips. "You kind of have a history of falling asleep in your workshop, so it wouldn't be the first time."
"I was just kidding, Sofia! Calm down." He chuckled. "I promise. I'm sleeping. I must have just…had a spell." He looked at her warily as she started giggling. "Yes, I know…terrible pun."
She smiled. "I'm going to let you get some more rest. I'll check on you tomorrow."
"What time is it anyway?" He yawned and reached for one of his blankets.
"Pretty late… You passed out around suppertime, and it's been a few hours since."
"And you're still awake," he chided as he gave her a pointed look. "On a school night, no less!"
She grinned. "I know! I'm going to bed. Oh, but first…" She left the room momentarily and came back with a stuffed raven, a pretty good likeness as a replica of Wormwood. "Here." She placed the raven doll in Cedric's arms. "I made this for you."
Cedric laughed softly at her thoughtfulness and nodded appreciatively toward her. "Thank you, Sofia. I'll cherish it always." He smiled as she hugged him once more before bidding him goodnight and leaving.
The tired sorcerer observed the stuffed raven and let out an amused sigh. Sofia was gifted with sewing, of course, but that didn't stop her from amazing him over and over again. He held onto the Wormwood doll and lay down, going back to sleep.
"Would you risk everything for her?" a voice echoed, a sinister growl resonating underneath the tone.
Cedric blinked in confusion, looking around in the darkness and trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
"Would you give up your quest for victory—for fame and recognition?"
The sorcerer pressed his hands to his ears, the horrid noise of the taunting voice reverberating and making him feel ill.
"Or would you, in all expectancy, press forward with your original plans? Would you try to be 'Cedric the Great' once again?"
Cedric frowned at the title. It was one he'd come up with a few years ago—something of a daydream, really. But now, he had a new title: one given to him by Sofia. "I'm Cedric the Sensational!" he retaliated, his own voice sounding meek in comparison.
The sinister voice just laughed, a menacing sound that made Cedric's skin crawl. "Sensational? You think you've earned that title? A little magic here, a little 'good deed' there? You won't truly be sensational until you prove yourself worthy of that title. And with darkness still in control, well…" The voice chuckled in amusement. "Let's just say you have a long way to go."
"What have you done with Sofia?!" he called, remembering that his apprentice had been practically close to strangulation previously.
"Oh, Cedric, don't you realize? The question is, 'What have you done with Sofia?' This is your subconscious—your mind—your battle." The voice laughed again. "I'm nothing without you. You control your own decisions…or do you?"
"Give her back! I'll blast you into oblivion if you've harmed her one iota!"
The voice cackled again, an ear-piercing sound.
"Give her back!"
"N-No! Give her back!" Cedric sat up, panting and holding his hand to his head. He glanced toward the end of his bed, seeing a concerned Wormwood staring up at him. "It…was another dream."
Wormwood cawed uncertainly and fluttered over to his master, alighting upon his shoulder.
"I can't take it anymore, Wormy. If I can't get a good night's rest, then I can't very well focus during the daytime either…and the king would probably have it out for me." He scoffed and tossed his blankets aside before marching into his workshop. "Fine, if I can't sleep, then maybe I can work."
"Yes, because that worked so well these last several times with you passing out all over the castle," Wormwood chided, though he knew Cedric couldn't understand him.
"Pipe down, Wormy. I know what I'm doing." He gathered the raven carefully and placed him on the table before him. "Perhaps a sleeping potion… Hmm, no. Last time it backfired on me, and plus history has proven that it's generally not a good idea." He winced when he felt a sharp pain in his head, and immediately his hand went to his temple.
Wormwood frowned. "Not again…"
Cedric winced as the pain became unbearable, and he promptly fainted to the floor.
"Oh, no…" He glanced around before noticing that the sorcerer's door was slightly cracked. He became determined and set out in search of the best source of help.
Sofia lay sleeping in her bed, pleasant dreams flooding her mind as she sighed in content. It was the first time in a long time that she'd slept so well.
*tap* *tap* *tap*
…And apparently it wasn't meant to last. The girl sat up in her bed, blurry eyes scanning the darkness of her room, only illuminated by a slight sliver of moonlight through her window. She cast her blue eyes toward said window when she heard the noise again.
Sofia gasped. "Wormwood?" She slid from her blankets and hurried over to the window, unlatching it and letting the raven inside. She tilted her head. "Wormwood, what are you doing here?"
He panted for a moment, holding a wing up to her to allow himself time to breathe. He then gazed up at her. "Do you have any idea how many wrong windows I tapped on trying to find yours?"
She giggled. "It's a big castle." She then grew concerned. "It's not like you to come wake me up in the middle of the night, though. What's wrong?"
"Cedric collapsed again."
"Mr. Cedric!" She rushed to the other side of the room, grabbing her robe and tying it around her before sliding her feet into her slippers. "Why is he collapsing?" she asked as the raven flew over toward her and landed on her shoulder.
"I don't know…"
"I thought he was asleep when I left him."
"He was, but he woke up again, yelling, 'Give her back!' or something of that nature. I'm not much of a mushy raven, but even I'm a bit worried about him now…"
Sofia smiled gently. "Don't worry, Wormwood. We'll figure out what's wrong with Mr. Cedric."
A few minutes later, the princess and the raven arrived to Cedric's dark workshop. The girl lit a lantern to be able to see better before kneeling down next to her friend, who seemed to be muttering something. She felt his fingers—all cold as ice. She frowned.
"S-Sofia…" Cedric's face contorted into one of pain as he clutched her hand.
"Mr. Cedric, I'm here. It's okay." She sighed. "It's like he knows I'm here, but…"
Wormwood sighed. "Maybe it's the dreams…"
She glanced at him. "Dreams?"
A cloaked figure finally materialized out of thin air, the sleeping princess within his grasp. There was no face nor were there any discernable features to the figure save for the claws that held tightly to Sofia.
Cedric glared up at the figure. "You! You're the one! Let her go!"
That same sinister voice cackled. "Afraid I can't do that, Cedric…" The peculiar claws threaded through the girl's hair, caressing it, almost in an affectionate way. But not quite.
"Keep your hands off of her!" he growled, his hands curling into fists. It was then he realized something very serious. "M-My wand! Where's my wand?"
"This wand?" the figure asked tauntingly as he used his free hand to produce the sorcerer's missing wand.
"Give it back to me!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Cedric the 'Sensational,' but you can't have both. You make your choice: the wand, which symbolizes your fancy for magic and misguided possibilities, or the princess…"
Brown eyes widened.
"…And I think you catch my drift about her symbolism…eh?" He laughed lowly.
"Why can't I have both?"
Suddenly, it seemed as if the figure grew angry. He snarled, "That's not the way it works! You can't have both! Don't you get it? If you choose the wand, you lose Sofia. If you choose Sofia, you lose your goals! Make your choice!"
Cedric froze…and not just because he was faced with a new dilemma… But because he literally felt chilled to the bone, and soaking wet. What…?
Cedric gasped as he sat up, his hair and clothing drenched with icy cold water. Talk about a shock to the system. He glared around before finally setting his eyes on Sofia and a guilty-looking raven holding a bucket in his beak. "Did you two pour water on me?"
Sofia pointed at Wormwood. "It was his idea."
Wormwood rolled his eyes and set the bucket down. "Last time I take the fall for you, Princess."
Cedric began wringing out his robe, attempting to rid himself of the water. "What on earth are you two doing? Sofia, I thought you were asleep."
"Yeah, well…" She couldn't tell him the truth of course, so she fibbed a bit. "I was worried about you, and when I got here you were passed out on the floor again. Wormwood got the bucket of water and poured it on you. I was hoping it would wake you up."
"Well, you two did a nice job of that! Now I'm soaked…and cold!"
Sofia sighed, realizing he was probably upset, but she frowned in concern. "Mr. Cedric, this has to stop. It's like the moment I leave your sight, you pass out or something. What's wrong with you?"
He sighed and shook his head, the water droplets falling from his hair. "I don't know. I really don't…" He glanced toward her. "Maybe I 'caught' your bad dream problems or something."
She smiled despite the situation. "I don't think that's possible, Mr. Cedric…"
"Are you quite sure about that? Because I'm not." He gestured toward his table where his book lay open. "There have been reports about this sort of thing—dream plague, or something of that nature…"
"Hmm… Well, until we figure out what's wrong, is there something that can get you to rest without dreaming?"
"Right now, I don't know…" He stood up and held onto his table so he wouldn't fall over again. "I'm just not myself right now. I can't think straight."
Sofia pondered for a few moments and smiled. "I have an idea. Go change into some dry clothes and meet me back here in five minutes." She hurried out the door, both Wormwood and Cedric watching after her curiously.
Wormwood glanced at his master, who shrugged as he started walking toward his room. "Don't look at me. You know just as much as I do…"
With the conclusion of the five minutes, both mentor and apprentice reunited in the workshop. Sofia held in her hand a dreamcatcher—but not just any dream catcher. It was the one Cedric's mother had made for her a few months ago.
Cedric watched her carefully. "Sofia…"
"Mr. Cedric, you need this more than I do right now. I'll be all right. Besides, if it helps you get a good night's sleep and keeps you from crashing into things or passing out, then it'll be worth it." She handed the dreamcatcher to him, watching him observe it closely before looking back at her.
"Thank you, Sofia," he said gently, smiling lightly. "I do hope this works…"
"Me too." She hugged him warmly. "Promise we'll figure out what's wrong."
"I promise…and not just with me either." He placed one hand on her head. "Let's not forget, Princess, that you've been plagued with nightmares too. Nightmares that inhibit your daily activities?"
She blinked and nodded.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say it's almost as if we were…" He frowned, shoving the idea from his head. They couldn't be…cursed…right? Even if they were…who? Why?
Sofia yawned, distracted by the sleepiness that washed over her. "It will be all right, Mr. Cedric. Good night." She smiled sleepily and squeezed his hands reassuringly before leaving the workshop.
Cedric sighed and glanced toward Wormwood, who seemed a bit more alert. "We must get to the bottom of this, Wormwood…not only for myself, but…for Sofia as well. There must be a reason behind all of this."
The raven cawed in response, seeming to agree.
"Come on then, Wormy. Let's get to bed before something else happens…" He yawned and led the bird into his bedroom and shut the door.
On the table, the spell book started to glow, illuminating the room, before it suddenly dissipated all together.
The end (and to be continued in "Shadow")
A/N: Bonus points to anyone who can tell me from which show I "borrowed" the cloaked figure on my cover photo. I think I know one or two who may have an idea. ;) Anyway, thought I'd surprise you all with something for the weekend. Yes, I know I'm around more seldom than I'm used to, but I'm still getting used to the work schedule. When I'm more on top of things at work, then I'll start coming back around more often. Bear with me! :) Meanwhile, hope you enjoyed this. Till next time!