DISC: I DO NOT own any characters you recognize from Elena of Avalor or Sofia the First. They belong to their respective creators. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, including Elena and Isa's parents, Gabriella and Edwardo.

Enjoy!

A/N: I want to dedicate this story to my best friend, Rebecca! I wouldn't have been able to finish revising without her patience, help and constant encouragement!

"Sanctuary in Avalor"

Chapter 1

The sun shone down on the city of Avalor, warming the buildings and surrounding mountainside with a golden glow. As it shone over the palace, its beams streamed into a room of the soon-to-be queen.

Sixteen-year-old Elena Florez, suddenly shot up in bed, shaking. Glancing around her bedroom, she inwardly sighed with relief when nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Despite this, she still felt on edge as though something really bad had happened, was already happening or about to occur. Gasping for breath, she said softly, "Sofia…"

A small figure stirred beside the crown princesa.

"Elena? Tuviste un mal sueño?"

Elena shook her head. Turning towards her little sister, she pulled her into her arms.

"You're shaking," Isabel frowned, "que estas mal? What's wrong? Did something scare you?"

Elena tried to regain her breath as she felt Isabel kiss her left cheek.

"The nightmare was about Sofia…remember I told you she was the one who freed me from the amulet?"

Isabel nodded.

"I saw her outside. She was running from something. She looked scared."

"Was someone chasing her?" Isabel asked.

"I didn't see anyone," Elena answered.

"I'm sure if something happened, she'd write you a letter," Isabel assured. .

"Unless it already did," Elena caught her breath.

Isabel frowned. "You have a point. You'll have to wait until Sofia contacts you to know for sure."

Elena sighed. She hated waiting-especially in situations like this.

Just then, her bedroom door opened and a concerned, gentle, female voice met both girls' ears.

"Elena, what happened?"

Elena watched as their mother sat on the edge of the bed. The teen relaxed at her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"Elenita…you're shaking…" her mother frowned.

"Mamá, estoy bien ahora. It was just a nightmare," Elena revealed. She welcomed her mother's comfort, resting her head against her chest. Feeling her hand starting to run through her hair, the sixteen-year-old managed to steady her breathing. She was grateful that her mother had survived Shuriki's invasion. She only wished her father had as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" her mother offered.

"It was about Sofia," Elena explained. She told her mother what she had seen in the nightmare.

"If anything's wrong, Sofia will let you know," her mother assured her. Elena didn't move from her mother's arms. After a few minutes, she laid back down. "I love you. Try to get a little more sleep."

Elena sighed, but nodded.

"I love you too," she returned her mother's kiss.

"I love you too, Isa," Gabriella hugged Isa.

"I love you," Isabel returned the hug.

After their mother left, both sisters settled down.

"I have an idea! Do you wanna have a sister's day?" Isabel suggested after a few moments of silence.

Elena managed a tiny smile for her little sister.

"That sounds good. Let me get ready," she kissed Isabel's head. "Gracias for staying with me, Isa."

"That's what sisters do. You've done the same for me," Isabel returned the grin and her sister's hug.

Alone with her thoughts, Elena frowned. As much as she was looking forward to her impromptu sister's day, she still couldn't get Sofia off of her mind. The young Enchancian princess had given her the ultimate gift by freeing her and allowing her to return to her familia-thereby freeing them as well. Was it time to repay Sofia for her kindness and selfless act? As Elena got ready for the day, she had a feeling Isabel was right. Only time would tell.

*******

Elena had good reason to be worried about her chosen little sister. Meanwhile across the ocean in Enchancia, Sofia frowned as Wormwood snickered while Cedric mixed up a potion.

"Let's see how many times it takes you to get this one right. 100 is my guess."

"Wormwood! Come here," Sofia motioned for the raven to follow her out into the hallway.

Wormwood reluctantly did so.

"What is it?" he drawled.

Sofia didn't waste any time.

"That wasn't very nice. You've been picking on Mr. Cedric all day. It's not fair. He's gotten better at magic," Sofia encouraged.

Wormwood laughed even harder. The sound was bitter, almost harsh. It scared Sofia more than she wanted to admit.

"I don't understand why you stick up for him. Ever since you came to the castle, you've made Cedric your little project. Oh his heart has thawed a little, but he never gave up his one true goal in life. And you were the main person to help him reach it!"

Sofia shook her head.

"What are you talking about? Cedric isn't my project. He's my friend," she firmly stated. "We're friends."

"That's what you think. You might see him as a friend, but he's been using you for the past three years! Don't you see?"

"No. I don't understand. How could he be-" Sofia started, but the raven interrupted her.

"Your necklace, girl! That's what Cedric really wants. That's what he's always wanted. And you were too busy trying to help him change to see it!" Wormwood flew off.

Sofia stood there, frozen with shock.

"No, no…it can't be true. Not Mr. Cedric. He's my friend." Then in a shaky, softer whisper she repeated, "He's my friend." With that, she returned to the room where Cedric was just finishing the potion. "Is it done?" she asked. She prayed her voice sounded normal.

Cedric glanced up from his work. He smiled a little.

"Almost," His brow furrowed.

Sofia gulped.

"We'll figure out what's wrong with your amulet."

"It's not that," she assured him. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to speak. "If I ask you something, will you be honest with me? It's important."

Cedric nodded but Sofia could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Okay," Sofia took another deep breath. Keeping eye contact with Cedric, she spoke. "We're friends, right?"

"Of course," Cedric replied, no trace of anything in his words. He sounded completely normal.

Hope rose in Sofia. "Phew! I knew it! And we can tell each other anything," she went on.

"Certainly," Cedric said a little faintly.

Sofia nodded, choosing to ignore the sudden change in tone. She wasn't going to give up on him yet.

"Here's the thing…Is there anything I need to know? Anything you haven't told me about my amulet?"

Cedric swallowed hard,.

"Just that we should figure out why it's acting strange in a few minutes."

"Is that all?" Sofia gently pressed.

"Certainly," he replied.

"Okay. I Trust you," Sofia smiled. "Thanks for helping me," going forward, she gave him a hug.

"You're welcome," Cedric hugged back.

s "I knew Wormwood was lying," Sofia softly said. "Is it okay if I go explore a little?"

"Yes, yes, yes, by all means, go have fun! But be careful," Cedric warned.

"I will. Thanks, Mr. Cedric!" with that, she left him to his work. Walking down the hallway, a light across the hall caught her eye. Going towards it, she entered a room on the left. It reminded her of a library. Going inside, Sofia gasped. The walls were made entirely of the same wood that Avalor castle was constructed from. Sighing, Sofia clasped her amulet between her hands. "I miss you, Elena," she whispered. "I could sure use your help now. I want to believe Cedric, but something doesn't feel…" her voice trailed off as her amulet suddenly started to glow red. The light shot forward, illuminating a pool in the center of the room. Why hadn't she noticed it before? Going forward, she sat down at the edge. Glancing down, she sighed. "What do I do? How will this pool help? I Need to know the truth." staring into the water, Sofia gasped as an image started to emerge from the cyan depths. Once it completed, the young princess realized it was like looking into a window. As she continued to watch, she realized they were images and sounds of the past. Continuing to watch the events play out, Sofia realized it was her past. As she watched Amber leave the shop during Sofia's first Halloween in the castle, she gasped as she heard Cedric's words.

"This is perfect Wormy! A way to get Sofia's amulet and Amber is the key. You'll see…"

Shaking her head, Sofia blinked hard. She refused to believe what she was seeing and hearing. It just couldn't be true. As another image formed, Sofia looked away, but that didn't stop her from hearing Cedric's words.

"I'll switch Sofia's amulet with this fake one. By the time she figures it out, my plan will already be put into motion! I will finally have the power to take over the kingdom!"

"No! It…It can't be true!" Sofia exclaimed defiantly.

"I see you've found the pool of past secrets," a male voice stated from behind her.

Gasping in surprise, whirling around, Sofia found Merlin standing there.

"Mr. Merlin? What are you doing here?"

"I was told you needed some help," he replied. Sitting down, he smiled gently at Sofia. "What's the problem?"

Sofia sighed. She gestured towards the pool.

"Does it always show the truth?" she asked.

"Yes. I Take it you saw something you didn't want to see," he guessed.

Sofia nodded. Blinking again, she wasn't successful in stopping a tear or two from coming.

"Oh I'm sure it's not all that bad," Merlin rested a hand on Sofia's shoulder.

Sofia nodded."It is. I Thought he was my friend. But it turns out Wormwood was right."

Merlin raised his eyebrows in confusion, but Sofia didn't elaborate.

"If you don't feel like you can talk to me, is there someone you trust? Someone other than the person whose hurt you? Someone who knows about the situation, but isn't as close to it as you are? A big sister perhaps?"

Sofia gasped in realization.

"That's it! Thank you, Mr. Merlin. There is someone like that I can talk to. Where's the closest exit?"

"Down this next hallway to your left once you leave this room," he answered.

"Thank you for everything," with that, Sofia stood, backed up from the pool, turned and ran from the room. As she followed Merlin's directions, she found he had been right. She was almost home free when she heard someone calling her name. Stopping, she realized with a pang of fear and anger that it was the last person she wanted to talk to.

"Sofia! Sofia? There you are, my dear. I got the potion right! We can fix your amulet," Cedric reported. HE reached out to take her hand, but she jerked away.

"Stay away from me! I don't need your help! I'm going home!" she was trying so hard to keep the tears back.

Cedric was taken aback by Sofia's words and actions. And was it possible, even…hurt?

"I don't understand. What happened? Did someone say something to you? If they were mean to you, I'll turn them into-"

"It's you! Wormwood was right! I thought we were friends! But this whole time all you wanted was my amulet. How could you? Doesn't our friendship mean anything to you?" her voice cracked with unshed tears on the word 'friendship.

"Yes it did, I mean it does…I…Sofia, please, let me explain…"

"Don't bother! I'll never trust you again!" With that, Sofia turned and ran off.

"Sofia! Sofia, please, wait!" Cedric called after her, but it was too late. She was already gone. Her last words stung him more than if she had said she hated him. They rang in his ears as though on repeat. "I'll never trust you again! Trust you again, trust you…" sighing, he slowly gathered up his potion ingredients and prepared to depart his old school. If he hurried, maybe he could catch up to Sofia and fix this mess. Unfortunately, by the time Cedric reached the portal that connected the school to his workshop, Sofia was nowhere to be found. Sinking down in a chair, Cedric sighed. For the first time in his life, he felt responsible for his actions. The only problem was, he couldn't fix it without Sofia there. And from the looks of it, she was nowhere to be found…

…

*****

Meanwhile, back in Avalor, Elena shook herself out of a sudden daydream. In it, she saw Sofia running pretty quickly. She looked scared and hurt at the same time. Elena couldn't see anything-animal or person chasing her chosen sister, so she was confused. What was going on? Whatever it was, Elena was going to help Sofia. Glancing around, she realized she was still in the music room. She had offered to teach her sister how to play the guitar. Looking down, Elena realized her fingers were frozen on the frets that made up a C chord. Blushing in embarrassment, she glanced up at the sound of Isabel addressing her.

"Elena? Are you okay?"

Elena nodded, locking eyes with her little sister.

"Yeah, Isa, Estoy bien," she rested a hand on Isabel's shoulder.

Isabel raised her eyebrows."No, you're not. I've known you my whole life. Something's wrong. You zoned out on me for a few minutes there."

Elena sighed in resignation.

"I'm fine. But Sofia's not. She's in trouble."

"How do you know?" Isabel asked.

"I just do. I need to help her. She helped me, it's time for me to return in kind."

"How can you do that? You don't even know where Enchancia is," Isabel pointed out.

Elena nodded.

"I don't have to go there. I would if I Had to, but it's not necessary."

"Pore que?" Isabel asked.

"Because Sofia's coming here. I can feel it," Elena declared confidently.

"How?" Isabel raised an eyebrow.

"I guess it's our connection," Elena answered.

Isabel nodded."It makes sense," she consented.

"Let's go have some lunch," Elena stood, extending her hand to Isabel.

Isabel followed Elena out of the room.

****

Meanwhile, Sofia slung a bag over her shoulders. Making sure she had everything, she left her room. Hearing someone call her from behind, she turned to find Clover hopping after her.

"Sof, what's up? I thought we were gonna play hide and seek today."

"I can't. I need to go visit a good friend. I'll be back," she assured him.

Clover didn't miss a beat.

"What's going on? Did something happen at Hexley hall?"

Sofia nodded.

"I'll explain later. I really need to go."

"I'll come with you," Clover offered.

"No! No, you need to stay here. I need to do this on my own," with that, Sofia patted Clover's head, straightened up and left in the direction of a secret entrance. Getting there, she said softly, "I wish to be small." After shrinking, the eleven-year-old made her escape. Going to the docks, she waited. Spotting a ship not far away, she stayed close by so she would be ready to board when it took off.

"We have to get this shipment of mangos to Avalor by tomorrow," a man stated nearby.

"Relax. The princess isn't a cruel monster like Shuriki was. I'm sure she won't mind if they're a little late. We'll take off in fifteen minutes and be there by tomorrow."

"I hope you're right," the first man sighed.

Sofia nodded in agreement. She knew her chosen sister wouldn't mind a little tardiness. Sneaking onto the ship, the young girl waited for it to set sail. As it moved, she sighed with relief. She was on her way. Shivering as the wind picked up, Sofia wished she had brought a warmer jacket. Huddling near a heating vent, she prayed she could stay warm the whole way.

Sofia's eyes opened to sun streaming down upon her. Shivering more violently, she suddenly sneezed twice in a row. Swallowing, tears welled as her throat burned with pain. This wasn't good. Realizing she still was small, she sighed with relief. At least something was going right. Glancing around, Sofia recognized the port they were at. She was in Avalor! Moving out of her hiding place, the young girl suddenly felt dizzy. Pushing past it, she made her way off of the ship. Not recognizing the street, she tried to find a familiar landmark. Continuing to shiver, Sofia started her trek. Getting to the end of the street, she tried to figure out which way to go. Plastering herself against a building as a carriage rumbled passed, she recognized the person inside of it. Running after the vehicle, Sofia tried to stay clear of the wheels. Realizing Elena wouldn't be able to hear her due to her temporary size, she commanded, "I…I wish…ta…to be…big aah…achoo! Again." Feeling herself grow to her normal size, she continued to run after the carriage. "Elena! Elena!" she called, praying her chosen older sister could hear her now. Unfortunately, at the moment she called out, loud music started inside someone's house. Sighing, Sofia continued to follow the carriage. Seeing it stop at a building that looked like a school, Sofia waited for Elena and a little girl to go inside. If Sofia had to guess, she would have said the girl was Isabel. Once the two disappeared into the building, Sofia inched closer to the carriage. Shivering as she leaned up against it, she heard a whinnying noise.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm a close friend of Elena's. I need her help," Sofia explained to the horse.

The horse narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"What's your name?" she demanded.

"Sofia," she replied just before coughing.

The horse relaxed.

"You're the one who freed Elena and helped save Avalor! Elena's talked about you a lot. It's nice to finally meet you, Sofia. I'm Canella."

"Hola, Canella," Sofia tried.

Canella smiled.

"Stick with Elena and she'll have you speaking Spanish in no time."

Sofia nodded. She was about to say something else when a male voice made her jump.

"Hey! What are you doing here? This is the crowned princess's carriage."

Jumping backwards, Sofia fell. Feeling blood on her right arm, she stood back up. Whirling around, she came face-to-face with a man as tall as her father. He had brown eyes, tan skin and black hair. He was pointing a sword straight at her!

"I'm SO…" her voice trailed off as a coughing fit hit.

"Were you trying to steal our money?" the man demanded.

"No!" Sofia insisted between coughs. "I would nev…never do…achoo! I wouldn't do that. I'm…" she started coughing again.

"Then what are you doing here?" the man reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I'm Sofia! I'm a friend of Elena! Please, you have to believe me. I came here because I…" her voice trailed off as she coughed again. She didn't know whether it was because of Cedric's betrayal or the fact that this man was truly scaring her. Nevertheless, tears welled, streaming down her face. Locking eyes with the man, she pleaded, "Please, let me go. You're hurting me!"

"Okay, Isa's settled. Now we can, Gabe, Qué estás hacienda!"

Sofia let out abreath of relief at her chosen sister's voice. Even though Elena sounded shocked and a little firm, she knew the teenager wasn't angry with her.

"I found this girl leaning against your carriage. She was talking to Canella. She claims she's a friend of yours."

"Ele…" Sofia tried, but was stopped by more coughing.

Elena gasped at the familiar voice and sight.

"Sofia? Sof, what are you doing here?" turning to Gabe, she firmly commanded, "Déjala ir, por favor."

Gabe loosened his grip, but he didn't obey right away.

"What if she's…"

"Gabe, let my chosen sister go now," Elena ordered.

Gabe obeyed.

"Your chosen sister?" he asked.

The minute Sofia was free, she ran for the safety of Elena's arms.

****

Elena lifted her up and felt Sofia buried her face in her chest.

"Shh, Sofia, esta bien ahora, it's okay now…I've got you. You're safe…" swaying back and forth, Elena ran a hand through the ten-year-old's hair. Climbing into the carriage one handed, Elena gave Canella the command. Turning her attention back to Sofia, she soothed her for the next few minutes.

"I didn't mean to scare her," Gabe frowned.

"I know. But you did. You can't do that to kids, Gabe. We've had village kids come to pet Canella before when we've been in the city. Isabel's friends with a few of them. They've never caused any problemas for us."

"I know. I'm sorry," Gabe sighed.

"I know you were just being careful," Elena assured him. "But I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Gabe nodded.

"I'm really sorry, Sofia," he sincerely stated.

Sofia merely pushed herself further into Elena's hold, shivering all the while.

"You can try later. I Think something's wrong," Elena surmised. Feeling something sticky on her blouse, she glanced down. Frowning when she realized it was blood, she turned to Sofia. "Sofia, did you get hurt?"

Sofia nodded.

"We'll fix you up when we get back home," Elena told her. Feeling sudden heat, she put the back of her hand to Sofia's forehead. "You're really warm. Are you feeling sick?"

Sofia whimpered in response.

"Mami will examine you when we get back to the palace. If we have to, we'll send for Dr. Sanchez," Elena started to hum, trying to keep Sofia calm.

Arriving back at the palace, Elena exited the carriage and walked inside. She didn't meet anyone on her trek upstairs, to which she was grateful. Entering her bedroom, she lie Sofia down on her bed. Standing, she felt the young girl grab onto her arm.

"Esta bien, Sofia. I'll be back," with that, she leaned down, kissed the ten-year-old on her forehead, stood and left the room. Entering her bathroom, Elena grabbed a thermometer, some water, medicine, along with some bandages and anticeptic. Returning to Sofia's side, she set the things down on her table. Gently, she touched Sofia's right arm. The hiss of pain that issued from the young girl broke Elena's heart.

"Esta bien…I'm just trying to help. I'm gonna clean the cut and bandage it. This'll probably sting," she forewarned her. Doing the task as gently as possible, Elena soothed the ten-year-old throughout the five minutes. "How does that feel?" she softly asked.

"Better. Gracias Elena," Sofia whispered.

"Denada," Elena replied. "How did you get hurt?"

"I fell before Gabe grabbed me," Sofia admitted. "My right arm still hurts!"

"It'll feel better by tomorrow. I'll get you some medicine for the pain," Elena said. With that, she placed the thermometer underneath Sofia's tongue. Running a hand through the girl's hair, she hummed while waiting for the three minutes to be up. Extracting the instrument, she read the results. "Yup. You definitely have a fever."

"I feel awful!" Sofia cried.

"I'm gonna take care of you," Elena assured her. "What's hurting?"

"My throat and head!" Sofia whimpered. "I can't stop coughing."

"Okay," Elena poured some medicine into a cup. Holding it out to Sofia, she watched her drink it. Frowning when she saw tears spring to the ten-year-old's eyes, she offered her some water. Sofia took a sip or two before moving closer to Elena.

Elena's heart melted and broke at the same time as she held her chosen little sister close. She still didn't know what had brought Sofia to Avalor on her own. Starting to hum, she decided she would get the story from her later. Right now, Sofia needed rest.

"Dormir para mi," Elena softly requested.

Sofia snuggled into Elena's hold as her eyes closed a minute later.

"Whatever's going on, I'll help you fix it," Elena vowed. With that, she sat there, holding one of the two little girls she would die for. She just prayed Sofia felt better soon…