I do not own Sofia the First.

An AU that I have where after the episode Hexley Hall, Sofia begins to experience the full power of the Amulet of Avalor.

Sofia the Magical

It all started after the visit to Hexley Hall—or at least that's when things started to get a bit…chaotic. Sofia supposed it all truly began when her father gave her the Amulet of Avalor, setting her on her journey to free Princess Elena from its jewelled confines. Now that the Crown Princess of Avalor was no longer inside the amulet, the magic within changed. There was much less restraint, as Sofia discovered when she accidentally turned herself into a rabbit.

But Sofia, and no one for that matter, not even Elena herself, did not realize just how much magic was at her disposal.

A week after visiting the academy for sorcerers and sorceresses, Sofia was assisting her sister with decorating the ballroom for the annual Floral Ball. Amber was supervising, as she was inclined to do, directing the Royal Decorators to and fro, armed with colourful flowers of all species, a sweet scent clinging to the air. Sparkling orange petals lay gracefully across the white-clothed tables, crystal vases housing rainbow bouquets. Garlands of roses, daisies, daffodils and carnations hung over the picturesque windows.

"Ooh, gorgeous!" exclaimed Amber, eyes lighting up at the sight of a pink floral sculpture of a flying horse. "That would look amazing by the banquet table—near my chair, of course."

The florist shot a quick glance at Baileywick, who was overseeing the preparations. The steward gave a subtle nod of approval and the florist dipped into a bow. "As you wish, Princess Amber."

Sofia finished attaching bright red bows to the chairs, each with a ruby rose in the middle. Smiling brightly, she did a twirl to take in the splashes of colour adorning the ballroom. "I love the Floral Ball!" she said cheerfully. "The flowers are always so pretty."

"They are," agreed Amber. She set her hands on her hips and frowned thoughtfully. "But we never have enough flowers."

Baileywick arched an eyebrow. "If we use any more flowers in our decorations we'll have to start piling them on the floor. Then where would everyone dance?"

Sofia giggled. "A roomful of flowers—I'd like to see how that would look."

She swung out her arms for emphasis, and a weird sensation suddenly overtook her. Her chest and palms of her hands tingled and then suddenly it felt as if a dozen insects were stinging her at once. Panicked, she opened her mouth to shout, and maybe she did, but she was stunned by a brilliant pink flash of light that emitted from her amulet.

"Sofia!" Amber cried as the girl stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, blue eyes dazed.

Baileywick rushed to her side. "Are you ill?" he asked, taking her hand and using his other wrist to feel for signs of a fever. "Have you eaten today?"

There was a soft rumbling and suddenly three dozen flowers appeared at the front of the room, piling high on top of each other. Amber let out a gasp as the flowers began to multiply, rapidly rising towards the ceiling and spilling over towards them.

"Baileywick!" she shrieked.

The steward was already standing, Sofia cradled in his arms. "Everyone leave at once!" he hollered over the confused murmuring.

The decorators, servants and florists stampeded from the ballroom. Baileywick was at the lead, a solid grip on both of the princesses. When everyone was safely in the corridor, Baileywick slammed the doors shut, seconds before the avalanche of flowers escaped into the rest of the castle.

Regaining her senses, Sofia stared at the firmly closed doors, eyes wide as they creaked with the pressure of the flowers building behind it. "Did…did I do that?"

"But how?" whispered Amber, staring at her sister in disbelief. "You didn't even say a spell. You just made it happen!"

"We're all going to take a deep breath here," interjected Baileywick as he tried to calm his own heartbeat. "Amber, get your parents and tell them to please meet us here. Take your sister with you. I'm going to speak with Cedric. Everyone else, you are dismissed until further notice."

Amber nodded. She took a perturbed Sofia's hand and gently led her away. With quick strides, Baileywick made his way towards Cedric's tower. He descended the stone steps and rapped sharply on the wooden door. "Cedric!"

There was a muffled shout coming from the other side and the sound of breaking glass. A few seconds later it was thrown open and Cedric scowled. "You don't need to shout," he snapped.

"We've got a magical problem."

"Did James steal my potion ingredients for experimenting again? Merlin's mushrooms, I swear I'm putting a lock on this door—"

"It's Sofia."

Cedric stopped his rant, a serious frown forming. "What's happened?"

"Somehow, she filled the ballroom with flowers," informed Baileywick. At Cedric's startled expression he continued, "I need you to try and give an explanation for why this happened. I know it has something to do with her amulet, but I know nothing of its history."

"I'm not an expert myself," retorted Cedric. But there was a cold, unsettling weight in his stomach, and he pushed his way past Baileywick. "Where is she?"

"She and the King and Queen will be meeting us outside the ballroom."

A few minutes later they were all gathered outside the heavy doors, where petals of flowers were pushing their way through the crack. Sofia had her amulet gripped tightly in one hand, an apprehensive expression on her face. Roland's brow was furrowed deeply. "I don't understand. Sofia is only a child. How could she have performed such strong magic?"

"It wasn't her, necessarily," said Cedric, nervous butterflies in his stomach, as they always appeared when conversing with the king. "It was the amulet's magic."

"But I don't understand. Sofia never did this before," spoke Miranda, hands moving to sit soothingly on her daughter's shoulders.

"Princess Elena was in the amulet before," reminded Cedric. "She acted as sort of a barrier, I suppose, and controlled the magic powers Sofia was granted. But now that she is free, Princess Sofia has full access to the amulet's magic."

"But I didn't mean to do it," insisted Sofia. "I just thought how nice it would be to see a room filled with flowers and did this." She cautiously re-enacted her gesture, relieved when her amulet stayed silent against her chest.

"You may not have intended to, but the amulet performed the magic anyway." Cedric rubbed his chin, realizing that despite his dreams and plots, he had no true idea of the realm of the Amulet of Avalor's power.

"Wait a minute," said James, raising his hands. "You mean Sofia did this by accident?"

"It's normal for magic beginners to have displays of unintentional magic," spoke Cedric.

Roland faced his Royal Sorcerer. "But not to this degree," he said knowingly.

"Er…no," said Cedric sheepishly. "Not to this degree."

Roland became quiet, a disturbed frown on his features. Sofia stared down at her amulet, eyes wide with awe. Amber and James exchanged curious looks. Miranda cleared her throat, disturbing the silence, and said, "Well, perhaps this is only a one-time accident. In any case, we'll just watch to see if anything else happens. Sofia, you'll let us know if you have any problems, right?"

Sofia nodded. "Of course."

"Then I suppose we won't worry about it now," decided Roland. "Cedric, if you will please clean up the ballroom. Guests will be arriving shortly."

"Come, Sofia. I'll help you pick out an adorable gown," assured Amber as Cedric bowed in acquiescence, linking arms with her sister.

Sofia made a noise of acknowledgement, staring down at her pink amulet, which glinted at her. She had known her necklace had always been special. She just didn't know exactly how much.

…

As another few weeks passed, Sofia's accidental magic did not cease, and Roland and Miranda were suddenly torn on how to handle the situation.

Wands would crack and splinter in her magic classes, unable to handle the amount of magic Sofia was channelling through them. In art class all the paints would change to one colour, the colour Sofia happened to need but did not have. When she danced ballet she would suddenly twirl so fast that it felt like she was a spinning top.

If she was too hot a small snow cloud would appear above her. When she was too cold it would be a tiny sun. Her gestures occasionally caused a magical blast and the amulet would grant her silent wishes. When she longed to have a cupcake during dinner, every piece of food was replaced with the pastry. Her emotions fuelled the level of magic emitting from her amulet, so the more frustrated or panicked she got, the more chaotic the spells.

In the nights Sofia would disappear from her room and reappear in different locations throughout the castle. Some instances she would wake up and trudge her way back to bed, and sometimes she would sleep right through the night wherever she ended up. Baileywick found her in the gardens once, having spotted the slumbering princess from the windows of kitchen. It was a more worrying version of sleepwalking.

The last straw for Roland was when the amulet transported Sofia to Royal Prep as she was having a dream about school. Sofia did not wake up until Flora, Fauna and Merryweather discovered her slumbering in their office in the morning when they arrived to open the building. By that time Baileywick had already discovered Sofia missing from her bed and the castle was out of its mind searching for her.

"That's it! I'm afraid we're going to have put the amulet back in the Jewel Room."

The declaration came after Sofia was brought home and everything settled down. She stared at her father in horror, hands clasping protectively over her amulet, feeling the magic pulse under her fingers. "But Dad, you gave this to me as a gift!"

Seeing her distraught expression, Roland lowered his tone and tried to calm himself down. "I know," he said gently, bending to clasp her hands. "I'll get you a prettier necklace to replace this one."

"No other necklace will allow me to talk to animals or turn into a mermaid," cried Sofia.

Roland gaped. "You can turn into a mermaid?"

"Rolly," spoke Miranda pointedly.

Giving his head a sharp shake, Roland continued. "I know this amulet means a lot to you. It's very special, and I know Princess Elena was right in choosing you to wear it."

"Then why can't I keep it?" pressed Sofia, eyes growing hot with tears.

"Because it's dangerous." Roland tucked a strand of brunette hair behind Sofia's ear. "If this magic becomes too much, you could get hurt, and I can't bear for that to happen. It'll be safe in the Jewel Room, and perhaps you can wear it occasionally. Or if you want to send it back to Princess Elena, you can."

Tears trailing down her cheeks, Sofia backed away and whispered, "I want to go to my room!"

In a dazzling flash of pink light Sofia disappeared, glittering sparkles lingering in her wake. Roland stood and let out a long sigh. "I'm not doing the right thing, am I?"

Miranda went to take his hand. "I don't want Sofia wearing it either. But I also know that the Amulet of Avalor is in the safest hands it'll ever be in. She's so young, and there are so many risks, but for forty-one years, Princess Elena didn't find a princess worthy enough until she met Sofia. That's an honour. Sofia has rarely taken it off since you gave it to her. It means so much to her. If we take it away…"

"…she might never be her true self again," finished Roland. "I want to keep her safe."

"I know. So do I. Cedric can help teach Sofia control. The Good Fairies will watch over her at school. If Sofia can learn to use her powers, there's no telling what good she can do for the kingdom. There's a reason Sofia has the amulet."

"…all right," said Roland with a slow nod. "We'll keep a close eye on her. And if the magic becomes too much...

"We'll put it away," finished Miranda.

"I'll go talk to her."

"I'll come with you."

The pair ventured to Sofia's bedroom, where Miranda knocked lightly at the door before entering. Sofia lifted her wet face from her pillow and sat up. "Do I have to give my amulet up now?" she asked miserably.

"No, dear." Miranda sat next to her and used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "We never meant to upset you. We're just worried, that's all."

"You've been very responsible with the amulet so far," said Roland. "I know you'll do your best to handle your magic. But accidents happen." He linked hands with Sofia and said seriously, "I don't want anything to happen to you. So we're going to have some rules. You can continue wearing the amulet."

Sofia grinned widely. "Thanks, Dad!" she exclaimed, embracing him.

"I know you can't help your accidental magic, but you do know how to use some of your powers already," spoke Miranda. "You have to use them in moderation. Hard-work is important, so you can't depend on your powers for everything. We'll see about Cedric teaching you magic, control and restraint. You'll have to listen to everything he says."

"I will." Sofia nodded hard.

"If you find yourself having any problems with your magic, no matter how small, you tell us immediately," continued Roland. "And if we think you're not ready to handle the Amulet of Avalor, we'll keep it aside until you're older. Do we have a deal?"

"Absolutely!" Sofia sprang to her feet with a happy smile. "I'll be really responsible, I promise."

"I know you will." Roland smiled and tickled her chin. "I'm off to inform Cedric about his new role. I believe Baileywick has a snack for you in the kitchen."

"Ooh, a snack! Thanks Mom and Dad. I love you."

Miranda gave her daughter a tight hug. "We love you too."

"Very much," added Roland.

Sofia skipped out of her room and down the stairs, feeling lighter than she had in days. She knew she was being entrusted with a huge responsibility, and it made her both proud and nervous. It would take a while to get used to the magic now in her control, but she would work hard at it. She would not let Elena, or the Amulet of Avalor, down.

"Hey, Soph!"

Turning to look over her shoulder, Sofia smiled to see James hurrying to catch up to her. "Hi, James. What's up?"

"I wanted to see if you were okay. I heard Dad saying he thought it would be best if he took your amulet." James spotted the pink trinket hanging securely around his sister's neck and he grinned. "You still have it!"

"Yeah, Mom and Dad said I could keep it. I get to learn magic from Mr. Cedric, but I have to be careful how I use my powers." Sofia traced a finger over the chain. "It's going to be a lot of work. But it's more than worth it if I can keep the amulet. It feels like it's a part of me."

"What does it feel like?" asked James with intrigue. "When you use magic?"

"It kinda feels like my palms are being stung, and there's a weird feeling in my chest, but it's not bad. It feels sort of good." Sofia smiled sheepishly. "Doesn't make much sense, does it?"

"Nah, it makes sense to me. Did Princess Elena ever deal with this?"

Sofia shook her head. "I wrote her a letter, but she wasn't sure. She only wore it for a year and she didn't get any magic powers until after she was freed from the amulet. But she said if I ever had any questions I could contact her at any time. I guess there's still not much known about the amulet."

"We'll help you figure it out," said James confidently. "You, me, Amber, Mom, Dad, Baileywick and Cedric. We'll help you together."

"Thanks, James." Sofia smiled at him, linking arms. "I really appreciate it."

"Of course." He then turned thoughtful. "You know, you need a name. Like Cedric and his dad—Goodwin the Great."

Sofia raised an eyebrow in amusement. "But I'm not really a sorceress. I'm just a princess with a magical necklace."

"Doesn't mean you can't have a name," retorted James. "How about Sofia the All-Powerful?"

Sofia hesitated, her stomach twisting at this moniker. It sounded so…serious, so intense. She knew the Amulet of Avalor was powerful, but she never thought of herself as powerful. It gave her an uncomfortable feeling to be called all-powerful, as if she were a warrior or conqueror.

"It's nice," she said, not wanting to hurt James' feelings.

But her brother had not missed the cringe and hummed for a moment. "I know!" he exclaimed. "Sofia the Magical!"

Sofia blinked and smiled sincerely. "Sofia the Magical," she echoed. "Yeah, I like that!"

"Perfect." James beamed and made a grand gesture, sweeping out his arm to indicate the kitchens. "Let's go eat our snacks, and then proceed to eat as many cookies and cakes and pies as we can before Baileywick catches us."

"It would be my pleasure," giggled Sofia, and the two siblings hurried off.

Sofia didn't quite know how long it would take before she was in control of her magic. She didn't know just how much power she had, or if she should worry over enemies old and new seeking to poach the amulet for themselves. She didn't know how this change would impact her future. But she did know one thing.

Ever since she received the Amulet of Avalor, her life had changed for the better. With her family and friends by her side, she knew she would be just fine.