Set Apart

Summary: Sofia's class has to write an essay on the one person who's been the most influential to them, and it's no surprise whom she picks; however, what she has to say does amaze him more than he ever thought possible.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or school essays… I've written plenty though! :D

A/N: Raise your hand if you remember having to write about "your hero" or something like that in school. *raises hand* And naturally, many of us probably chose our parents, our favorite TV star, etc. Well, of course Sofia has a different perspective. And I honestly think she would get at least a few surprised reactions, so we'll see how this goes. :D

Sofia tapped her chin as she stared at her paper. It was mostly done, but she felt it was missing something. Ms. Flora had asked them to write about the most influential person to them, and of course those around her had chosen their parents or siblings or someone from history.

The youngest royal in Enchancia had naturally chosen her mentor. She easily could have written about her mom and all the things she'd done for her or gone through to get them where they were today, but she had a plan for that later on, especially as Mother's Day was getting closer. However, right now, Cedric had her attention.

She considered why she'd chosen her sometimes-nervous and often-misunderstood friend. He taught her and trained her on a near daily basis. He'd shared his secrets and ideas with her. He'd taken her on various adventures, whether he'd wanted to or not. He'd saved her on more than one occasion…

Sofia glanced down at the paper she'd written and frowned, crumpling it up and resting her head on the desk with a sigh. It's not like it would be hard to write a glowing report about Cedric, but it somehow didn't feel genuine enough to her. Everyone started off with, "The person who's influenced me the most is…" And she didn't want to be like that. She wanted to be different; after all, it was what made her stand out among a sea of royals in the first place.

"Sofia?" Flora asked as she approached her student. She smiled gently and placed a hand on her shoulder as the girl looked up at her. "Are you having troubles with the assignment?"

"A little, Ms. Flora," she answered with a sigh. "My words aren't coming out like I want them to."

"Oh… Well, I see you started on the essay at least once." She nodded toward the crumpled paper, which Sofia clenched a little tighter. "Could I see it and make some suggestions?"

"No!" the girl gasped before laughing nervously and smiling. "I mean… Sorry, Ms. Flora. It's just that when my essay is done, I want it to be heartfelt and well-received."

"Oh, I see," she said in understanding, smiling coyly. She had an idea of the girl's focus, but she wouldn't pry. She knew the limits. "Well… I imagine something you could write about is why this person is so influential. What did this person do to win a spot in this essay?" She watched the girl as she nodded contemplatively. "Why him instead of someone else?"

Sofia blinked in astonishment. "Him?" She noticed the slight twinkle in the fairy's eye before sighing with a light smile. She knew, didn't she? "Well… There are a lot of reasons." She looked around at the others, who were busily working on their essays. "I just wanted to keep the reasons sort of secret for now."

"I understand." Flora clasped her hands together. "Just write from your heart, Sofia. Tell me what sets this person apart from others." She nodded and left to help Desmond, who'd raised his hand.

"What sets him apart?" she asked herself quietly as she stared at the paper, and a smile formed on her face as she grabbed her pen.

By the end of the class, Sofia had completed a new draft of her essay. She smiled at it, highly satisfied with her words this time. They meant something now. As she began to collect her items to leave, she approached Flora. "Ms. Flora?"

"Yes, Sofia?" She directed her attention to the inquisitive girl before her.

"I know we have to turn this essay in, but I was wondering… Could you make a copy for me? I…really would like to share this essay."

Smiling in understanding, the red-clad fairy simply nodded and aimed her wand at the essay, duplicating it and taking the copy. "I'll even let you keep the original."

Sofia brightened. "Thanks, Ms. Flora! I'll see you next week." She turned and left from the classroom as the headmistress chuckled to herself and settled down to read the essays her students had composed. This was sure to be interesting…

Magic lessons that afternoon went as expected. The two friends enjoyed practicing, scaring Wormwood a few times, and eating some snacks for reward. As they were wrapping up their session, however, Sofia pulled out the essay from her backpack and handed it to Cedric.

"I wanted you to have this," she told him gently as he blinked and took the essay from her. "We had an assignment in school, and…well, you'll see." She smiled and slid from her chair. "I have to go to supper now, so I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Cedric." She waved and slipped out the door just as Cedric observed the neatly-written essay.

Many people would say that the most influential people in their lives are their parents. While I would agree, there's also someone else in my life who's influenced me in ways I didn't expect, and honestly, in ways many others don't understand.

One of my best friends is our Royal Sorcerer Mr. Cedric. He's smart, entertaining, a great teacher, understanding, helpful, and all-in-all sensational. He's taught me a lot about magic, but he's also taught me to believe in myself. Sometimes even he goes through occasions when he has to be reminded about this, which just makes him more relatable, in my opinion. Mr. Cedric is always encouraging me to focus and practice so that I can get better at many things, not just magic.

He's the one person I look forward to telling events of the day. He humors me, even if he doesn't have to, just because he knows that I like to tell stories or describe important things going on in my life. I couldn't ask for a better friend or more influential person than Mr. Cedric, and I couldn't imagine my life without him…nor would I want to.

Princess Sofia – Enchancia

Cedric, for once at a loss for words, simply stared at the parchment he held. Sofia had amazed him on more than one occasion—far more than he could even dream to count—yet she still managed to surprise him over and over again. She really felt that way about him? She actually classified him as influential? Him? Cedric?

He smiled as he gazed at the words written in her essay, rereading each section a few more times. He used his wand to fasten the essay to the back of his door, so he could read it any time he wanted to. And if there should happen to be a visitor, he or she wouldn't see the important document that cemented the friendship between himself and the youngest princess. It was their secret and no one else's.

Cedric looked toward Wormwood, who seemed to be in a thoughtful state. "Interesting, isn't it, Wormy?" He chuckled as his raven tilted his head. "All I want is recognition and appreciation… And I guess I did get it…far more times than I realize." He held out his hand, catching his feathered friend as he landed atop his left glove. "Even if no one else believes in me, Sofia always does…"

Wormwood cawed, giving his master a pointed look.

"And you, too, Wormy—of course." He sighed as he walked to the back of the door, his eyes pouring over her words a few more times. "I wonder how to thank her, though…" A smile slowly grew on his face as he turned to Wormwood. "I think I know a way…"

The end (and to be continued in another story)

A/N: I hope you like sugar in your stories, because you're about to be loaded down with it over the next few days. ;) I can't help it. This is a very important and fun-loving time of the year for me. :D Expect the follow-up to this on Thursday, my birthday! Hehe. It's called "Chasing the Stars," and you'll just have to wait and see what Cedric's idea is to thank Sofia properly. With that, I'm off for the night. Thanks for your reviews and comments for the other stories, especially "At First Sight." I appreciate it so much! ~AquaTurquoise

CedricAmber: Glad you finally got to see at least that one song. Told you Mama Odie was hilarious and awesome! :D Hope you get to see more and watch the full movie. I highly recommend "Goin' Down the Bayou" too. You'll get to hear a very good rendition of the Cajun accent. Hehe. Plus it's fun and uplifting.