Bad Habits
Summary: A few days before Sofia's 18th birthday, she and Cedric are cursed by an unknown source, who absorbs the goodness within them and turns them wicked, forcing them to do his evil bidding. If the curse isn't reversed within 48 hours, they'll remain wicked forever.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First. I only own the concept of the Never Realm, which will make its appearance in the next story.
A/N: *rubs hands together* All right, you guys. :D It's time. Over the last few years, Cedric and Sofia have been seen as the epitome of a great, lovable, hardworking duo. And they are. But what happens if you take the best of their qualities and…remove them? After all, we've seen Cedric's version of "wicked" or "evil," which was one thing; however, we've never seen Sofia's (and I mean the real Sofia, not her little copycat). So, what would the real "wicked" version of these two be like? That's what I'm here for! 😉 Don't worry. They'll still be themselves, but at a much different level. With that said, hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Trick of the Trade
It was a beautiful October day in the Ever Realm. The tree leaves were already several autumn shades, reflecting the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns that one would expect to see during the season. The weather was fair, albeit a bit windy now and again. But that didn't stop people from traveling and enjoying themselves.
In fact, today, October 2nd, saw Cedric and Sofia at a museum in the Kingdom of Lanshire, which was a new area of travel they'd acquired during their summer visits as Magical Ambassadors. This particular kingdom seemed to have more of the traditional aspects of the kingdoms from the past, though they were slowly progressing to keep up with the changing of the times.
The Museum of Lanshire was grand, sturdy, and absolutely breath-taking. The pillars were made of solid marble and gold inlay, creating a modern feel in a traditional building. Throughout the building, there were portraits, sculptures, and so many other things that drew visitors' attention, including the current visitors from Enchancia.
"Amber was right," Sofia gushed as she looked around. "This museum is awesome." She brushed out her pink and purple off-the-shoulder dress that swayed around her calves. It was a dress her sister had gotten made for her, and an early birthday gift at that. Although the younger princess usually wore her Protector or sorceress outfits most of the time these days, she still enjoyed dressing up a little bit every now and then. An outing to a fancy museum seemed like a good time for just that event.
"We do have a perfectly nice museum back in Enchancia though," Cedric reminded her with a small smile. "We didn't have to come all the way over here to look at portraits and pottery."
"Ugh, Mr. Cedric." She grinned. "I know you're a homebody, but I figured traveling and seeing new things would be normal to you by now."
He sighed and shook his head as he followed her around the building, stopping every now and then to take in more artistic artifacts. "I suppose so, but often times, I still long for my workshop and my comfort zone, I guess." He blinked as he felt a slight weight added to his right shoulder. Glancing to the side, he saw Wormwood there. "Where have you been, Wormy? You left over an hour ago. I thought you'd gotten lost."
Wormwood rolled his eyes. "I did get lost for a while… I only meant to get a little snack…" He smirked toward the princess, who offered him a perplexed stare. "As in worms, Princess."
Sofia folded her arms. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Wormwood, but a bird eating worms isn't going to bother me or gross me out."
"They were screaming, 'Help me! Don't eat me! We have little larvae at home! Noooo!'"
The princess scoffed before walking past the sorcerer and his familiar. "You're a special kind of 'evil,' Wormwood."
Wormwood smiled proudly as Cedric poked him on his head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"She didn't need to hear all of the sordid details, Wormy. And be nice to her. She has a birthday in a few days, so if you're ever going to show her some semblance of kindness, it's now."
"She didn't celebrate my birthday." He tilted his head and pondered, "Whenever that is…"
"My point is, you two have had something of a shaky relationship—"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Wormwood huffed. "Just because you two have a bond, and a sickeningly sweet one at that, it doesn't mean that I have to share a 'relationship' with her. You can be her best friend, her mentor, her partner, her confidant, her dance instructor, her cookie maker, or whatever you two happen to be doing at any given time, but the princess and I have an understood tolerance for each other. That doesn't make us friends, and I'm fine with that. I bet you anything that she's fine with it too."
Cedric sighed. "Fine. But at least be cordial. I can't have my two closest friends being tense around each other all the time."
Wormwood smirked. "This has been going on for almost ten years, Cedric. I doubt anything's going to change."
The sorcerer gave up on his quest rather quickly before making his way toward Sofia, just as Wormwood flew off to who-knows-where again. He stepped up beside the princess, who seemed to be reading the description of a large portrait of a queen. "What have you found?"
"Are you familiar with someone named Queen Jalayna?" Seeing him shake his head, she continued, "Apparently, she was the queen of Lanshire back in the thirteenth century. But…she disappeared one night and was never heard from again." She frowned. "Her twelve-year-old daughter stepped up as the queen the following day, since her father was in poor health and couldn't rule, and she was their only child. Wow, I couldn't have imagined being the queen of Enchancia at twelve, not to mention losing my mom and not knowing what happened to her. That would have been awful."
"Especially since that was right after the whole Vor incident," Cedric added, smiling apologetically as she gave him a reproachful look. "Right then. So… What else did you want to see?"
She smiled thoughtfully. "Everything."
Cedric nodded, offering his arm to her and chuckling as she accepted. "Your birthday wish is my command. Well, your early birthday wish." He led her onward.
"Thanks, Mr. Cedric."
"What's this I see?" a cloaked figure questioned, the voice clearly distorted by either magic or some other altering mechanism. "Can it be? The young Princess Sofia of Enchancia now grown up… Oh, this is too perfect. Maybe I won't have to do the hard work after all." A chuckle wracked the figure's body before moving forward, following the two friends yet still blending into the background, surrounded by the numerous visitors.
"Is there anything special you want for your birthday this year?" Cedric prodded gently. "After all, eighteen is such an important year."
"It's just another year to me," Sofia giggled. "I doubt I'll feel much different than I do now at seventeen. Honestly, I think this has been my favorite year so far… So many new adventures, and plenty of excitement. Not to mention, I became a sorceress on my seventeenth birthday. I don't know how anything can top that."
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Cedric asked, smirking at her snickering response.
She grinned and winked at him. "Maybe."
"Princess Sofia?"
The two friends paused before turning, facing the cloaked figure from before. The person was somewhat slim (though it was hard to tell with all the dark fabric covering the form), and there were no defining or identifiable features about this person. The one thing that stood out, however, was that droning, clearly-altered voice.
Sofia frowned as Cedric tightened his grip on her, holding her fast to his side. "Do I know you?"
"My, the years have been kind to you… But kindness seems to run through your veins, doesn't it? Doesn't that get boring though? Don't you ever wonder…about the other side? Darkness abounds, and you'd learn the trick of the trade."
"What are you talking about?" Before she could react, the figure reached into the cloak pocket and withdrew a handful of some unknown substance, throwing it toward her and Cedric. She and the sorcerer coughed a bit, trying to rake the substance from their faces, but before long, they both stood still and stared blankly ahead.
"You two will do my bidding," the figure informed them, happily noticing that the other museum visitors didn't seem to be paying attention to them. "There is a king who possesses an artifact that I need: The Sword of Declan the Chevalier. It resides in the kingdom of Rudistan, ruled by King Magnus. He's known for being a bit difficult to deal with, but if just the right ruthless duo were to handle these matters, perhaps swiping that sword will be doable." The figure reached into one of the pockets of the cloak, withdrawing two simple black rings. The stranger slid one ring onto Cedric's left forefinger and then the other one onto Sofia's left forefinger.
The change in demeanor between the friends was instant. Dark grins appeared on their faces. Cedric's warm brown eyes darkened, and Sofia's changed to a stormy blue rather than her usual light blue. Cedric's robe was now a charcoal color, while Sofia's entire outfit had morphed into a black long-sleeved shirtdress with matching tights and boots. Her hair was loose and unruly, tumbling down to its full length for once.
"You will both go to Rudistan," the figure ordered, "and you will steal the Sword of Declan the Chevalier. Next, you will seize his kingdom in my name."
"Really now?" Sofia challenged, her usual light voice now a bit lower and dangerous. "And what's in it for us?"
"Power beyond your comprehension."
Cedric scoffed. "You clearly don't know to whom you speak. We are already plenty powerful. There's nothing you can offer that we don't already have."
The figure growled lowly. "How about secrets then? The secrets of the Never Realm will be at your fingertips and disposal, unlike ever before."
"Now that sounds more interesting," Sofia admitted, grinning toward her partner. "Right, Mr. Cedric? Imagine the damage we could do with that."
"Hmm."
"You have 48 hours to complete this mission. If you fail, you'll remain in this state forever—no more 'nice sorcerer and princess of Enchancia.'"
The princess laughed. "I fail to see the negative side to that. I kind of like this new sense of wicked excitement. Stealing a sword and sending that big baby Magnus to his knees, pleading for salvation? Piece of cake." She grinned at the dark figure. "We'll show you how it's done, O Dark and Brooding Figure, since you clearly can't do anything for yourself." She grabbed Cedric's hand, pulling him along toward the exit. "Let's go, partner."
Cedric smirked as he followed her.
The figure shook its head before folding its arms. "I'm not sure if this was such a good idea after all…"
Meanwhile, outside, Wormwood caught sight of the two friends—dressed rather differently from before—heading back to the AutoCoach. Before he could react, they'd lifted off and left. "Ugh, rude! You make one joke about eating baby worms, and they both act like it's the end of the world." Huffing, he hurried off after them, with no clue as to what had just occurred.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Bad to the Bone