The Never Realm
Summary: While visiting Sir Finlay and Gabriella, Cedric and Sofia are surprised to learn of an uprising of the dark world that once caused Arabella's life to spiral out of control: The Never Realm. (References specifically to "Arabella" as well as all the other Helvetian Family stories)
Disclaimer: I only own Sir Finlay, Gabriella, Sapphire, Davina, Arabella, and the concept of the Never Realm.
A/N: Hi, everyone! :D First of all, I'm glad everyone seemed to enjoy "Bad Habits." That was straight out of my caffeinated, sugar-induced brain when I just wondered, "I wonder what it would be like if Sofia turned bad—for real." And bam, there you go. 😉 And of course, I had to have that sappy ending. :D It's part of my nature by now, so I'm sticking with it. Lol! Oh, and since I had so many who were interested in the Q&A chat, I will be making one. Right now, it's scheduled for Saturday, March 2, at 6:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST. I will have a link to the site on both my bio page and my main Wix site by Friday. It will be at the TOP of the bio page here on FF, so keep an eye out for it. Also, there will be certain rules to maintain a civil conversation, so please preview those before the site goes live. With that being said, let's venture back into the land of Helvetica and see how my favorite OC family is doing! 😊
Chapter 1: Dark Truths
"I never get tired of coming here," Sofia gushed happily as she and Cedric approached the castle of Helvetica on foot, the AutoCoach parked off to the side for now. As they had come straight from a sorcery seminar, she was dressed in her sorceress outfit with her hair halfway up, fastened in the new hydrangea barrette Cedric had given her for her birthday a few weeks ago. She hadn't had to use the shield yet, but it was somewhat comforting to know that it was nearby should she need it.
They'd visited with Sir Finlay and his family several times, but today would be the first time in years that they'd seen Arabella, who was always elsewhere when they stopped by.
"I must say, I'm in agreement," Cedric admitted with a small chuckle. "And I honestly wasn't expecting our visit to be for Mrs. Gabriella's birthday."
"And Ms. Arabella. Don't forget—they're twins."
"Right, right…" The sorcerer sighed as they kept walking. While he did enjoy Sir Finlay and his family (especially little Sapphire, who'd taken a liking to him when she was a toddler), he was a little wary around Arabella. She was nice and everything, but she still had quite the scandalous past since she'd been associated with a dark magic cult from the Never Realm. Not that he was perfect or unaffected by the desolate realm, but he still tried to stay as far from the cultish place as possible—especially now that he had Sofia to look after as his closest friend and partner.
Sofia frowned curiously before gently clasping his hand, drawing him out of his thoughtful state. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," he assured her calmly. "I suppose I'm just a little hesitant about…" He shrugged. "Well, Ms. Arabella was involved with that dark magic cult, and those are linked with the Never Realm, which…"
"Which you are afraid of, and you have every right to be." She smiled as he paused before nodding. "Don't worry, Mr. Cedric. It's just a visit to Sir Finlay and his family. It's not like we're going to the Never Realm…" She then blinked at her words. "Can you actually go there these days?"
"Of course, you can, but we won't be going." He shuddered a bit. "The moment you enter that realm, it's like every morsel of happiness and goodness gets sapped from you, and you're left a mindless, empty shell." He stopped right near the entrance to the doors, which the guards were positioned by, and took her other hand. "I won't have that happening to you, Sofia. I don't ever want to see what an emotionless, vacant, disparaging Sofia looks like."
The princess gently squeezed both of his hands. "You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Cedric. I intend to stay in this realm or in the Mystic Isles. Besides, why go where I know bad things will happen?"
"Even if you're summoned there on a Protector mission?" He had hesitated to ask that question, because he knew she'd falter a bit—and she did. Being a Protector was just as second nature to her now as being a princess or being a Story Keeper. And more recently, being a sorceress. It was technically her job (one of them, anyway), and she always tried to do the job set forth by the other Protectors.
"Well…" She sighed, seeing the disappointed look on her partner's face. "If I do get summoned there for some reason, I'll… I'll take someone powerful with me—like Mr. Orion."
"Hmm." He still wasn't sure how he felt about that. He respected Orion a great deal, especially after all he'd done to help Sofia in the past, but this was still the most important person in his life; he wasn't about to lose her to a realm dedicated to destroying innocence and happiness. Sofia was innocence and happiness. "We'll talk about this later." He released one of her hands before pulling her toward the door, stopping next to the guards. "We are visitors from Enchancia: Princess Sofia and Cedric the Great. Sir Finlay is expecting us."
The older guard smiled pleasantly. "Ah, yes! Sir Finlay was just informing us of your visit this morning. So pleased to finally make your acquaintance. I'm Prescott, and this is Schmidt." He gestured toward a smaller, squatter man who smiled happily and waved enthusiastically. "He, unfortunately, doesn't say much, but he's pleasant company."
Sofia giggled. "Sure seems that way. Nice to meet you both."
"Follow us, and we will get you to Sir Finlay," Prescott announced, opening the doors to the castle.
Instead of entering the other sorcerer's workshop or even his private quarters like they'd expected, the guards instead led the friends to a large common room in the center of the castle. It possessed an ivory and ice-blue scheme, and the large fireplace was already lit (as it was nearing the beginning of November and growing steadily colder each day). The room was cozy despite its size, filled with plenty of plush rugs and sofas as well as armchairs. Several portraits lined the walls, depicting King Cyprus and his family in a few and random snapshots of the kingdom in others.
On one of those sofas sat Sir Finlay, Gabriella, and Arabella, all of whom were watching an older Sapphire playing with her little sister Davina on the rug.
"Sir Finlay," Prescott began, smiling toward the sorcerer, "your company has arrived." He ushered the Enchancians inside before quickly guiding Schmidt out and shutting the door behind them.
"Sofia?" Sapphire asked, gasping as she stood to her feet. Her accent was beginning to sound more like Sir Finlay's, which was even more adorable than they could have imagined. She was a bit taller now—six years old, as a matter of fact. Her hair was tied into two silver ponytails that fell just past her shoulders. True to her normal style, she wore a teal dress with white cuffs on the long sleeves. She also had on some white tights and matching boots. The mini sorceress grinned, her sapphire eyes glimmering. "Ceddy!" She giggled as she ran over to Cedric, jumping into his arms and nearly causing him to topple over.
"Whoa!" Cedric laughed as he caught her haphazardly. "Oh, Sapphire, it's… It's nice to see you too."
The little girl giggled as she placed her hands on his cheeks, playfully squishing them together and causing him to make a startled noise. "Yes, it is. It is always nice to see me!" She grinned cutely.
"She's certainly not low on self-esteem," Sofia laughed as Cedric managed to pry the child from his face and place her to the floor. The princess then smiled as the mini sorceress hugged her next. "How have you been, Sapphire?"
"I've been great!" she enthused, bubbly as always. "I've taught Davvy how to say my name!"
"Really now?" Cedric chuckled as he walked over and shook Sir Finlay's hand before getting an unexpected hug from both twin sisters.
"Cedric, you're looking well-traveled," Gabriella teased, grinning as he gave her a pointed look. "You just have that 'I've-Seen-Things' air about you now."
"Ha-ha, Mrs. Gabriella. Very funny." He rolled his eyes before acknowledging the other twin. "Ms. Arabella, how have you been?"
The red-clad sister smiled somewhat uncertainly before shrugging. "I guess I can't complain." She then looked beyond him to the princess, who was kneeling before Davina and sweetly talking to her. "Oh, my stars, I just realized… Is that Princess Sofia?" She gasped as she approached the teenager, who stood to her full height. "Wow, the last time I saw you was when you were, what? Eleven? Twelve? How old are you now?"
Sofia laughed. "I just turned eighteen."
"Shut up!" Arabella grinned as she circled her. "Wow, girl, young adulthood has been good to you." She sighed dramatically as she scooped the younger girl's loosened hair into her hands, showing it off to her sister and brother-in-law. "You see this? This is amazing! She's giving Rapunzel a run for her money!"
The princess giggled as Arabella released her hair. "I've met Rapunzel, and trust me… I'm nowhere near close to her hair length." She glanced down as she felt a tug on her robe. Smiling, she gathered the toddler into her arms. "Hi again, Davina!"
Davina, now two years old, certainly looked more like her mother. Her hair was braided into twin, dark-brown ponytails on either side of her head, a little purple headband with a lavender flower resting on top of her head. She was dressed in a purple flowing pantsuit with tiny lavender flowers throughout, and her feet were covered in matching flats. Her curious brown eyes roved over the teen's face as she finally smiled at her. "Sofi!"
Sofia laughed. "Close enough." She pointed toward Cedric, who, once again, had Sapphire practically clinging to his leg. "Who's that?"
"Ceddy!"
Cedric sighed yet smiled. "That nickname has spanned from my mother to my sister and niece, and now down to these two." He eyed Sofia pointedly as he noticed her lips twitching into a smirk. "Don't you dare think of starting. It's bad enough you butchered my name the entire first year of knowing me. You owe it to me to at least continue calling me by my proper name."
The princess sighed, pouting as she rested her forehead against Davina's, eliciting a giggle from the toddler. "So, that's Ceddy to you, huh? Sorry, can't relate." She smiled as the toddler hugged her, resting her head on her shoulder. "She's such a huggable little girl, isn't she?"
"She's always been that way," Sir Finlay admitted. "While our little Sapphire is more independent these days, Davina seems to prefer being near people."
"I'm okay with that," Sofia laughed. "Mr. Cedric can tell you: I love hugs."
Cedric rolled his eyes. "I think that's the biggest understatement I've ever heard." He then smiled pleasantly toward the Helvetians. "So! I nearly forgot, but allow us to say happy birthday to you both, Mrs. Gabriella and Ms. Arabella."
"Well, thanks, Cedric," Arabella spoke gently before sighing as she sat on the sofa once more. "Unfortunately, this birthday comes with probably the worst news ever…" She smiled appreciatively as Sapphire climbed into her lap and hugged her gently. The woman wrapped her arms around her niece, rocking her gently.
Sofia frowned as Davina sat up, glancing toward the forlorn adults in the room. "What exactly have we missed?"
Sir Finlay sighed as he gestured toward an empty loveseat. "You two may as well sit down. It's not necessarily a long story, but it is somewhat discouraging."
Cedric and Sofia exchanged glances before obliging, sitting down next to each other as Davina squirmed out of the princess's hold and hurried over to Gabriella, who picked her up and settled her in her lap as she and her husband both sat next to Arabella.
"What's going on, Finlay?" Cedric asked seriously.
"It's the Never Realm," the older sorcerer responded solemnly. His eyes narrowed a bit as he noticed Arabella's small intake of air. He knew this was a touchy subject for her, but the Enchancians had to know this information. "They're uprising, and from what we've gathered, they're sending out evil into our Ever Realm in rather unexpected manners."
Cedric frowned as Sofia grasped his hands for some form of comfort, and he gently held them as he addressed Sir Finlay, "What do you mean by 'rather unexpected manners?'"
Gabriella patted Davina's back as the toddler leaned against her shoulder and sucked her thumb. "They're recruiting preteens, weak-minded individuals, and even children in some cases. They lure them in with promises that sound too good to be true, and people start disappearing."
"That's terrible," Sofia gasped.
"Tell me about it. I won't even let Sapphire and Davina out of my sight now." The older sorceress huffed. "This is no way for our kids to live, but I'm not about to have them fall prey to that awful realm."
Arabella instinctively reached for her sleeve on her right arm and attempted to cover up her hand, but it was to no avail. The sleeve was too short. Her hands with their dark marks were still on display. "The Never Realm and all the cults that are a part of it will say anything—do anything—to get you to join them. With me, they managed to lure me in because of my love for Liam."
Sapphire noticed her aunt shaking, so she turned around in her lap and grasped one of her hands, allowing some of her magic to flow from herself into the woman, instantly calming her.
"Thanks, Sapphire…" Arabella smiled as Sapphire turned back to her and hugged her again. She returned the little girl's hug before telling the others, "They used my affections for Liam against me, telling me that if I learned all these spells and acquired these marks with the so-called 'incantations,' that I'd be able to have my heart's desire. Well, we all know how that turned out… I lost Liam, my family until just recently, and my dignity, but I was still left with these stupid marks. And no magic in the world is able to eradicate them."
"So, you're just stuck with them until…" Sofia trailed off, not wanting to finish her statement with children present.
"Hasta la muerte," Arabella concluded, frowning as she saw Sofia nodding in comprehension. "Don't be dumb like me, kids. If you love someone, just tell them. Don't use mind control, fancy spells or potions, or dark magic to get what you want, because it will only cause more trouble." She finally grinned toward Gabriella, who blinked at her uncertainly. "At least that's one thing my crabby sister managed to do right: she snagged one of the hottest guys ever just by being her rude, sarcastic, hot-headed self."
Gabriella flushed in anger. "Excuse me!"
"I hate to break up this lovely sisterly moment," Sir Finlay cut in, "but seeing as it is the birthday of you two young ladies…"
Both Gabriella and Arabella couldn't help smiling at the 'young' part, despite the fact that they'd previously been arguing. They were in their thirties yet still acted like teenagers sometimes.
"I think at least a celebration is in order," the Helvetian Royal Sorcerer concluded. "After all, it's the main reason Princess Sofia and Cedric were so kind to travel all this way. What do you say to that?"
"Yay!" Sapphire cheered, causing her little sister to start doing the same (though she had no idea why).
Sofia laughed as Cedric smiled and nodded. "That sounds like fun!"
"What exactly do you have planned, Finny?" Gabriella asked curiously, grinning as he leaned down and kissed her.
"You'll see, mon cher."
Arabella, meanwhile, winced as she felt several points in her hands begin burning intensely for a few seconds before stopping all of a sudden. She frowned as she realized that the focal point of the pain had been… "The marks," she whispered to herself.
"Ms. Arabella, are you okay?" Sofia asked in concern, causing the others to turn and look at her as well.
The red-clad sorceress nodded before laughing the situation off. "I'm with Finlay! Let's get this party started!" While the others seemed satisfied with her response, she frowned and glanced back at her hands again, never noticing that Davina was watching her closely as she lay against her mother's shoulder and continued sucking her thumb.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Cultish Upheaval