Mount Xeo

Summary: Wassailia is drawing closer, and Cedric needs some magical ice crystals to complete his gift to Sofia, who is completely unaware of his intentions. Under the pretense of simply needing more ingredients for a potion, he takes his apprentice along with him to Mount Xeo, the coldest and highest point just outside of Enchancia, with a few distractions along the way.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Sofia the First," just Mount Xeo… :p Sort of!

A/N: And I have finally finished the semester. Thank goodness! So here's my first major Christmas-themed story. The second one should be out on Christmas Eve, so keep an eye out for that. It may be my final story of the year. We'll see! ;) By the way, as she has previously done for me, this is in honor of Royal Detective. Thanks for sticking by me the last year and for writing some fantastic stories. ;) You're awesome!

Wormwood cawed in surprise as a blast of magic whirled past him, nearly knocking him off his perch. He glared daggers at Cedric. "Watch where you're aiming that thing, would you?" he grumbled.

Cedric waved his hand distractedly toward the raven. "Pipe down, Wormy. This is a very delicate procedure." He waved his wand over a few sections of whatever he was fixing on his table. He'd been somewhat secretive about his current mission, though Wormwood had a feeling it was incredibly important. After all, Cedric had been adamant about protecting his creation, whatever it was. "There. Now all I need are the enchanted ice crystals, and this will be done at last!" He beamed, proud of himself.

"Mr. Cedric!"

"Oh, fantastic…" He quickly flicked his wand toward his creation, making it vanish into thin air. "She's the last person who needs to see this."

"Ah, so it's a gift for the princess," Wormwood deducted. "Predictable, considering the time of year, I suppose."

Cedric shushed his friend before smiling nervously as Sofia opened his door and walked inside. "Good morning, Princess," he greeted perhaps a little too pleasantly.

And of course, Sofia noticed. She tilted her head slightly in concern. "Mr. Cedric, are you all right?"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" He giggled awkwardly before clearing his throat and turning on his heel, marching back to the table. "W-What brings you here, Sofia?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well… It's almost Wassailia, and I wanted to ask you what you'd like this year. I've kind of started on something, but I wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction."

Cedric's expression softened as he turned back to the girl, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "Sofia… I think you understand that anything you wish to give me for Wassailia, though you don't have to, I will appreciate."

The girl smiled lightly. "Really?"

"Why, of course!" He gestured toward the other side of the room, where his wand case lay open with the family wand inside. "Anyone who puts that much thought and care into a gift has the best of intentions, and whether this year's gift is big or small, I'll appreciate it just the same."

Sofia giggled. "I'm glad to hear that. Because this year's gift isn't as big as last year's. But…I think you'll like it anyway." She grinned. "So…what did you get me this year? More snowfall?"

The sorcerer became a bit conscientious at that point. "Eh, not exactly. Say, Sofia, would you mind looking in my closet and retrieving my jar of glitter dust please?" 'That should keep her busy,' he thought to himself, hoping against all hope that she wouldn't question him.

"Sure, Mr. Cedric." 'He even said please, so it must be important.' She giggled silently to herself while hurrying over to perform her assigned task.

Cedric turned back to his creation, invisible at the moment, and waved his wand discreetly over it, looking at his invention once more with a fond smile on his face. He gasped quietly when he heard the door shut, so he quickly made the item vanish once again. He looked back as Sofia tugged on his sleeve. "What is it?"

"You don't have any more glitter dust," she informed him as she dusted off her hands. "You want me to see if there's any in the market?"

"I'm afraid they wouldn't carry such an item. There's only one place I know of that has the dust I need." He glanced out the window. "Mount Xeo."

"Mount Xeo?" She tilted her head. "What's that?"

Cedric had to approach this topic carefully. True, he actually did need more glitter dust, but he also desperately needed those crystals, and both could be found in this one particular area. "It's one of the highest and coldest areas right outside of Enchancia. Legend has it that it's also enchanted with strange magic. I've plans to venture there this afternoon to acquire what I need."

"Wow…" She smiled. "So when do we leave?"

The sorcerer raised an eyebrow at the young girl. "You're not accompanying me to Mount Xeo, Sofia."

"Why not?" she asked with a pout. He rarely denied her the chance for adventure, so for him to do so now was sort of surprising to her.

"It's far too dangerous. Yes, I realize you've faced dangerous situations before, but I'll not be responsible for explaining to King Roland why his youngest daughter has been attacked by snow squirrels."

Sofia giggled. "What?"

"Never mind. The point is—you are staying here. End of discussion."

"Mr. Cedric, what if you get hurt?" the princess asked, aiming to cater to his more sentimental side, which she knew he possessed though he rarely chose to show it. "How could I forgive myself if you got hurt simply because I wasn't there to help you?" She smiled innocently when he offered her a deadpan look.

"You're quite a mischievous little princess, aren't you?" he accused lightly, smirking as she smiled and shrugged lazily. "Fine, you can come, but you must listen to whatever I say. If I say to hide your eyes, then you must hide your eyes. If I say to pelt the snow squirrels with magic—"

"…Then I'll pelt them with magic," she responded easily with a laugh. "Though seriously, Mr. Cedric, what are you talking about, snow squirrels?"

"You'll see, Sofia. You'll see…"

Wormwood shook his head in disbelief as the sorcerer and his apprentice left the workshop. "Unbelievable." He scoffed. "This is what happens when you spend so much time around the pesky little princess, Cedric. You start catering to her more… Ugh, I give up." He rolled his eyes and yawned, tucking down for a nap. "Maybe you'll come to your senses…later."

Sofia led Cedric to one of the abandoned flying coaches and gestured for Cedric to step inside.

He raised an eyebrow at her motion. "Sofia…what are you doing?"

She grinned as she took hold of the reins. "I'm driving, of course!"

"I don't think so. It's bad enough I'm taking you to Mount Xeo, but your father would not like you driving a flying coach. You can't even fully see over the horses' heads."

Sofia folded her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. "At least I try to drive, Mr. Cedric. How else are we going to get there?"

He sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. But we are not going the short route. We'll take the long, smooth, safe route to avoid trouble. Understand?"

She grinned and followed him into the coach as he sat down with his wand and a few bags tucked into his arms. "All right. Since you've agreed to let me go, I'll do this part your way." She nudged him playfully, garnering a small grumble from her mentor. "Lighten up, Mr. Cedric. Where's your Wassailia spirit?"

"I believe Baileywick swept it into a dustpan."

Sofia laughed. "You're funny, Mr. Cedric. Hyah!" She snapped the reins, indicating for the flying horses to take off into the air.

About an hour later, Sofia yawned as the pair flew past another set of trees, the clouds hindering her vision a bit. "I'm getting kind of sleepy," she admitted, trying to stay awake. "How much farther is it?"

Cedric gently took the reins from her, stiffening momentarily when she leaned against him and yawned again. He sighed, relaxing a bit, as she stared sleepily ahead. "Not much longer now. Probably five more minutes and we'll be there." He surveyed her briefly, taking one of her hands into his own and wincing. "Sofia, your hands are like ice. Why didn't you dress more warmly?"

She smiled lazily. "I didn't think it would take us this long to get here…"

"Well, we'll have to fix this when we land. I can't have you freezing either." So he led the coach onward, making a mental note to fix the current predicament and keep in the front of his mind just why he'd come here in the first place.

They soon landed, and Sofia shakily stood on the ground. She shivered as the wind picked up and blew past them, ruffling her gown and Cedric's robe. "I-It's kind of c-cold up here, isn't it?"

Cedric gave her a serious glance. "What part of 'coldest point outside of Enchancia' didn't sink in for you, Princess?" He waved his wand before pointing at her, producing a warm winter coat, purple—naturally—and white, with a golden "S" fastened in the front. "There. And a few more adjustments." He then tapped her hands, producing some comfortable purple gloves, and then her shoes, changing them into warm boots. "Much better."

Sofia gasped as she looked at her new clothing items. "Mr. Cedric, you can be my fashion designer any day," she teased, smiling as he chuckled at her words.

"I'll keep that in mind, Sofia. Now stay near me. It is easy to get lost up here, and that won't bode well for me if I arrive in Enchancia without you."

She smiled sweetly as she followed him. "You wouldn't leave without me. I know you too well."

Cedric shrugged before stopping, considering something. He then conjured a few blankets, draping them over the flying horses. "Best keep them toasty, or neither of us will be getting home."

They trudged on a few feet before Sofia asked, "We're looking for glitter dust?"

"R-Right," Cedric answered, yawning. The cold and thin air had hit him a little harder than he'd planned, and now he understood what had made the young girl beside him so sleepy earlier. "Glitter dust…usually found in Caedmon's Cave. It isn't too far."

Sofia offered her friend a dubious look. "That's what you said about Mount Xeo, Mr. Cedric."

He smirked. "You know, you didn't have to come, Princess Sofia. You could have stayed in the castle and been nice and warm, drinking hot cocoa and playing games with your siblings by now."

The girl pouted. That did sound nice, but… "I wanted to help you, though! Like I said, I don't want you getting hurt, and you would have been up here all alone. Nope, not on my watch!" She smiled brightly.

Cedric sighed, amusement spreading on his features. True, she had the best of intentions, but she had no idea why he'd really come here, and he intended for her not to find out. Still, if anyone could be in danger at any given time, it would likely be Sofia. Or at least that was his fear. "I appreciate it. Come now. Let's get a move on before it gets dark."

Finding Caedmon's Cave was easy. The friends simply followed the trail of sparkling winter flowers, which led directly to the entrance. Upon entering, they were greeted with a new warmth and a rich aroma of cinnamon.

"Mm, that smells nice," Sofia cooed as she looked around, gasping. "Wow, Mr. Cedric. Look at the walls!"

"Mm-hmm." He chuckled at her reaction. He'd been to this place before, so it wasn't as much of a surprise as it was to her, but he still appreciated it. Encrusted in the walls lay the glitter dust for which he'd been searching. "Now comes the hard part: mining it."

"Couldn't you just use your wand for that?"

He put his hands on his hips. "Well, I could, but it would negate the magic properties within." He raised one hand when it looked as though she wanted to question him. "Don't ask. Really, don't. Just take it for what it is…" He handed her one of the bags he'd been carrying and grinned. "Well, then, Princess…let's get to work."

Sofia just smiled back after accepting the offered bag. "Whatever you say, Mr. Cedric."

Once the sorcerer saw that the princess was busy easing some of the dust into the bag, he quietly crept from the cave. He knew she'd be safe in there, but he had to be fast. If she saw that he wasn't nearby, she'd probably panic or something.

Cedric wound around the trees, keeping in mind the way he'd come so he could return easier. He was still looking for the enchanted ice crystals, which he knew to be a bit higher on the mountain. After a few mishaps, he came across what he'd been looking for: a large, frozen, shimmering tree with several strands of ice crystals dangling from its limbs.

Cedric allowed himself to be in awe of the beauty of the tree for once. It amazed him what nature and magic could produce. Pondering this phenomenon, he quickly yet efficiently plucked the best ice crystals he could find. He needed them to be perfect, because after all they were going to be used to make Sofia's Wassailia gift. Everything had to be perfect.

Once he was satisfied with his collection, even hauling a few extras just in case something were to happen, the sorcerer hurriedly made his way back to Caedmon's Cave.

Sofia looked up when she heard panting and a small "thud" against the wall, realizing that Cedric had just slid to the ground near the cave's entrance. "Um, Mr. Cedric? Are you all right?"

He laughed breathlessly, realizing she didn't even seem to notice that he'd been gone. That was strange, considering he assumed she likely would have talked his ear off. Wonders never cease! "I'm quite all right," he replied, getting his breathing under control. He gazed up at the girl. "Finished with your collection?"

"I'm not sure," she replied softly, worried about his current state. "You never told me how much to collect."

"Is half the bag full?"

"Well, yes, but—"

He waved a hand. "That's more than enough then. Let us hurry so we can return to Enchancia. It's grown darker outside."

Sofia frowned. "Mr. Cedric, are you sure you're okay? You're talking a bit fast and seem really tired."

"I-It's the air. It's really thin. And I'm trying to get us back to safety, dear girl. So let's go, please?" He pushed himself into a standing position and followed Sofia out of the cave.

"But we haven't even been here that long, and I don't know if we'll ever be ba—" She suddenly stopped talking, her eyes widening.

Cedric blinked. "Sofia? What's the matter?" He watched her hand raise, her finger pointing ahead. While no sound escaped her lips, his eyes followed her indication. "Oh…mushrooms…"

Before them stood the largest squirrel either had ever seen. It seemed tame enough, but the size was a bit off-putting.

"I-Is that the snow squirrel you were talking about?" Sofia whispered, afraid to say anything too loudly.

"I'm afraid so…"

The squirrel tilted its head, trying to make sense of the two humans.

"You could have mentioned it was taller than YOU!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, afraid to make much more noise. The squirrel was already staring them down. "What do we do, Mr. Cedric?"

He thought about it and pushed her behind him. "Don't make any sudden movements. Be calm." While she stayed tucked behind him, Cedric used his free hand to retrieve his wand from his sleeve. He aimed it slowly and discretely at the large animal. "Nice squirrel… Good over-grown and frightening squirrel…"

Sofia frowned. "What are you doing, Mr. Cedric?"

"Shh!" He quickly lifted his wand higher and brought it back down. "Relligo!" He watched, satisfied when the squirrel suddenly froze in place, like a statue. "Come, come! Let's not waste time. That spell only lasts a few minutes." He grabbed Sofia's hand and took off running with her in tow.

"Mr. Cedriiiiiic! Slow down!" Sofia panted as she attempted to keep pace with her friend, and she sighed in relief as they finally made it back to the flying coach. She made sure her bag was securely tied, which it was, and she glanced up at him. "I think that's enough adventure for one day…"

He grinned in agreement, tightening his hold on his own bag of ice crystals. He held out one hand, helping the princess into the coach.

SQUEAK!

Cedric whipped his head to the right to see the not-so-frozen snow squirrel running down the mountain, straight toward them. He let out a rather curious squeak himself and jumped into the coach next to Sofia. "Let's go—NOW!"

Sofia didn't even bother to ask what had gotten him so worked up. She snapped the reins and the horses took off into the air, lifting them just in time as the snow squirrel angrily growled at them before returning to his habitat.

The sorcerer laughed breathlessly as he held his bag closely. "Squirrels… Never did much care for those horrid creatures."

Sofia giggled as they flew back toward Enchancia.

It was still three nights until Wassailia, but Cedric knew he couldn't keep Sofia's gift hidden any longer. Upon acquiring the precious ice crystals, he'd crafted her gift in an almost excruciatingly slow manner. So much so that Wormwood wanted to destroy the thing, he was so tired of it. Still, he had to admit, when Cedric put his mind to something, there really was no stopping him. Now if only he'd transfer that mindset back to the Amulet of Avalor… The poor raven had to sulk when he realized how little chance there was of that happening.

"I think it's finished," Cedric told his companion excitedly. "Ooh, Wormy, this is so exciting!" He paused when he saw his raven offering him an unamused look. "What?"

Wormwood sighed and rolled his eyes. "Humans."

Cedric shrugged. "Whatever, Wormy. Sulk. Be in a bad mood. But I for once am excited for Wassailia. And not even you can spoil this for me." He poked his feathered friend playfully. "Of course, I could always take back your Wassailia gift, you know."

This caught the raven's attention as he opened his eyes and blinked at Cedric curiously. "You wouldn't."

The sorcerer smirked. "I thought so. Careful, Wormy. Only three days remain until Wassailia. Don't risk your chances now!" He used a bit of magic to gather up his creation before heading out.

"…I like him better when he's in a bad mood," Wormwood mused as he yawned and settled in for the night. "He's much more tolerable."

Sofia had just settled in for the night and had gathered up a book to read when she heard a soft knock at her door. She blinked in curiosity, wondering who it could be. "Come in." She brightened considerably when she saw her mentor walk inside. "Hi, Mr. Cedric! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing much," he began mischievously as he twirled his wand absently in his hand. "I was just wondering if you'd like to receive your Wassailia gift from me."

She smiled, baffled at his inquiry. "Right now? It's still three days till Wassailia though."

"Yes, and you'll receive many gifts from your friends and family that day. However, I will not be able to hide my gift much longer, as it's honestly sort of…a pain to take care of. Besides, I would hope this gift would not be overlooked in the sea of other gifts. For once, I'd like this to be special…as a sort of thank you for my own gift last year."

Sofia giggled. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" She glanced around, not seeing anything. "So…where exactly is it?"

Cedric leaned back against her bed before waving his wand and uttering a few words. He heard Sofia gasp when an intricate chandelier, formulated with several of the ice crystals he'd collected, appeared.

"Mr. Cedric…it's beautiful…" She smiled brightly and hugged him. "Thank you!"

The sorcerer laughed as she pulled away. "But wait, there are a few things you must know about this chandelier." He flicked his wrist once, using the wand to place the chandelier against her ceiling for now. "One, it's magical and can easily be moved with the proper words and a wand. Two, it can vanish if needed."

Sofia laughed. "Why would I want it to disappear?"

"I'm an overachiever, okay? I like multiple properties for my inventions, thank you." He grinned when she giggled. "And those crystals? They're enchanted. They change colors depending on your command."

"Wow… Mr. Cedric, you've outdone yourself this year." She beamed.

Cedric smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I suppose I have… But you deserve it, Sofia. You may not realize it, but…you've made quite an impact on me, especially this year." What was he doing? Why was he telling her this? He hadn't even intended to. The gift spoke for itself, didn't it?

"I have?" She tilted her head, but she didn't want to pry. If he wanted to speak further on his small revelation, he would. She just smiled gently. "I'm glad to help in any way I can, Mr. Cedric." She hugged him again. "You're the best!"

He chuckled. "So I've been told."

The end

A/N: After writing "All That Matters," this feels overly happy. Lol. Sorry for any cavities I may have caused. :p Anyway! That's the next-to-last Wassailia-based story for this year. We've got one more to go, but it'll be out on Christmas Eve. ;) Thank you all for your recent reviews and comments. You're the best! :) See y'all in two days! ~AquaTurquoise