Pain and Suffering

Summary: A wicked spirit has possessed Cedric, who is conscious through the entire debacle, and has decided to destroy the bond with the one person Cedric cherishes the most, as well as abolish the ties with those who have recently come to trust him.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; the idea and OC mentioned in the story both belong to Mr. Shortman92.

A/N: This chapter begins the dark section of the story. You will be introduced to the "true form" of Pain, but you'll also see just what he's truly capable of and how his actions will affect not only Cedric but also everyone surrounding him, Sofia in particular in this chapter.

Note: "Little Cedric" from some of my previous stories such as "Echoes" will show up in here. Basically, it's Cedric's younger child form. lol

Chapter List:

Chapter 1: Caving In

Chapter 2: Deceptive Reverie

Chapter 3: Double the Trouble

Chapter 4: Painful Realizations

Chapter 5: Unbroken

*Story*

Chapter 2: Deceptive Reverie

It had been a strange day, in Sofia's opinion. A family outing without Roland was one thing, but Cedric stepping in for him (by request, oddly enough) was another thing entirely. On top of that, the sorcerer had been acting very bizarrely since their visit to that cave. He'd been perfectly normal before they entered, so she wasn't sure what was going on with him.

She decided to ignore her train of thought for the time being and instead treat herself to some rest. Dressed in her nightclothes, she climbed into bed and pulled her covers up to her chin, staring into the darkness as her mind played back the day. It wasn't that she was opposed to compliments, especially if they came from her mentor and one of her closest friends. Not at all! It's just…everything seemed so random and misplaced, so she had to wonder what had gotten into her friend. Exhausted with the contemplation, she finally allowed sleep to envelop her.

*Dream*

Sofia was dressed in a pale pink dress similar to her typical dress, but the bodice was a creamy white and it was long-sleeved. Her hair was tied into a half-up style with a matching pink bow fastening it into place. Her tiara, for a change, was missing for the time being.

She was seated next to the large window in the ballroom at a small table for two. On the table were candles and several platters of food, and beautiful music played and filled the room with a magical quality. Speaking of magic…

Across the table was Cedric—no, Little Cedric. Sofia had encountered him a handful of times, and she found him fascinating. He was so different from her normal Mr. Cedric, but he was still…Cedric. However, the innocent confidence that his child form possessed (prior to the previous 'incident') was endearing, and she couldn't help admire that.

Right now, the princess and mini sorcerer were eating while casually chatting, enjoying each other's company as the moonlight streamed down through the window. It was about as perfect a scene as one could hope for.

"Sofia," the younger version of Cedric began, smiling at his friend as she gave him her full attention, "you look astonishing this evening."

Sofia blushed modestly and smiled lightly, peering at her friend shyly. "Really?"

"Of course." He reached over and gently tapped his fingers against her hand, a cunning smile playing on his lips. "Such a lovely girl, with a beautiful heart to match." Suddenly, the smile fell from his face as his lips formed into a thin line, his eyes rather hazy and unfocused.

The princess blinked in shock, removing her hand from his grasp as she noted that the entire ballroom was now much darker, with all the candles doused and the light from the moon hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. The only light remaining was an eerie green light, radiating from the surface of the table, which now appeared to be much longer than before. Rather than the intimate setting the two friends had shared, the setup now resembled a typical royal dining table, although something about this just unnerved her.

Looking at the opposite end of the table, she saw Little Cedric seated before her, his head lolled to the side and a vacant expression on his face. She gasped in concern. "Cedric… Are you all right?" She did a doubletake when she noticed that the expression on the boy had changed, and he was smirking at her with a focused stare.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine, Sofia… But you won't be when I'm through with you." Quick as lightning, he leapt from his seat onto the table, marching across it toward Sofia, who was attempting to scramble backwards as he approached. He kicked and tossed every single item from the table before finally reaching the other side. Seeing that Sofia had vacated her chair and was now standing off to the side in shock and fear, he stepped directly onto the chair, his left foot firmly pressed on the back, and rode it to the floor before coming face to face with his apprentice.

Before she could react, Little Cedric reached out and shoved her to the ground, causing her to cry out in both pain and surprise. He knelt down, smirking at her as a small whimper escaped from her. "Not so brave and tough now, are you, little princess?" He grabbed her chin roughly, his brows furrowed as she attempted to free her face from his hands, to no avail. "You're an utterly worthless girl. Clueless, impetuous…"

"Cedric…" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he serious right now?

"I never cared about you."

That declaration alone, spoken with such cold precision, sent a chill down the princess's spine. She felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall. She couldn't… "Wh-What? B-But I thought…"

"What? That we were 'friends?'" He chuckled wickedly as he released her chin. "A 'team?' Do you really believe it is possible for someone like me, with a former dark goal in mind, to be friends with the likes of you, the one who stood in my way? The one who ruined everything?!" He reached out and grabbed her arms, glaring intensely at her, noting the fear in those blue eyes. "Don't be stupid, Sofia! You're nothing to me! Nothing! And it's time for you to wake up and realize the truth!" His hands tightened on her arms as he shook her to emphasize each word he said.

Sofia groaned in pain but noticed something strange around the boy. It was a hazy black figure forming. She closed her eyes momentarily to will away the pain, and when she opened her eyes again, she immediately wished she hadn't.

The true form of Pain now sat in Little Cedric's place. His formation consisted of a thin frame (almost skeletal), a dark green cloak about his shoulders, sharp teeth, dingy-looking bandages wrapped about his form, charred black skin (as if he'd been burned), glowing red eyes, and a semi-transparent body. Because of this, she could still see the form of her friend beneath this dark entity. It was almost like this wicked form was…controlling her friend—

*End Dream*

Sofia gasped sharply as she awoke from the bad dream—or nightmare—and sat up straight in her bed. She was stunned, to say the least, but she was so glad it had only been a dream. Glancing to the window, she realized it was daytime already. The sun was shining, and some birds had just flocked by the glass.

Smiling at the little bit of normalcy, she brushed off the bad dream and prepared for the day. While she still had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, she wasn't going to allow it to adversely affect her day. With that thought in mind, she decided to confront the source of her nightmare: Cedric.

Outfitted in her blue dress, her hair tied into a ponytail, Sofia took off to the tower. Each step felt heavier and heavier, in a way she couldn't explain. Her brain couldn't process this nervousness that had overwhelmed her all of a sudden. It was like something was warning her to relinquish her current destination, but her stubbornness wouldn't allow her. This was Cedric. He was her friend… With that thought firmly implanted in her mind, she pressed on.

Those last few steps before approaching the workshop door were nearly unbearable. Every rational thought was stifled by unfounded uneasiness and anxiety. Frustrated with herself, Sofia growled softly and grabbed the door handle. "This is ridiculous. Relax, Sofia." She knocked, hearing the affirmation for her to enter, and walked inside.

She was utterly confused by the darkness of the room, especially since it was morning. The windows had been covered, and the only source of light seemed to be coming from an eerily-familiar green light that now appeared to be burning from one lone candle. It lit the area enough for Sofia to tell that Cedric was faced away from her, his hands pressed firmly against the work table and his head lowered. "M-Mr. Cedric?" she asked, hating the way her voice was trembling. "What's going on? Why is it so dark?"

"Darkness hides the light," he replied evenly, though it didn't even sound like his voice anymore. Pain had evidently managed to fully possess him by now. "It engulfs the persistent morality and virtue and extinguishes its flame." He turned to the girl by his door, her hand still firmly wrapped around the outer handle. An evil smirk appeared on his face. "In case you didn't catch the metaphor, Sofia, you are the light. I am the dark." He produced his wand and sent a small blast of magic her way, striking her on the arm and causing her to gasp in agony, falling to the cold floor.

Cedric chuckled lowly as he walked over, kneeling next to the girl and grasping her chin firmly, forcing her to look at him. "You are nothing more than an over-righteous pest. A mere pinpoint in the royal family—or rather, an ink stain on the royal family tree. You'll never fully fit in, regardless of what you've been told, and you will continue to contaminate the royal ancestry with your mediocre commoner roots."

Sofia was hurt far worse from his words than the physical infliction from earlier. It cut much deeper, because she herself had once thought along those exact same lines until Roland and the others convinced her that she did belong. But to hear her mentor and closest friend voice her old concerns… It was like opening an old wound. She reached up, clasping her hands around his wrist and attempting to loosen his grip from her chin. It didn't seem to work, as he only held his grip tighter while glaring right through her. "Mr. Cedric, y-you don't mean that…"

"You're nothing, Sofia. No one would even miss you if you just…disappeared." He held his wand up to her face with his free hand and gave her a mocking smile. "Care to test my theory?"

This was impossible! What happened to the Cedric who cared about her, who taught her, who saved her life? The Cedric who, just the day before, had given her compliments that had warmed her heart? Who was this cold, unfeeling person before her? She felt one tear slide down her cheek and over her mentor's fingers, causing him to chuckle darkly.

"Like I said," he huffed as he released her, shoving her to the ground and wiping her tears on his robe, "nothing. Crying over mere words? What sort of princess are you?"

Sofia couldn't take it anymore. It was one thing to be physically or magically hurt by her friend, but to be emotionally attacked? It was too much. She sobbed and fled from his workshop, not bothering to shut the door behind her.

Inside, Cedric was horrified by what Pain had done to his apprentice, and in his own body! But the entity had overtaken him during the night, overpowering his ability to fight back. And now he was possessed: like a prisoner trapped in his own mind, able to look out the 'window' and see everything yet do nothing. It was pure torture—not only for Sofia, but also for him. Now he was the one who wanted to cry…

Sofia slammed the door to her room and threw herself onto her bed, sobbing long and hard into the pillow. She couldn't even fathom what was going on with her friend right now. It was so unlike him. But those words had gotten to her. He'd known how to break her to pieces; after all, sometimes friends can hurt people worse than enemies, and he was a perfect example. Glancing at her arm with the magical wound, she felt even more tears form. He'd actually hurt her—harmed her in a way she never believed he could have. She whimpered softly as she grabbed a cloth from her bedside table and wrapped it around her arm, securing it. "I'm bandaging the wound Mr. Cedric gave me…" Those words were enough to send her into a miserable state once again.

She eventually cried herself to sleep, not wanting to face the rest of the day when one of the most important people in her life no longer seemed to want to be a part of hers. Unfortunately, Sofia wasn't the only one Pain had his sights set on…

To be continued…