Sofia ran through the halls of her palace home, tears blurring her vision all the while. She didn't need to see though, she knew the way with her eyes closed.
Left.
Right.
Second left.
'I have to get to Mister Cedric! He'll know what to do! He can help him! He'll wake up Clover!' Her thoughts raced with each foot fall, as more tears kept coming.
'Oh since when was his tower so far away from my room?!' Logically she knows it's no further than any other day, but right now... Logic and reason are languages she can not understand. 'Why do we have to live in such a big house?!' Her eyes stray to Clover for a split second. She hasn't felt him move. He hasn't changed.
"We're almost there Clover... Hold on!" She says more to herself than to the rabbit in her arms. Finally the last turn. She turns and is at the base of the stairs leading to Cedric's lab.
"MISTER CEDRIC!" Her scream echoed down the hall and in the stairwell as she ran up the stairs. Directly into the aforementioned Sorcerer as he opened his door.
"Oof! Princess! What is so important you ha-" He sees the ball of fluff in her arms, and the tears falling, with no sign of stopping. He took a deep breath.
'Oh Merlin's Mushrooms... I knew this day was coming... But I'm still not sure I can do this.' Truthfully, he was wondering how much longer the furry rabbit had left, and when he'd be seeing her at his door. One look at her friend, and you could just... tell. Well, everyone but her. She's so naïve and innocent... Or just not wanting to accept the her friend was indeed old, and not going to last.
"Mr. Cedric! Clover! He-He... He's sleeping! But he stopped breathing! Wake him up! You can can't you?!" She rushed into his work room and, holding Clover with one arm, she used her other and started rummaging through his storage cabinets. "Smelling salt! Where are your smelling salts? That'll wake him up! That wakes up anyone from anything! Where are your salts?! Mister Cedric please!" She pleaded with him. It broke his heart.
Cedric stood there sadly watching her. Slowly he walked to a different cabinet and opened it. Without taking his eyes off of her he reached in and pulled out the item in question.
"Princess... It... It's here..." He held it out to her. He wasn't going to talk anymore than he had to. He wasn't going to tell her that she was wrong. That he was not going to wake up. Ever. She wouldn't register it right now anyway. He'd wait until she realized... Well realized for herself.
Sofia's head quickly pulled out from the box she was now looking in. "Oh thank you Mister Cedric!" She ran over and hastily took it from him. "Here Clover..." She put the salts under her friend's nose. He didn't stir. He didn't move. He didn't even twitch. "He's not waking up... Mister Cedric... Why isn't he waking up?!" Tears start to form in her eyes. "Help him Mister Cedric!" She threw the salts down, spilling them everywhere, and went to where Cedric was standing.
"Princess... I..." He looked at her with sad eyes. Trying to convey what she wouldn't accept.
It didn't work.
"You are the best Sorcerer in the world! You CAN wake him up right? If anyone can it's you..." She pleaded once more with him. Squeezing Clover, not wanting to let go, trying to show him how loved he is. Maybe, just maybe, her love can wake him up. "He's getting so cold... Mister Cedric..."
"Princess Sofia..." He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, staring directly into her big blue eyes. "No one, not my father, not even I, can wake up the... the dead."
Sofia pulled herself away from him, shocked and hurt by his words. Dead? "HE'S NOT DEAD! He c-can-can't be! He's just sleeping!" She squeezed him even tighter. If he were awake he would surely be struggling with her.
"... He's not breathing Sofia... You said he stopped breathing in your room. This long without taking a breath..." He's trying to reason with her. She'll understand. She's smart. She has to see it by now.
"No! I wasn't watching him the whole time... He could've taken a breath and I just didn't see! Mister Cedric try! Please!" Her eyes loked into his, pleading for him to see that he wasn't dead... He couldn't be.
"I... I can't. I'm sorry Princess..." It hurt him to see her like this. So sweet, so optimistic, she shouldn't have to feel this. He wished, more than anything, that he could make Clover breathe again. He didn't like the rabbit, but it would be for her. She has to know if he could he would... right?
Sofia's eyes grew wide. She looked down at her best friend since coming to the castle... Now gone. The last piece of her childhood... Gone... Forever.
"I guess I should start... planning where... where to b-bur... Lay him to rest." Slowly she walked towards the door. She didn't give Cedric a glance.
"Mister Cedric..." He looks up startled at her, he wasn't expecting anything else from her this evening. "Magic couldn't help him... What good is it?"
With that she closed the door behind her as she left. Leaving a bewildered sorcerer behind.
Cedric stared at the door unmoving. He could have sworn he heard her heart shatter right after she said that.
