Malum In Se
Summary: Sofia and her friends and family face their biggest challenge yet when the Never Realm rises up and unleashes the most dangerous magic wielders in the world. It's going to take the help of everyone, including some unexpected allies, to defeat the Never Realm and its most supreme evil being: Malum In Se.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First. However, I do own the Never Realm, Malum In Se, and several other OCs in here. Nana belongs to MarionetteJ2X.
A/N: You may have noticed that Cedric wasn't in the first chapter… There's a reason for that. You'll find out here!
Chapter 2: A Sign of Weakness
While Sofia was busy taking care of Nana and trying to determine a plausible method for helping the Protectors, Amber took it upon herself to make her way up to Cedric's workshop via the one section that hadn't been sealed off due to the weather. Corban had been unwell the last day or so, and Miranda had requested a healing tonic from the sorcerer, who'd agreed and indicated that it would take approximately a day to make.
Well, that day was over, and now the little boy desperately needed his medicine. He was running a fever and seemed to be absolutely miserable. Added to the awful weather, this was just one more issue to manage.
Amber approached the door slowly, her entire being shivering from the cold. "Should have brought a blanket or something," she mumbled as she reached one shaking hand out, knocking on the door before her. "Cedric?" Hearing no response, she frowned and opened the door, blinking at what she saw.
The sorcerer was slumped in his chair, his head in his hands.
"Cedric?" Amber walked over to him, gently reaching out and placing one hand on his shoulder. She frowned as he gasped and jumped, looking up at her with a startled expression. "Are you okay?"
"Princess Amber? What are you doing here?" He frowned as he shook his head. "Oh, right… Your little brother's potion. Er, it's on the worktable." He pointed toward the small green bottle with a cork on the top. "He should receive a spoonful two times a day, to be taken with food."
"Um, all right…" Amber walked to the table and grabbed the bottle before looking back at him. "You know, it's a lot warmer in the castle…"
"And far more crowded," he joked tiredly, causing the princess to giggle. "It is probably best if I stay here. All of my work is here anyway."
"If you say so, but you're welcome to stay in any of the guest rooms whenever you want. Or if those are full by now, I'm sure someone will let you stay with them." She smiled at him. "And thank you for doing this. Corban will feel better, thanks to you." To his utter surprise, she hugged him briefly before leaving the workshop, shutting the door behind her.
Cedric hummed thoughtfully before turning, resting his head on his desk, and closing his eyes.
After delivering the potion to Miranda and explaining the distribution directions, the blonde princess found Sofia walking down the stairs with Nana sitting on her shoulder. "Hey, you may want to go check on Cedric. He's acting weird."
"What do you mean, 'weird?'" Sofia asked in concern.
"He was jumpy and completely out of it when I went to get Corban's medicine. He seems really tired too, like he may not feel well. I don't know what's wrong with him, but…"
"I'm on it." Sofia smiled at her. "Thanks, Amber." Without another word, she took off toward the tower.
The future queen smiled before giggling softly. "So sweet." She then turned and headed upstairs.
Sofia pushed the door to the workshop open before walking over to Cedric, who had his head on his desk. She knelt next to him, reaching up and gently caressing his hair, smiling as she got his attention. "Amber told me you didn't seem to be feeling well. What's wrong?"
He groaned before sighing, slowly sitting up and turning to face her. "I've been feeling weak all day…"
Nana blinked before reaching out and trying to place her hand against his forehead to heal him, but she frowned as he carefully grasped her hand and shook his head.
"No, Nana," he told her softly as he gathered her into his arms, patting her back as she leaned against him. "I don't want you wasting your powers and stifling your own energy, especially at a time like this…"
"Let me try then." Sofia stood and took one of his hands while his other held Nana in place. She grasped her amulet with her free hand and closed her eyes, silently wishing for him to be healed of his weakness. She could feel the amulet reacting, and she felt a gentle surge of warmth pass from her hand into Cedric's, and she knew it had worked. She opened her eyes moments later, smiling happily as she saw a look of rejuvenation on her partner's face. "Feeling better?"
He nodded. "Thank you, Sofia…" Taking advantage of their linked hands, he pulled her toward him, initiating a hug and chuckling as she gladly accepted and returned his hug. "I'm not sure what caused me to become so weak today…"
"I have a theory." She knelt beside him again, gently playing with Nana's hair. "The Protectors called me earlier. The Never Realm is on the move. They've already attacked several kingdoms and hurt or killed many people." She frowned as she eyed him carefully. "And they're heading here…"
"Merlin's Mushrooms… I wasn't expecting it to be so soon." He sighed. "But I had a feeling it was coming. I even wonder if my weakness was a reaction to the negative energy from the Never Realm."
"It's possible."
He narrowed his eyes. "We'll need more help than usual if we're to defeat this enemy, you know. It's not something you can just wish away with your amulet, unfortunately. It's going to take a great deal of magic and energy, and we alone can't stop it."
Sofia nodded. "Then let's get as many people as we can to help us out."
"Just one issue." He gestured out the window. "The blizzard?"
"We'll have to send out letters via magic then. Hopefully the blizzard will let up so they can make it here safely." She stood, pulling him to his feet. "Meanwhile, it's way too cold for you to stay here. I want you to come inside the castle."
"I doubt there's any room for me there."
She smiled. "Don't be silly. You can always stay with Nana and me." She giggled as the little girl clapped excitedly at the prospect. "James found extra blankets and pillows, so we can stay warm."
He frowned. "The entire kingdom of Enchancia is in the castle right now, correct?"
Sofia sighed and nodded. "Just about… Unless they were on a trip to another kingdom or something. It's bad out there, though."
Cedric shook his head. "I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it gets better, my dear. And if we're going to get some help, we'd better start sending out those letters as quickly as possible."
"As soon as we get to my room, we will." She pointed toward his worktable. "Make sure to get your wand and any clothing or whatever you need. Who knows how long this blizzard will last?"
"But Sofia—"
"No buts. Meet me downstairs when you finish packing." She turned and left the workshop, leaving the door open behind her.
Cedric placed a hand to his forehead. "This couldn't possibly get any worse."
CAW!
Wormwood lowered onto Cedric's shoulder, fluffing out his feathers. "There is not a single scrap of food left in this tower," he complained. "And I'm quite sure all my delectable snacks that would usually be outside are frozen now." He glared at the sorcerer pointedly. "And what was that I heard about you moving into the castle for a while?"
"Where exactly were you, Wormy?" Cedric asked, changing the subject.
"Up there." The raven gestured up to the top of the tower. "Staring out the window like a little boy who can't go outside to play because of the awful rain. But I'm a raven, and it's a massive blast of snow, and it's ruined my mood."
"I didn't think your mood could get any worse." Cedric smirked as the raven scoffed. "Anyway, I've got to hurry and pack. Sofia and Nana are waiting for me—er, us. Because you'll be moving into the castle now, too."
"Fantastic. Maybe I can sneak some good food from the kitchen." He grinned.
About ten minutes later after gathering necessary supplies and a bag of clothing and essentials, Cedric and Wormwood met up with Sofia and Nana, following them back into the castle.
Sofia opened the door to her room, beckoning Cedric inside and shutting the door behind them. She gestured around. "It's big enough, so if you want to conjure an extra bed or something, you can probably put it over there." She pointed toward a larger expanse of her room.
"I'm sorry," Wormwood laughed dryly. "We can't stay here. It's so far from the kitchen."
"I have news for you, Wormy," Cedric remarked sarcastically. "You can fly."
Sofia smirked. "And you're always welcome to stay with Baileywick instead. I'm sure he'd love your company."
"You two are just plain mean sometimes." The raven sulked as Nana reached out from Sofia's hold and patted his head. "The child is the only nice one in your weird, dysfunctional 'family.'"
The princess placed the little girl onto her bed, and she smiled as Wormwood flew from Cedric's shoulder to sit beside her. She then turned to Cedric as he placed his things onto the floor. "We really need to get a start on those letters now."
He nodded, withdrawing his wand. "Right."
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Taking a Toll
