"Sofia, my dear it's time to wake up."
The princess sighs, too warm and comfy to move from her bed. "Five more minutes Mr. Cedric." She snuggled deeper into her nest of thick blankets before the realization of her statement re-awoke her.
Eyes snapping open she struggled to make out the outline of her mentor in the darkness of her room, "Mr. Cedric, what are you doing in my room?"
"Obviously waking you up, my dear. Your parents asked me to so you wouldn't miss breakfast with your family. Your father is preparing a batch of pancakes right now."
She would have accepted that if not for one big detail. "Dad doesn't cook. He's the king." Cedric laughs, much to her confusion. "Mr. Cedric, what's so funny?"
In the dark blue and black room she barely sees him wave his hand in dismissal, "You'll find out, Sofia. Now get dressed, you're parents are waiting." With that he opens the door to leave, the bright light from outside her room causes Sofia to hiss from the slight sting. Turning away from the light, she hears her door close with a smooth click of the lock and once again she's alone.
And her amulet isn't burning hot anymore.
That was the one thing she remembered about yesterday; how hot her amulet had gotten while she was messing with the plush version of herself. Was Ava trying to warn her of something? Was the doll some sort of magical item? It was definitely creepy for it to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
"Mr. Cedric said that he didn't own any dolls..." Sofia repeated to herself, idly feeling her amulet. The jewel was unusually cold.
"Sofia!'
The princess jumped at the sudden yell from her dad. Realizing she was probably keeping everyone waiting for breakfast, she quickly jumped out of bed and moves to withdraw her curtains aside. Natural light floods the room bathing it in a healthy glow. She could finally see her furniture with the same bed, dresser, and other familiar things, but then she noticed the little playset that was supposed to feature the Enchancian castle with mini versions of her family, however, it was replaced with a small wooden cottage... "Huh?"
"Sofia!" That was her mother calling. Unable to wait any longer, she quickly opened one of her dressers and changed behind her white room divider. Once dressed, Sofia opened her door and stopped at the length of wood steps stretched straight down in front of herl.
Why were the steps made of wood and not of marble, or another expensive mineral?
A nice smell rises to tickle her nose, arousing her hunger. Yet, the princess couldn't bring herself to move. Surely, she was just dreaming, right? Maybe she should go back to bed and rewake inside the castle...?
The princess turned to go back inside when she heard heavy boots followed by her father's voice which was much more clear without her bedroom walls to filter the family's voices. "Sofia, there you are. I was wondering when you'll wake up, sweetie."
Turning back she saw it was definitely him, the same King Roland that she knew as her dad but... Why was he wearing a baker's clothes? Was did his face have a smudge of flour.
"Dad?" She took a total of three steps down before another oddity caught her attention: his eyes. They were buttons.
Shaking she stepped back up, "Y-You're not my dad. My dad d-doesn't have buttons..."
He smiles kindly; warmly just like her real father. "My buttons? Of course, I do. I'm your Other Father, Sofia."
She furrows her brows, gripping the wood banister tightly beside her, "My Other Father?"
"Yes, everyone in the world has an Other Father, just like they have an Other Mother, sister, and brother. Children like you come and see us when you're stuck in a difficult situation. We, here in the Other World, felt you were in need of a break, and so here you are."
Sofia's stomach growled. Her Other Father chuckled, "Come down and eat, Sofia. Your food will get cold." He turns and walks back to the kitchen.
Sofia cupped the amulet in her hands, still watching her Other Father's back. "I don't know about this, Ava." Her amulet did not respond. She carefully steps down the rest of the way, going into an L-shape room with a small wood table, already crowded with her Other family. All of them possessing button eyes. It was pretty unnerving.
Sofia looks around. Where were the servants? Chef Andre, Gizmo Gwen, Violet, Bailiwick, Mr. Cedric. They weren't at the table.
She jumps upon feeling someone touch her shoulder. It was her Other Father holding a plate of delicious looking eggs, a slice of bacon, and a cup of orange juice balanced on the rim of the plate. "Is something wrong, Sofia. You look frightened."
She bites her lip and tries not to panic as all those button eyes stare eagerly at her. Despite not having pupils she could see a shimmer of excitement reflecting off the black, glossy plastic. "I-I'm just... confused on how I came here."
"Well, your amulet brought you," Her Other Mother explains making Sofia perk in surprise. She cups the gem again, never looking away from her Other family. Her Other father sets down the plate of food and pulled out the thick wooden chair with a plush teal colored cushion, for her to sit in.
"You've been under so much stress, Sofia, that the Amulet of Avalor decided to teleport you here for a short vacation." The Other Mother continued. She was identical to her own mother with the same fair, tan skin, brown hair, blue eyes, and pink gown. However, her dress was downgraded from the elegant dress that had dark pink swirls and flowers stitched into the lighter fabric, to a simple, somewhat stained duller floor-length pink dress. It was obviously well kept with only a few pink patches sewn into the fabric.
James and Amber were the same, with downgraded clothes also specked with a few stains, but nothing super noticeable. It was quite odd to see Amber wearing a green dress that wasn't perfectly clean and iron without complaint.
Cautiously, Sofia moved to her seat and carefully forked the eggs, the smell alone was enough to leave her feeling famished, yet she was still trying her best to remain on alert. Then a new thought struck her with renewed fear, "What about my family? Won't they notice I'm gone?"
"Of course not!" Her Other Mother laughs, she smiles knowingly while playfully patting Other Jame's shoulder as he tried to steal a muffin from Other Amber. "You see time works differently here, Sofia. A day here is a minute there. You can stay as long as you wish before going home and once you're back, no one will notice you're gone. Isn't that wonderful?"
Sofia bites her lip and scoots back from the table, "I'm sorry." She sighs, rising from her chair. The Other family watches her with hurtful, confused expressions. "I would love to stay, but I need to get back home to my original family. If I'm gone too long then they will notice something and I just need time to think about things."
Her stomach growls again.
The Other Mother smiles sweetly, "Well how about you eat before you go then? Your Other Father worked very hard to make this delicious meal, and you shouldn't leave on an empty stomach. You're a growing girl, after all, Sofia."
Well, the food does look good...
"Okay, I guess..." She sits back down and tries some of the eggs and is surprised by how easily the melt in her mouth, igniting her taste buds. She gobbles down the food, shoveling mouthful after delicious mouthful down her gullet with a ravenous appetite. By the time she was done, Sofia's stomach had a noticeable swell at the line of her belly.
Her Other Mother and Other Father looked sadden, while Other James and Other Amber left to give the trio time to discuss things. "Are you sure you want to leave so soon?" Other Mother asks, her disappointed tone strummed Sofia's heartstrings. She couldn't sense any danger from them, aside from their odd eyes, but she was starting to get used to them and even find the buttons a bit appealing. Plus didn't her Other Mother say that days here were minutes in the real world? Surely, it wouldn't hurt to stay just a little longer. She wouldn't be missed.
"I guess I could stay for a little longer..." She smiles watching excitement flash through their buttons eyes. Suddenly, James and Amber, who apparently were eavesdropping on their short conversation, rushed in and sandwich either side of Sofia in a bone-crushing hug. She giggles at their tentative nature and returns their embrace. It surprised how restricted James and Amber were in the real world, they weren't this opening affectionate to her; it was probably because they were growing up and coming to the age where they didn't need to offer physical comfort aside from a pat on the shoulder or two. Sofia really misses this. She misses being a kid and not having to worry about marriages, wars, or her duties as StoryKeeper and Protector.
She misses being a commoner. The Shoemaker's daughter. She misses being simple Sofia- Not Sofia the First.
Other Mother gasps in concern quickly taking a napkin and dabbing Sofia's face. The twins release her, both looking worried. It was in that moment Sofia realized she had been crying, it wasn't loud, messy sobs, but little quiet ones with silent tears streaming down her flushed face.
"Oh, sweetie," her other mother croons softly. "Why are you crying, aren't you happy here?"
Sofia sniffs and nods, "Yeah, I'm just relieved to have a break is all..." The woman smiles and brushes Sofia's dark bangs aside to staring lovingly into her blue eyes. "You have all the time in the world, Sofia. Don't let those worries affect your fun here. We love you and we want to make you happy. That's what a family is all about, making each other happy."
She was just like her real mother. Beaming through her tear filled eyes, Sofia gave the Other Mother the biggest hug she could muster. The button-eyed woman smiled affectionately, gently stroking Sofia's head all the while button eyes glowed a soft, loving pink hue.
For the first time in a while, Sofia felt free, as if she had been walking for eons with a heavy ball tied to her ankles and then finally she had found a way to undo the lock, setting herself loose and was now feeling lighter than air itself!
She breathed in deeply, swallowing the fresh pine smell that accompanied the woods growing in the back of their house. Being here, out in the wilderness gave her a feeling of freedom. For the first time in months, maybe even years, she is able to fully relax. No worries on being Story Keeper. No epic training with Chrysta and the other Protectors. No need to keep up appearances and attitudes because she was a princess. Right now, she's Sofia. Just Sofia. And she can't help but relish in that thought.
A gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder surprises Sofia. She turns to find it was Mr. Cedric, possessing the same button eyes as everyone else. His appearance did make her shudder but she ignored the need to recoil and offer her friend her best smile. "It's great to see you again, Mr. Cedric. How are you?"
"I'm doing very well, my dear." He chimed, those button eyes shimmering in the sunlight. "I was just strolling by when I saw you were playing with your siblings. Do you like it here, Sofia?"
It was a silly question, but one she didn't bat an eye at, "Of course I do! This place is amazing! There is so much to do and I can stay here for days and only be gone for a few minutes in the real world!" Quickly she covers her mouth. It didn't sound so bad in her head, but out loud she could clearly imagine her real mother scolding her for her lack of manners.
Cedric waved it off, "Don't be embarrassed, my dear. This place is made specifically to cater to your every desire. In fact, your Other Mother asked me to perform a nice magic show for you and your siblings this afternoon. We'll have a spell of a time!"
Sofia giggles, "That sound amazing, Mr. Cedric. We'll definitely go and watch you, but right now I'm playing hide and seek with Amber and James. They're hiding in the woods right now."
He chuckles, "Just don't poke your eye out while you're there." She giggles again, "I won't. We'll see later then."
He smiles and leaves. Sofia watches him climb up a small hill to his workshop; it was a small stone cottage with smoke rising out of the brick chimney. 'Am I still his apprentice?'
Deciding to ask him that later, the princess returns her attention to the woods surrounding their humble cottage. The trees were just like the ones in her world, however, the birds tweeting in the branches possessed button eyes. "That's a bit unnerving..." Still, she considered, these are part of the world she was in and were more than likely friendly as well.
Sofia waves up at a bright red robin nesting on one of the lower hanging branches, "What's your name?" The bird cocks his head and chirps sweetly. Sofia's smile fades in alarm. "C-Could you repeat that please?"
The robin chirps again.
Sofia touches her amulet on reflex and smiles politely at the bird, "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sofia." He continues to chirp happily and Sofia wonders if he was still talking to her or not. She manages to nod before politely taking her leave. "Well, it was nice to talk to you, but I need to get back to playing with my friends. I hope to see you again."
The robin joyfully sings before fluttering away from his nest.
Sofia watched the bird anxiously, absently fiddling with her amulet. 'I didn't understand him...' Goosebumps lined the length of her back, injecting ice in her veins. Not for the first time she craved to return home, the creepy factor coming back to her in full throttle. Her amulet should work here, shouldn't it? Grasping the gem more firmly, she gazes down and gasps.
The once vibrant shade of pink had dimmed substantially, adopting a duller hue, as if the life inside was withering away. Sofia carcasses the smooth surface with the pad of her thumb. "Ava... A-are you okay?" There was no reply. It shouldn't surprise her as Ava wasn't the type to jump out whenever she desired. The spirit came when needed, but Sofia would give anything to see her friend, or at the very least get the vibrancy back.
"Is there something wrong, Sofia?" The Other Mother's voice inquired gently. Her voice, sounding behind the princess, was soft and sweet practically mirroring her original mother's tone.
'But she's not Mom.' Sofia reminded herself. 'She can never replace my real mom.'
Carefully, the princess turned around and internally cringed at those button eyes. She forced herself to smile at the older woman. The Other Mother clasped her hands together in front of her downgrade pink and cream dress while tilting her head to see Sofia better. "Why aren't you playing with your brother and sister? They've been hiding for close to an hour now..."
Sofia winces in guilt, her eyes darting around, purposely avoiding the Other Mother's. "I just wanted to say 'Hi' to some animal friends. They seem very... nice!" The older woman smiles almost sarcastically, before affectionately patting Sofia's head. Instantly, her earlier concerns begin to fade.
As if reading her thoughts, the Other Mother bends at her knees to meet Sofia's eye level, one of her hands gently grasping the necklace. She admires it's duller shade with half-lidded eyes, the pad of her brown thumb rubbing circles around it's oval shape. "Don't worry about your amulet, sweetie. She's in perfect condition. You see, magic here is a tad different than in your world."
Blue eyes glow with renewed interest. "Really?"
"Yes." The Other Mother nods, "You see time and magic workflow differently here. Think of it as a two separate streams breaking off from the same river. One is faster and more powerful, while the other is slower and flows lazily. This world, Sofia, was created in order to make you happy. Your amulet, Ava, has been sensing your stress and felt that you deserve a break; at least for a little while. Like I've told you before, a day in here is a minute there. So while you're away, no one will notice. You're free as a bird here in this world, sweetheart. You can have anything you wish; you can see anyone you like, and if there's something you don't want or like, I'll fix them for you."
The last sentence blew a cold chill through Sofia's body. "You'll fix them... How?"
"Oh don't worry about it." She giggles and reaches to swipe Sofia's bangs to the side. "We're here to make you happy and to feel loved. And speaking of us, Mr. Cedric has invited you and your siblings to a very special magical show. You'll be his guests of honor!"
Sofia gasps in delight. "A magic show! I love magic!"
The Other Mother smirks lovingly, "I know you do, sweetheart. You can enjoy yourself without fear of your duties as a Protector or Story Keeper."
She gasps again, this time in shock; reeling back a step as if the weight of her mother's... the Other Mother's words knocked her back. "You know about that...?"
"Of course I do, sweetie, we know it all. The amulet told us. Now, why don't you get a move on? Mr. Cedric is waiting and I have made you a lovely dress, that's purple of course!" She giggles delightfully and stands up. One hand remains on Sofia's shoulder comfortingly, "And remember, Sofia. I love you."
Sofia never realized how much she needed to hear that. While her original mother was openly affectionate to all of her children, the youngest princess felt neglected thanks to her duties, so much so she hasn't heard those words in a while. Weeks in fact. It leaves her feeling more grounded hearing her mother's voice say those three words again.
Smiling up at her mother, Sofia hugs her layered skirts tightly, relishing in the feel of her mother's hands stroking her hair. "I love you too, Mom."
She did not notice, for a fraction of a second, her mother's eyes flash a glossy rose pink before succumbing to their black color once again.
AN: Thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews! :D I'm glad you're noticing the Coraline storyline. Hope you'll stay tuned with it for the rest of the ride. I'm excited to get back to writing. Sorry, it took me so long to finally get around to updating, but my brother and I finally moved out on our own and are living by ourselves for the first time. Anyways, thanks again, I don't know when the next update will be, I just write until I feel I'm done and then I edit a bit and post. So updates do fluctuate. Not just for this story but for all my stories.
Also a special message to someone who titled themselves 'Guest' in the reviews. I'm sorry, but I'm going to delete your review. It's nothing against you personally, but your comment is considered spam. If you're wanting to create awareness on how to stop Craig and his team from ending Sofia the First, then please create a forum. Reviews are meant to assess the author on his or her stories and help them to improve in their future works. I can't stress how important reviews are to me since I'm far from a good author, so I rely on them to give me ideas on how to improve on my writing skills.