DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from Sofia the First. They belong to their respective creators. I'm just borrowing them. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.

Enjoy!

"True Sisters"

Chapter 11

"I'm glad you're back home," Miranda began. Her words were sincere. She was relieved her little girl was safe and sound. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Okay," Sofia replied.

Miranda nodded. She reached out, but stopped herself at the last second. She had to let Sofia initiate contact first.

"Mom," Sofia turned to face her. Even as she looked in her direction, she averted her gaze. She could feel an embarrassed blush creep up her face.

"Sweetie, I know you didn't mean to hurt me," her mother said wisely.

Sofia nodded.

"You don't have to say-"

"Yes, I do. I shouldn't have been mean to you. It wasn't your fault Amber couldn't stay with me. I'm sorry I picked Dad over you. It wasn't nice."

"I accept your apology. I forgive you. You're right, you did hurt me."

"I'm sorry," Sofia whispered.

"I know," her mother assured her.

Just then, Amber entered the room.

"Sofia, Hildegard's here. She wants to see you. Are you up for a visitor?" she asked.

Sofia nodded.

"She's here to see me?" she asked in confusion.

Amber nodded.

"And she brought you a present!"

Sofia smiled a little.

"That was nice of her."

"Amber, honey, Sofia and I need to finish talking," their mother, informed her.

"Oh, right. Sorry," with that, Amber left.

"Is it okay if I give you a hug?" Miranda asked.

"Of course," Sofia was surprised by her mother's question. As she felt her mother's arms wrap around her, she let the tears of guilt fall.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. You've had a hard few days, huh?" her mother smoothed a few strands of hair out of her youngest daughter's face.

Sofia nodded against her mother's shoulder.

"Hopefully, everything will be back to normal in a few days," her mother kissed her cheek.

"What's that?" Sofia tried in an effort to lighten the mood.

Miranda laughed.

"Why don't we spend some time together tonight," she suggested.

"That sounds good," Sofia agreed. She wiped at her eyes and tried to calm down.

"I think so too," her mother agreed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," Sofia assured her.

Miranda ruffled her hair, stood and left the room.

It wasn't long before Amber returned with Hildegard in toe.

"Hi," Sofia managed a small smile for her friend.

"I'll leave you two alone," Amber left the room.

Sofia motioned for Hildegard to sit down next to her bed.

"Oh Sofia! When Amber told me what happened, I had to come and see you. You must have been so frightened! I would have been hysterical if it were me. How are you feeling?" Hildegard asked.

"I was," Sofia admitted, "but Amber helped me through it. I still hurt, but I'm getting better," Sofia replied.

"I'm glad," Hildegard sincerely said. "I brought you a gift." With that, she handed her a book.

Sofia took it. Glancing down, she gasped.

"Hildy, this is beautiful!"

"You really like it? I decorated it myself," her friend told her.

"I love it! I especially love the little sailboat and puppy," she giggled.

"You really helped me and I wanted to show you I appreciated it," Hildegard said uncertainly.

"Thank you," Sofia put the book down and held her arms out.

Hildegard stood and closed the distance between them. Hesitating as she climbed onto the bed so Sofia wouldn't have to move, she frowned.

"What's wrong?" Sofia asked. "You can hug me. You just have to be gentle."

"I don't want to hurt you," Hildegard explained.

"You won't. I promise," Sofia smiled at her.

"Okay," Hildegard inched closer. Wrapping her arms around Sofia's shoulders, she hugged her quickly before pulling away.

Sofia raised her eyebrows.

Hildegard blushed.

"Are you okay?" she anxiously asked.

"I'm fine," Sofia replied. "Why don't you stay and keep me company until my Mom comes back with lunch for me."

"Okay," Hildegard smiled. She made to get off the bed, but Sofia put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "You can stay there."

Hildegard nodded. Silence fell before she broke it.

"What do you wanna do? You're probably tired," Hildegard surmised.

"Yeah, I am," Sofia admitted just before yawning.

"I can read to you if you like," Hildegard offered.

"That would be great. Thank you," Sofia pointed to her bookshelf.

Hildegard got off the bed and walked over to the rows of books. Picking one out, she resumed her spot.

"Have you ever read the Enchanted Cove series before?" Sofia asked.

"No. Are they good?" Hildegard asked.

"Well, why don't you find out for yourself," Sofia encouraged.

Hildegard smiled and opened the book. As she began to read, she felt a warm feeling go through her. She had never really known what it was like to help a friend. Glancing over at Sofia, Hildegard realized she wouldn't trade the time she was spending with her for anything. She was truly grateful she and Sofia were friends now.

Ten minutes later, Hildegard glanced up to find Sofia fast asleep. Spotting the blanket at the end of the bed, she made sure her friend was warm enough. Going back to the book, she read on. She was really getting into it!

"Hey, Hildy?"

Glancing up, Hildegard saw Amber standing there.

"Shh, she fell asleep," Hildegard whispered.

Amber nodded. Going over to the bed, she bent down, kissed Sofia's cheek and ran a hand through her hair. Standing once again, she turned her attention to Hildegard.

"When did Sofia fall asleep?"

"A half an hour ago," Hildegard replied. With that, she stood, set the book down and followed Amber out of the room.

"Are you hungry?" Amber asked.

"No, I'm good," Hildegard replied. "I'm glad I came to see Sofia."

"She's happy you came too," Amber assured her. "You guys really got close after the enchanted painting fiasco, huh?"

Hildegard nodded. She frowned.

"It wasn't a fiasco. It was fun! And I…I learned a lot, thanks to Sofia."

"What happened to you two in there?" Amber inquired.

"Let's just say she helped me see things a little differently," Hildegard answered with a shrug.

Amber nodded. She led the way into the dining room. Sitting down, Hildegard did the same. The two talked until Hildegard went home an hour later. Once she was gone, Amber went to check on Sofia. She found her just waking up.

"Hey, Sof," she sat next to her on the bed.

"Hey," Sofia stretched or tried to at least. It was hard with the IV in her arm. Glancing around, she asked, "Where's Hildegard?"

"She had to go home," her sister replied.

Sofia nodded.

"I can't wait to get back to school. I can't believe I'm going to miss a few days next week."

"It's just so you can get better," her sister patted her shoulder.

"I know," Sofia sighed.

Amber spotted a book on Sofia's nightstand.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's the present Hildegard gave me. Isn't it pretty? She decorated the cover herself."

"Ooh, I love the star jewels!" Amber squealed.

"Oh Amber," Sofia shook her head. With that, she and Amber looked through the book together.

*****

When Monday came, Amber awoke a little earlier than usual. Going to Sofia's room, she found her sister still fast asleep. Leaving her to rest, she went to get ready for school. It would be weird going without Sofia for the next few days. Entering the dining room, Amber wasn't surprised to find James eating a stack of pancakes.

"Moring!" he said around a mouthful of food.

Amber grimaced.

"James!"

"Sorry," he swallowed.

Amber sighed.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It's going to be strange going to school without her," Amber sat in her usual seat.

"It's only for this week. Sof will be back before you know it," James patted his sister's shoulder. "I'm gonna get ready."

Eating her breakfast, Amber left the table and went in the direction of her bedroom. She finished getting ready before going to check on Sofia before heading out.

"I'll see you when I get home, Sof. I love you," Amber ran a hand through her sister's hair, stood and left.

*****

"This assignment must be written from the heart," Fauna explained. "Think of someone who has changed your life. What happened? How did it make you feel? Did the experience change you in some way?"

As the class listened to Miss. Fawner, some of the students pulled out paper and pen. Some, like Kari, had to think about it for a few minutes. Others, like Hildegard, knew exactly what she was going to write about. Smiling to herself, she started her story. The sound of Amber's voice made her pause in her writing.

"Miss Fawner?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Can it be about a member of our family?"

"Of course," the fairy replied.

Hildegard frowned. She wondered if her story would still count. Deciding not to worry about it, she continued working. She was so engrossed in her task, she didn't even hear the bell for lunch.

"Are you coming, Hildy?"

Hildegard looked up to see Amber standing in front of her desk.

"Yes. I'll be right there." She stuck her story in a folder and set it in her desk. Standing, she followed Amber to the cafeteria.

"So who did you decide to write about?" Amber asked as they sat down to eat.

"I want it to be a surprise," Hildegard replied.

"Oh. Okay," Amber shrugged. She tried to eat her sandwich, but she couldn't get Sofia off her mind. She hoped her sister was feeling better.

"Sofia will be better soon," Hildegard rested a hand on Amber's shoulder.

"She's never missed a day of school before," Amber mused.

"I know. It's best that she rest, so when she does come back, she's all better."

"You're right," Amber sighed as she took another bite of her lunch. She changed the subject just then.

"That journal you gave Sofia is nice."

"I thought she'd like it. She can write her thoughts down."

Amber nodded.

Before both girls knew it, they were walking back to class.

"Children, you'll have a little more time to work on your stories. Then we'll move onto science. And just so I don't forget, you will all be reading them in front of the class," Miss Flora announced.

"Brilliant!" James shouted.

Miss Flora smiled at him.

"Do we have to read them aloud?" Dezmen asked.

Yes," Miss Flora replied. With that, she turned her attention to some tests she had to grade while the students continued to work on their writing assignment.

By the time the half an hour was over, Hildegard had finished hers. She smiled as she read it over. She just hoped it was good enough.

Entering her palace after school that day, Hildegard hung her tiel coat in the closet in the foyer.

"Mom! Father, I'm home!" she called.

"They'll be home late," a familiar voice stated as a taller female figure joined Hildegard.

"Okay. Thanks, Astrid. Do you wanna have a snack with me on the terries?" she offered.

"No can do, little sister. I have to get ready for my date."

"Do you want help picking out an outfit?" Hildegard offered.

Astrid shook her head.

"What would you know about fashion?" she rolled her eyes.

Hildegard frowned.

"Just because I like simpler styles doesn't mean I don't know anything about fashion," she defended herself.

"I don't have time to play dress up," Astrid stated. She pushed passed her sister and headed back the way she had come.

Hildegard stood there, blinking back tears.

"I was just trying to help," she softly confessed. Following her older sister, she went to her own room. Closing the door, she put her backpack down on her bed. Getting out her writing folder, she pulled out her story. Deciding to give Astrid another chance, the eleven-year-old left her room. Knocking on a door across the hall, she waited.

"Hildegard, leave me alone!" Astrid demanded.

"May I come in?" Hildegard called back.

"Fine," the door opened a minute later. "Make it quick."

Hildegard gulped. Swallowing hard, she steeled herself.

"Um…Do you wanna hear something I wrote for school?"

Astrid sighed.

"Do I have a choice?"

Hildegard nodded.

"It won't take long," she assured her.

"It better not. Kendal's coming around six to have dinner," Astrid informed her younger sister.

Hildegard almost made a comment about her sister having plenty of time to get ready, but she bit her tongue. She didn't want to ruin a good thing while she had it. Clearing her throat, she began to read.

"Knowing It All Isn't Everything. The day started out like every other. Little did I know as I got ready for school, someone I knew was about to change my life and help me change how I saw myself…As I stood there, telling Sofia about the most painful experience-"

"Are you ever going to let that go?" Astrid interrupted. "It was what? Five years ago? It's not like you were scarred for life."

Hildegard bit furiously on her tongue as her sister's words hit their mark. Staring at the floor, she held onto her paper like it was a lifeboat. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "You never said you were sorry."

"What?" Astrid demanded.

"You never said you were sorry," Hildegard repeated. Her voice cracked with unshed tears as the horrible memory seemed to engulf her entire being. "You really hurt me that day. You might not have pushed me, but you did something worse."

"Which was?" Astrid challenged.

Just then, their mother's voice was heard outside the door.

"Astrid, Valerie's here."

"Finally," Astrid stood and pushed past Hildegard. Turning around, she hissed, "You need to let it go. I didn't do anything. Get over it," with that, she left the room.

Hildegard ran after her older sister. Catching up with her, she grabbed a hold of her wrist.

Whirling around, Astrid jerked away.

Losing her balance, Hildegard fell on her right knee.

"You're right," she affirmed, getting to her feet with some difficulty.

This made Astrid turn around.

"You didn't do anything to help. And that hurt me worse than cutting my knee," with that, Hildegard turned on her heel and fled the hallway. Getting to her room, she slammed the door and flopped down on her bed, heart-wrenching sobs escaping her throat. After lying there for a few minutes, she stood. Feeling pain, she tried to push past it. Limping to her door, she opened it and went in the direction of the bathroom. The sound of her name made the eleven-year-old stop in her tracks.

"Hildegard actually thought her story was good!" Astrid laughed.

"Was it really that bad?" Valerie asked.

Hildegard didn't wait to hear her sister's reply. Getting a drink of water, she headed back to her room. Closing her door, she went for her writing folder. Taking the story out, she took one last look at it before tearing it up. Throwing it away in the trash, she felt a new set of tears fall. She was kidding herself. She wasn't a writer. Nothing she ever did would be good enough.

Just then, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she called, trying to make her voice sound as strong as possible.

"Hildegard, honey, your father and I were invited to a dinner party. Your sister's going to watch you."

"Do you have to go?" Hildegard asked.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie," her mother frowned in concern when she saw her youngest daughter's red eyes and trembling lower lip. "What's wrong?"

"It's not important," Hildegard said quickly.

"Are you sure?" her mother asked.

Hildegard nodded.

"We're leaving in an hour. Astrid's having Val and Kendal over for dinner."

"Great," Hildegard mumbled.

"It'll be okay," her mother assured her. She hugged Hildegard and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," Hildegard replied. After her mother left, Hildegard wasted no time. Gathering some clothes together in a bag, she put her diary and a few special items in as well. There was no way she could survive a night with Astrid and her friends. Exiting her room, she ignored the pain in her knee as she ran to the front door of the palace. Wrenching it open, she gained the outside in a flash. Spotting a coach, she slipped inside. It wasn't long before she was joined by one of her favorite drivers.

"Why hello, princess. I didn't know you were going somewhere tonight too," he smiled at her.

"Uh, Sofia and Amber and I are having a sleepover tonight," she lied easily. She hardly ever did it, so she was able to get away with it.

"On a school night?" he asked.

"We're working on a project together," Hildegard explained.

"What kind of project?" the driver asked.

"A writing assignment," Hildegard replied. "I'll tell you about it on the way."

"Sounds good. Onward and upward to Enchansia!" with that, he flicked the reigns and they were off.

"Thank you, Derek," Hildegard breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in an hour. She felt bad worrying her parents, but she comforted herself with the reassurance that she would soon be with her friends. True friends who wanted her around. Friends who thought she was good enough, no matter what…