To Serve and Protect
Summary: When Sofia decides to pass off her Protector duties to her girls, they go through training (along with a few familiar faces) to become official Junior Protectors of the Ever Realm.
Disclaimer: I own Corban, Serena, Ira, Sapphire, Davina, and Avius. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everyone/everything else belongs to Craig Gerber.
A/N: Hey, guys! This story will feature some of the kiddos, of course, and it's also a semi-goodbye to Sofia's days as a Protector due to not only her second pregnancy, but also general life changes. She's already passed her Story Keeper duties to the kids, and this is the other thing she's passing off. Granted, there are now four kids guarding the Ever Realm instead of just one, so that will be a different take on things. 😊 Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Junior Protectors
It was some time in April when Tanya and Nana received the approval to travel to the Mystic Isles to begin their training as what Chrysta called "Junior Protectors." Happily, they were not alone, because both Sapphire and Davina had been recruited as well, mostly due to their powerful abilities and strong ethics. Naturally, Nana and Davina were thrilled, because they reflected the whole dark/light concept and had grown very close as good friends over the years. In addition, Tanya and Sapphire had also formed a bond as the older sisters in the group, and they found that they enjoyed each other's company.
Of course, it would be best to discuss the changes of each girl, since a few years had passed.
Tanya had no 'official' age, though her original form was that of an eight-year-old girl. Given that she'd grown a bit, she now looked closer to eleven. Her hair was still the same length, and she still preferred to go barefoot with her wrist and ankle cuffs, disguising her Death Bringer. Often, one could find her dressed in a knee-length white dress and some shorts or pants to accompany, the sleeves of the dress about three quarters in length. She was still a bit serious sometimes, but she had loosened up considerably after the birth of her little sister Serena, and she had learned to have fun and be silly like other kids.
Nana had probably changed the most. While her original form was extremely tiny and based on the hybrid mix of the eight-year-old child named Erine and a strawberry, she now almost came up to Tanya's shoulders and was probably somewhere close to a ten-year-old. Granted, she was still tinier than most kids her age, but that was to be expected due to her circumstances. She usually wore pink or red dresses with green tights and red boots. Her hair was much longer now too, falling in a straight cascade down to her waist. The one thing that remained intact was her little leaf cap, which would never leave her. She was still silent, but her active nature more than spoke for her; of course, Cedric and Sofia did still hold out hope that one day she'd speak (especially after Sofia had heard her do so after the whole Elemental debacle), but even if she didn't, she was still the same lovable Nana.
Sapphire was now nine years old. She still had the 'wise beyond her years' personality she was famous for, but she was also a fairly typical preteen. She strived to express her individuality in many ways, especially with her magic and clothing. While her earlier years were filled with blues and frills, she'd moved along to a slightly 'edgier' style with an inclination toward black dresses with white collars, along with matching tights and dark boots, though she did wear a beautiful sapphire necklace most days. She wasn't very tall when compared with other children her age, and even her little sister was quickly catching up and would likely surpass her height. Her wavy silver-white hair swept along her hips in a low ponytail. Her sapphire eyes (her namesake) shimmered in mirth each time she laughed. She was still the happy yet powerful girl everyone knew.
Davina had just turned seven years old. While Sapphire took more after Sir Finlay, Davina absolutely took after Gabriella with her looks. She had a slightly darker complexion, curious brown eyes, and long, wavy dark brown hair that fell in unruly cascades to her thighs. Unlike her older sister, Davina liked brighter colors. Her go-to outfit was a blue jumper with a pink heart flower on the hem, a long-sleeved red undershirt, multi-colored tights, and knee-high black boots. While Sapphire was a bit more calculated and cautious with her approach to things, Davina was 'out there' and said whatever was on her mind most of the time. Given her ties to Light Magic, she was quite literally a little ball of light and innocence.
The day they were to gather in the Mystic Isles for their initiation was a nerve-wracking one for both Cedric and Sofia. While they had every belief that their daughters would do well as Protectors, there was still that nagging reminder that they were kids—their kids—and they just wanted them to be safe. Sure, they'd fought against evil before. Sure, they'd helped save the Ever Realm many times now. Sure, they had darker origins than most children and were more encased in a steely resolve than other children. That didn't make things any easier.
"Now you know how your father and I felt when you were made an official Protector," Miranda joked lightly, playfully bouncing her giggling granddaughter in her arms. They were gathered in the main foyer near the door, waiting for the other girls to finish breakfast. She smiled as Serena grinned up at her. "You're still too young to be a Protector though, Serena. Just your big sisters for now."
"Aw," Serena lamented, though she didn't really understand what the whole 'Protector' thing was about yet. She just didn't like being left out.
"I know, Mom," Sofia sighed, laughing lightly. "This is so weird for me. It's like I know that they'll do fine, because I remember my days when I first started—"
"Without telling us, might I add."
The princess gave the queen a sarcastic look, unsurprisingly met with a matching expression in return. "I know. You remind me all the time. But I did do a lot of good, didn't I? And I was always safe."
"Yes, yes, I know. Besides, I think it's safe to say that you've been through a lot worse at this point." Miranda hummed as she returned her attention to Serena, who giggled.
Sofia bit her lip to keep from responding to that comment. Her mother had no idea just how true that was. She absently brushed her hand against her still-small abdomen and sighed softly. She could never tell anyone else what she'd been through. She knew; Cedric knew; Merlin knew; and to an extent, the medic even knew… But if they'd known the horrific trauma that she'd experienced a few years ago, they'd likely never let her out of their sights again, and that wasn't how she wanted to live her life. She'd finally stopped having nightmares about Greeneyes and the events of that time. And she was clearly finally healed enough to carry another child, which was an astonishing revelation: a welcome one, mind you, but still heavily unexpected.
The princess gasped in mild surprise when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, gloved hands sliding on top of hers in the process, cradling the temporary home of the slowly growing baby. She looked up and smiled as Cedric kissed her forehead. "I'm honestly surprised you agreed to this," she admitted.
"I was uncertain at first," he acknowledged, his fingers tracing hers. "But… I know the good you did, and I know how powerful our children are. If anyone can protect our realm and stay safe in the process, it's Nana and Tanya."
"And Sapphire and Davina," Sofia added. "Chrysta said that Sir Finlay and Gabriella agreed to let them train too."
Cedric laughed. "Now, that will be quite the powerful assembly. We'll see how things go."
"Yeah." Sofia kissed his cheek before turning to Tanya and Nana, who had just finished breakfast and were walking toward them. "Hey, girls! Are you ready?"
"As we will ever be," Tanya responded with a nod.
"Nana, wait!" Corban panted as he rushed over to his best friend, though he had to stop to place his hands on his knees and catch his breath. He reached up with one hand to show the little girl that he needed a moment.
Nana smiled knowingly and hurried over to meet him halfway, placing her hands on either side of his face and tilting his head up to where her green eyes could meet his blue ones. Without a word (of course), she leaned forward and kissed his forehead, like she often saw her father do with any of the girls and Sofia.
The young prince blushed in delight as he grinned up at her. "I was just gonna say goodbye and hope you have a good day, but I like that better." He giggled as she rolled her eyes and released his face, but he retaliated by grabbing her hands and playfully kissing each of them, earning himself a silent giggle from the now blushing girl. "Be careful being up on those clouds, okay? I don't want anything bad happening to my favorite person."
She shook her head and pulled her hands from his, gesturing with a quick clasp of her hands to her heart then extending her hands toward him.
Corban smiled knowingly. "I love you too, Nana." He giggled as she pulled him into a warm hug, something he was growing fonder of each day.
A few hours later, after Cedric, Sofia, Sir Finlay, and Gabriella had left the girls in Chrysta's care before heading out together (probably to find a way to pass the time while the kids were doing their initial training), things were finally ready to begin. Chrysta had the four girls sitting in a circle outside as she talked to them.
"I'm glad your parents were willing to let you all come here to train," she told them as she stood with her hands on her hips. "This isn't going to be easy, of course. I'm sure your mom's told you about her training days, right, Tanya? Nana?"
Both girls nodded in agreement.
"Being a Protector—or in your case, a Junior Protector—isn't all fun and games. It's serious business and hard work, and you have to take it seriously. Can you guys do that?"
"Yes!" the three vocal ones expressed, and Nana nodded enthusiastically.
"Even if that means chasing down bad guys and capturing them?"
"We've done it before," Davina clarified. "Nana and me? We're super powerful together! And Sissy is one of the most powerful sorceresses already! She was a baby and did magical stuff." She then pointed at Tanya. "And Tanya could just look at a bad guy and make him fall over in fear."
Tanya grinned proudly at the younger girl's assumption. "Thanks, Davina…"
Chrysta rolled her eyes in amusement before shrugging and folding her arms. "Right. I forget that I'm talking to a magically advanced group. Your parents all having powerful magic has definitely helped, I'll say that." She nodded once. "Meanwhile, let me tell you a little about your trainer."
Sapphire frowned in curiosity. "You aren't our trainer?"
"Kind of busy with some big missions, but I've got the next best thing." She unfolded her arms to beckon someone from behind one of the huts over, and she smiled as a guy who looked about sixteen years old stood next to her. "Girls, this is Ira."
Ira was a bit taller than Chrysta. He was lean and only mildly muscular, but he could clearly hold his own. His eyes were a shimmering marine blue, like the purest ocean water. His angular facial features also made him appear older than he was. His short snowy white hair fell in layered wisps along his forehead and ears, which were coated in numerous piercings, a long silver feather earring dangling from his right ear. A black leather choker encircled its way around his neck, with silver chains and a large moth charm dangling from the center. His long fingers were adorned with numerous rings, some higher and some lower on the digits. Around his left wrist was his own Enchantlet, which was made of sterling silver and onyx with a hefty turquoise gem in the center. His long black tunic was form-fitting, with a slight dip in the fabric at the top that revealed a bit more of his lightly tanned skin, and a few silver buttons and aiguillettes sewn into the fabric for style. A dark belt was fastened into place at his midsection. He also wore heavy black slacks, which were nestled inside his knee-high boots.
"Ira, allow me to introduce Tanya, Nana, Davina, and Sapphire," Chrysta told him as she pointed toward each girl, all of whom simply smiled at him. Well, all except…
"Wow," Sapphire gushed, a blush slowly spreading across her cheeks. "He looks like a fairy prince."
"Not quite," Ira chuckled, his voice rich and smooth, like fine chocolate, and his ocean eyes crinkling just a bit in amusement as he smiled at the light-haired girl. "Just your average, run-of-the-mill mage."
"You wear more jewelry than our mother does," Tanya remarked half-jokingly and half-seriously. "And that is saying something."
"Because it was the 'rebellious' thing to do," Ira remarked with a laugh. "No, in all seriousness, it's just my style."
"It's a nice style," Sapphire acknowledged with a tiny sigh escaping her lips.
Davina blinked at her older sister before smirking mischievously. Oh, she so obviously had a crush on this guy. It would be fun to tease her about that later. But for now… "So, when do we begin to train?"
Nana clapped her hands, smiling excitedly.
Ira nodded at them. "Right now. Follow me."
To be continued…
Next Chapter: The Trainer and the Prodigy