Evil Afoot

Summary: Madame Mirielle makes an urgent visit to the Enchancian castle to warn everyone of a stirring in or near the kingdom, the likes of which they've never seen before.

Disclaimer: I only own Madame Mirielle, Corban, Alamea, and Angel. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everyone/Everything else belongs to Craig Gerber. (Except the babies, who…are in progress. Lol!)

A/N: Regardless of whether the OC characters are seen or mentioned, I'll just keep the same disclaimer for the rest of the season…and modify it for any others who come into play. :D Meanwhile, this is the last story before the BIG one this season, which will be multi-chapter and filled with…a lot. Just…brace yourselves.

*Story*

The air was starting to become cooler as September settled over Enchancia. Summer was ending, and autumn was quickly approaching, and the colors changing on the foliage around the kingdom was evidence of that. Of course, as the months melted away, that meant that both Amber and Sofia were ever closer to their due dates: Amber was now two months away, while Sofia was possibly four (it had taken a bit of calculating, but it looked like Sofia's baby could be due sometime in early or mid January).

Things had been so peaceful the last several months that everyone had nearly forgotten about the concept of evil forces. Sofia hadn't been summoned on a Protector mission in a long time (not just because she was pregnant), and things in general just seemed calmer than ever before.

Until one late night…when Nana woke up panting, tears streaming down her face, causing Tanya to quickly sit up and stare at her little sister in alarm.

"Nana, what is wrong?" the white-haired girl asked, gasping in surprise as the little one dived into her arms, sobbing into her nightgown. Tanya frowned heavily, her arms wrapping around the other girl. "It is all right, Nana. It was probably just a nightmare." Even as she said that, she could feel a strange chill shoot down her spine, which she couldn't even begin to explain. Sure, she had a connection with the darker things in the realm, considering her previous origins, but even she and Nana had gotten a reprieve from such things recently. So, to have them come flooding back so suddenly? It was unforgivable, as far as she was concerned. She would get to the bottom of this.

Nana sniffled, sitting up and futilely attempting to wipe her tears away, even though more replaced them soon after. She finally sighed, her little hands fisting into balls in her lap, as she stared at her sister in dismay.

Tanya managed to offer the little one a smile. "Would you like to see Mama and Papa?" Seeing the defeated look on Nana's face, followed by a pouting nod, she slid to the floor and held out her arms, smiling as Nana clung to her once more.

Cedric jumped slightly as he heard a soft knock at the door. He absently compared the sound of knocking at their new bedroom door in the castle versus the legendary door to his—Cordelia's…workshop. This door muted the sound much more and didn't echo in the empty staircase as many knocks often did. …Why was he thinking about this? He wasn't even sure.

He sighed and glanced down at Sofia, smiling as he noticed her peacefully sleeping, her braided hair piled on the pillows behind her head, the covers lowered slightly to where he could see her arms protectively encircling her stomach. He noticed that the pajamas she now wore seemed lighter in color, fit, and fabric, which hadn't been lost on him. He chuckled and leaned down, placing a soft kiss to her forehead, before slowly ambling toward the door, pulling it open.

The sorcerer blinked as a tiny pair of arms quickly encircled his legs, holding tightly to him. "Nana?" He looked behind the pink-haired girl, seeing his other daughter staring at him with a look of worry. "Tanya, what…? What's wrong?" He carefully shuffled back, seeing that Nana had refused to let go of his legs, and allowed both girls inside as she shut the door. He sat on a plush stool next to the doorframe and gently pried Nana from his legs, pulling her into his arms instead. He sighed softly as she latched onto his neck and buried her face into his shirt. "There, there, my darling. It's all right…"

"Nana had a nightmare," Tanya informed her father simply. "I was able to get a bit out of her before she began shaking and crying again. I was not able to understand what the nightmare was about—just that she was afraid."

Nana sniffled as Cedric patted her back, and she stared up at him with watery green eyes, expressing fear and helplessness. She was usually so bright and happy. Now… She was so concerned about something she didn't even know how to express.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Cedric stood and smiled at both girls. "Would you both like to stay here with your Mama and me tonight?"

Nana immediately nodded and hugged him, though Tanya seemed a little bit more uncertain. "I…do not think that is necessary for me, Papa. Nana can stay. I am fine, and I will go back to bed."

He frowned curiously, observing the white-haired girl's more reserved demeanor. "Are you certain, my dear?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am. I am fine. I think Nana is the one who needs your comfort right now." She watched as he reached out with his free arm, signifying that she could approach him if she wanted, and she accepted by hugging him. "Good night, Papa. Nana." With that, she turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

Cedric hummed thoughtfully before looking at the little girl in his arms, smiling and pressing his forehead to hers. "Ready to get some more sleep, little one?" He chuckled as she yawned and then nodded sleepily, and he quietly approached the bed again, carefully lowering the pink-haired girl to the pillows. He smiled as she rolled off them and immediately snuggled closely to Sofia. "Ah, I should have known." He slid under the covers once more, brushing his fingers through Nana's hair as she yawned again. "Who better to alleviate your worries and fears than Sofia, hmm?"

Nana smiled shyly and nodded before tucking her head into the princess's neck.

Sofia stirred a bit, having felt the tiny girl moving closer to her. "N-Nana?" she asked, the effects of sleep clearly not having worn off yet. She reached up with one hand, her fingers tangling with Cedric's, and frowned curiously. "What's going on?"

Cedric gently lifted her hand to kiss her fingers, smiling as the princess sighed in content. "Nana had a bad dream. She is going to stay with us tonight."

"O-Oh, okay…" She lifted her free hand and yawned, shaking her head. "Sorry, guys. I'm just…tired…"

"Well, it is the dead of night. Get some rest, Sofia." He released her hand and smiled as he watched her immediately wrap her arm around Nana, protectively holding her as they both drifted off to sleep. "My girls…" He remembered Tanya independently declaring her willingness to stay in her own bed, just so Nana could get the comfort she needed. He chuckled. "All my girls…" With nothing more to say, he tugged the covers up to his chin and fell asleep once more.

The next day went by uneventfully. Things were relatively normal: business proceeded as usual, the kids were playing like always, Cordelia and Cedric continued their routine of working in the workshop and transferring everything to her care, and so on. Things were normal. Until…

"King Roland," one of the guards stated clearly as he and another guard stepped into the throne room that evening, a woman with unruly hair behind him. "You… You have a visitor."

Everyone else happened to be in the throne room at that time too, for varying reasons, and most of them preparing for supper. As soon as Cedric and Sofia saw her, they knew something was wrong.

"Madame Mirielle," Cedric acknowledged, recalling the run-in he, Sofia, and Amber had with her the previous year. He instantly frowned. "What is going on?"

"I know that I told you I wouldn't bother you again, Cedric the Sensational," she told him, her voice sounding raspier this time, matching her rather disheveled appearance. "But it couldn't wait, I'm afraid… Tell me none of the predictions I made last year have come true…"

Amber and Sofia exchanged glances, the hoard of predictions coming back to them, piece by piece…

"I see the little bit of light of a sea oracle fading entirely to the darkness, lost without any hope…
(Cybil Marie's name meant 'oracle' and 'sea mistress,' and she was indeed lost to the darkness.)

I see a powerful bond tested and hanging by a thread, tugged apart by opposition that wishes to obliviate this dynamic. The diadem will risk succumbing to fate; it is imperative that the bird of the night retrieve the precious one before it is too late.
(This one they weren't entirely sure about, but 'diadem' was another word for crown or tiara. The bird of night… A raven? Was Wormwood involved in this somehow? A powerful bond tested…)

I see a reunion of the selves, alike yet distinct, to satisfy a dilemma…or two.
(A reunion of the selves: all of the alternate universes met up last year to take down their evil selves.)

I see the ending of the wicked facets, but not without sacrifice.
(Wicked facets… Elementals. They were destroyed. Every last one of them… And Cybil Marie and Caledon the Cunning were lost as well.)

I see hope on a new horizon. The moon will embrace the sun completely, and the stars will align.
(Hopefully, this was a sign of what was yet to come. The moon will embrace the sun? Who was the moon, and who was the sun? Maybe… Cedric was the moon and Sofia was the sun? They HAD embraced their feelings and finally gotten together…)

I see the duality of the tranquil freedom that will alight upon the adoring emissaries.
(They honestly had no clue what this meant. 'Duality' meant two. Tranquil freedom… Peace? Could there finally BE peace?)

I see darkness…an empty youthful structure…and the emeralds of deceit. A life cannot exist without a martyr…
(This one really scared them. Darkness… Empty… Deceit… Martyr… Would there be another sacrifice? Would there be…another 'Erine?')

I see a great change to a former accolade, offered by the honest spirit.
(Cedric now went by his former title of Cedric the Sensational, and Sofia had been the one to bestow it upon him in the first place. 'Honest spirit,' indeed.)

I see the gem of wonders surpassing the lion, paving a new path for the future. And what is now one will soon be two. And for the ruby, what is now two…will soon double into reality.
(Gem of wonders could have been Amber, and the lion could have been Roland. Because she was slated to take her father's place. The other part, they weren't sure about. Ruby…could be about Sofia's friend Ruby. Or…maybe something else? Something meaningful?)

I see prosperity, but not without loss…
(Things would be good, but not without…evil? Losing someone else? They'd already suffered loss, hadn't they?)

I see…far more than what is… I see what will be…"
(This one spoke for itself. She could see into the future, and she had a very strange way of redelivering the information, but… Things were starting to come true.)

"Y-Yeah," Amber finally began, frowning as she rested her hands on her abdomen, Sofia following suit. "You're not here to scare us, are you?"

"That is not my intention," the older woman answered honestly. "However, I must issue you all a heavy warning…" She turned and cast pleading eyes toward the king, whose frown deepened in concern. "King Roland, I'm afraid there is a stirring near your kingdom, the likes of which I have never experienced before… It is dark, heavy, and deadly, and I'm sincerely concerned for your family."

"W-What can we do to stop it?" Roland asked nervously, sighing as Miranda reached over to take his hand.

"I'm not sure you can stop it, but you can fight it…" Her dull eyes fell to Sofia, who nervously shifted back. "You must be strong. Fear will overwhelm you. Helplessness will flood your being, insufficiently filling the emptiness within… The cry of loss, the pain of grief… The power of love is your only relief…"

"Can you not speak in riddles and tell us what we need to know?" Cedric asked harshly, anxiety tugging at him from all sides. Nana and her nightmare… Sofia and her nightmares… Tanya's unspoken concern… Was this…what they were being warned of the whole time? Was something terrible coming? …Who was he kidding? Even he could feel it. "Madame Mirielle, please…"

"I can only speak what I've been told," she told him apologetically. "I don't know precisely what the future holds for you, but I can tell you… It will test you like you've never been tested before. You will experience quite possibly the worst thing you've ever gone through, and if you allow it, it will consume you. Keep your eyes open and your strength up, and prepare to fight back, lest it fights you." Without another word, she turned and left.

"Okay, you guys need to stop meeting up with all these creepy people," James shuddered, his fingers lacing with Vivian's. "It would be cool to go a few months without something bad happening."

"The price we pay for living in an enchanted land," Amber laughed dryly. She glanced toward Sofia, whose face was pale. "Sofia? What's wrong?"

"H-Huh?" She blinked, smiling softly toward her sister. "I'm just… I'm okay. I guess that whole premonition thing just makes me a little nervous… Since some of the previous ones did come true already…"

"We will protect you, Sofia," Roland promised her. "We'll protect everyone. All the guards, all the magic, all the power possible… Whatever it takes, I'll keep us all safe."

She smiled warily at her father. "Thanks, Dad…" She then turned toward Cedric, sighing as she whispered lowly, "I just hope that's enough…"

Cedric stared at her for a few moments before gently wrapping her in an embrace, his hands caressing her back as Nana and Tanya stood off to the side, watching them uncertainly. "Me too, my love… Me too…"

The end (and to be continued in "The Cradle Will Rock")

Ending note: I'm jumping in down here to issue a warning for the story that will be released starting tomorrow. It's my first rated M story, but it's classified as such for a VERY good reason. I issue a warning at the beginning of each chapter, because there is some extremely sensitive material in that story. You'll need to decide if you can handle it or not, and if not, I completely understand. Just decide for yourself when the time comes. I know I've written dark stuff before, but this goes a bit beyond it... You'll see. See you tomorrow for the first two chapters of "The Cradle Will Rock." - Aqua

Preview (Read at your own risk...)

Two innocent souls captured

Ready or not

If you can't find me, sorcerer

The cradle will rock…