Rising Force

Summary: The Conjuror's Board has called in Cedric and Sofia to inform them about an evil version of themselves, who are not only wreaking havoc across other dimensions, but who have also destroyed several of their counterparts. They must team up with their other alternate counterparts to take down the evil duo before they become the next victims on the list. (Collab with Mr. Shortman92)

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story. The Abstruce Realm and its inhabitants (especially Ceddy, Fia, and Little Berry/Nana), Nana, and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X. The Absentia Realm (including AR Cedric and Sofia, as well as Fayette), the Malverus Realm (including Raverian and Sophitia), and the Veretis Realm (including Red and Ced), AND this idea all belong to Mr. Shortman92. [Phew! Lol]

A/N: Time to bring in a few familiar people. 😉 Of course, with all the chaos going on, it's time to get to the bottom of some stuff (and get some interesting updates, as well). Please note that to keep the different Cedric and Sofia pairs distinct, they'll be acknowledged by the following nicknames from now on out:

Ever Realm: Cedric and Sofia

Abstruce Realm: Ceddy and Fia

Absentia Realm: CeCe (pronounced 'Say-Say') and Sofie

Veretis Realm: Ced and Red

Malverus Realm: Raverian and Sophitia

Chapter 2: Strength in Numbers

After learning of the new threat, Sofia was nervous, to say the least. Having seen their evil counterparts realm-hopping and killing off other variations of herself and Cedric had put her on edge, and she was worried not only about the safety of herself and Cedric, but also about the safety of all their other counterparts, especially the Abstruce and Absentia Realms.

They'd gotten to meet up with their counterparts/friends on a few other occasions, and while they shared several similarities, they were also extremely different. Then again, that's what alternate realms were supposed to be like, right? Ceddy and Fia of the Abstruce Realm were more serious and mature, having lived through war and famine, danger at every turn, although they now led lives of peace and happiness for the first time in years. CeCe (one of the more childish nicknames for 'Cedric') and Sofie of the Absentia Realm were still relatively the same, though they'd begun courting not too long after meeting each other. And now, they were even engaged to be married. Then again, Sofia figured since they'd met when they were older, and since Sofie was already such a huge admirer of CeCe's, it wouldn't have taken too long to transition from friends to…well, more than that. There were plenty other similarities and differences, but now was no time to recollect them.

Right now, Sofia wanted to know exactly where this wicked duo was planning to strike next. If their familiar counterparts were on the list, they had to contact them and let them know. Honestly, she had planned to do so anyway, just to be on the safe side…

"Sofia."

Sofia blinked, frowning in confusion as she saw Chrysta waving a hand in front of her face. When she turned to the side, she noticed that Cedric seemed to be watching her quietly and in concern. "Oh, sorry, guys…" She looked down, knotting her fingers together. "I guess I just…had a lot to think about."

"Understandable," Cedric acknowledged, sliding his left arm around her waist, and pulling her closer, smiling as she rested her head on his shoulder. "But I think Chrysta has some information for us…"

The princess directed her attention toward the fairy now. "Please let it be good information…"

"Well…" She shrugged. "I don't know what constitutes 'good' in this situation, but I'll say this: we've managed to track some coordinates and plot points for where your evil twins struck already. If we're right, their next target should be a location called the Veretis Realm."

"I've never heard of that," Cedric admitted, gently caressing Sofia's side as she sighed.

"It's a magic-less realm," Orion told him as he and Vega walked over with a book, sliding it before the couple and flipping to a page that read Veretis Realm at the top. "It's something of a primitive area, known for random battle and war outbreaks."

"Kind of like the Abstruce Realm used to be?" Sofia wondered as she leaned forward and flipped through the pages, still close enough to Cedric to feel his comforting presence.

"It's less conditional and more territorial," Vega answered. "The Abstruce Realm, from what we've heard, hadn't always been a war-torn realm. It happened later on. On the other hand, the Veretis Realm has always had some sort of territorial discretion between the sides, so there's less structure and more…chaos, I guess…"

"So, we need to travel to the Veretis Realm and warn our counterparts, or bring them back with us to protect them?" Sofia clarified. "Maybe if our evil selves don't see them there, they'll just…" She waved one hand, hoping her trailed off statement spoke for itself.

"They're not going to give up that easily," Vega pointed out calmly. "I'm sorry to say it, Sofia, but the only way to stop these two may be to…well, greatly incapacitate them, if…if you know what I mean..."

"So, you want us to kill 'ourselves?'" Cedric asked, noticing Sofia glancing at him uncertainly.

"Or at least incarcerate them," Orion suggested, folding his arms. "Though I feel that hardly fits the crimes they've committed, unless they are going to be justly punished."

"I think the safest thing to do right now would be to get our Absentia and Abstruce counterparts to the Ever Realm and then deal with the Veretis two," the sorcerer surmised. "I've gathered that it's going to take them at least a little bit of time to get to the next realm, so it would be in our best interest to get the other four and their children ahead of time and let them know what's going on."

"Do what you must," Orion acquiesced. "But don't forget how ruthless this duo is, and don't miss the window for helping out the Veretis Realm Cedric and Sofia."

Later that evening, Cedric and Sofia were sitting in his workshop, talking things over. Wormwood had taken the subtle hint his master had tossed him and guided the girls out of the tower and down to get something to eat.

"I think we should split up," Sofia began, smiling gently as she saw a look of surprise on her partner's face. She quickly grabbed his hands, laughing. "Not like that, Cedric… I just meant, let's split up and travel to the realms separately."

He sighed in relief. "I was going to say… I know you're stressed with this scenario, but…" He chuckled quietly as she nodded. "All right, so… You take the Absentia Realm, and I'll take the Abstruce Realm. What's the plan? Just get them to travel back here with us?"

She nodded. "Yes. They'll be safer here with us, since we're not on the target list just yet. Get our counterparts and their children, because we don't want anyone left behind."

Cedric nodded. "Very well. Now the real question is… How do we get to each realm? Your amulet summoned you to Absentia, and Fia found her way to us. We've never had to actively visit either realm on our own."

"What about the Dimension Door?" She pointed toward the Galactica Spellbook, which was lying on his desk. "Can it be used for two different travel goals at the same time?"

"I honestly don't know, but I'd suggest not doing that, as there could probably be some rather terrible consequences…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "How about…? Ah, how about this? I'll travel to Abstruce first, explain the situation to them, and then bring them back here. Then afterward, you can travel to Absentia and do the same thing, and then we can have everyone united."

"And what are the chances that either other Cedric would know about the Dimension Door?"

He frowned. "I'm not sure I know what you mean…"

She shrugged. "If…something goes wrong? Do you think the other two would have the ability to fix the problem?"

Cedric smiled softly at the princess, taking her hands once more. "Sofia, don't worry. We both know how to navigate the Dimension Door by now. Just stay the course, like we experienced with Sunni, and everything will be all right. Remember: once inside the space, we must call out, 'Transport request,' and then the dimension we want to visit. The door will remain available for sixty seconds. And then to return, you'll do just the same thing: call out, 'Transport request: Ever Realm,' and our door will return to get back here. All right?"

Sofia just nodded, feeling a bit nervous about traveling into the vacant space alone, but knowing it was necessary to stop their evil counterparts. "Okay… Just be careful, Cedric, please."

He nodded, chuckling. "I will. And you do the same." He released her hands before standing up and walking over to his desk, scooping the Galactica Spellbook up. He carried it toward the large paned window, placing it down next to it, before kneeling and placing his wand over the Claddagh symbol. "Ratio Veni Magia." He quickly shuffled back as the book went through its usual transformation into the Dimension Door.

The princess walked over, extending a hand to her partner, smiling as he accepted and pulled himself to his feet. "No getting lost in endless space."

Cedric chuckled, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her. "The only time I get lost is when I look into your eyes."

She giggled at the corny line as he leaned down, kissing her gently. She broke the kiss before offering him a concerned expression. "I'm serious, Cedric… Please be safe."

He hugged her, sighing as she wrapped her arms around him in response. "I will, my love… I promise." When she released him, he turned and opened the Dimension Door, stepping inside the starry space, hearing his shoes echo as he walked. He stopped a few paces out. "Transport request." Everything stopped as it appeared the emptiness was waiting on his next line. "Abstruce Realm, Enchancia Castle, the royal sorcerer's tower."

Several feet in front of him, the outline of a steel door appeared before creaking open. He cast one last loving glance toward Sofia before hurrying over to the door, slipping inside just as it sealed up behind him.

Sofia closed the Dimension Door, placing her back against it, sighing. "Hurry back, Cedric…"

Ceddy and Fia were minding their own business when a door appeared out of nowhere, opening up, to reveal a very cautious Cedric standing there.

Fia blinked, standing up from Ceddy's bed, walking over to him. "Cedric?"

"Oh, good!" He laughed nervously, stepping into his counterpart's bedroom and looking around, noticing how similar it was to his own. He did notice, however, that the other Cedric was lying on his bed, a towel over his head, while the top of his robe was opened. "Um, everything all right?"

Ceddy groaned softly as he sat up, lowering the damp cloth from his head and running it instead over his chest. "Not quite feeling well, to be perfectly honest… I think Fia's cooking gave me food poisoning."

Fia shot him a glare as she released her shoulder-length hair from its ponytail before finger-combing through the locks and retying it into another ponytail. "Don't try me, Ceddy. You're sick because you ate too much of my cooking, because you enjoyed it, and you know it." She smirked as he whined before plopping against the pillow again. She grinned toward Cedric. "If anything, he's just got a stomachache."

"Where's Little Berry?" the Ever Realm sorcerer asked quickly, completely overlooking whatever the princess had just said.

Fia blinked curiously. "Nana? She's in her room—"

"You must get her. You're in danger here." He saw Ceddy sit up, again, narrowing his eyes at him. "I'll explain on the way, but we must go. Sofia is waiting for us in my workshop."

"No, you'll explain now." Ceddy stood, fastening his hooded robe back into place, tossing the cloth into a laundry basket. "What's going on?"

Cedric sighed before launching into an overall explanation of what had happened with the Malverus duo, or their 'evil counterparts.' The other two didn't necessarily seem all that surprised, but given that they'd been through a lot of trauma and danger in their lives, he couldn't blame them. "So… To keep us all safe, we're gathering all of…Sofia and myself…or us… Or whatever! We'll have everyone housed in the Ever Realm for now."

"I don't think your tower is going to be big enough," Fia joked, smirking as he sighed. "It's kind of small…"

"It most certainly is not," Ceddy argued, folding his arms. "It's a perfectly spacious tower."

"Yeah, for two people. But eight? Plus, the kids?" She shook her head. "I don't mind a little 'family reunion,' but it needs to be somewhere that has a bit more room…"

"I'm sure King Roland would let us use one of the common rooms or something," Cedric acquiesced. "But we really must go now. Please, get Nana, and let's head out."

"Very well." Ceddy slipped his boots on before stopping next to Fia, smirking at her as she frowned curiously. "You could be right… Perhaps I did enjoy your cooking a little more than I thought…" He then pulled her toward him, whispering to her, "There are many things of yours that I just can't get enough of…"

Fia smiled shyly for once, blushing. "Cedric—"

"Now, people!" Cedric insisted, sighing and shaking his head at the couple before him as they reluctantly parted to get Little Berry and prepare to leave. "Unbelievable…"

Once the trio from the Abstruce Realm was gathered, Cedric led them back into the Dimension Door space, calling out the transport request of the Ever Realm (more specifically, Enchancia Castle, his tower). The door to his tower appeared, and they quickly hurried toward it, making it just before the last few seconds ticked down.

Sofia gasped in surprise as she turned from the worktable, smiling as she saw the others gathered. "Oh, you're okay!" She hurried over to Cedric, hugging him, before glancing up at him. "Cedric, you're brilliant, you really are… But you make some really worrisome inventions sometimes."

He chuckled, kissing her forehead gently before turning to the other three. "I…take it that you two are unfamiliar with the Dimension Door."

"You could say that," Ceddy acknowledged, holding onto Little Berry as she clung to his neck. "Is that something new?"

"Sort of. I've actually been working on it on and off for some years now, with other collaborators, and even the Elementals were after it..."

"But he didn't tell me about that thing until earlier this year," Sofia finished, sighing. "Needless to say, that was an interesting surprise…" She smiled at Little Berry, who returned the smile. "Oh, did Cedric tell you guys the plan?"

"Yeah," Fia answered, leaning against the tower wall. "And from what I understood, Prince and Princess Cupcakes and Rainbows will be joining us soon?"

The Ever Realm princess laughed. "Fia… They're not that bad."

"They're kind of annoying, Sofia… Nothing bad ever happened to them, until the whole Zarova thing several months ago… And even then, they acted like it didn't even faze them. It's like nothing can break their sugary, innocent bubble."

"There's nothing wrong with that, love," Ceddy told her, pulling her toward him and resting his head on top of hers, causing her to sigh. "They just have a different experience from the rest of us. They're still us, to a degree…just with a little less experience with evil."

"And real life," Fia concluded, smirking as her partner huffed. "What? I'm just saying…"

"Your turn, my dear," Cedric told Sofia as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now, listen. You need to make sure you hurry to the door when it appears, get the other two and Fayette as quickly as possible, and get back here. We still have one more realm to visit, and I'm afraid we're losing daylight." He nodded outside his window, where they could see some sparse light left.

"Okay…"

"Be careful, Ms. Sofia," Little Berry told her mother's counterpart, smiling as the princess nodded at her.

"I will, sweetie. Don't worry." She was caught slightly off guard when Cedric pulled her into a hug as she had done to him earlier, but this time, he kissed her deeply.

"Okay, I don't want to hear a word about us," Fia pointed out, snickering as the other two separated and blushed. "Seems like you two are definitely more intimate than you used to be."

"I guess being in love does that," Sofia murmured, a little lightheaded from Cedric's kiss, a soft giggle escaping her as he smiled at her. "Um, yeah… Yeah! Okay, let's do this…" She repeated his actions from earlier, opening the Dimension Door, stepping inside, and calling out for the Absentia Realm, Enchancia Castle, the royal sorcerer's tower. She waved at the others before turning back to the door that had just appeared, hurrying over to it.

As she neared, she couldn't help the amused grin that appeared on her face as she saw the color of this door. It was soft lavender with several blue flowers etched into it. "Of course… Why not?" As she reached the door, she opened it and slipped inside. She immediately rolled her eyes at the sight before her.

This Cedric, known as CeCe, was holding Sofie's hand, kissing up her arm, causing her to giggle. Fayette was hovering around them, her little wings beating rapidly to keep her elevated.

"Ahem."

CeCe gasped as he turned to Sofia, his mouth dropping open. "S-Sofia! Y-You, um…" He tugged at the collar to his shirt before asking sheepishly, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." She shook her head as Sofie giggled again. "Guys, I don't have time to explain, but I need you to come with me."

"Why?" Sofie asked distractedly as she twirled her hair around her fingers. "CeCe was just about to read a story to Fayette, and I wanted to help."

"Yay!" Fayette cheered with a giggle.

"You're in danger here," the princess insisted. "There's an evil Cedric and Sofia going realm to realm, killing all of us."

"Ah, no, no, heh…" CeCe held his hands over Fayette's ears as he glared disappointedly at his friend. "Sofia, we don't say the 'k' word here…"

Sofia frowned, marching over to her partner's counterpart, and glared at him. "And if you don't come with me right now, you may not be able to say anything else ever again, especially if our evil counterparts make it here."

He finally recognized the serious nature in her voice and even the pleading expression behind her eyes and sighed, lowering his hands from Fayette's ears. "Very well…" He gathered the little girl into his arms, smiling as she held onto him from the side. He then took Sofie's left hand, his thumb gently brushing over a simple silver band.

Sofia watched them quietly, noting the sweet moment that passed between the couple. She'd almost forgotten they'd gotten engaged earlier this year. Then again, there had been quite a lot that had gone on the last several months, so it wasn't necessarily all that surprising. She was happy for them, and she knew that it was likely fate, since all their counterparts so far had ended up together. Maybe it was meant to be? She allowed a gentle smile to form on her lips at that thought before shaking her head. "Okay… You guys follow me, and I'll get us back to the Ever Realm. And make sure you hurry, because you don't want to get lost in the Dimension Door portal."

CeCe and Sofie gulped at the mentioning, while Fayette tilted her head curiously.

Sofia frowned at their reaction. "Just…stay near me. If I run, you run. Got it?" Seeing them nod, she led them toward the door. "Let's go."

Thankfully, the Absentia realm Cedric and Sofia were able to follow directions rather well. They kept up with the princess, despite how nervous they were to be inside such a strange transitional vacuum. And it was so quiet… Too quiet. The sooner they got out of there, the better.

Cedric glanced up from the cup of tea he'd been drinking with Ceddy and Fia, setting the cup and saucer aside as Sofia, CeCe, Sofie, and Fayette stumbled back through the door. "That was fast."

"She's pushy," Sofie pointed out, grinning as her counterpart tossed her a sarcastic look. "What? You are!" She poked her lip out as she looked at her other counterpart and the guys. "She wouldn't let us read Fayette her story either."

"I would have tossed the book out the window, so she's nicer than I am," Fia admitted, smirking as Sofie pouted.

"Fayette!" Little Berry called excitedly from her place on the staircase. She grinned as the fairy flew over and tackled her into a hug. "You're here too!"

"Yes!" Fayette giggled in excitement. "I like your dress!"

Little berry looked down at her simple blue dress with ruffles along the sleeves and hem, her simple black shoes matching the black bow around her waist. "Thanks. And I like yours too!"

Fayette grinned as she spun around in the air, her elegant white dress flowing out around her. "Thanks! Mama Miranda made it for me!"

"I hate to spoil the sweetness," Cedric told them, smiling apologetically at the little girls, "but we have a serious matter to tend to here. You will all be safe here in the Ever Realm. From what we can tell, our evil counterparts are only after us, so I don't think any of our family or friends will be bothered."

"And we want you guys to stay here while we go get the other two."

"Wait, what 'other two' exactly?" Sofie wondered.

"The next Cedric and Sofia they're after are from the Veretis Realm," Cedric answered. "Which…I've never really heard much about until the Protectors explained it."

"I have," Ceddy told him. "Not much to the place. It's basically just a wasteland with no actual magic, ravaged by war and hardships."

"That's uplifting," Fia huffed, folding her arms. "And sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"Yes, love, but we had magic to help us; they do not." He looked back at the other couple. "Whoever our counterparts are from the Veretis Realm, I would not expect too many similarities. I'd even venture to say that they'll likely be extremely different."

"No matter what they're like," Sofia began, "they're us. We have to help them."

"In the meantime, it's best if you all stay here," Cedric finished, gesturing around. "There are plenty of books to read, if you'd like. And Nana and Tanya have some games stored in my desk if you'd like to keep the girls busy." He took Sofia's hand. "Sofia and I will travel together this time to get the other two."

The others simply nodded as Cedric and Sofia bid them farewell for now, entering the Dimension Door to complete their task.

When the door closed behind them, Fia smirked up at Ceddy. "I think Cedric's workshop is actually bigger, don't you?"

Ceddy frowned, folding his arms. "I guess it helps when he actually retained the royal sorcerer job. I didn't exactly get that luxury, and my tower suffered because of it. So, there."

CeCe ran his amulet along the chain, humming thoughtfully. "Maybe you shouldn't have taken over your kingdom?"

Ceddy paused before glancing at his more innocent counterpart, a wry smile forming on his face. "Yes, maybe… I'll take that into consideration next time. Thanks for the input."

The Absentian sorcerer grinned. "Any time!"

Fia raked a hand down her face as Sofie giggled. "What an idiot…"

"Transport request," Cedric called out as he and Sofia were in the center of the holding area between the Dimension Door and their next destination. "Veretis Realm, Enchancia…" He didn't know if their next counterparts even had a castle, so he figured the general location would be good enough. As soon as the door to the realm appeared before them, he quickly tugged Sofia along toward the exit.

They made it to the other door, pulling it open and being greeted immediately by a rather warm gust of wind. They shook it off and pressed onward.

The Veretis Realm was rather plain and ordinary, or at least from the little bit that they could see so far. There was not much plant life to speak of, and there appeared to be burn marks scorched into the dirt. There even seemed to be some bones and armor fragments as well as weapons strewn across the ground. Such a strange sight…

Even stranger was the Enchancian castle in the distance from where they'd exited, though it looked horrific. It appeared much older in its style, and there seemed to be a lot of cosmetic damage to it, perhaps during a siege or a battle in the past. The wall surrounding the castle was missing a few sections. And instead of the usual stone bridge, a cheap wooden bridge was in its place, looking rather unsafe and questionable.

"This is…weird," Sofia finally spoke, her blue eyes darting around the area and taking in all the unfortunate results of whatever battles or wars had destroyed their counterparts' land. Speaking of counterparts…

Cedric nudged her, pointing toward the castle grounds (or what was left of them, anyway). "Sofia, look."

In the distance, they could see several men, in mismatched "uniforms," huddled together in front of the castle. And just beyond them, their lookalikes stood, rallying the troops.

"Let's get a closer look," Cedric whispered to her, taking Sofia's hand and pulling her along, across that unsteady bridge, which felt like it would crumble beneath their feet. Still, they made it across and hid behind part of the rubble that was the stone wall and watched the others.

Now that they were closer, they could see their counterparts much better.

This Sofia was armored, though not as nicely as Fia tended to be. Her hair was long and braided into fine sections but was also pulled back into a thick ponytail, stopping just around her waist. In her hands were two small gladius-type swords. She wore the Amulet of Avalor around her neck, but there was a glaring difference about hers versus the others': it was blood red.

Next to her was this realm's Cedric, and while Sofia's counterpart looked far more muscular and physically powerful, Cedric's counterpart appeared even more so. This version of Cedric was rather muscular with long, dark, wavy hair streaming down his back. He was shirtless though he wore gauntlets on his forearms. The little bit of clothing he did wear included dark pants and scuffed boots. In his hands, he held a large sword, similar to the one Wolfrik once carried.

"Is it just me, or do they seem to be the leaders of some primitive type of army?" the sorcerer whispered, frowning as he compared the other Cedric's muscular form with his wiry one, lifting his long robe sleeve a bit to pout at his thin arm. "I feel so…self-conscious now… I know I'm more in shape than I used to be, but the other 'me' looks like he's built like some sort of deity."

"Right? Even this realm's 'me' looks like she could pick me up with one hand and toss me over her head…" Sofia noticed her partner's crestfallen expression before smiling and reaching over, placing a hand over his arm while kissing his lips softly.

He sighed, smiling as she hugged him, and he swiftly returned the hug.

She parted from him before nodding toward the other two. "We need to see if we can get a bit closer to find out more about them." She jumped when the group of men cheered loudly, apparently in response to whatever the duo had chanted. "Um, quickly, maybe?" She grabbed his arm, dragging him a bit closer, yet still staying as hidden as possible.

The Veretis Realm Sofia held her audience's attention as she twirled one of the small swords in her hand before sheathing them both behind her back. "Men… As you all know, we were barely able to hold off those animals from Corinthia, and they used to be our allies. Who knows where the next attack may come from? It could be from our dear friends in Wei-Ling, or those cold-hearted Friezenburgers. And we must be prepared."

"You heard your fearless general!" the Veretis Realm Cedric spoke, grinning at the men as he held his sword above his head, thrusting it into the air. "We must train harder than ever before. We will not let them take our land, our heritage, or our pride!"

Cedric and Sofia exchanged glances, wondering if there was actually a threat nearby or if they were just gearing up for a potential one.

"When they come," the auburn-haired young woman continued, "and they will… We'll be ready for them."

"Yes!" The other Cedric clutched his sword tightly in his hand, pointing it toward the roaring troops. "If they fight us, they shall die! And if any of those spineless traitors kill any of you, you'd better make sure to square up in the afterlife!"

"If any of 'em even have a spine, they won't when I'm through with 'em!" one random man shouted, causing his comrades to pause for just a few moments before exploding into more cheers.

The Veretis Realm Cedric grinned and pointed excitedly toward the unknown man. "What he said!"

The other Sofia laughed, folding her arms. "I like your enthusiasm, men. But save that energy for the battlefield, where you'll need it to crush our enemies into dust."

The partners from the Ever Realm glanced toward each other before holding hands even tighter than before as they slowly approached the group. After all, they had a mission to complete, and despite the primitive mentality— And they were now surrounded by soldiers on all sides, their weapons drawn.

"Cedric," Sofia whispered, holding onto him as he pulled her closer.

"Hold still, my dear…" He frowned as their lookalikes approached them, seeming rather confused and suspicious. "Excuse me, I—"

"Don't speak," the other Sofia told him, swiping the other Cedric's sword and holding it toward the sorcerer's throat, glaring at him as he gulped. "Tell me why you two have our faces, and if we believe you, maybe we won't kill you." She lowered the sword, watching as he sighed. "You have thirty seconds. Go."

"We're you," Sofia explained simply, about to add more as the other Cedric scoffed.

"Clearly! What do you imposters want?"

"You must come with us," the princess continued. She noticed the crowd around them closing in, seemingly approaching them slowly but surely. "Th-There's another pair coming, a wicked version of us, and they have been killing off all our other counterparts. You're next, from what we understand…"

The other auburn-haired girl laughed in delight, grinning. "And why should we believe that? Nothing you're saying is making any sense." She chuckled as she nodded toward some of her men. "And just like that… Your time is up!"

Several men began charging the partners with their weapons drawn, but they were instantly stopped when Sofia used her Enchantlet to activate a magical barrier, and Cedric strengthened it with his wand. When it appeared that they were not able to break through, the men stepped back, startled by the display.

The other Sofia gaped at the sight, stunned and flabbergasted with what she saw as she took a step back, bumping into the other Cedric. "W-What is this sorcery?"

Cedric smirked as Sofia deactivated their combined barrier. "Um, actual sorcery?" He smiled disarmingly as the other pair stared at him in surprise. "Allow me to explain…"

They went through the usual explanation of what was going on, and by the end, the Cedric and Sofia of the Veretis Realm looked as though their heads were spinning.

"Let me get this straight…" The Veretis Sofia held a hand to her head. "We have a lot of 'twins' who were killed in their own realms, most who probably possessed and practiced magic, and now we're up next… So you want me and Ced to go with you guys to the Ever Realm with two other twins of ours?"

"That's…about right," Sofia laughed. She nodded toward her counterpart's partner. "And did you call him Ced?"

"That's right. And here, they call me Red." She grinned, striking a pose. "General Red, at your service."

"Red and Ced," Cedric concluded, shaking his head. "Adorable."

Ced scoffed. "At least we don't have to rely on magic to save ourselves. We've got tons of fighting experience and physical strength." He approached Cedric, circling him and smirking as he poked at the sorcerer's wiry frame, causing him to yelp. "You look like one small gust of wind could blow you over." He paused, proudly patting one of his arms, showing off his muscles. "You can keep your magic, sorcerer. At least when it comes down to a fight, I know I can protect my wife at all costs."

"Your wife?" Sofia asked, blinking, as she looked back and forth between Red and Ced. "Wait a minute…" She pointed at them. "You two are…married?" She then pointed toward the red amulet around Red's neck as the other two nodded. "And that's the same as my amulet: the Amulet of Avalor. I'm guessing yours doesn't have powers like mine…"

"Oh, this?" Red reached up, caressing the jewel fondly. "I don't know if it has a name, but I definitely know it doesn't have powers. Ced found it in some rubble one time, cleaned it up, and gave it to me for our first wedding anniversary." She grinned at her proudly smiling husband. "That was, what? Three years ago, Ced? I'd just turned seventeen at the time."

Cedric stared at the general in awe. "You married when you were sixteen?"

"It's a pretty common practice here, bro," Ced remarked, grinning as Cedric grimaced at the little quip. "Actually, my sis got married at fifteen, so…" He shrugged. "It's usually more about survival and station, though I actually love Red, although that's not always a requirement." He smiled sheepishly as his wife made a noise of annoyance.

Red playfully glared at her husband. "Gee, thanks."

He laughed. "Red came to me as a young girl, asking me to train her. She figured since I was a well-known knight, I would be the best choice. I initially said 'no,' but I couldn't deny her for long. Her desire to protect our land at such a young age was very admirable, and so I took her on as my trainee, but she quickly surpassed me and became the general of our army. And now… We've kind of started making an army of our own."

Sofia blinked at the strange comment before turning to Red, who giggled and gently caressed her stomach. "O-Oh! You're… You're pregnant?" Her mind immediately brought up images of one of her pregnant counterparts dying at the hands of the evil duo. She couldn't let that happen to Red… She wouldn't let that happen.

"Yeah… You can't imagine how hilarious it was to tell my men. Some of them blubbered in happiness more than my sister did." She laughed. "Some warriors we have…"

"All the more reason for you two to come with us," Cedric urged as Sofia took his hand. "Believe me, we mean you no harm, but I can't say the same for the other Cedric and Sofia."

Ced frowned, glancing toward Red. "I don't know…"

Before anything else could be said, there was a loud rumbling sound in the distance, like nothing Cedric and Sofia had ever heard before. However, given it was a different realm, it was worth asking…

"Is there anything in your realm that would make that sound?" Cedric wondered.

"That?" Red shook her head. "No. That is the sound of a growling demon, or something like that… It's not from anywhere in this realm; I can tell you that much."

The sorcerer nodded worriedly, squeezing Sofia's hand. "I was afraid you'd say that." He glanced up, noticing that the sounds were getting louder. "I believe we have company."

Sofia looked toward their counterparts. "Please, you guys must come with us, now!"

"But we can't just leave our—"

"Red, these aren't like any enemies you've ever faced before. Trust me!" She gestured toward her counterpart's stomach. "If not for yourselves, then for your baby…"

Ced finally nodded. "All right… We'll follow your lead, for now…"

Cedric turned and opened the Dimension Door portal, ushering the others inside before entering himself, sealing off the door behind them just as the evil counterparts appeared, each on their own motorcycle and looking rather annoyed that their counterparts were gone.

"Never mind," Raverian soothed his partner, smirking as she glared at him. "I think I know where they went…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Splitting End