Pandemonium
Summary: After a tragic event leaves all of Enchancia shaken, in the midst of overwhelming devastation and despair, an unexpected ally lends a hand to restore balance to the realm once more. (Collab with Mr. Shortman92; editing assistance by MarionetteJ2X)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Daemno, Alamea, and Corban. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X. Daemno's wife Daluzia belongs to Mr. Shortman92. Also, this is his idea. 😊
Chapter 3: Parental Instincts
The following day, Cedric woke up close to noon. Granted, given how little sleep he'd had since Sofia's untimely death, this wasn't all that surprising.
He shook his head slowly as he slaked away his tiredness. As much as it pained him to admit it, today wasn't about Sofia… There were many people who needed to hear an apology from him, and as devastating as it was to think about, Sofia was still…gone. As of right now, there was nothing he could do for her; and so, although the thought pained him immensely, he knew he'd have to let go of her for at least a little while to focus on the here and now and right the wrongs he'd caused the last few days.
He stood from his chair, stretching, and pulled out his wand. With a quick utterance, he cast a strong cleaning spell not only on himself, but also on the chair. His hair was back to its normal state, and he was now clean again with a fresh set of his normal clothing on. He could also tell that his teeth had been brushed, leaving fresh breath for the first time in a few days, thankfully. However, casting such a powerful spell was enough to leave him drained, so he knew that eating would be the next priority before anything else. And since conjuring food would likely lead to him passing out, he decided instead to head to the kitchen.
He glanced toward Sofia momentarily, taking in her still form, and forced himself to look away. He couldn't… Not right now. "I… My love, don't think I'm giving up on you…" He frowned, sheathing his wand. "I just need…some time." With nothing else to say, he made his way toward her bedroom door, which had been left open the last few days in case anyone wanted to see her or check on him (which had indeed happened rather often). He stopped, holding onto the door frame as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him. "Mm…" He really needed food.
He heard a set of footfalls to his right and glanced up, seeing the royal stewardess approaching him. "Miss Violet," he acknowledged as she neared, figuring he should probably take the time to at least apologize to her first, since she was already there. Plus, if he was being honest with himself, he could really use some company on his way to the kitchen, lest he experience a dizzy spell again. 'Ironic,' he thought, recalling Sofia's many bouts with dizzy spells several months ago, which turned out to be caused by Zarova. 'Parallels… Even at a time like this…'
Violet had intended to walk past the room to continue her chores until she heard her name called. She looked up and smiled cautiously upon seeing Cedric leaning against the doorframe. She knew this whole matter was disparaging to the sorcerer, as it would be to anyone whose loved one was ripped away, but she'd been wary of him for that very reason. At least now, he seemed to be a bit calmer. "Hi, Mr. Cedric," she greeted softly as she stopped near him. "What can I do for you?"
Cedric sighed. Even now, she only aimed to help him, despite how cold he'd been the last few days. "Well, first, I must apologize to you for my behavior… I'm so sorry that I snapped at you, Miss Violet. You were only doing your job and even attempting to see to my needs, and I shouldn't have acted the way I did."
Her smile became more understanding, seeing that he truly was apologetic. "Oh, Mr. Cedric, it's fine, really… I know you haven't quite been yourself lately, for very obvious reasons…" She saw the brief look of pain cross over his features and quickly changed the subject. "So, will you be eatin' today? You know that it's almost lunchtime. You could head to the dinin' room now if you're hungry, and the food should be served shortly."
He smiled sheepishly in return, still gripping the door frame. "Um, that's the other reason I called out to you, actually… If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you…possibly mind escorting me there?" He sighed as she blinked at his query. "I seem to have depleted most of my energy, and I fear I may collapse between here and the dining hall."
Violet gasped. "Oh, why didn't you say so? Here." She walked over to his left side, helping him drape his arm over her shoulders for support. "I'd be delighted to help you, Mr. Cedric. Come along then!" As she began helping him down the hallway, she saw Marcie walking by and asked her to let everyone know that lunch would be served soon, to which she received an affirmative nod. Then, she continued leading Cedric down the hall.
Cedric shouldn't have been surprised by the stewardess's kindness and grace, given her nature and consistent willingness to aid others when possible (a trait she'd clearly picked up from her former boss and closest friend, Baileywick, of course), but even still… He was. "Thank you, Miss Violet… You're too kind. And again, I do apologize for…"
She just laughed softly, waving away his concern. "Oh, don't fret over it anymore, Mr. Cedric. It's already forgotten. Let's just focus on gettin' your strength back, shall we? I'll take you directly to the kitchen, actually, so that you can have some sweets while you wait for the main course. I'm sure that will help perk you right up. A little sugar, eh?" She chuckled as Cedric nodded silently in agreement.
Soon, they arrived in the kitchen, and Violet bid Cedric good day before heading off to attend to her normal duties. The kitchen was rather busy right now, considering how close to lunchtime it was, so Cedric sat off to the side, out of everyone's way. He located a plate of discarded cookies lying unattended on a cart near his seat, so he began munching on them.
Chef Andre removed his toque momentarily to fan himself with it as he stepped away from the typical lunchtime chaos behind him, but he saw something rather strange as he replaced his chef hat: Cedric, sitting near the corner, a plate of cookies at his disposal. He approached the sorcerer and gasped, causing the other man to pause with a cookie in his left hand, halfway raised to his mouth, his cheeks obviously stuffed with cookies; the sorcerer turned and looked toward him curiously. "Cedric, what are you doing?" he asked in alarm. "Those cookies are stale! They were supposed to be thrown out days ago!"
Cedric scoffed with his mouth full. "Sho? And I haven't eaten anyfing in a foo daysh." He swallowed, realizing how ridiculous he sounded trying to reason with the chef, who looked unamused. "So, right now, these 'stale' cookies are possibly the greatest thing I've ever tasted. And why are you still here, exactly? I thought you retired years ago."
Chef Andre shrugged, not really understanding why he was bringing this up now, but deciding to oblige someone who was obviously still in a state of mourning and possibly denial. "I did, for about a week… Whatever new chef they hired in my place was an amateur, and I was practically begged to come back. With a raise, I might add." He grinned proudly as Cedric nodded.
He took a bite from the cookie in his hand while Chef Andre gaped at him in shock; those cookies had been sitting on that same plate, uncovered, since before Sofia died a few days ago, and the kitchen staff merely kept forgetting to dispose of them.
Chef Andre sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, do as you like. If you want to eat them, I won't stop you. However, lunch will be ready soon, so why don't you take your stale cookies to the dining room? You're honestly starting to make me and my staff a bit queasy."
Cedric rolled his eyes before setting the half-eaten cookie back on the plate, brushing the crumbs off his hands and his robe as he stood. "I think you mean you are getting queasy, since your staff seems to be busy." He smirked as Chef Andre folded his arms, glowering at him. "All right, I get it… Probably best to save room for lunch anyway." With that, he left the kitchen and his precious stale cookies behind, heading into the dining room while the chef quickly snagged the plate to discard.
Cedric sat in his usual spot at the dining table, sipping a glass of water as he waited for the others to arrive. He thought about what he could possibly say to them, especially his girls—more specifically, Tanya. He knew this could get awkward, and he just hoped that everyone else would be as forgiving as Violet was earlier. He glanced at the seat next to him, which didn't have a setting like the others, and he suddenly felt very out of place. Would he even be welcome to eat with the others with Sofia not there? Did he even deserve to? He didn't really have time to ponder over these questions as he heard several pairs of footsteps entering the room. "Well, this is it…"
As everyone began entering the dining room, they were surprised to see Cedric sitting in his usual seat for the first time in a few days. However, no one said anything, afraid he might snap at them if they did.
The first thing Cedric noticed was that his sister and niece were among the royal family, as well as Angel and Nigel, which he figured was a good sign. Then again, they hadn't acted as he had, and the family adored them, so it made sense that they'd be welcomed to share meals with the royal family. However, he also noticed that his girls weren't with the group, which didn't immediately bother him, as he figured they were likely just running late. Still, they should have shown up with Cordelia and Amber, and both were already there. And later, once the food was finally served, he noticed that there was no food placed where the girls would normally sit.
Now feeling panicked, he rose from his seat, asking frantically, "Where are my girls?" He looked around, noticing that everyone seemed surprised and even a little confused by his outburst.
Cordelia cleared her throat, drawing Cedric's attention as she responded, "Cedric, the girls are fine. They just wanted to eat in the tower today. Didn't you know that already?"
Cedric shook his head as he sat back down in his seat. "No, I didn't. Why would they do that?"
Baileywick then added, "I think they just wanted to spend the day alone. Or that's what Violet said at least."
Suddenly, Violet walked in with the rest of the food. "You called, Mr. Baileywick?" she asked playfully, securing a small smile from her friend as she lowered a plate in front of him and discreetly patted his back.
Roland gestured toward the woman with his hand. "Violet, Cedric was wondering why the girls are eating in the tower."
Violet then turned to Cedric, a look of confusion on her face. "Well, when I went to retrieve everyone for breakfast, that's where I found them. Tanya was in her adult form, and she requested their meals be brought to the tower until further notice. But she said you knew." She shrugged as Cedric frowned. "Somethin' about how she volunteered to look after Nana for you until you were feelin' better?" Seeing him shake his head, she shrugged. "That's what she told me, anyway." She then finished delivering the extra food before heading off to make sure everything else was running smoothly.
"So, what's going on then, Uncle Ceddy?" Calista asked, getting her uncle's attention.
"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest." He sighed. "It might have something to do with my terrible attitude." Seeing he had everyone's attention, he continued, "I snapped at Tanya last night, and maybe she's just upset? I feel awful about it. I feel awful about my behavior toward everyone lately, and I'm truly sorry for any rude things I've said the last couple days. I didn't mean them. I've just been in a very dark place, considering..."
Miranda nodded, offering him a sad smile, evidence of her grief still lingering in her puffy eyes (further indicating that she'd been crying quite a bit recently, and with obvious reason). "We know, Cedric. We understand, and we forgive you. We all miss her as much as you do. But we know how important she was to you, and how much you changed because of her. It only makes sense that losing her would cause you to regress a bit."
"Mom's right, Cedric," Amber acknowledged. "We don't blame you. You and Sofia have been inseparable for years now. We all accepted a long time ago that you two were a package deal, making you just as much a member of our family as her. Of course, with you two recently courting… That makes you much closer to us than before. And family members don't turn their backs on each other just because one said or did something dumb." She smiled at him as everyone else nodded in agreement. Her words managed to surprise him.
...But not as much as James's: "Yeah, Cedric! Amber's right. You're practically our brother-in-law!"
Cedric blushed in embarrassment, despite his recent status as Sofia's romantic partner. "Um, well, thank you for that, James, Amber, and…everyone. It means a great deal that you have said such things, really. I promise I'll try to be better from now on." He managed to eat a bit before feeling full and then stood up. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have to go apologize to my girls… Enjoy the rest of your meal, everyone." With that, he bowed and exited the dining room.
The girls and Wormwood were sitting at Cedric's worktable, eating their lunch, when they heard a knock at the door, followed by Cedric's voice calling out, "Girls, it's me. May I come in?"
Tanya was a little confused as to why he was asking such a thing. "It is your workshop, Cedric..."
Cedric frowned, realizing that Tanya must have been in her adult form right now, as Violet had indicated earlier. "Yes, but I'm not going to come in if you don't want me to." He let his hand rest against the wooden door, his head leaning against it as he awaited her response.
Tanya sighed. "All right, you can come in."
Cedric opened the door, and slipped inside, closing it behind him before hesitantly approaching the girls. He was about to say something, but Tanya beat him to it.
"I am sorry, Cedric. After all that you and Sofia have done for me, it was wrong of me to strike you."
Her words surprised Cedric as he laughed incredulously, waving her off. "Oh, don't be sorry for that, Tanya. I deserved it. I was horrible to you." Seeing he had her attention, he knelt beside her, taking her hand as he continued, "Look, what I said to you... It was wrong, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it, and I never should have said it. Can you forgive me, Tanya?"
Tanya suddenly lunged at Cedric, hugging him tightly, something that surprised both Cedric and herself, considering she was in her adult form, which rarely displayed this type of emotion. "Of course. Just promise me that you will never speak ill of Victor again."
Cedric patted her back. "I promise."
Nana clapped her little hands before sliding from her seat and rushing over to them, getting in on the hug.
Cedric chuckled. "Oh, my girls. I love you both so much."
Wormwood rolled his eyes at the emotional display. "You people are so mushy."
Tanya smirked as she glanced towards him. "Says the raven who comforted both me and Nana last night…"
"Well, I… You know what? I'm honestly starting to miss being moderately evil." Wormwood glared at the other three, trying to make himself seem more intimidating than he actually was. Clearly, no one was buying it.
They all just laughed, and when they stopped, Cedric smiled at Wormwood. "Thank you, Wormy, for looking after them."
Despite his previous embarrassment, Wormwood couldn't help a small smile forming on his visage as he nodded toward his master. "You're welcome, Cedric."
Cedric then looked back at Tanya and asked, "So, why are you in this form? And why did you ask for your meals to be delivered to the tower?"
Tanya looked down, blushing. "Well, with Sofia gone, I wanted to help you take care of Nana, like she would. And I did not want the others to get involved, so I thought it would be best to avoid them until I could discover the proper way to handle this new role."
Cedric smiled sadly. "Tanya, you don't need to do that."
She looked up at him. "I know, but I want to. You have a job to do as the royal sorcerer. Let me make it easier by looking after Nana while you work."
Cedric looked into her eyes for a moment before sighing and nodding. "All right. But not yet. I'm not quite ready to return to my work just yet. But when I do, you can help me with Nana. Until then, this form…" He gestured to her. "…won't be needed."
Tanya nodded before reverting to her child form and hugging him once again. "As you wish, Papa."
Cedric returned her hug then looked from Tanya to Nana, asking, "So, girls, what would you like to do today?" He knew they needed him now, and he could work on hopefully figuring out Sofia's situation soon, but right now… He needed to be there for them, in any way possible.
Tanya grinned excitedly. "Ooh, perhaps we could go to the water and swim as merpeople?" She giggled as Nana smiled and nodded eagerly.
Cedric deflated a bit upon hearing this request. "Oh, girls, we could if I had the Amulet of Avalor." He then noticed the girls looking at him strangely. "What?" He frowned as Tanya reached for something just below his bowtie, lifting it for him to see. "The amulet. Of course…" He'd forgotten he'd been wearing it ever since his failed attempt at wishing Sofia back to life. He smiled softly at the girls. "I guess we're…going swimming as merpeople then…" The girls jumped up and down, cheering. "Hey, Wormy? Care to join us?"
"I'll pass," he retorted dryly. "I don't do swimming. I'm a bird, remember?" He flapped his wings a few times to emphasize his point.
Cedric shrugged. "Suit yourself, Wormy. Come on, girls, let's go." With that, they headed to the water to have some fun, for the first time in days.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Elusion Illusion