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. 😊
A/N: Thanks to allyrwhitney for her contribution with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice mentioned in here. 😊
Chapter 4: Elusion Illusion
After their swim, Cedric spent all his time with the girls, never once returning to Sofia's room over the next couple days. He knew subconsciously that distracting himself with the girls was not going to take away the reality that Sofia was still gone, and he would have to face that reality very soon. Tomorrow was the day that he'd agreed to lift the spell he had placed on her, so that she could be buried. So, after putting the girls to bed, Cedric made his way to Sofia's room to say goodbye.
He slowly approached her side, noting that with the dim lighting, it was hard to see just how pale she was, and if not for the magical barrier still surrounding her body, one might think she was just sleeping. During those first two days, even he had almost believed that to be the case more than once, but he knew better now. There was still a rip in her sorceress outfit, right above her heart, and her chest remained perfectly still, rather than steadily rising and falling like it normally would if she were sleeping. Thankfully, her body showed no signs of decay, and Cedric would bet she still smelled good, that ever lingering scent of vanilla and lavender still embedded in her hair and on her skin, despite being gone for a few days now.
He would miss her smile, her laughter, her warmth… He'd miss holding her when she was upset or even happy. He'd miss her hugs, the stolen kisses in the hallways or in one of their rooms, and the sense of peace she gave him. He'd miss her… But he would never allow her memory to fade away. He'd see her in the sunrise and sunset. He'd see her in Nana and Tanya, knowing it was her good heart that led the girls to their home in the first place. He'd hear her in the wind and the waves, recalling the times they'd gone swimming together or spent time on a certain island and later galleon, learning more about what it was to be in love with each other…even if they hadn't fully admitted it yet at that point.
He knelt beside her, placing his right hand on the barrier, silently wishing he could touch her. Suddenly, Cedric looked down toward the amulet as it began to glow, and then he was surprised to feel his hand slip through the barrier, a pink glow now surrounding him. He pulled his hand back to look at it, before reaching through the barrier again. "What is this?" Then it hit him. "The amulet must have understood that this was what I wanted, and it granted my wish without me having to voice it. I didn't know it could do that." He then smiled, reaching out and running his fingers through Sofia's hair, a tear streaking down his cheek. "Oh, my angel, how I miss you..." He caressed her left cheek and reached out with his left hand to grasp her right one. "If you can hear me, Sofia, wherever you are, I want you to know that I will always love you, and from now on, I will do my best to be a good father to our girls. Like you would have wanted…" He then leaned forward and kissed her lips as he whispered, "I hope we see each other again someday. Goodbye, my love. Sleep well…" And happily, or perhaps devastatingly, she did still smell wonderful, even after all these days…
He sighed and stood up, gazing upon his partner's beautiful face as the amulet's magic wore off. He then heard the sound of a throat clearing, which drew his attention to the open doorway, where he saw Nigel standing awkwardly, a book held in his hands. "Um, yes, Nigel? Is there something I can do for you?"
Nigel shook his head as he approached the other man. "No, I don't really need anything. I was just coming to see your princess. I didn't know anyone would be here, though. I'm sorry if I interrupted some big emotional goodbye."
Cedric chuckled. "Not at all, Nigel. I took care of that before you came in. What's with the book?" He pointed to the book in the other man's hand.
"Oh, this?" He turned the book in Cedric's direction, revealing an image of a young couple, and a title: Orpheus and Eurydice. "I'm returning it." Seeing Cedric's confused expression, he elaborated, "Sofia let me borrow it a few weeks ago, and I've been reading it off and on whenever I got the chance. I just finished it, so I thought I'd return it, and thank her for letting me borrow it." He eyed the silent princess, sighing. "Even under the circumstances…"
"It looks like a romance of some kind." Seeing the other man nod, he admitted, "I didn't know Sofia liked that sort of thing."
"She said it was a gift from one of her village friends."
"Hmm, that makes sense. So, is it good? What's it about?" He normally wouldn't care so much, but it was something of Sofia's, and so he was a little curious.
"It's actually very good. And it's basically about a man traveling to the Underworld to retrieve the soul of his deceased wife in order to revive her." He looked Cedric in the eye. "It would be rather neat to be able to actually do that, wouldn't it?"
Cedric scoffed, looking back towards Sofia. "Yeah, too bad it's just a myth."
"Hmm, or a legend. Myths aren't real, but legends can be." Nigel turned toward Sofia as well as he continued, "You know, your princess has become something of a legend herself. In all of my travels, Cedric, you wouldn't believe how often the name 'Princess Sofia of Enchancia' has come up. People everywhere seem to know of her. They still talk about how she defeated Vor, or how she saved Reimagia. A teenaged princess did all of that, and became a sorceress, as well as the youngest Protector, and the first ever Protector of the Ever Realm. That all sounds too crazy to be real, doesn't it? And yet, you know all those things happened, because you were there."
Cedric turned to Nigel, offering him a perplexed look. "I'm sorry, but is there a point you're trying to make?"
Nigel laughed. "Why, yes, Cedric, there is. If Sofia could do all of that, then surely, she could overcome this with no problem."
"But if there is truth to that book, then I would have to find her soul, and I don't exactly know where the Underworld is-!" Suddenly a memory resurfaced in Cedric's mind, causing him to pause, his mouth agape.
"They are souls... Pitiful souls who thought they could outsmart me. And that pool you see will lead you to my dwelling: the Land of Perdition. I believe you Ever Realm dwellers call it the 'Underworld.'"
Cedric gasped. "Daemno."
Nigel was confused. "Um... What was that now?"
Cedric looked the other man in the eyes, grasping his shoulders. "Daemno. He's a powerful being from the Underworld. Sofia and I have had a couple of run-ins with him in the past. He's evil, but he's never really tried too hard to kill us, so I might actually stand a chance against him." Then Cedric groaned as he realized a major flaw in his plan, releasing Nigel's shoulders. "If only I knew where to find him!" They'd first discovered him in MÃ¥ngata a few years ago, but that place might not even exist anymore, considering the experience they'd had with it.
The older man smiled, curious how this was all going to play out. "Well, Cedric, what would Sofia do in this situation?"
He scoffed. "Knowing her, she'd probably use her Enchantlet-" His eyes widened. "Her Enchantlet! That's it!" He glanced down at his wrist, where the Enchantlet had fastened itself to him a few days ago, and smiled triumphantly. "I have an idea…"
Nigel looked at the device curiously, asking, "How will that help you find this…Domino guy?"
Cedric grinned excitedly. "Glad you asked, Nigel. Allow me to demonstrate." He rushed over to Sofia's window, throwing it open and standing on the window seat, activating the Which-Way Bow. "Oh, I've always wanted to try this. Sofia always looks so dramatic when she does it. Which-Way Bow, show me the way to Daemno!" He released the arrow, watching it spin a few times before flying off into the distance. He then tried it again, this time looking for the soul of Princess Sofia, and he laughed in excitement as it soared in the same direction as the first arrow. He looked back at Nigel, pointing in the direction the arrows went. "I'd bet the last of my Hocus Crocus that the Underworld is in that direction."
Nigel laughed as well. "That's great, Cedric! So, does this mean you'll be leaving to get her back?"
"Is that a real question?" Cedric scoffed. "Of course, I'm going to get her back." He felt a sense of relief wash over him, and something akin to hope filling him. This had to work… He chanced a glance at Sofia's still form, sighing as he walked back toward Nigel.
"When?"
The sorcerer smiled, folding his arms. "Tomorrow."
Suddenly, Roland entered the room. "Cedric? Nigel? What are you two doing up so late? I could hear your laughter from my bedroom, Cedric. I'm happy that you're not despondent anymore, but could you please keep it down?" He rubbed his head, sighing.
Cedric hurried over to the king, ignoring his complaints. "Roland! I've found Sofia!"
Roland looked behind Cedric at the body of his daughter, and then back at the sorcerer, an eyebrow raised. "Um, Cedric... I don't know how to word this properly, but… Are you inebriated or something?"
Cedric waved his hands. "No, I meant, I've located her soul." Seeing Roland's eyes widen in interest, he continued, "It's in the Underworld with a creature called Daemno." He gestured toward Sofia. "All of Sofia's wounds were healed completely before I realized she was already gone. And thanks to my magical barrier, she hasn't begun to decay yet. So, I can still save her! I just need to go retrieve her soul from Daemno and put it back in her body. I just don't know how long it will take. Would you mind if…I leave the barrier up a little longer?"
Roland just stared at Cedric for a few moments before sighing. This all sounded so outrageous, so impossible, but… They were in an enchanted realm. Anything could happen, right? "Very well. You can leave the barrier up. But when you return, it's coming down, Cedric. Regardless of whether you have her soul or not." He was then surprised when Cedric hugged him of all things, and he hesitantly returned the hug, awkwardly patting the sorcerer's back. "Um… Cedric?"
Cedric released him, smiling appreciatively. "Oh, thank you, Roland! I'll bring her back, I promise you."
Roland then asked, "And the girls? What are you going to tell them?"
Cedric sighed. "I'll deal with that in the morning. But for now, I suppose I should get some sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow, and a big adventure ahead of me… Goodnight, Roland. Goodnight, Nigel." He bowed respectfully and left the room.
As he was leaving, Cedric ran into Miranda, who looked a little worse for wear, though she also had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Q-Queen Miranda," he stammered, surprised to see Sofia's mother just outside her room. "Um… What are you doing here? O-Oh…" He lowered his head, feeling sheepish about asking such a thing. Of course… She was probably…there to see her daughter.
"Cedric, I wanted to check on you," she told him, watching as he blinked at her in surprise. "Losing Sofia was terrible for all of us, but… I could see how badly it affected you too. I know you love her, and as her mother, I just want to tell you…" She sniffled, folding her arms over her midsection in a comforting manner. "I-I wanted to thank you…for always caring about my little girl… Even if she could annoy you, or worry you, or…"
"Queen Miranda, you…" He cleared his throat, hating the uncomfortable sight of the woman crumbling before him. Miranda was always so strong, and he didn't want to see her in any less of a state. "You don't need to thank me… Sofia's done far more for me than I have for her, anyway…"
"You were…good for each other." She smiled softly at him, willing away her tears. "In many ways… And I just wanted to tell you this: while I never dreamed that I'd have to endure this pain, this harsh reality of losing a child… I know there's a way she'll always be here…" She even managed to brighten up a bit, as if she knew something he didn't. Her smile became more fervent. "She'll always be with you, Cedric… Forever."
"Y-Yes…" He should tell her, shouldn't he? He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.
"I know you'd do anything for Sofia, and as her mother, I am so appreciative of that... And I hope whatever…plan you have…can help you save Sofia…" She saw the surprised expression on his face and continued, "But Cedric, for your sake and hers... Please be careful."
He merely nodded, not able to say much else as the queen turned, a soft smile lingering on her lips still, before walking away. "Hmm…" She was far more observant than he ever realized.
After leaving the queen, still pondering her words to him, Cedric headed to his tower, where he dressed in his pajamas. He then climbed into his bed next to the girls, kissing each of their foreheads before going to sleep.
The next morning Cedric awoke earlier than usual, since he was eager to get his quest underway and hopefully save Sofia. He got dressed in his usual outfit, minus his robe, since he wasn't sure if it would be practical in the Underworld. What if he had to trudge through a river of souls for a few hours or fight a bunch of zombies? He shivered. "Let's hope not. All right, time to wake the girls." He walked over to his bed, reaching out to the girls and gently tickling their sides, smiling as they both began giggling. "Come on, my darlings. It's time to wake up. If we don't hurry, your Uncle James might eat all of the pancakes, or whatever delightfully delectable food Chef Andre has made this morning." He chuckled.
"Morning, Papa," Tanya said as she and Nana sat up, both rubbing their eyes and smiling.
"Morning, Tanya. Morning, Nana." He hugged them both, kissing them each on the cheek and making them giggle again before reciprocating the gesture. "First thing's first. Let's get you girls changed, shall we?" He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell, magically changing them into their usual attire and fixing their hair, which had gotten pretty tangled during the night. "Ah, there are my beautiful girls. Now, come along. We must hurry."
He helped Tanya down from the bed before placing Nana on his shoulder and leading them into the workshop. "I was only joking before, but James really does have a big appetite, so I wouldn't put it past him to swipe our food." The girls giggled at his comment as he rolled his eyes, and they continued their journey to the dining room.
And as they went, both Tanya and Nana exchanged glances, noting how much happier their Papa seemed now. What had changed? Maybe they'd find out soon…
On the way, Cedric listened with interest as Tanya spoke about the shared dream she and Nana had, in which multiple versions of himself and Sofia had to band together to fight some evil force that threatened their existence. The strange part? Two versions of them sounded an awful lot like their Abstruce Realm and Absentia Realm counterparts. But there was also a non-magical version of them who seemed very different from himself and Sofia.
When they reached the dining room and sat down to eat, James glanced over at them and teased, "Just in time, Cedric. I was about to snag your pancakes."
The girls snickered as Cedric gave them an 'I told you so' look.
"So, Cedric, what are you and the girls doing today?" Miranda asked, smiling toward the sorcerer in her knowing manner.
Cedric smiled toward the girls as they smiled back. "Whatever they want to do, I suppose." He then looked back in Miranda's direction. "At least until lunchtime. After that I have an errand to run." He was sure, based on the look Roland was giving him, that the other man hadn't told anyone about Cedric's discovery the night before, or his plans for today. And Miranda, for her part, whether she was fully aware of his plan or not… She didn't seem to have said anything either. And he figured it was probably best to keep the rest of them in the dark. After all, he didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case he failed.
"Oh?" James inquired. "What sort of 'errand?'"
Cedric froze, not expecting a follow-up question. "Oh, um, just meeting up with an old friend of mine and Sofia's." He smiled, glad that he was able to come up with an excuse that could be believed. "He lives kind of far though, so I might be a while. Actually, I need to see him about Sofia. I unfortunately can't undo the protection spell I placed on her, so she'll be stuck in that barrier until I find out from him how to reverse that particular protection spell." He felt bad for outright lying to everyone, but he needed an excuse for why he was leaving Sofia in the barrier longer.
Cordelia looked at him strangely. "But Ceddy, all you have to do is-"
"I said I can't undo it, Cordy!" He gave her a meaningful look, hoping she would get the message. She did. He looked at the others. "This friend specializes in protection spells, so he's my best option. I'm sorry about the delay. I know you all want to get the funeral over with…"
Amber then turned to Cedric and told him, "It's fine, Cedric. You go ahead and do what you have to do. And if you still can't undo the spell, I'm sure we can think of some alternative solution…"
Cedric sighed. "Thank you, Amber, and everyone, for your patience. I'll try to be back as soon as possible."
Amber smiled. "Don't mention it, Cedric." She then giggled as she noticed something on Cedric's right wrist. "Are you wearing Sofia's Enchantlet?" She hummed thoughtfully as Cedric blushed, his eyes wide as she continued, "I knew you'd been wearing the Amulet of Avalor lately, but I wasn't aware that you were also wearing that."
Cedric groaned in embarrassment. "I was…curious recently and wanted to try the lasso thing. I guess I forgot to take it off?" He'd been able to hide it under his sleeve a few days ago, but now without his robe, it was impossible to hide. He then tried to remove it only to realize that it wouldn't come off. "That's strange… It's stuck." He shrugged. "I guess I'll have to contact Chrysta for help later. She's going to love that," he finished sarcastically, rolling his eyes as the others laughed.
As everyone continued their meal, one person was watching Cedric, eyes narrowed suspiciously before muttering quietly, "What are you up to, Cedric?"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Soulful Legends