Sophia's Story
A Disney crossover by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any recognizable Disney characters. All original characters are my own creations.
CHAPTER 18. New Lives
"Well, how doe we know they're NOT spies?" Sophia could hear Merryweather demanding as she quietly pushed the door open to the kitchen. "If you just give me my wand back I could turn them…"
"Eh ahem," Sophia cleared her throat quietly. The three fairies turned towards her in shock. Sophia quickly closed the door tightly behind her. "You have magic?" Sophia asked.
The fairies exchanged guilty looks. "What makes you say that, dear?" Fauna asked with a nervous look.
"No, it's okay," Sophia insisted. "I have it too… sort of…" Sophia looked around and spotted a bowl of apples sitting on the table. She removed the apple from the bowl. "Just give me a minute…" she focused hard on the apple, trying to picture a cupcake in her mind and slowly the apple began to twich.
"DON'T DO THAT!" Merryweather suddenly cried and lunged forwards snatching the apple from her hand. "Do you want to bring her down on us?"
"Her?" Sophia asked in confusion.
"I think you had better tell us who you are, my dear," Flora said, placing a restraining hand on Merryweather's shoulder.
"My name is Sophia," Sophia explained. "I'm a fairy godmother in training. My teacher is an enchantress named Rosamund. She accidentally turned me into a broom. I spent the past several years trapped in an enchanted castle until Flewddur helped me break the spell."
"Rosamund?" Fauna cried. "I didn't know she was taking students."
"She doesn't seem like the type," Merryweather admitted.
"I have to say she's not particularly good at it," Sophia grumbled, "But maybe you can help me…" she looked up hopefully at the three women.
Flora sighed heavily. "I'm sorry my dear. We can't help you right now."
Sophia's heart sank. "Why not?"
"It's a very complex situation, my dear," Flora said gently. "We… we can't…."
"We're not using magic right now," Merryweather said bluntly. "We're being cautious." She shot Flora an annoyed look.
"You see…" Fauna explained, twisting her apron anxiously. "We have managed to offend an evil sorceress and if we use magic that might alert her to our presence. We've been living this way for my 16 years."
Sophia blinked. "No Magic? Sorceress? 16 YEARS?!"
"Yes," Flora said. "And it's important that you don't use any magic in this house while you are here as well."
"Not unless you want an angry witch flying down on you," Merryweather muttered. Sophia cringed. She really didn't need TWO angry enchantresses chasing after her.
"We're sorry, my dear," Fauna said. "But there's no way for us to train you. In fact, we'll be leaving the cottage soon."
"Where are you going?"
"We're taking Briar Rose back to the kingdom," Flora said quietly.
Sophia crossed her arms and gave them a hard look. "Is… is she the princess?"
"Yes," Flora admitted with a sigh. "An evil sorceress named Maleficent cast a spell on her as a baby. It was foretold that on her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. We're keeping her out here to protect her at least until she turns sixteen."
"Which is tomorrow?" Sophia asked.
"Yes," Flora said quietly.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "And she has no idea that she's a princess? Or that you're about to whisk her away from everything she has ever known?"
"And you can't tell her anything," Merryweather insisted.
"Please," Fauna said. "Let us tell her. We don't want to alarm her."
Sophia had to acknowledge that having a random stranger she had met minutes before tell you that everything you had known was lie was perhaps not the best approach to take here. Sophia nodded understandingly. "I won't tell her," she agreed. "But she's going to be alarmed no matter what. Her whole world is about to change."
"We understand that and we are prepared to handle this." Flora said firmly. Fauna and Merryweather nodded in unison as well.
Sophia felt her shoulders slump in defeat. "So… you can't help me?"
"I'm sorry, my dear," Flora said gently. "But right now we aren't able to train you."
"Well, we can't train her…" Flora said. "But maybe we can help you in some other way?"
"Really?" Sophia asked, perking up.
"I believe Flewddur said that you've been working offering your maid services?" Flora asked.
"Yeah, I can't help myself," Sophia admitted. In fact, since entering the room She had spotted several stains on the table and a few cobwebs in the corners of the room that were driving her mad.
Fauna turned towards Flora and Merryweather, "Haven't we heard that Snow White is searching for a maid?"
"Oh yes," Merryweather said. "To take care of the dwarves."
"Dwarves?" Sophia asked.
"They live in a cottage not far from here," Flora explained. "It's a group of seven little men, local miners. Princess Snow White was living with them and taking care of the cooking and cleaning before she married the prince. They're a little bit lost without her and she was looking for someone to check in on them every now and again."
"A maid?" Sophia asked. The thought did not appeal to Sophia.
"I suppose you could aways continue to travel with Flewddur?" Fauna suggested.
Sophia cringed. That did not sound any better. She had grown to admire Flewddur, but the homeless wandering of being a bard was not an easy life. They typically had very little to eat and earned very little money, partly because Flewddur meant well, but wasn't the most talented musician available. Most of the time they were lucky if they could convince the tavern owner to give them room and board in exchange for Flewddur's performance.
If she worked as a maid, she could at least have a roof over her head and regular meals. She wouldn't have to wander all over the kingdom. She could earn a wage. She could save up and maybe find a way to the glass kingdom where she could possibly find Cinderella and her godmother. Maybe they could help her?
"Do you think you could help me get the job?" Sophia asked.
"We could include a letter of recommendation," Fauna offered thoughtfully.
"With a few conditions," Merryweather added.
"Okay," Sophia said, crossing her arms. "Name them."
"Number 1 no magic in our home," Merryweather said.
"Very well," Sophia said with a shrug. "I can't do all that much with it anyway. Next?"
"Number 2 promise you won't reveal anything to Aurora," Merryweather said.
"Auror… Briar Rose?" Sophia asked.
Merryweather scowled as she realized her error. "Yes, Briar Rose."
"And number three and most importantly," Flora said. "You won't reveal anything to Maleficent about the princess."
Sophia nodded. "I agree to the terms."
-888-
They spent the remainder of the evening enjoying a delicious dinner and listening to the songs that Flewddur had prepared for the princess celebration. The writing and the rhyme schemes were a bit off, but Flewddur made up for what he lacked in songwriting skill in sheer enthusiasm. Briar Rose seemed to enjoy the music and sang along when Flewddur switched to singing some of the more popular traditional songs. Sophia couldn't help but feel vaguely sad as she watched the girl. It was her last day of being a regular girl. Sophia was almost relieved that she was not going to be around to see how the next day would play out.
After dinner was completed, Sophia helped clean the dishes. She might have gotten a bit carried away. After the dishes were done, she ended up sweeping the floors, and wiping the windows before she realized what she was doing. The three good fairies didn't' seem to mind though. In fact, Merryweather seemed downright amused by her actions and suggested that she might fold the laundry and dust the living room before she left.
After the cleaning was complete, the fairies set up a place for Sophia and Flewddur before the fireplace with a variety of warm blankets and pillows. Flewddur rambled on about all the wonderful things they would see once they arrived in the city tomorrow. Eventually, he nodded off and Sophia could hear him snoring peacefully, his lyre tucked comfortably beneath one arm like a teddy bear.
Sophia lay there awake for a long time, watching the flames dance and listening to the crackling of the fire. Finally, she too fell asleep. The next day, both her and the princess Aurora would begin new lives.