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 39. A Call to Gracey Manor
"W-w-well, that didn't g-g-go exactly as planned," Jackie said with a nervous laugh as they made their way back to Arthur's castle.
"I told you he would be difficult," Mim grumbled. "Well, where do we find the nearest song?" she asked.
Sophia was trudging along, rubbing her temples and struggling to get the thumping headache behind her eyes to go away. "I don't know," she said wearily.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Mim cried. "How did Kelsey do it?"
"I told you I don't know," Sophia insisted. "She just… knew. They all did. Kelsey, Rob… even little Emma had a working knowledge of when people would sing and she just made sure we were there."
"Hmm." Mim said thoughtfully. "Well, who needs that old windbag." Mickey shot Mim an injured look. "Oh don't look at me that way. Who needs him? We'll go form the Circle without him. There's plenty of people who will be willing to join."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Mim," Merlin interjected. "Yen Sid can be a bit… well… insufferable… at times, but he was correct. He predicted that the Circle would fail and so far he has been correct. If he doesn't have confidence in this new version, why should anyone else?"
"Because Kelsey's friend is behind it." Mim insisted.
"Enough!" Sophia exclaimed, silencing everyone. "Let's get one thing straight," Sophia said coldly. "I am not 'Kelsey's friend'. I am Sophia. I am a successful sorceress in my own right and I am part of the reason why she was able to accomplish so much. I'm not about to spend the rest of my life being known as 'Kelsey's friend'."
"Of course Sophia," Will said gently. "What is it you suggest we do?" Everyone turned towards her expectantly.
"I don't know," Sophia admitted, feeling defeated.
The rest of the journey was conducted in silence before they arrived in the castle. Arthur settled them in the parlor and called for tea as Sophia flopped into a comfortable armchair. "Mickey?" she asked. "What are some of the spells from that book? Can you remember?"
Mickey set down his tea cup. "Well, there were so many. There was the earth spell, the ice spell, Kelsey never found those. They were the few nature based ones that she missed. There was also invisibility, transformation, flight…"
"I don't think I've ever heard a song about invisibility," Jack remarked drily.
"People don't routinely sing about fire either," Will said. "And yet…"
"Hmm," Sophia mused to herself. She reached for her teacup and focused on the liquid inside it. She muttered a spell and stared at the rippling tea. A few moments passed, "Madam Leota?" she asked.
"Sophia?!" Madam Leota asked in confusion. Her bouncing curls were tied back in a rag and she was wearing a worn daydress with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. It seemed odd to see Madam Leota dressed so casually. Sophia identified the dress as the one that wore on washday.
"Hi," Sophia said. "It's been a while. How are you?"
"HOW AM I?!" Madam Leota yelled so loud the tea in Sophia's cup began to ripple. "It's been weeks since you last spoke to me. Do you even remember the last thing you said to me?"
"Um…." Sophia said sheepishly.
"I HAVE TO GO FIGHT A DEMON! TALK TO YOU LATER. THAT'S THE LAST CONVERSATION WE HAD."
"Oh right…" Sophia said.
"YOU DON'T END A CONVERSATION WITH "I HAVE TO GO FIGHT A DEMON! TALK TO YOU LATER!"
"Leota! You're on speaker phone," Sophia muttered.
"GOOD!" Leota snapped. "They all can hear it too. I think they're a terrible influence on you."
"I'm sorry I didn't call," Sophia said massaging the area between her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "I've been a little busy."
"Right," Madam Leota seeming to calm down. "The demon." There was an awkward pause before Madam Leota added, "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Well did you win?" Madam Leota asked.
"Of course I won!" Sophia burst out in frustration. "I'm here talking to you aren't I?"
"I suppose but it's not like you've told me anything lately," Madam Leota said snippily.
Sophia sighed heavily. "I'm sorry I will attempt to call you more often. I just have some questions for you."
"What's wrong?" Leota demanded.
"Nothing's wrong," Sophia said. "Well… nothing you need to be worried about," Sophia said calmly.
"Are you eating?" Madam Leota asked. "You look skinny."
"Yes, I'm eating," Sophia said impatiently.
"Mirror come over here! Does Sophia look skinny to you?" Sophia groaned. She had never known her mother, but she imagined that this is perhaps what it would be like. She found it both comforting and utterly infuriating.
Sophia could see Mirror behind her. He was hanging the wet clothes on the clothesline but hastily dropped a wet shirt with a slap and scurried over to Madam Leota's side. Mirror opened his mouth. "Mirror be careful how you answer that!" Sophia snapped. Mirror closed his mouth again immediately. "Leota, I'm okay, I swear. I've just been busy. I just had some questions for you."
"Alright," Madam Leota shrugged settling herself comfortably on a pile of dirty clothes.
"Have you ever heard of any instances of a person turning invisible?" Sophia asked.
"What?" Madam Leota exclaimed.
"That's a no," Sophia said dismissively. "How about any exceptionally icy places?"
"Where are you going with this?" Madam Leota asked, eyeing her with concern. "Are you sure you've been eating…?"
"It's a long story," Sophia said. "Bottom line: I need to find another song for The book."
"The Book?" Madam Leota asked. "The Book?" After Kelsey left, Sophia had given her mentor a hurried account about their misadventures searching for songs. Sophia found herself wishing that she had given Leota a little more detailed explanation.
"Yes," Sophia said. "We need to find at least one to prove ourselves to Yen Sid."
"That Yen Sid?" she asked.
"Yes, of course that Yen Sid," Sophia said. "We need to find a song. Have you heard of any of these things happening more than typical? From what Mickey said there's ice, invisibility, transformation, light…"
"I can't remember people randomly bursting into song about light or ice or any of that stuff," Madam Leota said thoughtfully.
"Fine," Sophia said with a heavy sigh. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You told me that New York City was a dry pocket right?"
"Right," Madam Leota said.
"Is there an opposite of a dry pocket?" Sophia asked. "A place where there is more magic in the air than typical?"
Madam Leota thought for a moment. "There's a few places. Parts of Pyrdain, Morva particularly."
"I don't think we're going to find any answers there," Sophia said quickly. The thought of going back to the marshes and asking the three witches to sing did not appeal to Sophia at all. "Anywhere else?"
Madam Leota thought some more. "I suppose… there is one other place that I could think of."
"Where is that?" Sophia asked.
"It's in the Wildlands," Madam Leota said. "A mountain."
"Bald Mountain?" Sophia asked dejectedly.
"Not that one," Madam Leota said quickly. "A different one, The Mountain Where the Lights Touch the Earth. The native people believe that the veil the separates our world from the spirit world is particularly thin here. It allows the spirits to speak with us mortals. It is supposed to be a place of great magic."
"Maybe it's worth checking out?" Sophia asked.
"And just wander around until one of the spirits decide to sing us a little tune?" Jack asked.
"Do we have any better suggestions?" Sophia asked. She looked around. The others slowly shook their heads. "Is it at least worth a shot?" Sophia asked.
"I think so!" Mickey said brightly, he bolted to his feet with a grin.
Will smiled and shrugged. "What have we got to lose?"
Sophia gave him a grateful smile before she returned her attention to Leota and Mirror. "Thanks Leota. That gives us a start."
"You're welcome," Madam Leota said. "But if you wait that long to call me again, I'll turn you into a salamander…!"
"Goodbye Leota," Sophia said with a sigh.
"You don't think I can do it from this far away, but I assure you I can…" Sophia lifted her tea cup and spilled the liquid into her saucer abruptly ending the call with a sigh.