The Ninth Star
Summary: An evil enigmatic being known as The Ninth Star was once in a group known as the Nefarious Nine, all of whom were destroyed. The sole survivor of the attack, The Ninth Star takes up residence in a new host, and has now been tracked down to Valestrai, where there are nine powerful magic wielders under investigation. Sofia and company are called in to help question the suspects, but nothing could have prepared them for the outcome when the mystery begins to unravel. *Takes place two years after The Tainted Ten*
Disclaimer: I do not own Sofia the First. The following characters belong to me: Jastin Butterford, Muscles, Malango the Magnanimous (mentioned), Corban, Charlie, Serena, Angel, Shikoba, Alo, the Ninth Star (and other Stars), and several others not mentioned in the other lists. MarionetteJ2X owns Nana, Tanya, and Terra. Mr. Shortman92 owns Christopher Crowley and Amaya. NerdsinaTree owns Captain Nereus. Royal Detective owns Gabriel Sebastian. Allyrwhitney owns Feya. Jettmanas owns Davidius. Creepy-Pasta owns Neoma. Pinkscarlet08 owns Amerie. Theblackraven2.0 owns Malcom "Mac" Woodruff. Also, the "Nefarious Nine" title belongs to NerdsinaTree, as the title was originally supposed to be used in "The Tainted Ten" until we added a tenth character.
A/N: By the way, some of the words in the poem from Vega to Orion, along with the lyrics Butterford sings, are from a song I wrote specifically for this chapter. It's literally called "What You Mean to Me" and can be found on the Wix site for this story under Media.
hapter 18: What You Mean to Me
few days had passed since the Ninth Star incident. The surviving suspects were able to return to their own homes, after a magical medic checked each one out. Amerie was psychologically evaluated due to her possession from the Ninth Star, and even Neoma received the same treatment because of her experience with Xilena. Both were cleared and given the approval to be released. Feya's new wings were still in good shape, though she did have a check-up to make sure all things were functioning well; all things told, she was back to her usual spirited self before long. Until then, she had to walk instead of hover or fly. In fact, her new wings were wrapped in protective fabric until the medic approved her for flight.
Crowley and Amaya were back in their own homestead, and like Orion and Vega, they were exploring a potentially new relationship that had just been broached at the end of the Mosaia interference. Gabriel seemed to fare the best of everyone, and Mac was completely healed. Davidius and Captain Nereus were granted a proper burial with heroic honors due to the situation, and their families received special acknowledgement and compensation for the incident.
Shikoba returned to her own home alone, without the constant companion of Alo by her side. She spent the first night sobbing into her pillow for all she'd lost over the last several years, finally allowing herself to feel something for a change…
ega and Orion travelled to Ilmakana for her birthday, and Vega actually surprised Orion with a sweet poem, which took his breath away.
All these years you've been there, right by my side.
You have stood next to me in each fight and victory.
I would circle the horizon, just so I could keep my eyes on
The one who's meant for me…
You lift me up to the sky above; you are the wind in my wings.
And as I open my eyes to love, I know the truth and finally see
What you mean to me.
The female Protector hadn't expected to be scooped into a hug and kissed so deeply after her companion had read those words, but she certainly wasn't complaining…
"I thought it was your birthday," Orion whispered after he broke the kiss. "So, why am I getting the gift?"
She smiled, placing her hands on either side of his head. "Because you are my gift, Orion…"
He hummed softly, pressing his forehead to hers. "I love you, Vega."
"And I love you, Orion…"
reylock had returned to his own home, only to be greeted by a shaken Ivy, along with a concerned Zinnia and Gareth. The children were too young to understand, which was both a good and a bad thing, but Ivy spent most of the evening telling him about the trip she'd taken. She told him of how her mother had passed away, and how they'd been able to bury the hatchet for all the hard feelings and negative experiences they'd had in earlier times before her passing. Even though Nettle had been far more like a mother figure to her the last several years, her real mother was someone she'd always wanted to try to connect with but never quite could. Just having those last few hours with her had made a difference, and even though she didn't realize it at first, she felt a peace about letting her mother go for the last time.
n the second day after the incident, Sofia received word that Butterford was back home and resting, but he'd asked about her. She wasted no time in traveling to the Mystic Isles to check on her friend.
Butterford turned when he heard a knock on the door to his and Muscles' modest home. Muscles was out with his pirate friends right now, giving him a chance to rest and recover as needed. He called out in a slightly shaky voice, "It's open! Come in!" He smiled when he saw his friend enter. "Sofia…"
The princess walked over to the sofa where Butterford was reclining and took the chair from his table, moving it closer to him, and having a seat. She reached out and took his hand in both of hers. "I heard you were sick, and I was worried…"
He chuckled, squeezing her hands. "Don't worry. Normal sickness; not deadly or anything like that." Seeing the drop of her face, he winced. "Sorry, bad choice of words… I heard about what happened, and I'm sorry you guys had to go through that, and that I wasn't there to protect you."
"I'm glad you were here," she countered. "We were able to manage, and I'd be worried about you since you were already sick… It was rough, Jas… Especially losing two people, and seeing so many get injured… It's never easy when we have to deal with that…"
"I know, sweetie. I know." He blinked as she moved from her chair to the cushion beside him on the sofa, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she leaned into his embrace. He was healed from his illness, so he wasn't worried about her getting sick, but he was a bit concerned over her actions. "Sofia?"
"I'm so tired, Jas… Every time I think we're done with these evil beings, they always come back. I can't even have one day with just Cedric and me enjoying our time together without something happening… And then we drag everyone else into it, including you a lot of times, and I just…" She sighed. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be normal? To live a normal life?"
The Guardian smiled, brushing her hair with his fingers. "Normal isn't a real thing, if you think about it… We lead some pretty interesting lives, after all. I mean, come on. A princess and a former pirate, helping save the world with all the magical warriors and wielders… That's pretty incredible."
"I know. I just…" She sighed, closing her eyes. "I don't know…"
"Hang on. I've got something for you." He removed his blanket and wrapped her in it instead, standing up and stretching. He was still in his simple beige pajamas, his hair swept into a low flowing ponytail, and his feet were bare. He moved over to what Sofia finally recognized as a piano and sat down on the bench, flexing his fingers.
"Don't tell me you actually wrote another song," she teased gently, but secretively, she was excited. Butterford, as far as she knew, hadn't had time to write another song since her wedding, and that was some years ago now…
"It was going to be your Wassailia gift, but I think you need to hear it now…"
Hearing those words, the princess paused, blinking. "Wait, what?" She leaned forward as his fingers danced along the keys in a comforting manner.
I would give my last breath to set you free.
I would battle my fears to keep you with me.
I would stop the world from turning as each day I am learning
How to help you see…
Sofia leaned forward, her eyes a bit misty as she listened to him play and sing. She'd missed this… And he'd written this…for her?
You bring the moon and the stars at night;
You bring the sun every day.
And as I go through this life, I know
You're here with me.
Please hear me say
What you mean to me.
Sofia was astonished as Butterford played the rest of the song and verses, and she smiled appreciatively at him when he turned, his tattooed hands folded under his chin as he waited for her response. "I don't know what I did to deserve you as a friend in my life, Jas Butterford, but I'm so glad I have you now."
He laughed softly as she stood up, dragging the blanket with her, and enveloped him in a hug. "The feeling is mutual, Sofia…"
oward the end of the week, Cedric and Sofia were reunited with their family, and they spent several hours with their family members and their children, who were telling them all about their adventures.
"And Grandpa Goodwyn took us to see his favorite library!" Serena gushed. "It was so nice, Papa."
"And we got good food!" Charlie followed up, licking his lips as he patted his tummy, as if reminiscing.
"And what did you two do while we were gone?" Miranda asked, offering them a secretive smile.
Sofia blushed as Cedric shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing…unusual, Mom… Just… Normal Cedric and Sofia things…"
"We didn't even see them, and we were here," Amber joked with a grin, causing the couple to blush deeper. "I think it's safe to say that they…enjoyed themselves…a lot…"
"Amber!"
The queen laughed.
Some weeks later, in a small home in the village near the Bronze River, Shikoba was sleeping in her bed. Her new wolf puppy, Amani, was curled up near her side. She'd been skeptical about adopting the little female pup at first, but her elders assured her that there were no traces of evil attached to her. Eventually, she'd allowed her heart to open up to the little one, and they'd been inseparable ever since.
Amani possessed mostly dark fur, with a lighter gray along her muzzle, underbelly, tail, and ears. She had sensitive paws, so Shikoba had gotten her some special black and pink socks to wear, which she seemed to enjoy. Amani was sweet natured and loved to go on hikes, eat good food, and spend some evenings howling to other wolves in the distance.
While the wolf pup slept, Shikoba was restless in her sleep. She could still feel the clutches of Mosaia, and she knew his presence was near, even in her dreams. In the darkness, she could clearly feel hot breath stirring in her ear, a whisper saying, "You'll never know what you meant to me, Shikoba… We could have had it all."
A tear rolling down her cheek, Shikoba responded softly in her sleep, "I do not want it all. I just want peace…" The presence dissipated, and the air around her grew lighter as Shikoba released a long sigh, finally feeling restful as she slept. She dreamed of her lost love Coran and their lives together, and the promise of what they were supposed to have. Even knowing that Alo—no, that Mosaia—had caused his downfall, she still had some hope for the future. She would be happy again. Somehow.
Her heart felt more at ease as the night waxed on, the moon keeping watch over her as she slept.
The end
